INDIA: Russian President Vladimir Putin landed in India today on a state visit aimed at bolstering bilateral and economic ties between the two countries.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the Russian leader at an airport in New Delhi.

Tomorrow, the two leaders will hold talks as part of the 23rd India-Russia Summit and discuss deepening economic co-operation, mainly in defence, energy and the mobility of skilled labour.

LITHUANIA: A court today convicted Remigijus Zemaitaitis, the leader of one of the parties in the country’s coalition government for making anti-semitic comments and fined him €5,000 (£4,400).

The district court in the capital, Vilnius, found that Mr Zemaitaitis incited hatred against Jews, grossly downplayed Nazi Germany’s crimes and grossly minimised the Holocaust in an offensive and insulting manner in a series of social media posts and public statements. 

INDONESIA: Deaths from last week’s catastrophic floods and landslides in parts of Asia surged past 1,500 today as rescue teams raced to reach survivors isolated by the disaster with hundreds of people still unaccounted for across the region.

Authorities said 837 people were confirmed dead in Indonesia, 479 in Sri Lanka and 185 in Thailand and three in Malaysia.

RELIEF SUPPLIES: Pakistan will allow the United Nations to deliver relief supplies into Afghanistan through two key border crossings that have been closed for nearly two months, a government official said today.

Mohammad Anas, a spokesperson for the Khyber district administration in the north-west, told reporters that the border crossings at Chaman and Torkham will be open immediately for UN-requested relief shipments.