World News Roundup: Delhi reserves hospital beds for residents; Russia reports 8,984 new coronavirus cases and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Delhi reserves hospital beds for residents as virus cases surge

The city of New Delhi on Sunday ordered many of its hospital beds to be reserved solely for residents of the Indian capital, as the number of COVID-19 infections continued to surge. India on Sunday registered 9,971 new coronavirus cases, taking its tally to 246,628 cases, with 6,929 deaths. The case numbers now lag only in the United States, Brazil, Russia, the United Kingdom, and Spain.

U.S. Senator Scott says China trying to sabotage vaccine development

The United States has evidence China is trying to slow down or sabotage the development of a COVID-19 vaccine by Western countries, Republican senator Rick Scott said on Sunday. "We have got to get this vaccine done. Unfortunately, we have evidence that communist China is trying to sabotage us or slow it down," he said during an interview on BBC TV.

Don't celebrate victory over coronavirus too soon, Pope tells Italians

Pope Francis on Sunday warned Italians to not let their guard down against coronavirus now that infection rates have fallen and urged them to obey government rules on social distancing and wearing masks. Francis, addressing several hundred people in St. Peter's Square for his Sunday blessing, reacted to applause that broke out when he said their presence, albeit reduced, was a sign that Italy had overcome the acute phase of the pandemic.

Japan declines to join the U.S., others in condemning China for Hong Kong law: Kyodo

Japan has decided not to join the United States, Britain, and others in issuing a statement scolding China for imposing a new security law, Kyodo news agency reported on Sunday, citing officials from countries involved. The United Kingdom, the U.S., Australia, and Canada condemned China on May 28 for imposing a law that they said would threaten freedom and breach a 1984 Sino-British agreement on the autonomy of the former colony.

China to strengthen global cooperation in COVID-19 vaccine trials

China will strengthen international cooperation in future COVID-19 clinical vaccine trials, building on earlier collaboration in vaccine development, the science and technology minister said on Sunday. China is expending great efforts in the global scramble to develop a vaccine for the new coronaries epidemic that began in its central city of Wuhan, with Chinese researchers conducting five separate clinical trials on humans, or half of all such trials globally, according to the data compiled by the World Health Organization.

The UK should have gone into coronavirus lockdown sooner: govt scientific adviser

Britain's failure to impose a nationwide lockdown to tackle the spread of the coronavirus sooner has cost many lives, one of the government's scientific advisers said on Sunday. Britain is one of the worst-hit countries in the world, with a death toll of more than 50,000 from COVID-19, according to a Reuters tally this week based on official sources.

South Africa government, private hospitals agree to deal on COVID-19 patients

The South African government has agreed how much it will pay private hospitals and medical practitioners to treat severely ill COVID-19 patients if public hospitals run out of space, a senior health official told Reuters. The government has been in talks for months with private firms and medical associations ahead of a probable scenario where public hospitals run out of critical care beds.

Exclusive: Russian hiring of Syrians to fight in Libya accelerated in May

A Russian drive to recruit Syrians to fight in Libya for militia leader Khalifa Haftar accelerated in May when hundreds of mercenaries were signed up, five Syrian opposition sources and a regional source familiar with the matter said. Private military contractor Wagner Group is conducting the hiring with Russian army supervision, according to two senior Syrian opposition sources and the regional source. A former Wagner Group member said it first sent Syrians to Libya in 2019.

London police chief says 14 officers injured during anti-racism protests

Fourteen police officers were injured in "shocking and completely unacceptable" assaults during anti-racism protests in central London on Saturday, London police chief Cressida Dick said on Sunday. After a largely peaceful day, small numbers of protesters briefly clashed with mounted police on Saturday after thousands gathered to voice their anger at police brutality after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Russia reports 8,984 new coronavirus cases, 134 deaths in the last 24 hours

Russia reported 8,984 new cases of the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours on Sunday, pushing the total number of infections to 467,673. Officials said 134 people had died during the same period, bringing the official nationwide death toll to 5,859.