Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Global coronavirus cases exceed 15 million: Reuters tally

Global coronavirus infections surged past 15 million on Wednesday, according to a Reuters tally, with the pandemic gathering pace even as countries remain divided in their response to the crisis. In the United States, which has the highest number of cases in the world with 3.91 million infections, President Donald Trump warned: “It will probably, unfortunately, get worse before it gets better.” U.S. gives China 72 hours to shut Houston consulate, Trump says other closures ‘always possible’

The United States gave China 72 hours to close its consulate in Houston amid accusations of spying, marking a dramatic deterioration in relations between the world’s two biggest economies. The U.S. State Department said on Wednesday the Chinese mission in Houston was being closed “to protect American intellectual property and Americans’ private information.” Explainer: What are the main areas of tension in the U.S.-China relationship?

The U.S. demand this week that China close its consulate in Houston is the latest in a string of disputes that have taken the relationship between the world’s two biggest economies to its lowest point in decades. Here are the main points of contention between Beijing and Washington: Yemen’s children starve amid rising fears of famine

Weighing just 9kg at ten years old, Hassan Merzam Muhammad is so emaciated by the severe malnourishment plaguing hundreds of thousands of Yemeni children like him that he can no longer walk. Fears of famine in Yemen are resurfacing, the United Nations says. A U.N. report Wednesday said Yemen was returning to “alarming” levels of food insecurity. Pandemic hit to haj saddens would-be pilgrims

This year’s haj will be a time of sadness for many Muslims around the world prevented from travelling to Saudi Arabia, but a decision to honour local health and security staff in the front line of the fight against the coronavirus has won praise. For the first time in the modern era, amidst efforts to curb COVID-19, Muslims from abroad will be unable to attend the pilgrimage. British PM seeks to revive strained relations with Scotland

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will seek to play down tensions with Scotland during a visit on Thursday, saying that the COVID-19 crisis has shown the collective power of the United Kingdom. The ties that bind the kingdom’s constituent parts – England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – have been badly strained by Brexit and the coronavirus outbreak. Scotland’s pro-independence government opposes leaving the European Union and accuses Johnson of mistakes in responding to COVID-19. Senior U.S. diplomat says U.S., China can still cooperate on North Korea

A senior U.S. diplomat said on Wednesday that the United States and China can still work together against North Korea’s development of weapons of mass destruction, despite tensions between Washington and Beijing. “North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs undermine our shared strategic interest in peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. China agrees that diplomacy is the preferred approach to resolving the issue of North Korea’s denuclearization,” Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun said. Don’t expect first COVID-19 vaccinations until early 2021 – WHO’s Ryan

Researchers are making “good progress” in developing vaccines against COVID-19, with a handful in late-stage trials, but their first use cannot be expected until early 2021, a World Health Organization (WHO) expert said on Wednesday. WHO is working to ensure fair vaccine distribution, but in the meantime it is key to suppress the virus’s spread, said Mike Ryan, head of WHO’s emergencies programme, as daily new cases around the globe are at near-record levels. U.S. was ‘late to the party’ in the Arctic, says Pompeo

The United States and allies have been too slow to react to Chinese and Russian interests in the Arctic region, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Danish public broadcaster DR in a recorded interview on Wednesday. “I think we have all been a little bit naive to watch not only the Russians but the Chinese interest there continue to become more and more aggressive,” Pompeo told DR during a diplomatic visit in Copenhagen. World leaders to send videos instead of traveling to U.N. in September

World leaders will send videos instead of physically gathering at the United Nations in September due to the coronavirus pandemic, the General Assembly decided on Wednesday, a move that paves the way for people wary of traveling to the United States – like North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un – to participate. The annual high-level meeting had been shaping up to be a week-long celebration of the 75th anniversary of the world body, but U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres suggested in May that leaders send video statements due to likely travel issues.