Polls opened today for Russia’s first parliamentary election since the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. And despite public opposition to the war, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s grasp on power is unlikely to be shaken. But although the election’s outcome is all but certain, the people’s “tacit consent is crumbling,” said The Economist.

What did the commentators say?
The election of 450 deputies to Russia’s lower legislative house “gives the impression of some diversity,” with communists, nationalists and “even some self-described liberals” on the ballot, said Brawley Benson at Foreign Policy. “In reality, scope for disagreement is vanishingly small.” Putin’s party, United Russia, holds 70% of the seats, and there’s “little tolerance for genuine opposition.”

United Russia is polling at its lowest rate since the invasion of Ukraine at about 32%. But the Kremlin has long deployed an “arsenal of tools” to retain its grip on power, said Regina Smyth, a political science professor at Indiana University, at The Conversation. Gerrymandering, “significant” levels of electoral fraud, and the banning of eight out of 19 political parties have effectively “eliminated nonpartisan organized opposition.” But seeing how heavily the Kremlin needs to place its “thumb on the scale to maintain its party’s two-thirds majority” could be telling.

“Engineering” the outcome too tightly is “not without a risk for the ruling regime,” said The Guardian’s editorial board. “Too blatant” an election steal can be a “sign of weakness.” The “harder the Kremlin is seen to work at constructing electoral proof of that support, the less confident it looks.”

What next?
As Moscow’s military “burns through” troops and the economy falters, many Russians are “worried” about what happens after the election, said Moscow correspondent Valerie Hopkins at The New York Times. With voters “struggling and scared,” the Kremlin has been forced to switch its central message. What was once an insistence on “business as usual” is now a call for Russians to “rally around” Putin and his war.

Fiji has declared a national emergency as new cases of HIV surge across the South Pacific island nation. The government is doubling down on preventive measures with the help of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), as drug use and taboos around the disease contribute to the outbreak.

Why is there an HIV crisis?
Over the last 15 years, HIV infections have “increased 12-fold” in Fiji, according to recent UNAIDS data, said The Associated Press. As of 2025, 9,000 people live with HIV in a country that has “less than a million people.” This means that about one in every 60 adults has the virus.

An influx of drugs like methamphetamine and cocaine during the Covid-19 pandemic added “fuel on the flame” of a longstanding HIV presence in Fiji, said Eamonn Murphy, the director of regional support teams for UNAIDS, to The New York Times. In Fiji, a dangerous trend called bluetoothing, in which people “inject themselves with the blood of other drug users to get a cheap high,” is also contributing to disease rate spikes.

What is the plan to solve the crisis?
Most concerning is the “number of people who may be living with HIV without knowing it,” said Renata Ram, the Fiji adviser for UNAIDS, to CNN. Only about 39% of Fijians living with HIV know their status, and less than a quarter (22%) are on treatment.

HIV is “not only a health issue,” said Joeli Colati, the executive director of Fiji Network Plus, to CNN. It’s also connected to “stigma, poverty, confidentiality and fear.” Limited testing, low condom use, and shame are often cited as factors contributing to infection. And there are many reasons why people might be hesitant to seek treatment. Fiji is a “deeply religious society” in which “premarital or casual sex is generally considered taboo,” said the outlet.

Fiji’s government has “ramped up testing and treatment efforts” since January 2025, said the Times. But an “outbreak-level response is no longer sufficient,” said Fiji Health Minister Atonio Lalabalavu in a video statement. Moving forward, Fiji has pledged “expanded access to free testing, prevention services and treatment,” said the outlet.

Personnel from Iran’s paramilitary Basij militia, a volunteer force that will serve as security for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, take part in a Jan-Fada (‘Sacrifice for Iran’) rally in Tehran. This is the country’s “biggest show of defiance” against the U.S. since the war began, said Al Jazeera.
Abedin Taherkenareh / EPA / Shutterstock

With the imminent season change, now is the perfect time to keep yourself warm by dancing the night away. Say hello to autumn with some big-name artists headlining tours across the country and the world.

Bryson Tiller
The rapper found mainstream success in 2015, and since then has become a star-powered name in the rap and R&B space. And fans can catch him live during his “Neo Trapsoul” tour. It’s a “celebration of more than a decade of music, giving fans a chance to experience the sound that put him on the map in a full live-show format,” said SeatGeek, and one of Tiller’s “most ambitious headline runs to date.” (through January)

Karol G
Fewer names are bigger in reggaeton than Karol G, and the Colombian superstar is no stranger to world tours. Her latest, “Viajando Por El Mundo,” is a “celebration of not only Karol’s influence” but the culture that “binds millions,” said Rolling Stone. While “some transitions” of the show are a “bit clunky,” the performance is “confident, strong, sexy, secure” and “full of heart.” (through July)

Tame Impala
For a singular concert experience and musical sound, check out this band’s latest outing, the “Deadbeat” tour. The performance has received critical acclaim and is a “fully enveloping sensory experience” that goes “far beyond the expected ‘live concert,’” said Rock Cellar magazine. It includes Tame Impala performing on a “pulsating platform” that resembles a “spacecraft about to take flight.” (through July)