Russia

Today's headlines: for the UN, the Taliban's treatment of Afghan women is tantamount to 'crimes against humanity'; the Philippine Catholic Educators Association condemns the practice of 'hazing' after a suspicious death at a university. Tehran confirms its hard line on transgressions of the Islamic 'dress code'; in 2022, new births in Japan fell below 800,000 for the first time.

Situation at the border noticeably calmer. In Georgia there is political chaos over the approval of a controversial 'foreign agents' law. There are no illusions about prospects for reconciliation and recognition of separations. Engaged in Ukraine, the Russians want to keep the Caucasian front calm.

Today's headlines: Philippine coast guard spotted over 40 Beijing ships in a disputed area of the South China Sea; Pakistani police serve arrest warrants on former premier Imran Khan; Qatari emir 'perplexed' over delays in aid to post-earthquake Syria; illegal pangolin sales increase in Laos.

Everyone desires an end to war, but it cannot just be a question of surrender or compromise, identity and dominance on the battlefield. It is an inner war, being fought in churches and consciences, in universities and schools, on the streets and in the homes of every country east and west.

Gangs of young people inspired by a Japanese manga are hunting each other in Russian cities. The phenomenon also affects Ukraine. War propaganda creates a deviant psychology in the youthful masses. The fear is that other groups of 'youth extremists' may arise. Patriarch Kirill suggests 'controlling and limiting the Internet'.

He was the great prompter in the first two presidential terms of the Russian 'tsar'.Promoter of a Russian presidential model of 'imperial democracy'. He ended up on the fringes of power for opposing Putin's tenure.

The hardest on the Kremlin are the Kazakhs. Turkmenistan most aligned with Moscow's positions. Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan the most guarded. All are on hold, not knowing whether to realign with the old masters, or join the new divisions.

A bombastic language and lack of content have produced a soporific and deadly effect on ordinary Russians, prey to despair amid fears of another military call-up. Online, a surreal diatribe about gorgonzola describes, better than any other example, Russians’ desire “not get involved", to turn away from feelings of guilt and shake off the rhetoric of "traditional values".

China releases a 12-point proposal today to solve the Russian-Ukrainian "crisis". It includes respect for the territorial integrity of countries, but does not condemn Russia’s occupation. For NATO and the EU, it is not very credible. Meanwhile, a Chinese company is getting ready to supply Russia with attack drones. At the UN, China abstains from voting against Putin's aggression against Ukraine.

A Russian nuclear power plant is under construction in Mersin with one reactor set to start operating at the end of the year. Supporters say that one plant in five is located in seismic active areas. Its builder, Rosatom, claims the planned reactors can withstand a magnitude 9 earthquake. In a plea to government and opposition, activists and civil society groups are calling for a common front against the project.

In a self-serving move, the Kremlin wants France and the UK to join the nuclear treaty, not China. The latter has the third-largest nuclear arsenal in the world but wants nuclear parity with Russia and the US before joining the treaty. For Russian expert, Putin's move is political, not military; Russia has enough nuclear weapons. The risk for their use in Ukraine is low.

The well-known Putin opponent filtered it from the Melekhovo prison. Divided into 15 points, it envisages the 'dismantling' of the Putin dictatorship. End the war and recognise the 1991 borders between Russia and Ukraine. Replace the presidential model with a parliamentary republic.