AFP UK

Warren (United States) (AFP) – Surrounded by cheering supporters in Michigan and his rally staple song “Y.M.C.A.” blasting out, US President Donald Trump touts the “most successful first 100 days of any administration in the history of our country.” But polls show Americans becoming disenchanted with the economic and political tumult. A poll published on 27 April by The Washington Post and ABC News found that 39 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s performance.

Versailles (France) (AFP) – With 70 years since its last restoration, the Diane Salon in France’s Palace of Versailles is getting a makeover. The room served as an entertainment room during the reign of King Louis XIV.

Bukittinggi (Indonesia) (AFP) – The recent birth of a female Sumatran tiger cub at a zoo in Indonesia has boosted hopes for the critically endangered species. There are currently fewer than 90 Sumatran tigers at conservation agencies around the world, while the estimated population in the wild is around 600. Deforestation and illegal hunting are the main threats to their existence.

Santo Domingo (AFP) – Dominican Foreign Minister Roberto Alvarez welcomes his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Santo Domingo. IMAGES

Beijing (AFP) – China says its EU ties “inject precious stability” into the global economy and trade. Beijing is seeking closer relations with the bloc as its trade war with Washington persists.

Paju (South Korea) (AFP) – The Daonsoop cafe in Paju, South Korea, is so close to the North Korean border that to obtain a building permit its owners, both the children of North Korean refugees, had to construct the property with a bunker. Once a year, the bunker is requisitioned by the army for military exercises, but the rest of the time it is used by cartoonist Kim Dae-nyeon to display his artwork. N°43PD8G4

Ahmedabad (India) (AFP) – India’s Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation demolishes more than 50 small huts and farmhouses of Bangladeshi migrants in a sweeping crackdown in the western state of Gujarat, aimed at identifying and deporting undocumented migrants.

Madrid (AFP) – Spain’s grid operator rules out a cyberattack as the cause of a sweeping blackout that sparked chaos for millions of people across the Iberian Peninsula. Authorities are still trying to establish the cause of the crisis, with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez urging people “not to speculate”.

Chakothi (Pakistan) (AFP) – Pulling logs and dusty building materials from a storage bunker outside his home in Kashmir, Riaz Awan readies the underground space to house his family as they brace for clashes between Pakistan and India to reach their border village.

Moscow (AFP) – Muscovites express hope for a peace with Ukraine, after Russian President Vladimir Putin orders a truce on May 8-10 to coincide with Moscow’s World War II commemorations. The announcement has drawn ire from Ukraine which demands that Russia pause hostilities immediately.

Madrid (AFP) – People queue in the streets of Madrid to buy radios amid yesterday’s power outage, which forced metros, supermarkets and offices to shut down. “Just thinking about ways of communicating and looking for means of communication, I suddenly thought that radio was the only thing that could work,” says Vicente Navarro, a musician.

Baku (AFP) – Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian meets with his Azerbaijani counterpart in a rare visit to Baku, the latest sign of a thaw in relations between the two neighbours. During the meeting Pezeshkian says that Iran sees the region of Karabakh as “an inseparable part of Azerbaijan.” Over the past four decades Azerbaijan has fought two wars with Armenia over the mountainous region of Karabakh. Azerbaijan seized the entire area in a 24-hour offensive in September 2023.