FACTBOX-Latest on the worldwide spread of coronavirus

The uncertain fate of U.S. coronavirus aid package and the disease's spread in the White House were in focus, as President Donald Trump halted talks with Congress over economic stimulus, while senior adviser Stephen Miller became the latest member of Trump's inner circle to test positive for COVID-19. DEATHS AND INFECTIONS * For an interactive graphic tracking the global spread of COVID-19, open https://graphics.reuters.com/world-coronavirus-tracker-and-maps/ in an external browser. * Eikon users, see MacroVitals cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?navid=1592404098 for a case tracker and summary of news.

The uncertain fate of the U.S. coronavirus aid package and the disease's spread in the White House were in focus, as President Donald Trump halted talks with Congress over economic stimulus, while senior adviser Stephen Miller became the latest member of Trump's inner circle to test positive for COVID-19.

DEATHS AND INFECTIONS * For an interactive graphic tracking the global spread of COVID-19, open https://graphics.reuters.com/world-coronavirus-tracker-and-maps/ in an external browser.

* Eikon users, see MacroVitals cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?navid=1592404098 for a case tracker and summary of news. AMERICAS

* U.S. President Donald Trump, still being treated for COVID-19, abruptly ended talks with Democrats on an economic aid package on Tuesday, drawing criticism from presidential rival Joe Biden that he was abandoning Americans in the midst of a pandemic. * The U.S. military's Joint Chiefs of Staff have almost entirely gone into self-quarantine after the Coast Guard's No. 2 tested positive.

* Brazil registered 41,906 new cases, the highest number for a single day since Sept. 11. EUROPE

* Britain's testing system, already struggling with a surge in new cases, was facing fresh disruption after Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche said problems at a new warehouse had delayed the dispatch of some products. * The Czech Republic reported a record 4,457 new cases in a single day, Health Ministry data showed, as infections over the past month are now rising at Europe's fastest pace.

* Poland reported a daily record of 3,003 new cases and a record 75 deaths, as it imposes new restrictions to try to dodge a full lockdown. * European countries are facing shortages of COVID-19 drug remdesivir because limited supplies are running out, officials said, with cases surging and the United States has bought up most of drugmaker Gilead's output.

ASIA-PACIFIC * Australia's city of Melbourne, capital of the hotspot state of Victoria, reported the lowest two-week average of new cases.

* Japan's ministries have asked for a record $997 billion in initial budget for the next fiscal year, the finance ministry said, as Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's new government juggles the need to rein in the pandemic and revive the economy. MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

* Iran will require face masks in public in the capital Tehran from Saturday. * Organisers of an annual religious festival in Touba, Senegal expected 3 million to 5 million pilgrims this week, even after the main ceremony was canceled to mitigate risks.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS * The U.S. FDA told vaccine developers it wants at least two months of safety data before authorizing emergency use, a requirement that would likely push any U.S. vaccine availability past the Nov. 3 presidential election.

* A COVID-19 vaccine may be ready by year-end, the head of the World Health Organization said. ECONOMIC IMPACT

* European shares rose on Wednesday, as initial dismay at U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to cancel fiscal stimulus negotiations with lawmakers in Washington gave way to optimism about an aid package after the U.S. elections. * Top U.S. and European central bankers called for renewed government spending to support families and businesses as the battle against the coronavirus-triggered recession enters a new critical phase.

* Criminals may have made billions of pounds by exploiting a government loan scheme to help British businesses hit by the coronavirus, while large losses are expected from firms unable to repay, the country's spending watchdog said. * The COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted the development of offshore oil and gas projects in Norway and pushed their costs up, the government and operator Equinor said.