A global virus surge.

The improbable rise of a superpower that was born in the rubble of dynasty and fears it may yet meet the same fate.

Workers were more likely to get a shot when their employers encouraged them to and provided paid time off for the inoculation or any side effects.

Mr. Rumsfeld, who served four presidents, oversaw a war that many said should never have been fought. But he said the removal of Saddam Hussein had “created a more stable and secure world.”

A shipment to Pakistan was a recent move in a new phase of the administration’s pandemic response: a round-the-clock effort to clear regulatory and logistical hurdles to share doses with countries in need.

Deadly heat waves in North America.

President Vladimir V. Putin encouraged Russians to get vaccinated by sharing his experience getting the Sputnik V vaccine. His statement reflected a shift in tone from officials, who for months did little to promote immunizations.