AFP News Agency

"The public would lose faith that the central bank will make decisions based only on what's best for all Americans." Outgoing US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell delivers a staunch defense of the need for the central bank to maintain independence and credibility u.afp.com/SDMq

'Totally hooked': Hong Kong targets claw machine addiction. Dozens of stores filled with claw machines have sprung up on streets and in malls across Hong Kong's finance hub in recent years, promising players a treasure trove of prizes u.afp.com/SDMJ

Artificial intelligence is getting expensive -- and companies are starting to rethink their embrace of the disruptive technology u.afp.com/SDMU

The full moon rises behind the ancient Greek Temple of Poseidon at cape Sounion, south of Athens 📸 Aris Messinis

Colombia's presidential election is headed for a runoff between hard‑right Abelardo de la Espriella and leftist Ivan Cepeda, presenting voters with a stark choice after the bloodiest election campaign in more than a decade. u.afp.com/SDga

Nicaraguan Indigenous leader Brooklyn Rivera dies after nearly three years in detention and despite US appeals for his release, the health ministry says. He was arrested on unknown charges in 2023 by the left-wing authoritarian government of Daniel Ortega. u.afp.com/SDMo

Malta's Labour party win an unprecedented fourth term in a victory for outgoing Prime Minister Robert Abela, who had called a snap election in light of geopolitical uncertainties. u.afp.com/SDM4

A24's 'Backrooms,' the big screen adaptation of a viral YouTube horror series, smashes several box office records with an $81.5 mn North American debut, according to US media reports. u.afp.com/SDgF

A New Jersey city mayor declares a curfew around a migrant detention center after another night of clashes between police and protesters. Access to the facility will be prohibited from 9:00 pm to 6:00 am until further notice, the mayor said. u.afp.com/SDg9

Iran's top negotiator warns that the United States is not to be trusted, saying Tehran would not agree to any deal with Washington unless it fully secured Iranian rights. Meanwhile, reports emerged that the US has sent a tougher peace proposal back to Iran. u.afp.com/SDgj

Israeli PM Netanyahu vows to push deeper into Lebanon after his military took the medieval castle of Beaufort, calling it a "dramatic shift" in the campaign against Hezbollah. Diplomatic sources tell AFP that the UN Security Council will meet on Monday. u.afp.com/SDgH

Colombians are voting in a presidential election that could shift the country's response to rising guerrilla violence, choosing between extending spluttering peace talks or turning to a hard‑right military crackdown. u.afp.com/SDga

A museum in eastern France reported to police the theft of a banana that forms a core part of a multimillion-dollar artwork by Italian visual artist Maurizio Cattelan. The museum also said it had replaced the banana. u.afp.com/SDgE

A Kanye West concert scheduled for July 18 in Reggio Emilia in northern Italy has been banned on public safety grounds, authorities say. The province prefect said the decision was made following requests from bodies including the local Jewish community. u.afp.com/SDgb

Malaysia will require major social media platforms to verify users’ ages and bar children under 16 from registering accounts under new online safety rules that take effect on June 1 u.afp.com/SDgL

⚽ 🏆 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Tens of thousands of Arsenal fans put aside their pain at missing out on European glory as the club on Sunday celebrated its first Premier League title since 2004 with a parade in north London ➡️ u.afp.com/SDgX

🇦🇺 Australian researchers have trained lab-grown brain cells on a silicon computer chip to play the nineties shooter game "Doom" and say they are just scratching the surface of what the neurons could be capable of doing ➡️ u.afp.com/SDY8

🎾 🇫🇷 World number one Aryna Sabalenka is scheduled to take on fellow four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka on Monday in the first women's French Open night-session match since 2023 ➡️ u.afp.com/SDgP

🇨🇴 🗳️ Colombians began voting on Sunday in a presidential election that will determine the nation's response to rising violence by drug-running guerrillas, either staying left and opting for dialogue or tacking right towards all-out war

🇨🇺 🇺🇸 EXPLAINED: Is Cuba Trump's next target? | AFP For months now, Donald Trump has raised the prospect of the United States "taking" Cuba. Pressure has risen on Havana since January, when Washington removed Venezuela's president and forced that nation to stop sending fuel to Cuba. Will the US launch a Venezuela-style incursion? Or has the Iran war proven a distraction for Trump? ▶️ u.afp.com/SDxh