Facebook bashes Apple for refusing to waive commission fees, seizing on backlash

The South African Weather Service has forecast significant rainfall for the Cape Metropole and surrounds for Saturday that could lead to localised flooding.

India is ready to mass produce COVID-19 vaccines to distribute across the country when scientists give the go-ahead to do so, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his Independence Day speech on Saturday.

The Argentine biotech firm working on the production of 400 million doses of an AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for Latin America said on Friday it could begin shipping the active substance of the product to Mexico for completion.

As of Friday, the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases is at 579 140 after recording 6 275 new cases in the last 24 hours.

The COVID-19 global statistics show an increase in the number of infections across the world.

In this week's Global COVID-19 Wrap, SABC News captures highlights from the African continent, Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

Minister of Health, Dr Zweli Mkhize is holding a media briefing to welcome the World Health Organisation's (WHO) Surge team in South Africa.

South Africa is recording a slight decline in the number of coronavirus cases as it reaches the pandemic's peak. That's according to Chairperson of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19, Professor Salim Abdool Karim.

A coronavirus vaccine candidate developed by a unit of China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) appeared to be safe and triggered antibody-based immune responses in early and mid-stage trials, researchers said.

North Dakota, Wyoming and Alabama are the latest US states launching apps to warn users about potential exposure to the novel coronavirus by tracking their encounters, representatives for the states told Reuters on Thursday.

As of Thursday, the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases is at 572 865 after recording 3 946 new cases in the last 24 hours.

A newly developed saliva test aims to determine in less than a second whether or not you are infected with the novel coronavirus, Israel's largest medical center said on Thursday.

Gauteng has recorded a 78% recovery rate in the number of people infected with the coronavirus (COVID-19) in the past week.

Health expert in infectious diseases from Groote Schuur hospital in Cape Town, Professor Marc Mendelssohn, says the reason the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) tests conducted in the country have decreased now than about a month ago, is because there are less coronavirus transmissions.

Professor of Medicine and Chief Operating Officer of the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation has described Russia's recent announcement that it has developed a COVID-19 vaccine as a risky move.

The North West Health Department has discovered unpaid invoices worth millions at its Mmabatho medical depot.

A Brazilian technology institute said on Wednesday it expects to produce a controversial coronavirus Russian vaccine by the second half of 2021, shortly after the state of Parana signed a memorandum of understanding with Moscow.

South Africa continues to see a drop in the number of new coronavirus (COVID-19) infections. This after the Department of Health confirmed 2 810 new COVID-19 since the last report.

Britain's official death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic was lowered by over 5 000 on Wednesday because the government adopted a new way of counting fatalities after concerns were raised that the old method overstated them.

Russia said on Wednesday the first batch of its COVID-19 vaccine would be ready for some medics within two weeks and rejected as “groundless” safety concerns aired by some experts over Moscow’s rapid approval of the drug.

President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia had become the first country to grant regulatory approval to a COVID-19 vaccine after less than two months of human testing, a move Moscow likened to its success in the Cold War-era space race.

South Africa has recorded 130 coronavirus (COVID-19) related deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 10 751.

Health Minister Dr. Zweli Mkhize says that they are preparing submissions and will need to make certain recommendations on easing some lockdown restrictions to the President.

Statistics South Africa has sought to explain how they plan to conduct online and telephonic data collection.

Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize says the country has enough kits available for coronavirus testing and that backlogs have been cleared.

The Department of Health in KwaZulu-Natal says it's expanding the scope of its investigation into challenges at the Northdale Hospital in Pietermaritzburg.

South Africa has recorded 213 coronavirus (COVID-19) related deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total deaths to 10 621.

The Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria has cancelled or deferred 170 operations since the beginning of the lockdown in March.

Omeros Corp on Monday reported positive results from a six-patient study of its investigational treatment for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome caused by COVID-19.

Trial runs for the country's first digital census begin on Monday in selected areas.