Brüssel (AFP) – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismisses questions over US President Donald Trump’s commitment to the alliance as “hysteria” as he tells NATO allies to commit to spending five percent of GDP on defence ahead of his first meeting with NATO foreign ministers in Brussels.
Budapest (AFP) – Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomes Hungary’s decision to leave the International Criminal Court, as the Israeli leader visits Budapest despite an ICC arrest warrant against him over war crimes in Gaza.
Langon (AFP) – In France, south of Bordeaux, the Maison Claude Darroze restaurant is fully booked. The eatery, a well-known spot for Girondine gastronomy for decades, has gambled on dropping its Michelin star status. “Starting a strategy with more attractive prices, of course, inevitably affects the wallet, brings more flow, more people coming,” says restaurant owner Jean-Charles Darroze.
Sagaing (AFP) – Earthquake victims in Sagaing, Myanmar, race to secure vital aid in the central Myanmar city, which was ravaged by the deadly 28 March quake. The city, just 14 kilometres from the epicentre, has suffered some of the worst damage and unreliable infrastructure, already run down by four years of civil war, has complicated efforts to provide relief. The death toll from the major quake has risen above 3,000, the ruling junta has said, with fears it could increase further.
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) (AFP) – Timelapse of the crescent moon passing by and superimposing over the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. IMAGES
Weltraum (AFP) – The first humans to take a spaceflight directly over Earth’s polar regions share images of Antarctica from an altitude of 460 kilometres. Mission commander Chun Wang shared the video on his X account after SpaceX launched “Fram2”, a days-long, privately funded orbital mission involving four astronauts.
Sagaing (Myanmar) (AFP) – Hundreds of people in Myanmar’s Sagaing line up for vital aid after the city was ravaged six days ago by a deadly earthquake. Sagaing lies just 14 kilometres (8.6 miles) from the epicentre of the quake, which flattened buildings across the country and killed at least 3,000 people.
Washington (AFP) – Countries have vowed to hit back at US President Donald Trump’s global tariffs onslaught, as markets tumble over fears his trade war would damage the world economy. Trump spared almost no nation on his “Liberation Day”, hitting friends and foes alike and reserving some of the harshest tariffs for major trade partners, including the EU and China.
Cannes (AFP) – Val Kilmer, one of the biggest Hollywood actors of the 1990s who shot to fame playing Iceman in the original “Top Gun”, has died of pneumonia aged 65 after a career of memorable hits and on-set bust ups.
Nikosia (AFP) – The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Deputy Special Adviser on Cyprus, Colin Stewart, hosts a meeting for Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar, in the buffer zone of the divided island. The meeting comes after talks on March 18 in Geneva that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said brought the first meaningful progress in years towards healing Cyprus’s divisions.
Paris (AFP) – Like the action in his widely acclaimed new film “Hard Truths”, veteran British director Mike Leigh swings between gratitude and despair as he reflects on his life and career. The 82-year-old is aware of the great fortune he has had to make more than a dozen films over a glittering five-decade run, including “Secrets and Lies” and “Vera Drake”.
Peking (AFP) – China warns Taiwan that “punishment will not stop” until its leaders stop pushing for what Beijing says is independence from the mainland. “We will never allow anyone, any force, in any way to separate Taiwan from China,” says foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun as China’s military holds a second day of drills around the island.
