WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Joe Biden announced Thursday that all workers hired by the U.S. federal government are required either to prove that they have been vaccinated against COVID-19, or to submit to a series of vigorous safety protocols.

In an effort to convince those still reluctant to get vaccinated to receive their doses, Biden said during a speech at the White House that unvaccinated people dying from COVID-19 is "an American tragedy." (U.S.-COVID-19-Vaccination)

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ROME -- Italy's coronavirus indicators have taken a turn for the worse this week, with the infection rate reaching its highest level since mid-May, while the mortality rate rose after 15 consecutive weeks of declines, according to data from the Ministry of Health.

To be sure, the indicators are still relatively strong. On Thursday, the ministry reported 6,171 new infections, the highest one-day figure since mid-May. But that is still far below the daily peaks of more than 25,000 in March and more than 40,000 in November 2020. With 19 coronavirus-related fatalities recorded Thursday, the daily toll has not surpassed 35 registered during the last month. (Italy-COVID-19)

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RAMALLAH -- A Palestinian young man was killed on Thursday by Israeli soldiers near the southern West Bank city of Hebron, Palestinian medics and eyewitnesses said.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement that Shawkat Awwad, 20 years old, was killed after Israeli soldiers shot him during clashes between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers in the village of Beit Ummar near the city. (Palestine-Israel-Killed-Clash)

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ACCRA -- Ghana will introduce a gender-focused alleviation program to enable women to overcome the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Ken Ofori-Atta, the Minister for Finance, on Thursday.

Presenting the mid-year review of the 2021 budget to parliament, Ofori-Atta said the initiative would protect the economic well-being of Ghanaian women. (Ghana-COVID-19-Economy) Enditem

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