Bakhmut (Ukraine) (AFP) – Drone images from the state-run Russian news agency RIA-Novosti show the scale of desctruction in Ukraine’s eastern city of Bakhmut, the scene of the longest-running battle of Russia’s year-long offensive.
Crotone (Italy) (AFP) – Police inspect the scene at the beach where the wreckage of a ship can be seen strewn across the sand, in the Croton area of Italy. At least 27 people died in the wreck after their migrant boat sank at dawn.
New York (AFP) – The Metropolitan Opera holds a concert to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s war, with Ukrainian soloists Dmytro Popov and Vladyslav Buialskyi. They play the national anthem and “Prayer for Ukraine” by Valentin Silvestrov in the presence of Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations.
Pasir Gudang (Malaysia) (AFP) – Giant inflatable sea creatures and cartoon characters hover above a field as kite enthusiasts from around the world gather at the 25th Pasir Gudang World Kite Festival, for the first time since 2019.
London (AFP) – David Hockney’s first immersive show opens to the public in London offering a hypnotic, multi-sensory journey through the British artist’s decades-long career, from sun-drenched California swimming pools to the Normandy countryside.
Abuja (AFP) – Electoral officials ready for the opening of a polling station in Abuja on Saturday as Nigerians go to the polls in a closely fought election. Nigerians are voting for a successor to President Muhammadu Buhari in a tightly fought race dominated by three political veterans.
New York (United States) (AFP) – Demonstrators gather in Times Square in New York City to mark the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine.
Bengaluru (India) (AFP) – French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire joins German Finance Minister Christian Lindner in insisting that any joint statement from the ongoing G20 finance ministers meeting must mention “war”. The comments come after reports that host India wanted to avoid using the word. Hosting a raft of Group of 20 meetings during its presidency this year puts India in an awkward position, as it has refused to condemn the invasion of Ukraine by its “time-tested friend” Russia.
Paris (AFP) – Shaken in the last 20 years by competition from Asia, Portugal’s textile industry has found its footing again and become a major player, supplying firms not just in Europe but also in the United States. The industry has benefited from its flexibility and inexpensive labour along with a spirit of innovation focused on limiting damage to the environment.
Carmen de Carupa (Colombia) (AFP) – In Carmen de Carupa, 100 km north of Bogota, scientists have set up a reseach project in an attempt to save “native” potatoes, more resistant to climate change but threatened by lack of commercial interest in Colombia. In this region, extreme temperature changes and heavy rainfall as a result of global warming have forced many farmers to stop growing potatoes.
Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – President Volodymyr Zelensky hails his nation and its people for fighting back against Russia over the past year on the one-year anniversary of the war. “Ukraine has surprised the world. Ukraine has inspired the world. Ukraine has united the world,” he says.
Tallinn (AFP) – NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg says that Ukrainians “will no doubt prevail” in their battle against Russia despite “a dark year of despair and destruction” since Moscow’s invasion.
