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Huntington Beach (United States) (AFP) – Polls begin closing on “Super Tuesday,” the biggest day of the year in the US presidential primaries, with Donald Trump expected to cement his hold on the Republican nomination and set up a rematch with President Joe Biden in November. Super Tuesday typically decides Republican and Democratic primaries in the giant states of California and Texas, as well as more than a dozen other battlegrounds, and can make or break would-be presidents’ White House ambitions.

Vatican City (AFP) – It’s still dark outside when Gianni Crea pushes open the imposing entrance door to the Vatican Museums, a heavy ring of keys in his hand. Soon he is moving through the deserted corridors to open the doors of some of the most visited galleries in the world, containing masterpieces by Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci or Caravaggio.

Prague (AFP) – French President Emmanuel Macron calls on Ukraine’s allies not to be “cowards” in the face of Russia’s invasion, after having received criticism for his proposal to send Western soldiers to fight on the ground in Ukraine. Macron’s comments come on a visit to Prague where he intends to clarify his country’s standpoint on a Czech plan to buy weapons outside Europe to help Kyiv’s war effort.

Israel-Gaza Border (Israel) (AFP) – Parachutes containing humanitarian aid fall from the sky after another airdrop on northern Gaza, as seen from Israel. On Saturday, the United States carried out its first operation to drop humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, which the UN says is under threat of famine as the war between Israel and Hamas continues. Jordan and other countries have also carried out operations aidropping help into the territory.

White Sands (United States) (AFP) – Suffering from cancer, New Mexico residents who lived near the site where the very first atomic bomb was tested in 1945 lament that they have been successively forgotten by the US military, Congress and Hollywood. “Oppenheimer”, the film about the “father of the atomic bomb,” is this year’s Oscar favorite, with 13 nominations.

Mosul (Iraq) (AFP) – In Iraq, the traditional “daf”, a large framed tambourine, is making a comeback after being banned under the Islamic State group. Very popular in Middle Eastern music, the instrument is especially used for religious ceremonies.

Port-au-Prince (AFP) – Haiti’s capital is largely shut down, with residents only venturing out for essentials, as authorities impose a state of emergency after an attack on a prison which freed thousands of inmates. “The national police can do nothing against the onslaught of armed gangs. Only a military force can help us in this situation,” says one man.

Hanoi (AFP) – Hanoi topped air monitoring website IQAir’s continually updated table of the world’s most polluted cities early on Tuesday afternoon, with the Vietnamese capital blanketed by a thick haze of pollution.

Dhaka (AFP) – Bangladeshi Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus says the right to free expression has ‘kind of disappeared’ for government opponents in his country. Yunus says many believe Bangladesh’s prime mininster Sheikh Hasina views him as a political threat. “She uses government occasions, very official occasions, makes very serious speeches. And in these speeches she calls me a bloodsucker, she calls me all the dirty things that she can come up with,” he says.

Jakarta (AFP) – Hundreds of people gather in front of parliament in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta to protest alleged interference in last month’s presidential elections, which saw Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto win a majority with more than two-thirds of the vote. IMAGES

At sea (AFP) – Images published by the Philippine Coast Guard purportedly show a collision between one of its ships and a China Coast Guard vessel during a resupply mission in the South China Sea. The Chinese coast guard and other vessels undertook “dangerous manoeuvres and blocking”, leading to a collision that resulted in “minor structural damage to the PCG (Philippine Coast Guard) vessel,” PCG Commodore Jay Tarriela said in a post on social media platform X.

Beijing (AFP) – China will “resolutely oppose separatist activities aimed at ‘Taiwan independence’ and external interference”, Chinese premier Li Qiang says at the country’s annual parliamentary meeting in Beijing.