Guadalajara (Mexico) (AFP) – “It wasn’t easy, but we did it,” a fan says after co-hosts Mexico became the first team to reach the knockout rounds of the World Cup with a 1-0 win over South Korea at a delirious Guadalajara Stadium.
Heard Island (Antarctica) (AFP) – A pathogenic strain of bird flu has killed more than 13,000 elephant seal pups after infecting a breeding colony on a sub-Antarctic volcanic island, according to Australian scientists. Researchers found the remote Heard and McDonald Islands littered with seal carcasses when they arrived on a research expedition in October 2025. Genetic testing confirmed the contagious H5 bird flu strain had killed seals, penguins and birds living on the rocky outcrop — the first time it had been detected in one of Australia’s external territories.
London (AFP) – UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer congratulates his potential leadership rival Andy Burnham after he carved a path to Downing Street by winning a key by-election in northwest England. Starmer says it indicates that the hard-right party Reform UK may have reached the “peak” of their popularity.
Oslo (AFP) – Norwegian MPs chant “Ror! Ror! Ror!” while doing the rowing sign during a parliamentary session at the Stortinget to show support for their football team competing in the World Cup.
Macclesfield (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Students interviewed at Macclesfield Academy in northwest England are broadly positive about Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s plans to introduce a ban on social media for under-16s. “[The ban] will help people of this age, because it will keep them from developing mental health issues on your body image and stuff like that,” says 14-year-old Seth Lloyd. Some children’s charities welcomed the sweeping change, which is likely to trigger a major fight with US tech giants, but others warned it could make teenagers less safe online.
Valle del Guamuez (Colombia) (AFP) – About 100 guerrillas lay down their weapons in a jungle area of southern Colombia under a deal with leftist President Gustavo Petro, who has sought peace with armed rebels. Some 99 rebels from the National Coordinating Committee of the Bolivarian Army surrender their weapons, three days before a runoff election that will determine the next president. IMAGES
Beijing (AFP) – China’s foreign ministry slams Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te for urging the US to approve a $14 billion arms sale to the island, warning that “seeking independence by relying on the United States or through military means is a dead end”. Lai’s rhetoric “only exposes his deep-seated anxiety and insecurity,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian tells a regular news briefing.
Moscow (AFP) – Ukraine launches its largest drone attack on Moscow in years, sparking fires in and around the capital, hitting a major oil refinery and forcing evacuations at the country’s largest airport, according to officials. At least 17 people have been wounded in the strikes, which also set a shopping centre and apartment building ablaze, say authorities. The strikes come as Russian President Vladimir Putin hosts Southeast Asian leaders at a summit in the central city of Kazan, about 700 kilometres (435 miles) east of Moscow.
(AFP) – Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, says that Tehran will charge ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz after a 60-day fee-free period stipulated in a memorandum of understanding with the US. “We have responsibility and sovereignty over there. Naturally, [there are] services there and in return, [there is] a fee for this work,” Ghalibaf says in an interview aired on state television.
Charikar (Afghanistan) (AFP) – Under the shade of recently planted poplars in northeastern Afghanistan, Char Bagh’s villagers are rediscovering the value of trees after years of wartime deforestation. Forest cover has increased 35 percent nationwide since 2011, according to the National Statistics and Information Authority, though just 2.5 percent of Afghanistan was forested in 2025 and cover is still shrinking in some areas.
Chiang Rai (Thailand) (AFP) – Thai fisherman Somdet Singthong steered his metal skiff across the brown waters of the Mekong river, resigned to the pollution that has put his health and lifelong source of livelihood at risk. Doctors have found elevated levels of toxic arsenic in his fingernails and urine, with the heavy metal also detected in the river which millions of people in Southeast Asia depend on. Testing suggests the contamination, which experts and campaigners trace back to illegal mining in Myanmar, is now spreading downstream.
Khan Yunis (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Dressmakers from the southern Gazan city of Khan Yunis work through power shortages and soaring costs as they collect burnt fabrics to design and make new dresses, mainly for children. “When I go to Gaza [City] to get the fabric, I take it from a place that’s been destroyed, from old fabric that’s available, which was probably damaged by shrapnel or burnt,” says tailor Amir al-Rantisi.
