An expert panel has just given the green light to vaccinate children aged 5 to 11 in Israel — the first country to offer booster shots. It has also tightened its green pass system to keep the economy and schools open.

Although the virtual meeting between the US and Chinese leaders did not lead to any big breakthroughs, both sides expressed willingness to cooperate on "guardrails" to prevent competition from turning into catastrophe.

German officers have detained 12 individuals suspected of involvement in the manufacture and sale of falsified COVID-19 vaccine passports. The counterfeits are believed to have been sold for up to €400 each.

Leaders of the US, Canada, and Mexico met after a five-year gap. While they emphasized cooperation, tensions were raised about the auto industry, Biden's "Buy American" policies and a Mexican energy bill.

The lockdown starting Monday is expected to last 10 days and a vaccine mandate is set to start in February. Data shows the seven-day incidence rate in the country at around 1,000 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

Vaccine equity campaigners have long warned the EU that sharing doses was essential to prevent new variants emerging. EU countries made big promises on vaccine donations, but have so far struggled to deliver. Why?

Novak Djokovic's father Srdjan does not think that his son will compete at the Australian Open because of COVID-19 vaccination rules in Australia.

FRANCE 24 spoke to the EU's Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton about several issues, including the threat of the omicron Covid-19 variant worldwide; the possibility of easing intellectual property rules on vaccines to get more doses out to lower-income countries; and the state of relations between the European Union and the United Kingdom.

The situation along the border is growing increasingly unstable as fears of a Russian invasion mount. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Russia's foreign minister in an attempt to defuse the tension. Washington wants to limit Moscow's room for maneuver.

The two leaders talked via videolink amid a tense standoff over Ukraine. US officials said Russia would face severe sanctions if troops crossed the border into Ukranian territory.

US President Joe Biden is hosting a two-day summit on democracy, attended virtually by delegates the world over. Conspicuous by their absence from the guest list are Russia and China. The former accuses Biden of a "Cold War mentality", while the latter dismisses the event as a "joke" reflecting nothing more than sinister imperialism. But what stands to be achieved by such an event? Mark Owen's panel discusses the merits of the Summit for Democracy.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said about 50 had died in his state alone, bringing the suspected death toll across ravaged states to 64. So far, 60 workers presumed dead at a candle factory were located.