At least 263,779 people have died of the novel coronavirus since the epidemic surfaced in China late last year, according to the latest AFP tally based on official sources.
There have been more than 3.76 million officially recorded cases spanning 195 countries and territories.
The United States is the worst-hit country, with 73,431 deaths. Britain follows with 30,076, then Italy with 29,684 deaths, Spain with 26,070 and France with 25,809.
China slams 'barefaced lies'
China has gone on the offensive against international criticism over its handling of the pandemic, accusing US politicians of "barefaced lies".
American politicians "have only one objective: shirk their responsibility for their own poor epidemic prevention and control measures, and divert public attention", foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters.
Tourism prospects get worse
The number of international tourist arrivals could plunge by 60% to 80% in 2020, said the World Tourism Organization, revising its previous forecast sharply lower.
Air France-KLM posted a sharp loss of €1.8bn in the first quarter of 2020 and warned of more woes to come.
The airline group said it does not expect to reach pre-crisis levels of passenger demand "before several years".
US jobless claims
New claims for unemployment benefits filed by US workers declined slightly last week, but were still a staggering 3.2 million, according to US government data.
The data from the Labor Department bring the total claims filed since mid-March, when the coronavirus pandemic forced businesses to close their doors to stop the virus's spread, to 33.5 million.
The number of claims filed last week were slightly more than analysts expected and underscore the continuing damage done by the pandemic the United States.
UK output crash
The British economy will plunge by 14% this year, the Bank of England said, as it left its interest rate at a record-low 0.1%.
Moscow masks up
Epicentre of the pandemic in Russia, Moscow will make the wearing of masks on public transport mandatory as of 12 May.
China surprise rebound
China's exports saw a shock 3.5% rise in April, official figures show, partly due to rising medical exports.
UK minorities risk
Black men and women are more than four times more likely to die with coronavirus than white people in England and Wales, the Office for National Statistics said.
The ONS says its findings suggest differences are in part a result of geographic and socio-economic factors, such as deprivation.
Domestic violence spike
Emergency services across Europe have seen a sharp rise in domestic abuse calls during lockdowns, the World Health Organization's regional office said, with countries reporting up to a 60% increase in calls in April compared to last year.
Milan's virtual Fashion Week
Italy will stage its first digital Fashion Week in Milan from 14-17 July, Italy's National Chamber of Fashion said.
The digital offerings will include photo and video content, backstage interviews with designers, webinars and live streaming of keynote speeches.
