FACTBOX-Latest on the worldwide spread of coronavirus

* The International Monetary Fund slashed this year's economic forecast for Asia, reflecting a sharper-than-expected contraction in countries like India, a sign the pandemic continues to take a heavy toll on the region. * The European Union will be ready to approve new measures to support member states should economies suffer further, its vice president said.

The White House and congressional Democrats kept up negotiations on a fresh coronavirus relief bill, though their effort faced opposition in the Republican-controlled Senate, where conservatives object to the trillion-dollar-plus price tag.

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 COVID-19: MacroVitals https://apac1.apps.cp.thomsonreuters.com/cms/?navid=1592404098 for a case tracker and summary of news. EUROPE

* European Union leaders will hold a video-conference next week to discuss how to better cooperate as infections rise. * Europe's hospital systems are at risk of buckling under the strain of soaring numbers that have put the continent once again at the centre of the global pandemic.

* German Health Minister Jens Spahn has tested positive. * Poland's government will announce on Thursday further measures as the country reported another record in daily infections of well above 10,000.

* The Czech government ordered most shops and services to close and sought to limit movement to essential trips only. * Russia is not planning to impose any further lockdowns, even as deaths hit a record daily high.

AMERICAS * New York, New Jersey and Connecticut urged residents to not travel between the three states, while California said major theme parks including Disneyland would not open anytime soon.

* Mexican authorities are calling for cemeteries to close to public visitors ahead of the Day of the Dead. * Brazilian Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello has fallen ill with a suspected case of COVID-19, as the country battles with the third-worst outbreak globally.

ASIA-PACIFIC * Five people have died after getting flu shots in South Korea in the past week, raising concerns over the vaccine's safety.

* A city in China's Zhejiang province will offer experimental coronavirus vaccines to its residents, as China broadens an emergency use programme to people in non-priority groups. * Australia's most heavily hit state of Victoria logged a sixth consecutive day of low-single-digit new cases.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA * South Africa faces a high risk of resurging infections that may lead to a review of lockdowns, after new cases rose by 42% in Western Cape province in the last two weeks.

* Iran on Wednesday reported 5,616 new cases for the previous 24 hours, the highest daily number since February. * Turkey is considering reimposing some measures such as stay-home orders for younger and older people or even weekend lockdowns, but will avoid hurting the economic recovery.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS * The European Commission said it had signed a contract on behalf of EU states with U.S. drugmaker Johnson & Johnson for the supply of 400 million doses of its vaccine candidate.

* UK scientists seeking approval to deliberately infect healthy people with COVID-19 in trials must first convince ethics specialists that, among other things, they have potential "rescue therapies" or antidotes to halt the disease. * A drug that fights inflammation made by Switzerland's Roche limits the need for a transfer to intensive care units for patients suffering from COVID-19 related pneumonia.

* AstraZeneca Plc's vaccine trial in the United States is expected to resume as early as this week after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration completed its review of a serious illness. ECONOMIC IMPACT

* Global stocks sought direction on Wednesday, while gold hit a one-week high and the dollar fell to a six-week low as investors waited to see whether an agreement could be reached on a fresh U.S. coronavirus relief package. * The International Monetary Fund slashed this year's economic forecast for Asia, reflecting a sharper-than-expected contraction in countries like India, a sign the pandemic continues to take a heavy toll on the region.

* The European Union will be ready to approve new measures to support member states should economies suffer further, its vice president said. * India is working on the next stimulus package to support the economy amid positive signs of a fall in cases.

(Compiled by Anita Kobylinska and Milla Nissi; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Catherine Evans)