World News Roundup: Queen Elizabeth cancels birthday plans as coronavirus hits Britain; Portugal mulls beach restrictions, face masks for lockdown exit and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Spain's coronavirus deaths surpass 20,000 but daily increase slows: health ministry

Spain's death toll from coronavirus rose by 565 on Saturday, down from a rise of 585 on Friday, the Health Ministry said, bringing the total to 20,043 deaths in one of the world's hardest hit countries. The number of overall coronavirus cases rose to 191,726 on Saturday from 188,068 on Friday, it added.

Confirmed Japan coronavirus cases hit 10,000: NHK

The number of confirmed novel coronavirus cases in Japan rose to 10,000 on Saturday, NHK public broadcaster said, just days after a state of emergency was extended to the entire nation in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday appealed to the nation to stay indoors as new cases hit a record in the capital of Tokyo and fears medical services could fail in rural areas that are home to many elderly prompted the expansion of the state of emergency from an original seven areas.

Putin orders daily coronavirus projections as Russia's tally nears 37,000

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the government to provide daily forecasts of the spread of the novel coronavirus as Russia recorded almost 5,000 new cases in a single day. Coronavirus infections in Russia began rising sharply in April after reporting far fewer infections than many western European countries in the outbreak's early stages.

Holy Fire lit as Orthodox Easter bells echo over near-empty Jerusalem

The Holy Fire ceremony symbolising Jesus' resurrection was lit in a deserted Jerusalem on Saturday, without the joyful throng of Orthodox Christian pilgrims who normally attend a spectacle that brings the Easter season to a colourful climax. Bells tolled above a near-empty Church of the Holy Sepulchre as the Greek Orthodox Patriarch, Theophilos III, emerged carrying the flame from the crypt where Christians believe Jesus was buried.

Singapore reports 942 new COVID-19 cases in record daily jump

Singapore's health ministry confirmed 942 more coronavirus infections on Saturday, a new daily record, the vast majority of which are among migrant workers living in dormitories. Authorities have managed to mitigate the spread of the virus and the COVID-19 respiratory disease it causes among Singapore's citizens by rigorous contact tracing and surveillance, earning praise from the World Health Organization.

Portugal mulls beach restrictions, face masks for lockdown exit

Portugal may make face mask use compulsory on public transport and impose beach restrictions during the summer months as part of a plan to ease the coronavirus lockdown. In an interview in Saturday's Expresso newspaper, Prime Minister Antonio Costa said he hopes to relax restrictions on schools, stores, restaurants and cultural spaces from May onwards but such a plan would require new rules to keep people safe.

Queen Elizabeth cancels birthday plans as coronavirus hits Britain

Britain's Queen Elizabeth will not celebrate her 94th birthday in any special way and has asked that there be no gun salutes to mark the occasion because it would not be appropriate while the country battles a deadly coronavirus outbreak. Britain is at or near the peak of an outbreak in which more than 14,000 people have already died - the fifth highest national death toll of a pandemic linked to at least 150,000 deaths worldwide.

Safe sex under lockdown: Argentine official has some advice for digital lovers

An Argentine official has given some on-air sex education for onanistic lovers in the time of the coronavirus, underscoring how the pandemic and lockdown in response to it are shaking up every aspect of people's lives. Jose Barletta, a doctor with the country's health ministry, said in a televised broadcast that people needed to wash their hands after sex - whether it was in person or, as is increasingly the case, over digital channels.

North Korean lecturers say there are confirmed coronavirus cases in the country: RFA

North Korean authorities told citizens in public lectures that there were confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the country as early as the end of March, in contrast to official Pyongyang claims that it has not had any confirmed cases, Radio Free Asia reported on late Friday. The lecturers, speaking to organisations and neighbourhood watch groups, said there were COVID-19 cases within the country, without giving any numbers, Radio Free Asia (RFA) said, citing two sources, one in Pyongyang and one in Ryanggang province.

Dutch Coronavirus infections reach 31,589, 142 new deaths: authorities

Confirmed coronavirus infections in the Netherlands have risen by 1,140 to 31,589, Dutch health authorities said on Saturday. The death toll among people known to have been infected with the novel coronavirus increased by 142 to 3,601, the Dutch Institute for Public Health (RIVM) said in its daily update.