
Sydney, Australia, begins two-week COVID lockdown
CBSN
Sydney, Australia, on Saturday night began a two-week lockdown amid a surge in cases of the COVID-19 Delta variant.
New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said it was "the scariest time that I felt since the pandemic started," as she announced the lockdown and associated stay-at-home orders for Greater Sydney, the Central Coast, the Blue Mountains and Wollongong. The new restrictions follow smaller lockdowns in parts of the city that began Friday in an effort to stem an outbreak of the highly contagious variant.
Johannesburg — President Trump doubled down Friday on his offer to grant U.S. citizenship to White Afrikaner farmers in South Africa, accusing their government of treating them "terribly." Mr. Trump said the U.S. would offer them "safety" and that they would be given a "rapid pathway to citizenship."

Toronto — Canada's Liberal Party has chosen veteran central bank leader Mark Carney as its new leader, meaning he will quickly replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the country's top office. The transition, and Trudeau's political downfall, comes amid the chaotic trade war with Canada's closest ally launched by President Trump.

The death toll from two days of clashes between Syrian security forces and loyalists of ousted President Bashar Assad and revenge killings that followed has risen to more than 1,000, a war monitoring group said Saturday, making it one of the deadliest acts of violence since Syria's conflict began 14 years ago.

International Women's Day protests demand equal rights and an end to discrimination, sexual violence
Women across the world will call for equal pay, reproductive rights, education, justice and decision-making jobs during demonstrations marking International Women's Day on Saturday.