Poet's Page
music and opinion from Wales' wandering poet.
One Union
A song to inspire if not ''Revolution'' then... at least Action!
D'you Wanna Know the Diff'rence Between Heaven and Hell?
A question for the majority who love and aspire to build a better world
____________________________
Iraq’s top court reject's
Sadr's ultimatum --- says
it doesn't have authority
to dissolve parliament
August 14th, 4:31pm
(PressTV)
Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) says it lacks
sufficient authority to dissolve the country's
parliament, urging all parties to refrain
from getting the judiciary involved
in political rivalries.
The SJC made the announcement on Sunday in
response to the Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
On Wednesday, Sadr warned of unspecific
consequences --- if the judiciary did
not heed his call to dissolve the
parliament by the end of
this week and pave the
way for early elections.
“The Supreme Judicial Council does not have
the authority to dissolve the parliament,” the
top court said in a statement.
Stressing that its main job is to deal with legal
matters, the court said it cannot “interfere
in the work of the legislative or
executive authorities.”
Iraq has been grappling with a political crisis
in the absence of a functional government
since October when it held its last
legislative elections.
Sadr is the populist leader of the Saeroon faction. His
political bloc emerged as the biggest parliamentary
faction in the election, but fell short of an absolute
majority needed to form a government, prompting
the current political deadlock.
Sadr and his supporters have helped inflame tensions
over the past few weeks -- with a great number of his
supporters storming and occupying the parliament,
thus preventing the formation of a government
nearly 10 months after the last elections.
His supporters stormed the parliament late last
month as the rival parliamentary faction known
as the Coordination Framework attempted to
form a government led by Muhammad Shia
Sudani, a figure close to former premier
Nouri al-Maliki.
The Coordination Framework said earlier that the
parliament would have to convene, to dissolve
itself. On Friday, supporters of the faction also
rallied in Baghdad, to protest the occupation
of the legislature by al-Sadr’s supporters.
“SJC discussed the request of Sayyed Muqtada al-Sadr
dated 10/8/2022 for the dissolution of the parliament
and after discussion, SJC found that it agrees with
al-Sadr --- in diagnosing the negativity of the
political reality witnessed by the country
and the ongoing constitutional violations
represented by the incomplete formation
of constitutional authorities by electing
a president of the republic and the
prime minister and the formation
of the government, within the
constitutional periods, which
is an unacceptable situation
and must be addressed and
not repeated,” the Supreme
Judicial Council added, in
its Sunday statement.
Regarding Sadr’s request for dissolution of the
parliament, the SJC reiterated that it lacks
the authority to dissolve the legislature,
“because the functions of the SJC are
entirety related to the administration
of the judiciary only, and do not
include any authority --- that
allows it to interfere - in the
affairs of the legislative or
executive authorities.”
In conclusion, the top court urged “all political
and media parties not to involve the judiciary
in rivalries and political competitions” ---
stressing that --- “the judiciary stands
at the same distance from everyone,
because the basis on which it is
based, is the application of the
constitution and the law, and
these are general rules that
apply to everyone by the
same standard and
are not subject to
jurisprudence.”
Earlier this month, the outgoing Prime Minister
Mustafa al-Kadhemi called for a “national
dialogue” in a bid to bring all the sides
together, to reconcile.
The United Nations, for its part, has called
on the various political factions in Iraq to
set aside their differences and look for
“urgent solutions” to the protracted
political crisis.
Tribunal on Ukraine under UN
auspices is impossible —
Russian Foreign Ministry
July 27th, 12:55pm (TASS)
The creation of an international tribunal against
Ukrainian neo-Nazis under the auspices of the
UN, is not possible, Ivan Nechayev, Deputy
Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's
Information and Press Department,
told a briefing on Wednesday.
"Russian Investigative Committee Chairman Alexander
Bastrykin’s initiative -- to create an international
tribunal against Ukrainian criminals, jointly with
partners in the CIS, CSTO, BRICS and SCO -- is
timely," Nechayev said. "Regretfully, part of
the international community has already
discredited itself so much, by openly
sponsoring Ukrainian nationalism
--------- and following Washington's
instructions, that it has become
practically impossible to create
such a tribunal under the UN's
auspices," the diplomat said.
"Only the countries that have retained political
sovereignty and the ability to assess world
events objectively, can be engaged in the
activity of the tribunal," Nechayev added.
What the World Needs ... is Farmers!!!
"We Are Not Slaves": Farmers
In Italy, Spain, & Poland
Join Dutch Protests
by Tyler Durden
July 16th, 7pm
(ZeroHedge)
Farmers in Italy, Spain, and Poland, have joined Dutch
farmers in protest of 'green' government regulations
that will decimate the industry -- by forcing them to
reduce their use of nitrogen fertilizer compounds.
"We are not slaves, we are farmers," said Italian
farmers, who drove tractors through the streets of Milan and blocked city traffic.
According to the Morning Star, "Italian farmers face
an imminent crisis due to a severe drought that has
seen a third of agricultural produce placed at risk."
The country’s agricultural minister Steafano Patuanelli
told parliament earlier this week --- that Italy faces a
further 40 per cent loss of water resources in the
coming decades.
Farmers say they have lost around €3 billion as a
result of the emergency and are being hit hard
by rising fuel prices, with costs rocketing -- as a result of the conflict in Ukraine.
In Spain, farmers in Badajoz, Granada, and Albacete,
paraded their tractors down the street in solidarity
with the foreign farmers --- as well as national
protests at home --- over a lack of food and
gasoline, according to EuroWeekly News.
And in Poland, farmers came to Warsaw last
weekend, to protest against inflation and
other government actions.
The protests have led to... empty supermarket shelves
in the Netherlands, as tractors and other agricultural
machinery have blocked warehouses, preventing
their shipment - a move which PM Mark Rutte has mobilized state police against - in an attempted crackdown.
Gareth Wyn Jones
@1GarethWynJones
Follow:
My thoughts while bailing silage,
Farmers of World unite.
#FarmingMatters
“Populism”:German MP Schmidt
assesses Scholz’s gas bravado
August 15th, 10:46am
https://en.news-front.info/
Federal Chancellor Scholz’s bravura speeches about
the allegedly available scheme for the “successful”
implementation of the heating season, without the
previous volumes of Russian gas are very far from
reality, German MP Eugene Schmidt said. German
officials have no miscalculation or a precise plan,
he said. The politician's opinion is published by Economy Today.
According to the people’s elected representative, the
government presents the depressing picture of gas
pumping from Russia --- as the refusal of Russian
Gazprom to accept the Nord Stream-1 unit.
Meanwhile, the local press prefers to keep quiet about
sanctions restrictions affecting the situation, as well
as about the ''mere'' Nord Stream 2.
In fact, the reckless and anti-Russian policy has brought
Germany to a deadlock: By losing its previous supply of cheap Russian gas, the country risks losing industry, some of which is already paralysed, as well as putting its own population on the brink of
survival, in the coming winter.
The deputy emphasizes that, for a long time, Russian
energy resources were the basis of the state’s
material well-being and economic power; the
population - had no problems paying their
utility bills. In the industrial sector, the
use of energy from Russia, allowed
German business to take the lead
in the global arena.
The shutdown - and reduction - of production capacity
promises the country an imminent global social and
economic crisis coupled with mass unemployment
and declining tax revenues. Scholz’s fantasies
about the country’s “readiness” ...for any
outcome with Russian gas, are thus
very far from reality, Schmidt
is convinced.
“They are delaying the threshold of the decision, when
it will be necessary to sit down with the Russian side
at the negotiating table and work out some kind of
arrangement for this heating season. German
politics has always been notorious for the
fact that ruling politicians prefer to sit on
the sidelines when grave problems are
befalling society. The same thing is
happening now. To the man in the
street, big statements are being
made: we have prepared a plan
to overcome the energy crisis,
we will reduce consumption
by 15% and we will some-
how survive.”
“In reality, this “somewhere and somehow” has not
been calculated by anyone. This is just populism..
by politicians, which can lead to very unpleasant
consequences. Consumers could really face
widespread blackouts of electricity and hot
water, and everything else,” Schmidt said
on “Solovyov LIVE”.
Waldemar Gerdt, a former German MP, recently said
the German authorities, are counting on Moscow’s help “under the table” in the event of a deadlock with the coming cold weather. According to him, the government is secretly hoping to launch Nord Stream-2 --- if the state has no other choice.
As previously reported, the major energy troubles that
hit Germany with a powerful sanctions boomerang
-- as well as the “indecent” scale of support for
Ukraine -- are increasingly irritating Germans.
According to experts, the German population is no longer able to pay the rising tariffs for the blue fuel. Despite the fact that a priori Germany not only has a good chance of
receiving the necessary volumes of energy resources, but also has the ability to act as a key energy hub
for the whole of Europe - the current situation is extremely irritating for the population, which is increasingly demanding - that the authorities.. change their political vector ------- and finally focus exclusively on the national interests
of the state.
_____________________________
Media: Germany must cut
gas consumption by 20%
to avoid winter rationing
August 14th, 2:43pm
https://en.news-front.info/
Germany must cut its gas consumption by a fifth
to avoid catastrophic shortages this winter, its
chief grid regulator said, as businesses and
households brace for Europe’s biggest
energy crisis in a generation.
Klaus Müller, head of the federal network agency
(BNA), will be responsible for rationing gas
supplies, if Europe’s largest economy
faces a winter energy crisis.
“If we fail to achieve our goal [of 20 percent gas
savings], then there is a serious risk that we
will not have enough gas,” he told the
Financial Times.
