Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Iran's supreme leader to pardon 10,000 prisoners, including political ones

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will pardon 10,000 prisoners including political ones in honor of the Iranian new year on Friday, state TV reported. "Those who will be pardoned will not return to jail ... almost half of those security-related prisoners will be pardoned as well," judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili told state TV on Wednesday. Trump to remove migrants who cross U.S.-Mexico border illegally due to coronavirus

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday his administration will use a health-focused statute to swiftly remove migrants or asylum seekers who cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally as part of efforts to stem the spread of the coronavirus. During a press conference at the White House, Trump confirmed that he would invoke a statute that allows the U.S. surgeon general to block people or goods from certain countries or places to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. Erdogan advises Turks to stay home, acts to boost economy against coronavirus

President Tayyip Erdogan advised Turks on Wednesday not to leave home unless necessary for three weeks and to minimise social contact until the threat of the coronavirus recedes, but he did not tell them to stay away from work. Turkey subsequently announced a second coronavirus death and said the number of confirmed cases of the highly contagious respiratory illness had nearly doubled to 191 after it ramped up steps to combat the virus' spread, closing cafes, banning mass prayers and halting flights to 20 countries. El Salvador suspends deportations of nationals from U.S., Mexico

El Salvador's government said on Wednesday it had suspended deportations of its nationals from the United States and Mexico in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Italy threatens to ban outdoor exercise as coronavirus deaths surge

The Italian government threatened on Wednesday to ban all outdoor exercise as the coronavirus death toll soared to 2,978 and frustration grew over the number of people defying a nationwide lockdown order. Italy was the first Western country to impose severe restrictions on movement to contain the illness. But a week after the curbs were imposed, the disease is still spreading and hospitals in the north are at breaking point. More Mexican migrants crossing U.S. border amid closure fears, shelters say

The number of Mexicans crossing illegally into the United States has risen over the past week, migrant shelters said, in part driven by rumors the United States will seal the border as it seeks to fight the coronavirus spread. Representatives of four migrant shelters in northern Mexico told Reuters that they had seen an uptick in Mexican migrants heading to the border. British schools to close as coronavirus crisis worsens

Britain ordered schools to shut down as the coronavirus crisis worsened on Wednesday, with panic buying forcing supermarkets to ration food and the pound plunging to its lowest levels in more than three decades. Boris Johnson's government has faced mounting criticism that it was acting too slowly compared with other European nations such as Italy, Spain and France. Meanwhile, stimulus efforts by policymakers have been overshadowed by market fears about the economic impact of the pandemic. Canada unveils major aid package to battle coronavirus outbreak, ready to do more

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Wednesday his government would provide C$27 billion ($18.6 billion) in direct support to families and businesses struggling because of the coronavirus outbreak, and stood ready to do more. It was his biggest move yet to combat the economic impact of the fast-spreading virus, which has infected some 700 Canadians in all 10 provinces, killing nine. In an unprecedented move, Canada and the United States shut their vast common border on Wednesday to non-essential travel. Rattled world 'at war' with coronavirus as deaths surge in Italy, France

Hundreds of millions of people faced a world turned upside down on Wednesday by unprecedented emergency measures against the coronavirus pandemic that is killing the old and vulnerable and threatening prolonged economic misery. "This is a once-in-a-hundred-year type event," said Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, warning the crisis could last six months as his nation became the latest to restrict gatherings and overseas travel. Special Report: How Korea trounced U.S. in race to test people for coronavirus

In late January, South Korean health officials summoned representatives from more than 20 medical companies from their lunar New Year celebrations to a conference room tucked inside Seoul’s busy train station. One of the country’s top infectious disease officials delivered an urgent message: South Korea needed an effective test immediately to detect the novel coronavirus, then running rampant in China. He promised the companies swift regulatory approval.