World News Roundup: Iran's coronavirus death toll rises to 3,452; Germany reports 6,082 more coronavirus cases and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Iran's coronavirus death toll rises to 3,452: Health Ministry

Iran's death toll from the coronavirus outbreak climbed to 3,452 on Saturday, with 158 more fatalities recorded over the past 24 hours, Health Ministry Spokesman Kianoush Jahanpur said. The total number of cases diagnosed with the disease reached 55,743, of whom 4,103 are in critical condition, he said on state TV. Iran is the country worst affected by the pandemic in the Middle East.

Spain's daily coronavirus death toll falls for second day in row

Spain's death toll from the coronavirus rose to 11,744 on Saturday from 10,935 the previous day, the Health Ministry said on Saturday, though it was the second straight second day in which the daily number of new deaths had fallen. A total of 809 people died from the disease over the past 24 hours, down from 932 in the previous period, the figures showed.

Confirmed coronavirus deaths in Netherlands rise by 164 to 1,651

The confirmed death toll from the coronavirus in the Netherlands has risen by 164 to 1,651, health authorities said on Saturday. The National Institute for Health (RIVM) said the total number of infections had increased by 6% to 16,627 over the past 24 hours.

South Korea extends intensive social distancing to reach 50 daily coronavirus cases

South Korea said on Saturday it will extend its intensive social distancing campaign scheduled to end on Monday by two weeks in a bid to curb the rate of coronavirus infections to around 50 a day. The country has largely managed to bring under control Asia's largest epidemic outside China with around 100 or fewer new daily cases. But smaller outbreaks in churches, hospitals, and nursing homes, as well as infections among travelers, continue to emerge.

Germany reports 6,082 more coronavirus cases, a slight daily fall

Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases have risen by 6,082 in the past 24 hours, a slight decrease from the day before, according to data from the government's Robert Koch Institute (RKI) on Saturday. The reported reduction in new daily cases, which were down from 6,174 new cases a day earlier, could be a sign that the rate of infection is beginning to level off, but the government cautioned it was far too early to identify a trend.

Mainland China reports 19 new confirmed coronavirus cases

Mainland China reported on Saturday 19 new confirmed cases of coronavirus, down from 31 a day earlier, including one new infection in central Hubei province, the epicenter of the outbreak in the country. Of the new cases, 18 involved travelers arriving from abroad, the National Health Commission said in a statement. The new infections bring the total number of confirmed cases in mainland China to 81,639 as of Friday.

Saudi authorities lock down several Jeddah neighborhoods

Saudi authorities announced a lockdown and a partial curfew in seven neighborhoods of the Red Sea city of Jeddah, starting on Saturday, as part of measures to contain the new coronavirus outbreak, the interior ministry said in a statement. The ministry said residents in those neighborhoods could only go out for grocery shopping and medical care, between 6 a.m (0300 GMT) and 3 p.m. Entering and exiting the neighborhoods will be restricted, it added.

Britain's Labour Party names Keir Starmer as new leader

Britain's main opposition Labour Party named Keir Starmer, a former director of public prosecutions who opposed Brexit, as its leader on Saturday. Starmer, who has tried to carry the socialist supporters of outgoing leader Jeremy Corbyn while also keeping more centrist Labour members on board, beat Rebecca Long-Bailey, an ally of Corbyn, and third-placed Lisa Nandy in the contest.

SoftBank CEO Son's coronavirus poll shows 80% favor state of emergency

More than 80% of respondents to a Twitter poll initiated by SoftBank Group Corp's CEO Masayoshi Son would support a declaration of a state of emergency to fight the coronavirus, as the number of cases exceeded 100 in Tokyo for the first time on Saturday. The poll by Son, who has 2.5 million Twitter followers, showed 82% of almost 240,000 respondents indicated support for tighter controls by authorities to fight the spread of the virus. The poll closed on Saturday evening.

Britain unlikely to lift coronavirus lockdown until end of May: government expert

Britain is unlikely to lift its stringent lockdown rules until the end of May, a leading government adviser said on Saturday, warning that the spread of the coronavirus must first slow and intense testing be introduced. The government has put Britain into a widespread shutdown, closing pubs, restaurants, and nearly all shops, while ordering people to stay home unless absolutely essential to venture out.