Ahead of Russia’s local elections, a summer of repression

Estonia has joined Latvia and Lithuania in closing its borders to all vehicles registered in Russia. The ban, which came in response to updated EU guidlines on sanctions, could widen to include other countries.

Coming off what has been considered a successful G20 summit, India is building on its position as a neutral partner to countries with competing interests.

It is time for Europe's September ritual – the State of the Union speech. It has been a highlight of the EU agenda for the last 13 years. Every year, the president of the European Commission sets out his or her priorities to the plenary session of the EU parliament. Talking Europe hosts two MEPs, both vice-presidents of their groups, to share their impressions of Ursula von der Leyen’s address in Strasbourg on September 13th.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un headed home with some explosive souvenirs from his weeklong tour of Russia. The visit has fanned Western concerns that Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin might strike an arms deal.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un headed home with some explosive souvenirs from his weeklong tour of Russia. The visit has fanned Western concerns that Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin might strike an arms deal.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is due to meet Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev and counterpart Sergei Lavrov. The visit is meant to lay the groundwork for a possible Putin visit to Beijing next month.

Kim Jong Un returned to North Korea from Russia, where he deepened "comradely fellowship and friendly relations" with Vladimir Putin. Western countries fear the visit involved plans to arm Russia's war in Ukraine.

Azerbaijan launched an "anti-terrorist" operation in the Armenia-backed breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Baku's government said a truce and talks were contingent on the enclave's unconditional surrender.

We look at why US President Joe Biden is under pressure to join Detroit autoworkers on the picket lines as Donald Trump looks to woo them. Canadian papers react to PM Justin Trudeau's explosive statement accusing Indian government operatives of assassinating a Sikh leader on Canadian soil. Also: French papers discuss the link between social media and a wave of recent teenage suicides in France. We finish with a look at whether or not theft can be considered art.

Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Wednesday.

Political parties in Poland are pledging to spend big to entice voters ahead of the national election in October. But can a faltering economy afford a splurge on handouts?

In just a day, Azerbaijan was able to force ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh to disarm. Usually, Armenians would look to Russia for help, but Russian peacekeepers stayed well out of the recent conflict. Why?