Briefly

DPRK

Another summit with Washington ruled out

A senior official of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Friday reiterated the country's position of no talks with the United States unless Washington changes its hostile policy toward Pyongyang. In a statement, Kim Yo-jong, first vice-department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and the younger sister of the DPRK's top leader Kim Jong-un, said another summit with US President Donald Trump was "useless" as it would only benefit Trump politically and "we have nothing to gain". Trump said this past week he would "certainly" meet with Kim Jong-un again "if I thought it was going to be helpful", after speculation that he might pursue another summit if it could help his reelection chances in November.

BOLIVIA

President latest leader in region to get virus

Interim President Jeanine Anez announced on Thursday that she had tested positive for the coronavirus. The 53-year-old said in a video on Twitter that she would remain in quarantine for 14 days before taking another test. Anez became the second South American president in a matter of days to contract the virus after Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro announced his positive result on Tuesday. Another high-ranking Latin American government official to contract the virus is Venezuela's Constitutional Assembly President Diosdado Cabello.

Xinhua - Agencies