Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Canada posts one of its smallest daily increases in coronavirus deaths

The total number of people killed by the coronavirus in Canada rose by 2.2% to 4,728 on Sunday, one of the lowest daily increases since the outbreak started, official public health agency data showed. "We have come a long way in a short time since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared and our efforts have undoubtedly prevented wider spread of the virus across the country," chief public health officer Theresa Tam said in a statement. Some Spaniards to see lockdown eased as daily deaths fall again

Spain registered its lowest daily number of coronavirus deaths on Sunday since mid-March and half of its population prepared for an easing of one of Europe’s strictest lockdowns, though not yet the residents of cities such as Madrid and Barcelona. Cyclists, joggers and walkers, many in face masks, packed bridges and streets around Madrid Rio park on Sunday as the park itself remained closed. Spaniards have been able to exercise outdoors for a week now while observing social distancing rules. Three killed and 79 wounded in tribal clashes in eastern Sudan

Clashes between two tribes in Sudan's eastern city of Kassala killed three people and wounded 79 others, the state's acting governor said on Sunday. Violence between members of the Beni Amer and Nuba ethnic groups, which has flared in the past, reignited on Thursday and escalated on Friday when houses were set ablaze, Brigade Mahmoud Baker Homd said in a statement. China refutes 24 'lies' by U.S. politicians over coronavirus

China has issued a lengthy rebuttal of what it said were 24 "preposterous allegations" by some leading U.S. politicians over its handling of the new coronavirus outbreak. The Chinese foreign ministry has dedicated most of its press briefings over the past week to rejecting accusations by U.S. politicians, especially Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, that China had withheld information about the new coronavirus and that it had originated in a laboratory in the city of Wuhan. Freed Italian aid worker returns home on special flight

Silvia Romano, an Italian aid worker kidnapped 18 months ago in East Africa, landed in Rome on Sunday a day after being freed. Gunmen seized Romano, who was working for an Italian charity called Africa Milele, in southeastern Kenya in November 2018. No group claimed responsibility for the kidnapping. Massive bombardment hits Tripoli as water supplies threatened

A withering bombardment shook Tripoli on Sunday as the eastern-based forces of Khalifa Haftar fought overnight for new territory in the southern suburbs after losing ground recently around the city. Adding to the misery of Tripoli residents, the main water supplier to northwest Libya said armed men in the south had stormed one of its facilities, reducing supply. Malta envoy to Helsinki resigns after comparing Merkel to Hitler

Malta's ambassador to Finland resigned on Sunday after he came under fire for comparing German Chancellor Angela Merkel to Adolf Hitler, Malta's ministry of foreign affairs said in an emailed statement. "When accepting the ambassador's resignation with immediate effect, Minister Evarist Bartolo stressed that the ambassador's comments on German Chancellor Angela Merkel were not representative of the friendship and mutual respect between Malta and Germany," the statement said. Iran locks down southwest county after spike in coronavirus cases

A county in southwestern Iran has been placed under lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus, Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday, also quoting the provincial governor as saying there had been a sharp rise in new cases across the province. Tasnim quoted Gholamreza Shariati, governor of Khuzestan province, which borders Iraq and includes the county of Abadan, as saying people had not been observing social distancing rules. Moscow reports 18% more deaths in April than same month last year

The total number of deaths registered in Moscow rose sharply in April compared with the same month last year and was also significantly higher than the number officially confirmed as having been caused by the new coronavirus, official data showed. This raises the possibility that the official death toll from COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus, seriously understates the spread of the virus in the Russian capital. No end to lockdown yet but 'careful' easing begins, British PM Johnson says

The coronavirus lockdown will not end yet, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday, urging people to "stay alert" to the risks as he outlined plans to begin slowly easing measures that have closed much of the economy for seven weeks. While his directions were for England, the government wants the United Kingdom's other nations to take the same approach. But there were immediate divisions, with the leaders of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland saying they were sticking with the existing "stay-at-home" message.