Germany’s ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU) suffered embarrassing defeats in two regional elections on Sunday, casting doubt on the party’s chances of retaining power after Chancellor Angela Merkel steps down later this year.
Why it matters: The defeats also damage new CDU leader Armin Laschet’s chances of representing the German center-right in September’s general elections.
Use of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine was halted across much of Europe today, including in France, Germany, Italy and Spain.
Why it matters: The suspensions followed reports that a small number of patients who received the vaccine experienced blood clots. But public health agencies, including the World Health Organization and the EU’s own medical arm, say there’s no indication that the blood clots were caused by the vaccine, or that the risks of giving the shot outweigh those of delaying it.
Europe continues to struggle with the rapidly evolving coronavirus as Germany's public health agency warns of a "third wave" of coronavirus infections and Italy prepares to enter another near-nationwide lockdown.
The big picture: Countries have attempted to lift restrictions as vaccination campaigns are deployed, but doing so too quickly could invite another wave of infections amid the spread of new variants.
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) called in a New York Times op-ed on Monday for U.S. corporations and spectators to stay home for the 2022 Beijing Olympics, and for President Biden to invite Chinese dissidents, religious leaders and ethnic minorities to represent the U.S. instead of sending a diplomatic delegation.
Why it matters: The U.S. declared China's campaign against over 1 million Muslim minorities in Xinjiang as "genocide" and "crimes against humanity" in January, intensifying calls from activists and political figures like former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to boycott the winter games.
France, Germany, Italy and Spain on Monday became the latest countries to suspend use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine as EU regulators investigate reports of blood clots in recipients, joining Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Ireland and several others.
The latest: The European Medicines Agency said in a statement it would carry out a" rigorous analysis of all the data related" to blood clots this week, but added: "While its investigation is ongoing, EMA currently remains of the view that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine in preventing COVID-19, with its associated risk of hospitalisation and death, outweigh the risks of side effects."
Former White House senior adviser Jared Kushner praised the Biden administration for its Iran strategy, writing in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that Biden's refusal to remove sanctions before Iran returns to compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal is a "smart diplomatic move."
Why it matters: Kushner led Middle East peace talks on behalf of the Trump administration. Former President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Iran deal in 2018, and many Republicans have called on President Biden not to return to the agreement.
The Vatican in a decree approved by Pope Francis on Monday said that the Catholic Church's priests cannot bless same-sex unions because God “does not and cannot bless sin," AP reports.
The big picture: Francis previously voiced his support for same-sex civil unions in a documentary last year, breaking from the Roman Catholic Church. Monday's decree made a distinction between "the church’s welcoming and blessing of gay people, which it upheld, but not their unions," AP writes.
Beijing was covered in dust on Monday as the city's worst sandstorm in a decade blanketed the skies and left the city in a shade of orange, BBC reports.
Driving the news: People in the city have been asked to stay indoors, according to CNN, as pollution levels in some districts were up to 160 times the recommended level at one point. The sandstorm originated in Mongolia, where it has lead to multiple deaths and dozens missing.
Thousands of protesters rallied across Australia on Monday against the sexual abuse and harassment of women — driven by allegations centered on Australia's Parliament, per the Guardian.
Why it matters: Many are angry at Prime Minister Scott Morrison's government, after Attorney General Christian Porter was accused of raping a 16-year-old girl when he was a teenager in 1988, Reuters notes.
