Bogotá (AFP) – Colombians begin voting in a presidential runoff, facing a stark choice between a hard-right, White House-backed lawyer and a leftist senator that will decide the fate of a stumbling peace process and strained ties with Washington. Up to 41 million voters will choose between frontrunner Abelardo de la Espriella and his leftist rival Ivan Cepeda — the latest in a series of hyper-polarized Latin American elections. IMAGES
Philippines (AFP) – A major earthquake that hit the southern Philippines earlier this month toppled buildings, triggered landslides and killed at least 76 people on the southern island of Mindanao. It also thrust chunks of the island’s coastline upward in a phenomenon known as “coastal uplift”, leaving stretches of shore unrecognisable to families who have spent their whole lives there. “If the residents are waiting for the old coastline to return to ‘normal’, it won’t return,” says Nande Danlag of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
La Paz (AFP) – Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz declares a nationwide state of emergency, accusing what he calls “narco‑terrorist” groups of orchestrating an attempted coup after weeks of crippling roadblocks and unrest, and vowing to restore order while urging remaining protesters to stand down.
Bedford (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Emergency services operate by the tracks near Bedford, just north of London, UK, where two trains collided on Friday. The accident left the driver of one of the trains dead and at least 11 others seriously injured. A thorough investigation is still being done to establish how the collision happened, according to the transport secretary.
Lima (AFP) – Peruvian presidential candidate Roberto Sanchez arrives at a protest calling for transparency in the June 7 vote count, in which the leftist leader is narrowly trailing the right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori. IMAGES
Khan Yunis (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Young Palestinians, some barefoot, dart around in the sand as they take part in the semi-final of their very own ‘World Cup’, in Khan Yunis, in the south of the Gaza Strip. “As you can see, we tried to bring back something, even if just a little, because as you know, football is the only escape in life,” says coach Jaber al-Basheeti.
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
