World News Roundup: French health minister to run for Paris mayor; Rouhani says Iran will never yield to U.S. pressure for talks and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

French health minister to be picked by Macron's party to run for Paris mayor

French health minister Agnes Buzyn will be selected by President Emmanuel Macron's party to run for Paris mayor after the previous candidate pulled out over a sexting scandal, a source close to the ruling party said on Sunday. "She declared herself a candidate. Our different bodies are going to meet to give their opinion, which I believe will be a positive one," the source told Reuters.

Rouhani says Iran will never yield to U.S. pressure for talks

Iran will never hold talks with the United States under pressure, President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday, adding that Tehran's help was essential in establishing security in the Middle East. Relations between Tehran and Washington reached crisis point in 2018 after U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned a 2015 pact between Iran and world powers under which Tehran accepted curbs to its nuclear program in return for the lifting of sanctions.

Turkey says two killed in car bomb attack near Syria border

A car bomb attack by the Kurdish YPG militia killed two people and wounded five on Sunday in the northeastern Syrian town of Tel Abyad, near the Turkish border, the Turkish Defence Ministry said in a statement. The Arab town, from which Turkish-backed forces last October pushed out the YPG militia in a major campaign spearheaded by the Turkish army, has seen a series of car blasts that have killed dozens of civilians.

Turkey tells Russia that attacks in Syria's Idlib must stop

Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Sunday that he told his Russian counterpart at a meeting the previous day that attacks in Syria's northwestern Idlib region must stop immediately and that a lasting ceasefire has to be achieved. Turkey and Russia back opposing sides in the Syrian conflict but have collaborated on a political solution. However, a recent Syrian government offensive in Idlib has raised tensions between Ankara and Moscow, causing them to trade barbs.

Kim Jong Un makes first public appearance in 22 days amid virus outbreak

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made his first public appearance in 22 days amid an outbreak of coronavirus, state media reported on Saturday, to visit a national mausoleum and mark the anniversary of the late leader Kim Jong Il's birth. Kim Jong Un paid tribute to the statue of former leader Kim at Pyongyang's Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, his first public appearance since he attended Lunar New Year celebrations on Jan. 25, state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

'Animals live for man': China's appetite for wildlife likely to survive virus

For the past two weeks, China's police have been raiding houses, restaurants, and makeshift markets across the country, arresting nearly 700 people for breaking the temporary ban on catching, selling or eating wild animals. The scale of the crackdown, which has netted almost 40,000 animals including squirrels, weasels, and boars, suggests that China's taste for eating wildlife and using animal parts for medicinal purposes is not likely to disappear overnight, despite potential links to the new coronavirus.

Hong Kong to arrange flights to take home passengers from Diamond Princess ship

The Hong Kong government will send aircraft to Japan to bring back passengers from the quarantined cruise ship Diamond Princess, where the most coronavirus infections outside China have occurred. In a statement late on Saturday, the Security Bureau said chartered flights would return Hong Kong residents to the city for free once Japanese authorities had confirmed the plan.

Fast-food companies in China step up ‘contactless’ pickup, delivery as coronavirus rages

With the coronavirus outbreak in China continuing to spread, McDonald's Corp, Starbucks Corp, and other fast-food companies are ramping up "contactless" pickup and delivery services to keep their workers and customers safe, the companies said. McDonald's has implemented contactless pickup and delivery of Big Macs, fries and other menu items across China as the outbreak has unfolded.

Israel hopes Germany, other ICC members will help stave off Palestinian investigation

Israel's prime minister on Sunday hailed what he called efforts by friendly states to stop the International Criminal Court opened an investigation into alleged war crimes against Palestinians. The court's chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said in December there was enough evidence for an investigation into thousands of killings - but asked the court to rule on whether it had the jurisdiction over the Palestinian territories.

Americans disembark from virus-hit cruise; China says new cases slow

American passengers were taken off a cruise liner on Sunday to fly home after being quarantined for two weeks off Japan, while China said the rate of new coronavirus cases had slowed, calling that proof its steps to fight the outbreak were working. An announcement aboard the Diamond Princess, where 3,700 passengers and crew have been held since Feb. 3, told Americans to get ready to disembark on Sunday evening for charter flights home. Passengers wearing masks could later be seen waving through the windows of buses parked near the ship.