FACTBOX-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

Leaders of the World Health Organization, World Bank, and other multilateral organizations expressed concern that it would not be possible to vaccinate at least 40% of the global population by 2021-end without urgent action. DEATHS AND INFECTIONS

* Eikon users, see COVID-19: MacroVitals for a case tracker and summary of news EUROPE

* Spain will give a third vaccine dose to nursing home residents and other vulnerable groups, while data showed the infection rate fell to its lowest level since June. * The Italian government approved some of the strictest anti-COVID measures in the world, making it obligatory for all workers either to show proof of vaccination, a negative test, or recent recovery from infection.

ASIA-PACIFIC * Australian officials will trial a home quarantine system for fully vaccinated international travelers arriving in Sydney, as the country moves to reopen its borders despite persistent cases.

* New Zealand suspended quarantine-free travel with Australia for a further 8 weeks. * Experts say a pandemic-induced economic shock and closing of schools for more than a year has been devastating for many of Indonesia's 68 million students.

* Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he had received a vaccine booster shot and urged other elderly people to come forward to get a shot amid a new wave of infections. AMERICAS

* Brazil's federal government wants to halt COVID-19 vaccinations for most adolescents, citing a death under investigation and adverse events after some 3.5 million teens have already been immunized, but several state governments vowed to press on. * The United Nations COVID-19 vaccination honor system will remain in place for presidents, prime ministers, and diplomats who enter the General Assembly Hall next week, and they are not required to show proof of immunization.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA * Iran's new government have approved the COVID-19 vaccine developed by U.S. firm Johnson & Johnson, a senior official said, as the Islamic Republic faces the fifth wave of infections.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS * The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has revised its emergency use authorization for Eli Lilly's COVID-19 antibody cocktail to include for use in patients who have been exposed to the virus and are at high risk for progression to severe disease.

* A British study will look into the immune responses of children to mixed schedules of different COVID-19 vaccines as officials try to determine the best approach to second doses in adolescents given a small risk of heart inflammation. ECONOMIC IMPACT

* Asian shares steadied on Friday after losses earlier in the week, but China jitters and global growth concerns weighed on investors' minds, while the dollar sat near a three-week high. * Manufacturing activity in New Zealand contracted in August on the back of another nationwide lockdown due to a fresh outbreak of the Delta variant, a survey showed.

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