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Vereinte Nationen (AFP) – The United Nations condemns Russia for holding presidential elections in parts of Ukraine occupied by Moscow’s invading forces. If President Vladimir Putin completes another Kremlin term, he would stay in power longer than any Russian leader since Catherine the Great in the 18th century. He is running unchallenged, having barred two candidates who opposed the conflict in Ukraine and around one month after his main opponent, Alexei Navalny, died in an Arctic prison in unexplained circumstances.

Berlin (AFP) – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hosts French President Emmanuel Macron after tensions between the leaders recently blew out into the open over differences on how to support Ukraine. Scholz’s refusal to provide long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine has frustrated European partners. Conversely, the chancellor reacted angrily to Macron’s refusal to rule out sending troops to Ukraine.

Mexiko-Stadt (AFP) – Around 200 Mexicans take a siesta together in the centre of Mexico City to celebrate World Sleep Day. According to event organizer Guadalupe Teran, one of the aims is to encourage companies to allow more time for rest.

Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemns a Russian strike on the southern port city of Odesa that killed at least 20 people and wounded dozens more, according to local authorities. Zelensky denounces the strike as “a very vile attack”, adding that paramedics and rescuers who had rushed to the scene were among the dead and injured.

Mukono (Uganda) (AFP) – At the Bumbash Wrestling Academy in Mukono, a group of young Ugandans train with the hope of making the cut on the global stage with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in the United States. Despite the challenges of poverty and spartan living conditions, the wrestlers nonetheless remain hopeful of pursuing their dream of international glory.

Tokyo (AFP) – Residents and visitors to Tokyo have woken up to the rosy spectacle of the early blooming cherry flowers in the Japanese capital, a week ahead of the sakura season’s official start. Last year, Tokyo’s official cherry blossom season began 10 days earlier than usual, with the country’s meteorologists linking the early blooms to climate change.

Semarang (Indonesia) (AFP) – Floods inundate the streets of Semarang in Central Java, bringing much of the Indonesian city to a halt after torrential rains and tidal floods pounded the coastal area for days. Large areas of Indonesia’s archipelago of 17,000 islands are prone to flooding during the tropical country’s rainy season from November to March.

Moscow (AFP) – Voters across Russia go to the polls as the country’s three-day presidential election gets underway, with the vote set to hand Vladimir Putin another six-year term. Victory will allow the former KGB agent to stay in the Kremlin until at least 2030, longer than any Russian leader since Catherine the Great in the eighteenth century and eclipsing Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.

Hwange (Zimbabwe) (AFP) – Running into elephants or a pack of hyenas on the way to school is not an unusual experience for kids living near a nature reserve in northwest Zimbabwe. To reduce the risk of being attacked by wild animals, dozens of schoolchildren have been given bicycles to reduce the time they spend on foot during their journeys to and from class.

Beijing (AFP) – A spat has erupted between the US and China after the American House of Representatives passed a bill forcing the video-sharing app TikTok to sever ties with its Chinese parent company or be banned in the United States. TikTok has soared in popularity worldwide, but its ownership by Chinese technology giant ByteDance — and alleged subservience to Beijing’s ruling Communist Party — has fuelled national security concerns in Western capitals.