Your one-stop destination for all the top international stories of the day.
Putin Replaces Defence Minister Shoigu With Civilian Economist
In his most significant changes to the military command since Russia invaded Ukraine two years ago, Putin has picked Andrei Belousov, who is a civilian economist and former deputy prime minister. Sergei Shoigu, Putin’s long term ally and outgoing Defence Minister will become the secretary of Russia’s powerful Security Council. Shoigu, who has been in charge of defence since 2012 will replace Nikolai Patrushev. So what do we know about Belousov? He was a former economy minister, considered very close to Putin. He shares Putin’s vision of rebuilding a strong state. He played a key role in overseeing Russia’s drone programme. Even though the changes took many in the Russian elite by surprise, it is being interpreted as an attempt by Putin to put defence spending under greater scrutiny. Remember, Shoigu was accused of taking kickbacks worth nearly 11 million dollars. It also shows that Putin is doubling down on the Ukraine war and wants to ensure Russia’s economy, which has so far managed to stay stable despite some of the most severe economic sanctions, continues to stay its course.
Two weeks after the devastating rain and floods in Brazil’s Rio Grande du Sol.. police parties like these are patrolling the hard-to-reach neighbourhood where thefts and robberies have been reported. Flooding in Porto Alegre has seen a jump in reports of crimes and heavily-armed police now check abandoned homes. This police party came across a looted petrol pump on one of their nightly rounds. Even as more rain is expected, the death toll so far has touched 143.
Separatists in Catalonia seem to be losing steam as the Catalan election results gave the ruling Socialists the biggest vote share. This will not only be a big setback for the decade-long separatist movement but also a vindication for Spain’s Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. The PM had made a controversial gamble to normalise relations with Catalonia which included issuing pardons for convictions over the independence drive. He also sought to give amnesty to others who are still in prison. The separatists in Catalonia led a 2017 illegal independence referendum and declaration of independence that caused Spain’s worst institutional crisis in more than 30 years. Salvador Illa, the leader under whom the Socialists contested the polls in Catalonia called the results a ‘new era’. The Socialists have won 42 seats in a chamber of 135 so they still don’t have the majority and will need to stitch up working alliances to avoid a re-election.
