French teachers' unions called Monday for a second major strike this week to protest the government's Covid testing and isolation protocols, which they say are severely disrupting classes.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is pushing for a vaccine mandate as part of Germany's COVID-19 containment strategy, and lawmakers in Parliament are debating compulsory vaccines. So how do German citizens feel about the prospect of a mandatory jab?

Protesters opposed to COVID curbs continue to hamper trade and everyday life across Canada as demonstrations grow. Police say safety concerns have limited their capacity to disperse the protests.

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.

Police fired tear gas at demonstrators on the Champs-Élysées avenue in Paris on Saturday shortly after a "Freedom Convoy" protesting against Covid-19 restrictions made it into the French capital.

While some people protest against COVID-19 restrictions, others live in fear of the disease. Among them is science journalist Lars Fischer. His disability means vaccines don't work for him. But he's still trying to make the best of the pandemic.

The everyday life of young people has now been restricted by the coronavirus pandemic for two years. The personal and societal consequences are devastating — and will have impacts long into the future.

Social media users are claiming that hospitals are using extremely realistic human dummies passing as fake Covid-19 patients. Their intention would be to show an increase in Covid-related hospitalisations. We sort the fact from the fake.

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.

Here are a few reasons to pick up a copy of The Guardian on Saturday⁣. Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Saturday.⁣

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.

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.