FACTBOX-Latest on worldwide spread of the coronavirus

Britain resisted pressure on Thursday to impose a second nationwide lockdown after France and Germany ordered sweeping restrictions on social life to contain a surge in coronavirus infections that has pushed health services to their limits. 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.

Britain resisted pressure on Thursday to impose a second nationwide lockdown after France and Germany ordered sweeping restrictions on social life to contain a surge in coronavirus infections that has pushed health services to their limits.

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

* Italy registered a record 26,831 new infections over the past 24 hours, the health ministry said on Thursday. * Spain's coronavirus tally climbed by a record 23,580 cases, bringing the the total to 1,136,503 infections, health ministry data showed.

* Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki appealed to abortion rights activists on to halt mass protests, saying they would fuel more coronavirus infections and threaten the elderly. * France's new national lockdown may have to be extended beyond its initial Dec. 1 deadline, a government scientific adviser said.

* German intensive care units risk being overwhelmed in a few weeks due to a surge in cases, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said. * A coronavirus strain that emerged in Spain in June has spread across Europe and now makes up a large proportion of infections in several countries, researchers said.

* President Putin said Russia did not plan to impose a national lockdown, while the Kremlin said the healthcare system was under "maximum" pressure. AMERICAS

* The White House coronavirus task force is warning of COVID-19 spreading in the western half of the United States and its members urged aggressive mitigation measures. * Colombia will extend a so-called selective quarantine until the end of November, its president said.

ASIA-PACIFIC * India crossed a grim milestone of 8 million cases on Thursday, as experts warn the current festival season could bring another spike.

* Total confirmed cases in Japan exceeded the 100,000 mark, public broadcaster NHK said. MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

* Cases are accelerating in some parts of Africa and governments should step up preparations for a second wave, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said. * Saudi Arabia will open the Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca for Muslims from other countries from Nov. 1, Saudi media reported.

* Tunisia banned internal travel, suspended schools and public gatherings and extended a curfew, as it tried to contain a rapid surge with hospitals nearly full. MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

* Moderna is on track to report early data from a late-stage trial of its vaccine candidate next month, it said, offering the clearest timeline yet on when the world will know whether the vaccine is effective. * President Putin said Russia was facing challenges scaling up production of its main COVID-19 vaccine due to problems with equipment availability, but hoped to start mass vaccinations by the year's end.

* A vaccine scheme co-led by the World Health Organization is setting up a compensation fund for people in poor nations who might suffer any side-effects from COVID-19 vaccines. ECONOMIC IMPACT

* Crude oil tumbled again on Thursday as lockdowns in Europe clouded the demand outlook while stocks were in and out of losses globally, hinging on support from Wall Street. * U.S. grain futures extended losses, with corn and wheat hitting two-week lows as concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic's economic impact weighed on prices.

* Germany can finance a $11.8 billion aid package for November without asking parliament for more money, its finance minister said. * Panama's National Assembly modified the law that limits the fiscal deficit to adjust for the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, its finance ministry said.

(Compiled by Sarah Morland and Vinay Dwivedi; Editing by Barbara Lewis and Maju Samuel)

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)