Nuclear weapons in Belarus, Netanyahu backs down from the street…

INDIA

Rahul Gandhi sentenced

“All thieves have Modi as their surname.” For this statement dating back to 2019, Rahul Gandhi was sentenced to two years in prison on March 23 and banned from the Indian Parliament, where he sat as an MP. Released on bail after appeal, the opposition leader and member of the Congress party denounces a maneuver by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, regularly accused of instrumentalizing justice for political ends. The descendant of three former Prime Ministers – Nehru, Indira and Rajiv Gandhi – “must now fight two difficult battles, lift him up Times of Indiahave his conviction quashed and save his electoral future”, just one year from the next national election.

ISRAEL

Netanyahu backs down on protesters

For calling for a freeze on a controversial justice overhaul, Defense Minister Yoav Galant was sacked on March 26. This decision by the head of government, Benjamin Netanyahu, provoked spontaneous demonstrations and clashes with the police, before a call for a general strike by the main union, the Histadrut. Cornered, the Prime Minister finally put the reform on hold on March 27. “It is somewhat encouraging”, but “there are good reasons to suspect that he only suspended the judicial overhaul to silence the protest movement and the opposition”, worries about everyday life Ha’aretz.

UNITED STATES

Trump gives voice

For his first major campaign rally, on March 25, Donald Trump chose Waco (Texas), where an attack on a sect opposed to federal power killed 86 people in 1993. A coincidence? “Trump is betting that he can take political advantage of the investigations targeting him, once again presenting himself as a victim of the feds,” Politico tip. Determined to obtain the Republican nomination for the 2024 presidential election, he attacked the New York prosecutor likely to indict him soon for the Stormy Daniels case (the porn actress to whom he paid 130,000 dollars ). He also stepped up attacks on his main rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

RWANDA

The hero ofHotel Rwanda released

His role in rescuing some 1,200 Tutsis during the 1994 genocide inspired a Hollywood film, Hotel Rwanda. Sentenced to twenty-five years in prison for “terrorism” after returning to his country, Paul Rusesabagina, had been in detention since 2020. He was released on March 24 by decree of President Paul Kagame, whose authoritarian drift he denounced. “It took years of diplomatic pressure, largely from the United States [son pays d’adoption depuis 2009]and talks led by Qatar, for his release”, explain the BBCrecalling that “the Biden administration said he was wrongfully detained”.

GHANA, TANZANIA, ZAMBIA

Kamala Harris on the reconquest of Africa

The first official trip to Africa by the American vice-president is part of the strategy of the Biden administration: to strengthen ties with the continent, in order to counter the efforts of China and Russia. His week-long journey, which began on March 26, includes Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia. “Some African leaders have repeatedly said in recent years that they not only want lessons in democracy from Western leaders, but also more economic partnerships, preferential trade agreements and access to finance. at fair rates”, notes the New York Times.

TAIWAN

Former Taiwanese president visits China

He is the first former president of Taiwan to visit China. The stated objective of Ma Ying-jeou, a member of the Kuomintang party: to ease tensions between the democratic island and the communist giant. This trip comes a few days before his successor, Tsai Ing-wen, of the Democratic Progressive Party, will travel to the United States, then to Belize and Guatemala (to strengthen ties with the few countries that still officially recognize Taiwan). . Honduras announced on March 26 that it was severing diplomatic ties with Taiwan, to establish ties with China, reducing the number of official allies of Taipei to 12. “The timing of these two trips highlights the differences between the two main political parties in Taiwan, which are preparing for general elections in January,” said the washington post.

RUSSIA

Putin waves the nuclear threat again

Vladimir Putin rekindles fears. The Russian president announced on March 25 that he was going to deploy “tactical nuclear weapons” on the territory of his Belarusian ally, which is increasingly vassalized. According to the head of the Kremlin, the construction of a special warehouse to accommodate these warheads will be completed by July 1. “When the Russian president uses the word ‘nuclear’, the whole world pays attention to it and it seems to be one of the main reasons why he said it”, points out the chain CNNconsidering that this announcement is above all intended to “divert attention from its problems”.