PRESS REVIEW – Tuesday, March 18: The Belgian and Rwandan press react very differently to a diplomatic spat between the two countries which had led to the expulsion of diplomats on both sides. Also: two astronauts struck in space for nine months prepare to head back to Earth. Plus, Ohtani fever hits Japan as the LA Dodgers and their Japanese superstar play two MLB games against the Chicago cubs in Tokyo.

We begin with the diplomatic spat between Belgium and Rwanda. The European Union imposed sanctions on three senior Rwandan military commanders and the head of the state mining agency after the offensive by M23 fighters in DR Congo. The M23 is comprised of Congolese Tutsis, as Belgian paper Le Soir notes. UN experts have noted that the M23 has benefited from logistic and military support by Rwanda, including drones. The Rwandan government has denied these allegations thus far. As a result: both Rwanda and Belgium have expelled diplomats from their respective countries in what Le Soir calls a violent but predictable break-up. In its editorial, the paper says the anger stems from the fact Brussels was at the forefront of the accusations against Rwanda. The paper adds: "The Rwandan President is wrong and he knows it. If anyone's territorial sovereignty is being violated, it’s that of Eastern Congo, which is rich in minerals and fertile land."

It's quite a different story from the Rwandan press which focuses on Rwandan President Paul Kagame. The New Times headlines on what Kagame has outlined as Western hypocrisy. One of Rwanda’s gripes is that it is accused of supporting the M23 rebels but the West has not condemned DR Congo, whom Rwanda accused of supporting another rebel group, the Hutu-led Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda. For The New Times, the DFLR is a "genocidal" group. In its editorial, the Rwandan daily says instead of supporting efforts for lasting peace, Brussels has chosen to fuel tensions by backing the Kinshasa regime. It adds: "The people deserve a future shaped by peace, stability and regional cooperation. Not one dictated by the lingering shadows of colonial exploitation."

In other news

It's been nine months since NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams got stuck in space. They are finally heading back to Earth. What was meant to be an eight-day mission but Wilmore and William's stint in space lasted much longer – nine months. Their odyssey was plagued by technical problems and political controversy. NASA has relied on Elon Musk’s Space X to ferry crews to the space station since 2020. Musk says he offered to bring the astronauts earlier but was rebuffed by the Biden administration, The Washington Post reports, something the former president denies. The astronauts certainly put their time in space to good use. Williams conducted two space walks and now holds the record for total space walking time by a female astronaut: over 62 hours in her three-decade career! The British daily The Guardian looks at the physical toll of being stuck in space on the body. It’s not pretty: struggles with walking due to lack of gravity for extended periods of time, plus fluid buildup causing swollen eyeballs, dizziness and bad eyesight. Luckily these are mostly temporary conditions.

Baseball fever hits Japan

The LA Dodgers are playing the Chicago Cubs in a special Tokyo series starting this Tuesday. The New York Times notes that the games are part of the Major League Baseball’s ambitions to increase the popularity of baseball worldwide. The Dodgers and Cubs will play two season opening games today and tomorrow in Japan. The LA Dodgers' Japanese star Shohei Ohtani is the highest paid baseballer in the American league. Ohtani, The New York Times says, is Japan’s answer to Babe Ruth, a rare player who can pitch and hit at the highest level. The Japan Times reports that as Ohtani's teammates are discovering, he is revered in Japan and his face is everywhere – promoting green tea and sake, on trains and vending machines. With TV programmes tracking the team's flight path, talk shows talking about Ohtani's diet, fashion choices and home decor … and tickets selling for up to $10,000, Ohtani fever has well and truly gripped Tokyo as Japan prepares to welcome a national sporting hero back home!

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