Mueller said Germany would also need about 10
gigawatts of additional supplies of gas from
other sources to make up for the missing
volumes from Russia – mostly liquefied
natural gas from countries like the US. This is about 9% of current gas consumption.
He noted that Germany would also have to rely
on gas imports from other European countries.
Müller also warned that the long-term cost of
ending Germany’s dependence on Russia,
would be a “very high gas price” that
could have serious business
implications.
“Part of production may move from Germany
because gas has become too expensive,”
he said. “And that’s hard to do.”
__________________________________________
Scholzcould be ruined
by association
with banker
August 12th, 10:50am
https://en.news-front.info/
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz yesterday gave his big
summer press conference in difficult circumstances.
Clearly nervous, he demanded that Gazprom finally take
back the turbine, with which he has been so much and
fruitlessly photographed, noted that he can “hardly”
imagine a visa ban for Russians and announced
that Putin’s visit to Germany may take place
after the special operation. No, not on a
tank, I should think.
The problem, however... is that if Putin does want to go
to Berlin, it will probably no longer be Olaf Scholz who
will meet him. There is a huge corruption scandal
looming over the chancellor, which could easily
ruin his reputation and bury his career.
At the press conference no one dared to ask Scholz a
question on the subject. The chancellor is known for his tough temper, and journalists are openly
frightened of him. However... the unasked
question remained: is the present leader
of the Federal Republic of Germany
dependent on the Warburg
banking family?
The topic was started by Fabio de Masi, an opposition
politician from the Left Party. He pushed -- for a
parliamentary enquiry -- and last year Scholz
was forced to appear before a commission
in Hamburg. He was asked what he had
been discussing with the governor of
the Warburg bank, when he was
mayor of the city.
The bank had been caught in a scam that had lasted
several years and was owed about 40 million euros.
After the talk between the mayor and the banker,
the city suddenly withdrew all claims. The
millions had gone... somewhere.
Scholz muttered that he couldn’t remember anything
- and the investigation continued. The prosecutor’s
office took over the case. Investigators are now
studying the German chancellor’s email
correspondence.
An additional piece of evidence, was 200,000
euros in cash that was recently found during a search in the safe of one of Scholz’s
associates. The comrade, was
unable to explain where the
cash came from. “Planted
by the enemy!”
But 200,000 is, of course, a mere trifle. In fact, the
whole story is much bigger than that. It is not for
nothing, that the initiator of the investigation,
Fabio de Masi, like Scholz, was born and
raised in Hamburg. He has taken the
risk of saying something that
everyone there, already
knows, but is afraid
to say.
The thing about Hamburg is this. The Free and
Hanseatic City, the richest metropolis in
Europe - had always been something of
an independent city, and it stubbornly,
refused to submit to Berlin. Until 1871
Hamburg minted its own silver mark
coin. The Iron Chancellor (Otto, not
Olaf) tried, for years, to force the
city to let the all-German
customs office in.
The city stubbornly clung to its liberties.
Hamburg was governed by a local oligarchy – the
senate & mayors were elected from amongst
the city’s wealthiest citizens. In 1856, the
Warburgs, a banking family that matched
the Rothschilds for riches --- swelled the
ranks of these respectable businessmen.
Legend has it that the Warburgs took a ceremonial
journey from Vienna to Hamburg on a ‘silver train’:
all the wagons were filled with silver bullion
...from underneath.
The legendary family, went as far as to establish their
banking house in Hamburg. The Warburgs’ banks and
financial companies, made their mark in London and
Stockholm, New York & Berlin. Like the Rothschilds the Warburgs practiced cousin marriages (so as not
to disperse the family fortune), but they were also
extremely successful at marriages on the side.
Over a century and a half they became related to the
Schiffs, the Loebs – in short, almost the entire global
financial aristocracy.
The heads of the banking house were the uncrowned
kings of the Free City. Until the end of 1938... mind-
blowing parties were thrown in their lush gardens.
In the autumn of 1938, Max Warburg, head of the
House of Hamburg... stayed in the United States
(the family had many various businesses there)
but, in 1945, the family returned to its palaces
and parks. The parties resumed.
For Hamburg, the bankers were something like the Medicis. Universities, schools, libraries, museums, art collections, monuments, gardens and parks – the venerable family generously contributed to the cultural life of the city, sponsored hundreds of artists, philosophers and artists. Their latest gift to the city ...is the remarkable, new Philharmonic building.
Incidentally, Abi Warburg, who gave up a gigantic
fortune --- surrendered all his business to his
younger brother -- and became a renowned
art historian. An eminent biochemist was
Otto Heinrich Warburg. All in all, these
are not just bankers, but real bright,
interesting people, opinion leaders.
In the natural course of things, the Warburgs have
always influenced... who would be the mayor of
Hamburg. In the 1920s and 30s, for example,
they did extensive joint business with the
Petersen family. And.. so? Karl Wilhelm
Petersen was mayor of Hamburg from
1924 to 1929 and from 1932 to 1933.
His younger brother, Rudolf, took
over in 1945.
After World War II, Hamburg’s mayors generally
continued their political careers – they were
elected to the Bundestag, and became
ministers. Olaf Scholz’s career was
particularly successful.
After serving out his term as mayor of Hamburg,
he first became finance minister and, later,
German chancellor. All those years, the
Warburgs’ bank in Hamburg amassed
their wealth by diverting it from the
federal treasury. Their scam.. was simple and beautiful.
Under German law, foreign investors must pay tax to
the state budget on the dividends they receive. The
treasury then reimburses part of the tax. Somehow,
the Warburgs mysteriously arranged for investors
to get back this tax deduction not just once, but
several times. The federal exchequer was
punished, with 36 billion euros lost, over many years.
Representatives of various banking houses... were
involved in the scheme. The Warburgs in particular
were fined 176 million for such cases. Quite
recently... the Constitutional Court of
Germany dismissed an appeal by
Max Warburg... leaving the verdict in force.
However, the irrepressible banker immediately filed
a lawsuit to the European Court of Human Rights,
claiming that the German authorities, by
demanding payment of the fine, are
violating his rights.
If we assume that the Warburg family is indeed
connected by some elusive but strong threads
with Olaf Scholz, the whole absurd policy of
the German Chancellor can be explained
-- in a simple and clear way.
Against common sense -- Scholz promises to pump
more and more billions into green energy? So the
Warburgs’ bank is getting rich off ESG bonds.
In defiance of all the traditions of Germany’s post-war
pacifist policy --- the Chancellor is supplying arms to
Ukraine and feeding the German military-industrial
complex? I don’t know about now, but in the old
days, the Warburg banking house used to
finance the German defence industry,
with passion and fire.
Is the chancellor not trying to put the brakes on the
frenzied rises in gas and oil prices? But the rises
will undermine the captains of heavy industry -
with whom the bankers have historically had
a competitive, unfriendly relationship.
Watching the greatest country in Europe shoot itself in
the foot - then higher - we keep asking ourselves: why
is Germany doing everything according to American
orders? They were told to kill themselves against
the wall and they go and kill themselves. Where
is the limit?
But the fact is, that in the world picture of the Warburg
bankers, there is no independent Germany and never
has been. A century ago, Max Warburg (grandfather
of the present owner of the Hamburg bank) founded
a club in Hamburg called “Abroad”. The club still
exists today and unites a financial aristocracy
which has set itself the goal: of creating a
global world, without such nonsense as
sovereign countries.
For centuries, members of the Warburg family have
worked all over the world. Sigmund, developed the
family business in London, Paul & Eric, in the US.
Paul Warburg, incidentally --- was one of the
founding fathers of the US Federal Reserve.
Naturally, their descendants see Germany
(and all of Europe) as another US state.
Reading about the businesses, marriages, mergers and
acquisitions, parties, and intrigues, of the Warburg
family is incredibly interesting. It’s just a movie.
An extremely complimentary book about the Warburgs
has been written --- incidentally --- by the noble
The sheer scale of the personalities, proves that this
is no ordinary corruption. These were not bankers
chasing Scholz, with cash on their backs, trying
to solve problems. The leader of the country –
not the last country in the world, by the way
– is on a short leash of the international
bankers and is looking meekly into
their eyes – what do you want?
And the whole world wonders: where have all the great
politicians of Europe gone? Take General de Gaulle
for example. He, too, was a friend of the French
Rothschilds, and went to their parties at his
own pleasure. But he defined the policy of
the country by himself, without any tips
from bankers. But they do not let such
clever ones on political Olympus any
more. Now there is a need for those
who are simpler.
Of course, one can only pity the Germans. Even if the
wave of people’s anger swept away Scholz, who will
they put in his place? The impression is that every
one in the ruling elite there has been bought and
sold by the various clans, families, banks and
corporations... for generations to come.
But maybe the captains of heavy industry, will be
able to push through their protege, to the post of
chancellor? That might be Germany’s only hope.
by Victoria Nikiforova, RIA
________________________________________________
The fallen fig leaf of the"greens"
and the turning point in the
mood of the Germans
August 11th, 9:17am
(Vesti.ru)
Waldemar Gerdt, a member of the Bundestag from 2017 to 2021 from the Alternative for Germany party, who is
now being nominated as a candidate for the local landtag, spoke of a turning point in German sentiment, and the collapse of the Green agenda.
Answering a question by the host of the program
"Full Contact" --- on radio "Vesti FM" --- and the
platform "We look" --- ''what is the current
attitude of the Germans, to the special
operation of Russia,'' he noted that the
opinion is - increasingly - voiced:
"This is not our war."
According to him, after the general support, and
slogans in the spirit of "let'sdiefor Ukraine", a
serious turning point... has now taken place.
