More than three billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been given across the world, an AFP tally from official sources revealed yesterday, as the highly infectious Delta strain continued to cause mayhem around the world.

Three Brazilian senators formally accused President Jair Bolsonaro of malfeasance before the Supreme Court Monday over allegations he failed to have a top ally investigated for suspicions of massive corruption in the purchase of Covid-19 vaccines.

Greece yesterday said it had recovered a Picasso painting personally donated by the Spanish master to the Greek people, almost a decade after it was stolen alongside two other artworks in an audacious heist at the National Gallery.

United Nations peacekeeping missions globally are preparing for a possible shutdown tomorrow if the 193-member UN General Assembly is unable to agree a new more than $6 billion budget for the year to June 30, 2022, officials and diplomats said on Monday.

1960 - The Republic of Congo achieved independence from Belgium.

Israel’s new foreign minister inaugurated its embassy in the United Arab Emirates yesterday and offered an olive branch to other former adversaries, saying: “We’re here to stay.

Tigrayan forces said they had Ethiopian government troops on the run around the regional capital Mekelle yesterday after taking full control of the city in a sharp reversal of eight months of conflict.

Indian police have filed preliminary charges against senior Twitter officials over an inaccurate map of the country, an official said yesterday, in the latest escalation between the US firm and New Delhi.

In a historic ruling, South Africa’s top court yesterday handed the country’s former president, Jacob Zuma, a 15-month jail term for “egregious” contempt of court after he refused to appear before graft investigators.

My commit-ment to Israel is ... ironclad. What I can say to you is that Iran will never get a nuclear weapon on my watch. US President Joe Biden to Israeli counterpart

Ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi asked the people of Myanmar to stay “united” in the face of military rule, her lawyers said yesterday, as she reappeared in a junta court.

Turkey issued ban on travel and flights from six countries including Bangladesh and India due to the coronavirus variants.

The 193 member states of the United Nations have thus far failed to agree on a peacekeeping budget for the year beginning July 1, which could lead to "a freeze on all missions" should a deal not soon materialize, diplomats said Monday.

The United States warned Monday that Russia would put at risk hopes for more constructive relations if it uses its UN veto to shut the sole border crossing for aid into Syria.

Iraq yesterday condemned overnight US air strikes against Iran-backed armed groups on the Syrian-Iraqi border that killed at least seven fighters and sparked calls for revenge from Iraqi armed factions.

Racism against people of African descent remains systemic in many parts of the world, the UN human rights chief said yesterday, calling for states to dismantle discrimination and prosecute law enforcement officials for unlawful killings.

European Union countries on Monday gave the final seal of approval to a law to make the bloc’s greenhouse gas emissions targets legally binding, as EU policymakers prepare a huge new package of policies to fight climate change.

1941 - Polish concert pianist and statesman Ignace Jan Paderewski died. He campaigned abroad on behalf of Poland and was briefly prime minister in 1919.

India yesterday successfully tested a new nuclear-capable ballistic missile with a range between 1,000km and 2,000km.

North Korean state television has aired a citizen’s comment about Kim Jong Un’s “emaciated” condition, a highly unusual broadcast in a country where public discussion of the leader’s health and personal life has always been off-limits.