London police chief Cressida Dick has said officers will investigate a spate of parties held at Prime Minister Boris Johnson's residence and office during COVID-19 lockdowns

Ottessa Moshfegh is routinely hailed as one of the most exciting American authors working today. Her award-winning, critically acclaimed books like "Eileen" and "My Year of Rest and Relaxation" contain an ensemble of drunks and dropouts, misfits and murderers, pervs and pill-heads – all of them loners. Her narrators are often angry, amoral and unpleasant and they challenge our assumptions about femininity in uncomfortable ways. More than anything, they're all incredibly human. Her new book "Death in her Hands" has just come out in French, focusing on Vesta, another character at home alone.

Could inflation prove more perilous to livelihoods than lockdown? The latest figures from France and its neighbours show light at the end of the public health crisis tunnel, but there's no time to celebrate. The recovery has spawned a bidding war over goods and raw materials that's cancelled out wage hikes for an in-demand labour force.

Could inflation prove more perilous to livelihoods than lockdown? The latest figures from France and its neighbours show light at the end of the public health crisis tunnel, but there's no time to celebrate. The recovery has spawned a bidding war over goods and raw materials that's cancelled out wage hikes for an in-demand labour force.

Volkswagen, key Apple suppliers and other factories shut down their operations as China grapples with record COVID-19 cases. Meanwhile, France lifted restrictions.

After first appearing in China more than two years ago, Covid-19 has returned to the Middle Kingdom. The country had largely succeeded in keeping infection and mortality rates in check. But in recent weeks, the Omicron variant has posed a significant challenge to the country's zero-Covid strategy. Once again, harsh lockdowns and restrictions are being enforced. We take a closer look.

China has imposed a COVID lockdown on half of its largest city and financial capital, Shanghai. Meanwhile, Israeli PM Bennett has tested positive for COVID-19.

More people could later face fines as the probe into gatherings at 10 Downing Street during COVID lockdown continues, police said.

After Shanghai recently reported a new daily record for asymptomatic coronavirus infections, the city is locking down in two stages. It's the biggest step taken in the Chinese metropolis since the Covid-19 pandemic began more than two years ago. But some residents are complaining that the cost of China's strict aggressive zero-Covid strategy has become too great. We take a closer look.

After a 7 percent slump on Monday, oil prices saw further falls in Asian trading on Tuesday, as investors considered the impact of the latest Covid-19 lockdowns on demand for oil. The price of crude has been extremely volatile in recent months. At the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the international benchmark Brent rose to its highest level since 2008. Also today, we report on a protest by ride-hailing drivers in France over high fuel prices.

China's largest city is testing more than half of its population as it attempts to curb an outbreak of the coronavirus. After more than two years, Italy has ended its state of emergency.

Lockdown: 'People are really worried in Shanghai'