- Child 'trampled to death' in asylum seekers' Channel crossing: minister
- Gauff fights back to set up Beijing final against Muchova
- Guardiola claims Premier League won't delay season for Man City
- Israel to mark October 7 attack as Gaza war spreads
- Gauff fights back to reach China Open final
- Recovering Stokes ruled out of first Pakistan Test
- Hezbollah battles troops on border as Israel pounds Lebanon
- Alcaraz, Sinner breeze into third round of Shanghai Masters
- Bagnaia wins Japan MotoGP sprint to cut Martin's lead
- Alcaraz breezes into third round of Shanghai Masters
- Gaza cultural heritage brought to light in Geneva
- 'Bullet for democracy': Trump returns to site of rally shooting
- Italy targets climate activists in 'anti-Gandhi' demo clampdown
- South Korean cult-horror series 'Hellbound' returns at BIFF
- Nepalis fear more floods as climate change melts glaciers
- Honduras arrests environmentalist's alleged murderer
- Padres pitcher Musgrove needs elbow surgery
- Supreme Court lets stand rules to curb mercury, methane emissions
- Boston beat Denver in NBA exhibition season opener, but Jokic says omens are good
- Chagos diaspora angry at lack of input on islands' fate
- Biden says 'not confident' of peaceful US election
- US trade chief defends tariff hikes when paired with investment
- Lukaku stars as Napoli beat Como to hold Serie A top spot
- Ohtani set for MLB playoff debut as Dodgers face Padres
- Pogba's drug ban cut to 18 months from four years
- Devine leads New Zealand to big win over India in Women's T20 World Cup
- Bosnia floods kill 16 people
- EU court blocks French ban on vegetable 'steak' labelling
- Prosecutors seek dismissal of rape charges against French rugby players
- Meta AI turns pictures into videos with sound
- Bolivia's Morales says claims he raped a minor are a 'lie'
- MLB Reds hire two-time champion Francona as manager
- Daniel Maldini receives first Italy call-up for Nations League
- US dockworkers return to ports after three-day strike
- Ancelotti points finger at Madrid's 'lack of intensity'
- Haiti reeling after 70 killed in gang attack
- Five Czech kids in hospital over TikTok 'piercing challenge'
- What happens next in Iran-Israel conflict?
- Country star Garth Brooks denies rape accusations
- Stubbs hits maiden century as South Africa make 343-4 against Ireland
- DR Congo to begin mpox vaccination campaign Saturday in east
- Odegaard injury has forced Arsenal to be 'different', says Arteta
- Ratcliffe refuses to guarantee Ten Hag's Man Utd future
- Meta must limit data use for targeted ads: EU court
- Mauritius to hold legislative election on November 10
- Britain qualify for America's Cup final after 60-year wait
- IMF asks Sri Lanka to protect hard-won gains
- Morata returns to Spain Nations League squad after injury
- Irish regulator to probe Ryanair use of facial recognition
- Public allowed to see video evidence in France mass rape trial
WHO sees pause, even end of pandemic for Europe
The World Health Organization on Thursday offered Europe hope of a "long period of tranquility" and even "enduring peace" in the war on coronavirus, with a growing list of nations lifting almost all Covid curbs.
WHO Europe director Hans Kluge spoke of "a ceasefire that could bring us enduring peace", with high vaccination rates, the milder Omicron variant and the end of winter in sight.
"This context leaves us with the possibility for a long period of tranquility," he told reporters.
This was "not to say that (the pandemic) is now all over", but "there is a singular opportunity to take control of the transmission", he added.
"Even with a more virulent variant (than Omicron) it is possible to respond to new variants that will inevitably emerge -- without re-installing the kind of disruptive measures we needed before", Kluge said.
He cautioned that the optimistic scenario required countries to pursue vaccination campaigns and surveillance to detect new variants.
Sweden joined the move towards scrapping most coronavirus restrictions, setting February 9 as the date with the pandemic entering a "whole new phase".
Stockholm will end 11:00 pm closing for bars and restaurants, and limits on crowd numbers.
Vaccine passes for indoor events will go and face masks will no longer be recommended on crowded public transport.
"The pandemic is not over, but we are entering a whole new phase," Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson announced.
Her Health Minister Lena Hallengren said the government would remain "vigilant" about the pandemic's progress.
Sweden made headlines early in the pandemic for choosing to not impose lockdowns.
With over 16,000 fatalities so far, its death toll is in line with the European average, but is far higher than those of neighbouring Norway, Finland and Denmark.
After Britain and Ireland, Copenhagen on Tuesday lifted most domestic Covid-19 restrictions, followed later in the day by Norway.
France on Wednesday loosened several restrictions imposed to curb the latest Covid-19 surge, with authorities hoping a small decline in huge daily case numbers will soon ease pressure on overburdened hospitals.
And New Zealand is to start easing some of the toughest pandemic border restrictions yet seen, but will not fully reopen until October.
"It's time to move again," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Thursday unveiling a five-step plan to reconnect to the rest of the world.
Hotel quarantine requirements for New Zealanders stranded overseas will be lifted this month.
Ardern had been under pressure to relax border policies that have been largely unchanged since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis almost two years ago.
"Families and friends need to reunite, our businesses need skills to grow, exporters need to travel to make new connections," she said.
But Germany is still grappling with record infection numbers fuelled by Omicron and now recommending a fourth vaccine for at-risk groups, following in the footsteps of Israel and several European nations.
Germany's STIKO vaccine commission said Thursday that data showed "that protection against the currently circulating Omicron variant wanes within a few months of the first booster vaccination".
Israel last month became the first country to roll out fourth Covid-19 shots, initially to the elderly and health care workers, and since to all vulnerable people over 18.
Denmark, Hungary and Spain are also offering fourth jabs to high-risk groups, as are others including Chile and Brazil.
The move has not been universally welcomed, with the WHO repeatedly warning wealthier nations they cannot boost their way out of the pandemic.
Coronavirus has killed at least 5,698,322 million people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to an AFP tally from official sources.
A.Magalhes--PC