AFP UK

Washington (United States) (AFP) – US President Donald Trump says he is not yet satisfied with Iran’s offers to make a deal, after Iranian state television reported details of what it claimed was a draft agreement. Speaking at a cabinet meeting in the White House, Trump adds that he is in no rush to reach an accord to end the Middle East war, despite saying at the weekend that one was close. “Iran is very much intent, they want very much to make a deal. So far, they haven’t gotten there. We’re not satisfied with it, but we will be,” Trump says.

Bunia (DR Congo) (AFP) – The Muslim community of Bunia, celebrates Eid al-Adha under health restrictions due to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the region. “Yes, it penalises us greatly, because usually the holiday is a celebration that should be full of joy, that should bring together many people,” says Alex Shabdina, spokesperson for the Islamic community in Bunia. According to the World Health Organization, the current outbreak has a fatality rate of 25 percent, significally lower than previous outbreaks in DR Congo.

Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Gazans inspect the aftermath of an Israeli strike in Gaza City’s Rimal neighbourhood that killed Mohammed Odeh, the new head of Hamas’s armed wing. A Hamas source contacted by AFP said the strike also killed Odeh’s wife and two children. Gaza has been living under a fragile ceasefire since October 2025. But since the ceasefire was declared, at least 910 people have been killed in Gaza, according to local health authorities.

Quito (AFP) – In Ecuador’s capital Quito, traditional healers are tapping into a new market for herbal remedies: the anxious “parents” of pampered pets. While the practice is not backed by scientific evidence, owners bring their dogs, cats and rabbits to the San Francisco market for a ceremonial “limpia” (cleansing), an ancient Andean ritual that the healers say can banish physical, emotional and spiritual blockages.

Mina (Saudi Arabia) (AFP) – Muslim devotees carry out the final major ritual of the hajj pilgrimage: the symbolic stoning of the Jamarat devil in Mina, Saudi Arabia. The ritual sees pilgrims throw pebbles at pillars representing the devil, reenacting the Prophet Abraham’s stoning of the devil at three places where Satan is said to have tried to dissuade him from obeying God’s command to sacrifice his son Ishmael.

Castel Gandolfo (Italy) (AFP) – Pope Leo XIV appeals for “respect” for human rights worldwide, calling on authorities to support the people of Gaza and advance reconstruction efforts. He also mentions the Global Sumud flotilla, a protest against the humanitarian aid blockade of Gaza, which saw hundreds of activists detained by Israeli authorities. The treatment of the activists was denounced by governments worldwide.

Santiago (Chile) (AFP) – Leaning on a cane or the barre in her Santiago dance studio, Evelyn Cordero lifts an arm and gently corrects the posture of her ballet students. “Even in my dreams, I dance,” says the 100-year-old. Cordero opened her dance school in 1994, having started to dance aged just four. Despite reaching age 100, she has no plans to hang up her ballet shoes yet.

London (AFP) – People in London respond as Britain registers its hottest day in May ever recorded, with temperatures hitting 35C in the capital, according to the Met Office. “I’m working in the kitchen, so it’s atrocious,” says Renata Stankeviciute, a Lithuanian chef living in England. Londoner Gurjit Gill says he is “thinking about actually maybe getting an AC unit, because the bedrooms at night time are quite unbearable.”

Sydney (AFP) – Sydney Harbour is lit up by immersive light installations and projections during Australia’s annual Vivid Sydney festival. The event, now in its sixteenth year, runs until 13 June.

Everest (Nepal) (AFP) – Italian climber Leonardo Avezzano carried a kite made of the Palestinian flag, scribbled with dreams of Gaza’s children, to the summit of Mount Everest, seeking to raise awareness of the war’s toll on its youngest victims. “The first thing that I had in mind to do was to raise the flag, raise the kite and basically dedicate this effort that we did for the children of Gaza,” says Avezzano. Palestinian-Jordanian climber Mostafa Salameh, who led the expedition, was unable to summit.

Brockworth (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Thrill-seekers from all over the world travel to Cooper’s Hill near the English city of Gloucester to compete in the UK’s annual cheese-rolling race, a tradition believed to date back centuries. Competitors rush down the steep hill in pursuit of a wheel of Double Gloucester, with the first one to the bottom winning the cheese. “It’s kind of like a water slide, but filled with rocks,” says one participant, after making it to the bottom.

Quetta (Pakistan) (AFP) – Residents of Quetta in southwestern Pakistan struggle to recover after a powerful bomb attack targeting a train damaged homes across the city just days before Eid al-Adha, the Islamic festival of sacrifice.