Brüssel (AFP) – NATO chief Mark Rutte insists that US President Donald Trump has not undermined the alliance’s Article 5 collective defence pledge. “Article 5, he has not undercut. He has committed to NATO, he has committed to Article 5,” Rutte tells AFP during an interview in Brussels.
Bangui (AFP) – Dancers from the Central African Republic’s (CAR) National Ballet rehearse traditional moves and steps from the country’s mosaic of ethnic groups in the capital, Bangui. They aim to preserve the heritage of a country scarred by decades of conflict, instability and extreme poverty. The dancers were recently integrated into the civil service, just like the actors and musicians who also belong to the National Artistic Ensemble.
Preah Vihear (AFP) – A landmine-hunting rat in Cambodia has set a new world record by sniffing out more than 100 mines and pieces of unexploded ordnance. Ronin, a giant African pouched rat, has tracked down 109 landmines and 15 other potentially deadly war remnants since his deployment to northern Preah Vihear province in August 2021, the Belgian charity APOPO says.
Seoul (AFP) – South Korea’s Constitutional Court upholds President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment over his disastrous martial law declaration, voting unanimously to strip him of office for violating the constitution.
Toluca (Mexique) (AFP) – Images of the Stellantis plant in Toluca, Mexico. The auto giant has announced it is pausing production in Mexico, where it makes Dodge cars and RAM trucks. IMAGES
Maiquetía (Venezuela) (AFP) – A plane carrying more than 300 Venezuelan migrants lands in Venezuela’s international airport in Maiquetia. The plane comes from Mexico but the Venezuelan migrants were originally in the United States, announces Diosdado Cabello, Venezuela’s Minister of Interior and Justice, who was on the tarmac waiting for the plane. There were 313 Venezuelans in the plane according to Cabello. IMAGES
Amsterdam (AFP) – A small crowd gathers for the inauguration of a ‘stolperstein’, or ‘stumbling block’, in a street in east Amsterdam, where it honours the life of Ilse Wagner, a Jewish girl who was deported from the Netherlands and killed by the Nazis in the Sobibor extermination camp. Wagner’s name is familiar to those who have read Anne Frank’s diary, as she was a friend of the young writer. “This is beautiful,” says Helen Romain-Levien, a relative of Wagner.
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
