AFP UK

Erbil (Iraq) (AFP) – Kurdish rebel fighters, speaking from a base near Erbil in Iraq’s Kurdistan region that was recently hit by an Iranian drone strike, say they will return to Iran to fight the country’s leadership “when the time is right”. Since the Middle East war began with a wave of US-Israeli strikes on Iran, Tehran has repeatedly struck Kurdish militants’ positions in Iraq, accusing them of serving Western or Israeli interests.

Islam Qala (Afghanistan) (AFP) – Exhausted Afghans cross the border from Iran in a sandstorm, leaving behind a country in the grip of war to return to a homeland that is battered by conflict and humanitarian crisis.

Washington (United States) (AFP) – A statue depicting US President Donald Trump and the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as Jack and Rose in a “Titanic” scene is on display on the National Mall near the US Capitol in Washington, DC.

Washington (United States) (AFP) – A statue depicting US President Donald Trump and the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as Jack and Rose in a “Titanic” scene is on display on the National Mall near the US Capitol in Washington, DC.

Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) (AFP) – Sweeping drone shots of Rocinha are drawing crowds of tourists to the hillside favela, propelled by influencers with millions of followers, but the trend has stirred unease among locals who accuse visitors of turning hardship into spectacle.

Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) (AFP) – Sweeping drone shots of Rocinha are drawing crowds of tourists to the hillside favela, propelled by influencers with millions of followers, but the trend has stirred unease among locals who accuse visitors of turning hardship into spectacle.

San Fernando de Apure (Venezuela) (AFP) – About 200 competitors mount horses and try to chase a bull’s tail in a “coleo” competition in San Fernando de Apure, Venezuela’s cowboy region located in the tropical grasslands. Despite opposition from animal welfare groups, bull-tailing remains an integral part of popular culture.

Erbil (Iraq) (AFP) – Kurdish rebel fighters, speaking from a base near Erbil in Iraq’s Kurdistan region that was recently hit by an Iranian drone strike, say they will return to Iran to fight the country’s leadership “when the time is right”. Since the Middle East war began with a wave of US-Israeli strikes on Iran, Tehran has repeatedly struck Kurdish militants’ positions in Iraq, accusing them of serving Western or Israeli interests.

Valparaíso (Chili) (AFP) – Heads of state including Argentina’s President Javier Milei, Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa, Panama’s President Jose Raul Mulino, Uruguay’s President Yamandu Orsi arrive at inauguration ceremony of Chile’s new President Jose Antonio Kast. Chile’s most right-wing president in over three decades, Jose Antonio Kast, takes office on a promise to tackle surging rates of violent crime and carry out mass migrant deportations. IMAGES

Chili (AFP) – Hard-right Chilean politician Jose Antonio Kast is sworn in as president after winning an election dominated by a rise in violent crime and a surge in migration. The 60-year-old ultraconservative father of nine is Chile’s most right-wing leader since the 1973-1990 dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet. He succeeds the leftist Gabriel Boric. IMAGES

Valparaíso (Chili) (AFP) – Politicians including Brazilian senator Flavio Bolsonaro and Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado arrive at inauguration ceremony of Chile’s new President Jose Antonio Kast. Chile’s most right-wing president in over three decades, Jose Antonio Kast, takes office on a promise to tackle surging rates of violent crime and carry out mass migrant deportations. IMAGES

Beirut (Lebanon) (AFP) – Israel carries out new strikes on Beirut and its southern suburbs, a stronghold of the pro-Iranian Hezbollah. A strike on an apartment building in central Beirut marks the second targeting of the heart of the capital since the Middle East war began.