FACTBOX-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

* A new research institution being launched in Australia will aim to develop drugs to treat diseases caused by pathogens with the potential to cause global pandemics more quickly. ECONOMIC IMPACT * OPEC oil output rose in August to its highest since the early days of the pandemic in 2020 as Libyan facilities recovered from unrest and Gulf members raised output to unwind a production cut deal with allies, a Reuters survey found. * Shanghai stocks fell as big cities tightened COVID-19 curbs to combat new outbreaks, while sentiment was also dented by data showing factory activity extended declines.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday authorized the retooled COVID-19 booster shots of both Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech that target the currently dominant BA.4/BA.5 Omicron subvariants of the coronavirus. DEATHS AND INFECTIONS

* Eikon users, click on COVID-19: MacroVitals for a case tracker and summary of news. cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?navid=1592404098 EUROPE

* Omicron-adapted vaccines will be delivered to the European Union within days of regulatory approval, European member of parliament Peter Liese said on Wednesday. * Cyprus said it would end all restrictions on gatherings and the mandatory use of face masks in most areas after cases of COVID-19 were declining.

* The number of foreign tourists visiting Portugal slightly surpassed pre-pandemic levels in July for the first time since the end of most COVID-19 restrictions, data from the National Statistics Institute (INE) showed. AMERICAS

* Life expectancy fell in the United States in 2021 to its lowest since 1996, the second year of a historic retreat due to COVID-19 deaths, provisional government data showed on Wednesday. * The U.S. government expects its supply of COVID-19 vaccines and antiviral treatments to run out over the next year and is preparing for them to be sold via the commercial market, the Department of Health and Human Services said.

* Advisers to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will meet on Thursday to vote on whether to recommend the use of two COVID-19 vaccine boosters tailored against the Omicron variant. ASIA-PACIFIC

* North Korea's coronavirus curbs have aggravated the country's human rights violations, a United Nations report said, citing extra restrictions on access to information, tighter border security and heightened digital surveillance. * China's Guangzhou imposed COVID-19 curbs in parts of the city, joining Shenzhen in battling local flare-ups, deepening uncertainty over commerce and daily life in two of southern China's most economically vibrant metropolises.

* South Korea will from Saturday no longer require travellers to the country to test for COVID-19 before departure, although they will still need to take a PCR test within 24 hours of arrival. MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

* Aspen Pharmacare APNJ.J has signed a deal with the Serum Institute of India to manufacture and sell four Aspen-branded vaccines for Africa, as it seeks to utilise its near-idle COVID-19 vaccine production lines in eastern South Africa. * A new research institution being launched in Australia will aim to develop drugs to treat diseases caused by pathogens with the potential to cause global pandemics more quickly.

ECONOMIC IMPACT * OPEC oil output rose in August to its highest since the early days of the pandemic in 2020 as Libyan facilities recovered from unrest and Gulf members raised output to unwind a production cut deal with allies, a Reuters survey found.

* Shanghai stocks fell as big cities tightened COVID-19 curbs to combat new outbreaks, while sentiment was also dented by data showing factory activity extended declines. * China's factory activity extended declines in August as new COVID infections, the worst heatwaves in decades and an embattled property sector weighed on production, suggesting the economy will struggle to sustain momentum.

* While robust overseas demand and a weak yen have boosted Japanese manufacturers' profits, supply disruptions caused by China's strict COVID-19 lockdowns have hurt exports and output, Bank of Japan board member Junko Nakagawa said. (Compiled by Sherry Jacob-Phillips; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu and Ed Osmond)