Sweden saw a record number of daily COVID-19 cases and France ruled out reopening cultural venues, while the daily U.S. death toll surpassed 3,000 for the first time, prompting pleas for Americans to scale back Christmas plans.
DEATHS AND INFECTIONS
* For an interactive graphic tracking the global spread of COVID-19, open https://graphics.reuters.com/world-coronavirus-tracker-and-maps/ in an external browser. * Eikon users, see COVID-19: MacroVitals https://apac1.apps.cp.thomsonreuters.com/cms/?navid=1592404098 for a case tracker and summary of news.
EUROPE
* Every secondary school student in several London boroughs will be tested as the government tries to tackle a rise in cases.
* Spain's death toll between March and May was almost 70% higher than the official count at the time, data showed.
* Berlin's mayor said the city wants to close shops and extend the school Christmas holidays as Germany reported a new record number of cases.
* Denmark will expand lockdown measures announced earlier this week to more cities.
AMERICAS
* Cyber attacks have been waged against COVID-19 vaccine distribution infrastructure, including a cold-chain storage company, U.S. Senator Gary Peters said.
* Doses of a COVID-19 vaccine made by China's Sinovac Biotech are rolling off a Brazilian production line, drawing interest around the country and across Latin America from governments struggling to procure costlier vaccines.
* Russia has agreed with Argentina to supply 10 million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine, developers of the vaccine backed by the Russian Direct Investment Fund said.
* Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres said she had tested positive but was feeling fine.
* United Parcel Service and FedEx Corp plan to deliver millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines before holiday gifts. Walmart is also readying to administer vaccines.
ASIA-PACIFIC
* Japan will buy 10,500 deep freezers to store vaccines, as the capital Tokyo reported a record number of new cases.
* Indonesia has secured 155.5 million doses of vaccines and is seeking another 116 million through deals with Pfizer, AstraZeneca and global vaccine programme COVAX.
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
* Nigeria may be on the verge of a second wave amid rising confirmed cases in Africa's most populous country over the last few weeks.
* Bahrain will provide the vaccine for free for all citizens and residents, state news agency BNA reported.
* Health authorities in Saudi Arabia have registered the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for import and use in the country, state news agency SPA said.
* The head of Africa's disease control body called on rich nations that have ordered more vaccines than they need to share excess doses.
MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS
* Pfizer said it planned to file for full U.S. approval of its experimental coronavirus vaccine by April next year, even as the vaccine awaits emergency use authorization by the U.S. FDA.
* Moderna said it had dosed the first participants in a mid-to-late stage study testing its vaccine candidate in adolescents aged 12 to less than 18.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
* The euro climbed as the ECB disappointed some investors hoping for a bigger stimulus boost, while world equity indexes were near flat in choppy trading amid uncertainty over fresh U.S. economic stimulus.[MKTS/GLOB]
* The number of Americans filing first-time claims for unemployment benefits increased more than expected last week as mounting new infections caused more business restrictions.
(Compiled by Devika Syamnath and Milla Nissi; Editing by Angus MacSwan and Anil D'Silva)
