World News Roundup: China reports 48 new confirmed coronavirus cases; Tokyo records most new coronavirus cases and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Mainland China reports 48 new confirmed coronavirus cases

Mainland China reported on Tuesday a rise in new confirmed coronavirus cases, reversing four days of declines, due to an uptick in infections involving travelers arriving from overseas. Mainland China had 48 new cases on Monday, the National Health Commission said in a statement, up from 31 new infections a day earlier.

Mass disinfections to combat coronavirus pose another health hazard

A drone dispersed clouds of disinfectant in the sky above Indonesia's second-largest city Surabaya on Tuesday, a response to the coronavirus pandemic which is catching on around the world despite warnings from health experts. Mass disinfections, often by workers in protective gear resembling characters from the comedy film Ghostbusters, have become a common sight -- from Turkey's Grand Bazaar to bridges in Mexico and migrant workers in India.

The U.S. calls for a power-sharing transition in Venezuela, lays out a proposal for sanctions relief

The Trump administration on Tuesday called for a power-sharing transitional government in Venezuela made up of the opposition and some members of President Nicolas Maduro's Socialist Party, and laid out for the first time how U.S. sanctions might be lifted, including on the vital oil sector. With the South American nation squeezed by a U.S. economic pressure campaign, low world oil prices and a spreading coronavirus pandemic, Washington unveiled a more toned-down approach aimed at promoting fair elections this year to end the political crisis there, U.S. officials said.

India cracks down on Muslim missionary group linked to coronavirus cases

Indian authorities sealed off the headquarters of a Muslim missionary group on Tuesday and ordered an investigation into accusations it held religious meetings that officials fear may have infected dozens of people with the coronavirus. India has registered 1,251 cases of the coronavirus, of whom 32 have died, the health ministry said. The numbers are small compared with the United States, Italy, and China but health officials say India faces a huge surge that could overwhelm its weak public health system.

Eight countries ask the EU to halt trucking reforms amid a pandemic

Eight countries have asked the European Union (EU) to support road transport firms hit by the coronavirus outbreak and halt work on reforms to truck drivers' working conditions they said would leave the vulnerable companies worse off. In a letter seen by Reuters, transport ministers of Bulgaria, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Cyprus, Latvia, Malta, and Romania said the bloc should stand up for transport firms as it has already taken steps to help struggling airlines.

Tokyo records most new coronavirus cases in a day as pressure for lockdown builds

Japan's capital recorded more than 70 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday for its highest tally in a single day, as pressure mounted on the prime minister to order a lockdown. Japanese cases topped 2,000, and public broadcaster NHK said 78 cases in Tokyo took its tally of infections past 500. Media reports said 7 people in the city had died, five at one hospital.

World's busiest border falls quiet with millions of Mexicans barred from the U.S.

The world's busiest land border has fallen quiet as restrictions to contain the coronavirus prevent millions of Mexicans from making daily trips north, including many who work in U.S. businesses. At least 4 million Mexicans residing in cities along the 1,954-mile (3,144-km) border have been hit hard by the restrictions on non-essential travel. The measures effectively invalidate visas allowing short crossings into U.S. cities to visit family, get medical care or shop.

Belgian girl becomes Europe's youngest coronavirus victim: media

A 12-year-old girl died in Belgium of the coronavirus, a spokesman for the health ministry said on Tuesday, and local media reported she was Europe's youngest victim of the disease. "It is a rare event but one that devastates us," virologist Emmanuel Andre told Belgium's official daily news conference on the spread of disease.

Easter egg ban and lake dyeing - UK police chided for overzealous response

From a ban on shops selling Easter eggs to flying drones to spot people defying self-isolation guidelines, police measures to control the spread of the coronavirus have upset some Britons living in a nationwide lockdown. Some feel the police actions are heavy-handed and applied inconsistently. One retired judge suggested Britain was turning into a police state, although other countries from Spain to Vietnam have applied more draconian measures.

Help us like you were helped after the war, Italy's virus hit cities tell Germany

Italian mayors and regional governors on Tuesday bought a page in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper to ask Germany for solidarity amid the coronavirus outbreak, saying that other states agreed to cut its debt after World War Two. Italy has seen more fatalities from the coronavirus than any other country, with 11,591 deaths as of Monday, about a third of the global total, and more than 100,000 cases.

(With inputs from agencies.)