Today's headlines: Iraq blocks a Ramadan TV series deemed offensive to tribal leaders; Vietnamese activist sentenced to six years for 'propaganda against the state'; Israel launches an upgraded version of the spy satellite; territorial tensions between Moscow and Beijing in the South China Sea; police in Kyrgyzstan raid a church, fining a nun.
Vepsy, Ižory and Vožani could lose their lands. Already repressed in the Stalin era. They have affinities with Baltic and Finnish peoples. With war on Ukraine, they are back in the crosshairs of the authorities. Accused of separatism, extremism and of being 'foreign agents'.
Today's news: Covid-19 dismissed, North Korea decorates streets with (fake) flowers to celebrate Kim Il Sung; Recently released Vietnamese political prisoner Phan Kim Khanh denounces labour exploitation in prisons; Tomorrow evening, daylight saving time also strikes in Lebanon; in parks and public places in Russia, civil defence films are broadcast with warnings in case of a nuclear attack; In Uttar Pradesh Hindu radicals prevent Muslims from praying for Ramadan.
Sri Lanka is considering building small, offshore and onshore reactors, deeming nuclear power an environmentally and economically viable option. Currently, its electricity comes mainly from hydroelectric power plants. The government is vetting an existing contract between Rosatom and Bangladesh.
The Chinese launch the new 5+1 format for dialogue with the former Soviet republics in the region. The focus on communication campaigns in Kyrgyzstan. The risk of being dragged into the geopolitical competition between the West and the China-Russia duo.
Today's headlines: Singapore premier on official visit to China, the first since the pandemic; Taliban block a march of women activists in Kabul for women's right to study; Myanmar's coup leader moves against 'acts of terrorism' by armed groups fighting against the army; First 'controlled' demonstration in Hong Kong; In five months more than 25,000 Russians reached the USA across the Mexican border.
