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.
Lviv (Ukraine) (AFP) – At a historic military cemetery in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, Valeriy Pushko lights up two cigarettes. One is for himself, the other for his son whose portrait is fixed to a cross planted in the ground.
Rovaniemi (Finland) (AFP) – A spectacular display of colourful lights illuminates the skies in Northern Finland caused by a powerful geomagnetic storm.
Munich (Germany) (AFP) – Newly-appointed Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel says being offered the position is an ‘honour’. Tuchel, 49, has replaced the sacked Julien Nagelsmann in charge of the six-time Champions League winners.
Siem Reap (Cambodia) (AFP) – A Cambodian airplane fanatic has built his house shaped like a private jet — despite never having been up in the air himself. Construction worker Chrach Peou spent his $20,000 life savings building the concrete plane.
Madrid (AFP) – Visitors are enjoying an up-close look at the history and innovation behind Formula 1 at the first official exhibition in Madrid. Among the exhibits are the remains of Romain Grosjean’s car that crashed and burst into flames at the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2020.
Lisse (Netherlands) (AFP) – Keukenhof, the world’s largest flower garden, opens its display of spring blooms to visitors, showcasing millions of blooming tulips, daffodils and other bulbs in the southern Netherlands.
