Is there a scientific basis to sticking to a zero-COVID policy in Hong Kong?

Police in Paris have clashed with hundreds of protesters demonstrating against France's COVID restrictions. This came as so-called freedom convoys, inspired by similar demonstrations by truckers in Canada, reached the French capital.

An estimated 10 million jobs were lost in the creative industries in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a report from the United Nations' cultural agency UNESCO. The organisation estimates that shutdowns and other restrictions incurred a loss of $750 billion to the global economy. The UN body is calling for better social protection for workers in the arts, many of whom lost their income for long periods during the pandemic. We discuss the report's findings with UNESCO's Berta de Sancristóbal.

Authorities in Hong Kong have called in building teams to construct isolation units as hospitals there grapple with a new spike in cases. Meanwhile, Australia is opening to tourists once again. DW has the latest.

Hong Kong is facing its toughest test yet in its "Dynamic Zero Covid" strategy. The number of cases this year is now higher than the number of infections seen in both 2020 and 2021. The city's health system is under pressure, suffering from a lack of hospital beds, inadequate testing capacities and over-strained quarantine centers. But the health crisis is turning political. For more on this, we turn to Jean-Pierre Cabestan, a political scientist at Hong Kong Baptist University.

The world was shocked when the Omicron variant was discovered in South Africa last year. But life is almost back to normal there. The government has lifted most lockdown restrictions, and tourists are flocking back.

Poland is warmly welcoming Ukrainians fleeing the war in sharp contrast to its treatment of previous waves of refugees from Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. What explains the difference?

Stock markets in Shanghai and Hong Kong slumped on Tuesday, as investors fear the impact of the latest Covid-19 lockdowns on China's economy. Nearly 30 million people are now living under restrictions in the country, including in the technology manufacturing hub of Shenzen. Also today, Volkswagen has suspended production of vehicles at some plants in Germany over a shortage of parts that are supplied from Ukraine.

Stock markets in Shanghai and Hong Kong slumped on Tuesday, as investors fear the impact of the latest Covid-19 lockdowns on China's economy. Nearly 30 million people are now living under restrictions in the country, including in the technology manufacturing hub of Shenzen. Also today, Volkswagen has suspended production of vehicles at some plants in Germany over a shortage of parts that are supplied from Ukraine.

The coronavirus seven-day incidence rate in Germany has crossed 1,600 for the first time. Meanwhile, New Zealand is opening its doors to tourists after a long wait.

The Bundestag lifted the requirement to wear a mask in most places, despite a record number of coronavirus infections. The move has been criticized by the opposition Christian Democatic Union.

Poland is allowing millions of Ukrainians fleeing the war access to the labor market and to health and social benefits. Polish officials are struggling to register and help all the people arriving in the country.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has expedited the "Strategic Compass" security strategy, which allows the European Union to form a rapid reaction force. Germany has offered to provide the "military core."