FACTBOX-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

* Eikon users, see MacroVitals (cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?navid=1592404098) for a case tracker and a summary of developments. EUROPE * France and Germany expressed political and financial backing for the World Health Organization in its fight against the coronavirus, with Berlin saying it would give a record half billion euros in funding and equipment this year. * Restaurants and pubs in England will be able to serve customers on pavements, terraces and even in car parks under a relaxation of planning laws put before parliament, as ministers seek to restart the stalled hospitality sector on July 4.

As countries around the world ease lockdown rules amid worries over a second wave of infections, Anders Tegnell, the architect of Sweden's unorthodox response to the pandemic, said he has no plans to step down or step back and remains convinced that, over time, the anti-lockdown strategy that has seen his country break ranks with much of the world will prove its worth. DEATHS AND INFECTIONS

* Nearly 9.48 million people are reported to have been infected by the coronavirus globally and 482,515​ have died, a Reuters tally showed as of 1347 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 * France and Germany expressed political and financial backing for the World Health Organization in its fight against the coronavirus, with Berlin saying it would give a record half billion euros in funding and equipment this year.

* Restaurants and pubs in England will be able to serve customers on pavements, terraces and even in car parks under a relaxation of planning laws put before parliament, as ministers seek to restart the stalled hospitality sector on July 4. * British retailers remained gloomy in the run-up to a relaxation of lockdown rules earlier this month.

* England's COVID-19 test and trace system could not reach a quarter of people who had their cases transferred to the system after a positive test for the virus. * Croatia said it would widen the scope of financial support for its economy, allowing a shortening of the working week for some hard-hit firms.

* Romania reported its highest number of daily infections in two months, as it prepares to assess a new phase of relaxation next week. AMERICAS

* Mexico would have liked to inject more fiscal stimulus into the economy but there was not sufficient scope in the budget to do so, the finance minister said. * Walt Disney Co said the reopening of theme parks and resort hotels in California will be delayed until Disneyland receives approval from state officials, as the state is hit by a huge spike in infections.

* The University of Washington forecast nearly 180,000 U.S. deaths from COVID-19 by Oct. 1 as cases showed new signs of surging. ASIA-PACIFIC

* Pakistan's central bank cut its main interest rate by 100 basis points to 7% in an unannounced move marking the fifth cut since the coronavirus began to spread in March. * The Philippines' finance secretary said his country needed to prepare in case the economic crisis extends for much longer.

* Authorities in New Delhi worked to convert a spiritual centre into a huge quarantine facility as cases in the Indian capital overtook the financial hub Mumbai for the first time. MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

* South Africa's mining industry has recorded 1,796 cases of COVID-19 with six deaths, the Minerals Council said as mines ramp up after an extended shutdown. * Nigeria's outbreak may push 5 million people into poverty as it triggers the worst recession in the African powerhouse since the 1980s, the World Bank said .

* Iran's death toll has passed 10,000, according to official figures from the ministry of health. MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

* The European healthcare regulator has recommended the conditional approval of Gilead Sciences Inc's antiviral treatment, remdesivir, for use in COVID-19 patients, making it the first treatment to be on track to be approved in the continent. * Moderna Inc said it was partnering with contract drugmaker Catalent Inc for filling and packaging millions of doses of its experimental vaccine to be supplied in the United States.

* A study of residents in the Alpine ski resort of Ischgl, the site of Austria's biggest outbreak, has found 42% have antibodies, the highest rate ever proven, the university that carried out the study said. ECONOMIC FALLOUT

* World stocks spluttered to their lowest level in more than a week, amid a surge in U.S. cases and an IMF warning of an almost 5% plunge in the global economy this year. * Zambia's expenditure is expected to rise by approximately 20 billion kwacha ($1.11 billion) this year as the local currency weakens, piling more pressure on a nation already struggling with huge debt, President Edgar Lungu said.

* Spain's economy may have shrunk close to 20% in the second quarter from the previous quarter, in what would be the sharpest such decline on record, the Bank of Spain said. (Compiled by Linda Pasquini and Anna Rzhevkina Editing by Frances Kerry and Nick Macfie)