Sydney (AFP) – Australian opposition leader Anthony Albanese says he wants to ‘unite the country’ after casting his vote in the federal election which will decide the country’s next prime minister.
Sydney (AFP) – Anthony Albanese, leader of the centre-left Labor Party and favourite to become Australia’s next prime minister, votes in Sydney.
Antibes (France) (AFP) – From the make-up session in a bathrobe to the red carpet in a gorgeous designer gown, Indian actress and model Pooja Hegde says “her heart is in her throat” as she prepares for her first Cannes film festival.
Belo Horizonte (Brazil) (AFP) – The Public Defender’s Office of the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil fulfils the dreams of 50 couples in its fifth community wedding. The initiative is aimed at low-income couples, who cannot afford the cost of a private wedding.
Kouvola (Finland) (AFP) – With the shadow of neighbouring Russia’s war in Ukraine looming large, Finland’s conscripts conduct military drills, keeping the rust off their mortars and rifles as the Nordic nation prepares for the worst. Breaking with a long-standing non-alignment in military matters, Finland officially applied to become a member of NATO in response to Russia’s invasion.
Saint-Germain-en-Laye (France) (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino insists he has no idea where Kylian Mbappe will play next season as the striker’s contract in the French capital comes to an end. Mbappe is expected to reveal in the coming days whether he will join Real Madrid or accept a lucrative offer to stay at PSG.
Unknown (AFP) – Ukraine’s last soldiers still in Mariupol’s besieged Azovstal steelworks have been ordered by Kyiv to stop fighting, says a commander of the far-right Azov battalion leading the trapped units. The soldiers, blockaded in the giant steelworks for weeks, have become a symbol of Ukraine’s fierce resistance to Russia’s invasion.
Königswinter (Germany) (AFP) – G7 industrialised nations have pledged $19.8 billion (18.7 billion euros) to shore up Ukraine’s public finances as Kyiv battles Russia’s invasion, says German Finances minister Christian Lindner. of Christian Lindner
London (AFP) – A British company is among a new breed of businesses offering electric conversions for classic vehicles. London Electric Cars removes petrol or diesel engines and replaces them with power trains from Nissan Leaf or Tesla models. On their current order books are a Lincoln Continental bound for Dubai, an orange VW camper van and a classic Bentley, but founder Matthew Quitter says newer cars are also sent for conversion to stop the vehicles’ tailpipe emissions and extend their working life.
Seoul (AFP) – Protesters scuffle with police near US president Joe Biden’s hotel in South Korea’s capital Seoul as they call for the United States to remove military from the country, among other demands.
Boston (AFP) – Boston’s Ukrainian community gathers to celebrate “Vyshyvanka Day,” a normally light-hearted annual celebration of Ukrainian folk traditions that this year is being viewed as a symbol of national unity against Russia’s invasion.
Pyaeongtaek (South Korea) (AFP) – President Joe Biden lands in South Korea for his first trip to Asia as US leader, aiming to cement ties with regional security allies as concern over a North Korean nuclear test grows.
