Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:
Spotify U-Turn
Music streaming giant Spotify says it will link content on COVID-19 to facts about the virus amid growing demands from music stars to drop top podcaster Joe Rogan for spreading misinformation about vaccines.
Truckers Block Canada Capital
Anti-vaxxer truckers threaten chaos in Ottawa for a third day with their "Freedom Convoy" against vaccine mandate amid fury at some protesters dancing on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Canadian capital.
Beijing's Record Cases
Beijing records its highest number of new cases for a year and a half as the Chinese capital gears up to host the Winter Olympics in five days.
'Mark Of The Antichrist'
Greek Orthodox monks are fuelling anti-vax sentiment in the north of the country with some clerics saying the jabs are the "mark of the Antichrist".
Cyprus To Suspend Unjabbed Priests
The leader of the Cyprus Orthodox Church warns he will suspend a dozen unvaccinated priests and those preaching against jabs.
Ryanair Cuts Losses
Ryanair slashed its losses sharply in the third quarter of 2021 despite the Omicron variant, with net losses of 96 million euros (US$107 million), a third of the figure for the same period in 2020.
Rare Bhutan Death
Bhutan mourns only its fourth death from the virus which its premier says he felt like "a bullet-hit". The remote Himalayan kingdom has one of the lowest death tolls in the world.
Johnson 'Sorry'
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologises after his government is criticised for "failures of leadership and judgment" in allowing lockdown-breaching parties at his offices, but vows to " get on with the job".
Canadian PM Positive
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he has tested positive for COVID-19 but is not experiencing severe symptoms.
Libyan Vaccine Pass
Libyans will from 15 February need a vaccine pass to enter public places, notably markets, after the number of COVID infections reaches record levels.
Youth Jobs Hit
Britain's young people were disproportionately hit by unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic and many have since returned to work in more insecure jobs, the Resolution Foundation think-tank says.
Over 5.6 Million Dead
The coronavirus has killed at least 5,661,274 million people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources on Monday.
The US has recorded the most COVID deaths with 884,260, followed by Brazil with 626,854 and India on 495,050.
Taking into account excess mortality linked to COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates the overall death toll could be two to three times higher.