The U.K. government on Sunday raised its official coronavirus alert level, citing an increase in cases largely driven by the Omicron variant.
Why it matters: The country first detected the new strain late last month in two travelers returning from Southern Africa. In response, Prime Minister Boris Johnson reintroduced COVID-related restrictions to curb infections.
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday and is being treated for "mild" symptoms, his office announced.
Driving the news: The government's statement did not specify whether the president has the Omicron variant though it did note that Ramaphosa, 69, is fully vaccinated and remains in "good spirits" as he self-isolates in Cape Town.
More than half a billion people globally were pushed into extreme poverty last year due to health care costs during the coronavirus pandemic, the World Health Organization and the World Bank said Sunday.
Why it matters: The pandemic exasperated global inequities in access to health care, according to the organizations. It also triggered the worst economic crisis since the 1930s, ultimately making health care harder for people to obtain.
Iran's lead negotiator in the ongoing nuclear talks in Vienna criticized the position of the European negotiators Sunday, telling Iranian state-run media that they had failed to propose compromises on the issue of sanctions.
Catch up quick: Negotiations resumed after a months-long standstill following the election of Iran's new hardline president, Ebrahim Raisi.
The Biden administration has made clear to Russia that it will face "massive consequences" if it commits acts of aggression toward Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday.
Why it matters: Russia's positioning of nearly 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border has sparked fears of a potentially devastating European conflict.
Pope Francis raised the rarely discussed problem of nun abuse in the church during an address to members of the Vatican’s congregation for religious orders on Saturday, the Associated Press reports.
Why it matters: In the past, the Vatican has downplayed the abuses committed by mother superiors against nuns in the Catholic Church, the wire service notes.
The big picture: Biden reaffirmed his support for "robust U.S.-German relations and desire to further strengthen transatlantic cooperation," the White House said.
Mohammed Khalifa pleaded guilty on Friday to providing material support to the Islamic State via the violent propaganda videos he narrated in English that were part of the the terrorist group's campaign to recruit Westerners.
Why it matters: Federal prosecutors said the videos that Khalifa narrated showed explicit footage of terrorists executing and decapitating prisoners — with the 38-year-old Canadian citizen participating in some of the cases.
The Biden administration on Friday announced new sanctions on dozens of people and entities with ties to human rights abuses in China, Myanmar, Bangladesh and North Korea.
Why it matters: The move, timed with international Human Rights Day and the State Department's two-daySummit for Democracy, is a tool "to draw attention to and promote accountability for human rights violations and abuses," the department said.
