Reuters World News Summary
Following is a summary of current world news briefs.
Russia's lockdown surveillance measures need regulating, rights groups say
Expanding surveillance measures to police Russia's coronavirus lockdown, including the use of facial recognition technology and collection of personal data, need regulating to ensure they are temporary and proportionate, two rights groups said on Thursday. Moscow, the epicenter of Russia's outbreak, is in partial lockdown along with many of the country's regions and the authorities are using and developing a range of technologies to monitor and regulate residents' movements.
Pompeo says U.S. may never restore WHO funds after cutoff over pandemic
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the COVID-19 pandemic shows the need to overhaul the World Health Organization, warning that Washington may never restore WHO funding and could even work to set up an alternative to the U.N. body instead. As Pompeo launched fresh attacks on the WHO, Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives accused the Trump administration of trying to "scapegoat" the institution to distract from its own handling of the coronavirus outbreak.
UK royal Meghan's privacy action against tabloid goes to London High Court
The first court hearing in a privacy case brought by Meghan, Britain's Duchess of Sussex, against a tabloid newspaper for printing part of one of her letters takes place at London's High Court on Friday. Meghan, wife of Queen Elizabeth's grandson Prince Harry, is suing publisher Associated Newspapers over articles its Mail on Sunday newspaper printed in February last year which were based on a letter she had sent to her father, Thomas Markle.
UK economy crumbling under coronavirus strain; questions mount over lockdown exit
The United Kingdom's economy is crumbling under the strain of the coronavirus lockdown and government borrowing is soaring to the highest levels in peacetime history, increasing pressure on the government to set out an exit strategy. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, recuperating at his country residence after being seriously ill with COVID-19, is facing criticism from opposition politicians and some epidemiologists for reacting too slowly to the novel coronavirus outbreak.
Canadian police encourage tipsters while working on timeline of mass shooting
Canadian police on Thursday worked to piece together the timeline of a shooting spree that started in a rural hamlet in the Atlantic province of Nova Scotia and ended 13 hours later when the gunman, who killed 22 people, was shot dead. Police set up a tip line and on Thursday encouraged people who had information to call.
Brazil justice minister threatens to quit over police appointment, source says
Brazilian Justice Minister Sergio Moro has threatened to resign if President Jair Bolsonaro goes ahead with plans to change the head of the federal police, a person with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Thursday. Moro is one of the most popular ministers in the government due to his record fighting corruption as a federal judge and Bolsonaro originally touted him as a "super minister" in charge of implementing a law-and-order agenda.
Trump thinks report on Kim Jong Un illness was incorrect
U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday threw more cold water on reports earlier this week that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was gravely ill, but declined to say if he had been in touch with officials there. "I think the report was incorrect," Trump said at a daily White House briefing, adding that he had heard it was based on "old documents."
Guards chief: U.S. warships will be destroyed if they threaten Iran in Gulf
Iran will destroy U.S. warships if its security is threatened in the Gulf, the head of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards told state TV on Thursday, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump warned Tehran over "harassment" of U.S. vessels. "I have ordered our naval forces to destroy any American terrorist force in the Persian Gulf that threatens security of Iran's military or non-military ships," Major General Hossein Salami said. "Security of the Persian Gulf is part of Iran's strategic priorities."
WTO report says 80 countries limiting exports of face masks, other goods
Eighty countries and customs territories have banned or limited the export of face masks, protective gear, gloves and other goods to mitigate shortages since the coronavirus outbreak began, the World Trade Organization reported on Thursday. It said the bans were imposed by 72 WTO members and eight non-WTO member countries, but only 13 WTO members had notified the global trade body as required by its regulations.
Ecuador's coronavirus case total is twice as high as confirmed: minister
Ecuador's health minister said on Thursday the country's coronavirus case total was twice as high as previously confirmed, as authorities added 11,000 new infections that resulted from delayed testing. With 560 confirmed deaths, the outbreak has ravaged the economy of the oil-producing country and overwhelmed sanitary authorities in the largest city of Guayaquil, where corpses remained in homes or for hours on the streets.
