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Added on the 11/05/2012 13:44:14 - Copyright : Eros International Ltd. UK
South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa is sworn in for a second full term as president at a ceremony in Pretoria, after his weakened African National Congress (ANC) struck a government coalition deal. IMAGES TO GO WITH 34XJ66Z
Switzerland's Nemo wins the Eurovision Song Contest, the first artist identifying as non-binary to do so, in a contest marked by controversy over Israel's participation during the war in Gaza. Twenty-four-year-old Nemo's "The Code" won the highest score from nations' juries, and enough of the popular votes to get 591 points, edging out Croatia in the final, held in Sweden's Malmo. IMAGES
The United States denounces Hong Kong's ban on a protest song sung by pro-democracy demonstrators, saying it further tarnishes the financial hub's reputation. "The decision to ban this song is the latest blow to the international reputation of a city that previously prided itself on having an independent judiciary protecting the free exchange of information, ideas and goods," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller tells reporters. SOUNDBITE
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday paints a dark picture of the situation in the Middle East, warning that spiraling tensions over the war in Gaza and Iran's attack on Israel could devolve into a "full-scale regional conflict." SOUNDBITE
The United States says it still opposes a major Israeli assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a date was set. With some 1.5 million Palestinians sheltering in Rafah, "We have made clear to Israel that we think a full-scale military invasion of Rafah would have an enormously harmful effect on those civilians and that it would ultimately hurt Israel security," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller tells reporters. SOUNDBITE
Images show Maidan square in Kyiv, Ukraine, on the second anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion. A virtual summit of G7 leaders is due to take place at Kyiv's Saint Sophia Cathedral with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attending. IMAGES