At a shop nestled in a busy, crowded Beirut district, Hasan El-Makary is weighing out containers of warm, fragrant mufataka, a traditional sweet in the Lebanese capital that is rarely found in stores.

"I've been in this shop for 50 years, but we started specializing in mufataka 30 years ago," Makary said from the humble shop with its ageing decor and low ceiling.

If any evidence were needed to underscore that Pope Francis' upcoming trip to Asia and Oceania is the longest, farthest and most challenging of his pontificate, it's that he's bringing along his secretaries to help him navigate the four-country program while keeping up with work back home.

Francis will clock 32,814 kilometers (20,390 miles) by air during his Sept. 2-13 visit to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore, far surpassing any of his previous 44 foreign trips and notching one of the longest papal trips ever, both in terms of days on the road and distances traveled.

Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Istanbul on Sunday to protest recent legislation that critics say is leading to the killing of stray dogs across Turkey.

Last month, legislators approved the new law aimed at removing millions of stray dogs from Turkish streets citing safety concerns. Animal-lovers fear it will lead to widespread culling or dogs ending up in disease-ridden and overcrowded shelters.

Porto takes pride in its beaches, old churches covered in blue-and-white tiles and its famous port wine named after the city in northern Portugal.

It's also home to a different kind of church — located on its beachfront suburbs along the Atlantic coast near a fishing town known for some of the world's largest waves. Parishioners attend in boardshorts, T-shirts, flip flops — even barefoot.

A far-right Israeli minister sparked fresh outrage on Monday by saying he would build a synagogue at Jerusalem's flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound if he could, once again challenging government policy .

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who has repeatedly ignored the government's long-standing ban on Jews praying at the site, told Army Radio that if it were possible he would build a synagogue at the Al-Aqsa compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount.

Afghanistan's Taliban rulers have issued a ban on women's voices and bare faces in public under new laws approved by the supreme leader in efforts to combat vice and promote virtue.

The laws were issued Wednesday after they were approved by supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, a government spokesman said. The Taliban had set up a ministry for the "propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice" after seizing power in 2021.

Afghanistan's Taliban authorities have announced the codification of laws detailing rules of behavior and lifestyle based on their strict interpretation of Islamic law.

The 35-article law published in the official gazette on July 31 establishes prohibitions already generally known in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan -- the Taliban government's formal name for the country -- but its enactment could allow for increased control of the population.

Nestled in the vibrant heart of Beirut, Beit Toureef is a charming guesthouse that embodies the spirit of an authentic Lebanese village house. With its rustic architecture and welcoming hospitality, Beit Toureef offers a unique retreat for those seeking a genuine taste of Lebanon.

The rooms exude coziness and comfort across two floors, "Reef Aroma and Reef Melody".

Ukraine's parliament has banned the activities of religious groups tied to the Russian Orthodox Church or any other faith group supporting Russia's invasion — a measure widely seen as targeting a Ukrainian religious body, despite its claim to independence from Moscow.

The bill creates the legal tools for the government to ban the activities of any religious group deemed to be too closely connected to Russia or to support its invasion of Ukraine..

Two groups of men stood on opposite rooftops perched on a hillside overlooking Rio de Janeiro's Ipanema beach, taunting one another. It was a macho showdown between opponents wielding unlikely weapons — kites.

On this July morning in the impoverished neighborhood, they were using taut, sharp-edged kite lines — known as "cerol" in Portuguese — to slash their opponents' lines, ripping their kites from the sky.