FACTBOX-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

* Taiwan will postpone four referendums due late next month because of fears about the spread of COVID-19, the election commission said, as the government raced to contain a new outbreak at a Taipei wholesale food market. * Australia will halve the number of arrivals from overseas as its coronavirus hotel quarantine system creaks under pressure from outbreaks of the highly transmissible Delta variant, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.

The highly contagious Delta variant of the novel coronavirus is surging through Asia this week, with record numbers of infections in Australia and South Korea, prompting some countries to tighten curbs and others to step up vaccinations. 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 reported 679 COVID-19 deaths, the most confirmed in a single day since the pandemic began, amid a surge in cases that authorities blame on the Delta variant. * The Euro 2020 soccer tournament was blamed for a surge in cases as fans have flocked to stadiums, bars and spectator zones across Europe to watch the action while the pandemic has still been raging.

* A night-time curfew will be imposed in several Portuguese municipalities, including the capital Lisbon and the city of Porto, the government said. ASIA-PACIFIC

* Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike reiterated a ban on spectators for the upcoming Olympics would be an option if the coronavirus situation worsened. * Taiwan will postpone four referendums due late next month because of fears about the spread of COVID-19, the election commission said, as the government raced to contain a new outbreak at a Taipei wholesale food market.

* Australia will halve the number of arrivals from overseas as its coronavirus hotel quarantine system creaks under pressure from outbreaks of the highly transmissible Delta variant, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said. * Indonesia has authorised the COVID-19 vaccine made by Moderna for emergency use, Penny K. Lukito, the chief of its food and drug agency, said.

* Taiwan has chosen to get the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine via the COVAX global sharing scheme for lower income countries, the company said on Friday, which would add much needed additional shots to the island's immunisation programme. AMERICAS

* The White House said it would send out special teams to hot spots around the United States to combat the Delta variant amid rising case counts in parts of the country where vaccination rates remain low. MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

* The United Arab Emirates announced a travel ban on citizens to India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Namibia, Zambia, Congo, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Liberia, South Africa and Nigeria, state news agency WAM reported. * The South African Medical Association threatened to take the government to court because scores of new junior doctors cannot find work placements despite staff shortages during the pandemic.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS * Data from laboratory studies show Johnson & Johnson's vaccine works well against the Delta variant that dominates new infections in South Africa, the head of the Medical Research Council said.

ECONOMIC IMPACT * Stocks held near record highs on Friday as investors waited to see if U.S. payroll figures will alter their bets on when central banks row back on pandemic stimulus and whether inflation is here to stay.

* Spain posted a record drop in jobless figures for the second month in a row in June, as looser COVID-19 restrictions, increased vaccination rates and the cautious return of tourism buoyed the labour market.