Welt: Merz to announce emergency in Germany due to migration and refugees
May 8th, 7:57pm
(Izvestia.ru)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, said that he will declare
a state of emergency in the country due to problems with
migrants. This was reported on May 8 by the German
newspaper Die Welt, citing government sources.
"The aim is to activate article 72 of the Treaty on the
Functioning of the European Union. Neighbouring
countries will be informed," the article says.
This article provides for ''the possibility'' of refusing to grant
asylum to refugees, and is also accompanied by increased
border controls and accelerated deportation procedures.
After the article comes into force, the Dublin Agreement will
be terminated, which will give the German authorities the
opportunity to strengthen border controls and refuse
asylum applicants.
The Bild newspaper reported on May 7 that migrants will be
banned from entering all German land borders, even if they
apply for asylum. German Interior Minister Alexander
Dobrindt, on this day, gave an oral order to the
German Federal Police Department - to
strengthen border controls --- and
increase refusals when trying
to enter the country.
Friedrich Merz, who took office as German Chancellor, noted on
April 9, as a candidate for this post -- that Germany intends to
strengthen control over migration in the country. In addition,
he stressed that the corresponding measures will be strengthened at the borders of the state.
German citizenship can be obtained
again --- only after five years of
residence in the country.
_____________________________
"I'll take the punishment" ----
which European politicians
will celebrate Victory Day
in Moscow
by Alexander Kondratiev
May 8th, 12:29pm
(Gazeta.ru)
Five MEPs will arrive in Moscow to celebrate Victory Day.
According to the German newspaper Der Spiegel, the unofficial
delegation will include representatives of Germany, the Czech
Republic, Slovakia and Cyprus. After the visit to Moscow,
they are scheduled to travel to Kiev.
Among the European leaders --- Slovak Prime Minister Fico and
Serbian President Vucic flew to Russia. The latter has already
recorded a video from Red Square and said that "he will take
the punishment on himself", and Belgrade will remain on
the EU track.
Five MEPs from Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia
and Cyprus are going to come to Moscow for the 80th
anniversary of the Victory, the newspaper Der
Spiegel reported.
The German delegation will include European politicians
Ruth Firmanich and Michael von der Schulenburg, who
represent the left-wing Sarah Wagenknecht Union
party in their homeland. The publication does
not mention the names of the others.
According to information received by Der Spiegel, from
German deputies participating in the trip, they intend
to "hold conversations with parliamentarians and
other representatives of politics and culture"
in Moscow. The visit is scheduled for the
period of the three-day ceasefire
declared by Russia.
"In this way, we would like to give a sign ---- that we care
about the fact that weapons in Ukraine are constantly
silent," the German parliamentarians said.
According to them, it is about "overcoming the
ever-increasing spiral --- of confrontation and
escalation in Europe."
At the request of Der Spiegel, Sarah Wagenknecht
spoke about the trip of her colleague,
Ruth Firmanich, to Russia.
"She is going to Moscow --- to lay a wreath at the monument
to the Unknown Soldier on the day of the 80th anniversary
of liberation. I do not know what there is to criticize. She
will not be attending a military parade, or similar state
events," Wagenknecht said.
The politician, also called on the new German
Chancellor Friedrich Merz to include Moscow
in the list of his first foreign visits.:
"Merz.... should visit Moscow, on May 9 --- the day of the commemoration of the end of World War II. It would
be a gesture of respect for historyand a signal of
Germany's readiness.... to promote peace."
Wagenknecht stressed that such a visit would allow
Berlin to establish itself as a mediator...... in the
settlement of the conflict in Ukraine.
Among the European leaders, Serbian President Aleksandar
Vucic and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico arrived in
Moscow to celebrate Victory Day. The trip of both
of them was closely watched, including due to
transport problems: a number of EU states
closed their airspace to the passage of
their aircraft.
Vucic arrived in Moscow on May 7th.... with a stopover in Baku. Already - from Russia - he told his fellow citizens that Poland Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia had banned the flight of his plane through their airspace ------ so instead of the northern air corridor, he had to fly south, including Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan.
According to him, "not far from Rostov in the direction of Krasnodar --- there are still dangers on Russian territory.... so we barely received permission to fly from the Russian authorities, at that moment --- and thank them for that."
"I am proud that I am the President of Serbia and that I will be
able to be here to celebrate the struggle against fascism,
because if anyone has the right to be proud of this
struggle, it is the Serbian people. We did not
greet Hitler's planes and Hitler's tanks
with flowers ...and shouts of joy, as
many others did, and we should
be proud of this," he stated,
recording an interview
on Red Square.
Speaking about the threats of European politicians who
promised, that a trip to Moscow by representatives of
Serbia and Slovakia...... would have consequences,
Vucic said::
"I believe.. that there will be consequences, but there will
be consequences first of all, for me. Serbia will remain
on the European path, I will take the punishment ---
and ask not to punish the whole country."
Slovak Prime Minister, Robert Fico, also announced an attempt
to disrupt his trip to Moscow. According to him, shortly before
departure, Estonia unexpectedly banned the flight of his
plane through its territory — despite the fact that
Bratislava has a valid permit, to use
Estonian airspace.
"Of course, this is a deliberate attempt to disrupt my visit to
Moscow on the occasion of the official celebration of the
80th anniversary of the end of World War II,"
Fico stressed.
In the EU, the desire of Vucic and Fico to come to Moscow
to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Victory, caused a lot of criticism.
The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Cadger Callous, said at a press conference on April 14, that she strongly recommends that representatives of the EU and EU candidate countries --- DO NOT visit Moscow on Victory Day.
"At the meeting of [EU foreign Ministers], it was very clearly
noted that any participation in parades or celebrations on
the occasion of May 9 in Moscow, will not be left without
a reaction from Europeans.. given that Russia is waging
a full-scale war in Europe. Many ministers said that the
EU takes trips to Moscow for the May 9 celebrations
seriously ------ and they WILL have consequences,"
the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs
and Security Policy... said.
Both Vucic and Fico --- have publicly
refused to follow these instructions.
______________________________________
The German Foreign Ministry
published a post in Russian
in honour of the end
of World War II
May 8th, 12:27pm
(Vesti.ru)
On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the end of
World War II, the German Foreign Ministry published
a post, including in Russian, in which it expressed
gratitude -- to the ''allied countries''... for their
liberation from Nazism. The countries
themselves, were not named.
Similar posts were also published in English and French.
"In our history, there is hardly another day like May 8, 1945,
which left such a deep imprint on it. It became a day of
liberation - not only for millions of people who were
deprived of their rights and tortured by the Nazi
regime," the post, posted on the German
Foreign Ministry's social network
page, says.
Earlier.... the press service of the Bundestag said
that the ambassadors of the Russian Federation
and Belarus, will not be invited to the events
to be held in the parliament - on May 8.
In turn, Russian Ambassador to Germany, Sergey Nechaev,
said that the Russian side --- will adequately hold events
dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory.
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution of
Germany suspended the classification of Alternative for
Germany (AfD) as a right-wing extremist party.
This is reported by Bild. It is noted that the press release
was temporarily removed from the site.
"The intelligence Service voluntarily declares to the court
that it is ready to remain silent about the status upgrade
from now on until the court makes a decision on the
legality of the report of the Federal Office for the
Protection of the Constitution,"
the publication says.
Political analyst Alexander Rahr previously said
that attempts to ban the Alternative for
Germany party could complicate
relations between Germany
and the United States.
________________________________________
Adidas and a number of other companies
have acknowledged responsibility for
the rise of the Nazis to power
May 7th, 9:43pm
(RT.ru)
On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the end of the
war, 49 German companies recognized responsibility for
strengthening the power of the National Socialists in
Germany in the 1930s. The joint statement was
signed by ----- Volkswagen, adidas, Bosch,
Rheinmetall and BMW, among others.
"The seizure of power by the National Socialists, in 1933, would
not have been possible without the decision-makers in politics,
the army, the judiciary and the economy of that time. German
companies have helped strengthen the power of the National
Socialists," the joint statement, published by the Frankfurter
Allgemeine Zeitung, reads.
The article noted that many companies were involved in this
story, concerned about their own benefits. Modern German
companies, as emphasized in the statement, are aware of
their responsibility for what happened and remind, of the
fragility of democracy.
Filippo called Zelensky''crazy''because
of his words about the Victory Day
Parade in Moscow
by Fyodor Korneev
May 4th, 3:16pm
(Rossiyskaya Gazeta)
Vladimir Zelensky has gone mad, making threats
against world leaders who will visit Moscow on
Victory Day..... on May 9. This opinion was
expressed by the leader of the French
party "Patriots" Florian Philippot in
the social network X (formerly
Twitter; and blocked in the
Russian Federation).
"He's completely crazy!" - the politician wrote.
According to Filippo, Zelensky's "reckless impulse" is being pushed by European leaders and the
"globalist mafia".
Recall that yesterday Zelensky rejected the proposal
of Russian President Vladimir Putin, for a three-day
truce on the occasion of Victory Day.
According to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman
Maria Zakharova ------- the threats of the Ukrainian politician that he "does not guarantee security"
on the territory of Russia on Victory Day are
a direct threat and proof of the "neo-Nazi
nature of the Kiev regime, which has
become a terrorist cell."
In Rada ---- told aboutcrimes of the
head of SBU awarded by Zelensky
by Marina Sovina (night editor)
May 9th, 12:21am
Lenta.ru)
President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, has awarded the
head of the country's Security Service (SBU) Vasyl Malyuk
(listed as terrorist and extremist by the Federal Financial
Monitoring Service) for his crimes against Ukrainians.
This was stated --- by the deputy of the Verkhovna
Rada, Artem Dmytruk, in his Telegram channel.
He commented - on the assignment of the title of Hero of
Ukraine to Malyuk, accusing him of torturing and killing
civilians. Also, according to the parliamentarian, the
head of the SBU is responsible for the genocide
of Ukrainians.
"The title was awarded for loyalty to the terrorist regime.
For the destruction of the Orthodox faith. For the clear
and unquestioning destruction of Ukraine, and the
entire Ukrainian people," he said.
Earlier, Rada deputy Alexander Dubinsky said that in the
headquarters of the SBU in Kiev, in 2022, there was a
concentration camp for torture, in the organization
of which, Malyuk was involved.
________________________________
The Ministry of Transport --- announced the
resumption of flights of civil aviation of
the Russian Federation - on schedule
May 8th, 8:10pm
(Izvestia.ru)
Civil aviation aircraft have returned to operating scheduled
flights as part of spring-summer navigation. This was
announced on May 8 ---- in the press service of the
Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation.
"Leading Russian airlines -- which carry out 96% of passenger
traffic in domestic civil aviation, have returned to operating
flights on a regular schedule as part of spring-summer
navigation," the agency's Telegram channel says.
It is emphasized that the veterans of the Great Patriotic War
invited by Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Victory
Day events, arriving by air and rail, have been delivered
to Moscow.
The press service clarified, that the Turkish carrier, Turkish
Airlines has confirmed that it will resume the program of
flights to Russia in full from May 9.
Despite the normalization of air transport, the Ministry of
Transport and the Federal Air Transport Agency
continue to keep under special control the
work of airlines and airports, the
ministry stressed.
Flight Guardian: a UAV protection system has
been developed for Russian airports. It will
allow the thwarting enemy attacks
--- without disrupting the work of
radio equipment at the airport.
The Federal Air Transport Agency reported on May 8 that
in the near future it is expected to stabilize flights of
foreign airlines due to delays at Russian airports.
It was also clarified that, taking into account the situation
with the flight schedule, airports in the Moscow region
canceled the previously introduced NOTAM, to
restrict the use of St. Petersburg Pulkovo
as a reserve airport.
_________________________________
Slovak Prime Minister Fico arrives in Moscow
to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Victory
in the Great Patriotic War
May 8th, 7:45pm
(Izvestia.ru)
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico arrived in Moscow
on May 8 to participate in events dedicated to the
80th anniversary of the victory in the
Great Patriotic War.
It is noted that his plane landed at Vnukovo airport.
Fico is also expected to hold talks with Russian
President Vladimir Putin, during his visit.
Yesterday it became known that a special plane of the Slovak
government with Fico on board was banned from flying over
the territories of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, for the
participation of the Slovak delegation in the
Victory Day celebration.
Earlier on May 8, Putin, speaking to the heads of foreign
delegations who came to celebrate the anniversary of
the Victory, said that this day is sacred for the multi-
national people of Russia. He also noted that the
common efforts of the peoples of Europe, the
United States, Africa, as well as the Asia-
Pacific region (APR) and Latin America
...led to the victory over Nazism.
_________________________________
Putin congratulates new Pope
Leo XIV on his election
May 8th, 7:03pm
(Izvestia.ru)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated
the new Pope Leo XIV - on his election. The May 8
telegram was published on the Kremlin's website.
"I am confident that the constructive dialogue and
cooperation established between Russia and the
Vatican will continue to develop on the basis of
Christian values that unite us," the Russian
leader said.
Putin also wished success in fulfilling his
"lofty mission, as well as good health
and prosperity."
On this day, it became known that Cardinal Robert Prevost
from the United States, was elected the new Pope. He is
the first US cardinal with Latin American roots, prefect
of the dicastery for Bishops & representative of the
Augustinian Order. He was elevated to cardinal
rank in 2023. As pontiff, he took the name
Leo XIV.
_______________________________________________
ATOR: cancellation of flights of Turkish
companies will affect more than
15,000 tourists from Russia
May 8th, 12:41pm
(RT.ru)
The cancellation of flights of Turkish airlines
will affect more than 15,000 Russian
travelers, the Association of Tour
Operators of Russia said.
"The situation with flight cancellations... will affect
more than 15,000 people (including flights whose
scheduled departure time has not yet arrived),"
the report says.
According to ATOR, more than 1.500 people from
canceled flights to Russia, are accommodated
in Antalya hotels with meals, and the issue
of accommodation in Dalaman, is
being resolved.
____________________________
Turkish Airlinesplaces passengers
with cancelled flights to Russia
in hotels
May 8th, 12:30pm
(RT.ru)
Turkish Airlines places passengers from
canceled flights to Russia... in hotels,
Russian Consul General in Antalya,
Sergey Vetrik said.
"According to Turkish Airlines, passengers are
currently being transported to their hotels.
They deliver.. everything; there are a lot
of them in different cities of Turkey,"
he told TASS.
Earlier it was reported that Turkish Airlines
canceled all flights to Russia.
In addition, Azimut Airlines canceled a total of 18
domestic and international flights, between May
6 and 7. Also, the press service of the Federal
Air Transport Agency, reported that about
73% of 'planes that landed at alternate
airfields arrived at their destinations.
_______________________________________
Russia and China signed an agreement
on cooperation in the creation of
a lunar power plant
May 8th, 12:22pm
(RT.ru)
Roscosmos and the Chinese National Space Administration
have signed a memorandum of cooperation on the
construction of a lunar power plant.
According to the state corporation, the memorandum is
included in the list of documents signed following
today's meeting between Russian President
Vladimir Putin and Chinese President
Xi Jinping.
13 countries have already joined the interstate project.
Earlier it became known that China presented
the soil .......from the far side of the Moon.
___________________________________________
Domodedovo Airport is gradually
restoring its flight schedule
by Lyubov Kapustina
May 8th, 10:10am
(Rossiyskaya Gazeta)
Mass deviations from the flight schedule at Domodedovo Airport
were not recorded. Some changes are associated with the
gradual restoration of the flight schedule, according
to the Telegram channel of the airport.
It is noted that, at the moment, the airport is operating normally,
the situation here is stable, and passenger traffic is distributed
evenly across all functional areas of the terminal.
"Information about alleged mass gatherings of passengers and
significant flight delays, distributed in a number of telegram
channels and public sites, does not correspond to reality,"
the report says.
At the same time, now, Domodedovo does not record mass
deviations from the schedule, and individual changes
displayed on the flight-board are associated with
the gradual restoration of the flight schedule.
Vnukovo airport returned to normal operation within a few hours
after the temporary restrictions on flights were lifted on the
night of May 7-8. Currently, flights of detained aircraft are
being organized here. Passengers are advised to keep
track of flight statuses on the airport's flight-board.
Sheremetyevo previously said that the congestion of passengers
in the terminals after a long closure of the airspace was short-
term, associated with a reissue of tickets for canceled flights.
At the same time, people were provided with all necessary
assistance, including food and beverages, provided for
by Federal Aviation Regulations.
Zhukovsky Airport, also reported on adjustments to the
flight schedule, and passengers were advised to track
flight statuses through airline help desks and on the
airport's flight-board.
Earlier, the Ministry of Transport of Russia informed
about the regular operation of the capital's airports.
Today, by 18 hours Moscow time, (4pm GMT), all of
them should have returned to their usual schedule.
_______________________________________________
Defense Daily: the latest B61-13
thermonuclear bomb will be
released in the US in May
May 7th, 10:50pm
(RT.ru)
This is reported by Defense Daily.
Teresa Robbins, acting head of the National Nuclear
Safety Administration, told a congressional hearing
that the first production samples are expected to
arrive... almost a full year earlier than planned.
It is specified - that such bombs are planned
to equip modern fighters and a B-21 bomber.
VGTRK war correspondent Alexander Sladkov
previously noted that --- according to experts
of the US magazine National Interest, NATO
can place a B-61 thermo-nuclear bomb - in
Ukraine or Poland.
At the same time, according to the journalist,
the experts themselves call this idea insane.
_______________________________________________
Vucic visits Red Square in Moscow
May 7th, 10:45pm
(RT.ru)
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic
visited Red Square after arriving
in Moscow.
The corresponding video was posted on
the Telegram channel of the VGTRK
journalist, Pavel Zarubin.
"...Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who
was prevented from flying to Moscow, is
already on Red Square," the caption
to the video says.
On May 7, Vucic flew to Moscow to participate
in events in honour of the 80th anniversary of the Victory.
At the same time, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico
said that Estonia ''did not allow'' the flight of his
special board to Russia.
______________________________________
Szijjarto will not support the EU's
proposal to provide military
assistancetoKiev
May 7th, 9:37pm
(Izvestia.ru)
Hungary, during an informal meeting of the Foreign
Ministers of the EU - will not support the proposal
of the association to provide military assistance
to Ukraine.
This was announced on May 7, by the Minister of
Foreign Affairs and Foreign Economic Relations
of Hungary, Peter Szijjarto.
"In Warsaw, I will present what we have been saying
for three years: the Hungarian people will not pay
for this [Ukrainian] conflict," Szijjarto said, in a
post on social network X (ex. Twitter).
According to him, the EU countries demand "more
money and weapons" for Ukraine, but this - is a
blow to Hungary's energy security.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on the same
day - criticizing the statement of the head of the
EU Commission (EC), Ursula von der Leyen,
because of her call ---- to speed up the
process of Ukraine's accession to
the EU ----- drew attention to the
fact, that Ukraine is provided
with money and weapons...
while EU taxpayers pay
the bills.
