Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Jacinda Ardern eyes historic election win in COVID-free New Zealand

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is widely expected to win a second term this weekend, buoyed by a decisive yet compassionate leadership style under crisis, with polls showing her centre-left Labour Party comfortably in front. Ardern's globally lauded responses to the country's worst mass shooting and the coronavirus pandemic were also well received at home, although questions have been asked of Labour's credentials to tackle the looming economic crisis. U.S. names coordinator on Tibet amid tensions with China

The Trump administration on Wednesday appointed a senior U.S. human rights official as special coordinator for Tibetan issues, a move likely to anger China amid increasingly tense relations between Washington and Beijing. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that Robert Destro, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, would assume the additional post, which has been vacant since the start of President Donald Trump's term in 2017. North Korea's Kim pushes for major construction in typhoon-hit areas: KCNA

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited construction sites for new homes that are part of a "grandiose plan" to rebuild towns hit hard by typhoons and summer floods, state news media reported on Thursday. The visit was the latest by Kim to typhoon-hit areas of the country after he had promised this week to build at least 25,000 homes over the next five years as citizens begin an 80-day campaign to achieve economic goals. Russia appeals to Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire

Russia made a new appeal to Armenia and Azerbaijan to stop fighting in and around the mountain enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh after the warring sides accused each other of fresh ceasefire violations on Wednesday. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu made the appeal by telephone to the Azeri and Armenian defence ministers, urging the countries to "fully meet the commitments" made under the fraying humanitarian ceasefire brokered by Moscow on Saturday. No time for conviviality: France imposes curfews to beat back coronavirus

French President Emmanuel Macron ordered a third of France's population be put under nightly curfew on Wednesday to tackle a surging second wave of the coronavirus, saying now was not the time for conviviality. The virus was spreading at parties and private gatherings, the president said, and action was needed now in Paris and eight other big French cities to slow the rate of infection or else hospitals risked being overwhelmed. Japan's Dentsu lobbied for and funded campaign for Tokyo games, documents show, despite Olympics contract

Dentsu Group Inc donated more than $6 million to Tokyo's successful campaign to host the 2020 Olympics, according to bank records seen by Reuters, and it lobbied members of the International Olympic Committee on behalf of the city, according to three people involved in the lobbying. The activities created a potential conflict of interest for the Japanese advertising company, which had a separate contract with the IOC to market the games. To assist in its effort, Dentsu endorsed the hiring of a Singaporean consultant by the Tokyo Olympic campaign. The company’s role is laid out in transcripts of interviews company executives gave to investigators appointed by the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) to examine whether there had been any wrongdoing in the course of Tokyo’s campaign. French prosecutors investigating corruption in global sports suspect that consultant, Tan Tong Han, played a role in bribing Olympic voters for Tokyo in 2013, according to two people familiar with the French probe. Tan did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters. Thai protesters cleared from outside PM's office

Thai protesters who had occupied the space outside Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha's office in Bangkok were cleared by police early on Thursday, a Reuters witness said. Photographer Soe Zeya Tun said that the protesters had gone from outside Government House and that city workers were cleaning up the place where the thousands of protesters had arrived late on Wednesday. North Korea's nuclear, missile programs 'serious threat' to security: Pentagon chief

U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Wednesday said North Korea's nuclear and missile programs pose a global threat, after Pyongyang's unveiling of previously unseen intercontinental ballistic missiles at a predawn military parade. The appearance of a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) during a weekend parade in North Korea captivated many Western analysts. But officials in South Korea were far more concerned by the display of new multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) and fast, maneuverable short-range missiles that would be ideal for striking targets in the South. WHO fears spike in global COVID-19 cases will be followed by increased deaths

The World Health Organization's (WHO) chief scientist on Wednesday raised concern that the recent global increase in new COVID-19 infections will be followed by rising deaths that currently number around 5,000 every day. Cases are surging, with nearly 20,000 infections reported in Britain and Italy, Switzerland and Russia among nations reporting record new cases. More than 38 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and nearly 1.1 million have died, according to a Reuters tally. Merkel says the coming days, weeks are decisive in battling pandemic

The measures Germany takes in the coming days and weeks will be decisive in determining how well the country makes it through the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned on Wednesday. "We are already in a phase of exponential growth, the daily numbers show that," she said after a meeting in which she and the leaders of Germany's 16 states agreed on tougher measures to control the spread of the virus.