FACTBOX-Latest on worldwide spread of the coronavirus

* Japan's cases reached a new daily record as the government faced mounting pressure to impose a strict state of emergency on the Tokyo greater metropolitan area. * Indonesia's highest Muslim clerical council hopes to issue a ruling on whether a COVID-19 vaccine is halal, or permissible under Islam, before a mass inoculation programme due to start next week.

A second COVID-19 vaccine won regulatory approval in Europe on Wednesday and the Netherlands belatedly started its vaccination campaign as European countries accelerated a patchy drive to defeat the coronavirus pandemic.

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 * A Ukrainian pharmaceutical company backed by a prominent Russian-leaning opposition figure applied to make Russia's Sputnik V vaccine, sparking a political dilemma.

* Top Serbian politicians urged greater international acceptance of Russia's vaccine as the first shots were administered. * The number of COVID-19 patients in Irish hospitals has exceeded the first wave's peak, data showed ahead of a government meeting to consider new restrictions.

* Norway is preparing legislation that would allow it to introduce curfews after new cases hit record levels, its justice minister said. * Switzerland plans to extend its lockdown restrictions by five weeks to the end of February.

* Madrid regional authorities launched an investigation into a report that a care home allowed priests and relatives of workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in contravention of rules. AMERICAS

* Reuters has identified 106 U.S. workplaces where employees complained of slipshod pandemic safety practices around the time of outbreaks - and regulators either never inspected the facilities or waited months to do so, according to agency records. * The critical-care wards of major hospitals in Peru and Bolivia stand at or near collapse after end-of-year holidays, reflecting wider concerns as much of Latin America struggles to secure adequate vaccine supplies.

* President Jair Bolsonaro accused syringe makers of pushing up their prices after the government failed to buy hundreds of millions of syringes via auction for its vaccination drive, leading it to requisition surplus supplies. * Colombia's regulator approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for emergency use.

ASIA-PACIFIC * China played down World Health Organization concern about a delay in authorisation for a visit by experts looking into the origins of the novel coronavirus, while it stepped up curbs near Beijing.

* South Korea rolled out mass testing for 52 prisons after a massive prison outbreak and decided to extend flight suspensions from Britain. * Japan's cases reached a new daily record as the government faced mounting pressure to impose a strict state of emergency on the Tokyo greater metropolitan area.

* Indonesia's highest Muslim clerical council hopes to issue a ruling on whether a COVID-19 vaccine is halal, or permissible under Islam, before a mass inoculation programme due to start next week. MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

* China has granted some debt relief to Democratic Republic of Congo to help it overcome economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, the Congolese foreign ministry said. * A tightening of Israel's third nationwide lockdown is expected to cost its economy as much as $1.3 billion a week.

* Dubai has announced a new stimulus package worth $86 million. MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

* The European Commission gave the final approval to Moderna's vaccine, which the Dutch drugs authority expects will also be effective against the new British variant. * The European drugs regulator could shortly approve an amendment to its approval of Pfizer's vaccine that would permit the extraction of six doses from a vial instead of five, an EU official said.

ECONOMIC IMPACT * Bond yields rose and tech stocks and the dollar fell on the prospect of more stimulus and tougher regulation if Democrats take control of the U.S. Senate following run-off elections in Georgia.

* U.S. private companies shed workers in December for the first time in eight months as out-of-control infections unleashed a fresh wave of business restrictions. (Compiled by Sarah Morland; Editing by Steve)