_________________________
RussiaandVenezuela--- agree to
develop defense cooperation
May 7th, 4:48pm
(DAN)
Russian and Venezuelan Presidents Vladimir Putin and Nicolas
Maduro signed an agreement on strategic partnership and
cooperation. We have collected the most important
information from a document published on the
Kremlin's website.
"The parties.. are improving defense ties in areas of mutual
interest, considering them as an important component of
maintaining regional and global security," the text reads.
Russia and Venezuela ----- will continue to implement military-
technical cooperation to strengthen the defense capabilities
and ensure the security of the two countries. In addition,
the parties ------ will contribute to the formation of
an independent Russian-Venezuelan financial
infrastructure, jointly develop new oil and
natural gas fields, and develop direct
flights, in the interests of tourism.
Russia and Venezuela will also oppose the glorification of
Nazism and neo-Nazism, the rewriting of history and the
distortion of the results of World War II.
Maduro arrived in Moscow today to participate in the
celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Victory.
More than 20 foreign leaders are expected to
attend the Victory Day parade.
_______________________________
Xi Jinping arrives in Moscow
--- to celebrate Victory Day
by Alexander Khomutov
(editor of the Mir dept)
May 7th, 4:10pm
(Lenta.ru)
President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping flew to
Russia to participate in the Victory Day celebrations. This is
reported by RIA Novosti.
The plane of the Chinese leader landed at Moscow's
Vnukovo-2 airport. Xi Jinping's visit to Russia is
expected to last from May 7 to May 10.
On April 30, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov
said that Moscow attaches great importance to the arrival
of Xi Jinping and is preparing for it.
The Kremlin spokesman added that a "very significant number"
of heads of state will attend the Victory Day events, which will
be celebrated together with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
_____________________________________
APU attacked Moscow - for
the second time in an hour
by Alan Barefoot (Editor
of the "Russia" section)
May 7th, 3:56pm
(Lenta.ru)
Another UAV of the Armed ForcesUkraine (AFU) was
shot down on the approach to Moscow. This - was
announced by the mayor of the Russian capital
Sergey Sobyanin in Telegram.
This was the second attempt by Ukrainian troops -- to hit
the metropolis in less than an hour. Sobyanin published
the previous post ---- with a message about the
interception of a drone 43 minutes earlier.
Where exactly the drone was shot down is not reported.
At the same time, Sobyanin usually informs the public
about drones shot down over the Moscow region. If
aircraft are intercepted before they reach the
Moscow region, this is reported by the
heads of the relevant regions of
the Russian Federation.
Emergency services specialists are
working at the crash site, the
Mayor of Moscow said.
According to the Defense Ministry, the Armed Forces of
Ukraine fired 524 drones at Russia during the day. In
addition --- five Neptune missiles, six JDAM bombs
and two HIMARS multiple launch rocket system
(MLRS) projectiles were shot down by the air
defense systems.
_______________________________
Russia Reaffirms Its Support for
Venezuela’s Entry Into BRICS
May 7th, 2:33pm
(teleSUR)
The Kremlin ------ also supports the development of ties
between Venezuela and the Eurasian Economic Union.
On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro signed a
“Strategic Partnership and Cooperation
Agreement” in the Kremlin’s
Malachite Hall.
“The agreement consolidates the high level of Russian-
Venezuelan relations and establishes the basic
principles and guidelines ----- for the future
development of long-term cooperation,”
said Kremlin spokesman
Dmitry Peskov.
In the text of the strategic partnership agreement, Russia
reaffirmed its support for Venezuela’s proposal to join
BRICS, the economic cooperation group... led by
Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
“Russia positively appreciates the Bolivarian Republic
of Venezuela’s intention to join as a full member and
cooperate closely within the BRICS association,”
the Kremlin reported.
The document also contemplates the development of ties
between Venezuela and the Eurasian Economic Union
(EEU), seeking to strengthen the Caribbean country’s
integration into alternative multilateral mechanisms
to the Western order.
The ten-years agreement establishes a roadmap to
intensify bilateral cooperation in strategic sectors
such as the economy, investment, energy, and
mining ----- consolidating a relationship that
already includes more than 350 previous
agreements, in various areas.
Putin emphasized that this strategic partnership “will
create a solid foundation for expanding multifaceted
ties” between the two countries, while Maduro
described the relationship ---- as part of a
process of “true national liberation”
and a “second process of
independence” for
Venezuela.
Venezuela’s aspiration to join the BRICS --- is part of
the strategy of diversifying international alliances
that Caracas has implemented, in the face of
Western sanctions, seeking to strengthen
its ties with emerging powers, such as
Russia, China, and other members
of the bloc.
Izvestia was shown footage of fragments
of Hitler's jaw....... from the FSB archive
May 7th, 2:32pm
(RT.ru)
On May 7, a Izvestia journalist showed fragments of
the jaw of Nazi Germany's leader Adolf Hitler,
which are kept in the FSB archive.
During the identification of the body, it was established that
these parts belong to Hitler. This is also confirmed by the
data of the forensic medical examination, the testimony
of the dentist and nurse who treated the politician.
"In the box of "Guards" cigarettes -- is all that remains of
the man.. who wanted to wipe out entire nations from
the face of the earth. These are Hitler's teeth. And
the Fuhrer - clearly - did not follow them," the
Izvestia correspondent shared.
At the same time, it is specified that the Fuhrer had only
four teeth of his own — incisors on the lower jaw, and
the rest of the teeth were false teeth, including
gold crowns.
It is noted that fragments of jaws and teeth were transported
to Moscow in 1948, in the form of physical evidence. The
exhibits are stored, in a packet of "Guards" cigarettes.
On April 30th, the Ivanovo Region Office of the Federal Security
Service of Russia declassified archival documents concerning
Hitler's suicide, the study of his body and the last days of the
Third Reich.
As a result of their work, military counterintelligence officers
were able to reconstruct quite accurately the events that
took place in the Fuhrerbunker in the period from April
20 to 30, 1945, and establish the circumstances of
Hitler's suicide.
__________________________________________
Matvienko: Western special services
tried to disrupt the visit of guests
to the Victory Day Parade
by Dmytro Honcharuk
May 6th, 10:02pm
(Rossiyskaya Gazeta)
Western embassies and intelligence agencies tried
to disrupt the visit to Moscow to participate in the
Victory parade of foreign leaders --- said the
Chairwoman of the Federation Council,
Valentina Matviyenko.
"I can say, that what came to the public field, is far from
everything. This --- is only a small part. We know --- we
have reliable information that, until recently, Western
embassies and special services were working locally
to disrupt the visit of high level government officials
to Moscow," Matvienko said, when interviewed by Izvestia.
In her opinion, in the context of ---- "extremely brazen, powerful processing" and threats against politicians
who announced plans to attend anniversary events
in Moscow, the arrival of each of them -------- is a
reflection of "an absolutely principled position
---- regarding historical truth."
As for Vladimir Zelensky's threats - against leaders who
will appear at the parade in Moscow - they should not
be left without attention and political condemnation
in a civilized society, the speaker of the Federation
Council believes.
"They are criminal. At the same time, of course, they
are not spontaneous: behind every such statement
of Zelensky ------- are the voices of Brussels and
London," the politician added.
She has no doubt that such threats "definitely do not
affect" the decision of foreign guests who plan to
visit the Russian capital.
"Those who accepted the invitation are experienced,
accomplished, smart politicians, who are able to
adequately assess reality and understand that
Russia --- has all the necessary resources to
guarantee security at the parade --- and to
prevent any provocations," Valentina
Matvienko explained.
Recall that numerous foreign guests are invited to the
anniversary celebrations in Russia - 29 leaders of
states will attend the Victory Day Parade, 13
parade military units from abroad will pass
through Red Square. On Thursday, May 8,
the main event will be the official visit of Chinese President, Xi Jinping.
Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier announced
a truce by May 9 for humanitarian reasons: it will
operate from midnight on May 8 to midnight on
May 11, that is, three full days.
During this time, all military operations in the special
military operation zone... will be stopped. Vladimir
Zelensky ----- rejected the proposal --- and then
threatened -- that he could not guarantee the
safety of the world leaders who will come
to Moscow for the parade, on May 9.
_______________________________________
Lithuania's authorities -have banned
the flight of Vucic's plane to Russia
on May the 9th!
May 6th, 6:29pm
(RT.ru)
Lithuanian authorities have banned Serbian President
Aleksandar Vucic from flying through the country's
airspace to Russia, where he plans to take part
in the celebration of the 80th anniversary of
the Victory on May 9.
"The Latvian authorities have banned flights of the
Serbian plane due to 'political sensitivity to the
flight target'," the Lithuanian authorities said in a statement.
In addition, Lithuania recently banned Slovak Prime
Minister, Robert Fico..... from flying to Russia.
Earlier, Vucic confirmed: that he
will arrive in Moscow on May 9.
_________________________________
Polsat: Polish presidential candidate
Grzegorz Braun...tore down and
trampled the EU flag
May 6th, 2:05pm
(RT.ru)
Polish presidential candidate, Grzegorz Braun, who
is also a member of the European Parliament, tore
down & trampled the flag of the European Union.
After that, he wiped his shoes with it.
According to the Polsat TV channel, this happened
in the building of the Polish Ministry of Industry,
located in Katowice.
"This is Poland, not Brussels!" — said Braun,
adding that the republic will not show the
symbols of hostile organizations.
Earlier, the Polish radio station RMF FM reported
that Braun removed the flag of Ukraine, from
the city hall of Biala Podlaska.
__________________________________
Only 14 EU countries''request'' an
increase in ''defense'' spending
May 6th, 8:50am
(Prensa Latina)
Only 14 of the 27 States of the EU, asked the EU Commission for permission to increase defense
spending under a new strategy ReArm Europe,
which ''worries Brussels'... in the face of a
failure of the plan, the Euractiv portal
reported today.
Just over half of EU Member States have formally
asked the EC for greater room for maneuver to
increase ''defense'' spending, generating
''concern'' about the possibility that
Brussels' ambitious rearmament
plan... will not reach its goal of
800 billion euros, media said.
Only 14 countries..... have formally responded to
Brussels' request to activate a national escape
clause, allowing EU capitals to increase
military spending - by an additional
1.5 percent of annual GDP --- for
4 years, without falling out of
line with the bloc's strict
budgetary regulations,
says the publication.
On March 4, the unelected president of the EC,
gauleiter Ursula von der Leyen, announced
her Rearm Europe Plan.
We, are in an era of rearmament. And Europe is
prepared to massively increase its defense
spending, said the ''High'' Diplomat.
However, many politicians in the region, considered
the European rearmament plan a crazy idea - and
expressed their opposition to the project ---
considering that the region needs more
investments in health, in education
and industry.
___________________________________________
Myanmar Prime Minister arrives
in Russia --- to take part in
Victory Day parade
May 5th, 5:32pm
(Izvestia.ru)
Prime Minister of the Republic of the Union of
Myanmar General Min Aung Hlaing will pay a
visit to Russia at the invitation of Russian
President Vladimir Putin and attend the
Victory Day Parade in Moscow. Local
state broadcaster Myanmar Radio
and Television (MRTV) informed
about this on May 5.
"Chairman of the State Administrative Council, Prime
Minister, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing will pay a
friendly visit to the Russian Federation at the
invitation of Russian President Vladimir
Putin," the publication says.
According to the state broadcaster, during the visit,
the Prime Minister of Myanmar plans to meet with
the leaders of the states that will come for the
holiday. Members of the State Administrative
Council of Myanmar, as well as a number of
high-ranking officials will come to Russia,
together with Khline.
_________________________________________
Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Vulin
says he will visit Moscow on May 9
May 5th, 5:07pm
(RT.ru)
Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Vulin
will take part in the celebrations in Moscow
on the occasion of the 80th anniversary
of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.
"At the invitation of the top leadership of Russia,
Alexander Vulin will attend the traditional
military parade in Moscow on May 9 in
connection with the celebration of
the 80th anniversary of the
Victory over Fascism in
World War II," Sputnik
Serbia quoted Vulin's
press service -
as saying.
Earlier, the EU threatened to deny Serbia membership
if the country's President, Aleksandar Vucic, arrives
in Moscow on May 9.
At the same time, Vucic himself confirmed in early
May, that he would take part in the Victory Day
parade in the Russian capital, despite all the
threats of sanctions from the West.
_____________________________________
The President of Laos will visit Russia and
take part in the celebration of the 80th
anniversary of the Victory in the
Great Patriotic War
May 5th, 5:02pm
(Izvesti.ru)
President of the Lao People's Democratic Republic Thonglun Sisulit, will attend the festive events on
the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Victory
in the Great Patriotic War - in Moscow. This
was reported on May 5 in the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of the DPRK.
"Thonglun Sisulit, at the head of a high-level
delegation... of the Democratic People's
Republic of Laos -- will pay a working
visit to the Russian Federation from
May 8 to May 10, 2025, in order to
further strengthen - the friendly
relations and the cooperation
between the two countries -
and to participate in the
celebration of the 80th
anniversary of Victory
in the Great Patriotic
War" ----the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs of
the Republic notes.
It is specified that Sisulit will arrive in Moscow, at
the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russia will celebrate the 80th anniversary of victory
in the Great Patriotic War --- on a grand scale, more
than 20 world leaders are expected.
The main parade of the country - in honour of the
Victory anniversary will traditionally be held on
Red Square in Moscow. It will be attended by a
number of foreign leaders, including Belarus'
President Alexander Lukashenko, China's
President Xi Jinping, and also, Brazil's
President, Lula da Silva.
As Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted - the high-
level representation of many countries at the Victory
Day Parade in Moscow, shows that they share the
importance of the May 9 holiday. In his opinion,
Russia has not just allies, but states that are
close.... in spirit and ideology.
_______________________________
Analyst: not only Hitler's Germany, but
almost all of Europe -- fought against
the USSR
by Polina Poletaeva
May 5th, 4:38pm
(RT.ru)
Political scientist, Yuri Svetov, recalled in an interview
with RT that - not only Hitler's Germany - but also
almost all of Europe, fought against the USSR
during the Great Patriotic War.
So he commented on the message of the Russian
Foreign Intelligence Service that the circle of EU
countries invited to Kiev is almost similar to the
Hitler coalition.
"As a resident of St. Petersburg -- I know very well
from history that Germans, Finns and Spaniards
participated in the siege of Leningrad...And
when they took Berlin, then... Hitler was
defended to the last, by the French,"
Svetov said.
According to him, "there are plenty
of similar examples."
"Both the British, Norwegians, and Danes --- fought on
their side. The Czech Republic in general was the
arsenal of weapons - for Hitler's Germany.
Belgium --- with its weapons factories,
was on their side. All kinds of SS
legions that existed - Estonians,
Latvians, Lithuanians ----- and
Ukrainians, fought in them,"
the source added.
The political scientist explained that some of the European countries were able to "overcome
their past", while others... did not.
"And, after all, Europe considers it possible - not
to invite representatives of Russia, to events
related to the 80th anniversary of the
Victory," the source reminded RT.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria
Zakharova called Zelensky's invitation of EU leaders
to Kiev, on May 9th, a "theatre of the absurd."
_______________________________________________
Yle: Finland ----- has started training
Ukrainians to work in a timber mill
May 5th, 4:11pm
(RT.ru)
"A group of 15 Ukrainians started training in logging
skills at a ''vocational school'' in Northern Central Finland ----- this spring," the publication says.
The initiative to launch the program, belongs to
companies in the forest industry. It is aimed at
attracting new personnel in conditions of a
labour shortage.
According to experts.. Finnish forestry companies
will need from 12 to 14 thousand new employees
over the next five years.
Earlier -- Finland came up with the idea,
of extending the law on the expulsion
of refugees.
_______________________________________
Reuters: Simion's election victory
in Romaniawill have a negative
impact on Ukraine
May 5th, 4:07pm
(RT.ru)
The victory -- of 38-year-old far-right candidate George
Simion in the Romanian presidential election --- may
have a negative impact on Ukraine, writes Reuters.
A Simion victory could isolate the country,
undermine private investment.... and
destabilize NATO's eastern flank.
The agency's analysts also draw attention to
Simion's negative attitude towards military
assistance to Ukraine --- from the EU.
Simion stresses that his victory in the elections
will be a victory for those who still believe in
a free Romania.
Earlier, it became known, that Simion is
leading in the first round of Romania's
presidential election.
______________________________________
Trump and Conservatives Are
Trying to Manipulate the
Papal Election: Boff
May 5th, 11:09am
(teleSUR)
With less than 48 hours until the ceremony to select
Pope Francis’s successor begins, transnational
ultraconservative movements are allegedly
attempting to influence the outcome of
the Conclave, which will take place in
the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican.
Brazilian philosopher and environmentalist Leonardo
Boff — widely regarded as one of the founders of
Liberation Theology in Latin America — said
there are hopes the new pope will come
from the Global South.
“European Christianity --- is in agony. Churches are
closing because no one attends. In contrast, the
Americas are seeing the rise, of a new, source-
driven Christianity that is no longer a mirror
of Europe. After more than 500 years of a
Christian presence, new faces --- have
emerged among the faithful: bishops
who live among the people -- rather
than in palaces...... priests serving
in the peripheries, lay movements
asserting autonomy..... and many
nuns living deep in the Amazon,”
he stated.
Among the leading contenders for the papacy ---- Boff
highlighted --- Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila,
describing him as “fully aligned with Pope Francis’ vision of a Church that is poor and for the poor.”
He also pointed to Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, saying, “He lives in a Christian community,
rides his bicycle to the palace, and is a strong advocate for the marginalized .....and a Church for all, free of discrimination.”
Boff named another possible successor --- in Cardinal
Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State and a
close ally of Francis. “He is somewhat conservative
in doctrine ------- but entirely open to a Church that
addresses the challenges of this new planetary
phase,” Boff said and warned the faithful not
to be “naive,” citing deep internal conflicts
within the Catholic Church.
“The Conclave -------- is also about power,” he said. “There are ultraconservatives - like Cardinals Robert Sarah of
Guinea, Leo Burke of the U.S., and Gerhard Müller of
Germany - who promote an extremely conservative
Church,a true cistern ----- of stagnant water.”
These cardinals reject the reforms implemented by
Pope Francis, seek to marginalize women --- and
advocate a return to a Latin Mass.... “with the
priest facing away from the congregation.”
Boff also warned of the alleged influence of a group
called “Red Hat Report,” - which he described as
a conspiratorial network ------- funded by U.S.
ultraconservatives and wealthy figures
including Donald Trump.
“This network reportedly, uses the CIA and FBI to
collect ''personal information'' on progressive
cardinals, in an attempt to manipulate and
compromise the Conclave. Their goal - is
to prevent the election of a progressive
pope who would challenge the current
government’s direction --- and instead
install a conservative leader aligned
with authoritarian policies.”
