Paolo Fossati

In Vietnam, Typhoon Son Tinh, now a tropical depression, has hit rural and urban areas, including Hanoi. At least 20 dead and 16 missing. More than 15,000 houses have been damaged or destroyed and more than 110,000 hectares of crops have been inundated. In the Philippines, the tropical depression Josie is about to leave the country but has already killed five.

After a difficult rescue operation, lasting nine days, 11 boys will become novices and the coach will be a monk. One of the young players will not join his team mates because he is a Christian. Several production companies are trying to make a Hollywood-style film about their story.

According to the authorities, the new link with China will reduce the cost of exports, consumer goods and promote socio-economic development. The companies involved in the project foresee its realization by 2021. The government had announced 291 million US dollars to be distributed starting from last June.

The 71-year-old Australian missionary is now on a blacklist of personae non gratae. The authorities accuse the nun of joining protest rallies against the government in the cities of Davao and Tagum, in violation with the terms of her visa. The case began last April after the president called for an investigation.

The players took part in a press conference, which Chiang Rai's provincial governor, Prachon Pratsukan, said would be the boys' "only official media interview". The boys’ coach said “We took turns digging at the cave walls”. The team’s youngest member, Titan, added, “I had no strength. I tried not to think about food so I didn’t get hungrier.”

The archbishop of Manila calls on the faithful to stay away from fights to settle scores. “In following Christ, there are many crosses that you will carry while … following ‘fake god’ erases the cross and promises [a] false path,” he said.

“A sad incident that claimed the life of one of the rescuers is being used to show off Thai greatness." The authorities have now imposed a gag order on the incident so that no one can ask questions or criticise the boys’ behaviour inside the cave. For many the story has become an “emotional drug”, which the country’s ruling military junta is using to move attention away from “hot topics”

The reprisal took place after the victim’s funeral. Sugito, 48, died after falling into the enclosure of a crocodile farm whilst looking for grass to feed his cattle. Apologies and compensation were not enough. Hundreds of relatives and local residents overwhelmed police and officials and attacked the farm armed with knives, machetes and shovels.

The boys are recovering in the hospital after 18 days in the flooded Tham Luang cave. The doctors said that they are in good health and informed them of the tragedy only two days ago.

This is in a study by the country’s only labour confederation. On average workers spend about US$ 280 per month but earn only US$ 200. Vietnam’s minimum wage averages between US$ 124 and US$ 172. About 44 per cent of labour force works overtime for an average of 28.5 hours to earn US$ 36 extra a month.

For the Archbishop of Cagayan de Oro, “the president's utterances should not be taken as a frontal attack on the Church” but as “a response to the criticisms the bishops made towards the government regarding the extrajudicial killings that take place in the country, as well as the unpunished murders”. On several occasions, Duterte publicly criticised the Church using violent and often vulgar language. Following the controversy, support for him is down.

No one has yet claimed responsibility for the action. The opposition is accused of trying to discredit the government's conciliatory approach to China in the South China Sea dispute. Two years ago, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that Beijing had no title to the disputed waters.