AFP UK

Singapore (AFP) – Around 20 retirees in Singapore learn to tackle a series of relatively demanding exercises in “geriatric parkour”, building their agility and enjoying a sense of camaraderie.

Hong Kong (AFP) – Dubbed “hero trees” for their majestic appearance, Hong Kong’s kapok trees usually signal the arrival of spring with their bright red flowers blooming on bare branches. However, that stark contrast has been fading in recent years. Flowers are now appearing on leafy branches, as leaves that should have been shed during winter persist into spring — a sign, conservationists say, that nature is falling out of sync as the climate warms.

Brugelette (Belgium) (AFP) – A zoo in Belgium welcomes the birth of a golden monkey, a rare and endangered species, born on 17 March 2026 at Pairi Daiza Park — the first such birth in the country. The baby is reportedly in good health and is being cared for by its mother. A few days earlier, another golden monkey was born at France’s Beauval ZooParc in a first in Europe.

Moscow (AFP) – Russia will keep providing assistance to Cuba, a foreign ministry spokesperson says, after it sent an oil tanker to provide the crisis-hit island with its first shipment of crude since January. Moscow historically maintains close ties to Havana and has criticised Washington for blocking fuel deliveries to the island.

Cocoa Beach (United States) (AFP) – One day before the next launch for NASA’s Artemis II mission around the Moon, excitement is building among visitors to Florida’s Space Coast. “It’s definitely cool to know that humans are going further than ever before in history,” says one tourist. Three men and one woman are set to embark on the first crewed journey to the Moon since 1972, a landmark odyssey that aims to launch the US into a new era of space exploration.

Beirut (Lebanon) (AFP) – Burned cars, shattered glass and fallen branches line the streets of Beirut after an overnight Israeli airstrike. The Lebanese health ministry says an Israeli raid in the Jnah area, which borders Hezbollah’s stronghold in the southern suburbs of Beirut, killed at least five people and wounded 21 others.

Zenica (Bosnia and Herzegovina) (AFP) – Cheering, jumping and hugging: jubilant Bosnia fans celebrate their national team clinching a spot in the 2026 World Cup. “The match was tense right up to the last second, but we knew in our hearts that we were going to win,” exclaims Teo Laic. Bosnia beat Italy 4-1 in a penalty shootout, marking disappointment for four-time champions Italy, who have failed to qualify for the past three World Cups.

Amsterdam (AFP) – Three same-sex couples get their marriages officiated in the Amsterdam city hall by mayor Femke Halsema in a ceremony to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the first legal gay marriage in the Netherlands. “This is a right that we have and that we need to protect,” says newlywed Eelke de Jong.

Canberra (AFP) – Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese warns the country that the economic shocks from the Middle East war will last “for months”. “We are working to bring the price of fuel down,” he says in a rare address to the nation across television networks.

Zenica (Bosnia and Herzegovina) (AFP) – Thousands of Bosnian football fans celebrate in the streets of Zenica after their national team qualifies for the World Cup, beating Italy 4-1 in a penalty shootout. The Italian defeat means the four-time champions miss a third consecutive edition of the tournament.

Havana (AFP) – Cubans cautiously welcome the arrival of a Russian oil shipment, but some warn it will do little to ease the country’s energy crisis. The Russian Anatoly Kolodkin oil tanker has docked at Matanzas port after Washington gave Cuba a reprieve from a fuel blockade.

Doha (AFP) – Qatar warns that escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and threats to Gulf energy infrastructure pose a serious risk to global energy security. “We saw the impacts of this today on global energy markets, not only in terms of prices, but also in terms of supply shortages affecting many countries,” says Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari.