Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. UK's COVID-19 death toll tops 38,000, worst in Europe

The United Kingdom's COVID-19 death toll topped 38,000 as of early May, by far the worst yet reported in Europe, raising questions about Prime Minister Boris Johnson's handling of the coronavirus crisis. Figures published by the Office for National Statistics for England and Wales brought the United Kingdom's official death toll to 38,289 as of May 3 -- up nearly 6,000 in the space of a week, according to a Reuters tally of death registrations data that also includes Scotland and Northern Ireland. Italy magistrates open probe after freed aid worker bombarded by hate mail

An Italian aid worker, freed at the weekend after being held hostage for 18 months by Islamist militants in Africa, has been deluged with hate mail because she converted to Islam, judicial sources said on Tuesday. Magistrates have opened an investigation into the abuse to see if charges of aggravated criminal threat can be laid against some of the senders, the sources said. Exclusive: U.S. government officials worry about return of dual citizens if Mexico's pandemic worsens

U.S. government officials are concerned that dual U.S.-Mexico citizens may flee to the United States if the coronavirus outbreak in Mexico gets worse, putting more stress on U.S. hospitals, especially near the border, three officials familiar with the matter said. The worries, which have not been previously reported, come as hospitals in the San Diego area in southern California have pressed the Trump administration to do more to limit the threat of the virus crossing into the United States. Factory workers in Russia resume work after Putin eases coronavirus lockdown

Factory and construction workers in Russia were set to return to work on Tuesday after President Vladimir Putin ordered a gradual easing of coronavirus lockdown measures despite a sharp increase in new cases of the novel virus. Putin, in a surprise announcement on Monday, said it was time after six weeks to lift nationwide restrictions that had forced many people to work from home and businesses to temporarily close. China calls for coronavirus vigilance, warns against complacency

Chinese health authorities called on Tuesday called for vigilance to be maintained against the novel coronavirus as new clusters emerge, even though the peak of the epidemic has passed in the country where it first appeared. In the past two weeks, new cases have been reported in seven provinces, including Hubei, the original epicentre of the outbreak late last year. WHO sees 'potentially positive data' on COVID-19 treatments

The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that some treatments appear to be limiting the severity or length of the COVID-19 disease and that it was focusing on learning more about four or five of the most promising ones. The Geneva-based WHO is leading a global initiative to develop safe and effective vaccines, tests and drugs to prevent, diagnose and treat COVID-19. The respiratory illness has infected 4.19 million people around the world, according to a Reuters tally. In Japan's elder-care homes, coronavirus tests limits of overstretched staff

At the Tokyo elder-care home where 27-year-old Yoshimu works, the coronavirus has stretched already tight staffing, leaving residents to sometimes sit longer in soiled diapers or to steal food from one another. "Everything's slower. If feeding them takes longer, then things like toileting are delayed," said Yoshimu, who declined to give her last name because of the sensitivity of the issue. "We really try not to make them wait but sometimes their diapers can leak." South Korea investigators comb digital data to trace club coronavirus cluster

South Korean authorities were combing through mobile phone data, credit card statements and CCTV footage on Tuesday to identify people who visited nightclubs at the centre of one of the capital's biggest novel coronavirus clusters. More than 100 new cases linked to the nightclubs have brought fears of a second wave of infections in a country held up as a coronavirus mitigation success story. Northern Ireland sets lockdown exit plan resembling Ireland's, but no timetable

Northern Ireland laid out a five-stage roadmap for the easing of its coronavirus lockdown similar to Ireland's, but its omission of any dates for action raised the chances of different parts of the island reopening at different times. After Prime Minister Boris Johnson published a plan on Monday for how the United Kingdom could return to normal life, the constituent parts of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are diverging from the approach in England. Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman tests positive for coronavirus

Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday he had tested positive for the novel coronavirus and was receiving treatment at hospital, Russian news agencies reported. "Yes, I am sick. I am receiving treatment," Peskov was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.