According to Boff, the College of Cardinals... includes
various ideological currents. Some are progressive
and embrace modernity, while others are more
critical --- wary of what they see as modern
ideas --- that conflict with traditional
Christian values.
Still others, he said, are committed to Pope Francis’s
legacy - advocating for the poor - supporting more ''flexible'' moral positions, on issues such as
divorce, welcoming people with diverse
sexual orientations... and engaging in
dialogue with all sectors of society.
If no consensus emerges among these factions, Boff
said, the cardinals may choose.. “someone more
discreet” ------ who can mediate among the
various camps.
__________________________________________
The Head of the Ministry of Finance
of Serbia: President Aleksandar
Vucic released from hospital
by Sergey Gapchuk
May 3rd, 6:24pm
(Komsomolskaya Pravda)
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has been
released from hospital. This was announced
by the Head of the Ministry of Finance of
the Republic of Serbia, Sinisha Mali.
"He left the VMA sometime after 17.00. I heard him,
he says that he feels better," the minister said on Serbian Radio and Television.
According to him, doctors recommended Vucic to rest.
Mali added that if his condition improves, the Serbian
leader, as promised, will come to Moscow on May 9.
As the KP website wrote on May 3rd, it became known
that Vucic, who recently canceled all his scheduled
meetings, due to a sharply deteriorating state of
health, had a sudden jump in blood pressure.
Dragan Dincic, a doctor at the Belgrade Military
Medical Academy, said the Serbian president's
condition is now stable and satisfactory.
In the United States, he experienced a short-term
acute pain in his chest. Doctors in the US had
measured his blood pressure, the results
were 165/98. After that, he took
additional therapy.
Recall that on Saturday it became known that - during
his stay in Florida, Alexander Vucic unexpectedly fell
ill... and decided to return home, canceling all his
scheduled meetings in the United States.
____________________________________
Zelensky...some parties in the Parliament
do not want to ratify the deal with the US
May 3rd, 3:55pm
(RT.ru)
There are parties in the Verkhovna Rada -- that do not
want to ratify the deal with the United States on rare
earth metals. This was stated by Vladimir Zelensky.
"I'm not even talking about people... but about parties.
There are people who are determined not to do this,"
the RBC-Ukraine news agency quoted him saying.
Zelensky said that the United States, allegedly,
should cancel visas for such parliamentarians.
Earlier, a member of the House of Representatives
from the Republican Party, Marjorie Taylor Green,
said that the conclusion of an association
agreement - between Washington and
Kiev - could lead to a new conflict.
________________________________________
Maria Zakharova sharply assessed
the news about the participation
of Ukronazis in the "victory day
parade" in London
by Alexander Gamov
May 3rd, 2:27pm
(Komsomolskaya Pravda)
On Saturday, May 3, the Russian and foreign media
published strange information that: "Ukrainian
servicemen, together with British troops
-- will take part in a parade in London
- dedicated to the 80th anniversary
of the victory over Nazi Germany."
This was stated by the Minister of Defense of the
United Kingdom John Healy on the ITV channel.
I asked Maria Zakharova, Director of the Information
and Press Department of the Russian Foreign
Ministry, and official representative of the
Russian Foreign Ministry, to comment
on this topic today…
- ...Maria Vladimirovna, hello!
- Good afternoon, Alexander.
"What strange news from London… Are they going to
march there, under the slogans of Bandera? These
are the same Ukrainian Armed Forces, Ukronazis,
who, like the fascists during the Great Patriotic
War --- exterminated civilians in the Kursk
border area… What do you think about
all this? Your comment is
very welcome…
''There is such an expression - "in the spring
we will find out who shat where."
It turns out that - after 80 years, we found out
who, how and with whom, was shitting then.
"Well said. Briefly and clearly. Thank
you, Maria Vladimirovna!''
Immortal Regiment campaign
held in Beijing
May 3rd, 2:05pm
(Izvestia.ru)
In the Chinese capital Beijing, an action "Immortal
Regiment" was held, several hundred Russians
and Chinese citizens took part in it. This was
reported on May 3 in the Russian House
in Beijing.
It is noted --- that the event dedicated to the 80th
anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic
War (WWII) -- was held on the territory of the
Russian Embassy in China. The march ---
was led by Ambassador Igor Morgulov.
Citizens of Belarus also joined the action. According
to the Russian House --- the organizers received
applications for participation from about 800
people living outside the embassy --- and
more than 100 applications from those
who are located on its territory.
The Immortal Regiment was supported by the
Chinese volunteer group of Russian culture
and history lovers "Moscow – Beijing".
Earlier, Slovakia, Serbia and Moldova also
announced plans to hold an "Immortal
Regiment" action - dedicated to the
anniversary of the Victory.
In 2025, May 9th marks the 80th anniversary of victory
in the Great Patriotic War. In January 1945, the Soviet
army launched an offensive on Berlin. As a result of
the fighting, at 00:43 Moscow time on May the 9th,
the commanders-in-chief --- signed the act of the
unconditional surrender of Germany --- which
served as the end of the war.
_________________________________
"Broke through the bottom".
by Anastasia Alimpieva (editor of
the Operational Information Dept)
May 3rd, 1:40pm
(Lenta.ru)
In Russia, they reacted to Zelensky's warning to
world leaders about the possible danger on
May 9 in Moscow.
Zakharova called Zelensky's words a threat
to those veterans who come to the parade.
Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the Russian
proposal for a 3-day truce on Victory Day, calling
the initiative "a theatrical production to create
an atmosphere of Russia's withdrawal from
isolation." The Ukrainian leader --- also
stressed that Kiev cannot guarantee
the safety of foreign leaders who
come to Moscow for the
Victory Day Parade.
At the same time, he pointed out that, instead of
a three-day truce, military operations should be
stopped for 30 days. "Why a 30-day cease-fire?
Because it is impossible to agree on anything
in three, five, seven days," he explained.
Zakharova called Zelensky a coward
and a traitor who threatens veterans
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, called
Zelensky's words ---- about Kiev's unwillingness to
provide security to world leaders... during the
Victory Day parade in Moscow - a classic
threat of an international terrorist.
''Today, it broke through the bottom: now -- it threatens
the physical security of the veterans who will come
to the parades and celebrations on the holy day.''
She also stressed that Zelensky betrayed his own
grandfather - a front-line soldier - and his people.
State Duma Deputy, Alexey Chepa, in turn, noted that
the purpose of Zelensky's statements is to disrupt a
major international event -- the 80th anniversary of
victory in the Great Patriotic War - and reduce the
role of the Soviet Union in World War II.
"Let [world leaders] --- not be afraid to visit Moscow on
May 9. We will take all measures. Even if there is any
attempt to commit a terrorist act, it will be stopped,"
the parliamentarian said.
After Zelensky's statements, Russia threatened
that May the 10th --- in Kiev --- may not come.
Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council
Dmitry Medvedev spoke about Zelensky's words.
''Green unshaven schmuck --- said it rejects Putin's
proposal - Putin's announcement of a three-day
truce on May 9 - ''cannot ensure the safety of
the world leaders in Moscow.'' And who is
looking --- for its guarantees? Just a
verbal provocation. No more
than that.''
In his opinion, Zelensky himself, understands,
that in the event of a real provocation from
the Ukrainian side... on Victory Day...
"No one guarantees that May 10
will come in Kiev."
Vladimir Putin... announced a truce in the special
military operation zone, timed to coincide with
the celebration - of the 80th anniversary of
Victory in the Great Patriotic War, which
will operate from zero hours from 7 to 8
May to zero hours from 10 to 11 May.
At this time, Russia will stop all
military operations.
The offer of a truce to Ukraine
on Victory Day ------ was a test
Commenting on Zelensky's refusal of the three-day
truce... Russia's presidential press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, noted that this proposal ...was a test of Kiev's readiness for the peace process.
The representative of the Kremlin noted, that
Moscow ---- expects Ukraine to take actions
aimed at de-escalation during the holidays.
"The regime's ''unwillingness'' to respond directly to
the proposal made by Russia - clearly shows that
the ideological basis of the current Kiev regime
is neo-Nazism. And the victory over Hitler's
Germany, apparently, is not a holiday...
for them," he stressed.
___________________________
The UN is concerned about information
on the torture of Russian prisoners of war ------ in Ukraine
May 2nd, 5:12pm
(Izvestia.ru)
The UN Committee against Torture has expressed
concern about reports of ill-treatment of Russian
soldiers... held captive by the Armed Forces of
Ukraine (AFU). This is stated in the report of
the institute on the results of studying the
situation in Ukraine.
"It (the committee. - Ed.) is concerned about reports
containing allegations of torture, ill-treatment,
threats, and humiliation in relation to Russian
prisoners of war - allegedly committed by the
Ukrainian armed forces," the document says.
In addition, the UN body drew attention - to reports
of the insufficiently thorough investigation of the
crimes ...committed by the Ukrainian Armed
Forces and nationalist battalions - during
the fighting in the Donbas - since 2014.
"The Committee emphasizes -- that the prohibition
of torture is non-derogable (cannot be infringed
under any circumstances), and no special circumstances can be invoked to justify
torture," the report says.
Earlier, on December 31, the Office of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
(OHCHR) ..published a report on the situation
in Ukraine from September - November 2024.
According to the document, 24 out of 25 Russian
prisoners interviewed in Lviv -- stated that they
had been subjected to torture or ill-treatment
during the year.
[Rhondda Records adds... our psycho leaders will LOVE reading this.]
__________________________________
Lebanon - Braces for Municipal Elections
as of May 4: Remarks Affirm
Local Nature of Vote
May 2nd, 2:35pm
(al Manar
After a 3-year delay.. the municipal elections in
Lebanon will start as of May 4, 2025, in Mount
Lebanon governorate, knowing that the rest
of the five key governorates will witness
the vote ......every weekend of the
same month.
Ministry of Interior has set the dates for holding the
municipal and mayoral elections across various
governorates, as follows:
– Mount Lebanon: May 4, 2025
– North Lebanon and Akkar: May 11, 2025.
– Beirut, Bekaa, and Baalbek-Hermel: May 18, 2025
– South Lebanon and Nabatieh: May 25, 2025.
The municipal electoral bodies are invited at least one
month prior to the election date in each governorate.
In Mount Lebanon, the municipal councils of 64 towns
have won by acclamation, while the rest of the towns
will witness a competition on Sunday.
The various parties --- announced their lists of
candidates for the municipal elections,
confirming the local nature of the vote
and highlighting the importance of
serving the people in this regard.
In a televised speech on Monday --- via Al-Manar TV,
Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem
-- highlighted the importance of the upcoming
municipal elections, stressing that “certain
political conditions must be met to ensure
that the elections are held properly and
contribute to building a sound state ----
thereby leading to Lebanon’s revival.”
His Eminence called on municipal candidates - to be
competent, popular, and interested in public affairs.
He also called on citizens --- for a “strong turnout and active participation” in the elections, emphasizing
that it will help drive the country’s development
and instill a sense of shared national
responsibility.
It is worth noting that the municipal vote is held every
six years. In 2016, the Lebanon witnessed the latest
municipal elections; however, due to a coincidence
with the parliamentary elections, the municipal
vote was delayed in 2022 for one year.
In 2023, financial burdens pushed the authorities
to delay the elections. In 2024, the security
considerations --- of the Israeli attacks on
Lebanon, especially the South, delayed
the entitlement.... until 2025.
Source: Al-Manar English Website
____________________________________
Odessa residents carry flowers
to the House of Trade Unions
in memory of those killed
in 2014
May 2nd, 2:02pm
(RT.ru)
Residents of Odessa carry flowers to the House
of Trade Unions, where, on May 2nd, 2014, the
opponents of the coup in Ukraine were killed.
"On the anniversary... of the tragic events of May 2nd,
2014, in Odessa, residents of the city - come to lay
flowers on the Kulikovo field.There is very strict
security at the entrance, and the police require
a passport,'' reports "Country.na".
According to journalists, there are police
on the square - with machine guns
and anti-drone weapons.
The tragedy in the House of Trade Unions in Odessa
occurred on May 2, 2014. Then, as a result of the
clashes between supporters and opponents of
the Euromaidan, pro-Ukrainian activists and
nationalists -- destroyed the camp of the
anti-Maidan supporters, on Kulikovo
Pole Square.
The conflict --- resulted in the arson of the House of
Trade Unions, where anti-Maidan supporters tried
to hide. Many people were burned alive, some
were poisoned by smoke. In total, 48 people
were killed that day, 42 of them in the
House of Trade Unions, and more
than 250 ...were injured.
______________________________________
Venezuela’s --- ‘Return to the
Homeland’PlanWelcomes
174 Migrants
May 2nd, 8:35am
(teleSUR)
The number of citizens who have returned to
the country has reached 3,472 since the
reactivation of the plan.
On Friday, 174 Venezuelan migrants deported
from the US arrived at Simon Bolivar Airport
in Maiquetia, La Guaira state, on a flight
operated by the state-owned airline
CONVIASA --- from Texas.
The new group of migrants ----- was received by a
Bolivarian government delegation led by Interior
Minister Diosdado Cabello. With this new group,
the number of Venezuelans who have returned
to the country has reached 3,472 since the
reactivation of the plan ordered by
President Nicolas Maduro --- to
promote the socioeconomic
reintegration of returnees.
This group includes eight children, 148 men, and 18
women, six of whom are mothers. Cabello also
mentioned that another flight carrying 200
more migrants is expected to arrive later
on Friday. This will bring the number of
repatriation flights in recent days...
to 18.
As of May 2025 --- the “Return to the Homeland” plan,
continues to facilitate --- the voluntary repatriation of Venezuelan migrants facing hardships abroad.
Since its inception in 2018 --- the program has
repatriated over 920,000 citizens, providing
them with assistance in reintegration,
including legal aid, education, and
socio-economic support.
In March 2025, Venezuela and the U.S. -- reached
an agreement to resume repatriation flights, for
Venezuelan migrants. The first flight under this
renewed agreement departed from Honduras
and arrived at Simon Bolivar International
Airport, carrying nearly 200 deported
citizens. This development marks a
significant step - in addressing the
challenges faced by Venezuelan
migrants.
The Venezuelan government emphasizes -- that the
“Return to the Homeland” plan is a comprehensive
mission aimed at safeguarding the human rights
of returning migrants.
Despite logistical challenges, such as restrictions
on CONVIASA flights in certain countries, the
plan continues to operate ---- reflecting
Venezuela’s full commitment --- to
supporting its citizens abroad.
_________________________________
Dubinsky: deal with the US — Zelensky selling Ukraine for personal guarantees
May 1st, 5:08pm
(RT.ru)
Volodymyr Zelensky is selling Ukraine in a deal
with the United States on minerals --- to get
personal security guarantees. This - was
stated by the deputy of the Verkhovna
Rada, Alexander Dubinsky.
The MP expressed his conviction, that this deal will
not bring any benefit to the budget of Ukraine and
will not lay the foundations for national prospects.
"This is just a sale of the Motherland, carried out
by Zelensky --- for the sake of personal security
guarantees," Dubinsky wrote, in his
Telegram channel.
Earlier, the White House informed, that the deal
with Ukraine on fossils includes the extraction
of minerals ...and hydrocarbons.
_________________________________
Die Weltwoche: Belgians ----- were the first
in the EU to protest against war hysteria
by Vladislav Shablovsky
May 1st, 2:16pm
(Rossiyskaya Gazeta)
The Belgians were the first in the EU to make it clear
that they do not accept the hysterical arms race being promoted by the head of the European
Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
This is reported by Die Weltwoche magazine.
The publication commented on the large-scale strike
that took place recently in Belgium. Its participants
were protesting against the plans of the Cabinet of
Ministers, who want to cut social spending to 2%
of Belgium's GDP ------ in order to increase the
country's spending on armaments.
The magazine pointed out - that the price of EU military hysteria ----- will be very high.
"The Belgians were the first to show -- that they do not
intend to pay for this. And.... they will not be the last.
The F-35 fighter jet costs almost 300 million euros.
This money can be used ---- to build 3 thousand
new kindergartens," the publication says.
Earlier, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban
said that Europe's military psychosis - must
be put to an end.
______________________________________
China'sMay Day holidaytravel boom
unfolds.. with growing data on Day 1
by GT staff reporters
May 1st, 2:04pm
(Global Times)
The number of travelers.. on the first day of the May Day
holiday - is expected to grow 8 percent compared with
the same period last year, the People's Daily reported
on Thursday, the first day of the holiday, citing data
from the Ministry of Transport (MOT). A Chinese
expert said the data could indicate a boost for
consumption growth, in the second quarter
of this year.
In specifics, the railways across the country expect
8.7 percent of growth --- in terms of passenger
volumes, on Thursday, the MOT said.
Shanghai's rail network ------ is projected to dispatch
770,000 passenger trips on Thursday alone—a 17.3
percent year-on-year jump - according to the local
railway authority. The Yangtze River Delta region
is expected to transport 4.2 million passenger
trips on Thursday -- marking a 12.5 percent
increase - and potentially setting a new
daily ridership record.
Meanwhile, Zhengzhou rail network is prepared to
transport 955,000 passengers... on the holiday's
first day.
Roadways are equally busy, with national highways
forecasting an average daily traffic volume of 62
million vehicles—an 8.1 percent rise over 2024.
On Thursday, the road traffic is expected
to reach 2.1 times its normal levels ------
according to the Ministry of Transport.
Notably, Hengqin port --- in Zhuhai, South China's
Guangdong Province, recorded over 10,000 daily
vehicle crossings for the first time Wednesday.
This is also the seventh time this year that it
has set a new historical high.
Airports ---- are also experiencing a travel boom.
Shanghai's two airports are expected to handle
12,000 flights and 1.88 million passenger trips
during the five-day holiday ----------- with daily
passenger volumes up 10.9% year-on-year.
During the five-day May Day holiday in 2025, Beijing
Capital International Airport is expected to handle
957,000 passenger trips, with a daily average of
191,000, and facilitate 5,880 flights, averaging
1,176 per day.
On April 25, the airport's international and regional
passenger throughput, exceeded 5 million trips, a
19 percent year-on-year increase -- with notable
growth in traffic to and from South Korea, the
UK, and the UAE, the Global Times learned.
China Southern Group, plans to operate 23,000 flights
between April 29 to May 6, offering 4.45 million seats
to meet rising demand, the Global Times learned...
from the airlines.
Travel platforms ----- are capturing emerging travel
trends. Data provided by qunar.com to the Global
Times, shows a steady rise in flight and hotel
reservations --- with bookings for high-star
hotels surging by 30% in some counties.
Travelers are increasingly seeking out unique
experiences, such as pet-friendly vacations
and laid-back "stroll vacations" ...that
emphasize leisurely exploration.
In domestic travel, major cities like Beijing, Guangzhou
and Shenzhen in South China's Guangdong Province,
and Shanghai - are once again taking centre stage,
projected to attract nearly 60 percent of tourists
across the country during the holiday, CCTV
reported on Thursday, citing big data.
