- The Guardian
- Issue #2038
PERU: The tense confrontation between the police and protesters seems to be escalating daily. Only last week the police raided the largest public university in the capital Lima. They forcefully tried to evict protesters who came to the capital from provinces in bus caravans to express their disagreement with the political coup in their country. As a result of the police action more than 100 people were detained with the police using a small tank, helicopters and tear gas. Further police attacks followed against the crowds gathered near government buildings. So far 52 people are dead and hundreds are in detention.
SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa is to hold naval drills with China and Russia off its east coast. “As a means to strengthen the already flourishing relations between South Africa, Russia and China, a multinational maritime exercise between these three countries will take place in Durban and Richards Bay in KwaZulu-Natal province from 17-27th February,” the South African Defence Force said in a statement. South Africa is a member of BRICS, a block of emerging economies which includes Brazil, Russia, India and China.
BURKINA FASO: Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso to demand the withdrawal of French troops from their military base. The protesters claimed that the French military presence does not solve the security problems of this West African country. The demonstration was mainly organised by the Pan-African Leaders Collective which supports the president Captain Ibrahim Troore.
RUSSIA: The siege of Leningrad during the Second World War is often called the 900-day siege – it lasted from September 8, 1941 to January 27, 1944. President Putin met with army veterans and Leningrad siege survivors on 18th January, 2023 to mark the anniversary of the end of the siege which remains a great testament to people’s courage and the will not only to survive but to fight back. During the meeting the veterans suggested that more attention be paid to explaining the events of the Second World War and the role of the USSR and the Allies in achieving victory. Putin noted that unfortunately we see many attempts to revise the assessment of some historical events, with some people denying the Holocaust and some downgrading the role of the Soviet Union in the defeat of Nazism.
