General Lavalle (Argentina) (AFP) – Aerial shots show ‘Estancia La Guitarra’ — The Guitar Farm — surrounded by cornfields near General Levalle in Argentina. The more than 7,000 trees planted in the shape of a guitar since 1979 are a tribute from a farmer to his late wife, who loved the instrument and nature.
Barcelona (AFP) – A flotilla of some 40 boats sets sail from Barcelona for Gaza in a fresh bid to break an Israeli blockade and deliver aid to the devastated territory, according to organisers. The Global Sumud Flotilla had initially been set to depart from the Mediterranean port on 12 April, but the mission was postponed due to adverse weather conditions. Some 20 boats, which will join the maritime convoy, left the French port of Marseille on 4 April, and more ships are set to depart from Syracuse in Sicily on 24 April.
Amsterdam (AFP) – A 67-million-year-old triceratops skull twirls above a coral sculpture, the centrepiece of a new exhibition in the Dutch capital turning prehistoric fossils into art. The ‘Relics’ show at Amsterdam’s Art Zoo is set to display nine works by creative duo Jaap Sinke and Ferry van Tongeren that combine science and art. Van Tongeren says he hopes the exhibition will “add drama” to the fossils and highlight their aesthetic side.
Ghaziabad District (Afghanistan) (AFP) – Hundreds of men dig into the rocky bed of the Kunar River in eastern Afghanistan, searching for a few grams of gold dust as an alternative source of income. Thirty-five-year-old Gul Ahmad Jan is among the gold prospectors and says he can earn a substantial amount in just a week. “We can get up to about one gram of gold,” which can fetch up to 8,000 Afghanis ($125), he tells AFP.
Lima (AFP) – “We have not found any objective elements to say that the narrative of fraud could have concrete grounds at this point,” says the head of the European Union’s election observer mission, Annalisa Corrado, when asked at a press conference whether there was evidence of fraud in Peru’s elections. Official counts from Sunday’s elections, which ran into Monday due to logistical issues, show right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori as the front-runner with around 17 percent of votes, with more than 87 percent of ballots counted.
Budapest (AFP) – Hungary’s new leader, Peter Magyar, says he has told President Tamas Sulyok, a supporter of ousted prime minister Viktor Orban, that he should resign. “If he does not voluntarily step down from office, we will exercise the mandate granted to us by the voters and… we will remove him from office along with all the other puppets appointed by the Orban regime,” Magyar says, after his Tisza party won a two-thirds legislative majority in Sunday’s elections.
Madrid (AFP) – At Zoo Aquarium in Madrid, Bornean orangutan Surya has given birth to a male cub, a victory in the bid to conserve the species classified as critically endangered.
Lima (AFP) – Supporters of far-right presidential candidate Rafael Lopez Aliaga protest near National Jury of Elections in Lima, alleging election fraud, after Aliaga called for the first round of the country’s election to be annulled. IMAGES
Pérou (AFP) – Officials from Peru’s ONPE (National Office of Electoral Processes) prepare electoral records, digitize them, and transmit the data through an automated system as part of the official results reporting process. IMAGES
Beijing (AFP) – China says that a US blockade around Iranian ports is “dangerous and irresponsible”, after US President Donald Trump threatened to sink any boats that sought to leave or dock there. Iran has effectively closed the vital Strait of Hormuz, allowing only vessels serving countries it deems friendly — such as China — to cross.
Caracas (AFP) – US oil giant Chevron and the government of Venezuela sign two deals that will expand oil production in the country, as the country seeks to boost private investment in the sector. A signing ceremony takes place at Miraflores Palace, where interim president Delcy Rodriguez is joined by Chevron Venezuela president Mariano Vela and a number of US dignitaries, including Charge D’affaires Laura Farnsworth Dogu and Assistant Secretary of Energy Kyle Haustveit.
China Grove (United States) (AFP) – US farmers are grappling with soaring fertilizer and fuel costs as supply disruptions linked to tensions in the Strait of Hormuz coincide with the peak of the planting season, forcing many to reduce their usage and risk lower yields. “Seeing those huge increases right here at planting time really did kind of hit a lot of farmers hard, including us,” says Russell Hedrick, a farmer in North Carolina.