"We probably enacted a lot of wrong decisions,
but now, we will have a "war" - for survival -
(including pensioners). And we need to
go back there," says Waldemar Gerdt.
He also notes the fact, that those who go to protest
actions are "declared enemies of the people", and
now, in Germany, the media space --- is being
intensively prepared for this.
"This means that serious mass protests are expected
in the Autumn. The police and the public, are being
prepared for this, but I think the process will not
be held back: Chancellor Scholz will have to
resign," the German politician believes.
Vladimir Solovyov asked who could
replace him – the "greens"?
Gerdt replied that the Greens had removed their ''fig leaf" --- because everything they are doing now --- contradicts what they said before.
"They are environmentalists and pacifists, who are
now most in favour of war and dirty gas, and they
have lost --- all of their ideological cover,"
explains Gerdt.
The German politician is sure that the "greens"
will receive their receipt" ...from the citizens
of Germany.
______________________________________________
German citizen arrests citizen
who supports Russian special
operation in Ukraine
August 6th, 10:44am
https://en.news-front.info/
Presse Portal reported that the
man was arrested in Hamburg.
A German citizen who allegedly supported Russia’s
military operations in Ukraine on social networks
was arrested in Hamburg, the city’s prosecutor’s
office and police said in a joint statement.
It is noted that we are talking about a 31-year-old
man who is, allegedly, associated with the
“National Bolshevik” Telegram channel
Das andere Deutschland, which
expressed support for the
special operation.
He is suspected of using the letter Z on at least four
occasions, and of having done so on other social
media as well. In some federal states of
Germany, the symbol Z is prohibited.
_________________________________________________
Die Welt:Despite sanctions,
Russia’s trade revenues
with Germany continue
to grow
August 5th, 3:36pm
https://en.news-front.info/
German newspaper Die Welt reports on the growing
income of the Russian Federation from trade with
Germany, due to high gas prices.
Despite the ban on the purchase of coal, gold, steel
and even schnapps, Russia is increasingly earning
from trade with Germany, the newspaper reports.
The reason is the rising price of natural gas.
The newspaper cited data from the German statistics
office. According to them, Germany paid about 3.5
billion euros for gas from Russia, in June. It is
noteworthy, that the increase since May
was 5%, and compared to June
last year – up by 39%.
________________________________________
Germany needs
Nord Stream-2
August 4th, 2:53pm
https://en.news-front.info/
The misadventures of gas pumping units (GPU),
which ensure the pumping of gas through the
Nord Stream, continue...
The first turbine to be repaired, a key part of the GPU,
was sent to Canada (to the manufacturing plant) in
December. According to the plans agreed with the
Siemens company responsible for its maintenance,
it was supposed to deliver the unit back in May.
After that, the rest of the turbines were to be
sequentially sent for repairs.
As Vitaly Markelov, Deputy Chairman of the Board of
Gazprom, noted in his speech, one of the turbines
waiting for its turn was ready for shipment to
Canada in April. And two more were planned
to be taken away in June and July. All of
these units require a major overhaul.
Strictly on schedule.
And three more turbines in the period from May to
June issued 11 emergency failures. They cannot
be exploited. The specialists of the same
Siemens are responsible for the
maintenance. Of the identified
faults, they eliminated only
a quarter.
Here it is worth pausing and wondering what a citizen
of our country associates with German industrial
enterprises. Perhaps not least with quality, order
and responsibility. But Siemens decided to break
this pattern.
To begin with, it denied the existence of any claims
from Gazprom. Like, it did not receive any reports
of damage to the turbines. But the Russian side
posted the correspondence, from which it
became clear that the German company,
to put it mildly, was being disingenuous.
That is, there were problems, Siemens
knew about them, but was in no hurry
to fully solve them. This thesis is
confirmed --- by the
current situation.
The turbine, which was in Canadian captivity, was
rescued. But it was only able to get as far as
Germany. Where it got stuck, since Siemens
failed to fully take into account all the
bureaucratic obstacles that stood in
the way of its cooperation with
Gazprom. In other words... the
Russian side needed a whole
package of documents - that
would substantiate changes
in existing obligations and
give guarantees: that the
German company, would
fulfill its functions ------ in
servicing the Portovaya
CS equipment.
But Siemens employees apparently decided that
paperwork was too difficult. And in general,
shouldn’t Gazprom take the gentlemen’s
word for it?
While bureaucratic issues were being resolved, the
turbine disappeared. More precisely, no one could
clearly explain where it was at the moment. And
here it was, found by Chancellor Olaf Scholz
himself. Found, carefully examined and
he stated that he sees no obstacles to
sending her to Russia. The German
government also stated that GPAs
are not subject to EU sanctions,
so no additional documents
are required.
Let’s be honest – they're required. Everything stated
by theleaders of Germany orally must be transferred
to paper, provided with the appropriate details and
sent to Gazprom for review. Actually, the Russian
side has previously stated this: among other
things, it wants to obtain a document
guaranteeing that the turbine is not
subject to sanctions.
It may seem that this is a mockery on the Russian side,
but no, this is a common practice. For example, the
US has repeatedly published explanations of its
sanctions at the request of worried companies.
So, Allseas, which built Nord Stream 2,
successfully applied for such
an explanation.
Now the German side is strenuously pretending that it
does not understand the elementary rules of conduct
in such situations and claims that all the conditions
for transporting the turbine have been met - and
only the participation of Gazprom is missing.
At the same time, the sanctions regimes of Canada,
the EU, the UK and the inconsistency of the current
situation with the current contractual obligations
on the part of Siemens, make the delivery of the
073 engine to the Portovaya compressor
station --- impossible, Gazprom said.
In the meantime, the situation for European consumers
is alarming. Nord Stream is capable of pumping no
more than 33 million cubic metres per day. Some
of the alternative routes are either not operated
or are not fully operated, due to sanctions
reasons. This is extremely worrying for
the key consumer – the industry.
European (and, first of all, German) industry has been
actively speaking in the media since March of this
year, demanding not to touch Russian gas, other
-wise, entire industries may cease to exist. And
formally, the voice of large enterprises was
heard --- the European Commission did not
touch on the gas issue when carrying out
its sanctions exercises. This even
saddened the most militant part
of the Western public.
However, European sanctions still hit supplies from
Russia. It’s just that, the EU leadership turned out
to be a gathering of real professionals who were
able to think through all the little things when
working out anti-Russian restrictions.
Therefore, several months were
enough for the EU gas market
to be covered by a price
tsunami.
The most adequate position on this issue in Germany
was expressed by the former Chancellor, Grehard
Schroeder. He absolutely fairly pointed out that
the return of the traveling turbine, would
increase the Nord Stream load from its
current 20%, to a modest 40%. And he
also called the launch of Nord Stream
-2 ....the easiest way to solve the
problem of blue fuel supplies.
It can be assumed that now we are really talking about
significant problems for German industry --- which the
talented leaders of the country are campaigning to
save. Representatives of industry, by the way,
stated --- that there was nowhere to save
further. And..... it is impossible to repair
all the necessary turbines for the Nord
Stream, in the near future. Therefore
the issue of restoring the supplies
that the German economy needs
--- again --- rests on the timely restitution of Nord Stream-2.
Alexander Frolov, Izvestia newspaper
______________________________________
Gerhard Schröderhas spoken
out in favour of the launch
of Nord Stream 2
August 3rd, 1:01pm
https://en.news-front.info/
Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has
come out with the initiative to launch the Nord
Stream 2 gas pipeline --- due to worsening
problems in the German economy.
In an interview with Stern, Schroeder said the most
effective solution to Germany’s economic problems
would be to launch the sanctioned new Russian
gas pipeline, Nord Stream 2.
“There would be no supply problems for German
industry and German households,” Schröder said.
He also said Russia was considering the option
of resuming talks with Ukraine, stressing that
it considered the possibility of Crimea being
returned to Ukraine, by military means,
as absurd.
Recall that Gerhard Schroeder was seen in Moscow
last week, where he said he had a meeting with
Vladimir Putin.
______________________________________
Duda....expressed ''shock'' after Merkel's call to Putin
on Nord Stream 2
August 2nd, 6:20am
(Lenta.ru)
President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, said that he was
shocked after the call of former German Chancellor
Angela Merkel, to the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, about the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.
He shared this in an interview with
the Frankfurter Allgemeine
Zeitung newspaper.
As Duda explained, we are talking about a call that
was made after a joint statement by Germany and
the United States -- in July 2021. In particular, it
stated the need to ensure the continuation of
raw material supplies... from Russia through
Ukraine, after 2024 for the implementation
of the project.
''I was shocked. This should be understood not
only as an act of indifference, but also as an
act of hostility towards Eastern Europe.''
The Polish leader also said that relations with Berlin
are in the worst state since 1990. The main
reproach to Germany, he called the gas
projects called "Nord Stream". In his
opinion, they are the key to Russia's
dominance in the European market.
Germany offered to launch a Russian gas pipeline
In July, head of the Bundestag 's Energy and
Climate Committee. Klaus Ernst suggested
using Nord Stream 2, in case of need and
a lack of gas. In his opinion, the issue of
gas supply, in this case, should be put
out of the brackets of the Ukrainian
conflict. In addition the lack of gas
can be a "social explosive" in
Germany, the politician
believes.
A similar statement was made by a member of the
Alternative for Germany (AfD) party --- a member of the parliamentary Committee on Energy and
Climate Protection, Steffen Kotre. He called
for the immediate commissioning of Nord
Stream 2 - and the resumption of
negotiations to resolve the
conflict in Ukraine.
At the same time, the Minister for Economic Affairs and
Climate Protection of Germany, Robert Habeck, said
that approval of the operation of the gas pipeline... will mean the capitulation of Europe to Russia.
According to him, the launch of Nord Stream 2 would increase Europe's dependence on Russian gas,
which is "exactly the opposite" of what
European countries "have been
working on for the last
six months."
Nord Stream 2 was never launched
Nord Stream 2 is currently fully built and ready for
operation, but it requires operator certification
to start operating. It was suspended by the
German authorities for an indefinite period
after the entry of Russian troops into the
territory of Ukraine.
European Commission chief, Ursula von der Leyen
explained... the impossibility of launching the
project, by saying that it has not received
the necessary permits and thus cannot
be operated.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry's head,
Sergey Lavrov, The European Union - for political
reasons, is slowing down the launch of the Nord
Stream 2 pipeline, despite its readiness.
He also noted that, over the past 5-6
years, the EU has repeatedly
accused Russia of using
gas as a weapon.
In July, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed
launching Nord Stream 2. He said that, a month
and a half, to two months ago, he discussed
the situation with the gas pipeline with the
German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz.
Putin noted that Gazprom "has reserved capacities, created these capacities, and something needs to be done about it," since they "cannot hangindefinitely."
Scholz replied that there are "more important issues"
and that it is "out of place" to deal with them at the moment.
"Unusual words for a green politician: the party has
long abandoned pacifist ideals and, in fact, turned
into an ardent ally of Kiev involved in the conflict
in Ukraine," the publication wrote.
It is reported that the head of the Free Democratic
Party of Germany faction in the Landtag of Baden-
Württemberg, Hans-Ulrich Ruehlke, called on the
Prime Minister of the land --- to intervene in
the situation.
Earlier, Bloomberg wrote that Germany, which faces
the prospect of serious gas savings, has three
months to save... for the crisis in the coming
winter. It is Germany that is exposed to the
most serious risks in Europe: the heating
of almost half the homes in the country
is provided by gas.
________________________________
German lawmaker supports
putting Nord Stream 2
into operation
July 29th, 2:47pm (TASS)
Germany still needs Russian gas -- and the Nord Stream
2 gas pipeline, which has been completed.. but not yet
certified, can be used in the absence of other options
-- Head of the Bundestag’s Committee on Climate
Action and Energy, Klaus Ernst, told TASS
on Friday.
"In the overall scheme of things, it doesn’t really
matter what pipeline delivers gas to Germany,
whatever the gas is, it’s still Russian. In this
sense, the issue of Nord Stream 2, is more
likely to be symbolic. If there are no other
prospects, regardless of the reasons, &
the supply of gas... can eventually be
attained only by using Nord Stream
2 ----then we should speak of
commissioning it as soon
as possible," the law-
maker stressed.
The German government reiterated in recent
weeks that Nord Stream 2 cannot be used
under the law, because the gas pipeline
is not certified.
_______________________________________
Germany risks losing
what remains of its
reputation in the EU
– expert Tadeo
July 29th, 11:43am
https://en.news-front.info/
Germany may say goodbye to its own reputation by
hopelessly losing its leadership position, in the EU
expanse due to a severe energy crisis based on a
haphazard sanctions policy, correspondent Maria
Tadeo said, in a piece for Bloomberg.
She recalls Germany’s former economic and moral
superiority and its unrivalled authority on the
European stage, and discusses how it
managed to be the “bad cop” - in
dealing with the less developed
financially modest countries
in southern Europe.
“The energy crisis resulting from the EU sanctions
campaign against Russia - has changed things,”
the author writes.
Today the German “primacy” may well be in the hands
of South European countries, – the author notes:
Germany’s position is rapidly weakening, and
the state’s economy, is in an extremely
precarious position, due to the total
dependence on Russian
energy resources.
“While the German authorities are recovering from
the shock, the European south is being active and
assertive. This isn't in retaliation for the austerity
regime imposed by Berlin. There is a regrouping
of forces -- that could eventually make the
European Union healthier,”
Tadeo concluded.
The grandiose sanctions battle unleashed by the West
against Moscow has hurt its initiators far more than it
has hurt Russia itself”, the journalist stressed.
According to the analyst community, Germany is
stubbornly self-liquidating its own economy,
once one of the most efficient economies
in Europe and the world. The reason for
this, is Germany’s close friendship with a destructive Washington.
Meanwhile, the whole of Europe is sliding rapidly into
the abyss, and the situation is only increasingly
demonstrating a deteriorating trend – a sad
fact - actively acknowledged by Western
experts as well. They call the rejection
of Russian blue gas “a shot in the leg”.
Moscow.. is under unprecedented economic pressure
from the collective West, which has already resulted
in record global inflation and has also forced the EU,
as some analysts put it, to be one step away from
“burying its own economy”.
_____________________________
Germany will impose an
electricity levy from
October the 1st
July 28th, 11:13am
https://en.news-front.info/
German authorities will start levying an electricity levy
on consumers from October 1st, the DPA news agency
reported, citing sources in the German Ministry of
Economic Affairs and Climate Protection.
According to its information, customers will have to
pay the fee, for a year and a half, i.e. until the end
of March 2024. Exactly how much the gas price
for consumers will increase, is still unclear.
The introduction of the fee should allow gas suppliers
to pass on to consumers the sharply increased
purchase price of the blue fuel (up to 90%)
in the face of reduced supplies from
Russia. About half of all flats in
Germany are heated with gas.
_________________________________
Die Welt newspaper blames
US for economic pressure
on Germany
July 25th, 1:58pm
https://en.news-front.info/
German newspaper Die Welt has accused the US of
economic pressure on Germany, which it says is
going through an already unprecedented crisis.
According to Thomas Straubhaar of Die Welt, the
United States, is exerting significant economic
pressure on Germany - which is already facing
a severe crisis. According to the author of the
article, the current crisis is like a snowball for Germany: it is unique because of the
combination of many factors which
cause noticeable damage to
the economy.
“What is new - and extremely dangerou -, however, is
the simultaneity of crises and the fact that between
individual negative events there are self-reinforcing
chain reactions --- whose effects are uncertain,
difficult to control and difficult to assess ---
typical snowball effects,” Straubhaar
explained.
The US is playing an active role in Germany’s current
crisis, because, it is under such conditions that
Washington - which previously financed the
“German economic miracle” export policy
- can now impose its new conditions on Berlin, the columnist wrote.
“There will no longer be an ‘and-and’ policy for
Germany. The US, will give Europe a choice:
either it chooses the US as a strategic ally
and thus makes Beijing a sworn enemy, or
it chooses the People’s Republic of China
and gives up its transatlantic alliances
and thus possibly the US military
shield for Europe,” says
Thomas Straubhaar.
____________________________________
A number of biological projects
in Ukraine were implemented
in Bundeswehr’s interests
July 7th, 2:52pm (TASS)
A number of projects on trials of biological weapons
in Ukraine, were carried out in the interest of
Bundeswehr’s Medical Service, Russian
Nuclear, Chemical and Biological
Protection Troops commander
Lieutenant General Igor
Kirillov said Thursday.
"We have already pointed out: that Ukraine and other
post-Soviet states have become proving grounds for
trials of biological weapons - not only for the US, but for their NATO allies as well - first and fore- most, Germany. A number of projects were
implemented... in the interest of the
German Armed Forces’ Medical
Service," he said during a
briefing on US military
biological operations
in Ukraine.
According to Kirillov, German specialists paid special
attention to the Crimean-Congo fever pathogen.
A large-scale screening of the population’s
susceptibility to this pathogen, was
carried out... with a summation of
the demographic, epidemiologic
and clinical data.
"Such an approach makes it possible to discover new
regional viral genotypes and pick strains that cause latent clinical forms," Kirillov explained.
According to Kirillov, natural hotbeds of this disease
were studied... under the pretext of an improvement
of Ukrainian epidemiological supervision systems;
the operations involved the Kiev Institute of
Veterinary Medicine and the Odessa
Mechnikov Plague Institute.
Bundeswehr’s interest in the Crimean-Congo fever
is explained by its high lethality: up to 30%. Its
outbreaks require prolonged and expensive
measures on treatment, prevention and
decontamination.
Kirillov quoted a memo for Bundeswehr specialists:
"Pay special attention to the lethal cases of the
Crimean-Congo [hemorrhagic] fever, because
it will make it possible to extract the strains
from the deceased, that have the highest
lethality and virulence for humans.".
In France, they announced
the failure of sanctions
against Russia
August 13th, 8:58pm
(Lenta.ru)
Kalman Schnur, a columnist for the French portal
Agoravox, said that the anti-Russian sanctions
imposed by the West --- are working
against Europe.
In his opinion, European politicians made a suicidal
decision. In the article, he cited the statement of
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, who on
March 1st, promised to wage a "total economic
and financial war with Moscow" and bring it to
...the collapse of the Russian economy. At the
same time, the journalist recalled, since then
the ruble has significantly strengthened. If a
week after the start of the Russian special
operation in Ukraine... it was given 0.61
euro cents, then on June 30th the ruble
exchange rate rose, to 1.8 euro cents.
A significant role in this was played by the Kremlin's
decision to demand payment for Russian gas in
rubles, Shnur said. "Russia receives rubles in
exchange for its hydrocarbons, whose prices
are rising rapidly due to our own sanctions,
which have made these hydrocarbons a
deficit," he said.
_________________________________________
The Russian Orthodox Church:
about cases of "cancellation"
of Russian culture in France
by Anton Demidov
August 13th, 7:22pm
(Gazeta.Ru)
Bishop Savva of the Russian Orthodox Church spoke
about the cases of the "cancellation of Russians", in France, following his personal communication
with witnesses
Bishop Savva (Tutunov) of Zelenograd, Deputy Director
of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department of Culture,
shared information about cases of "cancellation" of Russian culture in France, which he learned about from "personal communication with direct witnesses." The corresponding post --- he published in his Telegram channel.
So, according to the bishop, in France, a schoolboy who
is a fifth-generation descendant of Russian emigrants
expressed a desire to learn the language of his
ancestors as a second foreign language (in a
French school, everyone learns two foreign
languages). To this, the class teacher said that "all Russians are bad," the cleric pointed out.
He said that another descendant from the same
generation and his entire class, were forced to
dress in yellow and blue, the colours of the
flag of Ukraine.
Savva also gave another example, when the camp of
the Russian Student Christian Movement (RSHD)
refused the Russian flag on the mast and the
use of the tricolor as a symbol on uniform
shirts. He explained.. that the Russian
tricolor was present for all 100 years
of the movement's existence, and
never came down.
"By the way, I was in those camps from the age of
seven to nine, and I remember with trepidation
the daily morning ruler with the appeal of the
camp commander: "Squad, remember the
motto" — "For Russia, for Faith".How
quickly everything was screwed up..
Such are the narratives," the
bishop added.
Earlier, the dean of the Faculty of Musical Theatre
of GITIS, Timofey Sopolev, suggested that the
"cancellation" of Russian culture in the
West, will be short-lived.
_____________________________________
Inflation in France Hikes
to Highest Since 1985
August 12th 1:01pm (FNA)
The annual inflation rate in France hit 6.1%
in July, the highest since July 1985, the
French statistics agency announced
on Friday.
That figure.. was 5.8% in June,
Anadolu news agency reports.
__________________________________
Russia Labels France
‘Unfriendly’State
August 6th, 9:39am (FNA)
Russia considers France an “unfriendly” country
--- because of the steps Paris is taking against
Moscow, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov
told reporters on Friday, adding that the
time is not right for contact between
their leaders.
“First of all, France is an unfriendly nation, owing to all the measures France is taking against this country,”
Peskov emphasized, when asked why Russian
President, Vladimir Putin, and his French
counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, have not been in touch lately,
RT reported.
“As for [the two leaders] not having any calls lately,
they simply don't feel like the time is right just yet,
and there is currently no need for talking. If the
need does arise, they will be able to get in
touch, whenever they want to,” he said.
Russia’s “unfriendly countries” list – introduced back
in March in response to Western sanctions over its
offensive in Ukraine – includes the EU states, US,
UK, Canada, and a number of other nations.
Moscow has slapped its own restrictive
measures against all of them.
Since the start of Russia’s military campaign in
Ukraine, which began on February 24th,
Macron has made dozens of 'phone
calls to Putin.
In early June, the French president estimated they
had spoken for at least a hundred hours, this year.
Throughout their talks, Macron reportedly tried
to convince the Russian leader to pull his
troops back from Ukraine.
Macron’s willingness to keep in touch with the Kremlin
even as most Western countries are making efforts
to isolate Moscow, as well as his calls to avoid
“humiliating” Russia over Ukraine, have
drawn some criticism from
France’s allies.
However, the two leaders have
not spoken since July the 2nd.
Russia sent troops into Ukraine on February 24th
--- citing Kiev’s failure to implement the Minsk
agreements, designed to give the regions
of Donetsk and Lugansk special status
within the Ukrainian state.
The protocols, brokered by Germany and France, were
first signed in 2014. Former Ukrainian President Pyotr
Poroshenko has since admitted that Kiev’s main goal
--- was to use the ceasefire to buy time and “create
powerful armed forces.”
In February 2022, the Kremlin recognized the Donbass
republics as independent states and demanded that
Ukraine officially declare itself a neutral country
that will never join any Western military bloc.
Kiev insists the Russian offensive
was completely unprovoked.
___________________________________
Bloomberg calls strengthening
of the ruble --- a headache
for ''foreigners''
August 6th, 8:19am
https://en.news-front.info/
Bloomberg writes, that the strengthening
of the ruble against the euro, has
become a “headache” for
Western banks.
The publication reports that foreign companies
that left Russia, are experiencing huge losses.
The chief executive of the Austrian Raiffeisen Bank,
Johann Strobl, told the publication how --- against
the background of the strengthening of the ruble
--- his bank’s profit is growing... but for those
who decided to liquidate their business
in Russia, the strong Russian
currency has become
a “headache”.
According to the publication, companies that
decided to immediately leave Russia, after
the start of a special military operation
in Ukraine, suffered serious losses.
The French credit bank, Societe Generale
SA confirmed that in the second quarter,
its pre-tax losses, due to withdrawal
--- amounted to 3.3 billion euros.
__________________________________________
A volunteer from France told how he witnessed staged fake dramatizations
in Bucha
July 30th, 1:50pm
https://en.news-front.info/
A French volunteer and writer, former military man
Adrian Boke, who visited Ukraine, said that he
witnessed the preparation of a provocation
in the Kiev suburb of Bucha, RIA
Novosti reports.
In April, Andrian Boke visited Ukraine twice on a
mission to deliver humanitarian aid, medical
equipment and medicines. He visited both
the Polish-Ukrainian border... and Bucha,
and saw how Russian prisoners of war
were being tortured and killed as well
as how the Ukrainian militants were
engaged in a staged massacre
of civilians.
'''When I talk about murders and torture, I am talking
about the murder and torture of the Russian
military. First of all, the officers were
executed.''
''I heard screams when the Azov people asked
who the officer was here. As soon as the
answer sounded --- this person was
immediately shot in the head. The
worst thing is, that I did not see
any human attitude, there were
no emotions, because in front
of my eyes -- people were
executed -- people were
hurt, people were shot,
shot in limbs, in the
head,'' said Boke.
According to his story, he witnessed the torture
and murder of Russian prisoners of war in a
hangar... in the northern part of Bucha.
It was in early April, that is, when the
Ukrainian military had regained
control of the city, for several
days, RIA Novosti specifies.
Boke said that he often talked with the fighters of
the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the “Azov”,
who impressed him with their inhuman
treatment of Russians, Jews and
people of other races.
''I had to pretend a lot, so as not to show my opinion
and emotions and - in the first place - not to show
any disagreement with their opinions. Disagree-
ment with their Nazi ideology, especially
when they expressed their attitude
towards Jews.. and people with a
dark skin, because these were
very cruel statements.''
''And first of all, I am talking about hatred for Russians,
because they call you “Russian dogs”. And for all
these soldiers --- for the soldiers from the Azov
Battalion, the main task, as they always told
me, is to torture and kill “Russian dogs”.As
a former military man, this surprised me.
Because it was evident in everything
that their main goal was to torture
and kill “Russian dogs”, while
they did not even talk about
...the liberation of their
population,'' recalls
the volunteer.
In addition, he talks about how a provocation was
being prepared in Bucha, to accuse the Russian
military of massacres of civilians.
''When we entered Bucha, by car, I was in the
passenger seat and when we drove through
the city... I saw the bodies of people on the
sides of the streets and at the same time,
in front of my eyes, the bodies of people
were taken out of the trucks, which
were laid out next to the bodies
lying on the ground, to give the
effect of mass deaths,''
Boke said.
He clarified that there were journalists
nearby who immediately began filming
as soon as a group of bodies formed.
''One of the volunteers, who was at this place
the day before, I emphasize that it was not I
who saw it, but one of the volunteers told
me this. He told me that he had seen the
day before, refrigerated trucks from
other cities of Ukraine arriving in
Bucha, from which, the bodies
of people were unloaded and
laid out in rows. From this, I
realized.... that there were
dramatizations & extras,''
the agency quotes the
interlocutor.
Volunteers and local residents were pressured – to
avoid publicity, the militants threatened them with
imprisonment and reprisals, the volunteer noted.
“We distributed medicines, including those containing
We were told in plain text: if you don’t share with us,
you won’t get where you need to go. I clearly
remember that we had to deliver these pain
medications to the children’s hospital and
we were told that if we did not share, we
would not get there. Moreover, when we
were not far from Bucha, we were
accompanied by military guards -
they were “Azov”. They escorted
us to one of the hangars - and
told us to prepare a separate
box with drugs containing
morphine, so that we
could move on,''
Boke said.
In addition, volunteers were forbidden
to take photos and videos.
“We were warned that, otherwise, we would face a
ten-year sentence or more severe consequences.
This ban also extended to the local population.
This pressure was exerted by the military,
primarily by the Azov people. Europe
today does not understand... how
much the population of Ukraine,
is under strong pressure,'' said the Frenchman.
Putin exalts spirit - of the strategic alliance between Russia and India
by Luis Linares Petrov
August 15th, 9:28am
(Prensa Latina)
President Vladimir Putin extolled the spirit of the
strategic alliance between Russia and India,
in a congratulatory message for the 75th
anniversary of the declaration of
independence of India.
“Throughout decades of independent development,
your nation has achieved universally recognized
successes in the economic, social, scientific,
and technological fields, among others,”
says Putin’s message addressed to his
Indian counterpart, Draupadi Murmu,
and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Putin also said that India deservedly enjoys
considerable authority on the world stage
and plays an important constructive role
in addressing topical issues on the
international agenda.
Vladimir Putin also stated that both nations
cooperate successfully in a wide range of
areas, interacting effectively in the UN the BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and other multilateral structures.
“I am confident that, thanks to our joint efforts, we
will ensure the improvement -- of the entire range of productive interstate relations for the benefit of our friendly peoples and in the interests of strengthening regional and global
security and stability,” Putin said.
