Brussels (AFP) – NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin meet during a summit of NATO defence ministers in Brussels. NATO members have supplied weaponry worth billions of dollars to help fight Russia’s more than seven-month invasion of Ukraine and have vowed to keep supplies flowing as Kyiv pushes to recapture occupied territories. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITE
Astana (Kazakhstan) (AFP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin meets Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani at the CICA summit in Kazakhstan.
Astana (Kazakhstan) (AFP) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of a regional summit in the Kazakh capital.
Astana (Kazakhstan) (AFP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin meets Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the CICA summit in Kazakhstan.
Nations unies (Etats-Unis) (AFP) – The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly votes to condemn Russia’s annexations of parts of Ukraine after Moscow vetoed a similar effort in the Security Council. The General Assembly approves the resolution with 143 in favor and five against, but 35 nations abstain, including China, India, South Africa and Pakistan, despite a major US diplomatic effort to seek clearer condemnation of Moscow.
Istanbul (AFP) – Off the coast of Istanbul, dozens of ships lay at anchor, loaded with Ukrainian grain and waiting for checks as part of a deal signed in July by Russia and Ukraine. Russia’s invasion its neighbour in February raised fears of a global food crisis, but the agreement allows Ukrainian grain to leave the country, bringing much-needed relief. The downside is the delays in the Bosphorus Strait, already one of the world’s busiest maritime passages.
Istanbul (AFP) – Dental tourism is booming in Turkey, where new dental clinics open monthly to serve customers from abroad who are looking for low-price dental work. Yet a lack of regulation and quality control in the sector is raising concerns among dental professionals trying to maintain their credibility.
Ashburton (New Zealand) (AFP) – New Zealand unveils plans to tax the greenhouse gas emissions from farm animals, in a controversial proposal designed to tackle climate change. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the levy will be the first of its kind in the world. Gases naturally emitted by New Zealand’s 6.2 million cows are among the country’s biggest environmental problems.
Costa Mesa (United States) (AFP) – Joy Womack built herself a fairytale life in Russia’s notoriously tough world of classical dance after becoming the first American to graduate from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy. But her career exploded as Moscow’s first bombs rained down on Ukraine, and she became one of dozens of dancers who fled Vladimir Putin’s war. Some exiled dancers have now reunited with one-time colleagues from the Russian stage for a single performance near Los Angeles next month.
Tehran (AFP) – Iranian pupils, some without headscarves, chant “death to the dictator” as they march in central Tehran. Activists called for nationwide protests Wednesday in response to a bloody crackdown on demonstrations over Mahsa Amini’s death that a human rights group says has killed at least 108 people.
Moscow (AFP) – Russian president Vladimir Putin denounces Nord Stream leaks as an act of “international terrorism”, during his speech at the plenary session of the Russian Energy Week.
Rome (AFP) – From emperors to saints, dictators to diplomats, and Mussolini’s pet chicken, Rome is the resting place of some of history’s most consequential figures. This year, Italy’s oldest pet cemetery, located in the southwest of the Eternal City, turns 100. The informal graveyard began in 1922 when Italy’s new leader, Benito Mussolini, buried his family’s beloved pet hen in the plot, inspiring others to follow suit.
