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Tokio (AFP) – Tourists and residents enjoy the start of cherry blossom season in Tokyo, with the full bloom of the white Somei Yoshino variety expected this weekend.

Skopje (AFP) – Thousands march in North Macedonia’s capital, Skopje, calling for justice for the victims of a devastating nightclub fire and an end to corruption. Fifty-nine people were killed, and nearly 200 others were injured in the blaze that ripped through Club Pulse in the eastern town of Kocani during a hip-hop concert on March 16. More than 30 people, including high-ranking officials, are suspected of breaching security standards.

Peking (AFP) – China accuses the United States of “interfering in Venezuela’s internal affairs” after President Donald Trump announced 25 percent tariffs on imports from countries that bought oil and gas from the South American nation.

Surabaya (Indonesia) (AFP) – Indonesia’s new military law has sparked protests across the country, with critics arguing that the amendment expands the role of the armed forces in civilian affairs. Dozens of people were arrested in Surabaya after violent clashes broke out between the demonstrators and riot police.

Washington (AFP) – US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer calls for a “full investigation” after a journalist was inadvertently included in a group chat in which top American officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance, discussed upcoming strikes against Yemen’s Huthi rebels. The White House says Trump “continues to have the utmost confidence in his national security team,” after the US president earlier said he did not “know anything about” the issue.

San Salvador (AFP) – Hundreds of anti-government demonstrators in El Salvador protest against a new mining law and demand the release of deported Venezuelan migrants from the United States now detained in El Salvador during a march in memory of murdered archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero. IMAGES

Pereira (AFP) – Yoko, a 38-year-old chimpanzee, eats with cutlery, plays ball, watches TV, and even paints — but he’s lonely. Rescued from illegal trafficking and “humanized” in the process, Colombia’s last great ape in captivity is now headed to a sanctuary in Brazil to reunite with his species.

Maiquetía (AFP) – Venezuela receives nearly 200 citizens deported from the United States via Honduras, as President Donald Trump cracks down on undocumented foreigners. The flight comes after Venezuela announced on March 22 that it had reached an agreement with Washington to resume repatriation flights from the United States.

Pjöngjang (AFP) – North Korea welcomes home boxing champion Pang Chol Mi after she won gold at the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championship in Serbia. The Olympic medallist and other athletes is greeted by enthusiastic crowds and officials at Pyongyang International Airport where she shows off her IBA belt.

Brasília (AFP) – Images of Brazil’s Supreme Court ahead of its decision on whether to open a trial against ex-president Jair Bolsonaro should be tried for orchestrating an attempted coup. The former far-right leader is one of more than 30 people, including former ministers and high-ranking military members, charged over an alleged plot to overthrow Bolsonaro’s left-wing successor, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. IMAGES

Paris (AFP) – “This impunity is unbearable — it has to stop,” says actress Anouk Grinberg as French actor Gerard Depardieu goes on trial at a Paris court on charges of sexually assaulting two women during a film shoot in 2021.

Lomé (AFP) – Hundreds of supporters of Togo’s opposition parties gather in the capital, Lome, to rally against the new constitution. Adopted in April 2024, it replaces the direct election of the head of state by a parliamentary system, which critics say paves the way for President Faure Gnassingbe to remain in power indefinitely.