Druid Hills, Georgia

Fully vaccinated Americans can gather with other vaccinated people indoors without wearing a mask or social distancing, according to long-awaited guidance from federal health officials.

Record-high Covid infections and hospitalisations have been reported in the US, with fears they will not slow in the run-up to Christmas.

The number of people in hospital passed 100,000 for the first time, a figure that has doubled since early November.

New cases rose by a record 195,695 on Wednesday, and the daily death toll of 2,733 was close to a new high.

The segregation-era road-trip drama "Green Book" was crowned best picture at the Academy Awards, handing Hollywood's top award to a film seen as a feel-good throwback to some but ridiculed as an outdated inversion of "Driving Miss Daisy" by others.