Axios

The Biden administration is planning a first-of-its-kind, global leader-level summit focused on ending the COVID-19 pandemic and preparing for future pandemics, sources familiar with the discussions tell Axios.

Why it matters: The summit is meant to rally the international community to step up its pledges for vaccine distribution and public health resources as the Delta variant surges. It will be held virtually during next month's U.N. General Assembly.

Doctors at Nigeria's state-run hospitals began an indefinite strike Monday to protest low pay and inadequate facilities many doctors say they are working in.

Why it matters: The strike comes as COVID-19 cases numbers surge in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country. July saw the nation's highest case numbers since March, sparking fears of a third wave, Bloomberg reports.

The British and Romanian governments summoned the Iranian ambassadors to London and Bucharest on Monday to protest last week's drone strike on an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, which both countries have attributed to Iran.

The latest: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a briefing Monday that the U.S. is consulting with the U.K., Romania and Israel to prepare a collective response to the alleged Iranian attack.

Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and 10 of his European counterparts signed onto a joint statement Monday voicing their opposition to the U.S.-Germany deal on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, calling it "another tool" for Russia to "pressure and blackmail" Ukraine.

Why it matters: Outrage over the agreement, which will allow Russia to circumvent Ukraine and deliver gas directly to Europe, goes beyond just Republican Biden critics on Capitol Hill.

The U.S. Embassy in Kabul accused Taliban fighters on Monday of carrying out "revenge killings" against dozens of civilians in Spin Boldak, a border district captured in a military offensive last month.

Why it matters: Reports of violence and human rights atrocities are growing ahead of the U.S. military's full withdrawal from Afghanistan. Officials have warned that the country could descend into a chaotic civil war as the Taliban continues to seize more territory on the battlefield each week.

Poland has granted a humanitarian visa to Belarusian Olympian Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, who claims she was taken to the Tokyo airport against her will after criticizing Belarusian coaches, Poland's deputy foreign minister confirmed Monday.

The latest: An activist group called the Belarusian Sport Solidarity Foundation told AP that it had bought Tsimanouskaya a ticket to Warsaw for Aug. 4.

The State Department announced Monday it is expanding grants of eligibility for refugee status in the U.S. for at-risk Afghans, citing an increase in violence by the Taliban ahead of the U.S. military's total withdrawal.

Why it matters: The Biden administration has faced pressure to do more to help Afghans who assisted the U.S. military over the course of the two-decade war. The expansion will allow thousands more Afghans and their family members to apply for permanent refugee resettlement, according to the State Department.

Day 10 of the Tokyo Olympic Games saw Puerto Rico bag its first-ever track gold medal when Jasmine Camacho-Quinn beat American world record holder Kendra Harrison to win the women’s 100-meter hurdles Monday.

The big picture: There was better news for the U.S. in the basketball, where the women's team beat France 93-82. The U.S. is entering the medal round undefeated, Axios' Ina Fried reports from Tokyo. France still advanced to the quarterfinals.

Israel's new government approved the 2021-2022 state budget on Monday, after a meeting that lasted almost 24 hours.

Why it matters: Previous governments couldn't pass a budget amid the political crisis that engulfed Israel over the past three years — preventing many government reforms from moving forward.

The International Olympic Committee is "looking into" U.S. shot-putter Raven Saunders' gesture on the Tokyo Games podium after she won a silver medal, IOC spokesperson Mark Adams told reporters Monday.

Why it matters: Saunders told AP she placed her hands above her head in an "X" formation while on the podium to stand up for "oppressed" people. The IOC has banned protests during the Tokyo Games.

New Zealand's Human Rights Commission launched a national inquiry into the country's housing crisis.

Why it matters: While New Zealand is one of the world's wealthiest nations, it's an expensive place to live. Human Rights Commission chief Paul Hunt noted in a statement: "Successive governments have failed New Zealanders," resulting in a "massive human rights failure."

Italy's surprise 100-meters Olympic gold medalist Lamont Marcell Jacobs opened up Sunday about how reconnecting with his American father over the past year has helped spur him on.

What he's saying: The Texas-born sprinter told reporters after setting a European record of 9.80 seconds to win gold in Sunday's event that getting back in touch with his father "gave me the desire, the speed, that something more that helped me being here and win the Olympics."

Qatar's Mutaz Barshim persuaded Olympic officials to award joint high jump gold medals after he and Italy's Gianmarco Tamberi both recorded a best clearance of 2.37 meters and failed the 2.39m height following three attempts Sunday.

Details: Barshim said afterward: "He is one of my best friends, not only on the track, but outside the track," Barshim said. "We work together. This is a dream come true. It is the true spirit, the sportsman spirit, and we are here delivering this message."