Israel agreed a Covid vaccine swap with South Korea Tuesday, sending 700,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech jab to Seoul "immediately" in return for the same number in coming months. 

Russia reported 737 coronavirus deaths on Tuesday, a national record of pandemic-related fatalities over a 24-period, as the country battles a new surge in cases.

Rising coronavirus cases in Israel, where most residents are inoculated with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, offer "a preliminary signal" the vaccine may be less effective in preventing mild illness from the Delta variant, a top expert said Monday. 

France could see a new spike in Covid cases by the end of July due to the spread of the more contagious Delta variant of the virus, the government spokesman said Monday.

"Over the past week the epidemic is again gaining ground," Gabriel Attal told France Inter radio, with the Delta variant now accounting for 30 percent of new infections in the country.

Iran has announced it is reimposing coronavirus restrictions on major cities, as the spread of the highly contagious delta variant spurs fears of another devastating surge in the nation.

After over a year battling the worst virus outbreak in the Middle East, Iran ordered the closures of non-essential businesses in 275 cities, including the capital of Tehran.

Pope Francis, 84, was recovering in hospital Monday from surgery for an inflamed large colon, a potentially painful condition that could see him bed-bound for several days.

The pontiff was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital Sunday for a scheduled operation under general anesthetic for symptomatic diverticular stenosis of the colon.

Hospitals in Lebanon are warning that worsening power cuts and fuel shortages are gravely impacting the health sector.

Asharq al-Awsat newspaper has quoted the head of the private hospital syndicate Suleiman Haroun as saying that hospitals had enough fuel stocks to operate generators for just two days, instead of two weeks.

Russia on Sunday counted more than 25,000 new daily infections after a week of record death tolls as the highly contagious Delta variant propels a global resurgence of the pandemic.

Lebanon's medicine importers Sunday said they had run out of hundreds of essential drugs and warned of further shortages if the cash-strapped central bank did not unblock funds.

President Hassan Rouhani expressed fears Saturday that Iran will be hit by a new wave of Covid-19 due to an outbreak of the Delta variant in the Middle East's hardest-hit country.