QUICK HITS

1 Zimbabwe requires vaccines: Zimbabwe’s government has ordered all its employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19, or they won’t be allowed to come to work. The Public Service Commission, which is in charge of employment conditions for government workers, issued an internal notice Wednesday ordering employees to get vaccinated.

2 Interim PM named: Bulgarian President Rumen Radev on Thursday reappointed a retired general as interim prime minister to lead a new caretaker government until the next early election is held in November. The Balkan country, which is the European Union’s poorest member, is gearing up for its third parliamentary election of the year after deep divisions among the parties in parliament prevented them from finding common ground for a coalition government.

3 At least three killed in earthquake: An earthquake destroyed houses, killed at least three people and injured dozens Thursday in southwest China’s Sichuan province. Rescue work was underway following the magnitude-6.0 earthquake.

4 Fire threatens sequoias: Growing wildfires in the Sierra Nevada forced the closure of Sequoia National Park in California on Wednesday as blazes sparked by lightning strikes threaten the park’s groves of giant sequoias, home to some of the tallest and oldest trees in the world.

5 Nine drown off France: At least nine people were swept out to sea and drowned off the southern coast of France on Wednesday as high seas stirred up by strong winds created dangerous swells that caught the swimmers by surprise. Local authorities had expected rough seas, prompting advisories against or even banning swimming at certain beaches.