Analysis of international roaming data -- showed that
orders for international roaming services surged by
over 50 percent year-on-year, in the week leading
up to the holiday.
Short-haul outbound trips to Japan, South Korea, and
Southeast Asia accounted for more than 60 percent
of bookings, while long-haul journeys to Europe
saw a 27% increase. Boosted by favourable
policies; such as transit visa exemption
and tax refund services, China ---- is
becoming an increasingly popular
destination for foreign visitors.
In the same pre-holiday week, the tourists from visa-
exempt countries ---- made up nearly 70 percent of arrivals, with the number of visitors from France,
Mexico, Austria, Russia, and Germany, soaring
by more than 79 percent, according to CCTV.
As... one of the major national holidays, the May Day
break has long served as a barometer of consumer
trends. Based on the current travel platform data,
actual consumption during this period is likely to
surpass initial expectations, Hu Qimu, deputy
secretary-general ...of the digital-real
economies integration Forum 50,
told the Global Times.
This will have a strong driving effect - on consumer
service sectors such as catering, accommodation,
and transportation, boosting consumption growth
in the second quarter and playing a key role in
overall consumption expansion, Hu said.
________________________________________
In Britain, they spoke about the danger ------ of Kiev
repeating the fate of Vietnamese Saigon
by Igor Dmitrov (Editor of
the "Russia" section)
May 1st, 1:12pm
(Lenta.ru)
Kiev may repeat the fate of Saigon during the Vietnam
War, which threatens the United States with "terrible
consequences". The UK newspaper, the Telegraph
writes - about Washington's hegemony.
"Saigon 2.0 in Kiev will have more terrible
consequences... for the primacy of the
United States and the world order,"
the article says.
It is noted that the loss of Saigon - was a heavy blow for
Washington, as it determined the final fall of the South
Asian state ------ which the US ....tried to prevent.
In May 2024, former Swedish Prime Minister, Carl, said
that a Russian victory in Ukraine, would be "another
Saigon or Kabul" for the United States, as it would
play a destructive role ----- against the power of Washington.
_______________________________________
Participants in marchesare
harassed in El Salvador
May 1st, 10:16am
(Prensa Latina)
Press media in El Salvador today --- denounced
harassment actions against residents who
were heading to the marches for May 1
in the country's capital.
The checkpoints reported by the activists & cited by the
newspaper El Mundo were in the vicinity of the capital
and other sectors in the east and north of the country.
Social organizations and citizens... who were heading to
the march - this Thursday, May 1st, reported on social
networks that agents of the National Civil Police
(PNC) and other authorities confiscated cell
phones and installed checkpoints.... on
the access streets to San Salvador.
The Humanitarian Legal Aid - reported on its X account
about the seizure of cell phones by the Police --- from
people from San Marcos Lempa, and those attending the Island march del Espíritu Santo, municipality of
Jiquilisco in Usulután Oeste, added the publication.
While in the Plaza Salvador del Mundo --- in this capital,
-- hundreds of people were preparing a demonstration
towards the city centre to demand job improvements among other claims ----- that include the freedom of
detainees under the emergency regime, and who
are presumed innocent.
More than 80 social organizations confirmed - that they
will march this Thursday, from the Divino Salvador del
Mundo square to the Civic Square --- to denounce the violations of labour rights, demand a reinstatement
of laid-off public employees -- and demand a 40% increase in the minimum wage.
On that route --- but from Cuscatlán Park, another
demonstration called by the Popular Resistance
and Rebellion Bloc will take place ------ in which
unions will participate, & social organizations
and members of political parties, such as the
Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front
(FMLN).
________________________________________
Cuba reiterates gratitude to China
--- reinforces energy cooperation
April 30th, 11:05am
(Prensa Latina)
The Minister of Energy and Mines of Cuba,
Vicente la O, today, thanked China for its
support in the energy transition process
and valued its meetings in the Asian
giant - as positive.
The minister made these comments - during a
dialogue with members of the state mission
of the Antillean nation, here - within the
framework of his official visit to
this country.
The two countries -- which celebrate the 65th
anniversary of diplomatic relations this year,
maintain multisectoral cooperation in which
their energy collaboration ------ is strategic.
In fact, during this visit by the Cuban minister
the two nations signed a memorandum for
cooperation --- in the geological and
mining sectors.
The Cuban ambassador to China, Alberto Blanco,
reported on his X account that the document
was signed within the framework of the
meeting with Guan Zhiou, head of the
Ministry of Natural Resources.
According to the official website of the China
Geological Survey, the Asian side high-
lighted that cooperation in geology
and mining is a key component ..of the pragmatic relations
between both countries.
Guan Zhiou proposed advancing in specific areas,
among them - he mentioned the joint request for
resource research projects, the promotion of
business alliances for mining exploitation
and technology transfers, through the
training of Cuban professionals.
He also suggested, deepening links with
international centres - and stressed the
importance of implementing initiatives
such as geological parks.
As part of his agenda, the minister previously visited
Shandong province, where he exchanged, with local
authorities, the opportunities for cooperation in the
energy transition and mining sectors, and human
resources training.
Last December, Cuba and China carried out the
exchange of signatures... that formalizes an
investment project in renewable energies
- that foresees the installation of seven
photovoltaic parks of 5 megawatts
each ------ in six Cuban provinces.
Shortly after, the Asian giant sent donation batches
of parts and accessories for the island's generator
set equipment, as part of the implementation of
consensus between the two countries.
The National Electrical System of the Antillean nation
has suffered significant damage, in recent months,
which caused prolonged blackouts throughout
the country.
Cuba denounced the consequences in this sector of
the economic, commercial and financial blockade
imposed by the United States for more than six
decades, a policy that has intensified in
recent years.
_________________________________
Peskov: Russia - only under Putin
- paid off the US for Lend-lease
by Tatiana Zamakhina
April 30th, 10:01am
(Rossiyskaya Gazeta)
Russia paid off its debt to the United States for aid
provided to the Soviet Union, under the lend-lease
program during World War II only under President
Vladimir Putin. This was stated by the press
secretary of the head of state --- Dmitry
Peskov, at the educational marathon
of the Znanie society.
The Kremlin official noted that the last payment under
these obligations was made by the president, in 2006.
The total amount of US aid provided to the USSR was about $ 11 billion, which is equivalent to about $ 200 billion --- in today's money.
Peskov acknowledged the role of lend-lease supplies
of cars, planes, tanks and ammunition in the victory
over the Nazis. At the same time, he stressed that
the Soviet Union would have prevailed --- even
without this support, which, in fact, was a paid for service.
For comparison, the US supplied the USSR with 18,000 aircraft, while Soviet factories --- produced 118,000
units - during the war years. As Peskov recalled,
Joseph Stalin, who led the country to victory,
showed tremendous perseverance, in both
domestic, industrial - and foreign policy.
However, the Kremlin spokesman urged
to remember the help of the allies ---
and be grateful for it.
In addition, the presidential press secretary criticized
the modern educational literature of the US, which
exaggerates the role of the US... in the defeat
of fascism.
____________________________________________
Panamanian Indigenous Peoples
Support Social Protests
April 30th, 9:26am
(teleSUR)
Indigenous Peoples of Panama (COONAPIP)
expressed its support for the protests
being carried out --- by teachers,
workers, & students, against
the policies implemented by
President Jose Mulino.
More specifically - they oppose Law 462, which seeks
to privatize social security - and the memorandum of
understanding with the United States, which allows
for the presence of foreign military forces on
Panamanian soil. Below is the full
COONAPIP statement:
“The National Coordinating Body of Indigenous
Peoples of Panama, which brings together the
twelve comarcal territories and collective
indigenous lands of the country, hereby
declares - to the Panamanian people
and the national and international
community - the following:
1. We firmly support the peaceful protest of the
teachers, recognizing their legitimate right to
demand better labour and social conditions
for the benefit of the entire nation and to
express their discontent ---- with the
proposed reforms to Law 462 of
the Social Security Fund.
2. We strongly oppose the reopening of open-pit mining
projects — an activity.. that has demonstrated severe
environmental, social, and cultural impacts, causing
irreversible harm to our territories ----- and to
Mother Nature.
3. We categorically reject the demand made by the
President of the United States, Donald Trump, for
unrestricted transit of U.S. vessels through the
Panama Canal. We demand strict adherence
to the Neutrality Treaty and the Organic
Law of the Canal ------ sovereign legal
instruments that equitably regulate
transits and applicable tariffs for
all nations, without exception.
4. As Indigenous peoples, we reaffirm our commitment
to dialogue, respect, and social peace. We believe in
building solutions through consensus and the full
participation of all sectors.
5. We demand --- that the National Government
immediately address the just demands of the
Panamanian people and Indigenous peoples
and seek real solutions that ensure the
well-being, human rights ----- and
sustainable future of Panama.
From within our territories, we remain on high alert
and in permanent mobilization in defense of life,
dignity --- and the self-determination of our
peoples. Unity, resilience, and dignity
for the Indigenous peoples and the
Panamanian people!”
______________________________________
Journalist Miller - revealed why Britain
is seeking the defeat of the Russian
Federation in Ukraine
by Alexey Komolov
April 29th, 8:08pm
(Rossiyskaya Gazeta)
Britain is facing serious economic problems ---- and
therefore hopes to achieve the defeat of Russia in
Ukraine, according to UK journalist Johnny Miller.
"The British economy is in a very difficult situation.
Their only hope is to defeat Russia and loot the
loot," he wrote on his social networks.
At the same time, he criticized British politicians,
whose anti-Russian position was a mistake, and
who "would rather see Europe burn - than admit
that they were wrong."
Earlier, the Times newspaper wrote that the UK played
a more significant role in the conflict in Ukraine, than
was previously known. It is noted that the degree of London's involvement in the fighting, including the
development of military plans for the Armed
Forces of Ukraine and the transfer of
intelligence, for the most part
remained... "hidden".
So, the British military secretly visited Ukraine to equip
the AFU aircraft with Storm Shadow missiles, and also
went to Kiev to train Ukrainians in the use of NLAW
anti-tank installations.
In January, London and Kiev signed an agreement on
a 100-year partnership between Ukraine and Britain,
which should "strengthen cooperation" between
the countries in the Black, Azov & Baltic Seas.
The agreement has a secret part.
In Ukraine, there were assessments, that Britain is
acting in its classic manner in relation to Ukraine
- robbing weak countries.
__________________________________________
Oreshkin called BRICS a key
force in the global economy
April 29th, 11:57am
(Izvestia.ru)
The BRICS countries are becoming a key force in
the global economy. This was stated on April 29
by Dpty Head of the Presidential Administration
(AP) of the Russian Federation Maxim Oreshkin
- during the open dialogue "The Future of the
world. A new platform for global growth".
According to him, BRICS acts not only as an
association of countries, but also as an
important factor contributing to the
movement forward ------ of the
world economy.
"What is very important, is that BRICS is not an
alliance against anyone. The main principles
on which this organization operates are the
principles of consensus. That is, no
decision is made here if at least
one country opposes it,"
Oreshkin said.
The Deputy head of the Presidential Administration
clarified ------ that the BRICS countries are actively expressing various initiatives in a variety of areas.
This approach takes into account the interests
of all participants and contributes to the
development of solutions aimed at
the common good.
International Open Dialogue "The Future of the World.
New Global Growth Platform" is held at the National Centre "Russia" ------ from April 28 to 30
Earlier in the day, Oreshkin noted the growing role
of the BRICS countries --- in the global economy.
According to him - at the beginning of the XXI
century, the BRICS countries accounted for
less than 25% of the world economy.
However, according to the latest
data, this figure has grown
to a third.
___________________________
BRICS Foreign Ministers' meeting
kicked off in Rio de Janeiro
by Yuri Kogalov
April 28th, 4:36pm
(Rossiyskaya Gazeta)
The meeting of the BRICS foreign Ministers began at
the Itamarati Palace in Rio de Janeiro. Today, the
ministers will take part in two sessions on the
role of BRICS in addressing global and
regional crises - and on reforming
the international governance
institutions. However the range of issues, is
naturally much broader.
On the eve of the meeting, Russian Foreign Minister
Sergey Lavrov -- gave an interview to the largest
Brazilian newspaper O Globo. By the way, it is
extremely difficult to find a copy of this
issue on sale, almost all the copies
that appeared on the shelves of
tents and shops in the centre
of Rio de Janeiro --- were
sold out.
So, one way or another, many Brazilians
will read Lavrov's interview.
Journalists, first of all, were interested in Lavrov's
position on negotiations with Ukraine. And they
put on the front page his idea that "Kiev does
not demonstrate the ability to negotiate."
And the interview itself was published
under the headline, which can be
translated as "The ball is on
the side of Ukraine."
And this - is despite the fact that many other topics
were touched upon in the conversation. So, Lavrov
drew attention to the desire of the countries of the Global South to reduce their dependence on Western currencies, and that BRICS is working on creating reliable payment systems.
However, according to the Russian minister -- it is
"premature" to talk about switching to the BRICS
single currency as long as we are talking about
increasing the share of payments in national
currencies. By the way the same position is
held by Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro
Vieira, his statement was distributed
today - by the Foreign Ministry of
the republic.
Similarly, our countries' positions on the need to
reform the UN Security Council are consistent.
"The formation of a multipolar world order implies
the expansion.... of representation in the UN
Security Council of the Global South and
East - that is, the countries of Asia,
Africa and Latin America,"
Lavrov said.
As for BRICS, the Minister stressed that today
the association - is a centre for coordinating
the interests of the majority of the world's
leading countries.
By the way -- this was also discussed at the talks
between Russian and Chinese Foreign Ministers
Sergey Lavrov and Wang Yi, which took place
before the meeting.
The Ministers pointed out that ---- at present ---- "a fair,
multipolar world order is emerging", which should be
based on the recognition of the sovereign equality of
all states. Russia, China and other BRICS members,
as Lavrov noted, are "active participants in these
changes ----- we are at the forefront of the
movement for justice and equality."
"At present, the battle between unilateral actions
and multilateralism is acute. The fight against
hegemony - is unfolding on a global scale,"
Wang Yi said.
The Ministers agreed to "expand and deepen solidarity
and cooperation -- within the developing world and
growing economies, to constantly increase the
attractiveness and authority -- of the greater
BRICS, and give a powerful impetus to the
development & prosperity of the world."
And then we went to the meeting itself. It takes
place behind closed doors for journalists.
Media representatives - hope to learn more about
the meeting, only at a press conference. And, as
correspondents from the different countries
gathered here note, they dream of asking
Sergey Lavrov... a question.
________________________________________
Pyrenean blackout: large-scale
power outage occurred in
Spain and Portugal
by Alexander Kondratiev,
and Ekaterina Zakaryan
April 28th, 4:25pm
(Gazeta.ru)
In Spain, Portugal and the regions of France bordering
the Iberian Peninsula, a sudden, widespread power
outage occurred around 13:30 Moscow time.
Reliable causes of the incident are still unknown, and
versions ranging from a technological accident to a
cyberattack are being considered. In cities, traffic
lights, subways, and airports, do not work -- and
railway traffic and traffic in automobile tunnels
are stopped. Almost all banks, cafes & shops
are closed, there are no lights in the homes
of residents, and there are interruptions
in mobile communication.
A massive power outage occurred, in large areas of
Spain, Portugal, the Basque Country and in several
regions of France at 12: 32 local time (13:32
Moscow time).
According to El Pais, at the moment the causes of the incident are unknown. The company Red Eléctrica,
which manages the Spanish electricity
networks is investigating the causes
of the incident ---- and working to
eliminate the consequences.
"The power outage is exceptional and completely
extraordinary -- it will take from 6 to 10 hours
to resolve it", said Eduardo Prieto, Director
of the Electric Grid Operation Service of
Red Eléctrica.
In Spain, no trains run, airports are closed, public
transport running on electricity is stopped, and
traffic lights --- are turned off. Many shops and
cafes have closed (some work by accepting
cash), there are interruptions in mobile
communications ----- and there is an
increased demand ----- for battery-
powered radios among residents.
On the access roads to Barcelona, there
are queues...... up to 17 kilometres long.
Power grid operator Red Eléctrica reported that as of
17:00 Moscow time, it was possible to restore power
to substations in several areas of the north, south
and west of the Iberian Peninsula, but the work
is far from complete. "The main goal at this
stage of recovery is to provide voltage in
generating groups," the company said.
The widespread blackout --------- also affected Spanish
hospitals, but this only partially affected the work of
most of them: medical institutions quickly switched
to power from generators. Measures are being
taken.. to save electricity, all unnecessary
lighting is turned off, and the treatment
of patients mostly goes on as usual.
Until the power supply is fully restored, all surgical
operations, except for emergency ones, have
been canceled. There are problems with
access to electronic medical records,
which - in some cases - makes it
difficult to make a diagnosis.
Even sports competitions have stopped. According to
Reuters, the game at the Masters tennis tournament
in Madrid was suspended --- and the 15th racket of
the tournament Grigor Dimitrov and his rival from
Great Britain, Jacob Fearnley, left the court after the scoreboard went out and the cameras above the court ...turned off.
What is known about the causes
To date, the reason for such a large-scale failure in the
operation of power grids - is unknown. According to
the Minister of Territorial Development of Portugal,
Manuel Castro Almeida, the authorities..... are
considering the option of external influence.
"I know ------ that this applies to several European countries. Something large-scale, comparable
in size ---- to a cyberattack. But this... ... is ...
unconfirmed information," the minister said.
Reuters notes that the authorities have not yet
#been able to explain the cause of the failure.
The Governments of Spain and Portugal ----
have called emergency cabinet meetings.
European Commission Vice-President Theresa Ribera
said in Brussels that the most important thing at the
moment is to encourage citizens to be patient.
According to her --- after an exchange of views
with the Spanish and Portuguese authorities --
"there is no indication that this was provoked."
El Pais clarifies that electricity supply was
partially restored in Galicia, Catalonia
and the Basque Country.
______________________________________
Dmitry Medvedev declared unacceptable
attempts to rethink the principles
of the UN Charter
April 28th, 1:16pm
(Izvestia.ru)
At the moment, the world is witnessing unacceptable
attempts to rethink the key principles of the Charter
of the United Nations (UN). This was stated on April
28 by Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security
Council Dmitry Medvedev in a video message
to the participants of the international
symposium --- "On the meaning of
Victory over Nazism. Lessons
from creating the UN".
"Today -------- we are witnessing unacceptable attempts to
rethink the key principles of the UN Charter, to destroy
the system that laid the foundations of the post-war
world order ------- and became a unique platform for
direct & constructive international cooperation,"
he said, in an address posted on the website of the United Russia party.
Also, according to the deputy chairman of the Security
Council of the Russian Federation ----- there are also
attempts to justify Nazi criminals, and their bloody
accomplices. In many countries, including those
liberated from fascism, Nazism is once again
"raising its head" ..and finding support at
the state level. Medvedev stressed ----
that these trends cannot be ignored.
