The vote on 7 June in Yerevan is set to resolve the turbulent domestic political situation, either ushering in a new phase oriented towards Europe or bringing the country back under Russian control, whilst seeking to avert civil war between the various factions of the Armenian people. Meanwhile, the current Prime Minister Pashinyan has indicated that he intends to meet Putin immediately after the vote.

In the last Christian village in the West Bank, provocations by Israeli settlers are increasing in intensity. For Father Bashar, the atmosphere is one "of fear and intimidation”. Residents appeal to the authorities and NGOs to intervene "urgently”. A parish report documents the attacks that occurred in May.

The People's Republic of China has announced new regulations targeting Chinese investors who use foreign brokers to operate outside the country. In the name of “national security”, the government will be able to impose changes, order the sale of stakes, and even unwind completed investments. The new rules follow the controversial sale of startup Manus to Meta. They also limit cooperation with foreign legal authorities.

A book edited by Nicolò Tassoni Estense, Italian ambassador to Myanmar, and Piero Masolo, a PIME missionary, traces the cultural exchanges between the two countries, from Marco Polo and technicians from Piedmont (Italy) to the first missionaries. The cooperation is today being renewed even in Yangon’s most underprivileged areas, where diplomatic staff and the New Humanity NGO handed out over 2,100 meals to local families on Italy’s Republic Day.

The former Soviet republic has defeated the Philippines in the run-off for one of the non-permanent seats. A sign of the shift in the geopolitical balance of Central Asia, which until now had been represented for a single two-year term by Kazakhstan. Beijing’s support (hostile to Manila over the South China Sea dispute) proved decisive, bringing with it many votes from countries in the Global South.

At a school, university students had organised the screening of “Banolata Express”, a current box office success in Bangladesh. The show was halted to avoid unrest. Islamist leaders oppose the return of cinema to the city. The incident has sparked a wide debate about cultural and religious identities. For Rumeen Farhana, there is a risk of “leading our next generation into darkness.”