FACTBOX-Latest on worldwide coronavirus spread

* Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte eased the strict lockdown in and around the capital Manila as his government promised a "refreshed" approach to fighting COVID-19 that includes intensified testing. MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA * Lebanon must shut down for two weeks after a surge in infections, the caretaker health minister said, as the country reels from the massive Beirut port blast. * Turkey's coronavirus count rose to its highest daily level since June, with total deaths nearing 6,000, according to the government.

Almost as quickly as they welcomed students back, some U.S. schools are closing again due to outbreaks of COVID-19, the latest challenge as the nation tries to reopen while the level of new cases per day remains high in most states. DEATHS AND INFECTIONS

* For an interactive graphic tracking the global spread, open https://tmsnrt.rs/3aIRuz7 in an external browser. * For a U.S.-focused tracker with state-by-state and county map, open https://tmsnrt.rs/2w7hX9T in an external browser.

* Eikon users, see MacroVitals (cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?navid=1592404098) for a case tracker and summary of news. EUROPE

* France reported 493 new COVID-19 infections over the past 24 hours on Monday, sharply down from a caseload of above 3,000 each on the two previous days, but hospitalisations for the respiratory disease rose for a third day in a row. * Britain urged elderly people and volunteers from Black and Asian minority groups to sign up to a COVID-19 vaccine trial registry to boost efforts to find a working vaccine against the disease that offers protection for higher risk groups.

ASIA-PACIFIC * New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern postponed the country's general election on Monday by a month to Oct. 17, as the city of Auckland remains in lockdown due to a growing outbreak.

* South Korea warned of a looming crisis as new infections flared. * Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte eased the strict lockdown in and around the capital Manila as his government promised a "refreshed" approach to fighting COVID-19 that includes intensified testing.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA * Lebanon must shut down for two weeks after a surge in infections, the caretaker health minister said, as the country reels from the massive Beirut port blast.

* Turkey's coronavirus count rose to its highest daily level since June, with total deaths nearing 6,000, according to the government. AMERICAS

* Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he would volunteer to be among the first to try a Russian vaccine for the novel coronavirus if it proved effective. * COVID-19 outbreaks in U.S. workplaces have disproportionately hit Hispanic and non-white communities, according to an analysis of data from Utah by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

* Bolivia surpassed 100,000 cases on Sunday, the country's health ministry reported. MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

* A late-stage trial of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate from CanSino Biologics Inc has started in Russia, registration records showed. * China's vaccine specialist has won a patent approval from Beijing for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate Ad5-nCOV, state media reported.

* U.S. drug developer Novavax Inc said it is starting a mid-stage study of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine in South Africa. ECONOMIC IMPACT

* U.S. home builder confidence rose for a third straight month in August to match its highest level ever, data showed, but a growing number of home owners are falling behind on their mortgages. * Japan was hit by its biggest economic slump on record in the second quarter.

* Thailand's economy suffered its biggest annual contraction since the Asian financial crisis in the second quarter. * Mexico's government will in two weeks present a plan to revive the economy from the pandemic, targeting sectors like construction and energy, President Obrador said.