Daily News 25th, 24th July 2022 composite

. ‘In the interests of their own people’: those were the words of Egypt's foreign minister after talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, who's on a tour of Africa. That's to the dismay of US politicians, who rang alarm bells over Russia's increasing influence. Russia and the Republic of the Congo stress their resistance to blackmail in foreign affairs. That's the message coming after Russia's top diplomat lands in the country, on the second leg of his African tour. As Western countries apparently attempt to pressure the Arab League, demanding its members break ties with Russia, the country's foreign minister also receives a warm welcome from more than twenty representatives of the organization. Restricting the flow: Russian energy giant Gazprom says it's taking another gas turbine offline for maintenance, cutting the already reduced energy flow to Europe by half, from Wednesday, which resulted in an immediate spike in Europe's gas prices. We see a number of files from an FSB sting operation, showing a failed attempt by Kiev to get Russian pilots to switch sides. Russia says its artillery has destroyed Ukrainian control centers and ammunition depots across the Donbass front. Brazilian President Bolsonaro reiterates his country won't join anti-Russian sanctions. That's despite Ukrainian President Zelensky's call for Brasilia to choose a side in the conflict. Russia, Iran and NATO-member Turkey hold talks to discuss conflict resolution in Syria with calls for the US to withdraw its troops from the country. Russia's Foreign Minister gives his take on what the US and UK have in store for Ukraine and the EU.