FACTBOX-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

Health officials around the world gave their backing to the AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19, after a study showing it had little effect against mild disease caused by the variant now spreading quickly in South Africa rang global alarm.

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 * Russia's state statistics service reported 162,429 deaths related to COVID-19 in Russia last year, a tally that is much higher than previously reported and amounts to the world's third highest death toll from the disease in 2020.

* Britain's Health Department said that 'surge testing' was being deployed in areas around Manchester in connection to new variants of COVID-19. * French tourists weary of strict national lockdown are flocking over the border to Madrid, where bars and restaurants are open and people can stay outdoors until 10 p.m.

* Austria issued a warning against non-essential travel to its Alpine province of Tyrol because of an outbreak of the so-called South African variant of the virus. * Ukraine is in talks with other countries including Poland about receiving some of their coronavirus vaccines.

* The Dutch government will extend a night-time curfew intended to slow the spread of coronavirus through March 3. ASIA-PACIFIC

* South Korea sought to reassure elderly residents as it said it would push ahead with AstraZeneca's vaccine but is still examining its efficacy for people older than 65. * Tennis fans wearing masks filtered into Melbourne Park for the start of the Australian Open, this year's first Grand Slam event.

AMERICAS * New York Governor Andrew Cuomo unveiled a plan to revive New York City's renowned arts scene and also allowed city restaurants to reopen their indoor dining areas sooner than previously announced.

* Chicago's teachers union was reviewing a compromise plan on COVID-19 safety proposed by the school district that could allow in-person classes to resume this week, as Philadelphia agreed to let a mediator decide when classrooms could safely reopen there. * U.S. Representative Ron Wright died after testing positive for COVID-19 last month, making him the first member of the U.S. Congress to die from the pandemic.

* Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he would not wear a face mask after his recovery from COVID-19. * Canada's most populous province of Ontario said it would extend a stay-at-home order in Toronto and nearby suburbs by two weeks.

* Brazilian biomedical institute Butantan plans to vaccinate a city's entire adult population of about 30,000 people against COVID-19 to test whether it lowers the infection rate. MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

* South Africa will roll out AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine in a "stepped manner" to assess its ability to prevent severe illness, co-chair of South Africa’s Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19 said. * The United Arab Emirates will temporarily only vaccinate residents and citizens who are elderly or who have certain health conditions.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS * CanSino Biologics Inc's COVID-19 vaccine showed 65.7% efficacy in preventing symptomatic cases and a 90.98% success rate in stopping severe disease in an interim analysis of global trials, Pakistan's health minister said.

* Italy's second COVID-19 vaccine candidate, COVID-eVax, is likely to start trials in early March after it was approved by the national drug regulator last week. ECONOMIC IMPACT

* Major U.S. stock indexes recorded all-time closing highs on Monday amid optimism over U.S. fiscal stimulus. * Peru's copper production plunged 12.5% 2020 as coronavirus-related restrictions hammered output in the world's second-largest producer of the red metal.

(Compiled by Aditya Soni and Milla Nissi; Editing by Angus MacSwan and Anil D'Silva)