AFP UK

Taoyuan (Taiwan) (AFP) – Taiwan’s ex-president Ma Ying-jeou travels to China, embarking on the first cross-strait visit by a current or former leader of the island in more than seven decades. Ma’s 12-day trip will not involve any official meetings, his office said, with his focus on paying tribute to his ancestors and promoting youth exchanges. Ma is a senior leader of the KMT, which is currently in opposition in Taiwan and advocates for warmer ties with China, but denies being pro-Beijing.

Mexico City (AFP) – Each spring, as people in Japan celebrate the cherry blossom season, Mexicans enjoy their own version of the cherished tradition thanks to the century-old legacy of a Japanese landscape gardener. In Mexico, however, it is not cherry trees but blooming jacarandas that turn the capital into a sea of violet.

Jerusalem (AFP) – Israelis opposed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul plan set up bonfires and block a highway during a protest moments after the Israeli leader fired his defence minister.

Ornans (France) (AFP) – “Thank you for making me feel alive a little”, says one resident after a visit from Dounka the therapy horse. For a few hours, the nine-year-old brown mare brings good vibes and a sense of well-being to residents of a care home in eastern France.

Masaya (Nicaragua) (AFP) – Owners dress up their pets for a party that brings together hundreds of dogs in a Nicaraguan church, where they give thanks or ask Saint Lazarus for miracles for their sick friends.

Chasiv Yar (Ukraine) (AFP) – Galyna hunches over her small garden in Chasiv Yar, her frail silhouette in stark contrast with the powerful tanks rumbling past her home near the frontline in eastern Ukraine.

Moscow (AFP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin says he will deploy tactical nuclear weapons in neighbour and ally Belarus, bringing the arms to a country at the gates of the European Union and drawing the ire of the NATO alliance who condemned the announcement as “dangerous and irresponsible”.

Park City (United States) (AFP) – Actress Gwyneth Paltrow takes the stand in her US trial over a skiing accident seven years ago, telling a Utah courtroom that the man suing her had crashed into her from behind and was at fault for the collision.

Rolling Fork (United States) (AFP) – Outside, houses are torn open and trees lie with their roots in the air. Inside, stretchers are lined up in front of tables overflowing with food. In Rolling Fork, Mississippi, where a tornado caused chaos and death, volunteers are pouring in from surrounding towns to help.

Taipei (AFP) – Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen says that Honduras’ decision to break diplomatic relations with Taipei in favour of China is ‘regrettable’. The switch by the Central American nation cuts to 13 the number of countries that still diplomatically recognise Taiwan, which has lost several Latin American allies in recent years.

Villanueva de Viver (Spain) (AFP) – Some 700 firefighters are battling Spain’s first major forest fire of the year, which is raging out of control 48 hours after it began.

Seoul (AFP) – A zebra that escaped its pen and roamed for hours through the South Korean capital, captivating the internet and sparking thousands of memes, is safely back at the zoo, officials say. Sero the zebra is back in his pen in a “stable condition, healthy and sound,” an official at the Seoul Children’s Grand Park said, after the animal spent three hours Thursday trotting along roads and dodging cars before he was finally cornered by park wardens. Sero, aged 3, was tranquilised and caught using a safety fence after he entered a narrow alleyway, before being returned to the zoo.