___________________________________
RBC: EU Ramps Up
Russian Oil Imports
August 14th, 3:27pm (FNA)
EU states increased imports of oil and oil products
from Russia in June, compared with the previous
month, Moscow's RBC reported, citing
preliminary Eurostat data.
The increase came after EU governments approved
an embargo on Russian crude, due to take effect
by early 2023, RT reported.
Statistics showed EU states imported about 7.3 million
tons of Russian petroleum, which is 0.4% more than
in May. Imports of oil products from Russia in June
increased by 9.7% compared to the previous
month, to 2.65 million tons.
Total imports of Russian oil and petrochemicals by EU
countries in June jumped by 2.7% from the May level,
Eurostat data indicates.
However, the total supply of Russian fossil fuels to the
rest of Europe has declined amid Western sanctions.
In June 2022, oil exports from Russia to the EU were
7% lower than during the same month last year,
while sales of oil products plunged by 24%.
As part of a sixth sanctions package introduced
in June, the EU imposed a partial embargo on
Russian oil, banning sea shipments to the
region and prohibiting companies from
insuring and reinsuring sea transport
of Russian oil and refined products
to countries outside the bloc.
____________________________________
Report: US Fumes overIndia’s
Role --- in Transporting
''Banned'' Russian Oil
August 14th, 3:26pm (FNA)
Washington has approached New Delhi with queries
about Russian oil products that were, allegedly, shipped to the US from India, Reuters reported
on Saturday, citing Reserve Bank of India
Deputy Governor, Michael Patra.
According to Patra, the US Treasury informed the
country’s authorities that an Indian vessel
allegedly, picked up oil from a Russian
tanker on the high seas and delivered
it to a port in the state of Gujarat on
the country’s West coast, where the
oil was processed -- and then shipped to New York.
“You know that there are sanctions against people who
are buying Russian oil, and this was reported to us by
the US Treasury… It turns out, an Indian ship met a
Russian tanker in mid-seas, picked up oil in the mid-
seas, came to a port in Gujarat, it was processed in
that port and converted into a distillate --- which
actually goes into making single-use plastic.
The refined output... was put back on that
ship and it set sail without a destination.
In the mid-seas it received the
destination, so it reached its
course, went to New York,”
Patra said, at an event in
Odisha, celebrating 75
years --- of Indian
independence.
The official did not reveal the name of the ship
in question, nor provide any other details on
the matter, but said “that’s the way war
works, it works in strange ways.”
The US banned Russian oil and oil products from
entering the country earlier this year, as part of
sanctions aimed at Russia --- in connection with the situation in Ukraine.
India has abstained from sanctioning Moscow, and,
while prior to this year it rarely bought Russian oil,
has stepped up purchases tenfold, since March,
taking advantage of the discount Moscow has
offered. According to Bloomberg, Russia
overtook Saudi Arabia as the South
Asian nation’s second-biggest
supplier in June, second
only to Iraq.
The US Embassy in New Delhi did not comment
on Patra’s statement, when asked by Reuters.
____________________________________________
Lula wins 26th victory in
Brazil’s justice system
by Ileana Ferrer Fonte
August 14th, 1:30am
(Prensa Latina)
Former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Saturday
enjoyed his 26th victory in the Brazilian justice
system after another investigation improperly
opened against him, was archived.
According to the website lula.com.br, the judicial
victory was confirmed -- following a decision by
the 10th Criminal Court of the Federal District
on the so-called Ministrão Case.
With this ruling, the complaint that sought to
criminalize Lula’s appointment as a Minister
of the Civil House during the Government of former President Dilma Rousseff (2011-2016) was set aside.
Such an action, registered the following day to the
indictment of the so-called Quadrilhão of the PT
(Workers’ Party), was never received by the
justice system due to a lack of elements.
According to the website, the favorable results
obtained by the former labour leader “in all
trials against him are proof of the intense
legal persecution of which he was a
victim” and demonstrates
his innocence.
The allegation was recently archived
after a six-year-long investagion.
_______________________________________
150,000 Bangladeshi
tea workers strike:
againstdollar
-a-day wages
August 13th, 5:51pm
Nearly 150,000 workers at over 200 Bangladeshi tea
plantations went on strike Saturday, to demand a
150 percent rise to their dollar-a-day wages,
which researchers say, are among the
lowest in the world.
Most tea workers in the overwhelmingly Muslim country
are low-caste Hindus, the descendants of labourers
brought to the plantations by colonial-era
British planters.
The minimum wage for a tea plantation worker in the
country is 120 taka a day --- about $1.25 at official
rates, but only just over a dollar on the free market.
One worker said that was barely enough to
buy food, let alone other necessities.
"Nowadays we can't even afford coarse rice for our
family with this amount," said Anjana Bhuyian, 50.
"A wage of one day, can't buy a litre of edible oil.
How can we then even think about our nutrition,
medication, or children's education?" she told AFP.
Unions are demanding an increase to 300 taka a day,
with inflation rising and the currency depreciating,
...and said that workers in the country's 232 tea
gardens began a full-scale strike on Saturday,
after four days of two-hour stoppages.
"Nearly 150,000 tea workers have joined the strike
today," said Sitaram Bin, a committee member
of the Bangladesh Tea Workers' Union.
"No tea worker will pluck tea leaves, or work in the leaf
processing plants as long as the authority doesn't pay
heed to our demands," he told AFP.
Plantation owners have offered an increase of 14 taka
a day after an 18-taka rise last year and M. Shah Alom,
chairman of the Bangladesh Tea Association... said
the operators were "going through difficult times,
with profits declining in recent times".
"The cost of production is increasing. Our expenses
have increased as the price of gas, fertiliser and
diesel have gone up," he told AFP.
Researchers say tea workers ― who live in some
of the country's most remote areas ― have been
systematically exploited by the industry
for decades.
"Tea workers are like modern-day slaves,"
said Philip Gain, director of the Society
for Environment and Human
Development, a research
group, who has written
books on tea workers.
“The plantation owners have hijacked the minimum
wage authorities - and kept the wages as some of
the lowest in the world.”
(Source: AFP)
______________________________________
Five giant Chinese firms
delist from US stock-
exchanges..amid
decaying market
August 13th, 4:12pm
(PressTV)
Five US-listed Chinese state-owned giant companies,
collectively worth hundreds of billions of dollars,
have announced they will delist from the US
stock exchange, amid a decaying market
and tensions between Washington and
Beijing over regulation and broader
political issues.
In a flurry of separate statements on Friday, three of the
world’s biggest energy firms, PetroChina, Sinopec and
Shanghai Petrochemical, said they would apply for a
voluntary delist of their US depository shares (ADS)
from the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
Two other state-owned giants, the insurer China Life
and the aluminum producer Chalco, also announced
they would halt offering their shares in the US,
naming the administrative burden and costs
related to maintaining the shares, as the
cause behind their decisions.
Share prices of the companies, whose combined
market valuation is more than $300 billion,
plummeted in trading in New York on
Friday, most by around 1 percent.
The giants, whose audits are under scrutiny by the US
securities regulator, will keep their listings in Hong
Kong and mainland China, and, according to
officials and experts, the delistings will
have a limited impact on the
companies’ operations.
According to China’s market regulator, the moves will
not “jeopardize” fund-raising activities by the
five companies.
“These companies have strictly complied with the rules
and regulatory requirements of the US capital market
since their listing in the US - and made the delisting
choice for their own business considerations,” the
China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC)
said in a statement.
The abrupt moves drew widespread attention, amid
rising Sino-US tensions and constant Washington crackdowns - against a wide range of Chinese
companies - including a push to potentially
delist hundreds of Chinese firms, by
changing the audit rules, and in
what many call a “financial
decoupling”.
Apart from the so-called financial decoupling, the
US has also taken a series of provocative actions
against China, in recent days, in many ways,
China’s Global Times newspaper said,
adding that the hostile measures,
included signing a chip subsidy
act that is intended to cripple
China's chip industry.
A number of Chinese financial experts have already
warned about the decaying US market, as, in a
politically charged move, the US has taken
gradual steps to intensify requirements
for Chinese listed firms... to disclose
information.
The daily, citied Li Daxiao, chief economist at
Shenzhen-based Yingda Securities, as saying
on Friday that, as the US decides to reject
...instead of attract, more qualified
international companies, to list in
its markets - its market size will
get smaller, a move that goes against Washington’s wish to hold the top position..
among global capital
markets.
“On a smaller scale, the SEC is setting increasingly
more hurdles -- like audit rules or information
disclosures, for Chinese companies. In the
larger sense, the two countries' relations
have become increasingly uncertain and
it's very likely that listed companies will
experience unfair treatment in the US,
amid such political tensions,” he said.
Furthermore, Xi Junyang, a professor at the Shanghai
University of Finance and Economics, told Global
Times --- that it is almost certain that Chinese
companies listed in the US will withdraw,
to avoid risks, as --- the US market
environment is continuing
to worsen.
Separately, Gao Lingyun, an expert at the Chinese
Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), in Beijing,
also told the daily that international investors
view the US as a country that no longer has
a purely market-oriented financial market,
noting that, not only Chinese firms but
other foreign companies might have
second thoughts when considering
whether to list in the US.
In addition, she added, many investors in the US and
across the world would lose a valid path to invest
in high-potential Chinese companies, predicting
that more Chinese companies may follow suit
and delist from the US markets, particularly if they are large state-owned firms.
“Rather than exposing themselves to constantly rising
political risks in the US, it may be a better choice to
delist from the US and rearrange their financing
approaches, such as going public in Hong
Kong, as many suggested,” Gao said.
The development on Friday came, as experts noted
that - if the White House keeps on with its push for
a “financial decoupling” between the 2 countries -
via Twitter, that the resistance is now creating events,
not just reacting to them.
