WORLD

Moscow, Russia | AFP |  Russia’s opposition on Saturday holds its first major protest since President Vladimir Putin in January announced plans which critics fear will help him stay in power after his mandate ends in 2024. The rally marks five years since the assassination of opposition politician Boris Nemtsov …

Washington, United States | AFP |  The White House won a key victory for presidential power Friday when an appeals court rejected a lawsuit over President Donald Trump’s blocking his former legal advisor from honoring a Congressional subpoena. The Washington appeals court ruled two-to-one the US judicial branch has no power …

New York, United States | AFP | UN chief Antonio Guterres Thursday called for an end to gender inequality which he said “should shame us all in the 21st century because it is not only unacceptable, it is stupid.” Comparing it to past “stains” of slavery and colonialism, he said discrimination against women and girls …

Havana, Cuba | AFP |  Monica Baro’s investigation into cases of lead poisoning in Havana won her a prestigious Latin American journalism award but few friends in the Cuban government, which views independent media outlets like hers with growing suspicion. Baro’s report for the Periodismo de Barrio website — which won …

Los Angeles, United States | AFP |  Medical staff caring for a California woman with the first US case of novel coronavirus of unknown origin were unable to get her tested for five days because she had not traveled to outbreak-hit regions, a lawmaker revealed Thursday. The development comes amid reports …

Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump has played down fears of a major coronavirus outbreak in the United States, even as infections ricochet around the world, prompting Saudi Arabia to ban pilgrims from visiting Islam’s holiest sites. China is no longer the only breeding ground for the deadly …

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | AFP | Saudi Arabia on Thursday suspended visas for visits to Islam’s holiest sites for the “umrah” pilgrimage, an unprecedented move triggered by coronavirus fears that raises questions over the annual hajj. The kingdom, which hosts millions of pilgrims every year in the cities of Mecca …

  Beijing, China | AFP | China would have seen far fewer infections from the new coronavirus if it had been quicker to adopt strict control measures, a top Chinese scientist said Thursday, in apparent criticism of the way the outbreak was handled. The government has been slammed for not acting …

Tokyo, Japan | AFP | A woman in Japan who contracted the new coronavirus and was released from hospital after recovering has tested positive again, officials said Thursday. The case is the first time a patient apparently cleared of the virus has subsequently tested positive for it, a local official in …

Rome, Italy | AFP | Governments worldwide were scrambling to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus Wednesday after fresh infections emerged linked to European hotspot Italy amid dire warnings that countries are not ready to contain the outbreak. Giving most concern on that score in the Middle East, Iran emerged …