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Paris (AFP) – The French baguette — “250 grams of magic and perfection”, in the words of President Emmanuel Macron, and a quintessential part of French life — was given UNESCO heritage status on Wednesday.

Bucharest (AFP) – “China is very important to push Russia to an agreement,” says Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani at the start of a NATO ministerial meeting in Bucharest. The second day of talks is due to focus on Russia’s Eastern neighbours, the Western Balkans but also China.

Antofagasta (Chile) (AFP) – It may be one of the driest places on Earth — a brutal, alien landscape where life seems impossible. But Chile’s massive Atacama Desert is a unique and fragile ecosystem that experts say is being threatened by piles of trash dumped there from around the world. Mountains of discarded clothing and rows upon rows of scrapped tires and cars blight at least three regions of the desert in northern Chile.

Minsk (AFP) – Maria Kolesnikova, the last remaining protest leader still in Belarus, has been admitted to intensive care in hospital, according to her allies. Kolesnikova is serving an 11 year prison sentence after being accused of “plotting to seize power” in 2021. PROFILE of Maria Kolesnikova, Belarus opposition figure

Brussels (AFP) – EU chief Ursula von der Leyen floats the idea of a “specialised court” to put Russia’s top officials on trial for the war in Ukraine. “While continuing to support the International Criminal Court, we are proposing to set up a specialised court backed by the United Nations to investigate and prosecute Russia’s crime of aggression,” she says in a video statement.

Madrid (AFP) – Images show emergency services gathered outside the Ukrainian embassy in spain. An employee of Ukraine’s embassy in Madrid was “lightly” injured Wednesday when a letter bomb blew up as he handled it, according to a police source. IMAGES

Brussels (AFP) – The European Commission recommends that 13 billion euros ($13 billion) in EU funds for Hungary be frozen because Budapest is falling short on its commitments to meet European rule of law. “The ‘essential milestones’ must all be met in full before Hungary can submit its payment request,” commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis tells a news conference in Brussels.

Bucharest (AFP) – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemns Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure as “barbaric” after a meeting with NATO counterparts in Bucharest.

Washington (AFP) – French President Emmanuel Macron meets with US Vice President Kamala Harris during a meeting on space cooperation at NASA’s headquarters in Washington.

Washington (AFP) – French President Emmanuel Macron meets with US Vice President Kamala Harris during a meeting on space cooperation at NASA’s headquarters in Washington.

Saint-Rome-de-Cernon (France) (AFP) – Soon to be a hundred years old, Roquefort PDO is the oldest cheese in France. But, Lactalis, a major industrialist in the sector, is criticised by some for hurting the industry and lowering milk prices.

Sao Paulo (AFP) – The streets of Brazil are filled with fans wearing green and yellow every time the national team plays in the World Cup in Qatar. Beyond the official team jersey, fans wear innovative looks following the trend known as “Brazilcore,” a streetwear fashion heavy on symbols of national pride and the colours of the flag.