Sheikh Qassem indicated that resistance has become a
culture and choice, adding that this is a major turning
point- -- in stabilizing the region’s future.
His eminence had stated that the Resistance is just
concerned with Lebanon rights, regardless of the
circumstances of the Israeli government
and elections.
Sheikh Qassem added that Hezbollah supports the
Lebanese government in the battle to regain
the right to extract its maritime
gas resources.
Source: Al-Manar English Website
________________________________________
Report:------ US Is Worst-
Performing G7 Economy
August 13th, 2:09pm (FNA)
The US was the worst-performing of the Group of
Seven most advanced Western economies in the
second quarter of 2022, the latest data from the
UK Office of National Statistics (ONS) showed
on Friday.
The ONS released the G7 comparison while also
reporting that the British economy --- had
contracted by 0.1% from April to June,
Pana Times reported.
The US economy dropped by 0.2% during
the same period, according to the data.
Canada’s economy reportedly had the strongest
showing, growing by 1.1%. The Italian and
French economies were also up, while
Germany stagnated.
Meanwhile, another G7 nation, Japan, is expected
to report its GDP numbers on Monday, with an
economist poll from FactSet Economics,
projecting growth of 0.8% quarterly,
or 2.5% annualized.
_______________________________________
Hungary to receive additional
Russian gas -to address
energy crisis
by Ana Ibis Falcón Lamoth
August 13th, 12:41pm
(Prensa Latina)
Hungary will receive an additional 2.6 million cubic
metres of Russian gas a day in August, sent from
Gazprom, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
Tamas Menczer informed on Saturday.
''In a first stage, until late August, 2.6 million cubic
metres of additional gas will be supplied daily
from the south through the Turk Stream
pipeline, and the supply plan for
September, is already being
negotiated,'' the
official said.
Following the Hungarian Government’s decision to
purchase approximately 700 million cubic metres
of natural gas, in addition to the contracted
amount, Russia’s participation will be
vital to guarantee its acquisition.
According to Menczer, Gazprom began supplying the
additional volumes of gas, on Friday, as a result of
the recent negotiations by Hungarian Foreign
Minister, Peter Szijjarto, and a series of
trade consultations on the issue.
In late July, Szijjarto met in Moscow with his Russian
counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, and with Deputy Prime
Ministers Alexandr Novak and Denis Manturov.
At that time, the head of Russian diplomacy assured
that his country would immediately analyze
Budapest’s request to supply it with
additional volumes of gas, with a
response that has now
become concrete.
As a consequence of the energy crisis in Europe as a
result of Western sanctions, imposed on Russia for
the conflict in Ukraine, the Hungarian Government
decreed a state of emergency in the energy
sector on July the 13th.
____________________________
Russia’s economy remains
robust -despite Western
sanctions
by Ana Ibis Falcón Lamoth
August 13th 10:53am
(Prensa Latina)
The West's sanctions against Russia, are not working, as the economy is resisting safely, the director of the North American Department at the Foreign Ministry, Aleksandr Darchiyev, said on Saturday.
“The current US administration has isolated itself from
Moscow by introducing more and more sanctions,
which are announced as ‘crippling’ or ‘hellish’,
but which in general do not work. It doesn’t
work -- for them to ‘shatter’ our economy,
which is firmly resisting,” the diplomat
said, in an interview with TASS
news agency.
He did not rule out the possibility that if the US can use
common sense --- and soberly assesses the changing
geopolitical landscape and indicates not in words,
but in deeds --- the desire to respect Russian
national interests, then there will be a
basis for a gradual normalization of bilateral relations.
However, Darchiyev added that such chances are
currently unthinkable as the West’s military aid
to Ukraine is in the multi-billion-dollar range --
thinking that by filling Ukraine with weapons
---- they will slow down the tasks set by
Russia for the military operation.
At the same time, he summarized that “the security
risks for the international community - associated
with the proliferation of weapons transferred to
the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the black
markets - are quite real.”
____________________________________
Al-Mayadeen highlights
Fidel Castro’s dignity,
and human solidarity
by Ileana Ferrer Fonte
August 13th, 10:42am
(Prensa Latina)
Under the title "Fidel Castro: 96 Years of the Birth of the
Symbol of Dignity, Liberation and Human Solidarity,"
the Pan-Arab TV channel Al-Mayadeen on Saturday
highlighted the transcendence of the leader of
the Cuban Revolution.
Authored by Orwa Mahmoud --- the Beirut-based TV channel, evoked in its Arabic-language web
version, the libertarian ideas of Fidel Castro
(1926-2016), in the struggle against
colonialism and imperialism and
in favour of the just causes of
the peoples.
On the occasion of the birthday of the eternal
Commander-in-Chief, Al-Mayadeen described
the Cuban revolutionary leader, as an
unparalleled strategist in history,
who turned the small island into
a model of international aid for
people in need, worldwide.
“While the United States sent soldiers and weapons to
every region of the world, to expand its hegemony,
Fidel Castro sent doctors and teachers, to save the dispossessed,” the TV channel noted.
In its tribute, Al-Mayadeen remarked on the Cuban
leader’s friendship with Venezuelan Commander,
Hugo Chavez, Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia
Marquez and Argentinian soccer star Diego
Armando Maradona, who all agreed in
describing him -- as a comrade and
czar -- of dignity and socialism.
“Thanks to Fidel and his true revolution in support of
the poor and the needy, Cuba is free from the
poverty that prevails in Latin America, as
well as in the United States and many
places in Europe,” Al-Mayadeen
concluded.
Fidel Castro was born on August 13th, 1926, in Biran,
in the eastern Cuban province of Holguin, and his
work transcended, and was a landmark in,
the history of the 20th century and
the world.
_____________________________________
China submits ratification of two ILO conventions
on forced labour
by Juan M. Garcia
August 13th, 8:38am
(Prensa Latina)
According to several media outlets, the Chinese
Ambassador at the United Nations Office in
Geneva, Chen Xu, delivered the afore-
mentioned instruments to the ILO
Director General, Guy Ryder,
on Friday.
It is about the ratification of the Forced Labour
Convention, 1930 (No. 29) and the Abolition
of Forced Labour Convention, 1957
(No. 105).
In April, the National People’s Congress (Parliament)
gave the green light to the process, and noted, that
it demonstrated the Government’s firm position to
protect the rights and interests in the labour
sector, as well as its determination to fight illegalities in this field.
_______________________________________
Iran’s ProgressNot Tied
to JCPOA: President
August 13th, 7:01am
(al Manar)
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi affirmed the country’s
seriousness - in the talks on reviving the 2015 nuclear
deal and lifting the sanctions - but emphasized that
Tehran does not tie its progress to the JCPOA.
“We will not tie the country’s progress and the settlement
of the problems -- to the JCPOA. The Iranian negotiating
team will not leave the negotiating table, either,”
Raisi said, in the southern city of Kerman,
on Friday.
He noted that Iran’s progress and economy would never
be kept back on account of other people’s “smiles and
scowls.” The negotiating team, Raisi said, would
continue its work based on “very strong”
arguments.
“We will seriously address Iran’s economic and cultural
circumstances, regardless of the path the (JCPOA
revival) negotiations take, and what will happen
in the future,” he added, Press TV reported.
Despite the enemies’ wish, he said, Iran’s affairs would
be pursued with the participation of the people and
the elites and the country’s future will be bright.
“We will not let the enemies fulfill their objective,
which is to paralyze production and destroy
the Iranian economy and culture.”
Negotiations have been held... between Iran and the
P4+1 group of countries – Britain, France, Germany,
Russia and China - in the Austrian capital of Vienna
since April last year, to restore the JCPOA, which
was ditched by former US president Donald
Trump, in May 2018.
In quitting the agreement, Trump unleashed what he
called the “maximum pressure” campaign to bring
Iran to its knees. Washington also reinstalled
unilateral sanctions against Tehran, which
had been lifted under the JCPOA. Tehran
maintains that the policy --- has
failed dismally.
Iran has cited Washington’s indecisiveness as the
reason behind the protraction of the talks, as a
number of key issues remain unresolved ---
ranging from the removal of all post-
JCPOA sanctions to the provision
of guarantees by the US side --- that it will not leave the deal again.
Source: Iranian media (edited by
Al-Manar English Website)
________________________________
Pedro CastilloWarns About
Fabrication of Evidence
Against Him
August 12th, 5:18pm (teleSUR)
On Thursday, Peru's President Pedro Castillo
denounced that right-wing opponents seek
to incriminate him in a new preliminary
investigation for alleged corruption.
"Since they don't have evidence -- they have gone to
great lengths to create it," he said, adding that the
fabrication of charges against him will not prevent
him from continuing to work. His lawyer, Benji
Espinoza, confirmed that Castillo will go to
the Prosecutor's Office to give statements
in six investigations and questioned the
opening of new cases against him.
"The President collaborates but does not submit,"
Espinoza said, and criticized the Nation's
Prosecutor, Patricia Benavides, for
opening a new investigation, in
which Castillo is accused of
the alleged crime - of
attacking "public
tranquility."
The Peruvian president reiterated that the oligarchy,
mainstream media, some lawmakers, and the
Prosecutor's Office, are plotting to foster
a "soft coup" against him.
These actions will have legal implications -- as
“all of the investigations are being carried out
unconstitutionally. They cannot violate the
Constitution without consequences.
Sooner, rather than later, all these
investigations will have to be
shelved --- until 2026."
Castillo's team of lawyers is working on actions to
counteract the opposition's lawfare, among
which, are two nullity actions --- whose
processing... will make it possible to
assess whether "the investigations
into Pedro Castillo respect due
process, or not."
