The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide has surpassed 171 million, with more than 3.6 million deaths, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University.

The Chinese mainland recorded 24 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, 15 locally transmitted cases in southern Guangdong Province and 9 from overseas.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday validated the CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccine developed by Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech for emergency use.

France plans to start vaccinating its youth aged 12-18 from June 15, President Emmanuel Macron announced on Wednesday.

U.S. President Joe Biden will announce within days the details of a plan to export 80 million coronavirus vaccine doses to other countries "without any political strings attached," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday.

The Chinese mainland recorded 24 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, 15 locally transmitted cases in southern Guangdong Province and 9 from overseas.

The delta variant, first detected in India, has been officially found in at least 62 countries and regions, according to the latest World Health Organization (WHO) weekly epidemiological report.

Source: CGTN