A deadly apartment fire in Xinjiang has triggered a wave of anti-zero-COVID protests across several cities in China. How will the Communist Party react as the movement gains momentum?

Protesters are demanding easing of COVID curbs in Beijing and Shanghai. People also took to the streets in the western Xinjiang's capital Urumqi after deaths in an apartment fire were blamed on lockdowns.

30 percent of African women are entrepreneurs. Their contribution to African economies is vital. But they could do much more, if treated just like their male counterparts.

In a DW interview, Frank-Walter Steinmeier said he hoped Chinese authorities would "respect" the protesters' freedom, and expressed that he did not see a way out of Russia's war on Ukraine "at this point in time."

Authorities in at least seven districts in Guangzhou announced lifting temporary lockdowns. State media also cited a top official as saying the virus was weakening.

Statements by authorities suggesting a relaxation of pandemic control measures look more like a move to relieve political pressure than a turnaround in policy. Experts say fully opening is still too risky.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is planning a peacekeeping force to intervene against jihadism in its member states and in the event of coups.

The New Zealand government is to investigate its handling of the coronavirus pandemic. The country's zero-tolerance policy on the spread of the disease was initially praised but later criticized for its wider cost.

Judges have ruled that Germany should be able to take part in the EU's €750-billion COVID-19 reconstruction fund. The court rejected two complaints that participation hands too much power from Berlin to Brussels.

China has said it will allow COVID patients with mild symptoms to isolate at home, it has also reduced the scope of lockdowns where cases are noticed and made regional travel easier. This follows widespread protests.

From "Giselle" to "Swan Lake" and "The Rite of Spring", South Africa's Dada Masilo deconstructs classic ballets to tell a new story, far from the stereotypical damsel in distress but that of modern-day people who suffer modern-day issues such as homophobia, gender inequality and racism.

The African continent finally has representation in the semifinals of a World Cup after Morocco beat Portugal in Qatar. The Atlas Lions saw off Cristiano Ronaldo and co thanks to Youssef En-Nesyri's towering header.