Leaders of Qatar and Russia meet for talks

Al-Thani and Putin discuss Ukraine and energy on the sidelines of a summit in Kazakhstan. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- What The World is following Leaders of Qatar and Russia meet for talks [Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on sidelines of the CICA summit, Astana, Kazakhstan, Oct. 13, 2022.] Credit: Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik Kremlin/Pool Photo via AP Qatar-Russia Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and Russian President Vladimir Putin have [met for talks]( on the sidelines of a summit in Kazakhstan. They discussed the Ukraine crisis and its impact on energy markets and food security. They also talked about the conflicts in Libya and Syria, and the Iran nuclear talks. Qatar was among the 143 countries that backed a [resolution condemning]( Russia's move to annex parts of Ukraine at a UN General Assembly vote on Wednesday. Iraq Iraq’s parliament has elected Kurdish politician Abdul Latif Rashid as the country’s new president, a largely ceremonial role. The session for the second round of voting had to reconvene later in the day after [nine rockets landed]( near Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone, injuring several civilians and members of the security forces. There’s been no immediate claim of responsibility. The session has been boycotted by members of parliament affiliated with Muqtada al-Sadr, after he withdrew from politics in August. Since al-Sadr emerged as the biggest winner in the parliamentary vote last year, but failed to create a coalition, the country has seen months of political deadlock. The new president will [appoint a prime minister](. Switzerland The Swiss government has sent a draft law to parliament, seeking to fine anyone who violates a [national ban on face coverings]( up to 1,000 Swiss francs, equivalent to $1,005, in an attempt to implement a “burqa ban” law. The far right proposal won a narrow victory in a binding referendum last year. The same political group organized a [ban on new minarets]( in 2009. --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [A Yiddish revival is underway at this prestigious Chinese university]( [This Underwood typewriter features Yiddish letters of the aleph-beys, on display at the Museum of the City of New York.]( Credit: Susan S./Flickr/CC BY-NC 2.0 Yiddish once thrived among European Jews. Now, it's considered an endangered language. But over the past few years, there’s been growth in interest in the language, including in China, where students at one of the country’s most prestigious universities [are now learning it](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Double take Scientists at Stanford University have [transplanted human brain cells]( into the brains of baby rats. Once implated, the cells grow and form connections. It's an attempt to better study human brain development and diseases, such as autism and schizophrenia, building on previous work. 🧠[This microscope image shows a human astrocyte cell, center in yellow, and human glial cells (scattered in blue) inside the brain of a rat.] Credit: Pasca Lab/Stanford Medicine via AP In case you missed it on The World --------------------------------------------------------------- Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. [The World]( is produced by [PRX]( and [GBH](.