Spain has recorded more than one million coronavirus cases, becoming the first western European country to pass that landmark figure. On Wednesday the country reported 16,973 infections and 156 deaths in the previous 24 hours. Since its first diagnosed case on 31 January, Spain has now recorded a total of 1,005,295 infections. It is the sixth nation worldwide to report one million cases after the US, India, Brazil, Russia and Argentina. Europe has seen a surge in new infections over the last few months, forcing governments to bring in strict new regulations to try and control outbreaks and ensure hospitals do not become overwhelmed.(BBC)…[+]

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his minority Liberal government have avoided a potential snap election. The Liberals survived a confidence vote in the House of Commons 180 to 146, with the support of the opposition NDP. The vote on Wednesday was over a Conservative motion demanding a special committee on coronavirus aid spending. It comes a year to the day that Mr Trudeau retained power in a narrow election win.

The political drama concerned an opposition motion seeking to create a special parliamentary committee to probe the Liberal government’s pandemic relief spending. That spending included a controversial and now defunct programme designed to connect post-secondary students to volunteer opportunities. That programme was at the heart of the WE Charity affair, an ethics crisis that cost Mr Trudeau a long-time finance minister. Mr Trudeau has apologised for taking part in a cabinet decision to give WE Charity, which had ties to his family, a contract to administer the programme. The charity pulled out of the programme over the summer.(BBC)…[+]

Trials of a Covid-19 vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University will continue, following a review into the death of a volunteer in Brazil. Brazil’s health authority has given no details about the death, citing confidentiality protocols. Oxford University said a “careful assessment” had revealed no safety concerns. The BBC understands that the volunteer did not receive the vaccine. Only around half the volunteers in the trial are given the actual Oxford University Covid-19 vaccine. The second group are being given an existing licensed vaccine for meningitis. Neither the participants nor their families know which vaccine they are being given. This enables the researchers to compare the results for the two groups in order to measure whether the vaccine  is effective.(BBC)…[+]

An Alpine area of southern Germany has gone into a new lockdown, the first part of the country to do so since the first Covid peak earlier this year. The 105,000 people of Berchtesgadener Land, bordering Austria, will only be allowed to leave home for essential reasons for the next two weeks.

Like much of Europe, Germany is confronting a sharp rise in infections. But the situation remains less severe than in other major Western European countries. Germany has recorded 84 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in total over the past 14 days, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. This compares to rates of 159 for Italy, 339 for the UK, 427 for France and 343 for Spain. But the local infection rate in Berchtesgadener Land, part of the state of Bavaria, has hit 273 per 100,000 over the past week, which is why the fresh lockdown – being called a “circuit breaker” – has been imposed.(BBC)…[+]

Danish submarine builder Peter Madsen, who murdered the Swedish journalist Kim Wall, has been caught after trying to escape from jail. Pictures from the scene showed armed police surrounding him near the prison west of Copenhagen. Police said Madsen had got out after threatening a prison employee and was arrested nearby a few minutes later. He was jailed for life for the 2017 murder of Kim Wall, who had boarded his homemade submarine for an interview.

Her mutilated body was discovered on a beach by a passer-by 11 days later. News of Madsen’s escape was confirmed when a video emerged showing the convicted killer propped up against a hedge with a belt around his waist, on a residential street close to the jail in Albertslund. Madsen clearly had an object around his waist and armed police waited at a distance for bomb disposal specialists to arrive before he was taken into custody.(BBC)…[+]

The father of a pupil accused of launching an online campaign against Samuel Paty, the teacher beheaded in France, sent messages to the killer before the attack, French media report. Mr Paty, who was killed on Friday, had earlier shown controversial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad to his pupils. The 48-year-old father, who has not been officially named, is accused of issuing a “fatwa” against the teacher. The brutal murder of Mr Paty, 47, has shocked France. Tens of thousands of people took part in rallies across the country on Sunday to honour him and defend freedom of speech. A man named as 18-year-old Abdoulakh A was shot dead by police after killing Mr Paty on Friday.(BBC)…[+]

The German government is investing €500m (£452m; $488m) in improving ventilation systems in public buildings to help stop the spread of coronavirus. The grants will go to improve the air circulation in public offices, museums, theatres, universities and schools. Private firms are not yet eligible. Viruses spread on tiny droplets called aerosols, exhaled by infected people – especially when they sneeze or cough. Studies suggest they can remain in a room’s air for at least eight minutes. Colder weather puts more people at risk because they spend more time indoors. The main aim is to upgrade existing air conditioning systems, rather than install new ones, which costs more. Each upgrade is eligible for a maximum of €100,000. Funding is also available for CO2 sensors which indicate when the air in a room is unhealthily stale. The grants will be allocated from Tuesday.(BBC)…[+]

Twin girls who were born joined at the head, and separated last year by a team at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, have returned home to Pakistan. Safa and Marwa Bibi underwent three major operations, spending more than 50 hours in theatre. Their mother, Zainab Bibi, told the BBC she was delighted to be taking them back to the rest of their family. “The girls are doing very well. Marwa has made good progress and only needs a little support,” she said. “We will keep an eye on Safa and take good care of her. God willing, both will start walking.” Conjoined twins are rare, and of these only one set in 20 are born joined at the head, with a fused skull – what’s known as craniopagus twins. The vast majority do not survive beyond childhood. A team of 100 people at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) was involved in their care.(BBC)…[+]

Belgium could soon be overwhelmed by new coronavirus infections, the health minister has warned, amid soaring case numbers across the country. Frank Vandenbroucke said new cases were close to a “tsunami” where authorities “no longer control what is happening”. New measures to try to halt the spread came into force on Monday. All bars and restaurants are closed for four weeks. Infection numbers are climbing throughout Europe, prompting new restrictions across the continent. Italy announced a raft of measures on Sunday after recording its highest daily infection rate, while nine major French cities have been placed under curfew. The Czech Republic – which has the highest infection rate on the continent – is considering a full national lockdown.

A frantic search is under way in Vietnam to find 11 soldiers whose barracks were buried by a huge landslide as the country battles its worst floods for years. Eleven bodies have so far been pulled from the remains of the barracks in the central province of Quang Tri. One official says he heard landslides “exploding like bombs” in the night. Heavy rainfall has hit much of Vietnam in the past week. Floods and landslides have killed at least 70 people. There are fears floodwaters could rise further in the coming days. The government said a unit of Vietnam’s 4th Military Region was hit by the landslide in the early hours of Sunday morning. “From 2am, there have been four to five landslides, exploding like bombs and it feels like the whole mountain is about to collapse,” local official Ha Ngoc Duong was quoted by the VnExpress news site as saying.(BBC)…[+]