Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Reopening wet food markets must conform to strict standards: WHO

Any "wet markets" that are allowed to reopen after coronavirus lockdowns must conform to stringent food and hygiene standards, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a briefing on Friday. Suspicion has fallen on a market selling live animals in the Chinese city of Wuhan as the possible origin of the new coronavirus. Photos capture North Korea ships' sanctions busting in Chinese waters: U.N. report

On Oct. 10 last year, eight North Korean vessels - several carrying illicit coal shipments - were anchored in Chinese waters off the port of Ningbo-Zhoushan, according to a photo in a U.N. report published online on Friday. That appears to be a lax enforcement by China of U.N. sanctions aimed at curbing Pyongyang's nuclear program under which countries are required to inspect cargo destined to or coming from North Korea that is within their territory or being transported on North Korean-flagged vessels. U.S. appeals to China to revise export rules on coronavirus medical gear

The United States has asked China to revise new export quality control rules for protective equipment needed in the coronavirus outbreak so they are not an obstacle to timely supplies, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department said. China tightened restrictions on exports of masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) a week ago, calling for shipments to be subjected to a mandatory customs inspection. 'Absolute legend' British veteran raises $25 million by walking for the health service

A 99-year-old British war veteran who has raised more than 20 million pounds ($25 million) for the health service by walking laps of his garden was praised by Queen Elizabeth's grandson as an "absolute legend". Tom Moore, retired army captain who served in India, Burma and Sumatra during World War Two, became a symbol of British endurance in the face of adversity after completing 100 laps of his garden in a fundraising effort for the health service. Canada offers C$2.5 billion in aid for hard-hit energy sector; death toll hits 1,250

Canada will invest C$2.5 billion ($1.8 billion) in measures to help the hard-hit oil and gas industry during the coronavirus outbreak, which has killed 1,250 people in the country, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday. The sector, which accounts for 10.6% of Canada's gross domestic product, has urged Ottawa to free up credit and cash to tackle the effects of the pandemic and rock-bottom oil prices. UK was too slow on coronavirus and 40,000 could die, professor says

The British government was too slow to react on several fronts to the novel coronavirus outbreak that could cause the deaths of 40,000 people in the United Kingdom, a leading public health professor told lawmakers on Friday. Prime Minister Boris Johnson initially refrained from approving the stringent controls that other European leaders imposed but then closed down the country when projections showed a quarter of a million people could die in Britain. Czech lawmakers call on government to look beyond China for coronavirus supplies

Czech lawmakers took aim on Friday at the government's decision buy protective equipment from China to limit the coronavirus outbreak and called for the next batch of supplies to come domestically or from closer to home. The Senate approved a resolution for the government to search for products made at home or within the European Union rather than further abroad. Pompeo tells Russia's Lavrov any new arms control talks must include China

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told his Russian counterpart on Friday that any future arms control talks must focus on an American proposal for a new arms control accord that includes Russia and China, the State Department said. Pompeo emphasized in a telephone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that "any future arms control talks must be based on President (Donald) Trump's vision for a trilateral arms control agreement that includes both Russia and China," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement. Italy's coronavirus deaths edge higher, new lockdown approach urged

Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy rose by 575 on Friday, up from 525 the day before, while the number of new cases declined slightly and scientists warned that infections were now mainly happening among family members. The daily tally of new cases stood at 3,493, down from a previous 3,786, with both deaths and infections extending the broadly stable situation in place over the last 12 days. In phone call, Mexican president floats idea of meeting with Trump

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he spoke by telephone with U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday, suggesting they meet in June or July for what would be their first in-person encounter. Lopez Obrador said that Trump called him to discuss a prior request by the Mexican president for the United States to sell it thousands of ventilators to help treat COVID-19 patients.