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Vatican City (AFP) – Pope Francis presides over Easter Mass in St Peter’s Square, ahead of his “Urbi et Orbi” blessing, amid concerns about the 87-year-old pontiff’s patchy health.

Pantin (France) (AFP) – At a time when the Paris 2024 Olympic Games are set to usher in a new era for open water swimming in the Seine, a group of intrepid swimmers known as “Ourcq Polaires” meet up every week in the Ourcq canal, defying the 1923 swimming ban, to enjoy the benefits of cold water swimming and rediscover a “natural” environment.

La Roche-Posay (France) (AFP) – Heavy rain and overflowing rivers flood parts of western France, causing at least one disappearance and the mobilisation of more than 500 firefighters. In La Roche-Posay, western France, the river Creuse is expected to rise close to the all-time 1896 record of 7m3.

Deir el-Balah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Displaced Gazans set up a tent-like structure made of food cans delivered to the war-torn strip through aid packages, an attempt to “think out of the box” and show the world their dependence on aid deliveries, amid the humanitarian crisis brought by the deadly Israel-Hamas war.

Peruvian investigative police break down the door of President Dina Boluarte’s home as part of an ongoing corruption investigation related to undisclosed luxury watches. IMAGES

Belgorod Region (Russia) (AFP) – In Russia’s Belgorod region, near the Ukrainian border, children are being evacuated by train after regional authorities announced 9,000 minors would be moved to other regions. The move follows weeks of deadly bombardment from Kyiv in the region, repeatedly targeted since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Hong Kong (AFP) – Behind the doors of a terracotta-pink building with sloping arches is a facility unlike any other in Hong Kong — the city’s sole crematorium where bereaved parents can say goodbye to their unborn babies, an option only offered since 2018 for foetuses under 24 weeks.

Brussels (Belgium) (AFP) – Daft Punk, Bjork and Aphex Twin. All of electronic music’s greatest artists have passed through the Fuse in Brussels, one of the most iconic clubs in Europe. This year, having fended off noise complaints and endured temporary closure, the venue is celebrating its 30th anniversary, with clubbing now on the list of intangible heritage for the Brussels region.

Tunis (AFP) – With dancing, music, and even fire eaters, Tunis lights up for the third edition of the “Medina of Lights”, an event which takes place during the holy fasting month of Ramadan in the old city of the Tunisian capital.

Mymensingh (Bangladesh) (AFP) – Transgender hijra people in Bangladesh opened the Muslim-majority country’s first mosque for their community early this month, heralding a new era for the much-discriminated group.

Port-au-Prince (AFP) – “It’s up to the Haitians to unite to resolve this crisis”, says a resident of Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, the country being in the grip of a “cataclysmic” situation according to the UN and awaiting a political transition since the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry. Haïti, qui vivait déjà une profonde crise politique et sécuritaire, est en proie à un regain de violences depuis le début du mois, lorsque plusieurs gangs ont uni leurs forces pour attaquer des lieux stratégiques de Port-au-Prince.

Jerusalem (AFP) – Muslim devotees attend Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan in the Old City of Jerusalem.