FACTBOX-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

Europe could face a surge of COVID-19 infections in the coming weeks caused by mass protests in the continent over the last days, politicians, European Union officials and experts said. DEATHS AND INFECTIONS * More than 7.45 million people have been reported infected with the novel coronavirus around the world and 417,302 have died, a Reuters tally showed as of 2039 GMT on Thursday. * For an interactive graphic tracking the global spread, open https://tmsnrt.rs/3aIRuz7 in an external browser.

Europe could face a surge of COVID-19 infections in the coming weeks caused by mass protests in the continent over the last days, politicians, European Union officials and experts said.

DEATHS AND INFECTIONS * More than 7.45 million people have been reported infected with the novel coronavirus around the world and 417,302 have died, a Reuters tally showed as of 2039 GMT on Thursday.

* 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 a summary of developments. EUROPE

* EU lawmakers accepted that the new coronavirus be considered a mid-level threat to workers. * The European Commission is seeking a mandate from EU governments to buy up to six promising coronavirus vaccines in advance from pharmaceutical firms, two officials told Reuters.

* England's COVID-19 Trace and Track programme is functioning effectively nationwide, although it can still be improved, programme leader Dido Harding said after the first numbers of people tested and traced were published. AMERICAS

* From apple packing houses in Washington state to farm workers in Florida and a California county known as "the world's salad bowl," outbreaks of the coronavirus are emerging at U.S. fruit and vegetable farms and packing plants. * Unionized mine workers in Chile, the world's top copper producer, warned that health should take precedence over output.

* Brazilians critical of their government's ambiguous response to a surging pandemic dug 100 graves and stuck black crosses in the sand of Rio's Copacabana beach in a tribute to the nearly 40,000 people who have died so far. ASIA-PACIFIC

* China is offering candidate coronavirus vaccines to employees at state-owned firms travelling overseas, as it seeks more data on their efficacy, the state news outlet Global Times reported. * Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan offered to help neighbouring India disburse cash to the public during the lockdown, citing a report that Indians were struggling to make ends meet, but India rejected the offer.

* Australian officials warned Black Lives Matter protesters they could be fined or arrested if they breach coronavirus restrictions. * Georgia will send doctors to Armenia and will provide its neighbour with 10,000 diagnostic tests free of charge, Georgian officials said.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA * The pandemic is accelerating in Africa, spreading to the hinterland from capital cities where it arrived with travellers, the World Health Organization said.

* Lebanese cut roadways with burning tyres and rubbish bins across Beirut and other cities in renewed protests sparked by a rapid fall in the pound currency and mounting economic hardship. * Tanzania has begun negotiations with creditors over a G20 nations initiative over debt relief, the finance minister said.

* Egypt will open its main seaside resorts for international flights and foreign tourists from July 1, the cabinet said. ECONOMIC FALLOUT

* Wall Street plummeted as investors reacted to renewed fears of a pandemic resurgence and digested dour economic forecasts from the U.S. Federal Reserve. * Governments worldwide have spent $10 trillion in fiscal actions to respond to the pandemic and its economic fallout, but significant further efforts are needed, the head of the International Monetary Fund said.

* The International Monetary Fund warned of "large risks" to Ukraine's outlook after approving a new $5 billion deal for the country tumbling into a recession. (Compiled by Anna Rzhevkina, Sarah Morland and Devika Syamnath; Editing by Nick Macfie, Kevin Liffey and Anil D'Silva)