New York (AFP) – France’s air force acrobatics team stages a flyover of the Statue of Liberty, part of commemorations for the upcoming 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence. The mission, dubbed “Liberte 250,” highlights France’s support for the US insurgents who took on the British crown, making Paris the oldest international ally of Washington.
Mexiko-Stadt (AFP) – Protesters block the city center with tents a day before the World Cup kickoff in Mexico City. The authorities closed the area around the fan zone with metal fences to prevent protesters from entering. The CNTE teachers’ union has been on strike for days to demand a salary raise and pension reform, while relatives of Mexico’s wave of missing people have separately taken to the streets.
Moskau (AFP) – The Kremlin calls on the United States and Iran to restart peace talks and says new strikes could have “negative consequences” for the global economy. “We call on all parties in this conflict to exercise restraint and return to the negotiating table,” says spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Arguineguin (AFP) – On day six of his trip to Spain, Pope Leo XIV tells migrants in the Canary Islands they are “not just numbers or files,” stressing their dignity and aspirations. “You have dreams that no one has the right to despise,” the pontiff says during a ceremony in the port of Arguineguin.
Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – In Rio’s Tijuca and Saude neighborhoods, entire streets have become open-air canvases ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Residents paint murals and hang decorations from their windows in support of Brazil’s national team, which is hoping to win a long-awaited sixth World Cup.
San Isidro (Argentina) (AFP) – Víctor Stinfale, friend and legal advisor to the football leyend Diego Maradona, testifies at the San Isidro courthouse in the trial investigating the death of the Argentine star, who died in November 2025. IMAGES
Karur (India) (AFP) – With a smartphone strapped to her head, Indian housewife Nagireddy Sriramyachandra films herself performing everyday chores to train AI-powered humanoid robots to take on household jobs in the future.
Beijing (AFP) – Beijing cleaner Lin Meiqiong found her work a little easier the day she was paired with an unlikely new colleague — a tall, wheeled robot with AI-powered tidying skills.
Yongin (South Korea) (AFP) – In her tiny apartment in South Korea, where she lives alone, 78-year-old Bang Chun-ja spends her days with a childlike AI-powered doll she says she prefers to people.
Hong Kong (AFP) – It’s a tiny, landlocked microstate with no access to the sea – and yet a rowing team representing Liechtenstein is making waves thousands of miles away in Hong Kong. On June 19, the Liechtenstein Princely Navy will compete in the city’s traditional Dragon Boat Festival.
Chuhuiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Buildings lie in ruins and vehicles are left burnt-out after a Russian strike on the eastern Ukrainian city of Chuguiv, which killed at least three people, including a pregnant woman, authorities have said. According to the city’s Mayor Galyna Minaeiva, Chuguiv was hit late on Monday by Russian missiles and Iranian-made Shahed drones.
Brussels (Belgium) (AFP) – European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen says that the EU is seeking to impose a visa ban on Russians who have fought in Ukraine, as part of a new round of sanctions on Moscow over the war. She adds that the EU will “continue targeting the shadow fleet”, for the first time including vessels that “assist the fleet”.
