AFP UK

Jakarta (AFP) – Flushed, sweating, and beaming with joy, burnt-out professionals are deeply engrossed in a traditional Indonesian children’s games in Jakarta. The ‘Playing Community’, a group of about 500 members that gathers every Friday after work to cavort their cares away, began in 2024, when founder Akihiko Akira was battling work pressure and personal problems. “Inside every person, there’s a childlike part, and playing is a kind of necessity for all of us,” says psychologist Ratih Ibrahim.

Tehran (AFP) – Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says that ending the war in Lebanon is the “most important issue” in the peace deal with the United States announced the day before. “The important point I want to emphasise here is that in our view, there are two parties to this memorandum — one side is America and Israel, and the other side is Iran and Hezbollah,” said Araghchi during a briefing with foreign diplomats in Tehran broadcast on state television.

New York (AFP) – France supporters gather in New York’s Times Square ahead of their opening match against Senegal, with Sports Minister Marina Ferrari taking part in the celebration. “I think we’ll make it to at least the semifinals,” says supporter Antoine Vassaux.

Cape Verde (AFP) – Cape Verde fans erupt as they hold European champions Spain to a 0-0 draw in their first ever World Cup game. “The best feeling of my life, today is such a special day that I even cried,” says supporter Joana Brito.

Tehran (AFP) – People in Tehran, Jerusalem and Lebanon react as the United States and Iran say they have reached a deal to end the Middle East war on all fronts and reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz, despite offering little indication on the thorny question of Tehran’s nuclear programme.

Evian (France) (AFP) – “We are anchoring Ukraine in Europe,” says European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as Ukraine’s bid to join the bloc moves onto the next stage after a long delay. “This is a huge step forward,” says von der Leyen, speaking at a press conference in Evian ahead of the G7 summit. Ukraine’s progress was stuck for some two years as Hungary’s nationalist leader Viktor Orban vetoed all progress, but his election defeat by rival Peter Magyar in April has opened up the way.

Ierapetra (Greece) (AFP) – With massive teeth and a voracious appetite, pufferfish are ruining Greek fishermens’ nets and wreaking havoc on local fish stocks, with warming seas allowing the invasive species to spread through the eastern Mediterranean. “There’s no sign of improvement, no light on the horizon,” says fisherman Kostis Zevelekakis.

London (AFP) – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announces an upcoming ban on social media for all children under the age of 16, saying the platforms are “making children unhappy.” Starmer has said the upcoming ban was influenced by the experience of Australia, which in December became the first nation to ban people under 16 from social media.

Aarberg (Switzerland) (AFP) – President of the right-wing Swiss People’s Party Marcel Dettling expresses disappointment after 55 percent of the country’s voters rejected their proposal to cap the country’s population at 10 million by 2050, according to early projections. “Hundreds of thousands of people in the countryside, who wanted a solution today, have simply been crushed by the cities,” Dettling tells AFP in Aarberg.

(AFP) – Israel’s government press office releases footage that shows what it says is a drone striking in Israeli territory as a cloud smoke rises from the area. The authorities say the drone was fired by the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah. The Israeli military earlier said three drones, suspected to have been launched by Hezbollah, struck northern Israel in separate incidents, causing no casualties.

Edinburgh (AFP) – Scottish fans in Edinburgh celebrate victory in their first football World Cup game in 28 years, having stayed up until the wee hours to watch their team play in Foxborough, Massauchusetts. One fan watching describes the game between Scotland and Haiti as “nervy”, while another says “the three points is massive… Loved every second of it.”

Belfast (AFP) – Thousands of people attend an anti-racism rally in the Northern Irish city of Belfast after two days unrest sparked by a video of a stabbing which went viral on social media platforms, showing a man straddling another lying in the street, slashing him with a knife. A Sudanese man appeared in court on 10 May charged with the attempted murder of Stephen Ogilvie, who remains in hospital. Speaking to AFP at the march, one protester says: “I wanted to stand up for our community, just everyone in the community. It’s terrible what has happened to that fella who got attacked but at the end of the day… other people of other colour shouldn’t be getting blamed.”