On August 25th, the Peruvian president will render
a new statement in the investigations into the
departure of Mariano Gonzalez, as Interior
Minister. He will also answer questions..
related to the PETROPERU case, which
refers to ''alleged irregularities'' in the
tender for the acquisition of biodiesel
barrels from the company Heaven
Petroleum Operators.
_______________________________
Retentionof Venezuelan
Planeis Imperial Looting:
CADPH
August 12th (teleSUR)
Human rights defenders demand the immediate
release of the crew --- and the return of the
plane to the Boliviarian government.
On Wednesday, the American Coordinator for the
Rights of Peoples and Victims of Prison (CADPH)
expressed its repudiation and concern about
the retention in Argentina, of the plane of
the Venezuelan company EMTRASUR
and its crew.
"That decision lacks any legal basis... because the
plane was not being requested by any commercial
aviation regulatory agency, the cargo it was
carrying... complied with international
regulations on the matter," CADPH
recalled, mentioning that the crew
members were not wanted by any
international security agency.
Human rights defenders demanded the immediate
release of the crew and the return of the plane
to the Venezuelan State. They also criticized
the Argentinian authorities --- for allowing a
judge to detain the plane and its crew on
the basis of questionable criteria.
"This series of events worsened --- when, resorting to
all kinds of legal arbitrariness, the U.S. Department
of Justice, the vehicle of its imperialist ambitions,
ordered the seizure of the EMTRASUR plane," the
CADPH pointed out, adding that "this incident is
one more chapter in a succession of robberies
that the U.S. empire has perpetrated against
Bolivarian Venezuela."
Human rights defenders accused the U.S. of developing
"a true fourth-dimensional war" against Venezuela. In
this regard, for example, CADPH recalled the robbery
of the oil company CITGO --- the freezing of
Venezuelan gold in the Bank of England --
& the illegal retention of the Bolivarian
diplomat, Alex Saab, in U.S. prisons.
“There is no clause in international regulations.. that
obliges a sovereign country like Argentina to submit
to the legislation of another more powerful country.
That would be equivalent to transgressing the
United Nations Charter,” the NGO added.
The CADPH brings together institutions from Argentina,
Venezuela, Chile, Peru, Paraguay, Bolivia, Colombia,
Mexico, Brazil, and the United States. Its mission
is fighting against various forms of State
violence and favouring the integration
of the American peoples.
____________________________________
Bolivia Exhibits the Lowest
Inflation Rate in the Region
August 12th, 8:25am (teleSUR)
One year after President Luis Arce took office, Bolivia
recovered democracy, economy, sovereignty and
dignity for the people, said the political analyst
Eduardo Paz.
The president of Bolivia, Luis Arce, highlighted, on
social media, Bolivia's economic strength, despite
the “unprecedented” international crisis, that
mainly affects food prices.
In May this year, The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)
published a report in which it concluded that Bolivia
is the best positioned country in Latin America to
resist the global effects derived from thousands
of sanctions applied by the US and its allies
against Moscow after the beginning of its
military operation in Ukraine and the
Covid-19 pandemic.
Last June, the Minister of Economy and Public
Finances, Marcelo Montenegro, assured that
the nation cut urban open unemployment to
5,3% in the first quarter of the current year
and showed a growth of 6,1% of the gross
domestic product (GDP).
According to the headline, in the country the urban
open unemployment rate was reduced from 8,1%,
in March 2021 to 5,3 units out of 100 in the same
month of 2022, thanks to the measures
implemented by the Government of
President Arce.
He commented that in Bolivia moderate poverty was
reduced from 39,0% in 2020 to 36,2% in 2021, while
extreme poverty fell from 13,7 units out of 100 to
11,1% in the 12 months analyzed.
From another point of view, Planning Minister Sergio
Cusicanqui reported on July 1st that Bolivia reports
a trade surplus of more than US$1 billion this year,
thanks to its export strategies and support for
domestic production.
______________________________________________
African Observers Laud Kenya
for Holding Free, Fair Elections
August 12th, 1:36pm (teleSUR)
Electoral authorities indicate that 64.4 percent
of the 22.1 million registered votes were cast.
Kenya's general elections, held Tuesday to choose
the fifth president, county governors, senators
and members of the National Assembly, were
largely peaceful, free and fair, pan-African
blocs said Thursday.
The joint election observation mission to Kenya from
the African Union (AU) and Common Market for East
and Southern Africa (COMESA), and the election
observation missions from the East African
Community (EAC) and Intergovernmental
Authority on Development (IGAD) said
that they were satisfied by the
voting exercise amid a lack
of major glitches or
security lapses.
Ernest Bai Koroma, the head of the AU-COMESA
Election Observer Mission and former president
of Sierra Leone, said Kenya's electoral body,
had demonstrated an improved capacity to
conduct a seamless national
voting exercise.
"There was (a) notable improvement in the overall
voting exercise across the country. Polling
stations opened on time, voters were
identified easily by digital kits and
no major security incident was
reported," Koroma said at a
briefing in Nairobi, the
Kenyan capital.
Statistics from Kenya's Independent Electoral and
Boundaries Commission (IEBC) indicate that 64.4
percent of 22.1 million registered votes,
translating into 14.2 million votes, had
been cast.
Counting of votes is underway, with electoral agency
officials calling for calm to ensure the results for the
elections were credible --- in order to avoid
costly litigation.
Jakaya Kikwete, the head of the EAC Observation
Mission and former Tanzanian president, noted
that the voting exercise adhered to local laws
and international best practices, earning the
confidence of voters and foreign
monitoring groups.
He lauded Kenya's electoral body for investing in
modern technology, and skilled manpower, to
ensure that the election of new leaders was
inclusive, smooth, transparent and verifiable.
"We are satisfied by the manner in which polls were
conducted. We hope the subsequent process of
transmitting and tallying votes will be above
board and a reflection of the will of the
people," said Kikwete, noting that
- despite being highly competitive
- Kenya's 7th general elections
under a multiparty system of
governance were devoid of
polarization, that could
jeopardize national
its security and
cohesion.
Kikwete acknowledged that voter turnout was lower
compared to the 2013 and 2017 general elections -
adding that there was a need to expand outreach
to the youth - and ensure they took part in the
civic exercise.
Mulatu Teshome, former Ethiopian president and the
head of the IGAD Election Observation Mission, said
that adequate preparations ensured that the voting
exercise met the globally recognized threshold.
According to Teshome, the outcomes of a free, fair
and inclusive electoral process in Kenya would
be critical to sustaining regional stability,
growth and cohesion.
______________________________________
Polish mediasound the alarm
over catastrophic economic
situation
August 12th, 2:48pm
https://en.news-front.info/
Polish media forecast a worsening economic crisis
in the light of the dire consequences of anti-
Russian sanctions.
The Money.pl portal reports that “coal is
running out, so cement may run out”.
“In autumn, there could be a significant reduction in
cement production, which could have a significant
impact --- on housing or road investments. All
because of coal shortages,” the text reads.
Radio Tok FM, like their online portal, also
drew attention to the dairy industry:
“The dairy industry is sounding the alarm, and calling on
the government to respond urgently. If the restrictions,
which are already provided for by a decree of the
Council of Ministers --- were implemented, the
plant could work for only two or three days,
in a limited capacity. This may cause a
shortage of milk on the market”.
Businessinsider analyses the supply disruptions and
rising fertilizer prices. According to TVN, this will
lead to occasional shortages of fertilizers and,
consequently, to very high crop prices.
Polish pharmacies may also be missing almost 40 items
of medicines. For example --- among the medicines
which are difficult to find are antibiotics (also for
children), hormonal preparations, and drugs
used for weight loss and diabetes. These
include drugs such as Ceclor, Zinnat,
Ceroxim, Duracef or Hiconcil.
“We do have problems with gas, coal, cement, sugar,
milk and medicines.But there is talk of so-called
successes – the new Kaczyn tennis court and
another smash-up. Kaczynski’s new tennis
court - and another demolished Soviet
monument in Malbork”, say Polish
residents online.
_________________________________________
Fidel Castro’s work
and legacy --- high-
lighted in Bolivia
by Ileana Ferrer Fonte
August 12th, 7:44am
(Prensa Latina)
Sacha Llorenti, secretary general of the Bolivarian
Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-People's
Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP), on Friday described
Fidel Castro as "the greatest statesman of
the 20th century."
“Undoubtedly, Fidel Castro has been the greatest
statesman of the 20th century,” Llorenti said in
statements to Prensa Latina on the occasion
of the 96th anniversary of the birth of the
historic leader of the Cuban Revolution,
on August 13th.
Llorenti affirmed that the contributions by the founder of the Rebel Army, go beyond the borders of his country - and are global.
“His influence... is currently in force,'' he added, ''His
thinking, is a very visible mark in the progressive
governments, and in the revolutions from the
end of the 20th century - and at present.”
B.A. in law, and former minister in the Government
of Evo Morales, Llorenti worked as the permanent
representative of the Plurinational State of
Bolivia, to the United Nations, in New
York City.
He was elected as a secretary general of ALBA-TCP
during the 18th Summit of the Heads of State and
Government, held virtually, in December 2020.
The Bolivian politician called our attention to the
relatively small size of the Caribbean nation, an
island permanently besieged by the economic,
commercial and financial blockade --- of the
most militarily powerful empire in history
for more than six decades.
For his part, Juan Ramón Quintana, a sociologist and
former Presidential Minister in Bolivia between 2006
and 2018, told Prensa Latina that without the Cuban
Revolution, Latin America would not be -- today -- a
rebellious continent in the face of US imperialism.
