AFP UK

Williamstown (United States) (AFP) – A full-sized model of Noah’s Ark sitting in rural Kentucky promotes a worldview that draws visitors from across the United States — that the theory of evolution is false. The Ark Encounter and the associated Creation Museum espouse the belief that God literally created the Earth in six days around 4,000 BC. Evangelical Christians flock to see the spectacular staging and sharp denunciations of scientific facts such as that dinosaurs became extinct about 65 million years ago.

One of the poorest and most arid states in the world, the landlocked nation of Chad has been hit by exceptional floods that have affected hundreds of thousands of lives. In Walia, a poor neighbourhood to the south of the city, dozens of homes were ravaged last week after the Chari River burst its banks following torrential rains.

Washington (AFP) – President Joe Biden says the United States should increase domestic oil production to tackle higher pump prices since energy exporter Russia invaded Ukraine. The energy crunch means Americans “need to responsibly increase” US oil production, Biden says at the White House, “without delaying or deferring our transition to clean energy,” he adds.

Al Khor (Qatar) (AFP) – Qatar has become the first Middle East country to receive Chinese giant pandas — Suhail and Soraya — who, in true Gulf fashion, have taken up residence in luxury air-conditioned quarters.

Undefined (AFP) – General Sergey Surovikin, the Russian commander in charge of operations in Ukraine, says that the “situation is tense” for the Russian army in Ukraine. In the same video, Surovikin, known widely as “General Armageddon” says the situation is “not simple” but that the Russian army will ensure the “safety of civilians” in the region.

Taunton (United States) (AFP) – American farmers growing cranberries, a quintessential component to Thanksgiving feasts, have had to adapt their traditional methods to combat climate change. The tart red berries, boiled with a heaping dose of sugar to make classic cranberry sauce, thrive only in the right environment — but climate change threatens to make conditions more unpredictable and extreme.

Moscow (AFP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin declares martial law in the Ukraine regions Russia says it has annexed. “I have signed a decree on the introduction of martial law in these four subjects of the Russian Federation,” he confirms during a televised National Security Council meeting.

New York (AFP) – US actor Kevin Spacey arrives at the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York for the final days of his trial over accusations he sexually assaulted fellow actor Anthony Rapp when he was a minor. Rapp, who stars in the series “Star Trek: Discovery,” is claiming damages of $40 million against the two-time Oscar-winner for “emotional anguish,” for what allegedly happened in 1986, when he was 14 and Spacey was 26.

Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – In his nightly address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Moscow’s widespread use of Iranian-made drones in recent attacks on his country was a symbol of the Kremlin’s “military and political bankruptcy”.

Brussels (AFP) – The European Union is working towards fresh sanctions on Iran after collecting “sufficient evidence” it is supplying Russia with deadly drones for use in Ukraine, says Nabila Massrali, spokesperson for EU foreign policy.

Lima (AFP) – Thousands of Catholic devotees walk in procession in Lima to honour Señor de los Milagros (Lord of the Miracles), the most revered religious icon for Peruvians. The yearly ritual resumed after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

Lima (AFP) – Thousands of Catholic devotees walk in procession in Lima to honour Señor de los Milagros (Lord of the Miracles), the most revered religious icon for Peruvians. The yearly ritual resumed after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.