Reuters World News Summary

Kim Jong Un says North Korea prevented coronavirus from making inroads North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told a meeting of the politburo of the ruling Workers Party the North had stopped the novel coronavirus from making inroads in the country, state news agency KCNA said on Friday.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Brazil's Bolsonaro would veto bill regulating fake news in current form

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro said he would veto a bill regulating fake news, which has also been criticized by social media companies such as Facebook and Twitter, if it comes to his desk from Congress in its present shape. A network of Bolsonaro's right-wing supporters is being investigated for propagating fake news to denigrate opponents and attack the country's democratic institutions. Rio de Janeiro beaches open for exercise not sunbathing, experts still worried

In Rio de Janeiro on Thursday, residents could once again run along the beaches and drink a chilled coconut water at the kiosks that line the sand, as Brazil's second city tried to return to some normality despite a heavy coronavirus death toll. Cariocas, as Rio's inhabitants are known, went to bars, restaurants and gyms that are now allowed to operate again in the latest stage of reopening that had some experts worried about a new wave of infections. The beaches remained closed for sunbathing, but opened for individual exercise. Australian PM seeks voter redemption in by-election

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison will on Saturday vie to secure a 100-year first by winning a seat from the opposition at a by-election, a contest that will test how well voters believe his government has handled the dual crises of catastrophic summer bushfires and COVID-19 pandemic. The sprawling Eden-Monaro electorate on the south coast of New South Wales state was one of the worst hit by fires and some locals jeered Morrison over his handling of the deadly event when he visited the devastation. UK to relax England's quarantine rules for summer travellers

Britain's government said it will lift its COVID-19 quarantine requirement for people arriving in England from countries including Germany, France, Spain and Italy from July 10. A full list of countries covered by the relaxation would be announced on Friday, the country’s transport ministry said. Jeffrey Epstein friend Ghislaine Maxwell arrested on sex abuse charges

Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend and longtime associate of the late disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, was arrested on Thursday on U.S. charges of luring underage girls so that Epstein could sexually abuse them. The FBI arrest of the British socialite is the latest twist in the mystery of Epstein, who went from a high school math teacher to high-flying lifestyle of private Caribbean islands and powerful connections that his victims say allowed him to abuse minors with impunity. The world should stand up to China over Hong Kong, activist Nathan Law says

Hong Kong's fate shows China's true authoritarianism so the rest of the world should stand up to President Xi Jinping and start to put human rights above financial gain, pro-democracy activist Nathan Law told Reuters. China unveiled a national security law this week which Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters and the West say breaches the "one country, two systems" principle enshrined in the 1984 Sino-British treaty that guaranteed the autonomy of Hong Kong. Behave yourselves, UK PM Johnson warns as pub reopening nears

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will urge Britons to act responsibly when pubs reopen this weekend, warning that businesses, livelihoods and the future of the whole economy depends on it. The latest phase in a gradual reopening of the British economy on Saturday will see pubs in England open their doors for the first time since mid March, as well as the reopening of restaurants, museums, hotels and other businesses. Kim Jong Un says North Korea prevented coronavirus from making inroads

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told a meeting of the politburo of the ruling Workers Party the North had stopped the novel coronavirus from making inroads in the country, state news agency KCNA said on Friday. "We have thoroughly prevented the inroad of the malignant virus and maintained a stable anti-epidemic situation despite the worldwide health crisis, which is a shining success achieved," Kim Jong Un said in a statement carried by KCNA. High-flying facemasks arrive at Mexican hospitals by drone

To eliminate the risk of contagious human beings, a Mexican company has launched a drone delivery service to get clean medical supplies to hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic. Mexico-City based firm Sincronia Logistica has begun deploying unmanned drones to deliver personal protective gear and other essential equipment to public hospitals in the central state of Queretaro, north of the capital. Pentagon criticizes Chinese military drills in disputed South China Sea

The U.S. Defense Department expressed concern on Thursday about China holding military exercises in the South China Sea, saying the move will further destabilize the situation in the disputed waters. "Conducting military exercises over disputed territory in the South China Sea is counterproductive to efforts at easing tensions and maintaining stability," the department said in a statement.