Reuters World News Summary

During a meeting at the White House, Biden said the United States and Colombia could deepen their cooperative relationship and noted both nations had been working to fight climate change, counter narcotics traffic, and address migration. U.N. chief calls for three-day ceasefire in Sudan as thousands flee U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to Sudan's warring factions to observe a ceasefire over the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday to allow civilians to reach safe areas as rival forces battled for a sixth day on Thursday.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

German defence minister: Now is not time to discuss Ukraine NATO membership

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius rejected a quick decision on Ukraine's membership at NATO, the Western alliance that has supported Ukraine throughout its war with Russia, with member states supplying it with weapons. Kyiv wants the military alliance to offer it membership.

In meeting with big economies, Biden announces more funds to fight climate change

President Joe Biden announced plans to increase U.S. funding to help developing countries fight climate change and curb deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest during a meeting on Thursday with leaders from the world's largest economies. During a virtual meeting of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, Biden urged his counterparts to be ambitious in setting goals to reduce emissions and meet a target of limiting overall global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Ukraine's Zelenskiy urges Mexico to help deliver his peace plan

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Thursday urged Mexico to help make the case in Latin America for his peace plan for Ukraine, even as tensions persist within the country's ruling party about offering support to Kyiv. Mexico's government has said it wants to remain neutral in Ukraine's war with Russia. Some Ukraine supporters have criticized leftist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador for finding fault with European arms shipments to Kyiv.

Biden urged to deliver 'historic' arms control speech at G7 summit in Japan

Two dozen arms control advocates have urged President Joe Biden to use next month's G7 summit in Hiroshima, which was hit by the first U.S. atomic bombing of World War Two, to reaffirm a U.S. commitment to nuclear disarmament and readiness for arms control talks with Russia and China. The advocates, including several former senior U.S. arms control officials, made their appeal in a letter sent to Biden on Wednesday that has not been made public, but was reviewed by Reuters.

North Korea accuses G7 of interference by calling for denuclearisation

North Korea's position as a nuclear weapons state will remain undeniable and it will "continue legitimate action" until military threats from the United States and its allies are eliminated, state media KCNA said on Friday. North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui issued a statement criticising the United States and other Group of Seven countries. The G7 foreign ministers condemned the North's April 13 test of what Pyongyang said was a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile and urged denuclearisation at the end of their meeting in Japan on Tuesday.

Biden thanks Colombia for hosting Venezuelan refugees, eyes deeper partnership

U.S. President Joe Biden praised Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Thursday for his country's treatment of refugees from Venezuela and for his commitment to democracy and human rights. During a meeting at the White House, Biden said the United States and Colombia could deepen their cooperative relationship and noted both nations had been working to fight climate change, counter narcotics traffic, and address migration.

U.N. chief calls for three-day ceasefire in Sudan as thousands flee

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to Sudan's warring factions to observe a ceasefire over the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday to allow civilians to reach safe areas as rival forces battled for a sixth day on Thursday. Thousands of civilians streamed out of the capital Khartoum as gunfire and explosions sounded. Large numbers also crossed into Chad to flee fighting in the western region of Darfur.

U.S. judge denies bail to exiled Chinese businessman Guo Wengui in fraud case

An exiled Chinese businessman charged by U.S. prosecutors with leading a more than $1 billion fraud will remain in jail after a federal judge in Manhattan on Thursday rejected a proposed $25 million bail package. U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres said prosecutors had shown it more likely than not that Guo Wengui was a serious flight risk, and shown by clear and convincing evidence that he would pose a risk of economic harm to the community if released.

Russia warplane accidentally fires into city near Ukraine, causing blast -Tass

A Russian warplane accidentally fired a weapon into the city of Belgorod near Ukraine late on Thursday, causing an explosion and damaging buildings, Tass cited the defence ministry as saying. Local authorities reported a large blast in the city, which lies just across the border from Ukraine. The regional governor said two women had been injured.

Germany to end Patriot air defence system deployments in Poland, Slovakia this year

The German military will end its Patriot anti defence units in fellow NATO members Slovakia and Poland this year, a spokesperson for the defence ministry was quoted as saying, as Berlin tries to make the best use of its limited military resources. "The nations have been informed about the plans," a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence was quoted as saying by Funke media group.