Ecuador (AFP) – Images show damaged buildings after a shallow 6.3-magnitude earthquake left at least one person injured and caused power outages in the Ecuadoran port city of Esmeraldas. IMAGES
Neu Delhi (AFP) – Members of the youth wing of India’s main opposition Congress party protest in the wake of an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people. Waving Indian flags, the activists march through the capital, New Delhi, demanding perpetrators be brought to justice. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to punish those responsible after his government blamed arch-rival Pakistan for backing the killings.
Bhaktapur (AFP) – Ten years ago, on April 25, 2015, the ground beneath Nepal shuddered with a magnitude 7.8 earthquake, killing nearly 9,000 people, injuring over 22,000 and leaving millions homeless. Much has been rebuilt, but experts question if the lessons learnt have been adequately embraced in order to cope with future disasters.
Moskau (AFP) – Russia’s Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes, says it has launched a criminal investigation after an explosive device ripped through a parked car in Balashikha, near Moscow, killing a senior Russian general.
Rom (AFP) – Rome’s Gammarelli tailors traditionally prepare the vestments for the new pope, but this time say they have not been asked by the Vatican. Store owner Lorenzo Gammarelli thinks the Vatican will choose one of the many cassocks not used from previous elections. Once Pope Francis is laid to rest, the Vatican will announce a secret conclave in which red-hatted cardinals from around the world will vote for a new pope.
Islamabad (AFP) – Pakistan’s foreign ministry says Islamabad would consider any attempt by India to stop the supply of water from the Indus River an “act of war”. During a weekly briefing, the ministry’s spokesperson lists a string of measures against India, which has blamed Pakistan for backing a deadly shooting attack in contested Kashmir.
Vatikanstadt (AFP) – People queue inside St Peter’s Basilica to pay their last respects to the late Pope Francis, whose coffin will be closed at 8:00 pm on Friday (1800 GMT) in a ceremony attended by senior cardinals before his funeral on 26 April.
Islamabad (AFP) – Activists of Pakistan’s Markazi Muslim League (MML) party hold an anti-India protest in the wake of an attack in the Indian-administered part of disputed Kashmir that killed 26 people. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to punish those responsible after his government blamed arch-rival Pakistan for backing the killings. Pakistan denies any role in the attack.
Kiew (AFP) – A Russian missile attack on Kyiv has killed at least ten and wounded dozens in one of the deadliest strikes on the Ukrainian capital since Russia launched its invasion more than three years ago. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky cut short a visit to South Africa to urgently return to Kyiv.
Argenteuil (AFP) – Armed with 4,000 eggs and a truckload of sugar and cream, French pastry chefs complete a 121.8 metre-long strawberry cake, which Guinness World Records have recognised to be the world’s longest ever made. Youssef El Gatou brought together 20 chefs to make the 1.2-tonne masterpiece that took a week to complete and is set out on tables in an ice rink in the Paris suburb town of Argenteuil for residents to inspect.
Istanbul (AFP) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says “all units of the state are mobilised” after a 6.2 magnitude earthquake shook Istanbul and nearby cities on 23 April. “These days are not for politics but for unity, solidarity, and remembering our brotherhood as a nation,” Erdogan adds during the opening ceremony of the UEFA’s Istanbul Office.
Tel Aviv (AFP) – Israelis in Tel Aviv observe two minutes of silence as sirens wail across the country to mark the annual Holocaust Remembrance Day, which commemorates the six million Jews killed in World War II.
