Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. UK PM Johnson leaves intensive care, remains under observation

Prime Minister Boris Johnson left intensive care on Thursday evening as he continues to recover from COVID-19, but he remains under close observation in hospital, his office said on Thursday. Johnson, 55, was admitted to St Thomas' Hospital on Sunday evening with a persistent high temperature and cough, and was rushed to intensive care on Monday where he spent three nights receiving treatment. Canada lifting a freeze on arms exports to Saudi Arabia, opposition wants big deal scrapped

Canada is lifting a freeze on weapons exports to Saudi Arabia and has renegotiated a much-criticized $14 billion contract to sell General Dynamics Corp armored vehicles to Riyadh, Ottawa said on Thursday. The "significant improvements" to the contract would secure thousands of jobs at the U.S. firm's Canadian subsidiary, where the vehicles are being made, Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said. Germany hopes EU can agree economic aid package on Thursday

German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said he expected European Union finance ministers meeting later on Thursday to make progress towards agreeing a 500 billion euro ($543.20 billion) coronavirus economic rescue package. In a 16-hour videoconference that stretched through the night from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning, the EU ministers failed to seal a deal on how much more to support their coronavirus-stricken economies. Malta says it can no longer rescue, accept migrants

Malta can no longer guarantee the rescue of migrants or allow their disembarkation during the coronavirus emergency, the Malta government said on Thursday. It said the decision had been taken because its resources were stretched by the enforcement of measures to halt the spread of the coronavirus, as well as the risk that the migrants themselves may be carrying the virus. U.N. Security Council meets over coronavirus as it struggles to act

The United Nations Security Council met for the first time on Thursday to discuss the coronavirus pandemic as the 15-member body - charged with maintaining international peace and security - struggles to agree on whether it should take any action. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres privately briefed a virtual council meeting on the disease, which has so far infected some 1.5 million people - killing 90,000 - in more than 200 countries and territories, according to a Reuters tally. Bill would remove U.S. troops from Saudi Arabia in 30 days

A Republican U.S. senator introduced legislation on Thursday to remove American troops from Saudi Arabia, adding pressure on the kingdom to tighten its oil taps to reverse the crude price drop that has hurt domestic energy companies. The legislation from Senator Bill Cassidy, of oil-producing Louisiana, would remove U.S. troops 30 days after enactment, a full month faster than similar legislation introduced by two other Republican senators in March. Chilean authorities scold elite escaping city by helicopter for Easter amid coronavirus outbreak

Chileans have a "moral duty" to stay home for the Easter holiday to stave of the spread of the coronavirus, Interior Minister Gonzalo Blumel said on Thursday, after reports surfaced of wealthy Santiago residents sneaking off to coastal enclaves by helicopter and private plane. Chile has confirmed nearly 6,000 coronavirus cases, among the highest tallies in Latin America. The hardest hit regions of capital Santiago, a city of 6 million, are posh, high-end neighborhoods at the foot of the Andes Mountains. Threat from Iran to U.S. forces in Iraq remains 'significant': senior U.S. diplomat

Iranian-backed militia pose a "significant" threat to U.S. forces in Iraq, the State Department's top diplomat for the Middle East said on Thursday, about a week after U.S. President Donald Trump warned of an attack by Iran or its proxies. David Schenker, assistant secretary of Near Eastern Affairs, did not give details about the threat, but told reporters in a teleconference: "It continues to be significant." Hunger stalks Latin America's street vendors as empty sidewalks mean no customers

In the usually bustling streets of the downtown Santiago this week, Chilean great-grandmother Luz Maria Rios was ignoring a coronavirus quarantine and risking her health to sell Easter eggs. For hours, she saw no customers. "I'll sell what God wants," the 76-year-old said with a shrug, gazing down the almost empty pavement. Brazil's Amazonas state warns its health system overwhelmed by coronavirus

Brazil's Amazonas state warned on Thursday that its health system has been overwhelmed by the coronavirus epidemic, with all intensive care beds and ventilators already taken as a result of the outbreak. As the virus spreads across the country from its epicenter in Brazil's wealthiest city of Sao Paulo, it is highlighting the huge discrepancies in healthcare provisions in this continent-sized country.