· Croatian authorities will limit gatherings and widen the use of COVID-19 passes to curb soaring infections after the numbers of infected people hit new records.

The country's crisis team announced that the new rules for gatherings will be introduced from Saturday while the use of COVID-19 passes will take more time to prepare.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic complained that vaccination was going at a "snail's pace" after reaching some 50 percent of the population of 4.2 million.

· A disciplinary hearing of a prominent French infectious disease doctor who made controversial recommendations on COVID-19 treatment has begun in Bordeaux.

Didier Raoult won global fame at the height of the pandemic for championing the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a coronavirus treatment - at a time when it was also being touted by former U.S. President Donald Trump and his Brazilian counterpart Jair Bolsonaro.

Studies have since found that hydroxychloroquine does not work against the coronavirus. Raoult stands accused of several breaches of the medical code of ethics related to the promotion of hydroxychloroquine as non-validated treatment.

The disciplinary chamber, chaired by a magistrate, can decide on sanctions against the doctor ranging from a simple warning to a temporary suspension. He is a familiar figure on French TV, and was visited for advice by French President Emmanuel Macron in April 2020 as the pandemic was in full swing.

· A key facility for oxygen used for COVID-19 patients was forced to close after heavy rain caused severe flash flooding in Bosnia, prompting evacuations and causing power outages in most of the capital.

The only certified medicinal oxygen filling plant in Bosnia, part of Germany's Messer Group, was among workplaces and homes in the suburbs of Sarajevo that had to be evacuated after being overrun by fast-moving flood water.

Avdo Delic, general manager of Messer's Bosnia branch, said the plant was completely submerged, and voiced concern that hospitals around the country treating COVID-19 patients might run out of medicinal oxygen cylinders unless the company's operations were quickly restored at alternative locations.

·  Ukraine registered a new high of 793 COVID-19 related deaths over the past 24 hours, the health ministry said on Saturday. The ministry's data showed 25,063 new daily infections were reported, giving Ukraine a total of 3.06 million reported COVID-19 cases and 71,635 deaths.

· Sunday's German second-division soccer game between Sandhausen and St Pauli has been postponed after the former reported 12 new cases of COVID-19 among players and six of its coaching staff.

The outbreak left Sandhausen without enough players for the match to go ahead as scheduled, the German Football League ruled.

The positive tests come against a backdrop of soaring virus case numbers in Germany, with a record 41,335 new infections on Saturday.

Sandhausen didn't specify how many of those involved had been vaccinated but the club insisted it was a strong supporter of vaccine programs.

· The UK's health ministry says it will open up bookings for booster shots a month before they are eligible to get them, to help speed up the rollout ahead of what is likely to be a challenging winter. 

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is relying on booster doses as a major plank of his plan to avoid another nationwide lockdown, but has been criticised for a slow start to the program.

· Austria said on Friday it is barring those not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 from cafes, restaurants and hairdressers as infections approach the record set a year ago.

Roughly 64 percent of Austria's population is fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, in line with the European Union average but one of the lowest rates in western Europe. Many Austrians are sceptical about vaccines, as is the far-right Freedom Party, the third-biggest party in parliament.

New daily infections have been surging and on Friday reached 9,388, close to the record of 9,586 set a year ago. The government said it expects a new record in the coming days.

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