January 10, 2023

*) Mass arrests continue as Brazil leaders condemn ‘terrorist acts’ Brazilian security forces have cleared protest camps and arrested 1,500 people as President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva condemned "acts of terrorism" after a mob stormed government buildings. About 3,000 supporters of ex-president Jair Bolsonaro had set up tents, which were used as a base for protesters who ran riot inside the presidential palace, Congress and Supreme Court for around four hours on Sunday. Lula, who previously led Brazil from 2003 to 2010, met with the leaders of both houses of Congress and the chief justice of the Supreme Court, and joined them in condemning what many called the South American country's version of the US Capitol riots in Washington two years ago. *) Iranian President Raisi’s first official visit to Türkiye being 'finalised' Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi is slated to visit Türkiye as well as Syria, a foreign ministry spokesperson said, adding that the plans are being finalised. Addressing a weekly press conference in Tehran, Nasser Kanaani said the plans for Raisi’s first visit to Türkiye since taking the office two years ago are currently “being finalised.” It comes after Turkish presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin was quoted as saying last week that the Iranian president will visit Ankara “in the next few weeks.” *) Russia launches criminal probes against prominent Kremlin critics Russian authorities announced parallel criminal probes against a famous actor critical of the war in Ukraine and a philanthropist who supports the Russian opposition. Russia's Investigative Committee said in a statement that its chief Alexander Bastrykin ordered the launch of a criminal case against Russian film and theatre actor Artur Smolyaninov. According to the statement, Smolyaninov "made a series of statements directed against Russia in an interview to a Western media outlet." *) UK's first-ever rocket mission ends in failure An attempt to launch the first rocket into orbit from UK soil has ended in failure, w