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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.

Tehran (AFP) – Iran says it has responded to a new US proposal aimed at ending the war, adding that exchanges were continuing despite Iranian media reports describing Washington’s demands as excessive. Washington and Tehran have been swapping proposals in an effort to end the conflict, which broke out on February 28. The two sides have held a single round of talks so far amid a fragile ceasefire in place since April 8.

Little Andaman Island (India) (AFP) – In India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands, members of remote tribal communities are joining the police as homeguards, marking a shift from traditional ways of life. Authorities last year recruited more than 500 young men from across the archipelago to help manage relations with outsiders. “They are sons of the soil,” said HGS Dhaliwal, police chief of the 836-island Indian Ocean archipelago.

Krasnogorsk (Russia) (AFP) – Shattered glass and debris litter the area around a residential building in Krasnogorsk, on Moscow’s western outskirts, after a wave of almost 600 Ukrainian drones attacked Russia overnight, killing four people, according to authorities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called the barrage an “entirely justified” retribution for Moscow’s own pummelling of Ukraine. Just a few days prior, the Ukrainian capital was attacked, killing at least 24 people.

Munich (Germany) (AFP) – Harry Kane, Michael Olise, Luis Diaz and their Bayern Munich teammates celebrate the team’s 34th Bundesliga title at Munich’s Marienplatz. Kane scored a hat-trick on the final day of the German Bundesliga season on Saturday, which saw the team secure a 5-1 win over Cologne. Bayern had already sealed the title with four games to spare, after a win over Stuttgart last month.