Reuters World News Summary

Citing officials briefed on the matter, the Times said the United States determined months ago that a Russian military intelligence unit linked to assassination attempts in Europe had offered rewards for successful attacks last year.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. EU holds off decision on borders, Americans set to be excluded

European Union countries failed to settle on Friday on a final "safe list" of countries whose residents could travel to the bloc from July, with the United States, Brazil and Russia set to be excluded. Ambassadors from the 27 EU members convened from Friday afternoon to establish criteria for granting quarantine-free access from next Wednesday. UK ditches quarantine for arrivals from low COVID-19 risk countries

Britain will ditch a 14-day quarantine period for people arriving from countries it deems to be lower risk for COVID-19 , the government said on Friday. Official travel advice against all but essential travel outside Britain will also be eased for some countries and regions. Mexico City police chief shot in assassination attempt, blames drug cartel

Mexico City's chief of police was shot and injured and two of his bodyguards killed in a dramatic assassination attempt early on Friday that he quickly blamed on one of Mexico's most powerful drug gangs, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). The city's public security chief Omar Garcia Harfuch suffered three bullet wounds as he and bodyguards came under heavy fire around dawn in an upscale Mexico City neighborhood, where the attack was captured on security cameras. Amid pandemic, SE Asian nations warn of 'alarming' South China Sea incidents

Vietnam and the Philippines warned of growing insecurity in Southeast Asia at a regional summit on Friday amid concerns that China was stepping up its activity in the disputed South China Sea during the coronavirus pandemic. Both Hanoi and Manila lodged protests with China in April after Beijing unilaterally declared the creation of new administrative districts on islands in the troubled waterways to which Vietnam and the Philippines also have competing claims. Venezuela is a health 'time bomb,' Colombian president says

Colombian President Ivan Duque on Friday called Venezuela a public health "time bomb," and said the lack of reliable information about the status of its neighbor's coronavirus outbreak was a worry as his administration tries to control its own infections. Colombia has long been the top destination for Venezuelans fleeing years of social and economic upheaval in their home country. U.S. curbs visas for Chinese officials over Hong Kong freedoms: Pompeo

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday Washington was imposing visa restrictions on Chinese officials responsible for restricting freedoms in Hong Kong, but he did not name any of those targeted. The move comes ahead of a three-day meeting of China's parliament from Sunday expected to enact new national security legislation for Hong Kong that has alarmed foreign governments and democracy activists. France confirms it will read black boxes of downed Ukrainian jet, Canada to help

France said on Friday it would download the black boxes from a Ukrainian airliner shot down by an Iranian missile in January, easing a stand-off over where they should be read. France's BEA crash investigation agency said it was acting at the request of Iran, which remains responsible under global rules for conducting a formal accident probe after acknowledging that the Boeing 737 was downed by its forces. Filipino lawyer says he's been framed over Wirecard's missing billions

A Filipino lawyer embroiled in a multi-billion dollar fraud at Wirecard, Mark Tolentino, told Reuters that he was surprised to be linked to the German payments firm and that he was the "victim of a frame-up". Wirecard went bankrupt earlier this week after disclosing that $2.1 billion of cash supposed to be in bank accounts in the Philippines probably didn't exist. The revelation led to the arrest of its former chief executive and has triggered probes in Germany, Brussels and the Philippines as investigators try to determine what happened. Russia offered Afghan militants bounties to kill U.S. troops: NY Times

U.S. intelligence has concluded that the Russian military offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants in Afghanistan to kill American troops and other coalition forces, the New York Times reported on Friday. Citing officials briefed on the matter, the Times said the United States determined months ago that a Russian military intelligence unit linked to assassination attempts in Europe had offered rewards for successful attacks last year. Knifeman stabs six in Glasgow before being shot by police

A man stabbed six people including a policeman in the Scottish city of Glasgow on Friday before he was shot dead by police. An eyewitness told Sky News she had seen several people covered in blood being treated by the emergency services after the incident at a city centre hotel. Armed police arrived within minutes.