WORLD

Paris, France | AFP |  Despite its famed culture, food and romance, Paris can be rough going for residents contending with daily traffic congestion, smog, petty crime, sky-high rents and even rats. When Parisians head to the ballot box to elect their mayor in the first round of France’s local …

Los Angeles, United States | AFP |  A US cruise ship hit by coronavirus was given permission late Saturday to dock, while New York announced a state of emergency as confirmed cases across the country surged past 400. The fast-spreading virus has already spread to 30 US states, killing at least …

Washington, United States | AFP |  Two people have tested positive for the new coronavirus after taking part in a pro-Israel lobby group’s conference in Washington which Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and dozens of lawmakers also attended. The influential American Israel Public Affairs Committee said in an …

Paris, France | AFP |  The Milan-San Remo cycling one-day classic and the Alpine skiing World Cup finals were postponed on Friday, the latest high-profile sports events to be scratched from the international calendar due to the global spread of the deadly coronavirus. AFP Sport looks at the effects on sport …

Port-au-Prince, Haiti | AFP | Haiti finally has a new government, but without a parliament capable of giving it legitimacy and without electoral prospects, the country remains paralyzed by a political crisis with potentially devastating social, economic and security consequences. It’s been more than a year since the Caribbean nation has …

United Nations, United States | AFP | Nearly 90 percent of the world’s population — of every gender — holds some prejudice against women, according to a UN study published Thursday, ahead of International Women’s Day. The United Nations Development Programme studied 75 countries representing 80 percent of the world’s population …

Beijing, China | AFP | World health officials have warned that countries are not taking the coronavirus crisis seriously enough, as outbreaks surged across Europe and in the United States where medical workers sounded warnings over a “disturbing” lack of hospital preparedness. Global markets tumbled again over concerns about the impact …

Seoul, South Korea | AFP | Seoul threatened to retaliate Friday over what it called Tokyo’s “irrational” plan to quarantine arrivals from South Korea over the coronavirus outbreak, turning the scientific issue into a diplomatic row. The two countries have close economic ties and are both major US allies, democracies and …

  Asuncion, Paraguay | AFP |  Former Brazilian football star Ronaldinho and his brother were “deceived” and will not face prosecution for traveling to Paraguay on false documents, officials said Thursday. Prosecutor Federico Delfino said he had recommended not pursuing Ronaldinho and his brother Roberto de Assis Moreira. “But on the …

New York, United States | AFP |  It is an unlikely friendship that grew out of grief and has become a source of support and activism in the aftermath of the Boeing 737 MAX Ethiopian Airlines crash one year ago. Nadia Milleron lost her daughter Samya, 24, in the crash and …