WORLD

London, United Kingdom | AFP |  A year after landing in jail without charge, her mercy plea unanswered by Saudi rulers and in fear of a coronavirus outbreak behind bars, a prominent princess did the unthinkable — and went public. Princess Basmah bint Saud, a 56-year-old royal family member long seen …

Geneva, Switzerland | AFP |  The World Health Organization said Monday that Washington had provided no evidence to support “speculative” claims by the US president that the new coronavirus originated in a Chinese lab. “We have not received any data or specific evidence from the United States government relating to the …

Warsaw, Poland | AFP |  Voters are still in the dark as to whether Poland’s presidential election will go ahead as scheduled on Sunday, amid mounting pressure for a delay due to the coronavirus pandemic. The right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) government is still seeking parliamentary approval to conduct the election …

Paris, France | AFP | As several nations begin relaxing their lockdowns following an initial peak in COVID-19 cases, attention is turning to how they can avoid a “second wave” of infections as social distancing is eased. Italy and Spain — two of the hardest hit countries — have already started …

Beijing, China | AFP | China’s southern Guangdong province has launched a raft of anti-discrimination policies targeting businesses and venues after a heavy-handed crackdown on the African community sparked international outrage last month. Authorities in the provincial capital Guangzhou had started mass testing its African community shortly after a cluster of COVID-19 cases was found …

  Berlin, Germany | AFP | One in five people infected with the novel coronavirus shows no symptoms, according to results published Monday of a German study into infections in a small district which could have an impact on disease containment measures. Researchers interviewed and tested 919 people in 405 households …

Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russia registered a near record in new daily coronavirus cases on Monday as total infections topped 145,000, cementing its position as the European country reporting the most new cases. Health officials said there were 10,581 new infections over the last 24 hours, only 52 fewer than …

  Rome, Italy | AFP | Millions of Europeans emerged with relief from coronavirus confinement on Monday, with hard-hit Italy leading the way out of the world’s longest lockdown. At least 3.5 million people are now known to have been infected, but US President Donald Trump offered hope for an end …

Madrid, Spain | AFP | Masks became mandatory on public transport Monday as Spain took its first tentative steps towards a commercial reopening with small businesses accepting customers by appointment and restaurants prepping food for takeaway. Spain’s population of nearly 47 million have been confined to their homes for more than …

Berlin, Germany | AFP | Traditionalist former Pope Benedict XVI accuses opponents of wanting to “silence” him while attacking gay marriage in vehement terms in a new authorised biography published Monday in Germany. The 93-year-old, whose original name is Joseph Ratzinger, claims in “Benedict XVI – A Life” that he has …