AFP UK

Nations unies (Etats-Unis) (AFP) – Humanity has “broken the water cycle, destroyed ecosystems and contaminated groundwater,” the UN secretary-general says at the opening of the first major UN meeting on water resources in nearly half a century. “We are draining humanity’s lifeblood through vampiric overconsumption and unsustainable use, and evaporating it through global heating,” Antonio Guterres says, describing water as “a human right.” 

Nations unies (Etats-Unis) (AFP) – United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres declares the UN 2023 Water Conference open in New York, the first major conference on water resources in nearly half a century. 

Bucha (Ukraine) (AFP) – Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday made a surprise visit to Kyiv and Bucha, a town near the capital where Russian forces were accused of committing widespread atrocities. His trip comes as Chinese President Xi Jinping visits Moscow for talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, with the Ukraine conflict high on the agenda.

San Juan Teotihuacán (Mexico) (AFP) – From the air in hot-air balloons or at the bottom of the pyramids of Teotihuacan, Mexican and foreigner visitors gather at sunrise to welcome the spring on the day of the equinox. “Being here on the sun solstice is good to set an intention for the year, because this is the real new year,” says a tourist from Canada.

Tripoli (AFP) – As the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan approaches, people in Libya are preparing to go without coffee. Libyans have been drinking coffee since at least the 15th century, as beans from Yemen made their way along North African trade routes and into Europe. But when Italy occupied Libya in 1911, the country’s coffee culture adopted a new twist, with espressos taking the place of cardamom-tinted Arabic coffee.

Kampala (AFP) – Uganda’s parliament on Tuesday passed a bill that proposes tough new penalties for same-sex relationships, following a highly charged and chaotic session.

Nantes (France) (AFP) – In Nantes, thousands march with torches to protest against the government’s pension reform.

Donetsk Oblast (Ukraine) (AFP) – On the front lines in the Donetsk region, a Ukrainian tank platoon commander describes the difficulty of defending oneself while saving ammunition and time.

Washington (AFP) – Cherry blossoms draw nature lovers and amateur photographers to the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC. The flowers are due to peak bloom this week, and many woke up early to admire them.

Moscow (AFP) – Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrives at the Kremlin for formal talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the Ukraine conflict a closely-watched matter on the agenda. Although Putin had earlier told his counterpart that he was “open” to negotiations and to discussing Beijing’s plan for peace in Ukraine, he accuses Kyiv of not being willing to implement China’s proposals to end the fighting.

As Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow, foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin says Beijing will “continue to play a constructive role in promoting the political settlement” of the Ukraine war. Wenbin adds that Xi “stressed that voices for peace are growing” to Putin.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky implores the International Criminal Court to ensure “accountability” for Russia’s actions in Ukraine, adding that the world needs to see that “no one is above justice” and that “no one can make torture and filtration camps to exterminate a nation”. The address follows the issue on Friday of arrest warrants for President Vladimir Putin and his Commissioner for Children’s Rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, over the “illegal deportation” of Ukrainian children to Russia.