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New York (AFP) – The United States has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the G20 summit of world leaders being held in Miami in December, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says. “In order to solve problems, you have to meet with with people you disagree with or the people that you might have some issues with, so we’ve invited President Putin to the G20. We think it’s an opportunity for him to engage not just with the president but with other world leaders. We hope that’s an invitation he’ll accept,” Rubio says.

Lahore (Pakistan) (AFP) – Party-goers in Pakistan are going ape over the latest craze to hit the dancefloor — giant gorillas. Entertainers dress up in the super-sized simian costumes, flailing around their limbs to DJ beats alongside revellers in the eastern mega-city of Lahore.

Thimphu (Bhutan) (AFP) – With abundant waterways, Bhutan has long relied on hydroelectric power to meet its electricity needs and stay carbon negative — absorbing more planet-warming gases than it emits. But demand is growing, and so the Kingdom is looking to solar energy to help power its development, including a new special economic zone known as the Gelephu Mindfulness City which is expected to host energy-hungry data centres.

Thimphu (Bhutan) (AFP) – With abundant waterways, Bhutan has long relied on hydroelectric power to meet its electricity needs and stay carbon negative — absorbing more planet-warming gases than it emits. But demand is growing, and so the Kingdom is looking to solar energy to help power its development, including a new special economic zone known as the Gelephu Mindfulness City which is expected to host energy-hungry data centres.

New York (AFP) – K-9 police units work outside the UN, on the eve of the General Assembly which hundreds of heads of state and officials are set to attend, putting New York on high alert. US President Donald Trump’s war against Iran and its worldwide fallout are expected to dominate this year’s United Nations General Assembly High-level Week, with artificial intelligence also set to be a key topic in talks and speeches.

Saporischschja (AFP) – Firefighters in the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia work to put out fires after a large-scale overnight Russian attack. The strike damaged two residential buildings, a university building and a shopping centre, according to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky. Emergency services say five people were injured in the attack.

Saporischschja (AFP) – Firefighters in the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia work to put out fires after a large-scale overnight Russian attack. The strike damaged two residential buildings, a university building and a shopping centre, according to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky. Emergency services say five people were injured in the attack.

Berlin (AFP) – The AfD has “replaced the CDU as the people’s party,” says Alice Weidel, the far-right party’s co-chair, after it won a regional election in the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The result was a fresh blow to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, whose CDU dropped below five percent of the vote, meaning it got kicked out of the regional parliament altogether.

Berlin (AFP) – The AfD has “replaced the CDU as the people’s party,” says Alice Weidel, the far-right party’s co-chair, after it won a regional election in the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The result was a fresh blow to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, whose CDU dropped below five percent of the vote, meaning it got kicked out of the regional parliament altogether.

Valladolid (AFP) – In a test of speed and focus, puzzle enthusiasts battle it out in the final of the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship. Around 1700 competitors from 70 countries gathered in northwest Spain in a challenge to solve a never-before-seen jigsaw puzzle. “It’s really a battle, it’s not like let’s make nice together, people are really battling,” says volunteer Karin Harmsen.

Moskau (AFP) – The Kremlin says Germans are looking for a political “alternative” after the country’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz suffered a state election defeat to the far-right AfD, widely seen as being pro-Moscow. “We are seeing fairly low figures for the popularity and approval ratings of the current German government,” says Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, who also notes “figures relating to economic development in Germany and the decline in the competitiveness of the German economy.”

Moskau (AFP) – The Kremlin says Germans are looking for a political “alternative” after the country’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz suffered a state election defeat to the far-right AfD, widely seen as being pro-Moscow. “We are seeing fairly low figures for the popularity and approval ratings of the current German government,” says Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, who also notes “figures relating to economic development in Germany and the decline in the competitiveness of the German economy.”