Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:
YouTube Standoff
Russia threatens to block YouTube and take other retaliatory measures, after the United States (US) video-sharing platform blocked the German-language channels of state broadcaster RT for violating coronavirus disinformation rules.
YouTube Takes On Anti-Vaxxers
YouTube says it will remove videos that falsely claim approved vaccines are dangerous, as social networks seek to crack down on health misinformation around COVID-19 and other diseases.
Slovenia Suspends J&J
Slovenia temporarily suspends vaccinations with Johnson & Johnson after a 20-year-old woman died of a brain haemorrhage and blood clots just days after getting a jab.
No Pay In Gaza
Civil servants in Gaza who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 and contract the virus will not be paid during sick leave, the Palestinian enclave's Islamist rulers Hamas say.
Israeli-Arab Hotspots
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett urges new efforts to promote coronavirus vaccination within Arab communities, which are now the leading hotspots of COVID transmission.
IP Rights Call
Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Wamkele Mene, calls for a review of "outdated" intellectual property rights to enable COVID-19 vaccine production on the severely under-immunised African continent.
Algeria Makes Chinese Jab
Algeria launches production of the Chinese Coronavac anti-COVID vaccine, in partnership with Chinese firm Sinovac. The Constantine factory aims to make eight million doses a month.
Spain Throws Open Stadiums
Spanish football clubs will be allowed to open their stadiums to 100 percent capacity from this weekend after national restrictions brought in to combat the COVID-19 pandemic were lifted. Some local restrictions, however, remain in place.
More Than 4.7 Million Dead
The coronavirus has killed at least 4,762,596 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to an AFP compilation of official data.
The US is the worst-affected country with 692,975 deaths, followed by Brazil with 595,446, India with 447,751, Mexico 276,376 and Russia 206,388.
Based on latest reports, the countries with the most new deaths were the US with 2,070 new deaths, followed by Russia with 857, a new record, and Brazil with 793. – AFP