WORLD

  Beijing, China | AFP | The lockdown of Guo Jing’s neighbourhood in Wuhan –- the city at the heart of China’s new coronavirus epidemic –- came suddenly and without warning. Unable to go out, the 29-year-old is now sealed inside her compound where she has to depend on online group-buying …

Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | UN chief Antonio Guterres launched a “call to action” on Monday against rising attacks on human rights worldwide, highlighting the persecution of minorities and “alarming levels of femicide”. “Human rights are under assault,” said the secretary general as he opened the UN Human Rights Council’s …

Beijing, China | AFP |  China’s top legislative committee on Monday began deliberating a proposal to ban all trade and consumption of wild animals, a practice believed responsible for the country’s deadly coronavirus outbreak. The official Xinhua news agency said the proposal was submitted to the Standing Committee of the …

Paris, France | AFP | The sharp rise in cases and the geographical spread of the coronavirus outside China confirm WHO fears over dealing with the crisis, experts warned Sunday as they appealed for ever greater vigilance. “There has been a profound shift in the direction that COVID-19 (new coronavirus) …

London, United Kingdom | AFP |  British composer and pianist Alexis Ffrench, a rising black star in the overwhelmingly white world of classical music, is on a mission “to change the narrative” that the genre is stuffy and outdated. The 48-year-old, who is set to release his latest album next month, …

Dakar, Senegal | AFP |  After months of threats from his landlord, visits to the police and a court hearing, Djibril Diagne came home on New Year’s Day to find the water had been cut off. Today, Diagne, his second wife and five children use outdoor taps to wash and cook. …

Las Vegas, United States | AFP |  Tyson Fury reigns again as a heavyweight world champion after battering Deontay Wilder to a stunning seventh-round stoppage in their World Boxing Council title rematch. Fourteen months after their dramatic split-decision draw, Britain’s Fury dominated the American champion — who had blood dripping from …

Las Vegas, United States | AFP |  Progressive firebrand Bernie Sanders earned a decisive victory Saturday in the Nevada caucuses, solidifying his frontrunner status in the race to choose the Democratic nominee who faces President Donald Trump in November’s election. His win is a substantial accomplishment in a state seen as …

Las Vegas, United States | AFP |  From glitzy Las Vegas casinos to dusty desert crossroads, Nevada Democrats vote Saturday for who should challenge President Donald Trump in November’s election, with leftist firebrand Bernie Sanders riding high in the saddle. The western state, home to three million people, is the third …

San Francisco, United States | AFP |  Twitter said Friday it suspended 70 accounts for spam-like posts supporting Democratic presidential hopeful Michael Bloomberg, whose campaign has hired hundreds of people to promote him on social media. “We have taken enforcement action on a group of accounts for violating our rules against …