Government critics said the proposed media law was aimed at silencing dissent. President Andrzej Duda said it would have dealt a blow to Poland's reputation as a place to do business.

Omicron is now the dominant variant in the United States, accounting for nearly three-quarters of all cases. In New York, once the epicenter of the pandemic, omicron cases are surging.

Three BTS members — Suga, RM and Jin — have tested positive for COVID-19. The superstar group had recently returned to South Korea from the United States where they held their first in-person concerts since the pandemic.

Pfizer's anti-COVID treatment has already received emergency approval in the US. Now, Germany is hoping the drug will reduce the burden on intensive care units.

SpaceX launches first rocket for US military

Children have been out of school for over a year, raising worries about students falling behind. In India this month, some states have started allowing schools to reopen. But in Delhi, many are choosing to stay away, over fears of a third wave.

US coronavirus cases on the rise: Epidemiologist Peter Chin-Hong speaks to DW

German police are running "at full capacity all the time" and struggling to cope with stress as they deal with violent and aggressive protesters, the police union has said.

Although Germany isn't logging record cases like its neighbors, Health Minister Lauterbach said current figures don't show the whole picture. Data reporting has slowed over the holidays — but the omicron variant has not.

2021 began with the promise of vaccines to the rescue. But as one variant begets another, rich nations talk of boosters and jabs for kids while much of the developing world still waits for first doses.

Wolfgang Preiser, the virologist who first discovered omicron, has spoken to DW about the rapid rise in cases. He predicts that most people will catch the new variant.

US President Joe Biden is expected to offer Russian leader Vladimir Putin a "diplomatic path" to defusing tensions over Ukraine. The West is alarmed at a buildup of Russian troops near Ukraine.