Geographical blunder

DEAR SIR — I wonder how many people, other than Pallo Jordan (Brics aiming for no less than a new world order, March 28), are looking forward to a new world order led by the Brics countries, having regard to the poor or nonexistent state of human rights in two of the most influential countries, China and Russia?

His leftist view of the world seems to have made him blind to the steady demolition of democracy in Russia under President Vladimir Putin and to the lengths the Chinese leadership will go to ensure that the Chinese people are deprived of any real freedom of thought or action.

I at least learned something new in reading his article. I had been under the impression that Russia, China, India and a part of Brazil were in the northern hemisphere. However, Mr Jordan writes that the Brics countries are mostly in the southern hemisphere.