Today's headlines: HoNg Kong storm damage estimates serious; Some Korean sect members arrested in Fiji; Japanese authorities mull too many tourists on Mount Fiji;  Rice shortage hits Malaysia; Philippines and Australia sign anti-China agreement; In Bangladesh articles by "experts" with fake photos or questionable reputations to favor the re-election of Prime Minister Hasina; 10% of Russians suffer from serious depression.

NORTH KOREA

Pyongyang has built a "tactical nuclear attack submarine", thanks to which dictator Kim Jong Un hopes to "further strengthen the nation's nuclear deterrence". Over the past year, North Korea has invested heavily in developing its Navy, which, according to South Korea's Defense White Paper, has limited capabilities "for deep-sea operations" because "its force is primarily composed of small ships high speed".

HONG KONG

According to an estimate by Bloomberg Intelligence, the storm that has hit Hong Kong in recent days, considered the worst since 1884, could cost the city more than 100 million dollars. The rains destroyed vehicles, flooded subway stations and damaged shopping centers. The typhoon that hit the city last week, Saola, caused less damage, according to the Bloomberg report.

SOUTH KOREA – FIJI

Four alleged members of the Grace Road Church cult, wanted since 2018 for abuse, have been arrested in Fiji. The Church came to prominence in 2014 after 400 of its members moved to Pacific islands claiming they would be safe from an impending natural disaster. Its founder Shin Ok-ju was jailed in 2019 for holding his followers captive and subjecting them to violence.

JAPAN

According to Japanese authorities, the number of hikers climbing Mount Fuji day and night is dangerous and constitutes an ecological problem. “Mount Fuji is screaming,” the local governor said last week. The number of visitors more than doubled between 2012 and 2019 to 5.1 million, and that was just for Yamanashi Prefecture, the main starting point.

MALAYSIA

In Malaysia there is a shortage of local rice which is forcing consumers to buy more expensive imported rice. According to growers, the problems are to be found in the lack of clean water and the poor quality of the seeds. Using contaminated water kills seedlings before they reach maturity, while poor quality hybrid seeds are damaged by bacteria. Problems for which farmers have asked the government to intervene by creating water storage areas in the fields and providing seeds also used by other countries in the region.

PHILIPPINES – AUSTRALIA

The Philippines and Australia today strengthened their economic and security alliance with the signing of a strategic partnership, in a bid to counter growing Chinese influence in the region. The agreement was signed during a visit by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to Manila, the first bilateral talks between the two countries in 20 years. The two nations have said they will seek to expand cooperation in the areas of defense and security, climate change and education.

BANGLADESH

Hundreds of articles praising the Bangladesh government's policies, apparently written by independent experts, have appeared in national and international media, but the authors cited have questionable reputations, fake photos and may not even exist, an investigation by the agency has revealed AFP. According to experts, this is a prolonged disinformation campaign carried out by unknown actors in view of the elections scheduled for the end of January, aimed at favoring the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

RUSSIA

According to analyzes by the Agency for Strategic Initiatives of Russia (ASI), presented at the forum on Technological Innovations of the Regions in Moscow by director Svetlana Čupševa, around 15 million Russians (over 10% of the population) currently suffer from "deep depression" , for violence in the family, the death of loved ones in war, loneliness and debt.

BELARUS

The Foreign Ministry of Belarus has informed that from 7 September, by decree of President Lukashenko, passports will no longer be issued or renewed in consulates abroad, but it will be possible to obtain them only on national territory. Those who have residence abroad will have to contact the offices of their last Belarusian residence.

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