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Tehran (AFP) – Gathered around a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in central Tehran, a group of Iranians is learning to use an AK-47 assault rifle, in case it falls to them to defend the country from renewed US attacks. During the ceasefire, Iran and the United States have held just a single round of direct talks, which failed to secure a peace deal, and since then, the two sides have been swapping proposals on a lasting settlement without a breakthrough.

Havana (AFP) – It’s the middle of the night in Havana, but Alejandro Benitez is just getting down to work. The power is back on for the first time in 15 hours, and Benitez, a fourth-year architecture student at the Universidad Tecnologica de la Habana, needs to get his assignment in fast before the electricity cuts out again. Desperate times call for desperate measures in crisis-hit Cuba, where a US fuel blockade — part of a pressure campaign which Havana fears will culminate in military intervention — has aggravated an energy crisis, leaving people without power for up to 20 hours a day.

Suwon (South Korea) (AFP) – North Korea’s Naegohyang Women’s FC players train ahead of their match against South Korea’s Suwon FC Women in the semi-finals of the Asian Women’s Champions League on 20 May. Women’s football is one of North Korea’s strongest international sports, with their national sides regularly competing at the highest levels in Asia and globally. The two Koreas are still technically at war since the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.

Geneva (AFP) – The World Health Organization chief voices concern about the “scale and speed” of an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has killed an estimated 131 people. No vaccine or therapeutic treatment exists for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola responsible for the latest outbreak of the disease, which has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa in the past half-century.

Baghdad (AFP) – Dust blankets Baghdad as a sandstorm sweeps through the Iraqi capital.

Moscow (AFP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin says that Russia-China relations “have reached a truly unprecedented level” in a video message ahead of his two-day visit to Beijing for a summit with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. The confirmation of Putin’s trip came just hours after Trump wrapped up his visit, the first by a US president to China in nearly a decade and one aimed at stabilising their turbulent relations.

Ushuaïa (Argentine) (AFP) – Equipped with gloves, masks and protective gear, a group of 11 specialists and national park staff are deployed on the trails near Baliza Escarpados, in Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego, to install traps in an effort to capture rodents that may be hantavirus carriers. The mission is critical since the outbreak aboard the Hondius led to three deaths and triggered global alarm. IMAGES

Undisclosed (Ukraine) (AFP) – Ukrainian forces launch long-range drones from an undisclosed location towards Russia in one of the largest barrages of the ongoing conflict so far, which has left four dead. AFP had exclusive access to one of the launch sites, operated by the 9th Kairos Battalion of the ‘Madyar’s Birds’ on the evening of May 16, 2026. In a recent exclusive interview with AFP, before the latest wave of attacks, the commander of Ukraine’s unmanned forces, Robert Brovdi, known as ‘Madyar’, says Ukraine’s deep strikes target defence industry and oil facilities to deprive Russia of the resources it needs to continue the war, making them “legitimate” targets.

Mountain Home (United States) (AFP) – UGC images shot on May 17, 2026, show two fighter jets colliding midair during a demonstration event, two miles northwest of the Mountain Home Air Force Base in the US state of Idaho. The pilots are seen parachuting to safety from the aircrafts.

New York (AFP) – Swiss watch giant Swatch says insufficient organisation by shopping centres has contributed to scuffles at around 20 stores worldwide over the weekend as clients raced to buy a limited-edition timepiece. Things turned ugly in New York and several European cities, as well as in Thailand, on 16 May 2026, with fights breaking out and security gates vandalised at some of the 220 stores offering the watches.

Unknown (AFP) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits the navy’s command bunker and speaks with the commander of Flotilla 3, as Israel’s naval forces intercepted a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, saying the troops had “thwarted a malicious scheme”. The Global Sumud Flotilla vessels are the latest in a string of attempts by activists to breach Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian territory, with the last convoy intercepted by Israeli forces last month.

Mumbai (India) (AFP) – Thousands of feline lovers flock to Cat Expo India in Mumbai, where cat enthusiasts gather for beauty contests, premium pet food, accessories and veterinary care.