Paris (AFP)

Highlights, new measures, new reports: an update on the latest developments in the Covid-19 pandemic around the world.

- United States-China: the race for the vaccine -

A vaccine against Covid-19 could be available to the general public in China as early as November, said a senior official, as the race continues between laboratories around the world.

For his part, US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that a vaccine against Covid-19 could be available within a month - an acceleration of his own already surprisingly optimistic predictions - but he added that the pandemic could also go away on its own.

- A decisive moment for Europe, according to the WHO -

Europe is entering a decisive moment in the fight against the coronavirus with the increase in the number of cases, the start of the school year and the upcoming arrival of autumn, an official from the World Health Organization warned on Tuesday.

It is time to stop "chasing chimeras" and making tough decisions to protect the most vulnerable and keep young people in school, even if it means accepting inevitable sacrifices, said the director of emergency situations of the 'WHO Michael Ryan.

- More than 930,000 dead

The pandemic caused by the new coronavirus has killed at least 930,180 people around the world since the end of December, according to a report established by AFP from official sources Tuesday at 17:00 GMT.

Nearly 29.4 million cases of contamination have been diagnosed.

The United States is the most bereaved country with 195,765 dead.

Next come Brazil (133,119), India (80,776), Mexico (71,049) and the United Kingdom (41,664).

- 460 billion losses for tourism -

The fall in the number of international tourists due to the pandemic resulted in a loss of 460 billion dollars for the sector in the first half of the year, estimates the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

The cause is a 65% drop in the number of international tourists over the period, marked by border closures and restrictions for travelers.

- A UN general assembly before the end of the year?

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A summit on the Covid-19 pandemic, with a physical presence, is planned in New York before the end of the year by the UN General Assembly, the new president of this body, Volkan Bozkir, announced on Tuesday.

During a press conference, this former Turkish minister indicated that this special session of the Assembly was scheduled for "the first week of November".

- The negative Tour de France riders -

The entire Tour de France peloton was authorized to leave on Tuesday for the 16th stage, after negative results in tests for the detection of Covid-19.

- In Ireland, ministers and pubs confined -

All members of the Irish cabinet, the most important ministers of the government, briefly placed themselves in isolation on Tuesday due to a suspected coronavirus case involving Health Minister Stephen Donnelly.

But in the evening the test results were negative, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Health told AFP.

The Irish government has also announced that it will postpone the planned reopening of pubs in Dublin and impose new restrictions on gatherings between homes, in the face of the resurgence of cases.

- A Chinese city completely confined -

Ruili, a Chinese town on the border of Burma, is confined after the discovery of three cases of Covid-19.

The 210,000 residents must now stay at home and will be tested.

No entry or exit of the city is allowed and businesses are closed, with the exception of supermarkets, pharmacies and food markets.

burx-fm-jba / ber / rle / fby / roc

© 2020 AFP