Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Back from COVID-19, Johnson urged to reveal UK lockdown exit strategy

Prime Minister Boris Johnson returned to his Downing Street residence on Sunday after recovering from COVID-19, ready to take the helm again with pressure growing for the government to explain how it will ease a month-old coronavirus lockdown. Johnson, 55, spent three nights in intensive care with the illness. A spokeswoman confirmed he was back at 10 Downing Street on Sunday evening after two weeks recovering at Chequers, his country residence. Italy to start lifting coronavirus lockdown from May 4: Conte

Italy will allow factories and building sites to re-open from May 4 before allowing more businesses to open in following weeks as it prepares a staged end to Europe's longest coronavirus lockdown, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Sunday. More than two months after the first case of COVID-19 appeared in a small town outside Milan and following weeks of lockdown, Italy is looking ahead to a second phase of the crisis in which it will attempt to restart the economy without triggering a second wave of the disease. Canada's top medical official says encouraged by slowing coronavirus toll

Canada's top medical official said on Sunday she was encouraged the coronavirus death toll was slowing while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said isolation measures to fight the outbreak should remain for the time being. The public health agency said the death toll had risen by less than 10% for the seventh day in a row, climbing by under 6% to 2,489. The figure for those diagnosed with the coronavirus was 45,791, up from 44,364. Mexico all but empties official migrant shelters under coronavirus

Mexico has almost entirely cleared out government migrant shelters over the past five weeks to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, returning most of the occupants to their countries of origin, official data showed on Sunday. In a statement, the National Migration Institute (INM) said that since March 21, in order to comply with health and safety guidelines, it had been removing migrants from its 65 migrant facilities, which harbored 3,759 people last month. French coronavirus deaths reach 22,856 as government eyes how to ease lockdown

The death toll in France from the coronavirus has risen by 242 to 22,856, the health ministry said on Sunday, as the government prepares to see how it might ease a national lockdown that has been in place since mid-March. While the number of deaths from the virus has risen, the rate at which the casualties have mounted has steadily fallen over the last two weeks, emboldening those who want France to start to lift the lockdown measures. Russia at risk of spike in coronavirus cases during May holidays: official

Russia could experience a spike in cases of the new coronavirus if people flout lockdown measures during public holidays scheduled for early May, a top health official said on Sunday. The number of coronavirus cases in Russia began rising sharply this month, reaching more than 80,000 on Sunday after a record 6,361 new cases were registered over the past day. 'Air on your face': Spanish children get outside for first time in six weeks

On foot and with bicycles, skateboards and scooters, Spanish children went outside at last on Sunday, emerging from their homes for the first time after six weeks of living under one of Europe's strictest coronavirus lockdowns. The relaxation came as Spain, one of the countries worse hit by the global COVID-19 epidemic, registered its lowest daily increase in the coronavirus death toll in more than a month. It was a first step as the government plans a gradual process of easing restrictions. Vast majority of Mexicans back president's handling of coronavirus: poll

A large majority of Mexicans support the work done by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to contain the coronavirus outbreak and agree with a decision to extend quarantine measures until the end of May, an opinion poll showed on Sunday. The April 17-21 telephone survey of 549 Mexicans conducted by pollster Buendia & Laredo showed 73% gave a positive appraisal of Lopez Obrador's efforts, with only 17% of the opposite view. The remainder gave no assessment. Accepting, suffering or resisting: study groups Britons' response to coronavirus lockdown

Britons can be broadly split into three groups by their response to the coronavirus lockdown: those accepting the situation, those suffering as a result of it and those resisting it, analysis published by King's College London showed on Monday. The government announced a nationwide lockdown to tackle the spread of the coronavirus on March 23, telling Britons to only leave home for basic necessities, to exercise once a day, for medical need, or for work if they could not work from home. Heir unapparent: If North Korea faces succession, who might replace Kim?

North Korea has never announced who would follow leader Kim Jong Un in the event he is incapacitated, and with no details known about his young children, analysts say his sister and loyalists could form a regency until a successor is old enough to take over. South Korean and Chinese officials have publicly cast doubt on reports that Kim was gravely ill following a cardiovascular procedure, after his absence from a key state anniversary event on April 15 triggered speculation about his health.