A record number of vessels were anchored off the coast of Southern California, waiting to unload cargo. The backlog came amid a surge in demand for imported goods and supply-chain disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the W.H.O. director general, warned of an 'imminent humanitarian catastrophe' as the country's health care system struggles with a loss of foreign funding and dwindling supplies.

The European Union announced plans to make USB-C connectors standard for all smartphones to reduce environmental waste and make switching between devices simpler. This initiative is likely to affect Apple the hardest.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said high vaccination rates against Covid-19 would help New Zealand steer away from implementing future public health measures that are disruptive to everyday life.

The 5.9-magnitude quake hit southeast Australia on Wednesday morning, damaging buildings and causing residents to flee their homes. There were no immediate reports of serious injuries or deaths.

Vice President Kamala Harris said that the U.S. would contribute at least $250 million to a new global health security fund aimed at increasing disease surveillance, vaccine development and health care worker support.

House Democrats condemned the Border Patrol's treatment of Haitian migrants at the Texas-Mexico border and demanded action from the Biden administration after video showed mounted Border Patrol agents corralling and menacing migrants.

President Biden spoke with President Emmanuel Macron of France for the first time since a new defense arrangement between the United States, Britain and Australia scuttled a $66 billion French submarine project.

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said he considered the attack against his adviser, Serhiy Shefir, to be a message to him personally. Shefir was unharmed but his driver was shot and wounded.

A divided House passed legislation to fund the government through early December, raise the federal debt limit, and provide emergency money for Afghan refugees and natural disaster recovery. Republicans have warned they would block the measure in the Senate.