Coronavirus (COVID-19) National News

GENEVA — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has kicked off an appeal to other countries to help inject $2 billion more to the U.N.-backed program to ship coronavirus vaccines to the world’s poorest countries.

WASHINGTON — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits tumbled last week to 576,000, a post-COVID low and a hopeful sign that layoffs are easing as the economy recovers from the pandemic recession.

TORONTO — The Toronto Transit Commission says it will be adding buses to help avoid overcrowding. The statement comes in response to photos of a packed 5 a.m. bus on Bloor Street West that circulated on social media Tuesday.

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran has finalized a deal with Russia over purchasing 60 million doses Sputnik V Coronavirus vaccine, state-run IRNA news agency reported Thursday.

GENEVA — A top official from the World Health Organization says Europe has surpassed 1 million deaths from COVID-19 and the situation remains “serious,” with about 1.6 million new cases reported each week in the region. The comments by Dr.

NEW DELHI — India's two largest cities imposed stringent restrictions on movement and one planned to use hotels and banquet halls to treat coronavirus patients as new infections in the country shot past 200,000 Thursday amid a devastating surge that

TORONTO — Grey Bruce Health Unit is telling residents to stay home for the next two days as COVID-19 variants of concern surge in the region.

BERLIN — Hertha Berlin coach Pal Dardai has tested positive for the coronavirus along with one of his assistants and forward Dodi Lukebakio ahead of a key game in the fight against relegation, the club said Thursday.

PARIS — France's coronavirus death toll is expected to pass 100,000 on Thursday after a year of hospital tensions, on-and-off lockdowns and personal loss that have left families nationwide grieving the pandemic’s unending, devastating toll.

FRANKFURT — Leading German economic institutes have slashed their growth forecast for 2021 as a slow vaccination rollout and a more contagious variant of the coronavirus have meant continuing restrictions on business activity in Germany.