Washington (AFP) – The United States, which recently held talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia, urges the two nations to seize peace initiatives after fresh clashes. SOUNDBITE
Washington (AFP) – The United States says it welcomes South Africa’s promise to probe allegations of arms shipments to Russia after Washington angered Pretoria by going public with a charge of covert weapons.
Rennes (France) (AFP) – Hundreds of young people take to the streets in Rennes, eastern France, to protest against the unpopular pension reform put forward by President Macron. “As young people… we need to show our opposition” says one of those voicing anger at the plans to raise the age of retirement from 62 to 64.
Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – A special art installation has popped up, In the centre of Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, of a postage stamp depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin facing trial. It has replaced another installation which illustrated the Kremlin burning and collapsing.
Images shared on social media show vehicles on fire and a thick column of black smoke rising from the Porta Romana area of Milan, northern Italy, after a van carrying oxygen cylinders exploded in the morning. Officials say the explosion destroyed a dozen vehicles but no one was injured.
The stakes are high in the world of Parisian baguettes, and one baker has won it all. “I cried” says Tharshan Selvarajah, a baker of Sri Lankan origin, describing the moment he found out that his stick had won the title of Best Baguette in Paris. This year’s competition holds extra significance, being the first since the iconic French bread was added to UNESCO’s list of the world’s intangible heritage.
Migrants who have recently made it to the US arrive in buses from detention centers to reunite with family members for the first time after being separated at the US-Mexico border near Brownsville’s bus station, in Texas.
Ciudad Juárez (Mexico) (AFP) – Migrants at the southern US border are facing a significant technological hurdle, as an app launched by the Biden administration throws up some frustrating issues. The “CBP One” app was launched in January with the aim of managing asylum claims following the expiration of Title 42, a Trump-era piece of legislation with the stated purpose of stopping migrants infected with Covid-19 from entering the country.
Geneva (AFP) – An unprecedented 71.1 million people were registered as internally displaced in 2022 — up 20 percent from a year earlier — amid mass displacement caused by factors including Russia’s war in Ukraine and the monsoon floods in Pakistan. Alexandra Bilak, Director of the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, warns that the findings of the body’s latest annual report “paint a rather bleak picture of the world”.
Las Vegas (AFP) – Known as an oasis of overindulgence, the desert city of Las Vegas has emerged as a model of austerity and prudence when it comes to water. Its water patrol cars hunt residential neighborhoods for broken sprinklers and leaky hoses.
London (AFP) – In a speech to Parliament, UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace announces that the UK government will supply Storm Shadow long-range missiles to Ukraine to use in its war againt Russia. By doing so, the UK will become the first country to provide longer-range weapons to Kyiv. “I can confirm that the UK is donating Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine,” says Ben Wallace. SOUNDBITE
Berlin (AFP) – German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock says Gaza “bloodshed” must end, after a meeting with her counterparts from Egypt, France and Jordan in Berlin, Germany.
