AFP UK

Heviz (Hungary) (AFP) – Hungary is financing the construction of several Christian Orthodox churches around the country including at Heviz, a thermal lake resort popular with Russians, tourists and locals alike. The war in Ukraine has further cemented Hungarian leader Viktor Orban’s status as an EU outlier. He has increased purchases of Russian gas and refused to let weapons flow to Ukraine through Hungary. The Priest of the Heviz parish, Nikolai Kim, points to the Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill’s comments on Orban’s “great Christian moral qualities”.

Paderno Dugnano (Italy) (AFP) – A peek inside a factory in a town on the outskirts of Milan, which manufactures the football World Cup trophy. The trophy is made by GDE Bertoni in the Italian town of Paderno Dugnano. Italy, however, will miss out on the 2022 World Cup after it failed to qualify for the tournament. Seeing ‘our’ cup lifted, in quotes, is always a great emotion,” says GDE Bertoni production manager. “To think that Italy will not participate in a World Cup for the second time hurts us, but we know that Italy can participate in other competitions. We are waiting for our moment.”

Foz do Iguaçu (Brazil) (AFP) – The Iguazu waterfalls on the border between Brazil and Argentina have recorded 10 times their usual water volume after heavy rains lashed Parana state in southern Brazil. The water volume was the highest registered at the falls since June 2014, when the flow hit 47 million litres per second.

Brussels (AFP) – NATO Defence Ministers pose for a group photo during a meeting in Brussels to discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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.