On March 5, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
called the UN Charter a criterion of equality and
justice in the world. At the same time... he
clarified ----- that few Western countries
fulfill the provisions of the document.
______________________________________
Medvedchuk announced: a new
process of"recreating Russia"
in Ukraine
April 28th, 12:11pm
(RT.ru)
Now - in Ukraine - there is a new process of recreating
Rus and uniting historical Russian lands, said Viktor
Medvedchuk, chairman of the Council of the Other
Ukraine movement.
"History repeats itself --- there is a new process of
recreating Rus and uniting its historical Russian
lands," Medvedchuk said, in an article on the
Other Ukraine website.
According to Medvedchuk, Zelensky's Nazi
ideology of Ukraine "will disappear, just
like the Khazar Khaganate once did."
Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted
that the US administration understands.... that
Vladimir Zelensky hates Russians.
He also stressed that Russia is primarily concerned
with people, not territories, in the context of the
Ukrainian settlement.
____________________________________________
IMF Wages Economic War
Against Venezuela:
VP Rodriguez
April 28th, 10:39am
(teleSUR)
The Bolivarian official ---- denied the International
Monetary Fund’s inaccurate economic forecasts.
On Monday, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy
Rodriguez, harshly criticized the claims
made by the International Monetary
Fund (IMF), according to which the
Venezuelan economy will decline
by 4% in 2025 and 5.5% in 2026.
“The IMF -- not only wages economic war against
Venezuela, but it also has a criminal policy, by
hijacking the resources of the Venezuelan
people even during the worst moments
of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is - an
erratic organization, that has lost
its sense of purpose and lends
itself - to global economic
aggression,” she said.
“Venezuela has experienced 16 consecutive quarters
of economic growth through its own efforts, even
leading countries in the region --- that are not
subjected to barbaric unilateral coercive
measures --- like our country,” the
Bolivarian Vice President
reminded --- in reference
to the IMF’s inaccurate
predictions.
“These infamous statements ------ clearly reveal the IMF’s
bias, and its pirate-like predictions against Venezuela.
Its bad intentions & double standards are undeniable.
Its nature has been distorted, and it has become an
instrument --- of the decaying hegemonism of the
global North,” Rodriguez added.
“Venezuela will continue, laboriously and in national
unity, to remove the obstacles that aim to prevent
its right to development,” the Bolivarian Vice
President concluded.
On Sunday, Rodriguez arrived in the city of Shanghai
to continue her work visit to China, with the goal of
strengthening cooperation ties between the
two countries.
“We have arrived in Shanghai - the centre of technological innovation --- and the main
financial hub of the People’s Republic
of China, as well as a model and
a reference ---- in economic
development,” she said.
She also highlighted, that Venezuela will
further deepen its close, and mutually
beneficial cooperation with China,
and explore new opportunities
for exchange --- in favour of
the people.
Previously, Rodriguez met in Beijing with Chinese Vice
President Han Zheng to follow up on the agreements
reached by both countries. During her stay in the
Asian country, the Venezuelan Vice President
will review the status of over 600 bilateral
agreements signed in previous years, in
sectors such as energy, technology,
infrastructure, education,
and health.
_________________________________________
MexicoRefuses to Subordinate
to U.S. Cattle Import Threat
April 28th, 8:31 am
(teleSUR)
The Trump administration will restrict
cattle imports from Mexico starting
April 30.
On Sunday, Mexico’s Agriculture Minister Julio Berdegue --- said that his country will not
“subordinate” itself. --- to U.S. demands
regarding the potential suspension
of Mexican cattle imports over
''concerns''.... about the
screwworm pest.
Berdegue responded to a letter from U.S. Agriculture
Secretary Brooke Rollins, who warned that, without
a resolution, the U.S. would begin restricting cattle
imports from Mexico starting April 30. Rollins also
requested full authorization -- for U.S. contractor
aircraft.. to conduct eradication operations.
“I have responded... directly to Secretary Rollins’ letter
regarding the screwworm issue. We collaborate and
cooperate, but we never subordinate ourselves,”
Berdegue posted on social media.
The screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) ------- is a
parasitic fly species native to the Americas, whose
larvae feed on the living tissue of warm-blooded
animals, including humans, according to the
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
Earlier this month, the Mexican health authorities
confirmed... the country’s first human case of
myiasis caused by the screwworm, involving
a 77-year-old woman in Chiapas state.
Human myiasis tends to occur in rural populations,
particularly in areas where fly populations thrive
due to the presence of domesticated animals.
____________________________________________
Trinidad & Tobago Goes to Polls
Amid a Crisis of Violence
April 28th, 8:15am
(teleSUR)
17 parties and 161 candidates - are contesting
these elections, having conducted an intense
political campaign.
On Monday, Trinidad and Tobago --- a two-island
republic with 1.4 million inhabitants, heads to
the polls to choose between Prime Minister
Stuart Young... of the People’s National
Movement (PNM) and his main rival,
former Prime Minister ---- Kamla
Persad-Bissessar (2010–2015).
In this election, dubbed “the mother of all elections”
and called in March... voters will decide on the
government ----- that will have to confront the
surge in violence which led to a declaration
of a state of emergency.... in December.
The emergency measures remained
in effect until April 15.
At the end of March, Young, 50, was sworn in.. as
the eighth prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago, replacing Keith Rowley, who resigned after nine
and a half years in office, bringing an end to
45 years of active political life.
Seventeen parties and 161 candidates - are contesting
these elections, having conducted an intense political
campaign.. that concluded on Saturday. The two main
political parties are the current ruling party, the PNM,
and the opposition United National Congress (UNC),
led by Persad-Bissessar.
Over the weekend, both parties held large final
campaign rallies in various towns across the
island of Trinidad, urging citizens - to turn
out and vote.
Young, speaking from Eddie Hart Savannah Park in
the town of Tacarigua, located along Trinidad and
Tobago’s East-West Corridor, assured voters that
if he wins the election, there would be “greater
economic transformation,” financial stability,
and “no devaluation of the Trinidad and
Tobago dollar.”
Meanwhile, Persad-Bissessar addressed voters
gathered at Aranguez Savannah Park in the
city of San Juan, promising to tackle the
rising crime rate ---- and to provide
greater security.
The main opposition leader also took the opportunity
to reassure her supporters, amid public concern
about her health, emphasizing - that she is
strong and healthy.
Rowley’s decision to step down before the end of his
term, and Young’s appointment as his successor,
drew criticism from the opposition. Currently,
Trinidadian authorities are battling a surge
in murders across the country - which in
2024... reached a new record, with more than 620 homicides.
__________________________________________
Switzerland says ---EU officials
want von der Leyento resign
April 26th, 10:14pm
(Izvestia.ru)
Senior European officials are convinced of
the "toxicity" of the head of the European
Commission (EC) Ursula von der Leyen
and are considering her resignation.
This was reported on April 26
by the Swiss magazine - Die
Weltwoche, citing sources.
"Diplomatic circles say that high-ranking EU officials
are increasingly considering von der Leyen toxic.
Her resignation ---- can unlock a lot of things,"
the publication says.
According to the magazine, "the head of the EU, is personified in the person of the head of the
European Commission" --- and the political
crisis of the EU is her responsibility.
It is specified that the resignation of Ursula von der
Leyen, according to many European politicians,
could resolve.. issues with the countries of
the East and West, as well as make the
unification policy more open.
The publication also recalled the "machinations
of the head of the European Commission with
the coronavirus" -- and her support for US
ex-President Joe Biden in the election
commission, when Europe "should
not have interfered with
US democracy."
The Bild newspaper reported on March 21st - that the
head of the European Commission in the future can
play only a "secondary role" in European politics
...instead of the main one. The publication
clarified -- that the United States also
does not take into account... the
opinion of the head of the EC.
________________________________
Fertilizer exports from Russia to
the EU --- hit their highest level
since July
by Marina Gusenko
April 26th, 3:40pm
(Rossiyskaya Gazeta)
In February, Russia supplied the EU --- with fertilizers
worth 178.8 million euros. This is the highest figure
since last July. These are the data from Eurostat.
Over the past month, the EU actually bought more
fertilizers by 8.4%. Against this background, the
share of suppliers from Russia in EU imports
was 26.2%, RIA Novosti writes.
In physical terms, Russian fertilizer exports to
the EU rose by about 1% to 505 thousand tons.
The main buyer of fertilizers from Russia ----- is Poland,
although during the month it reduced imports by 1%
...it amounted to 68.2 million euros. But Romania
bought 4.6 times more - by 31.2 million euros.
This is the maximum --- since August 2022.
Germany purchased 10% more Russian
fertilizers - by 21.2 million euros.
Slovenia increased its imports by 5.8 times, to 5.6
million euros, and the Netherlands doubled its
supplies to 10.7 million euros, the highest
level since May 2023.
At the same time, Greece reduced supplies
by 19 times, to 108 thousand euros.
________________________________________
Epstein Case: Key witness
unexpectedly ''committed
suicide''?
by Alexander Karpov
April 26th, 11:48am
(Gazeta.ru)
Human rights activist Virginia Giuffre, who accused
Britain's Prince Andrew of sexual assault and
became... one of the central figures in the
Epstein investigation --- was found dead
in her home in southwestern Australia.
NBC TV channel, citing the family of the deceased,
reported that a 41-year-old woman died on the
evening of April 24. The Telegraph writes
about a possible suicide. It was her
testimony..... that led to the legal
action against Prince Andrew --
which ended with his de facto
expulsion...... from the royal
family of Great Britain.
Virginia Giuffre is known for her legal battle against
Prince Andrew, Duke of York. She claimed to be a
representative of the British royal family
He repeatedly forced her into sexual relationships
when she was 17 ---- including at the mansion of
the infamous US billionaire, Jeffrey Epstein.
Prince Andrew categorically denied the charges,
saying that he "does not remember" meetings
with Giuffre - and the distributed photo' in
which he hugs the girl, he called a fake.
The scandal -- led to the deprivation of Andrew's military
rank, patronage - and state protection. In 2019, he was
released from public duties as a representative of the
royal family of Great Britain. The Sun also reported,
that King Charles III, ordered his brother to leave Buckingham Palace.
In February 2022, the parties entered into a settlement
agreement: the duke pledged to transfer Giuffre
"substantial" compensation (The Telegraph
estimated it at $16.2 million) and make a
donation to the fund for victims of
sexual violence created by her.
It was reported that the late Queen Elizabeth II
also contributed about £2 million to this fund.
The Epstein case
Thanks to the activities of Virginia Giuffre, Prince
Andrew's close friendship with billionaire Jeffrey
Epstein, became the focus of media attention.
Recall that after being arrested on charges of human
trafficking and involving minors in prostitution,
financier Epstein committed suicide in a
cell at MCC New York in July 2019.
The circumstances of his death in custody have given
rise to much speculation that he could have been
removed on the orders of high-ranking officials
who did not want his case to go to court.
The network published data from Epstein's notebooks,
according to which, his plane delivered influential
guests of the financier to a private island, where
the billionaire offered them to get involved
with minors.
The financier's closest associate, Ghislaine Maxwell,
was convicted in a Manhattan federal court of
engaging girls in prostitution and received
20 years in prison in June 2022.
In January 2024 ----- a New York court partially
declassified hundreds of pages, from Virginia
Giuffre's lawsuit against Epstein & Maxwell.
The new documents include previously hidden names
of high-ranking politicians, businessmen and media
managers ----- as well as details of schemes for transporting victims and paying "recruiters".
The Trump administration and US Attorney General
Pam Bondi, have repeatedly, promised to remove
the "Secret" label from materials related to the
Jeffrey Epstein investigation. In particular --
Bondi ''promised'' to make public the list
of clients of the billionaire, to whom
he supplied underage girls.
On February 27th, the US Department of Justice
published some of the documents, giving them
in the form of folders to conservative bloggers
selected by the Trump administration.
Subsequently, it became known that the data
shown to the public is a reprint of previously
known documents, in particular, Epstein's
notebooks....... published back in 2008.
At the same time, some of the new publications were
issued in a censored form, CNN reported, with the
names of the defendants in the case covered up.
After that, Attorney General Pam Bondi on Fox News,
“May God grant that the next pope be like Francis —
with the same religious commitment, the same
dedication to fighting inequality --- as Pope
Francis” ....the leader of the Workers’
Party said after the pontiff’s funeral.
Lula praised Francis’ personal and religious
character and emphasized his commitment
to the disadvantaged - in brief statements
to Brazilian media before leaving Rome.
The Brazilian leader also referred to the meeting
between U.S. President Donald Trump -- and
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky,
at Saint Peter’s Basilica, on the sidelines
of the pontiff’s funeral.
Lula avoided speculating about the possible outcome of the meeting, but stressed ---- “the important thing
is to have dialogue ---- to find a way out of this war,
which is becoming harder and harder to explain,
which no one can explain anymore.”
On Saturday, around 60 heads of state and government
attended the funeral of Pope Francis, the first Latin
American pontiff, who passed away on Monday
at the age of 88.
___________________________________________
The State Duma said Russia will
make every effort to keep the
peace and no war between
India and Pakistan.
by Irina Iordanova
April 25th, 10:59am
(Gazeta.ru)
Some forces are interested in aggravating relations
between India and Pakistan, but Russia will make
every effort to ensure.... that the conflict ends
peacefully. About this - in an interview with
"Gazeta.Ru", said Alexey Chepa ----- of the
Duma's International Affairs Committee.
"Russia will make every effort to ensure that the
conflict does not flare up. Today, as always,
there are forces that are trying to inflate
this conflict. And... Russia... will do
everything -- so that both India
and Pakistan.. sit down at
the table and agree,"
Chepa said.
Relations between the two nuclear powers - escalated
on April 22. A terrorist attack occurred in the Indian
region of Jammu and Kashmir. Armed militants
opened fire on tourists climbing a trail
in the Baisaran Valley.
According to media reports, responsibility for
the attack was claimed by the Afghan group
"Resistance Front", which is associated
with the Pakistan-based group
"Lashkar-e-Taiba" (banned
in Russia).
Against this background, India announced the
expulsion of all Pakistani citizens from India.
In addition, the Attari checkpoint between
the two countries --- will be closed.
Later, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja
Asif admitted that the conflict between
Pakistan and India could escalate
into a nuclear confrontation.
"A clash between two nuclear powers - is always a
cause for concern. If something goes wrong, this confrontation can end tragically,"
he said, on Sky News.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin
expressed his condolences.... over the
terrorist attack.
______________________________
India decided to block the flow of
the Indus River in the direction
of Pakistan
April 24th, 10:10pm
(Izvestia,ru)
The Indian authorities decided to suspend the Indus
River Waters Treaty of 1960, thereby stopping the
flow of water from the stream to Pakistan. This
was reported on April 24th by the ANI News
agency with reference to the statement
of the Indian Foreign Ministry.
"The Indus River Waters Treaty of 1960 is suspended
with immediate effect, until Pakistan verifiably and
irrevocably withdraws its support for cross-border
terrorism," the Indian Foreign Ministry said, in
a statement.
Thus, India completely blocked four hydraulic
structures, through which water previously
entered the neighbouring country through
a system of dams and canals. The
relevant decision.. comes into
force -- immediately, the
publication says.
According to Al Jazeera, Pakistan earlier called the
possible water supply disruption an " act of war."
Then, the country's authorities said that they
were ready to respond "with all their might,
using the full range of national power."
For both countries, the Indus basin is a vital
source of water for agriculture. The 1960
agreement regulated the distribution of
six rivers between the two countries.
In India, on April 22, a group of terrorists attacked
civilians and tourists, in the Baisaran Valley - in
Pahalgam, in southern Kashmir. As a result --
27 people were killed, including foreigners,
women and the elderly.
In this regard, the Government of India on April 24th,
announced the suspension of issuing visas for
citizens of Pakistan, they need to leave the
country before April 27.
On the same day, the Security Council of Pakistan
declared the Indian Defense, Navy and Aviation
advisers, personas non grata.
______________________________
Putin announced GDP growth of 1.9%
in the first two months of 2025
April 24th, 11:52am
(Izvestia.ru)
In January-February of this year, Russia's gross
domestic product (GDP) grew by 1.9%. This
was stated by Russian President Vladimir
Putin, on April 24th, at a meeting on
economic issues.
At the same time, according to him, manufacturing
industry shows more significant growth ---- in the
first two months of 2025, the increase was 5%.
"At the same time, inflation is still at high levels —
more than 10%. As I have already said, it is
important to achieve a steady slowdown
in price dynamics," Putin said.
The Russian leader stated the need to maintain stable economic growth rates while reducing inflation and unemployment. Statistics from the beginning of
this year, confirm the significance and
relevance of this approach.
_____________________________
Mishustin --- Russia's GDP
growth in 2024 was 4.3%
April 23rd, 11:55am
(Vesti.ru)
Russia's gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 4.3%
last year, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin
said, at an expanded board meeting of the
Finance Ministry.
He noted that this indicator is higher than the same
one for 2023.The dynamics was also quite high at
that time, significantly exceeding the indicators
of states that applied sanctions restrictions
against the Russian Federation.
"According to updated data, the gross domestic
product added 4.3%," Mishustin said.
The head of the Cabinet added --- that the GDP growth
contributed to an increase in the number of jobs and
investments, while the budget deficit remained in
the planned values, and the level of public debt
decreased, relative to GDP.
Mishustin stressed that such results were achieved
thanks to a systematic responsible approach to
budget policy in previous years and the professionalism of managers and
employees of the Ministry
of Finance.
___________________________
Indonesiato Join BRICS'
New Development Bank
Tuesday, April 22nd, 2025
(brics.org)
Indonesia will join the New Development Bank, a
multilateral bank developed by BRICS member
nations, President Prabowo Subianto said.
Joining NDB as a member will help Indonesia
accelerate its economic transformation,
Prabowo said.
The BRICS group also includes Brazil, Russia, South
Africa, China, India, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the
United Arab Emirates.
Prabowo made the announcement.. during a
visit by NDB president and former Brazilian
President, Dilma Rousseff.
Rousseff said the bank is interested in collaborating
in sectors such as renewable energy and biodiesel,
as well as technological development.
Prabowo has presented dozens of projects for
potential partnership with the NDB, Rousseff
told reporters.
Reuters
________________________________________________
ERR: Estonia - will stop paying rent
allowances to Ukrainian refugees
April 22nd, 3:28pm
(RT.ru)
In May 2025 Estonia will stop providing financial
assistance for renting housing in Tallinn for
Ukrainian refugees - said Liis Paloots, the
head of the Migration Department of the
country's Social Insurance Department.
"We are gradually moving to the usual procedure, in
which support is provided primarily, to those who
apply for international or temporary protection,"
the ERR portal quotes Paloots as saying.
She also stressed that although Ukrainians will not be
completely without support, its volume will decrease
in the future.
