Reuters World News Summary

Acting Homeland Security chief Chad Wolf said on Twitter the United States is "working closely with Mexico & Canada to keep essential trade & travel open while also protecting our citizens from the virus." Fearing Turkish role, France wants international supervision in Nagorno-Karabakh France wants international supervision to implement a ceasefire in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict amid concerns in Paris that Russia and Turkey could strike a deal to cut out Western powers from future peace talks, the presidency said on Thursday.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Five injured in stabbing in German town, suspect arrested

Five people were injured in a stabbing attack in the western German town of Oberhausen on Thursday and a suspect was arrested in what police said appeared to be a family dispute. A spokesman for police in the nearby city of Essen said all five, including the attacker, had been treated in hospital and at least one sustained life-threatening injuries. Hondurans who fled hurricanes now face coronavirus in overcrowded shelters

Tens of thousands of Hondurans are cramming into overcrowded storm shelters, aid workers and officials say, raising concerns that the chaotic set-up will trigger a new spike in coronavirus infections. Hundreds of thousands of people across Central America have fled their homes after Hurricanes Iota and Eta wreaked havoc from Tabasco in southern Mexico to Panama this month. Ethiopian government says rebels have committed 'atrocities' during two-week Tigray conflict

Ethiopia's government on Thursday said rebels have committed "serious crimes" after conflict broke out this month in the northern Tigray region, as U.S. President-elect Joe Biden's foreign policy adviser called for greater protection of civilians. The conflict has killed hundreds, sent 30,000 refugees into neighbouring Sudan, and called into question whether Africa's youngest leader Abiy Ahmed can hold together the fractious ethnic groups in Africa's second most populous nation ahead of national elections next year. Direct Brexit talks suspended after EU team member tests COVID positive

Chief Brexit negotiators suspended direct talks on Thursday after a member of the EU team tested positive for COVID-19, but officials continued working remotely to clinch an EU-UK trade deal that would come into force in just six weeks. Finland's European affairs minister, Tytti Tuppurainen, said the talks could still succeed and a "comprehensive" deal be agreed in time before Britain's transition out of the European Union completes on Dec. 31. 'Shuggie Bain' wins Booker Prize for Scottish author Douglas Stuart

Scottish author Douglas Stuart won the Booker Prize for fiction on Thursday with his first novel "Shuggie Bain", with judges saying his tale of love and alcoholism set in Glasgow in 1980s was destined to be a classic. The 44-year-old Stuart, who wins 50,000 pounds ($66,000) and is only the second Scot to have won the prestigious literary prize, said he was stunned. Death toll from Iota slowly rises in Central America amid ongoing rescue efforts

The death toll from storm Iota is slowly rising in Central America as authorities on Thursday said they'd recovered more bodies buried in landslides triggered by catastrophic flooding that swept through the already waterlogged region earlier this week. Nearly 40 people were killed across Central America and Colombia, and the toll is expected to rise as rescue workers reach isolated communities. Most of the deaths have occurred in Nicaragua and Honduras. Pompeo visits Israeli-occupied West Bank and Golan Heights

Mike Pompeo on Thursday became the first U.S. secretary of state to visit an Israeli West Bank settlement and the Golan Heights, in a show of solidarity that led Palestinians to accuse him of helping to cement Israeli control over occupied territory. Pompeo's trips came during the Israeli leg of what may be his last tour of the Middle East in the final months of President Donald Trump's administration. U.S extends restrictions at Canada, Mexico land borders through Dec. 21

The United States said on Thursday it will extend restrictions barring non-essential travel at land borders with Canada and Mexico through Dec. 21. The restrictions were first put in place in March to control the spread of COVID-19. Reuters reported Wednesday they were expected to be extended for another 30 days beyond the prior Nov. 21 expiration date. Acting Homeland Security chief Chad Wolf said on Twitter the United States is "working closely with Mexico & Canada to keep essential trade & travel open while also protecting our citizens from the virus." Fearing Turkish role, France wants international supervision in Nagorno-Karabakh

France wants international supervision to implement a ceasefire in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict amid concerns in Paris that Russia and Turkey could strike a deal to cut out Western powers from future peace talks, the presidency said on Thursday. Moscow co-chairs the Minsk group overseeing the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute with Washington and Paris, but they were not involved in the deal signed by Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan to end six weeks of fighting over the enclave. Former leader Corbyn suspended as UK Labour MP for three months: Telegraph

British former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn will be suspended as a Labour member of Parliament for three months as the party faces calls to launch a new investigation, the Telegraph reported https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/11/19/labour-suspends-jeremy-corbyn-three-months-party-urged-launch/?utm_content=telegraph&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1605820018 on Thursday. Corbyn was informed that the duration of the suspension could be reviewed depending on his actions, suggesting it could be shortened or extended depending on whether he issued an apology, the report added, citing sources.