Coronavirus: latest global developments

The pandemic has killed more than 633,000 people worldwide since it surfaced in China late last year, with more than 15.5 million people infected, according to an AFP tally at 1100 GMT on Friday based on official sources.

The United States has the most deaths with 144,305, followed by Brazil with 84,082, Britain with 45,554, Mexico with 41,908 and Italy with 35,092.

- US Republican convention off -

US President Donald Trump announces he is scrapping next month's Republican convention in Florida which was expected to nominate him as the party's candidate against Democrat Joe Biden for the November 3 election.

"The timing for this event is not right," he says, as the number of coronavirus cases in the world's worst-hit country tops four million, with a surge, particularly in southern and western states, including Florida.

- India in sixth place -

India's death toll overtakes France with 30,601 fatalities to make it the sixth-biggest behind the US, Brazil, Britain, Mexico and Italy, according to an AFP tally. The world's second most populous nation has the third-highest caseload with almost 1.3 million infections.

- WHO worried about Europe -

The World Health Organisation expresses concern over the resurgence of coronavirus cases on the European continent, saying countries should impose tighter restrictions if necessary.

The number of infections in Europe crossed three million on Thursday, a fifth of the world's cases. It remains the hardest hit in terms of deaths.

- Belgian toddler dies -

A three-year-old girl has become Belgium's youngest known victim of the coronavirus, as the country confronts a worrying growth in new infections.

"It's true that it's rare that a young person dies of COVID-19, but it's clear that no-one is immune," Health spokesman Boudewijn Catry warns, after the number of new infections per week in Belgium jumped by 89 percent.

- Bolivia postpones election -

Bolivia postpones its general elections for a second time because of the pandemic, putting it off until October 18.

The latest postponement comes just two weeks after interim president Jeanine Anet tested positive for the COVID-19. Four cabinet members have also contracted the virus.

- Hydroxychloroquine ineffective: study -

A Brazilian study published in the New England Journal of Medicine says that the drug hydroxychloroquine "does not improve" the condition of patients with mild to moderate cases of COVID-19, the latest blow to President Jair Bolsonaro's push for its widespread use.

- Disney in new box-office blow -

Disney announces that the pandemic has forced it to indefinitely postpone the release of big-budget film "Mulan," while pushing back upcoming instalments of "Star Wars" and "Avatar" by a year, in another blow to the box offices.

- Chinese tennis cancelled -

The men's and women's professional tennis circuits cancel all this year's events in China over the coronavirus, including the Shanghai Masters and the WTA's season-ending Tour Finals.