RUSSIA

Putin shuns Gorbachev’s funeral

Vladimir Putin and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on July 31 in Saint Petersburg.

Alexey DANICHEV / Sputnik Host Photo Agency / AFP

The last leader of the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev, died on August 30 at the age of 91. Nobel Peace Prize in 1990 for his contribution to the reduction of East-West tensions, his memory has been widely hailed in the West. “Gorbachev was a leader more respected abroad than at home, underlines CNN. In Russia, he was reviled by some for having destroyed the Soviet empire and by others for having been too slow to liberate his country from the grip of communism.” Quite a symbol, Vladimir Putin did not attend his funeral on September 3.

UKRAINE 

The integrity of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant “violated”

Maximum concern around the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. His “physical integrity” has been “violated on several occasions”, the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, declared on September 1 after an inspection of the site occupied by Russian forces. “The plant needs electricity for its cooling and safety systems, details the Guardian. In the event that all the power lines are cut, the workers of the plant would have 90 minutes to avoid dangerous overheating.” Energoatom, the Ukrainian operator of the site, indicated on September 5 that the last operational reactor, No. 6, had been “stopped and disconnected from the network”.

UK

Brexit: Liz Truss already worries Brussels

Liz Truss in London on September 5, 2022

afp.com/Adrian DENNIS

Elected on September 5 at the head of the Conservative Party, Liz Truss was appointed Prime Minister by Queen Elizabeth II the following day. “I hope for a constructive relationship, in full respect of our agreements,” reacted Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. Brexit should, however, continue to poison relations between London and the European Union, despite the departure of Boris Johnson. “Truss angered Brussels by proposing to pass a law that would unilaterally remove key elements of the protocol” on the status of Northern Ireland, recalls the Financial Times.

CHINA

UN report on Xinjiang cites ‘crimes against humanity’

Highly anticipated, the UN report on Xinjiang was finally published 13 minutes before the end of the mandate of Michelle Bachelet, the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The text concludes that the scale of the system of arbitrary detention and deprivation of rights launched by Beijing against the Uighurs and other Muslim minorities, starting in 2017, “may constitute international crimes and in particular crimes against humanity”. “This paves the way for meaningful and tangible action by member states, UN bodies and the business community,” Dolkun Isa, president of the World Uyghur Congress, was quoted by the New York Times.

CHILI 

“No” to a Constitution too left

Opponents of the proposed new constitution celebrate their victory on September 4, 2022 in Santiago de Chile

afp.com/Martin BERNETTI

The rejection was massive: 62% of Chileans said no to the new Constitution during a referendum organized on September 4th. The text, put to the vote after a year of work by a popular assembly anchored on the left, proposed to guarantee the right to decent housing, health, education or even abortion. “The left has forgotten that Chile is a moderate country, which requires change but nothing spectacular,” said the newspaper Clarin, describing the project as “a summit of ideology”. This result marks a major setback for the Socialist President, Gabriel Boric, elected in March.

ARGENTINE 

Kirchner escapes assassination attempt

The Argentine vice-president, Cristina Kirchner, is a miracle: on September 1, a man tried to shoot her at point-blank range in front of her home, but the weapon jammed at the last moment. “In recent years, politics has turned into an aggressive fight, made up of constant provocations, misinformation, violent speeches and legal proceedings against the ‘enemy'”, observes the daily La Nacion. From now on, this fight includes the attempted murder.” The police arrested the suspect the same evening and the justice system is investigating this “lone wolf” and his possible networks.

TURKEY

Erdogan provokes Greece

“If you go too far, the price to pay will be heavy…” Recep Tayyip Erdogan took a new step in his threats against Greece on September 3. The Turkish president accuses Athens of violating Ankara’s airspace and targeting its planes. He also indicated that his troops could retake Greek islands close to Turkey “when the time comes” and refers to “a new 1922”, the date of a military victory against Greece. “The Greek authorities are preparing for a period of very strong tensions with Turkey, at least until the Turkish elections of June 2023”, warns the newspaper Ekhatimerini.