Reuters World News Summary
Following is a summary of current world news briefs.
Turkey quarantines thousands of pilgrims returning from Saudi Arabia
Thousands of Muslims returning to Turkey from a pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia were being taken into quarantine on Sunday due to concerns about the spread of the coronavirus, Turkish officials said. Television pictures showed buses transporting pilgrims along the highway from Ankara's airport to the city as part of an operation to place those returning into student dormitories.
Iran's death toll from coronavirus reaches 724, says health official
Iran said on Sunday that the new coronavirus has killed 113 people in the past 24 hours, raising the country's death toll to 724, a health ministry official tweeted, adding that the number of infected people had reached 13,938. The new figures were tweeted by Alireza Vahabzadeh, an adviser to Iran's health minister.
Coronavirus crisis delays start of Netanyahu corruption trial
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption trial was delayed on Sunday for two months, until May, due to the coronavirus crisis. Israel's Justice Ministry said the trial, due to have opened on March 17 with the reading of an indictment against Israel's longest-serving leader in three graft cases, would begin on May 24 "due to developments related to the spread of the coronavirus".
China tightens quarantine, airport checks as imported coronavirus cases tick up
China has tightened checks on international travelers at Beijing airport and said it will centrally quarantine all arrivals at its capital, after new imported coronavirus cases surpassed locally transmitted infections for a second day. China, where the epidemic began in December, appears to now face a greater threat of new infections from outside its borders as it continues to slow the spread of the virus domestically.
French local elections go ahead despite coronavirus restrictions; turnout lower so far
French voters appeared to be holding back from taking part in local elections on Sunday after the government pressed ahead with the vote despite a raft of new measures to curb public gatherings amid a rapid acceleration of the coronavirus. France is set to choose mayors for 35,000 town halls and almost half a million councillors in a vote overshadowed by the coronavirus outbreak.
Spain hunkers down as government orders strict limits on public life
Spaniards hunkered down at home on Sunday after the government imposed severe restrictions on public life to try to stop the spread of coronavirus, as cases of infection surged at a similar rate as in Italy. Spain, the second-worst affected European country after Italy, on Saturday ordered its 47 million citizens to stay indoors except for necessary outings such as buying food and medicine.
Lockdowns, self-isolation and entry bans imposed to fight global coronavirus spread
France and Spain joined Italy in imposing lockdowns on tens of millions of people, Australia ordered self-isolation of arriving foreigners, and Argentina and El Salvador extended entry bans as the world sought to contain the spreading coronavirus. Panic buying in Australia, the United States and Britain saw leaders appeal for calm over the virus that has infected over 138,000 people globally and killed more than 5,000.
Russia and Turkey cut short first joint patrol along Syria's key highway due to rebel actions - news agencies
Russia and Turkey were forced to cut short their first joint patrol along the M4 highway linking Syria's east and west on Sunday due to rebel provocations, the Russian Defense Ministry was cited as saying by Russian news agencies. The patrol was the result of a recent agreement between Moscow and Ankara on a ceasefire in Syria's Idlib province.
Greece bans all links with Albania, North Macedonia, flights with Spain
Greece said on Sunday it would ban road and sea routes, as well as flights, to Albania and North Macedonia, and ban flights to and from Spain to stem the spread of the coronavirus. It extended travel restrictions to Italy, saying it was banning passenger ship routes to and from the neighboring country, excluding cargo.
UK government evokes wartime Blitz spirit for fight against coronavirus
Britain's government has called for a national effort similar to the one which helped the country survive during the Second World War as it prepares to fight the spread of coronavirus. "Our generation has never been tested like this," health minister Matt Hancock wrote in the Sunday Telegraph. "Our grandparents were, during the Second World War, when our cities were bombed during the Blitz.
