There was no let up in fighting between Russia and Ukraine on September 20, as voters in Russia cast ballots on the final day of parliamentary elections from which a political party calling for peace was excluded.

Work is now underway to the restore Afghanistan's Minaret of Jam, which experts say reflects a welcome departure from the icon-smashing rule of the Taliban of the 1990s. The change contrasts with the current Taliban rulers' draconian restrictions on other facets of life in the country.