New COVID-19 variant found in Vietnam is hybrid of India, UK strains

Vietnam's health minister said the new variant could be responsible for a recent surge, which has spread to 30 of the country’s 63 municipalities and provinces.

Uptick in coronavirus cases prompts Chinese city to lock down neighborhood

The southern Chinese city of Guangzhou has shut down a neighborhood and ordered residents to stay home for door-to-door coronavirus testing following an upsurge in infections that has rattled authorities.

Latest Russian hack attempt largely fended off by US agencies, White House says

The White House says it believes U.S. government agencies largely fended off the latest cyberespionage onslaught blamed on Russia intelligence operatives, saying the spear-phishing campaign should not further damage relations with Moscow ahead of next month’s planned presidential summit.

Pope Francis kisses Auschwitz survivor's tattoo

Pope Francis has kissed the tattoo of an Auschwitz survivor during a general audience on Wednesday.

Blinken announces plans for US to reopen Jerusalem consulate, restoring Palestinian ties

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday the U.S. will reopen its Consulate General in Jerusalem, aiming to restore ties with Palestinians that had been downgraded by the Trump administration.

Biden to meet Putin face-to-face for Geneva summit in June

President Joe Biden will hold a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 16 in Geneva, a face-to-face meeting that comes amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Russia.

Italy investigates deadly cable car crash as lone child survivor recovers

The lone survivor of Sunday’s deadly cable car crash, a 5-year-old Israeli boy living in Italy, remained hospitalized in Turin on Monday with multiple broken bones. Italian officials said 14 people were killed.

India's COVID-19 death toll 3rd highest in world at 300,000 amid slow vaccine drive

India topped 300,000 virus-related deaths on Monday, the nation with the third-highest death toll after the U.S. and Brazil. Meanwhile, vaccine deliveries have slowed as the surge hits the nation’s countryside.

Tropical Depression Ana expected to dissipate Monday, forecasters say

Ana, the first system of the 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season became a tropical storm Sunday but quickly weakened to a depression.

Belarus opposition figure detained when Ryanair flight diverted

A prominent opponent of Belarus' authoritarian president was arrested Sunday after the airliner in which he was traveling was diverted to the country after a bomb threat, in what the opposition and Western officials denounced as a hijacking operation by the government.

More than a dozen killed after volcano erupts in Congo

Torrents of lava poured into villages after dark in eastern Congo with little warning, leaving at least 15 people dead amid the chaos and destroying more than 500 homes, officials and survivors said Sunday.

Poll: Over 1 billion people worldwide unwilling to get COVID-19 vaccine, global herd immunity at risk

A Gallup poll estimated that 1.3 billion people around the globe wer unwilling to get the COVID-19 vaccine in 2020 leaving some health officials to believe the global herd immunity isn’t possible in the near future.

Cable car plunges to the ground, killing at least 14 in Italy

Authorities in northern Italy say a mountaintop cable car has plunged to the ground, killing at least 14 people.

IOC VP faces backlash for saying Tokyo Olympics are on despite pandemic

Comments from an IOC vice president saying the Tokyo Olympics will go on even if the city is under a COVID-19 state of emergency have stirred a backlash in Japan.