Capitol Attack Commission Vote

Senate Republicans blocked the creation of a special commission to study the January Capitol attack by former US President Donald Trump supporters. During a vote in the Senate on Friday, only six Republicans backed the commission, which was not enough to advance the procedure. Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, condemned Republican colleagues for blocking a bipartisan commission.

Vietnam Detects New Variant 

Vietnam has detected a new strain of the coronavirus, a mix of the variants from India and the United Kingdom, a local newspaper reported on Saturday. The country is currently battling an outbreak that is spreading rapidly, after successfully containing the virus for most of last year.

Pfizer Shot for 12 and Up

Following the European Medicines Agency's recommendation, the European Commission has approved the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for 12- to 15-year olds, paving the way for a broader roll-out in the EU states. Germany on Thursday set plans to offer shots to 12-year-olds as of June 7.

West Slams Syria Election

Following the re-election of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for a fourth term with 95 percent of votes, opponents and the West said the election was marked by fraud. Ahead of the election, France, Germany, Italy, Britain, and the United States said in a statement that the vote would not be free or fair.