AFP UK

Debrecen (Hungary) (AFP) – Ireland beats Israel 3-0 amid a tense and sombre atmosphere at a Nations League match in Hungary. Irish players refused to shake the Israeli team’s hands and wore black armbands in a show of solidarity with Gaza. “The purpose of the protest is to raise awareness,” says Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson. The situation has drawn criticism for some Israeli fans, who feel that “politics and sports need to be separated”. The match was held in Hungary, a “neutral” venue, after Ireland refused to host the Israeli team.

Debrecen (Hungary) (AFP) – Ireland’s football team voted on Saturday to fulfil a Nations League tie with Israel despite goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu pulling out of the match due to unease over the war in Gaza, its football association says. “We carried out a vote amongst the squad to establish their sentiment on fulfilling the fixtures,” Football Association of Ireland (FAI) head David Courell tells reporters in Debrecen, Hungary, where the game is taking place on September 27.

Addis Ababa (AFP) – Thousands gather in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa to mark the east African nation’s Orthodox Church festival of Meskel, marked by vibrant hymns, traditional white robes, a traditional large bonfire and calls for peace amidst renewed conflict in the country’s northern Tigray region. “The people leading the country, as well as those on any other side, must come to peace,” says Yared Kebede, a worshipper.

Lourdes (France) (AFP) – Pope Leo XIV calls on the Church to “heal the deep wounds, acts of unfaithfulness and painful mistakes committed within its ranks” during a large open-air Mass on his state visit held on the meadow at the Lourdes sanctuary in France, without directly mentioning clerical sexual abuse. A 2021 inquiry found that clergy or lay members of the Church had abused about 330,000 minors in France over 70 years.

Badung (Indonesia) (AFP) – The men of the village of Tuban in Bali, Indonesia, hurl burning coconut husks at each other during the annual ‘Siat Geni’ or ‘war of fire’ — a long-standing tradition carried out to dispel spirits believed to bring misfortune. The war of fire is held during the fourth full moon of the Balinese calendar, which usually falls around September or October.

Mexico (AFP) – Thousands take to the street of Mexico City demanding truth and justice for 43 students who disappeared in 2014. The landmark case is considered emblematic of the corruption and impunity feeding Mexico’s disappearance crisis. The students from the Ayotzinapa rural teachers college disappeared on September 26, 2014, while traveling from Guerrero state to a protest in Mexico City. Local police stopped them in the town of Iguala, where six died in an hours-long street clash and 43 later went missing. IMAGES

Lima (AFP) – Between prayers and long workdays, sculptors and workers from a bustling neighborhood in northern Lima are racing against the clock to finish a 14-meter monument to Pope Leo XIV, which will be unveiled before the pontiff’s visit to Peru, scheduled for November 11 to 16.

London (AFP) – Former Manchester City midfielder Rodri backs the club to ultimately win a legal battle with the Premier League despite reports that the English football giants have been found guilty on 114 charges. The club are accused of breaking regulations by failing to provide accurate information and details of payments to players and coaches, as well as breaches of financial sustainability rules. The ruling has not yet been published and no sanctions have been decided. “I hope justice can be done, whatever the outcome may be, of course, but I have faith that the club, which I know very well, will be cleared,” he tells a press conference at London’s Wembley Stadium before Spain and England face off in the Nations League.

Arques (France) (AFP) – After 28 years and 50,000 km, British adventurer Karl Bushby is facing one last hurdle in his bid to trek home from South America without using any form of transport — the English Channel. When he set off in November 1998, Bushby set himself two rules: not to use any form of transport to advance, and not to return home — near Hull in northern England — except on foot. The 57-year-old had originally hoped to use a service corridor in the Channel Tunnel on foot, but he said the authorities seemed “set against” this idea.

Saint Petersburg (AFP) – Russia is not preparing for “any kind” of conflict with Europe, President Vladimir Putin says, following warnings from some European NATO members of potential Russian attacks on the alliance’s territory. “There is no real motive to escalate the situation with Europe, no matter what anyone says, no matter who says it,” he says.

Bangkok (AFP) – Continuous rain has caused heavy flooding in Bangkok, prompting city authorities to declare on Saturday a disaster across all 50 districts of the Thai capital. The governor said almost 300 millimetres (11.8 inches) of rain had fallen since Thursday. Residents received alerts from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration warning of critical water levels in canals, which are expected to rise further. IMAGES

London (AFP) – England captain Harry Kane says this season represents his “best chance so far” of winning the prestigious Ballon d’Or award, after scoring 73 goals while leading Bayern Munich to a German domestic double and England to third in the World Cup. “It was my best year, without a doubt,” he says at a press conference in London ahead of England’s Nations League clash against world champions Spain.