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Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrives at the Foreign Ministers G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro. IMAGES

Luang Prabang (Laos) (AFP) – The $3 billion Luang Prabang hydroelectric dam on the Mekong river, backed by a Thai-led consortium, is one of seven new mainstream dams that Laos plans to build to capitalise on its huge hydro potential.

Dharamshāla (India) (AFP) – As Tibetans mark 65 years since fleeing into exile after an uprising against Chinese rule, the diaspora’s elected leader says Beijing is crushing his people, but insists that hope of resolution remains.

London (AFP) – “It’s about the right to be able to speak freely without being put in prison,” says Julian Assange’s wife Stella outside the London High Court where a hearing for his final appeal against extradition to the United States is underway. The hearing opened in the absence of the 52-year-old WikiLeaks founder who “is not feeling well”, according to his lawyer Edward Fitzgerald. Assange is facing trial in the United States for publishing secret military and diplomatic files.

Florence (Italy) (AFP) – Every two months, Michelangelo’s statue of David, completed in 1504, undergoes a careful cleaning at its home in Florence’s Accademia Gallery, where it has resided for over 150 years. His personal restorer, Eleonora Pucci, climbs on a scaffolding for an up-close view — part of a monitoring and cleaning ritual necessary for the preservation of the Renaissance icon visited by over two million visitors last year.

Florence (Italy) (AFP) – Every two months, Michelangelo’s statue of David, completed in 1504, undergoes a careful cleaning at its home in Florence’s Accademia Gallery, where it has resided for over 150 years. His personal restorer, Eleonora Pucci, climbs on a scaffolding for an up-close view — part of a monitoring and cleaning ritual necessary for the preservation of the Renaissance icon visited by over two million visitors last year.

kharp (Russia) (AFP) – The mother of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny appeals to President Vladimir Putin for the release of her son’s body. “I demand that Alexei’s body be released immediately so that I can bury him in a humane way,” says Lyudmila Navalnaya. AFP can confirm that she is speaking against the backdrop of a church that corresponds to photos available in the media of the Russian Arctic prison colony where Navalny was jailed and died, according to the prison service.

Caracas (AFP) – Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov gets off a plane at Caracas airport as he arrives in Venezuela, his second stop on a Latin American tour for a G20 summit in Brazil. Lavrov began the trip in Cuba, where he met President Miguel Diaz-Canel and lashed out at US sanctions against the island. IMAGES

Surat (India) (AFP) – Man-made gems are reshaping the $89 billion global diamond jewellery market, especially in the west Indian city of Surat where 90 percent of the world’s diamonds are cut and polished.

Singapore (AFP) – China’s first domestically produced passenger jet C919 makes its international debut at the Singapore Airshow, the largest aviation event in Asia. The single-aisle model from COMAC is a potential competitor to the market-leading A320, made by Europe’s Airbus, and the 737 MAX from US-based Boeing. IMAGES

London (AFP) – Stars walk the red carpet at the 77th British Academy Film Awards as members of the cast and crew of the award winning “The Zone of Interest” speak to AFP. Jonathan Glazer’s harrowing film about a Nazi concentration camp commander and his family living next to Auschwitz, took home three awards including best British film, best film not in the English language and best sound.

Avdiivka (Ukraine) (AFP) – Plumes of smoke rise on the frontline of the eastern Ukrainian city of Avdiivka — which Moscow claimed “full control” of on February 17 — as explosions can be heard in the distance. Ukrainian forces announced they had withdrawn from Avdiivka on February 17, facing ammunition shortages and outnumbered on the battlefield.