UNITED NATIONS / AP Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he would personally like to see a woman lead the United Nations for the first time since it was established more than 70 years ago. As he nears the end of his second five-year term on Dec. 31, Ban said that “it’s high time now” for a female secretary-general after eight …

  Baton Rouge / AFP Louisiana faced epic flooding, with seven people killed and thousands evacuated to emergency shelters after waterways in the southern part of the state overflowed their banks. Some areas have received more than 20 inches (50 centimeters) of rain since late Thursday, submerging vast swaths of southern Louisiana in muddy waters. “Our state is currently experiencing …

Jakarta / AFP President Joko Widodo pledged Tuesday to defend “every inch” of Indonesia’s land and maritime territory, following clashes with Chinese vessels around Indonesian islands in the South China Sea. In a state of the nation address he also said Indonesia was “actively involved” in seeking a peaceful solution to the broader regional dispute about ownership of islands in …