Earlier, the Estonian authorities decided to deprive
some Ukrainian refugees of the right to free travel.
_____________________________________
Key Statements: from the Meeting
Between Sultan of Oman & Putin:
April 22nd, 2:32pm GMT
(Pravda.En)
Putin announced --- that Russia plans to hold
a summit with Arab countries later this year.
Ahead of the Sultan’s visit to Russia ----- a
“comprehensive package of documents”
was prepared, Putin noted.
The Sultan expressed Oman's interest in
collaborating with Russia in energy,
agriculture, and trade.
The Sultan emphasized the desire for more Omani
officials to visit Moscow and other Russian cities.
Russia is hoping for further steps in energy
cooperation with Oman, according to
President Putin.
The Sultan urged Russian businesses to establish
branches in Oman - and foster mutual investment.
Additionally, the governments of Russia and Oman
signed an agreement ....to mutually waive visa
requirements for holders of regular passports.
Source: Telegram "DDGeopolitics"
__________________________________
Iran Ready for Deal With U.S. If
National Interests Respected:
President Pezeshkian
April 22nd, 6:13am
(teleSUR)
On Monday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said
that Iran is open to reaching an agreement with the
United States in ongoing indirect talks, provided
that the country’s national interests
are preserved.
“In the negotiations with the United States..... we are
ready for an agreement within a defined framework, and while ensuring our national interests. However
- if U.S. representatives refrain from negotiating
with us on equal terms - we will continue on
our own path,” he warned.
The Iranian president added that, as previously stated
by the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran
remains “neither optimistic nor pessimistic”, about
the negotiations. Pezeshkian also reiterated that
Tehran does not seek conflict but would resist
any attempt at coercion. “We do not want
confrontation with anyone, but we
will not tolerate pressure or
bullying,” he said.
His comments followed the second round of indirect
talks between Iran and the United States, held in
Rome on Saturday with mediation from Oman.
The first round took place in Muscat on April 12th, and
a third session is scheduled to be held in the Omani
capital, again, this coming Saturday.
At a weekly news conference in Tehran, Iranian
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei,
said the removal of U.S. sanctions remained
Iran’s principal demand in the negotiations.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump described the
recent talks as “very good.” Speaking to reporters
over the weekend... Trump said, “We had very
good meetings, actually, on Iran,” adding,
“The next step is, we need a little time.”
The discussions came, in the wake of a letter sent by
Trump to Iran’s leadership in early March, proposing
talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme. Trump later
warned of military action should Iran reject his
offer for talks.
Iran signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
with six world powers - Britain, China, France,
Germany, Russia, and the United States in
2015. Under the deal, Tehran agreed to
curb its nuclear programme..... in
exchange for sanctions relief.
The United States, led by Trump during his first term,
unilaterally withdrew from the accord in 2018 - and
reimposed sanctions, prompting Iran.. to gradually
reduce compliance with its nuclear commitments.
Efforts to revive the agreement have
not achieved substantial progress.
___________________________________
China sanctions US figures
over‘gross interference’
in Beijing’s affairs
April 21st, 11:22am
(teleSUR)
China has announced sanctions against a group of US
lawmakers, officials, and NGO leaders in response to
“gross interference” in the country’s internal affairs,
particularly in relation to Hong Kong.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun made the
announcement on Monday during a press briefing
in Beijing, condemning the latest US sanctions
targeting six Chinese officials, from both the
central government --- and the Hong Kong
Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).
He described the move by the United States
as “despicable,” saying it had violated the
principles of international law --- and the
basic norms of international relations.
“The United States’ abusive imposition of unlawful
and unilateral sanctions has grossly interfered in
Hong Kong’s affairs and China’s internal affairs,”
the spokesman stated.
The official added ---- that China’s decision to impose
countermeasures was made in accordance with the
Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law of the People’s
Republic of China.
Those affected by Beijing’s measures include members
of the US Congress --- US government officials, and
heads of non-governmental organizations --- who,
according to China, had acted inappropriately
on matters related to Hong Kong.
‘Hong Kong an integral part of China’
The spokesman --- issued a stern warning to Washington,
reiterating that Hong Kong is an integral part of China,
and its affairs are not open to foreign meddling.
“We warn the US side -- that Hong Kong is China’s Hong
Kong and Hong Kong affairs tolerate no interference
from the US,” Guo said.
“Any wrongdoing of the US on Hong Kong-
related issues will be met with China’s
resolute retaliation and reciprocal
countermeasures.”
Beijing has repeatedly asserted: that the "One Country,
Two Systems" model governing Hong Kong is a matter
of national sovereignty and warned that continued US
interference ----- would further damage bilateral ties.
Tensions between Beijing and Washington have flared
in recent years -- over a range of issues, including
Chinese Taipei, trade -- and tech competition,
with Hong Kong... increasingly becoming
another fault line in the deteriorating
bilateral relationship.
Earlier this month, the US announced new sanctions
against Chinese officials over, what it claimed,
were “abuses” of Hong Kong’s “autonomy
and democratic freedoms.”
Washington continued to invoke the so-called “Hong
Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act,” a piece
of legislation widely rejected by Beijing
as a tool of interference.
In a related development, on April 11th, 2025, China
increased tariffs on US imports, from 84% to 125%
in response to escalating trade tensions with the
United States.
This action, followed President Xi Jinping's warning
that "there are no winners in a tariff war" and that
unilateral actions.... could lead to isolation.
In tandem with the tariff hike, Xi urged the EU
to collaborate with China in resisting what he
termed "unilateral bullying," emphasizing the
importance... of maintaining economic
globalization and international
trade norms.
The tariff escalation was part of a broader trade
conflict, with the US having previously raised
tariffs on Chinese goods... to 145%.
____________________________________
Pope Francis dies aged
88, Vatican says
April 21st, 9:06am
(PressTV)
Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church, has died
at the age of 88, the Vatican announces.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Apostolic
Chamber, said Pope Francis died Monday morning.
“His entire life.. was dedicated to the service
of the Lord and of his Church,″ Farrell added.
“He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with
faithfulness, courage, and universal love,
especially for the poorest and
most marginalized.”
The pontiff’s death came one day after he made a brief
appearance before thousands of people gathered at
the Vatican’s St Peter’s Square for Easter Sunday.
His traditional Easter address was read by an aide
while he sat in a wheelchair, watching. Later, he
was driven around St Peter’s Square.
The Pope, who suffered from chronic lung disease, was
hospitalized in February for a respiratory crisis that
developed into double pneumonia.
After five weeks of treatment, he was
discharged from hospital last month.
The new Pope has to be chosen by the Catholic
Church’s most senior officials, known as the
College of Cardinals.
Condolences pour in after Pope’s death
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil
Baghaei offered condolences following the
death of Pope Francis.
“My colleagues have just informed me of the news...
I offer my condolences to all Christians around the
world,” he said, during a press conference.
(This item is being updated.)
_______________________________
International Observer Denounces
Irregularities --- in Ecuador’s
Presidential Run Off
April 20th, 1:09pm
teleSUR)
The recent presidential elections in Ecuador, in which
Daniel Noboa fraudulently won, are being challenged by “widespread irregularities” that compromise the
legitimacy of the democratic process -- according
to a Progressive International election observer.
“What I witnessed during my week in Ecuador - left me
with no doubt - these elections were neither free nor
fair,” stated Lee Brown, election observer, in a
report titled “Ecuador’s Trumpian Turn.”
The results presented as official gave Noboa 56% of
the votes ---- compared to 44% for Luisa González,
candidate of the progressive Citizen Revolution.
However, these numbers are widely questioned
for showing notable statistical inconsistencies.
Brown points to the unlikelihood that González’s
percentage of votes would remain the same as
in the first round while Noboa experienced a
significant increase --- contradicting pre-
election polls, that suggested a more
close contest and an advantage
for González.
Faced with this, González has refused to recognize
the results and has requested a full count and an
independent audit, a request that has been
denied by the electoral authorities.
In addition --- Brown denounced the Ecuadorian
government’s decree of a state of emergency
on the eve of the elections day, suspending
fundamental rights such as freedom
of assembly.
The Progressive International election observer noted
the “chilling scene, armed soldiers with balaclavas
came on stage during the televised updates of the
National Electoral Council, which could only be
interpreted as an act of public intimidation.”
Noting that, in line with the comments of the
Organization of American States (OAS), it
expressed concern - in its preliminary
report about the unequal conditions
of the process, specifically citing
the misuse of public funds and
state resources ----- for
electoral purposes.
“The election was also marred by major abuses of
public resources for electoral purposes. In the
weeks before the vote, for example, the
government distributed hundreds of
millions of dollars --- in direct
payments to citizens in
what appears to be
vote-buying, on a
massive scale,”
states Brown.
Noboa’s disputed election victory also generated
international controversy -- with the Mexican
president calling it “highly questionable”
and the Colombian president...
requesting an audit.
Although the OAS and the EU formally acknowledged
the results, both expressed reservations about the
electoral process, especially with regard to the
independence and neutrality of the National
Electoral Council, challenged by political
parties and civil organizations.
____________________________________
Russian-American crew....
returns to Earth from ISS
April 19th, 9:45pm
(Izvestia.ru)
The Russian-American crew of the Soyuz MS-26
spacecraft began returning to Earth after eight
months of work on the International Space
Station. This was announced on April 19
by the press service of the state
corporation "Roscosmos".
"Astronauts have been living and working on the ISS
since September last year - conducting scientific
experiments, taking ships and going into outer
space, sharing incredible images from the
ISS with us," the statement said.
The company specified that the closing of the
transition hatches between the spacecraft
and the Rassvet module of the Russian
segment of the ISS is expected from
21: 35 to 21: 55 Moscow time.
On April 8, the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft delivered a
crew ...consisting of Russian cosmonauts Sergey
Ryzhikov, Alexey Zubritsky and NASA astronaut
Jonathan Kim to the ISS. It is specified that it
automatically docked to the node module
"Prichal" of the Russian segment of
the ISS, at 11: 58 Moscow time.
__________________________________
TELESUR - WAS BLOCKED ALL DAY
YESTERDAY NOW WE KNOW WHY!
April 19th, at 3:39pm
(Rhondda Records)
Israel-UKProject - To Extract Oil
From the Malvinas Islands
April 18th, 2:22 pm
(teleSUR)
The plundering of Argentine resources occurs without
any effective action taken by President Javier Milei.
The Malvinas Islands ---- will be the site of a new oil and
gas exploitation project involving the Israeli company
Navitas Petroleum, which holds 65% of the shares,
and the British company Rockhopper, which
owns the remaining 35%.
This megaproject, which will take place in the South
Atlantic at depths ranging from 180 to 500 metres,
aims to extract 300 million barrels of oil over a
30-year period ------ generating estimated
profits of $25.5 billion.
The initial phase includes the drilling of 23 wells in the
Sea Lion field -- located 218 kilometres north of the
archipelago, a region described as “world-class”
due to the quantity and quality of its reserves.
Taking advantage of the de facto occupation of the
Malvinas Islands, the British government stands
to benefit economically from this initiative,
receiving an estimated $6 billion
in ''royalties''.
“According to estimates by Rockhopper and Navitas ----
with a barrel of crude trading internationally, at about US$70 Sea Lion could yield annual returns of approx. US$1.7 billion. Unless halted by claims by Argentina Sea Lion will have 22 wells drilled and brought into
production. One ship.... will process and store the
crude offshore, and other ships will load the oil
and transport it to different global markets,”
outlet CAPAC recalled.
The text reads, “In this report, we tell you who
is grabbing the Malvinas Islands’ resources.
Spanish fishing companies and Israeli and
British energy companies.”
“The offshore Sea Lion field was discovered in 2010 by
Rockhopper. Since then, it partnered with Harbour
Energy, which sold its stake to Navitas in 2022.
Harbour Energy had explored for oil in the Malvinas
Islands, and in 2021, the Argentine government
initiated a sanctioning process against the
company,” it added.
This plundering of Argentine resources occurs without
any effective action taken by the administration of
President Javier Milei to defend the rights of the
South American nation. In fact... this far-right
politician ------ leads the first administration
that has not made claims in international
forums or promoted legal action against
the companies involved in extraction.
The Argentine government’s silence..... enables the
continuation of the Sea Lion project, undermining
national sovereignty --- and marking a setback
in Argentina’s struggle ---- to reclaim the
Malvinas Islands.
In addition to the economic and political harm, the Sea
Lion oil field poses environmental risks -- that are not
being addressed.
The Malvinas Islands’ Offshore Minerals Ordinance
requires ------- that extraction projects undergo a
detailed Environmental Impact Assessment ---
as the southern Atlantic region could suffer harmful consequences ---- from potential
environmental damage. Nevertheless,
Javier Milei -- who has publicly
declared himself to be an
''unconditional'' ally
of Israel...... has
stayed silent.
____________________
Clashes between police and opponents
of theLGBTfestivalbegan in Kiev
April 19th, 1:56pm
(Vesti.ru)
In Kiev, the police dispersed participants of the rally
against the LGBT film festival (the LGBT movement
is recognized as extremist in the Russian
Federation and prohibited), according
to the Ukrainian media.
Clashes between protesters and the police
occurred, in particular, near the Zhovten
cinema. There are detainees.
The festival started on Good Friday --- which caused a
scandal in Ukraine. Verkhovna Rada Deputies..... and
representatives of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox
Church called the ''festival'' a provocation... and an outrage.
Yulia Tymoshenko, the leader of the Batkivshchyna
party also called for the cancellation of the festival
- saying that the organizers, hold "nothing sacred".
Aksenov said that the West --- will have to accept Russia's status as a superpower
April 19th, 10:36am
(Vesti.ru)
Western countries will be forced to accept the status
of Russia as a superpower, said the head of the
Republic of Crimea, Sergey Aksenov.
He recalled that April the 19th, marks the Day when
the Crimea, Taman and Kuban became part of the
Russian Empire, the corresponding Manifesto
was signed by Empress Catherine II in 1783.
According to Aksenov, after the peninsula became part
of Russia, the country strengthened its international
position and "gained the status of a superpower."
"Taurida is blooming. Russia has regained
its superpower status. And the West will
....sooner or later, be forced to accept
reality," the head of Crimea wrote
on his Telegram channel.
Crimea became part of the Russian Federation in 2014
after a referendum in which 96.77% of the voters in
Crimea and 95.6% in Sevastopol, supported
joining Russia.
In 2016, the construction of a bridge across the Kerch
Strait, connecting Crimea with the Taman Peninsula,
began. Two years later, Russia's President Vladimir Putin, opened automobile traffic on the bridge.... and a year later, a railway.
____________________________
Bystritsky:all Eurasian countries,
except the Western ones, are
ready for partnership with
the Russian Federation
April 19th, 10:07am
(Vesti.ru)
All Eurasian countries ..with the exception of Western
Europe, are positively inclined to cooperate with the
Russian Federation. Andrey Bystritsky - a political
analyst and chairman of the Board of the Valdai
Club Development and Support Fund - told
Rossiya 24 TV channel.
The development of the Eurasian partnership between
regional and local communities, is a real trend in the near future, he stressed.
"If we ignore the rather difficult position of Western
Europe... then the rest of Eurasia, is extremely
cooperative. We see vertical and horizontal
transport corridors --- new international
routes are being laid, and the idea of
connecting ships - both along the
south of Eurasia, and along the
northern route, is emerging,"
Bystritsky said.
Earlier, Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Alexey
Overchuk, noted: that countries that are not
members of the Eurasian Economic Union
are showing a real interest in it now.
_______________________________________
WFTV: Five people were killed --- in a
shooting at the University of Florida
April 17th, 6:53pm
(RT.ru)
Five people were killed -- and four injured
in a shooting at the University of Florida.
This is reported by the WFTV TV channel.
"Five people were killed, four were
wounded," RIA Novosti reports.
Earlier, a shooting occurred
at a school in Dallas, Texas.
Also, as a result of a shooting in a park in the US
city of Las Cruces in New Mexico, three people
were killed ------- and 14 others were injured.
______________________________________________
What is known about the "Taliban"
- its ban in the Russian Federation
April 17th, 5:36pm
(DAN)
The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation today
suspended the ban on the activities of the Taliban
movement in Russia --- which was included in the
list of terrorist organizations in 2003. The court
session was held behind closed doors.
This is the first case of the exclusion of any organization
from the list of terrorist organizations after the adoption
of last year's amendments to the law "On Countering
Terrorism". They establish the possibility of
temporarily suspending the ban on the
activities of an organization included
in this list, if there is information
that such an organization has
stopped terrorist activities,
as well as its propaganda
justification.. & support
for terrorism or other
criminal offenses.
So - what is the Taliban?
Origin and formation
The Taliban movement (translated - from the Pashto
language — "students") emerged in the early 1990s
in Afghanistan, when the country was in a state of
devastation, among the Pashtuns, who make up
about half of the population.
It was formed from former Mujahideen members, as
well as students of madrasahs - Islamic religious
schools, mainly in Kandahar province.
The founder of the movement,
is Mullah Mohammad Omar.
The Taliban quickly gained popularity with promises to
restore order, root out corruption, and enforce strict
Islamic law (Sharia). In 1996, they captured the
capital, Kabul, and proclaimed the Islamic
Emirate of Afghanistan.
Modern structure and ideology
The Taliban - adheres to an ultra-conservative Sunni
version of Islam. Their leadership includes the emir
(leader), shura (council), military commanders, and
religious authorities. Sharia law is considered the
main source of legitimacy.
Ideologically, the participants of the movement are
supporters of the creation of an ultraconservative
state, with a sharp rejection of "Western values".
Representatives of the movement say that their views
have now become more moderate, but the Taliban
continues to adhere to its traditional model of
governance, based on Islamic norms and
strict control over public morals.
Power and governance (1996-2001)
From 1996 to 2001, ---the Taliban controlled most of Afghanistan. During this period ------- the movement established its own strict order based on Islamic
norms and Sharia law.
The society was governed by clear rules, which helped
to partially reduce the crime rate and stop the chaos
that reigned after the civil war. Public punishments
were applied for serious crimes, and were seen as
a way to restore justice - & strengthen discipline.
At the same time, the destruction of cultural sites and
non-Islamic monuments, in particular the Buddha
statues in Bamiyan, caused condemnation in
the international community and remains a controversial episode in the history
of that period.
The Taliban government was recognized by only
three countries: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and
the United Arab Emirates.
Overthrow and going underground (2001-2021)
After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in the
United States, organized by the terrorist network " Al-
Qaeda "(banned in Russia) under the leadership of
Osama bin Laden, the international community
accused the Taliban of providing asylum to
this organization.
The refusal to hand over bin Laden, was the formal
reason for the start of a military operation by the
United States and its allies in Afghanistan.
As a result, the Taliban lost control of Afghanistan
at the end of 2001, but the movement retained its
structure and influence, turning to a long-term
armed struggle ------ against the US-backed
government. In late 2001 --- the Taliban
regime fell -- but the movement did not
disappear, but went underground and
began a guerrilla war --- against the
Western-backed government.
