Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Pompeo calls China virus response 'paltry' compared to damage done

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo took fresh aim at China over the coronavirus on Wednesday, calling the $2 billion that Beijing has pledged to fight the pandemic "paltry" compared to the hundreds of thousands of lives lost and trillions of dollars of damage. Pompeo rejected Chinese President Xi Jinping's claim that Beijing had acted with transparency after the outbreak in China, and said if Xi wanted to show that, he should hold a news conference and allow reporters to ask him anything they liked. Global coronavirus cases surpass 5 million, infections rising in South America

Global coronavirus cases surpassed 5 million on Wednesday, with Latin America overtaking the United States and Europe in the past week to report the largest portion of new daily cases globally. It represents a new phase in the virus' spread, which initially peaked in China in February, before large-scale outbreaks followed in Europe and the United States. Exclusive: U.S. has not cut Afghan security funds despite Pompeo vow of immediate slash - sources

The U.S. Defense Department has not withheld $1 billion in funding from Afghan security forces despite Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's vow on March 23 to cut that sum "immediately", five sources familiar with the matter said. The Pentagon has been reluctant to shave the funds announced by Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark Esper has not provided guidance to his agency on how to carry it out, three sources told Reuters. Mexican funeral homes face 'horrific' unseen coronavirus toll

Like many people around the world, Mexican funeral home owner Salvador Ascencio did not believe at first the coronavirus outbreak was going to be a big deal. Then calls from grieving relatives began to pour in. New Zealand opens bars as more curbs eased, four-day work week idea floated

Bars and pubs opened in New Zealand for the first time in months on Thursday, as restrictions to limit the spread of the coronavirus were eased further and the government looked to revive economic activity. Venues serving alcohol have remained closed across the country despite most other businesses re-opening last week. The government said they posed additional risks, citing South Korea where a fresh spike in cases was blamed on crowded nightclubs in Seoul. France considers holding final round of local elections at end of June

The French government is considering holding the final round of mayoral elections at the end of June or redoing the elections completely in January 2021, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe told all party leaders on Wednesday. Out of the 35,000 cities, towns and villages that France counts, about 30,000 have already elected their mayor in the first round. But many French large cities are among the 5,000 remaining, including Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Brazil coronavirus outbreak worsens as country could soon be No. 2 in cases

Brazil's coronavirus outbreak worsened on Wednesday and the South American nation could soon have the second-highest number of cases in the world as the Health Ministry reported 888 new deaths and nearly 20,000 new infections in a single day. Brazil might soon trail only the United States in the number of coronavirus cases. Russia currently has the second-highest number of cases. Brazil's coronavirus death toll is 18,859. Iran will support any nation or group that fights Israel: supreme leader

Iran will support any nation or group that fights Israel, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday, ahead of this week's annual observance of Quds (Jerusalem) Day to express support for Palestinians. "We will support and assist any nation or any group anywhere who opposes and fights the Zionist regime, and we do not hesitate to say this," Khamenei said in a post on his official English-language Twitter account. Large contingent of Cuban doctors help Mexico with coronavirus: sources

At least 500 Cuban health workers are helping tackle the new coronavirus in Mexico City, Mexican officials say, making it likely the largest contingent the communist-led island has deployed globally as part of its response to the pandemic. Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum has publicly acknowledged the presence of "several" Cuban doctors working in the city's hospitals to help make up staffing shortfalls, but she has not confirmed the scale of the deployment. Mexico orders probe into alleged graft linked to ex-president

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Wednesday ordered an investigation into allegations the former government irregularly awarded lucrative contracts to a firm allegedly tied to the family of his predecessor, Enrique Pena Nieto. Between 2013 and 2018 Pena Nieto's government awarded $640 million in contracts to Plasti-Esteril, a firm founded by his family in 1991, and medical supply company Baxter International Inc, according to Mexican newspaper El Universal.