Today's headlines: the treatment of women in Afghanistan judged a crime against humanity; The technology war between the U.S. and China continues; Laos fails to stop crime in the Golden Triangle; Qatar will lend billion to Turkey; Ukrainian Orthodox Church increasingly distances itself from Moscow.; Armenia-Russia disagreements over Yerevan's conflict with Azerbaijan.
INDIA
A young Indian aerospace company plans to put a satellite into orbit in 2023. Skyroot Aerospace said it will do so at half the normal cost for such operations. So far the company has raised million for the venture, mainly from Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC.
AFGHANISTAN
For a United Nations panel of experts, the treatment of women in Afghanistan could amount to a crime against humanity. Among the many harassments, in addition to exclusion from schools and universities, the Islamist executive has also banned women from entering public parks and gyms in recent times.
US-CHINA
New chapter in the technology war between Washington and Beijing. Due to national security risks, the U.S. government yesterday banned the import and sale of new products from five Chinese hi-tech companies-Huawei, ZTE, Hikvision, Dahua, and Hytera.
LAOS
Authorities in Vientiane are failing to root out crime in the "Golden Triangle," at the border junction with Myanmar and Thailand. A de facto Chinese colony, drug trafficking and prostitution thrive in the area.
TURKEY-QATAR
Negotiations are in the final stages for Doha to provide a billion loan to Ankara, three of which are expected by the end of this year. The funds will be used to shore up Turkey's dwindling foreign exchange reserves after Erdogan's policy of keeping interest rates low pushed up inflation and reduced the value of the Turkish lira.
UKRAINE-RUSSIA
The Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church formerly loyal to Moscow, the Upz, has decided to independently prepare the holy chrism to be consecrated next Easter. Until now it had always received it from Moscow as a sign of dependence. It was a symbolic point left unresolved after the June declaration of autonomy.
ARMENIA-AZERBAIGIAN
The Armenian government released images of the closed-door Csto meeting. The astonished expressions of Putin and Belarusian President Lukashenko stand out when Yerevan Premier Pasinyan refused to sign the final declaration, which lacked the support of the Russian-led military alliance for Armenia against Azerbaijan