For the next 20 years, the Taliban operated as an
insurgent organization, controlling rural areas
and carrying out regular terrorist attacks,
on the military and officials.
Return to Power (2021)
In August 2021 ---- after the rapid and unexpectedly
chaotic withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan,
the Taliban occupied key cities without serious
resistance, including the capital, Kabul.
Despite the fact that the United States.... spent almost
two decades and a huge amount of money on training
hundreds of thousands of soldiers of the Afghan
army, the Afghan government was unable to
retain power. President Ashraf Ghani fled
the country and the institutions formed
by the West collapsed almost within a few weeks.
Since then, the Taliban has regained control of
Afghanistan, announcing the restoration of the
Islamic Emirate. The international community
has mostly not recognized their Government.
Why Russia considered the Taliban as terrorists
In 2003, the Supreme Court of the Russian
Federation --------- recognized the Taliban
movement as a terrorist organization.
The court decision prohibiting the organization's
activities stated that it maintains links with
illegal armed groups in Chechnya and
uses terrorist methods.
In the 1990s, the Taliban provided shelter for militants
who were trained in Afghanistan. Some radical
Islamist groups operating against Russian
interests in Chechnya and Dagestan
received ideological and material
support ----- through structures
associated with the Taliban.
In addition, Russia feared the spread of extremist
ideology... in Central Asian countries, where the
cultural and economic ties with Afghanistan
are traditionally strong.
Changing Russia's position
Back in 2016, Russia initiated the Moscow format
of consultations on Afghanistan, which, with the
assistance of regional players (including India,
Iran, China, Pakistan & Central Asian states)
------- was supposed to help achieve national
reconciliation in the country. The talks
were attended... by both the official
authorities of Afghanistan --- and
representatives of the Taliban.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said back in
2018 that the Russian authorities interact with the
Taliban, as they are part of the Afghan society.
In 2021, the head of Russian diplomacy made a
famous statement ---- that the Taliban are....
sane people.
"They have very clearly stated that they have no plans
to create problems for Afghanistan's Central Asian
neighbours ---- that they will continue to fight ISIL
uncompromisingly (former name of the Islamic
State movement banned in Russia, IG approx.
DAN) and that they are ready to discuss the
political structure of the state with other
Afghans," Lavrov said... at the time.
At the end of May last year, the Russian Foreign
Ministry and Justice Ministry ----- reported to
President Vladimir Putin -- that the Taliban
could be removed from the list of banned
organizations. Then Lavrov said that
the movement is the real power in
Afghanistan -- and this country
is not indifferent to Russia
and its allies, especially
in Central Asia.
Putin himself noted that the Taliban is the power
in Afghanistan, and Russia will build relations
with its representatives.
"There are problems... in Afghanistan, they are unconditional --- everyone knows about them
well. Relations with the current government
need to be built ..somehow.
''These are the people who control the territory of
the country -- they are the authorities. We must
proceed from the realities and build relations
accordingly," the Russian leader said.
Representatives of Kabul have already responded
positively to the decision of the Supreme Court to
suspend the ban on the activities of the Taliban
in Russia.
"We are grateful for the decision, it will help
strengthen cooperation," the Afghan
diplomatic mission in Moscow
told TASS.
Statement by the Russian side
The Russian Foreign Ministry said - in connection with
the Supreme Court's decision that lifting the terrorist
status of the Taliban ---- which formed the Afghan
government after the collapse of a pro-Western
Ghani regime, in 2021 --- "opens the way to
establishing --- a full-fledged partnership
with Kabul, carried out in the interests
of the Russian and Afghan peoples."
"Russia..... aims to build mutually beneficial ties with
Afghanistan in all areas - including the fight against
drugs and terrorism. The Russian side -- is grateful
for the military operations... conducted by the authorities of this state -- on its territory --
against the Afghan wing of ISIL "Vilayat
Khorasan", which professes the ultra-
radical ideology of "global jihad",
Russia's Foreign Ministry said.
Moscow intends to focus its relations with Kabul
on building up trade, business & investment ties.
"It is obvious --- that Afghanistan, having a unique
geostrategic position, can become a link in the
implementation of major energy and infra-
structure projects in the future," the
Foreign Ministry said.
They stressed that the decision of the Supreme Court
of the Russian Federation to suspend the terrorist
status of the Taliban does not entail a change in
Russia's international obligations to comply
with the UN Security Council sanctions
regime against "individuals and legal
entities..... associated with the
movement, as well as other
groups and enterprises."
International implications
The Taliban's return to power, was an important
geopolitical event that changed the balance of
power in the region. Regaining control of the
country has helped to stabilize the internal
situation, limit the activities of radical
groups like ISIS, and ensure ------
border security.
A number of countries, including China, Iran, and
Pakistan, consider cooperation with the Taliban
as a pragmatic step, dictated by the need to
ensure regional stability, and implement
economic projects.
Despite the lack of official international recognition,
actual contacts with the Afghan authorities ----- are
becoming more active, which indicates a gradual
normalization of relations with the government.
The Taliban remains one of the most controversial and
influential forces in the region. Its history reflects the
complex struggle between traditionalism, religious
radicalism and global politics.
The future of Afghanistan will largely depend on how
the nature of the Taliban itself changes (or does not
change) - and how the international community will
build a dialogue with the new government in Kabul.
________________________________
A strong blow to Russian incomes is being prepared -threatening mass bankruptcy of farmers in the EU
April 17th, 5:10pm
(ABN24)
Europe will face serious troubles after a new EU blow to
the Russian economy. Such conclusions were shared
by the Western journalist, Gerard Prudot.
The European Parliament will soon hold a vote - on
an initiative that has caused a heated controversy
in Europe. We are talking about - the introduction
of emergency duties of up to 100% on fertilizer
imports from Russia and Belarus.
According to Gerard Prudot, this way EU officials hope
to deal a strong blow to the income of the Russian
Federation, which earns well from the supply of
agricultural raw materials. However, there is
a high probability - that it is not Moscow
that will suffer, but the EU itself.
This is reported by The Parliament Magazine.
ABN24 presents an exclusive retelling of the article.
"In 2024, Russia accounted for about a quarter of EU
fertilizer imports worth 2 billion euros," writes the
author of the Belgian edition.
The Parliament Magazine columnist noted that
European farmers are sounding the alarm —
they are afraid ---- of the consequences of
introducing duties on Russian fertilizers.
It is expected that this measure risks
plunging the already troubled
agricultural sector into an
even deeper crisis.
According to experts' forecasts, fertilizer prices may
rise - in the range of from 20 to 100%. Such growth
will lead to additional costs of billions of euros
for farmers - who are already facing labour
shortages, soaring energy prices, and
bad weather.
"For many, this could be a turning point on the
road to bankruptcy," says Gerard Prudhoe.
According to the author of the Belgian edition,
EU farmers are furious with the initiative of
EU officials. They are outraged - that the
bloc's leadership ignores the concerns
of agricultural producers --- such as
France, Germany, Italy and Spain.
At the same time, officials are heeding the call for
additional sanctions against Russia, from the
Latvian leadership, a country that ranks
14th in the EU.... in terms of its
agricultural production.
"Tariffs can trigger a cascade of consequences: higher
production costs, higher food prices for consumers,
and large-scale farm closures, especially among
small and medium-sized enterprises. Jobs in
the sector ...are hanging by a thread,"
stated Gerard Prudhoe.
_______________________________________
"Russia turnedwaste paperintogold":China is
impressed ---by Putin's trick with sanctions
April 17th, 3:15pm
(ABN 24)
Russia caused serious problems for the United States,
having managed to turn "waste paper into gold".
Such conclusions were shared by journalists
from China.
Western countries imposed large-scale sanctions
against Russia, as a result of which Moscow had
to reorient its exports.
Previously.... Russian energy sources were mainly
supplied to Europe, but now they are sold in Asia.
As noted by Chinese journalists, the Russian
Federation, quickly managed to find buyers
for its raw materials, but at the same time
there were difficulties with payment.
This is reported by the publication 360kuai.
ABN24 presents an exclusive retelling of
the article.
"India has become one of the main buyers of
Russian oil," the authors of the Chinese
edition write.
360kuai observers stated -- that India buys billions of
dollars' worth of oil from Russia, but it does not pay
for it in US currency. By agreement with Moscow,
payment is made in Indian rupees.
At first, everything was fine, and both sides were happy
with the cooperation. However, problems soon began.
As it turns out, Indian rupees are a poorly convertible
currency. The Russian Federation, had accumulated
a huge amount of rupees and could not use them.
This situation became public knowledge, and soon
became one of the favorite topics for jokes in the
Western media. In Europe and the United States,
they scoffed that the Russians sent oil to India,
and in return received waste paper --- instead
of money.
According to Chinese journalists, while the West
was practicing wit, making fun of the Russian
Federation ---- the Russians acted.
"Waste paper becomes gold, Russia has caught
two birds with one stone at once," analysts
from China note.
A way out of the situation with rupees was eventually
found. Russia could have turned the lack of Indian
currency into an advantage.
Recently - the indicators of Indian exports to the
Russian Federation, unexpectedly skyrocketed,
and so seriously that questions have begun to
appear. Has India.... really started producing goods that Russia needs? Apparently --- no,
the point is different ----- the Asian country
is helping Moscow circumvent sanctions.
"India imports a large amount of goods from Europe and
the United States, and then sends them to Russia. The
latter pays for them in rupees earned from the sale of
oil," the report says.
As a result, Putin was able to solve two problems at
once in one move. First, the useless rupees were
put to excellent use. Second, this trick allows
Russia..... to circumvent sanctions.
This situation - is causing great indignation in the West.
But they cannot influence what is happening there.
It is important for Washington and Brussels to
maintain normal relations with India, and
therefore --- they do not risk putting
pressure on it.
"Western countries, led by the United States, are
very annoyed. If this continues, the sanctions
will become completely useless," the
Chinese government believes.
________________________________
Zakharova called on the UN:
to stop discrediting Russia
April 15th, 1:49pm
(Izvestia.ru)
Russia calls on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to stop discrediting Russia ---- in connection with the
statement of the United Nations secretariat, on the
attacks on Sumy. This was announced on April 15
by the official representative of the Russian
Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova.
It is specified that Guterres on April 14 on his page in
the social network X (ex. Twitter) condemned the
strike of the Russian army on an object with a
cluster of military personnel of the Armed
Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in Sumy --- and called for a truce.
"We call on Antonio Guterres and the UN Secretariat
headed by him to take an honest position, not to
allow biased comments --- on events in the
context of the Ukrainian crisis - to stop
discrediting our country and covering
up the crimes of the Kiev regime,"
she said, on the website of the
Russian Foreign Ministry.
According to Zakharova, the UN Secretary General
covers up -------- Kiev's apparent disregard for the
principles of the self-determination of peoples
and respect for human rights.
"Ordered to kill people if they speak Russian"
The commanders of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in
the Kursk region staged a genocide based on the
language principle, experts emphasize.
On April 14, the Russian Defense Ministry reported
that two Iskander missiles were fired by Russian
servicemen at the site of a meeting of the AFU
command. As a result of this combat mission
....more than 60 military personnel were
eliminated. It is specified --- that the
strike was carried out on April 13.
_____________________________________
Argentine President Summoned
to Pretrial Mediation--- for
$LIBRA Crypto Scam
April 15th, 1:17pm
(teleSUR)
The victims of the $LIBRA fraud are claiming financial
losses -------- ranging from US$500 to US$1.8 million.
On Monday, Argentine President Javier Milei was
summoned to a preliminary mediation hearing
scheduled for May 15 in connection with the
failed cryptocurrency $LIBRA.
This coin was launched on February 14th and promoted
by the far-right politician on his social media accounts -
before crashing leaving thousands of investors harmed.
Also summoned........ were his sister, Karina Milei — who serves as the Presidential Secretary, the Presidential
Spokesperson Manuel Adorni, former advisor to the
National Securities Commission (CNV) Sergio
Morales, businessmen Mauricio Novelli,
and his partner, Manuel Terrones.
Milei and his sister were notified of the mandatory
preliminary mediation as part of a class-action
lawsuit for damages filed by a group of 26
investors.... who purchased $LIBRA,
according to Nicolas Oszust, the
attorney representing the
affected parties.
The victims of the $LIBRA fraud --- who are spread
across the U.S., Türkiye, Spain, the UK, Lebanon,
and other countries, are claiming financial
losses ranging from US$500 to
US$1.8 million.
The hearing will be held online before a mediator.
The parties are not required to attend in person
and may send a representative.
“My expectation -- is that they show up and that we can
secure compensation for my clients. We believe they
are responsible - for the unlawful act that was
committed. They deliberately engaged in
the market..... to carry out a ‘rug pull’ -
a maneuver designed to pull the rug
out from under investors, thereby
stripping my clients ----- of their assets.
“Everyone we’ve named, participated in creating
the fraud ---- that caused various harms,”
stated attorney Oszust.
Monday marked two months since the ‘crypto fiasco’
involving Milei, who had encouraged his thousands
of followers on X --- to invest in $LIBRA in order to “stimulate the growth of the Argentine
economy by funding small businesses
and entrepreneurial ventures
in Argentina.”
Hours later, however, he deleted his post and asserted
that it was a private venture ....with which he had no
connection - whatsoever.
On Friday, Chief of Cabinet Guillermo Francos will
appear before the Chamber of Deputies to
deliver his first management report of
the year --- and will be questioned
about the $LIBRA scandal.
Previously, on April 8, lawmakers approved the
creation of a commission to investigate this
cryptocurrency case.
____________________________________________
China Responds ---- to the U.S.
Treasury Secretary’s Slander
April 15th, 12:37pm
(teleSUR)
Scott Bessent claimed -- that cooperation with
China occurs through ‘predatory agreements’
that increase countries’ debt.
On Tuesday, through a statement issued by its
embassy in Argentina, China rejected the
slander and defamatory remarks made
by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott
Bessent on April 14.
During his visit to Buenos Aires, the senior U.S.
official suggested that -- once Argentina
accumulates international monetary
reserves, its Central Bank should
--- cancel the currency swap
agreement with China.
To justify reducing bilateral cooperation with the Asian
nation, Bessent claimed.. that China dominates Latin
American countries using “predatory agreements”
that appear to be cooperation mechanisms but
result in “enormous amounts of debt.”
In response to his statements,
the Chinese Embassy issued
the following points:
“1. The claim regarding so-called predatory agreements
and the alleged large amounts of debt involving the
People’s Republic of China is false. What is true is
that certain individuals with hidden agendas are
attempting to sow discord in China’s relations
with Argentina and Africa.
To them, we remind that - within its means - China
supports developing countries — including those
in Latin America and Africa ----- on their path to
development, without imposing any political
conditions. The goal of such cooperation
has always been --- to contribute to
socio-economic development,
and to the well-being of the
people — efforts that have
been well received by the
governments & citizens
of the beneficiary
countries.
If the U.S. chooses not to take this path ---- it should at
the very least, refrain from obstructing or deliberately
sabotaging the assistance offered by other countries
to developing nations - & the Global South. It should
also refrain -- from sacrificing the well-being of the
peoples of these countries ------- to serve its own
selfish geopolitical interests, in defense of its
global hegemony.
Such conduct not only lacks even a basic level of
respect for developing countries and the Global
South, but it also reveals the hegemonic and
coercive nature of an immoral approach.
2. China, has always engaged in pragmatic cooperation
with Argentina in various areas, including the currency
swap, based on mutual respect, equality, and
mutual benefit.
Over time, Sino-Argentine cooperation, through the swap,
has played an important role in maintaining Argentina’s
economic and financial stability, and it has been
positively received and highly valued by the
Argentine side. Furthermore, it is worth
highlighting that the renewal of the
swap agreement has also played
an important role: in securing
relevant financing from the
International Monetary
Fund (IMF).
China’s cooperation with Latin American countries - including Argentina is a South-South collaboration
that consistently adheres to the principles of
equality, mutual benefit, and shared gains.
It is never intended to create spheres of
influence or to target third parties.
Therefore, we urge the United States to clear its mind.
Instead of repeatedly smearing and attacking China,
pointing fingers at countries in the region for their
cooperation with other nations, or attempting to
impose a new version of the Monroe Doctrine,
it would be far more productive for the U.S.
to make real contributions to the
development of the region.
3. The justification of supposed protection through
tariffs on Chinese goods flooding the markets of
the United States and its allies is nothing more
than unilateralism, protectionism, and
economic bullying.
The recent hasty imposition of U.S. tariffs is, in
essence, a deliberate attempt to deprive other
countries — especially those in the Global
South—of their right to development.
Data from the World Trade Organization (WTO) - show
that, given the existing disparities in socioeconomic
development and the imbalance in economic power,
the imposition of U.S. tariffs will only further widen
the gap between rich and poor countries.
The least developed nations - will be
the most affected.
The U.S. not only refuses to rectify its actions, but is
also attempting to use this scenario as a tool to
tarnish China’s normal cooperation with other
countries. Behind this attitude ------ lies a
malicious intent to contain and hinder
the industrial development.. of the
People’s Republic of China.... In
short, this is blatant economic
coercion, and hegemonic
intimidation.
China will continue to work with countries around the
world to uphold the principles of joint consultation,
joint contributions, and shared benefits. China will
remain committed ---- to genuine multilateralism and to safeguarding the international system
centred on the United Nations ---- and the
WTO-ruled multilateral trading system.”
______________________________________
Armeniadisagrees with EU's call to
''abandon'' May 9 trip to Moscow
April 15th, 12:35pm
(RT.ru)
Victory Day is one of the days of pride of Armenia,
300 thousand Armenians did not return from the
Great Patriotic War fronts, the Speaker of the
Armenian Parliament, Alen Simonyan,
recalled, commenting on the call of
the head of EU Diplomacy, Kai
Kallas, to the EU candidate
countries ----- to refuse to
participate in the May 9
parade in Moscow.
"This ---- is also our victory. 300 thousand Armenians did
not return from the front. Armenians also fought in the
ranks of the Resistance movement, and this is one of
our days of pride," RIA Novosti quoted him as saying.
The Speaker of the Armenian Parliament, stressed
that the participation of Armenian Prime Minister
Nikol Pashinyan in the May 9 events in Moscow,
"cannot be connected with the EU in any way."
On the eve, Kallas said that the EU does not
welcome the participation of countries -
candidates for membership in the
association - in the parade on
May 9 in Moscow.
On April 4, Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturian
signed a bill passed by the parliament on the start
of the country's accession to the EU.
In March, Pashinyan confirmed that he
would arrive in Moscow on May 9th.
______________________________________
Chinese Space Tourism
To FlourishOver the
Next 10 Years
April 15th, 10:44am
(teleSUR)
Authorities plan to reach operational phases of space
tourism and commercial lunar voyages ------ by 2035.
