With China scrapping its strict COVID restrictions, several countries have introduced mandatory testing on travelers from China. Italy is calling for EU-wide measures.

The inter-ministerial watchdog set up to monitor and fight against sects in France has released its latest findings on everything from online coaches to conspiracists, neo-Shamans and would-be healers. The alarming report from MIVILUDES states that since 2020 – and especially since the coronavirus pandemic – such movements are on the rise and are spreading worrying quantities of misinformation when it comes to healthcare.

As China eases its zero-Covid policy amidst international fears of a new wave, a report by an anglophone journalist in China from late December is being used online as "proof" that the coronavirus figures in Shanghai are hardly cause for concern. But is all as it seems? We take a closer look in this edition with Vedika Bahl.

The "overwhelming majority" of EU nations want passengers arriving from China to be tested for COVID-19. China has called new testing rules "unacceptable" after the country opens up following years of strict lockdowns.

As China eases its zero-Covid policy amidst international fears of a new wave, a report by an anglophone journalist in China from late December is being used online as "proof" that the coronavirus figures in Shanghai are hardly cause for concern. But is all as it seems? We take a closer look in this edition with Vedika Bahl.

Amid China's skyrocketing COVID case numbers, India has been preparing for a possible similar scenario. Authorities are keeping an eye on the possible emergence of new variants.

Europe has been criticized for its patchwork approach to arrivals from China amidst a spike in COVID-19 infections. Only some countries have introduced travel restrictions for Chinese arrivals.

Germany's health minister said Berlin would be following an EU recommendation that member states demand travelers from China provide proof of a recent negative rapid COVID test.

In China, there are fears not just of a Covid wave but maybe a tsunami. Funeral parlours are overwhelmed and hospitals are packed with elderly patients on respirators. This comes after the lifting of China's zero-Covid restrictions following protests. The World Health Organization, meanwhile, is pointing the finger, saying China's official virus data is being under-reported.

Beijing has started retaliatory moves against countries which have imposed restrictions on Chinese travelers, with Japan also reportedly targeted.

As families and friends reunite around China, the milestone is bittersweet for the coronavirus threat remains high and authorities have used the pandemic to develop a more efficient set of tools to crack down on society.

In December, Sweden extradited Mahmut Tat, a Turkish Kurd whom Ankara accuses of belonging to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which it considers a terrorist organisation