Reuters World News Summary

Brazil nears 50,000 coronavirus deaths and 1 million cases Brazil's Health Ministry reported new COVID-19 statistics on Thursday showing the country fast approaching 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 50,000 deaths. David Stilwell, who spoke after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met China's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, in Hawaii on Wednesday, told reporters the next couple of weeks would show whether the talks were productive.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Brazil nears 50,000 coronavirus deaths and 1 million cases

Brazil's Health Ministry reported new COVID-19 statistics on Thursday showing the country fast approaching 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 50,000 deaths. With the world's worst outbreak outside the United States, Brazil now has 978,142 confirmed cases and 47,748 deaths, up 1,238 from Wednesday, the ministry said. Discord thwarts U.N. nuclear watchdog's plans for virtual Iran meeting

Opposition led by China to a planned resolution rebuking Iran at the U.N. nuclear watchdog's 35-nation board has forced it to call an in-person session after four days of meeting online because of the coronavirus, diplomats said on Thursday. France, Britain and Germany, all parties to Iran's nuclear deal with major powers, have submitted a draft resolution to the International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Governors calling on Iran to stop denying the agency access to two old sites and to cooperate fully with it, diplomats taking part in the virtual meeting said. China finds heavy coronavirus traces in seafood, meat sections of Beijing food market

China has found the trading sections for meat and seafood in Beijing's wholesale food market to be severely contaminated with the new coronavirus and suspects the area's low temperature and high humidity may have been contributing factors, officials said on Thursday. Their preliminary report comes as the country's capital tackles a resurgence of COVID-19 cases over the past week linked to the massive Xinfadi food center, which houses warehouses and trading halls in an area the size of nearly 160 soccer pitches. U.S. lawmakers offer bill to block Trump from German troop withdrawal

U.S. congressional Democrats introduced legislation on Thursday to block President Donald Trump's plan to remove 9,500 troops from close ally Germany by prohibiting funding for a withdrawal of U.S. forces from Europe without congressional approval. Representative Eliot Engel, chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, and Senator Bob Menendez, ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced the bill, reflecting concern in Congress from Democrats as well as Trump's fellow Republicans about the plan to cut troops. U.S. slaps sanctions on Mexican firms, individuals linked to Venezuelan oil trade

The United States on Thursday blacklisted Mexico's Libre Abordo and a related company, accusing them of helping Caracas evade U.S. sanctions in the first formal action by the U.S. Treasury Department against Mexican firms involved in trading Venezuelan oil. The Treasury said in a statement it imposed sanctions on three individuals, eight entities and two vessels for activities related to a network attempting to skirt U.S. sanctions on Venezuela aimed at ousting President Nicolas Maduro. China not forthcoming in Hawaii talks, but made commitment on trade: U.S. diplomat

China's attitude in talks with the United States this week in Hawaii cannot be described as forthcoming, although it did commit to following through on Phase One of the U.S.-China trade deal, the senior U.S. diplomat for East Asia said on Thursday. David Stilwell, who spoke after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met China's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, in Hawaii on Wednesday, told reporters the next couple of weeks would show whether the talks were productive. Top U.S, China diplomats meet in Hawaii as tensions flare

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met China's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, in Hawaii on Wednesday, in high-level face-to-face talks that have become rare amid tensions between the two strategic rivals. The world's two largest economies have been at loggerheads over the handling of the coronavirus pandemic and China's move to impose security legislation on Hong Kong, among multiple points of friction that have worsened this year. Canada hits 100,000 coronavirus cases, major challenges remain

Canada officially racked up 100,000 cases of the novel coronavirus on Thursday and although the outbreak is slowing, health experts said major challenges remain. Authorities admit they were not prepared for how fast the pandemic ripped through nursing homes, where more than 80% of the deaths occurred. Satellite images suggest Chinese activity at Himalayan border with India before clash

In the days leading up to the most violent border clash between India and China in decades, China brought in pieces of machinery, cut a trail into a Himalayan mountainside and may have even dammed a river, satellite pictures suggest. The images, shot on Tuesday, a day after soldiers engaged in hand-to-hand combat in the freezing Galwan Valley, show an increase in activity from a week earlier. England's schools to get extra funds to help pupils catch up after lockdown

Schools in England will receive extra funding to help them deal with the impact of lost teaching time during the coronavirus lockdown, the government said on Friday. The catch-up package will be worth 1 billion pounds ($1.24 billion) over the 2020-2021 academic year, a statement said.