Vatican City (AFP) – Pope Leo XIV calls for the release of journalists jailed “for seeking and reporting the truth”. The former Robert Francis Prevost, the first US pope, speaks at an introductory audience with the media at the start of his first full week in the role after being elected by cardinals.
Geneva (AFP) – The United States and China have agreed to temporarily slash their tit-for-tat tariffs, with the US rate down to 30 percent and Chinese duties cut to to 10 percent, the US trade chief says. Following a weekend of trade talks in Geneva, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer tell reporters the sides had agreed to temporarily roll back “reciprocal tariffs” by 115 percentage points for a 90 day period.
Rwanda faces many accusations of rights abuses, but it has been praised for its conservation work, which is key to its vital tourism sector. Spearheading efforts to preserve the Grey Crowned Crane is conservationist Olivier Nsengimana, whose work has seen the migratory bird make a comeback in recent years. N°43DK462
Jakarta (AFP) – On a rainy day in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta, three men coated in metallic paint known as the “manusia silver”, or silvermen, brave the elements to ask drivers for change. It is not without risks, but one some young Indonesians feel it’s necessary to make ends meet as the cost of living worsens and jobs dwindle after the pandemic.
Undisclosed (AFP) – Deep circles frame the blue eyes of Oleg, a 42-year-old Ukrainian military medic. The three-day truce announced by Russia this week has not given him any rest. “When you watch television and from the screen it looks like a truce, but on the battlefield there is little of that,” he says. “The war continues.”
Vatikanstadt (AFP) – Pope Leo XIV calls for fighting to “cease immediately” in the Gaza Strip as he greets crowds from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, in his second official public appearance since becoming the leader of the Catholic Church.
Srinagar (AFP) – Armed forces personnel patrol Srinagar, in Indian-administered Kashmir, hours after India and Pakistan trade accusations of ceasefire violations. The truce was agreed on 10 May, after four days of fighting, missile, drone and artillery attacks which killed at least 60 people and sent thousands fleeing — the worst violence since India and Pakistan’s last open conflict in 1999.
Rom (AFP) – Leo XIV prays at the tomb of Pope Francis two days after being elected new head of the Catholic Church and hours after vowing to humbly follow in his predecessor’s footsteps. The surprise visit to Santa Maria Maggiore, a papal basilica in Rome beloved of Francis, who died on April 21 at age 88, capped a busy day for Leo, the first US pope now charged with leading the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
Tirana (AFP) – Albanians begin casting their ballots in the capital Tirana to decide whether to give pro-EU prime minister Edi Rama a fourth term or side with his longstanding rival Sali Berisha in an election seen as crucial for the country’s European Union ambitions. “I’ve come to express my wish… to make Albania an even better and more beautiful country, so that our sons, daughters and grandchildren no longer leave for other countries,” says 80-year-old Agim Lali at the polling station.
Neu Delhi (AFP) – India says Pakistan has repeatedly violated the ceasefire, hours after both countries reached an agreement to halt hostilities, and vows to retaliate. “The armed forces are giving an adequate and appropriate response to these violations,” says Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.
