European Union leaders were due to meet for a third day Sunday to try and agree on a giant post-coronavirus economic recovery plan as the global death toll climbed to more than 600,000, an AFP tally showed.

Israeli police have fired water cannons to disperse anti-government protests attended by thousands, as public anger mounts over the handling of the coronavirus crisis.

President Hassan Rouhani said Saturday that 35 million Iranians may contract the coronavirus, as the country still did not have herd immunity although a quarter of the population may be infected.

The United States' COVID-19 virus case load is soaring at an explosive rate, even as leaders of some of the worst-hit states resist mandatory mask measures to stem the spread.

The number of confirmed cases in a new COVID-19 outbreak in China's far west has risen to 17.

The National Health Commission said Saturday that 16 more cases were identified in the previous 24 hours in the Xinjiang region, on top of a first case.

Dubai-based Emirates airlines resumed flights to the Iranian capital on Friday after a five-month break due to shutdowns to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Israel's government said on Friday it was imposing new restrictions to limit the spiraling spread of coronavirus in the hope of avoiding a general lockdown further along the line.

His poll numbers are sinking, protests are growing and economically punishing restrictions have just been reimposed: surging coronavirus cases in Israel have left Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu encircled by trouble.

Residents of Spain's second city Barcelona have been urged to stay at home unless absolutely necessary after a rise in coronavirus cases, the Catalan government said Friday.

European Union leaders acknowledged Friday they are about as far apart from reaching a deal on an unprecedented 1.85 trillion euro ($2.1 trillion) EU budget and virus recovery fund as the seating distance imposed upon them for health reasons at their summit center.

"The differences are still very, very big and so I can't predict whether we will achieve a result this time," said German Chancellor Angela Merkel as she arrived at the Europa summit site. "So I expect very, very difficult negotiations."