FACTBOX-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

U.S. first lady Jill Biden has tested positive in a rebound case of COVID-19 but is not experiencing any symptoms, while President Joe Biden continues to test negative for the virus, officials said on Wednesday. DEATHS AND INFECTIONS

* Eikon users, click on COVID-19: MacroVitals for a case tracker and summary of news. cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?navid=1592404098 ASIA-PACIFIC

* China reported 1,759 new coronavirus cases for Aug. 24, of which 390 were symptomatic and 1,369 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Thursday. * Shanghai reported six new domestically transmitted asymptomatic coronavirus cases for Aug. 24, up from zero a day earlier, while no local symptomatic cases were reported, the same as a day earlier, the city government said on Thursday.

EUROPE * German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said on Wednesday he expects a wave of COVID-19 infections this autumn but ruled out further lockdowns or school closures.

ECONOMIC IMPACT * Asian share markets were broadly positive while the dollar was slightly weaker on Thursday, with investors nervously awaiting the U.S. Federal Reserve's annual Jackson Hole conference for clues on how sharp future interest rate hikes might be.

* The number of people facing acute food insecurity worldwide has more than doubled to 345 million since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, conflict and climate change, the World Food Programme said on Wednesday. * China's unemployment insurance payouts rose 256.6% year-on-year, hitting a record high in June and adding to signs of a struggling labour market as the economy has been badly hit by COVID-19 outbreaks and a property crisis.

* The Bank of Japan must maintain massive stimulus to support an economy facing a resurgence in COVID-19 infections and slowing global demand, one of its board member said, reinforcing the BOJ's outlier status in a global wave of monetary tightening. * British car production rose for a third straight month in July, 8.6% higher than a weak comparative last year, when car makers were struggling with acute shortages of chips and COVID-related absences, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said on Thursday.

* Asia-focused insurer AIA Group Ltd on Thursday forecast a rebound in its sales, despite a 13% drop in first-half new business value after COVID-19 lockdowns across its key markets including China and Hong Kong dented revenue. * Qantas Airways Ltd said on Thursday it would buy back up to A$400 million ($276 million) of shares after the lifting of COVID curbs spurred a strong rebound in travel demand, surprising the market and sending its shares up 8%.

* Air New Zealand Ltd reported a bigger annual loss on Thursday due to the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on travel and could not promise a return to profitability this year. (Compiled by Carlo Giovanni Boffa and Subhranshu Sahu; Edited by Jonathan Oatis and Anil D'Silva)