Ballater (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Britain’s King Charles pays a heartfelt tribute to his mother, the late queen Elizabeth II, in a video message on what would have been her 100th birthday.
San Juan Teotihuacán (Mexique) (AFP) – A Canadian woman has been killed and five other people wounded in a shooting at the Teotihuacan archaeological site, central Mexico, where security forces including the army, National Guard and federal forensic teams have been deployed. The gunman killed himself after opening fire at the popular tourist destination, home to pre-Aztecan pyramids, according to the security secretary for Mexico state. IMAGES
Teotihuacán (Mexique) (AFP) – Forensic experts and members of the Red Cross transport a body on the Pyramid of the Moon, at the Teotihuacan archaeological site in central Mexico, after a Canadian woman was shot dead and at least four other people injured by a gunman. The gunman killed himself after opening fire at the popular tourist destination, home to pre-Aztecan pyramids, according to the security secretary for Mexico state. IMAGES
London (AFP) – UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer admits to MPs that he should not have appointed disgraced Labour party grandee Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington. Addressing parliament about the deepening political scandal, Starmer says: “At the heart of this, there is also a judgement I made that was wrong.”
Khartum (AFP) – Hussein Idris sweeps a metal detector across a vast minefield in central Khartoum that was once a park beloved by local families. The war between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has moved on from the capital since the military retook it last year, but Khartoum is still littered with explosive remnants that authorities are struggling to clear.
Sofia (AFP) – Residents of Sofia, the Bulgarian capital, offer their thoughts on the election of ex-president Rumen Radev, who has taken an absolute majority in the country’s parliamentary elections. “I’m glad that Rumen Radev won,” says landscaper Trayanka Ilieva, while engineer Iliya Dukadinov says “I don’t think this is the best possible outcome”. The EU’s poorest member, Bulgaria has experienced eight votes since 2021.
Teheran (AFP) – Iranians gather in coffee shops in northern Tehran, as uncertainty grows over a push to stop the Middle East war from resuming. US President Donald Trump said he was sending negotiators to Pakistan for fresh talks on ending the war that engulfed the region and rattled global markets, while repeating threats to attack Iran’s energy infrastructure if it did not make a deal. Tehran says it does not plan to attend the new round of negotiations.
Teheran (AFP) – Iran’s foreign ministry says that the United States is not serious about pursuing diplomacy. “On the contrary, there are repeated and numerous indications that no seriousness exists in the US when it comes to advancing diplomacy,” says ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei in a weekly press briefing in Tehran.
Peking (AFP) – China pits humanoid robots against human runners at a half marathon race in Beijing, showing off the speed and technological advancements of new machines. “With how fast technology is developing, I think robots will soon surpass humans in many ways. I mean, not just in speed, but also in things like AI-driven behaviour,” says Xie Lei, who came to watch the race with his child.
New York (AFP) – “Absolute insanity. It’s ridiculous. You want to go see a great World Cup game… and then you’re getting price-gouged,” says New York City resident Nick Quesnel, reacting to the $150 fare New Jersey plans to charge World Cup fans traveling to and from the state’s Meadowlands stadium near New York. “I feel like that’s an embarrassment and a shame. It’s taking advantage of the fans — abusing authority over the sports we’re into,” says another New York resident, Guy Dixon.
Sidon (Lebanon) (AFP) – Thousands of Lebanese civilians take to the road hoping that a ten-day ceasefire with Israel will allow them to return to their homes in southern Beirut and the war-torn south of the country. The Lebanese army warned the residents not to return to the areas, which have been pounded by Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah, and the Iran-backed movement said its finger “remained on the trigger”.
Tel Aviv (AFP) – Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz says that the campaign against the militant group Hezbollah is not yet complete, just hours after a 10-day ceasefire came into force in Lebanon. Katz also warns that if the fighting resumes, displaced residents returning to the country’s war-torn south will have to evacuate again.
