Myanmar Finds Variants; Pakistan Says It Will Cut Off Phones Of Unvaccinated

Bloomberg: Myanmar Reports First Detection Of New Covid Variants: Ministry
Myanmar announced on Tuesday the first detection of three new variants of Covid-19 in five cities across the nation, according to the Ministry of Health and Sports. Laboratory tests conducted by the Defence Service Medical Research Center under the Ministry of Defence reported 11 cases of new Covid variants including one in commercial capital Yangon, four in its second biggest city Mandalay, three in southern Myeik, two in northwestern Tamu and one in Kalay near the Myanmar-India border. (Lin Kyaw, 6/15)

CBS News: Millions Of Pakistanis Threatened With Cell Phone Cut-Off If They Don't Get A COVID Vaccine 
Pakistan's most populous province, Punjab, has decided to combat residents' COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy by threatening to block cell phone service to anyone who refuses inoculation. The decision to issue the threat came out of a meeting last week, led by provincial Health Minister Dr. Yasmin Rashid, as officials scrambled for ways to boost the province's dismal vaccination rate. (Usman, 6/14)

AP: India's Taj Mahal Reopens As New Infections Slow
India is reopening its famed marvel of love, the Taj Mahal, and several other monuments as the number of new coronavirus infections continues to decline. District Magistrate Prabhu Narain Singh said 650 tourists with online bookings will be allowed a day to visit the white marble Taj Mahal from Wednesday. Temperatures will be checked at the gates, face masks must be worn and social distancing norms must be observed. The monument was closed in April amid a surge of new infections in India. (6/16)

Axios: How All 24 Euro 2020 Countries Have Fared With COVID-19 And Vaccines 
Euro 2020 is among the first major global sporting events to take place in the waning days of the pandemic, providing a chance to explore how 24 different countries have responded to COVID-19. Though 11 countries share hosting duties, the tournament offers a preview of next month's Olympics, when athletes from over 200 countries will descend on Tokyo. (Tracy, 6/15)

Reuters: Japan To Decide Soon On Domestic Spectators At Olympics 
Japan will decide this month on whether to allow domestic spectators at the Tokyo Olympics, the government's chief spokesman said on Wednesday, after experts signed off on a plan to allow crowds of up to 10,000 people at events. The final call on attendance at the Games will be made taking into account coronavirus infection conditions and the prevalence of variants, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told reporters. (Swift and Park, 6/16)

In other global developments —

NPR: Gay And Bisexual Men Are Now Allowed To Donate Blood In Most Of The U.K.
Gay and bisexual men in England, Scotland, and Wales can now donate blood, plasma and platelets under certain circumstances, the National Health Service announced this week in a momentous shift in policy for most of the U.K. Beginning Monday, gay men in sexually active, monogamous relationships for at least three months can donate for the first time. The move reverses a policy that limited donor eligibility on perceived risks of contracting HIV/AIDs and other sexually transmitted infections. The new rules come as the U.K. and other countries around the world report urgent, pandemic-induced blood supply issues. (Diaz, 6/16)

The Washington Post: North Korea's Kim Calls Food Situation Tense As Reports Of Shortages Mount 
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called the country's food situation "tense," state media reported on Wednesday, amid mounting reports of shortages. Opening a plenary meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party’s central committee, Kim claimed the economy had improved this year, with industrial production up 25 percent on a year earlier, and generally struck a more upbeat tone than in February, when he had admitted the country’s economic plan had “failed tremendously.” (Denyer, 6/16)

AP: N Korea's Kim Looks Much Thinner, Causing Health Speculation
In recent state media images, including those published on Wednesday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appeared to have lost a large amount of weight. The strap on his fancy watch is tighter, and his face thinner. Some observers say Kim — who is about 170 centimeters (5 feet, 8 inches) tall and has previously weighed 140 kilograms (308 pounds) — may have lost about 10-20 kilograms (22-44 pounds). Kim’s apparent weight loss is more likely an attempt to improve his health, rather than a sign of illness, according to Hong Min, a senior analyst at Seoul’s Korea Institute for National Unification. (Kim and Tong-Hyung, 6/16)