FACTBOX-Latest on the worldwide spread of coronavirus

India reported the most new COVID-19 cases of any country in the past week, its nearly half a million fresh infections pushing the global tally up by 1 percent, while overall global new deaths in the past seven days fell by 3% compared to the previous week, the World Health Organization said.

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.

ASIA-PACIFIC * Japan's health ministry said it planned to participate in the WHO's COVID-19 vaccine program.

* Inmates at a high-security Australian prison lit fires smashed windows and flooded their cells with water after a lockdown sparked by a coronavirus outbreak resulted in a shortage of staff and services. * Hong Kong began free testing for all its residents, as the mainland Chinese-led initiative faced scepticism from the city's medical community and public.

EUROPE * Europe can live with COVID-19 without a vaccine by managing outbreaks with localized lockdowns, the WHO's regional director said, adding he did not expect a return to full national-level restrictions.

* Tens of millions of pupils around Europe returned to school on Tuesday, with hand cleansing stations, social distancing, and staggered playtime set to become the new normal. * Russia's case tally passed the 1 million mark.

* Poland is banning from Wednesday direct flights from 44 countries including Spain, Israel and Romania. * Hungary decided to let tourists from Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia enter the country with a fresh negative coronavirus test, it said late on Monday, just as a lockdown on its borders took effect.

* French companies will have around a week to adopt new, strict rules on the compulsory wearing of face masks in the workplace, employment minister said. AMERICAS

* The Trump administration and Senate Republicans have been in contact over relief measures and the Senate's top Republican will "hopefully" unveil a new bill next week, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told Fox Business Network. * Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said nobody would be forced to have the vaccine against the pandemic once it is developed.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA * Algeria will carry out further measures to ease a coronavirus lockdown from Sept. 1, including lifting a ban on some cultural activities such as reopening museums and libraries.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS * AstraZeneca expanded its agreement with cell therapy firm Oxford Biomedica to mass-produce its potential COVID-19 vaccine, as it looks to scale-up supply ahead of a possible U.S. fast-track approval.

ECONOMIC IMPACT * Stocks started September on a positive note, with global indexes close to all-time highs and Europe edging higher, pushed up by Chinese factory data that showed a rebound in demand.

* The eurozone economy has experienced a strong recovery in the third quarter even though the most recent data in August have been less robust, ECB Vice President Luis de Guindos said. * Germany expects the economic devastation caused by the pandemic to be less severe than originally feared this year, but it now sees a weaker rebound next year, two sources told Reuters.

* British mortgage lending accelerated in July, the latest sign of a post-lockdown bounce-back in the housing market, and consumers returned to borrowing, data from the Bank of England showed.