Fiumicino (AFP) – In a vast hangar near Rome’s Fiumicino airport, piles of letters addressed to Pope Leo XIV are being sorted, sent by faithful all over the world to the head of the Catholic Church. “We receive hundreds of letters per day addressed to the pope with peaks of 100 kg per day, so we are talking about 500-550 kg per week on average,” says Antonello Chidichimo, director of the sorting centre.
Grindavík (AFP) – Lava escapes from a fissure during the eruption of a volcano on the Reykjanes peninsula in southwest Iceland, the ninth eruption to hit the region since the end of 2023. Broadcaster RUV reports that the nearby fishing village of Grindavik has been evacuated, as well as the Blue Lagoon, Iceland’s famed tourist spot.
Lucknow (AFP) – Family members, students, and teachers in northern India celebrate the return of astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to Earth after the SpaceX capsule he was on splashed down off the California coast, completing Axiom Mission 4 and capping 20 days in space. Axiom Space is a private company that organises missions to the International Space Station, flying both wealthy individuals and, as in this case, astronauts sponsored by their governments.
Jordan Valley (AFP) – “We are also committed to protecting the Druze residents,” says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a visit to a military training base in the Jordan Valley. His comment comes amid deadly clashes in the predominantly Druze province of Sweida in southern Syria, where Israel says it has launched strikes against government forces in defence of the religious minority.
Sweida (AFP) – Members of the Syrian defence ministry forces fire towards Druze fighters amid ongoing deadly clashes in southern Syria’s Sweida province. At least 248 people have been killed in the province following several days of clashes that triggered the deployment of government forces, according to a war monitor. The Druze are a prominent religious community spread across Syria, Lebanon and Israel. In Syria, Druze fighters have clashed both with Bedouin tribes and with forces loyal to the Islamist government, as they struggle to find their place in the new order ushered in by the overthrow of longtime president Bashar al-Assad.
Manchester (AFP) – The return of the prodigal Oasis brothers to Manchester — on the second leg of their highly-anticipated reunion tour — rekindles memories of a time in the 1990s when the city was a cultural epicentre. Oasis then ruled the airwaves, following in the footsteps of Manchester’s other musical giants, such as Joy Division and The Smiths.
London (AFP) – The Swan Marker to Britain’s King Charles III says he and his team are happy to have discovered no decrease in the swan population along the River Thames during their annual count, known as swan upping, following “a downward spiral” in recent years. The steady numbers are “absolutely marvellous,” says David Barber, whose team has spent the day corralling swans and cygnets before checking them over. Barber has been in the role for more than 30 years and has seen swan populations decline as a result of bird flu as well as human factors like shootings.
Nikosia (AFP) – Sirens ring out in Cyprus at 05:20 GMT to mark the anniversary of the July 15, 1974 coup backed by Greece’s then-military junta against Archbishop Makarios, the president of Cyprus. Turkey invaded the island of Cyprus in response to the coup against the government led by a military dictatorship in Athens. Cyprus has since been divided between the Greek-speaking UN-recognised republic in the south and the Turkish Cypriot north, which unilaterally declared independence in 1983.
New York (AFP) – Passengers are on a New York City subway train as water pours into the station following heavy rains in the northeast of the United States.
Washington (AFP) – US President Donald Trump has told Russia to end its war in Ukraine within 50 days or face massive new economic sanctions, as he voiced fresh frustration with Moscow and laid out an arrangement with NATO to supply Kyiv with new military aid sponsored by the alliance’s member countries. Russia has replied, saying it needed time to respond to Trump’s ultimatum but was ready for fresh talks with Kyiv.
Peking (AFP) – China condemns “coercion” by the United States after President Donald Trump threatened “very severe” tariffs against Moscow’s remaining trade partners if it doesn’t resolve its war in Ukraine within 50 days. Beijing claims to be neutral in the war, but it has never denounced Russia’s more than three-year military campaign nor called for it to withdraw its troops. Many of Ukraine’s allies believe that Beijing has provided support to Moscow.
San Diego (AFP) – A SpaceX capsule carrying astronauts from India, Poland, Hungary and the United States splashed down off the California coast, completing Axiom Mission 4 and capping 20 days in space. Those on board included Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian to reach space since Rakesh Sharma, who flew to the Salyut 7 station in 1984 as part of an Indo-Soviet mission. IMAGES
