Doha (AFP) – Qatar warns that escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and threats to Gulf energy infrastructure pose a serious risk to global energy security. “We saw the impacts of this today on global energy markets, not only in terms of prices, but also in terms of supply shortages affecting many countries,” says Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari.
Beirut (Lebanon) (AFP) – Elderly Lebanese people displaced by the conflict with Israel live in tents at Beirut stadium, struggling with reduced access to washing and toilet facilities, and fears over returning home. “We do not want to live only to be humiliated,” says Khoder Salem, a displaced person.
Thessaloniki (Greece) (AFP) – Greek farmers and cheese producers are facing an ongoing pox pandemic, threatening the production of feta, one of Greece’s premier exports. State vets have culled more than 480,000 of sheep and goats from August 2024 to early March because of the pandemic, mainly in central and northern Greece.
Belfast (AFP) – Austrian-American actor, bodybuilder and politician Arnold Schwarzenegger tells students to “pick the biggest goals” as he receives an honorary doctorate from Ulster University in Belfast for his contributions to public service, the arts, and environmental advocacy. Schwarzenegger first visited the university as a young bodybuilder for a competition, an experience he says was his first attempt at public speaking after being asked to address the crowd.
Paris (France) (AFP) – The Eiffel Tower lights up to celebrate Celine Dion’s 58th birthday and announce her official return to the stage. The Quebec-born singer is coming back after six years away from the public eye with a series of 10 concerts in September and October at the La Defense Arena in Paris.
New Delhi (AFP) – In India’s capital, Hindu “bhajan clubbing” is electrifying nightlife, with revellers dancing to traditional devotional songs reimagined through guitars and pounding drumbeats, transforming public venues into spiritual hangouts.
Jezzine (Lebanon) (AFP) – Ruins lie at a roadside after an Israeli strike killed three journalists in southern Lebanon, their channels and a Lebanese military source says. Israel says one of them, Ali Shoeib of Hezbollah’s Al Manar channel, was a Hezbollah militant, without providing any evidence. The strike came as Israel continued raids on southern Lebanon and Hezbollah said it had targeted Israeli forces that had entered border villages.
Madrid (AFP) – Spain’s leftist government has closed Spanish airspace to US planes carrying out missions against Iran, in addition to denying Washington use of its bases, Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles says. Spanish airspace will not be used “to go to war against something we are totally opposed to, something we do not believe in, which we consider to be profoundly illegal and profoundly unjust,” Robles adds.
Dandong (China) (AFP) – Now retired, Wang Meili of northeastern China wants to see the world — including North Korea, the reclusive nation she has always lived across a river from. “I have some free time, so we’d like to get visas to go. I’ve already got my passport,” said the 68-year-old native of the border city Dandong. For international tourists, North Korea remains almost completely closed off since travel was halted during the Covid-19 pandemic more than six years ago. But daily passenger train services resumed this month with China.
Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Christians in Gaza City celebrate Palm Sunday at the Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Family, joining a procession and prayers led by parish priest Father Gabriel Romanelli.
(AFP) – Drone footage provided by Project CETI, an international effort seeking to understand how whales communicate, shows the first moments after the birth of a wild sperm whale off the coast of Dominica in the Caribbean. Out of 93 species of cetaceans, a group that includes whales, dolphins and porpoises, only nine have ever been observed giving birth in the wild. The video is also the first evidence of “birth assistance” in non-primates, Project CETI says, since whales not related to the mother can be seen assisting with the birth.
Kyoto (Japan) (AFP) – Cherry blossom season reaches its peak in the Japanese city of Kyoto, drawing crowds of local and international visitors eager to enjoy landscapes adorned with the pink and white blooms. “It just makes everything feel brighter,” says French tourist Emilie Lambert.
