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Germany's national Action Week on Migration and Flight begins today, running under the federal family ministry's banner. In Cologne, attention is on the Kölner Flüchtlingsrat, whose counselling and integration work for refugees is described as under threat. Supporters are being urged to back the organisation, with a link to the official action week site circulating among local advocates.

A new report describes the Suwalki Gap, the 104-kilometer corridor between Poland and Lithuania, as one of the most strategic points on NATO's eastern flank. Though sparsely populated, the border is heavily fortified with barbed-wire fencing stretching into the distance. The narrow land passage, which connects the Baltic states to the rest of NATO, is widely viewed as a potential flashpoint in any confrontation with Russia.

Victor Fontanez, the barber known for grooming celebrity clients, is launching his own men's grooming brand, according to WWD. The move takes the stylist from behind the chair into the product business, joining a wave of barbers-turned-founders in the booming men's grooming market. Details on the product line and retail plans are expected as the brand rolls out.