Vatican City (AFP) – Pope Francis underlines his “deep concern” over a flare-up in tensions between Israel and Palestinians, as he leads Easter Mass. He says the renewed violence “threatens the desired climate of trust and mutual respect needed to resume dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians,” as he addresses a crowd of tens of thousands gathered in Saint Peter’s Square.
Marseille (AFP) – The collapse of a four-storey apartment building in the centre of Marseille, France’s second largest city, has left at least five people injured. The fire brigade was on the scene through the night and into the morning, searching the rubble for possible victims.
London (AFP) – British cheese makers are producing a wider variety of soft cheeses — often influenced by France — alongside traditional British hard cheeses such as Stilton and Cheddar as the number of producers grows.
Taipei (AFP) – United States Representative Michael McCaul says during a trip to Taipei that the US will follow through on its promise “deliver weapons” as he calls for democracies of the world to “stand together against tyranny.”
Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky takes part in Iftar, the meal breaking the daily fast during the holy month of Ramadan, and gives a speech during which he criticises Russia’s treatment of the Muslim-minority Tatar community in Kremlin-controlled Crimea.
Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Every morning, pensioner Valentyn Dudkin takes his trombone with him outside his block of flats and plays the Ukrainian national anthem. He is supported every day by his wife Valentyna, who holds the Ukrainian flag. Valentyn is often joined by his neighbours for the morning ‘concert’.
Dong Nai (Vietnam) (AFP) – A thick layer of dust from the construction of a huge airport in Vietnam has been blanketing nearby neighbourhoods for months. Located 40 kilometres from Ho Chi Minh City, the four-runway Long Thanh airport is forecast to transport 100 million passengers and five million tonnes of cargo annually once finished.
Brussels (AFP) – For those working on the frontline of Europe’s war on drugs, breaks are rare, even at Easter. Belgian customs officials have discovered a batch of ‘chocolate’ bunnies made from solid MDMA, a total of 2kg of the raw material used to make the party drug ecstasy. Belgium is known as the gateway to Europe for Latin American cocaine, but the country is now also increasingly being used as a hub for European-made synthetic drugs being sent around the world. “People are now buying on the dark web” explains Florence Angelici, a spokesperson for the Belgian Finance Ministry, “with a few clicks, you buy what you want.”
Tzucacab (Mexico) (AFP) – As night falls in Mexico’s Yucatan jungle, veterinarian Omar Garcia extracts blood and fluids from a bat as part of an investigation aimed at preventing the next potential pandemic. The goal of the project is to detect zoonoses, diseases transmitted from animals to humans. As well as disease detection, the project also speaks to communities in areas at risk, like the Yucatan peninsula, where deforestation has brought humans into closer proximity with wild and disease-bearing animals.
Pingtan (China) (AFP) – Images of a Chinese warship and helicopters deployed to the Taiwan strait on Friday, two days after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The meeting sparked an angry reaction from Beijing, which vowed a “firm and forceful” response.
Taoyuan (Taiwan) (AFP) – Returning to Taiwan after a round of diplomatic visits, President Tsai Ing-wen thanks “all my fellow citizens, both at home and abroad…for your solidarity and cooperation”. Tsai has been visiting Taiwan’s remaining allies in Latin America and on Wednesday travelled north to meet US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a rendezvous that sparked fury in Beijing.
Beijing (AFP) – Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning says the “Taiwan question is not an issue of democracy” and “some countries exaggerate the false narrative of democracy versus authoritarianism” in an attempt to contain China, an approach she goes on to describe as “extremely dangerous.”
