EUROPE

* Europe needs a "serious acceleration" in the fight against the coronavirus and a lack of contact-tracing capacity could drive the disease into the darkness, a top World Health Organisation official said on Monday.

* Spain's cumulative tally of coronavirus cases rose by 52,188 over the weekend, bringing the total to 1,098,320, health ministry data showed.

* German Chancellor Angela Merkel is planning a "lockdown light" which would mainly focus on the closure of bars and restaurants to slow down a second wave of coronavirus infections, newspaper Bild reported.

* France is considering further tightening of restrictions, sources said, after a government medical adviser said the country may be experiencing 100,000 new cases per day - twice the latest official figure.

* Norway, Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia have toughened restrictions as cases rise.

* Belgium could run out of intensive care beds within two weeks, an official said.

* More than 20,000 Hungarian nurses signed a petition against a law that allows public healthcare workers to be relocated to another hospital for up to two years.

AMERICAS

* Trump administration talks with Democratic lawmakers on a major pandemic relief package will continue on Monday as both sides work to find a compromise before the election, a White House adviser said.

* The White House planned a Monday night celebration of the Republican Senate's confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the US Supreme Court, a month after a similar event was linked to a COVID-19 outbreak that preceded President Donald Trump's own infection.

* Mexico has agreed to host human trials of seven vaccines to strengthen its pharmaceutical relations in case limited production capacity leads to a battle for doses, the Financial Times reported.

* Former Brazil striker Ronaldinho Gaucho said he has tested positive and is self-isolating.

ASIA-PACIFIC

* China reported the highest number of asymptomatic infections in nearly seven months.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

* Iran extended COVID-19 curbs in Tehran and across the country as health authorities said they were recording a COVID-19 death every four minutes.

* The pandemic is fuelling a boom for Africa-focused money transfer companies, despite World Bank predictions of a historic 20 per cent drop in remittances to poorer countries this year due to the economic slump.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

* A leading experimental vaccine produces an immune response in both young and old adults, said AstraZeneca Plc , which is helping to manufacture it.

* British high-street pharmacy chain Boots said it was launching in-store COVID-19 testing at 120 pounds ($A219) per test for asymptomatic people, and that a 12-minute test would be launched within weeks.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

* Stocks across the globe posted their biggest decline in a month on Monday as surging coronavirus cases in Europe and the United States clouded the world economic outlook, giving the US dollar a safe-haven boost.

* OPEC's secretary general said oil recovery may take longer than hoped as infections rise, and that OPEC and its allies would "stay the course" in balancing the market.

* Italy will present measures on Tuesday to support businesses hit by new restrictions, officials said, as protests against the curbs mounted.

Australian Associated Press