FACTBOX-Latest on worldwide spread of the coronavirus

A new variant of the coronavirus first seen in Britain was detected in several nations, amplifying worries about its rapid spread, while U.S. President Donald Trump signed into law a pandemic aid and spending package. DEATHS AND INFECTIONS * Eikon users, see COVID-19: MacroVitals https://apac1.apps.cp.thomsonreuters.com/cms/?navid=1592404098 for a case tracker and summary of news. EUROPE * Hungary and Slovakia stole a march on their fellow EU nations as they began vaccinations on Saturday, a day ahead of rollouts in several other countries, while a 101-year-old woman became the first German to receive the shot. * France recorded its first case of the new variant.

A new variant of the coronavirus first seen in Britain was detected in several nations, amplifying worries about its rapid spread, while U.S. President Donald Trump signed into law a pandemic aid and spending package.

DEATHS AND INFECTIONS * Eikon users, see COVID-19: MacroVitals https://apac1.apps.cp.thomsonreuters.com/cms/?navid=1592404098 for a case tracker and summary of news.

EUROPE * Hungary and Slovakia stole a march on their fellow EU nations as they began vaccinations on Saturday, a day ahead of rollouts in several other countries, while a 101-year-old woman became the first German to receive the shot.

* France recorded its first case of the new variant. * Russia approved its main COVID-19 vaccine, Sputnik V, for use by people over the age of 60.

* The delivery of the first shipment of Sinovac's vaccine from China to Turkey has been postponed "1-2 days" due to a case in Beijing customs. AMERICAS

* U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday signed into law a $2.3 trillion pandemic aid and spending package, restoring unemployment benefits to millions of Americans and averting a federal government shutdown. * The U.S. government will require all airline passengers arriving from Britain to test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of departure starting Monday.

* Hamilton Mourão, Brazil's vice president, has tested positive. * Argentina will begin vaccinating its citizens on Tuesday using the recently delivered Sputnik V vaccine.

ASIA-PACIFIC * Beijing tightened COVID-19 curbs over concerns that China's mass travel during the holiday period could cause cases to spike in the capital.

* South Korea said it will extend social distancing measures for another six days, to Jan. 3, as it continues to report near-record numbers of new cases each day. * Sydney's outbreak continued with more than a quarter million people in lockdown as Australia's largest city awaited word on whether any public New Year's Eve celebrations will be allowed.

* Australian golfing great Greg Norman is back in hospital in Florida after testing positive. MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

* South Africa's total infections crossed a million on Sunday, days after a new faster spreading variant was confirmed to be present in the country. * Iran reported the lowest daily fatalities in more than three months.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS * Britain's Department of Health said medicines regulator MHRA must be given time to carry out its review of the data of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, while the Sunday Telegraph reported that the UK plans to roll out the vaccine from Jan. 4.

ECONOMIC IMPACT * Global shares ticked up on Monday after Trump signed into law the pandemic aid and spending package he had until now refused to sign.

* Overall retail footfall on Boxing Day in Britain fell 60% compared to the previous year, market researcher Springboard said. * Vietnam's economic growth slowed this year to its weakest in at least three decades, government data showed.