Moscow intelligence: over 100,000 Russians killed in fighting in Ukraine

Today's headlines: Seven people arrested in northeast China after clashes over anti-Covid restrictions; Lithuania opens trade office in Taiwan; Philippines accelerates military projects with the US; Pakistan PM at Cop27: 2.8 million families affected by floods; World Cup: Qatari ambassador says homosexuality is 'damage to the mind'.


RUSSIA

According to an official report by the external secret service Svr, presented to President Putin himself, the Russian casualties in the war in Ukraine number over 100,000, including 77,291 Russian Armed Forces personnel, 2,317 from Wagner Company and 5,308 from Rosgvardija.

CHINA

Police in Linyi (Shandong), in the northeast of the country, arrested seven people after clashes between residents and authorities engaged in enforcing health restrictions for Covid-19. The protests come as the government responds with new lockdowns to the upsurge in infections. Critical situation in Guangzhou (Guangdong), with more than 2,200 infections daily.

TAIWAN-LITHUANIA

The Lithuanian Trade Office in Taipei officially opened yesterday. A dispute over the name of the Taiwanese mission in Vilnius had triggered China's trade retaliation against the Lithuanians. Meanwhile, Taiwan announced its first technology investment project in the Baltic republic.

PHILIPPINES-USA

Manila wants to speed up the implementation of projects covered by a military agreement (Edca) with Washington. It concerns the repair of outposts and the construction of new facilities to house troops. Rodrigo Duterte, predecessor of current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, had blocked the plan agreed by the two sides in 2014.

PAKISTAN

Two million homes washed away and 2.8 million families affected. This is the toll of the summer floods that devastated the country, as outlined by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Sharm El Sheikh summit on change. Estimated cost of reconstruction: 30 billion dollars.

QATAR-GERMANY

A Qatari ambassador for the World Cup told German TV Zdf that homosexuality is a 'damage of the mind'. Human rights groups have always criticised the awarding of the football kermesse to the Gulf principality, where same-sex relationships are illegal.

KYRGYZSTAN

The Kyrgyz government has decided to quickly grant a six-month residence permit to all foreigners willing to invest at least 10 million som (0,000) in the country's economy, without waiting for all document checks, with the exception of citizens of neighbouring countries.