Agence France-Presse has appointed Sylvain Estibal to the post of regional director for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). This is the first time a journalist from the image side has been chosen to head one of the Agency’s seven regions.

Freelance photographer Farshad Usyan, from Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan, has won the first edition of the Shah Marai Award for his series of 15 photos of his compatriots' daily lives, which vividly capture their desire to live freely and express themselves as they wish.

Now established as a site of reference for major European issues, the EDNH (European Data News Hub) is launching a new version of its platform. More reactive to European news and accessible in more languages, the EDNH aims to bring online users and global media invaluable insights into the most important issues within the EU. These include Brexit, the European elections, the migrant crisis and policies to fight climate change.

After joining partnerships to debunk fake news and disinformation during elections in France, Brazil and Nigeria, AFP is now joining a verification project with 18 other fact-checking outlets in the run-up to the European Parliamentary elections in May.