Paris (France) (AFP) – “I wish I looked down more, but I could feel my legs going very jelly,” a tourist from New York says after venturing out onto a 40-meter-long walkway suspended nearly 60 metres above the ground on the Eiffel Tower, an attraction that will be in place until May 3. N°A4XQ2NQ
Belgorod (Russia) (AFP) – Sirens wail across the Russian city of Belgorod, where, more than four years into the war in Ukraine, retaliatory rocket and drone fire from Kyiv’s army has become part of daily life. Around 40 kilometres from the border with Ukraine, Belgorod has been one of the places inside Russia that has suffered the most, with officials reporting hundreds of civilian deaths, and water, power and communications outages a frequent occurence. “No one wants these sirens, these wars,” says Natalia, a local pensioner.
Moscow (AFP) – President Vladimir Putin insists Russia has “never refused to develop” relations with Europe. The comments come as Russia tries to tempt Europe to resume purchasing its sanctioned oil and gas amid the Mideast war, with Hungary and Slovakia recently receiving sanctions exemptions for Russian oil. Speaking at a virtual Security Council meeting, Putin repeats his frequent comments blaming the West for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, and insists that all subsequent diplomatic crises are “not our fault”.
New York (AFP) – UN rights chief, Volker Turk says the deadly bombing of an Iranian elementary school “evoked a visceral horror.” His remarks came at the start of an urgent debate in the UN Human Rights Council focused on the February 28 strike on the first day of the Middle East war, which reportedly killed 168 students and staff.
Grapevine (United States) (AFP) – At the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Grapevine, Texas, attendees express a range of views on the war in Iran, with some Iranian-American participants and activists voicing support for regime change, while others debate the scope of US involvement. “Maybe a small number (of boots on the ground) to go do certain tasks, gather the plutonium. But no, not occupy the country, no, I do not support that,” says Roger Aronoff, executive director Citizens Commission on National Security.
Brasilia (AFP) – Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro leaves the hospital in Brasilia in one of the two vehicles after a two-week stay and was transferred to house arrest at his home. IMAGES
Brasilia (AFP) – Journalists and a few supporters wait outside the DF Star Hospital, where former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro — who was admitted with bronchopneumonia — is due to be discharged from hospital into house arrest. IMAGES
Sheikhupura (Pakistan) (AFP) – The Iran war has put Asia in an energy crisis. From Japan to Sri Lanka, countries across the continent are cutting work weeks, weighing up stimulus packages, and introducing fuel subsidies as they attempt to respond to global fuel shortages.
New York (AFP) – Supporters and opponents of Nicolas Maduro gather outside a Manhattan federal court as the ousted Venezuelan leader returns for a pre-trial hearing. Maduro, who was arrested in January and is currently detained in Brooklyn, is facing US drug trafficking and narco-terrorism charges and has pleaded not guilty.
Pyongyang (AFP) – Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko gifts Kim Jong Un an automatic rifle during his maiden visit to Pyongyang. The two Moscow and Beijing-aligned leaders signed a “friendship and cooperation” treaty on Thursday after Kim gave a lavish welcome to Lukashenko, declaring the two countries were now “entering a new phase”.
Washington (United States) (AFP) – US President Donald Trump claims Iran allowed 10 oil tankers to pass through the strategic Strait of Hormuz as a “present” to show it was serious about negotiations to end the war. Referring to cryptic comments earlier this week about a “gift” from Tehran, Trump said Iran allowed eight “big boats of oil” to transit the waterway earlier this week, followed by two others later on.
Foxborough (United States) (AFP) – “No, the information claiming they [Real Madrid] examined the wrong knee is not true,” says Kylian Mbappe, France captain and Real Madrid forward, speaking on the eve of France’s friendly match against Brazil in the United States. Mbappe had avoided undergoing surgery after scans he had in Paris at the beginning of March revealed he would not require an intervention.
