AFP UK

London (AFP) – “For too long, the UK has been a soft touch” on irregular migration, says UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer as he hosts a major summit in London. Starmer is seeking to crack down on would-be asylum seekers arriving in England on flimsy small boats and has brought together delegates from more than 40 nations for a two-day meeting. “Since coming to office, I can announce today, we’ve returned more than 24,000 people who have no right to be here,” says Starmer. Starmer’s summit is designed to build on a plan that Britain, Belgium, Germany, France and the Netherlands signed in December to boost cooperation against irregular migration.

Mandalay (Myanmar) (AFP) – Hundreds of grieving Muslims gather for Eid prayers in Mandalay outside two mosques devastated by Myanmar’s 7.7-magnitude earthquake. “It feels like facing the end of the world,” says Sandar Aye, who lost her son when a mosque collapsed in the earthquake.

New Delhi (AFP) – Muslims in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Indonesia and Syria gather to offer Eid al-Fitr prayer, marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

Mandalay (Myanmar) (AFP) – Hundreds of Muslims gather for the first Eid prayer in Mandalay, Myanmar, near two mosques that were destroyed in Friday’s devastating earthquake. The 7.7-magnitude earthquake has killed at least 1,700 people in Myanmar. IMAGES

Paris (AFP) – The sun is shining in Paris, but the air remains cool. Around 70 people bathe in the 12-degree water of the Bassin de la Villette for the “Coupe de Paris”, an event organised by brave Parisians who are making the most of the water purification measures implemented by the Paris City Hall ahead of the Olympic Games.

Vares (Bosnia and Herzegovina) (AFP) – Josip Jelinic, a physiotherapist and recent Catholic evangelist, was born during the war in Bosnia and has no memories of it. The 32-year-old is on a pilgrimage across the country, carrying an eight-kilogram crucifix and a Bosnian flag strapped to his backpack, to pay tribute to victims from all three communities that make up the country – Bosnian Muslims, Orthodox Serbs and Catholic Croats.

Paso Canoas (Costa Rica) (AFP) – Marwa fled Afghanistan because she wanted to study, work, wear jeans, and go to the park without needing a male chaperone. Now, locked in a shelter in Costa Rica with a hundred deportees from the United States, she fears she will be sent back. “I will die there… The Taliban will kill me,” she says.

Kannur (India) (AFP) – Indians celebrate at the Theyyam dance festival at a local temple in the Kannur, a city in southern India. Theyyam dancers wear heavy make-up, flamboyant costumes and headgear to honour Hindu deities.

Newcastle (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Newcastle becomes a sea of black and white as 150,000 fans line the city’s streets to celebrate the Magpies’ League Cup success with an open top bus parade. A 2-1 victory over Liverpool on March 16 saw Newcastle win their first major trophy since 1969 and first domestic cup for 70 years.

Bangkok (AFP) – A construction worker tells AFP how he cheated death when a 30-storey Bangkok skyscraper collapsed in mere seconds after a massive earthquake hit Myanmar and Thailand. Burmese worker Khin Aung, who is searching for his brother, is one of many tearful family members gathering at the remains of the crumbled building, clinging to shreds of hope that their loved ones who were working when it fell might be found alive.

Birmingham (AFP) – Leader of the anti-immigration Reform UK Nigel Farage says his party would create a UK version of the US’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) if elected. Farage was speaking at a rally to launch his party’s campaign ahead of local elections in parts of the UK and the first major by-election test for Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer since he was elected.

Ronda (AFP) – People gather to witness a partial solar eclipse in the southern Spanish town of Ronda. The partial eclipse, visible across swathes of the Northern Hemisphere, is the first of the year and the 17th this century.