Brazil's Health Regulatory Agency, ANVISA, was a victim of a cyber attack on Wednesday which included an Argentina flag and a provocative message after last weekend's World Cup qualifier in Sao Paulo between the two countries was abandoned.

Japan announced Thursday it is extending a coronavirus state of emergency in Tokyo and 18 other areas until the end of September as health care systems remain under severe strain, although new infections have slowed slightly.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said serious cases remain high and are still overwhelming many hospitals.

Can kids get "long COVID" after coronavirus infections?

Yes, but studies indicate they're less likely than adults to be affected by symptoms that persist, recur or begin a month or more after infection.

The European Medicines Agency has listed the neurological disorder Guillain-Barre syndrome, which can cause temporary paralysis, as a "very rare" side effect of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.

A causal relationship was "considered at least a reasonable possibility", the EMA said in an update Wednesday after a total of 833 cases of the syndrome had been reported worldwide by July 31, from about 592 million doses of the AstraZeneca "Vaxzevria" shot administered.

The supply chain troubles caused by Brexit and the pandemic have been so bad for Satyan Patel that the shelves at his convenience store in central London are seriously lacking water and soft drinks.

"Last week I ran out of Coca-Cola. I haven't had large bottles of Evian for three weeks," said Patel.

Standing outside the rundown public hospital in Bulgaria's northern town of Veliko Tarnovo, the vaccination unit's chief nurse voices a sad reality about her fellow citizens: "They don't believe in vaccines."

Bulgaria has one of the highest coronavirus death rates in the 27-nation European Union and is facing a new, rapid surge of infections due to the more infectious delta variant. Despite that, people in this Balkan nation are the most hesitant in the bloc to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Saudi Arabia said Tuesday it was lifting a ban on travel to three countries including the UAE after imposing the restrictions to stop the spread of Covid-19.

The kingdom would reopen on Wednesday its land, sea and air ports to the United Arab Emirates, South Africa and Argentina, the official SPA news agency reported, citing an interior ministry source.

Travelers arriving in Hong Kong from China will no longer need to quarantine, Hong Kong's top official said Tuesday, easing curbs imposed after summer outbreaks of the coronavirus on the mainland.

Starting Wednesday, people who haven't been to medium- or high-risk areas on the mainland or Macao can enter the city, capped at 2,000 travelers daily, chief executive Carrie Lam said in a news conference. Travelers will still need a negative COVID-19 test prior to arrival and must take several tests while in Hong Kong to ensure they're not infected.

A program in the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam allowing international visitors to receive a Covid-19 vaccination while enjoying a tropical holiday has been disrupted due to a surge in virus cases.

New Zealand has recorded its first Covid-related death in six months, but health authorities said there were signs the outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant was coming under control.