Russia

Six months after the earthquake in the devastated Syrian areas there is great concern about the future in a starving territory. The appeal to "not politicise" the management of the humanitarian emergency has fallen on deaf ears. The knot of Idlib, the last stronghold in the hands of the rebel militias opposing Bashar al-Assad.

Today's headlines: Emirates, maxi seizure of 13 tonnes of Captagon worth over a billion dollars; A 10-year-old boy in Hong Kong arrested for armed robbery, luxury watches worth nearly 650,000 euros in the loot; Tharman Shanmugaratnam sworn in as Singapore's ninth president; Border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan reopened, but tension remains between the parties; Lavrov: 'Russia and China withdraw from UN sanctions on Pyongyang over nuclear programme'.

Today's headlines: Devastating fire destroys hundreds of stalls in Dhaka market; Kerala closes schools, offices and stops public transport to counter the spread of the Nipah virus; Hong Kong police indict 38-year-old for importing children's books praising 2019 protests; Netanyahu clashes over Palestinian prisoners: Ben Gvir 'freezes' support for government; Indonesia's first high-speed train operating in October, linking Jakarta to Bandung.

The long-anticipated summit is held in Vostochny, while North Korea tests more rockets. Moscow needs ammunition for its war in Ukraine, while Pyongyang wants satellite technology. But the real urgency is food for a hungry country. For Kim, it is vital that Moscow resume its wheat exports after he closed the borders during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 'grain war' is also having heavy repercussions within the country. Moscow needs to obtain hard currency and therefore favours exports, causing the prices of quality flour for the domestic market to skyrocket. The logistical effects of international sanctions are also making it difficult to maintain production levels.

Today's headlines: Tehran blocks internet to obscure pro-Mahsa Amini protests; Japanese government ready for reshuffle, more women; There has been no news of the Chinese Defence Minister for a fortnight; Jakarta wants to ban business transactions on social media; Hindu leader instigator of violence against Muslims in Haryana state arrested; Russian Minister of Economic Development proposes visa facilitation for Middle Eastern countries to encourage tourism.

Today's headlines: at least 10 dead in clashes between rival factions in a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon; Runoff between Solih and Muizzu scheduled for Sept. 30 to decide next president of the Maldives; Sexist behavior toward women in the workplace persists in South Korea; Kuala Lumpur wants to halt rare earth exports; Delhi ready to reintroduce firecracker ban for Diwali to try to curb air pollution in the capital.

Today's headlines: Afghan Taliban against Islamabad for closing Torkham crossing; Manila wants a tariff cut on imported rice to curb price escalation. India's Silicon Valley paralyzed by vehicle strikes; Japanese premier announces government reshuffle and "drastic" economic measures; In Israel, artists and film and TV personalities revolt over industry cooperation agreement between Tel Aviv and Moscow; The "Tiger Valley" park in Tajikistan will enter among UNESCO heritage sites.

First visit by a Russian foreign minister to Bangladesh. Sheikh Hasina calls for a peaceful solution to the war in Ukraine "the consequences of which weigh on developing countries." Nuclear fuel for the Rosatom-built plant will arrive in October. But due to delays in work on the local power grid infrastructure, it is unlikely to start operating in July 2024 as planned.

Today's headlines: 2 dead in typhoon in Hong Kong, controversy over no text alert; In Mindanao, two Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) factions agree to work together for the Bangsamoro; New clashes in Ein al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp; Appeal by Armenian Prime Minister Pašinyan against troops massed by Azerbaijan at the border.

The misunderstandings between Francis and Ukrainian Greek Catholics are not simply a personal issue related to today's context. The Vatican's search for harmony with the "Third Rome" of modern czars and emperors (down to party secretaries and federal presidents) has been a constant in history for more than a millennium. So have the complicated relations between the Holy See and the "Uniates" of the Kiev frontier.

Chinese Vice-Premier Liu Guozhong will visit North Korea for celebrations scheduled for tomorrow. The Kim regime's third military parade of the year is planned. North Korean leader wants to strengthen alliance with Beijing and Moscow. A meeting with the Russian president to discuss food and weapons is coming up. It would be the dictator's first foreign visit since the start of the pandemic.