World News Roundup: U.S. sends carriers to South China Sea during Chinese drills; Iran imposes new curbs as coronavirus toll rises and more

Iran has been battling the spread of the coronavirus, with the total number of cases hitting 237,878 on Saturday and a further 148 deaths bringing the country's toll to 11,408, Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on state television.


Devdiscourse News Desk | Updated: 04-07-2020 18:38 IST | Created: 04-07-2020 18:28 IST
World News Roundup: U.S. sends carriers to South China Sea during Chinese drills; Iran imposes new curbs as coronavirus toll rises and more
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Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

U.S. sends carriers to South China Sea during Chinese drills

Two U.S. aircraft carriers were conducting exercises in the disputed South China Sea on Saturday, the U.S. navy said, as China also carried out military drills that have been criticized by the Pentagon and neighboring states. China and the United States have accused each other of stoking tension in the strategic waterway at a time of strained relations over everything from the new coronavirus to trade to Hong Kong.

Iran imposes new curbs as coronavirus toll rises

Iranians who do not wear masks will be denied state services and workplaces that fail to comply with health protocols will be shut for a week, President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday as he launched new measures to try to curb the coronavirus. Iran has been battling the spread of the coronavirus, with the total number of cases hitting 237,878 on Saturday and a further 148 deaths bringing the country's toll to 11,408, Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on state television.

'Beautiful' to have a pint - England's pubs, restaurants and hairdressers reopen

People could get a drink in a pub, have a meal in a restaurant, or get a haircut for the first time in over three months on Saturday as England took its biggest steps yet towards the resumption of normal life. Pubs were allowed to start serving from 6 a.m., sparking worries of over-indulgence on what the media dubbed a "Super Saturday" of coronavirus restrictions being eased. Some hairdressers were reported to have opened at the stroke of midnight.

Italy eyes measures to support auto, tourism industries: PM

Italy is considering fiscal measures to spur investments in the auto and tourism industries, two of the sectors that have been hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Saturday. Speaking at a conference organized by the UIL trade union, Conte said the government needed to "redefine" tax incentives in favor of green, digital investments of the future, adding "we must support the worst affected industries such as automotive and tourism".

Russia says China would be needed in expanded G7 summit: TASS

Russia is not in talks with Washington about its potential role at an expanded Group of Seven summit later this year, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Saturday, insisting that China should also be included in the event. His comments to TASS news agency countered those of John Sullivan, U.S. ambassador to Russia, who told RBC TV on Friday that Washington was "engaged with the Russian Foreign Ministry and with the other G7 governments about whether there is an appropriate role for Russia at the G7."

North Korea says no need to sit down with U.S. for talks

North Korea does not feel the need to have talks with the United States, which would be nothing more than "a political tool" for Washington, a senior North Korean diplomat said on Saturday, ahead of a U.S. envoy's visit to South Korea. Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui said negotiations would not work out between Washington and Pyongyang and there will be no change in North Korea's policy.

More bodies to be buried in mass grave after Myanmar jade mine landslide

Dozens more jade miners killed in a landslide in northern Myanmar will be buried on Saturday, a local official said, after 77 others were interred in a mass grave on Friday following one of the worst mining accidents in the country’s history. More than 170 people, many of them migrants seeking their fortune in the jade-rich Hpakant area of Kachin state, died on Thursday after mining waste collapsed into a lake, triggering a surge of mud and water.

India coronavirus cases hit record high amid monsoon rains

India recorded its highest single-day spike of coronavirus cases on Saturday, with over 22,000 new cases and 442 deaths, as infections rose in the western and southern parts of the country amid heavy monsoon rains. The western state of Maharashtra, home to the densely packed financial capital Mumbai, has the country's highest total, recording 6,364 fresh cases of the virus on Saturday and 198 deaths from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.

Barcelona's landmark Sagrada Familia reopens for key workers

Barcelona's Sagrada Familia basilica reopened on Saturday, giving frontline workers the chance to have the usually tourist-packed landmark to themselves in recognition of their efforts during the coronavirus pandemic. People took photos and listened to audio guides after Archbishop of Barcelona Joan Josep Omella led representatives of healthcare workers into the church.

Catalonia curbs movement of 200,000 people after new coronavirus outbreak

Spain's north-eastern region of Catalonia enforced a new lockdown on more than 200,000 people on Saturday, after several new outbreaks of the coronavirus were detected. Residents in Segria, which includes the city of Lleida, will not be able to leave the area from 12 noon (1000 GMT) on Saturday, but will not be confined to their homes as was the case in Spain's original strict lockdown in March.

(With inputs from agencies.)

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