FACTBOX-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

* The governor of Texas temporarily halted the state's reopening on Thursday as COVID-19 infections and the number of people admitted to hospital surged, as the United States set a new record for a one-day increase in cases. * Mexico's health ministry on Thursday reported 6,104 new confirmed cases and 736 deaths.

Some powerful U.S. Senators are pushing back against an attempt by the Trump administration's Treasury Department to weaken a watchdog panel involved with overseeing $2.4 trillion in pandemic aid, according to three congressional aides. The Trump administration has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to invalidate the Obamacare law that added millions to the healthcare safety net, seeking to scrap coverage during the novel coronavirus crisis.

DEATHS AND INFECTIONS

* More than 9.62 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 489,208 have died, a Reuters tally showed as of 1222 GMT on Friday.

EUROPE

* Russia reported on Friday 6,800 new coronavirus cases, the first daily rise below 7,000 since late April, taking its nationwide tally of infections to 620,794.

* A month after it was declared coronavirus-free, Montenegro reintroduced restrictions late on Thursday, including a ban on sports events and outdoor political rallies, to try to contain a spike of new cases.

* Ireland plans to lift from July 9 a 14-day quarantine for people arriving from countries that have also suppressed the coronavirus, acting prime minister Leo Varadkar said on Thursday.

AMERICAS

* Argentine doctors are predicting that coronavirus cases will peak in coming weeks as the southern hemisphere winter sets in, straining hospital intensive care units after confirmed cases accelerated past 50,000.

* The governor of Texas temporarily halted the state's reopening on Thursday as COVID-19 infections and the number of people admitted to hospital surged, as the United States set a new record for a one-day increase in cases.

* Mexico's health ministry on Thursday reported 6,104 new confirmed cases and 736 deaths. The finance ministry said it has initiated epidemiological contact tracing after Finance Minister Arturo Herrera tested positive for the virus.

ASIA-PACIFIC

* Japan recorded on Friday more than 100 new infections for the first time since May 9, hitting its highest daily total since it eased a lockdown, Kyodo News reported.

* Thailand confirmed on Friday four new coronavirus cases, all of which were imported from abroad, marking 32 days without community transmission.

* Australia will stick with plans to further ease coronavirus curbs, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, despite a spike in infections in Victoria state.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

* Israel and the United Arab Emirates will cooperate in the fight against the coronavirus, the two countries said on Thursday, a possible boost to Israeli efforts to normalize relations with Gulf Arab countries.

* Nigeria's outbreak may push 5 million people into poverty as it triggers the worst recession in the African country since the 1980s, the World Bank said.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

* Scientists are only starting to grasp the vast array of health problems caused by the novel coronavirus, some of which may have lingering effects on patients and health systems for years to come, according to doctors and infectious disease experts.

* Vaxart Inc said it would test its potential vaccine on animals under the U.S. program titled "Operation Warp Speed", which is meant to speed up the development of COVID-19 therapeutics and vaccines.

* The European healthcare regulator's endorsement put Gilead's antiviral drug, remdesivir, on track to become the first therapy for the disease on the continent.

* A preliminary study of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 has found the disease can damage the brain, causing complications such as stroke, inflammation, psychosis, and dementia-like symptoms in some severe cases.

ECONOMIC FALLOUT

* Markets showed signs of optimism on Friday, with European shares gaining for a second consecutive day, oil prices rising and the dollar falling, despite a record number of new COVID-19 infections in the United States.

* The outlook for a global economic recovery over the past month has worsened or at best stayed about the same, according to a firm majority of economists in Reuters polls, with the ongoing recession expected to be deeper than predicted.

* Italy's public budget deficit widened sharply in the first quarter of this year to 10.8% of gross domestic product, compared with 7.1% in the same period of 2019, official statistics agency ISTAT said.

* British car production plummeted by an annual 95% in May with just 5,314 vehicles built, an industry body said.