Russia

The military attack launched by the Kremlin has taken the country of the cedars, already the object of a tug-of-war between the US and Iran, by surprise. The government has ritually condemned the attack, but there are many differences and ambiguous positions, including that of Hezbollah. The impact on the price of grain and fuel. 74% of imported wheat comes from Ukraine.

Civil servants obliged by the Caucasian republic's authorities to attend religious ceremonies for local soldiers engaged in Ukraine. Chechen Imam in Nice: Islam forbids wars of invasion. The subject of the fallen, and their funeral, is forbidden in Chechnya, as in the rest of Russia.

Today's headlines: the Kremlin suspends publication of Novaya Gazeta, the country's last "independent" voice; isolated from the West, Moscow looks to China, forming a "Coordination Council" with Beijing; after 25 years, former Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov "goes on holiday"; the debate on no-confidence for the Pakistani prime minister is underway; Aung San Suu Kyi in quarantine after contact with a Covid-19 positive.

Today's headlines: in Russia, student protests continue to call for an end to the war in Ukraine; the largest military exercise between the Philippines and the US is underway; Moscow relies on the Syrian army to recruit mercenaries; in Shanghai, lockdowns and mass swabbing to contain Covid-19; South Korean nuns on the border with the North open a reception centre for refugees; Manama closes an Indian restaurant for forbidding entry to a woman wearing a veil.

Synod approves reorganisation of Orthodox Church, also in light of war with Ukraine. New department will define ways of assisting the "foreign neighbour", the nations once under the USSR. Nominations for the exarchate of Africa to be made shortly.

More than a month after the beginning of the "cruel and senseless" conflict in Ukraine, Francis renewed his appeal to “Silence the weapons” and “Move seriously towards peace.” In his view, “We should not accustom ourselves to war. Instead, we need to convert today’s anger into a commitment for tomorrow” so as to “erase it from human history before it erases human history.”

Sinopec stops a US$ 500 million project with a Russian petrochemical company. China fears secondary sanctions from the US and its allies if it helps the Kremlin. Nothing indicates that Beijing is backing Putin in his Ukrainian campaign.

In the Vatican Basilica before Our Lady of Fatima, the pontiff performs the act of consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary amid a "cruel and senseless" conflict. This was preceded by a penitential liturgy because “we have forgotten the lesson of the tragedies of the last century” and only God's forgiveness can “change our hearts and the world”. Entrusting oneself to the Mother is not a magical act but it is like children who “turn to their Mother” when “they are frightened.”

Speaking to the Italian Women's Centre, Francis said that he was “ashamed” that some countries opted recently to increase military spending as a response to war. A “culture of caring” rather than weapons is the true path. Gandhi, he noted, “led a people to freedom via the path of nonviolence.” Women offer an alternative model of politics.

Since 2009, this religious festival has been a UNESCO intangible heritage site. It is celebrated by many peoples of Russia and Central Asia. It promotes the values of peace and solidarity. It raises the question of acceptance of others, and the search for a common language, a problem that exploded in the war between Russia and Ukraine.

For the local Communist Party chief, regional synergy will boost the strategic cooperation between Beijing and Moscow. Developing Russia’s Far East would also help the Kremlin ease the burden of Western sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine. However, Chinese nationalists view the region as part of China.

Faced with the invasion of Ukraine, the political and information strategists are studying ways to further harness national culture. They are targeting bloggers, who may be required to have a state licence to operate. A return to "Soviet folklore" instead of "Harry Potter" has been called for.