WORLD

Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The UN rights chief warned Monday that countries flouting the rule of law in the name of fighting the novel coronavirus pandemic risk sparking a “human rights disaster”. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet called on countries to refrain from violating fundamental rights …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday made his first public appearance since being hospitalised with coronavirus three weeks ago, saying Britain was beginning to “turn the tide” on the outbreak but rejecting growing calls to ease a nationwide lockdown. In a statement in Downing Street …

Rapid City, United States | AFP | Ghostly airports, countless flight cancellations, shops and restaurants closed: the coronavirus has played havoc with air travel in the United States. Following are some scenes witnessed by AFP journalists during the unusual experience of flying from South Dakota to Washington in the time of …

  Stockholm, Sweden | AFP | Global military expenditure saw its biggest uptick in a decade in 2019, researchers said Monday, marking the first year two Asian countries were among the top three spenders. The world’s nations spent a combined $1.9 trillion (1.78 trillion euros) on their militaries in 2019, according …

Seoul, South Korea | AFP | North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is “alive and well”, a top security adviser to the South’s President Moon Jae-in said, downplaying rumours over Kim’s health following his absence from a key anniversary. Conjecture over Kim has grown since his conspicuous no-show at April 15 …

Singapore, Singapore | AFP | US oil prices fell heavily Monday on renewed concerns over storage capacity as the coronavirus throttles demand, even as producers start slashing output to boost markets. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate dropped 9.3 percent to $15.36 a barrel in Asian morning trade. Brent crude, the international benchmark, was off 3.2 …

Madrid, Spain | AFP |  After six weeks stuck at home, Spain’s children were allowed out Sunday to run, play or go for a walk as the government eased one of the world’s toughest coronavirus lockdowns. Spain is among the hardest hit countries, with a death toll running at more than …

Madrid, Spain | AFP |  Spanish children were allowed outside on Sunday for the first time in six weeks as countries eased lockdown measures and reopen economies gutted by the coronavirus pandemic that has infected nearly three million people worldwide. Governments from France to Italy and the United States are gearing …

London, United Kingdom | AFP |  Boris Johnson will return to work at the start of the week as pressure increases on the UK government over its handling of the coronavirus crisis which has claimed more than 20,000 lives. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told Sky News that Johnson would be back …

Stockholm, Sweden | AFP |  Per Olov Enquist, one of Sweden’s most acclaimed authors who wrote “The Visit of the Royal Physician,” has died aged 85, his family told Swedish media on Sunday. The patriarch of 20th century Scandinavian literature, Enquist is known for powerful stories that weave his own melancholic …