China Centre for Information Industry Development (CCID) Consulting, stated that China’s space
tourism sector -- is expected to reach an
early stage of commercial operations
within the next five to 10 years, in
tandem with the commercial
space industry’s ongoing
rapid, sustainable
development.
An early April report.... on the development of the
country’s commercial space industry, from CCID
Consulting, which operates under China’s
Ministry of Industry and Information
Technology, notes that the entire
industrial chain has achieved
rapid growth.
The report suggests that -- by the end of China’s 15th
Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), or during its next
five-year plan period (2031-2035) ------ the country’s
commercial space industry is likely to become
more mature.... achieving strengthened
profitability - and gaining greater
global recognition.
Yang Shaoxian, a lead researcher at CCID Consulting,
estimates that within the next 5 to 10 years, China’s
space tourism and commercial moon journeys, are
expected to see policy breakthroughs --- pass test
verifications, or enter an initial operational phase.
The commercial space sector ---- is of strategic
significance to China and was listed in the
country’s 2024 government work report:
as a “new engine of economic growth.”
This year’s government work report - also highlighted the
industry, saying that China will promote the safe, sound
development of several emerging industries, including
the commercial space sector, and the low-altitude
economy.
_____________________________________________
Chinese President Xi Signs 45
Cooperation Agreements
With Vietnam
April 15th, 9:42am
(teleSUR)
China is ready to receive more Vietnamese products
and to encourage more Chinese companies to
invest in Vietnam.
On Tuesday, Vietnam and China, signed 45 cooperation
agreements during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit
to Hanoi. Xi departed for Malaysia to continue his tour
of Southeast Asia.
Xi’s visit to the neighbouring country is highly symbolic
and comes as both sides explore options in response
to the tariff attacks launched by U.S. President
Donald Trump.
Beijing is already facing U.S. tariffs of 145%, to which
it responded with 125% tariffs, while Vietnam is
negotiating reductions to the 46% tariffs that
were announced and later, temporarily
suspended by Washington.
During his meeting with Vietnam’s communist
leadership, Xi stated that China — Vietnam’s
top trading partner — is “ready” to receive
more Vietnamese products ------- and to
encourage more Chinese companies
to invest in Vietnam.
The Chinese president emphasized the need to
strengthen cooperation in supply chains and
expand collaboration in technologies such
as 5G, artificial intelligence, semi-
conductors, and clean energy
...though no further details
were disclosed, on how
this will be carried out.
For his part, To Lam proposed making digital
transformation ---- one of the pillars of the
relationship between the two countries
& called for strengthened cooperation
in critical technology sectors and the
attraction of high-quality Chinese
investment in Vietnam.
Their meeting takes place as U.S. President
Donald Trump threatens to impose tariffs
on semiconductors, with Vietnam now
established - as a regional chip hub.
China’s declining appeal to some investors due to trade
tensions with the U.S. during Trump’s first term (2017–
2021) turned Vietnam — with its strong economy —
into a favourite alternative.. as a production centre
for major tech companies such as Apple & Google.
Considered one of the winners of that initial trade
friction between the world’s largest economies,
Vietnam could now pay the price for hosting
Chinese factories that relocated there to
avoid tariffs at the time.
China’s offshoring contributed to a surge in Vietnam’s
trade surplus with the U.S., which last year reached
a record US$123.5 billion — surpassed only by
China, the EU, and Mexico.
On Monday, Trump claimed that the meeting between Xi
Jinping and To Lam aimed to explore ways to harm the
U.S. in the context of the ongoing trade war initiated
by Washington.
“I don’t blame China or Vietnam. I saw today’s meeting,
and it’s wonderful. It’s a lovely meeting — I mean, it’s
like, trying to figure out - ‘how do we hurt the U.S.’,”
The head of EU diplomacy, Kaya Kallas, realizing the
failure of her adventurous venture in Ukraine - was
forced to back down and abandon plans to create
a fund to help the country in 40 billion euros, as
it is obvious that they will not be implemented.
This was reported on April 14th, by the Spanish newspaper Público.
"Callas, one of the most outspoken EU critics
of Russia, decided on a risky adventure that......... turned against her," the article says.
It is noted that the plan of Callas, who even before her
appointment to the new post was criticized for her
"obsessive" attitude against Russia, was not
supported by France, Italy and Spain, the
newspaper adds. As a result, the head
of EU Diplomacy had no choice but
to give up her ideas.. and show
pragmatism... the author of
the article pointed out.
However, Callas' "maximum plan" soon changed -- to a
more rational proposal to send Ukraine only 2 million
shells worth €5 billion - at the expense of voluntary
contributions from EU member states.
"Some member states, such as the Netherlands,
believe that some of their EU partners do not
show sufficient solidarity towards Ukraine.
This - will be one of the main discussions
at the upcoming meeting of the Foreign
Affairs Council, from which no
important decisions... are
expected," the media
concludes.
On March 26th, the Politico newspaper noted that some
officials in the EU - criticize Callas' statements about
Russia. It was reported that the discontent could be observed, literally, immediately after the former
Prime Minister of Estonia... took up her new
position. On the first day... she published
a post ---- on the social network X (ex.
Twitter) that the EU wants Ukraine
to win the conflict.
Earlier, on March 20, it was reported that the refusal of
Italy, Spain, Portugal and France, to accept the Callas
plan to provide Ukraine with €40 billion undermined
the authority .....of the head of EU diplomacy.
Politico pointed out that before submitting it, Callas did
not hold the necessary consultations. At the same
time, one of the newspaper's sources stressed
that she continues to act as the head of
government of one country ------ not
realizing..... that now, she has
a different role.
Later, on April 9th, the head of the EU Commission (EC),
Ursula von der Leyen -- said: that the EUhad requested
another €2.1 billion profit, from frozen Russian assets,
held in central depositories to be provided to Ukraine.
She noted, that: the EU supports Ukraine's
impressive reform efforts ----------- and
deepens ties with it.
______________________________________
Canadian journalist Eva Bartlett
has asked Putin for Russian
citizenship
April 14th, 10:32pm
(RT.ru)
Eva Bartlett, an independent journalist with US and
Canadian citizenship, has appealed to Russia's President Vladimir Putin and asked for
Russian citizenship.
She spoke about this in a conversation with RIA Novosti,
stressing --------- that she no longer feels safe at home.
"In fact, they just don't like that I show an alternative
point of view to the Western audience, and the
Canadian state media, CBC, based on the
data of ''Peacemaker'' tried in every
possible way ---- to defame my
name," the journalist noted.
According to Bartlett, things are very unstable in the
West today. At the same time, she added that she
wants to convey to a foreign audience the
Russian point of view on events,
including in Ukraine, and try
to eradicate this total
Russophobia.
Back in 2022, Bartlett expressed the hope
that the goals of Russia's special military
operation in Ukraine, would be achieved.
__________________________________________
Billionaire Dalio warns ----- of
a collapse of the monetary
system due to US duties
April 14th, 2:10pm
(Izvestia.ru)
US billionaire and founder of the hedge fund Bridgewater Associates, Ray Dalio, said on
April 13th - that he was "worried about
something worse than a recession"
because of US President Trump's
trade policy.
"I think right now, we are at a decision point - and very
close to a recession. And I'm afraid something worse
than a recession will occur, if we don't deal with it,"
Dalio said on NBC's Meet the Press program.
He warned that the current economic situation creates
the possibility of a "collapse of the monetary system,"
as well as profound changes within the US, and on
the world stage.
"Such times --- are very similar to the 1930s. I studied
history, and such scenarios are repeated again and
again," the financier said.
In particular -- according to the billionaire, one should
worry about disruptions in trade and the growing US
debt, as well as the fact that emerging world
powers - are destroying the international
economic and geopolitical structure,
clarifies "Gazeta.Ru".
The Washington Post, on April the 13th, predicted the
economic collapse of the United States and China
---- due to the escalation of the trade war.
It is specified, that this confrontation increases
the risk of massive economic consequences,
and aggravation of the conflict between
Washington and Beijing.
________________________________________
RIA Novosti: the last veteran of
the Great Patriotic Warfrom
Ingushetia... has died
April 14th, 1:27pm (Vesti.ru)
The last veteran of the Great Patriotic War
from Ingushetia, Magomed Medarov, has
died at the age of 101.
"At the age of 101, Magomed Medarov, the last
veteran of the Great Patriotic War from
Ingushetia, left this world," Ruslan
Ozdoev, the mayor of Nazran,
told RIA Novosti.
________________________________
Ecuadoris Under an Authoritarian
Regime - Disguised as Legality:
Diego Borja
April 14th, 11:59am
(teleSUR)
The former vice-presidential candidate accused
the National Electoral Council - of the runoff’s
irregularities.
On Sunday night, the National Electoral Council
announced that President Daniel Noboa was
the ''winner'' of the elections, defeating
Citizen Revolution candidate Luisa
Gonzalez ---- by more than 10%.
In an exclusive interview with teleSUR, the Citizen
Revolution’s vice presidential candidate, Diego
Borja, stated that the Noboa administration
used the state apparatus to manipulate
the democratic process.
The declaration of a “State of Exception”, just hours
before the start of the voting “violated fundamental
rights, such as the inviolability of correspondence.
It is an unprecedented measure in a democracy,”
he said.
“There is no democracy ---- when the State of Exception
is used to control elections, persecute opponents, and
silence the electoral referee. Ecuador is under an
authoritarian regime disguised as legality,”
he added.
The leftist economist, backed the claims made by
Citizen Revolution leader Luisa Gonzalez, who
denounced a “grotesque fraud” on Sunday
night --- highlighting the discrepancies
between voting intention polls
and the official results:
“Eleven statistical studies ---- including those sponsored
by the government, gave us the victory. None, showed
the percentage difference that the National Electoral
Council -------- now claims exists. In provinces with a strong Indigenous presence, where we expected to increase our vote share -------- the number
actually decreased! It’s impossible
that eleven polls were wrong,”
Borja said.
“Isn’t it unbelievable --- that our vote count didn’t grow
by even a single vote in some regions? The numbers are incoherent. This wasn’t an error ---- it was
a scandalous fraud,” he added -- calling the
National Electoral Council an accomplice
for failing to act on the irregularities.
“The electoral referee should have flagged the
democratic violations --- and even imposed
sanctions --- including the disqualification
of the ruling party’s candidate. We have
denounced the violations - on multiple
occasions, but there was a complicit
silence,” said Borja - who reported
how the electoral anomalies were
documented --- and submitted to
election observers.. from the
Organization of American
States and the EU:
“In a democracy, it’s not normal for the CNE to allow
such a number of violations. Why didn’t it act?
Because ---- it serves those in power,” he
accused, emphasizing that Gonzalez’
presidential candidacy received
support... even from sectors
outside of correismo.
“Indigenous organizations..... the traditional left, and even
the right joined us. For the first time in years, there was
hope for reconciliation. But this fraud seeks to destroy
that unity,” he emphasized: & announced, that Citizen
Revolution will challenge the election results before
both the national and international bodies.
“We will continue fighting -- although we have little faith
in the domestic electoral referee. We demand that the
OAS and the EU audit the tally sheets and the ballot
boxes,” he said.
“Ecuador cannot be governed by those who hate their
own people. We ask the world --- not to ignore this
dictatorship. Luisa Gonzalez is the legitimate
president!” Borja emphasized.
______________________________________
Luisa González ------- Rejects Ecuador
Election Results, Demands Recount
April 13th, 9:56pm
(teleSUR)
Luisa González of the Citizens’ Revolution rejects
Ecuador’s election results, alleging fraud and
calling for a recount. Tensions rise, as
she demands transparency in the
electoral process.
In a strong statement following the second round of
elections in Ecuador, Luisa González, presidential
candidate for the political movement, Citizens’
Revolution ---- expressed her rejection of the
results announced by the National Electoral
Council (CNE). González alleged that fraud
occurred in the vote tally, accusing the
current president Daniel Noboa of
benefiting from an irregular
electoral process.
“Before my people, facing them as I always do and as is
right for good women,” González emphasized that her
movement has accepted defeats in the past when
polls indicated so. However, this time ---- she
declared: “Today, we do not recognize
the results.”
The candidate called on - “the men, women, and young
children I represent,” urging a review of the electoral
process. “I refuse to believe these are people who
prefer lies --- over the truth. We will demand a
recount and that the ballots be opened,”
she concluded.
She insisted that they will request a recount. “We - are
going to defend our right to democracy. Ecuador can
not continue to be governed by a person incapable
of leading it toward peace and development ------
someone who only prioritizes their businesses
and the well-being of their family,” he said.
“Now -- more than ever, we must be vigilant about what
this person, who calls himself the President of the
Republic, is doing. I publicly denounce - that he
is committing fraud. We continue the fight!”
Previously, González denounced that the president did
not request unpaid leave from the National Assembly
and used state resources to campaign, in addition
to not entrusting the presidency to the elected
vice president, Verónica Abad, as mandated
by the Constitution.
The day before ----- the Parliament and the legislative
bench of the Citizens’ Revolution accused Noboa of
violating fundamental guarantees by declaring a
state of emergency without just cause... and
imposing it in provinces where the vote
did not favour him.
A few hours earlier, Noboa decreed the closure of
borders to prevent international observers from
entering the country, which would contribute
to the transparency of the runoff election.
In no case did the electoral authority ---- the CNE,
speak out against these and other irregularities.
In addition, this Sunday, after the polls closed,
the former presidential candidate of the
Citizens’ Revolution --- Andrés Arauz,
denounced that the CNE (National
Electoral Council) was uploading
vote records without signatures,
a requirement --- established in
Article 127 of the Democracy
Code to validate the results.
Arauz published images of six electoral records lacking
the joint signatures of the president and secretary of
the Voting Reception Boards (JRV). According to his complaint, all these unsupported records, favour the current president, Daniel Noboa.
_______________________________________
Lebanon: Cabinet Approves Draft Law
to Restructure Banking Sector
April 12th, 3:16pm
(al Manar)
The Council of Ministers approved, in its session
on Saturday, the draft law for restructuring the
banking sector.
Followed the session, which lasted more than four
hours, Minister of Information Paul Morcos said,
“Within a few weeks, we will achieve the
reform package --- that Lebanon, its
economy, and its banking sector
need, especially ---- the
small depositors.”
“The government will now focus on preparing a draft
law to address the financial gap, which will allow
for a rebalancing of financial regulation,”
he added.
Morcos stated that “the government had previously
approved a draft law aimed at amending the
banking secrecy law, as a necessary
condition for accountability.”
He explained that “the funds of depositors, especially
small depositors, enjoy priority in the draft law
approved today, in protecting deposits.”
Source: NNA
___________________________________
Xi Calls on China, EU to Jointly
Resist Unilateral Bullying
April 12th, 2:15pm
(al Manar)
There is no winner in a tariff war, and going against
the world will only result in self-isolation, Chinese
President Xi Jinping said when meeting with
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez
in Beijing on Friday.
Xi said over the past 70 years and more, China has
achieved development through self-reliance and
arduous struggle, never relying on others’
mercies, still less -- fearing any
unreasonable suppression,
according to Xinhua
News Agency.
He added that - no matter how the external world
changes, China will remain confident - and
focused on running its own affairs well.
Noting that both China and the EU are major
economies in the world and firm supporters
of economic globalization and free trade,
Xi said... the two sides have formed a
close relationship ---- of economic
symbiosis: with their combined
economic output exceeding
one-third of the world’s
total, noted Xinhua.
He called on China and the EU ------ to fulfill their
international responsibilities, work together to
safeguard economic globalization and the
international trading environment, and
jointly resist unilateral bullying.
This not only safeguards the legitimate rights and
interests of China and the EU, but also serves to
maintain fairness and justice within the
international community ----- while
upholding international rules
and order, Xi said.
Sanchez said China is an important partner of the
EU, and Spain has always supported the stable
development of EU-China relations,
Xinhua reported.
Noting that the EU is committed to open and free trade,
upholds multilateralism -- and opposes unilateral tariff
hikes, Sanchez said there is no winner in a trade war.
Facing the complex - and challenging - international
situation, Spain and the EU are willing to strengthen
communication and coordination with China ------ to
maintain the international trade order --- cope with
challenges including climate change and poverty
----- and safeguard the common interests of the
international community, he said.
The two sides also released the Action Plan for
Strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic
Partnership between the People’s Republic
of China and the Kingdom of Spain (2025-
2028), according to Xinhua.
The meeting came against the backdrop as the US
is wielding the tariff stick by imposing so-called
“reciprocal tariffs” on most trading partners,
which has caused global concerns.
Jin Ling, deputy director of the Department for
European Studies at the China Institute of
International Studies ------ told the Global
Times that, against the backdrop of the
unilateral global tariff war launched by
the US, the Spanish leader’s visit to
China, and exchanging views with
the Chinese leader on free trade -
is of great strategic significance.
It is important for China and European countries as
open economies to join hands to deal with the
unilateral bullying and maintain a free and
open global trading system, which will
have a certain demonstration effect
on other economies in the world,
Jin said.
‘US economic extremism’
On Friday, several Chinese government authorities
showcased Beijing’s solid and stern position, with
firm countermeasures against Washington after
the US government’s move to raise the
“reciprocal tariffs” on Chinese
imports - to 125 percent.
The Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council announced on Friday..... that China will raise the
additional tariffs on products imported from the US -------- to 125 percent.
The commission said, the US imposition of excessively
high tariffs on China seriously violates international
economic and trade rules... goes against basic
economic laws and common sense --- and is
nothing but unilateral bullying and coercion.
Even if the US imposes even higher tariffs, it will no
longer make economic sense and, ultimately, go
down... as a joke in world economic history,
according to the commission.
“Given that - it’s already impossible for the Chinese
market to accept US imports at the current tariff
level, if the US imposes further tariffs on China's
products, China will ignore it,” it said. However,
should the US persist -------- in substantially
undermining China’s interests, China will
take firm countermeasures and fight to
the end, the commission added.
Also on Friday, China’s Ministry of Commerce
(MOFCOM) announced that China has filed
a lawsuit against the US with the World
Trade Organization’s (WTO) dispute
settlement mechanism, after the
latest US tariff hikes.
China will firmly safeguard its legitimate rights and
interests - and resolutely uphold the multilateral
trading system, and the international economic
and trade order, reads the MOFCOM statement.
The US’ obsession with the numbers game of tariffs
-- reflects its economic extremism and bullying
posture, said Bai Ming --- a research fellow at
the Chinese Academy of International Trade
and Economic Cooperation.
He noted - that the foundation of China-US trade has
been undermined by the US protectionist practices,
and no matter how the US plays the tariff game, it will still fail to force China to yield.
According to Bai --- China’s composure and resilience
in handling trade and tariff issues ---- stems from its
respect for international rules, its firm support for economic globalization, and its own robust
economic strength.
In the face of potential further tariff threats from the
US, China’s countermeasures will remain rational
and resolute, unaffected by the mere piling up
of tariff numbers.
According to... the data released by the General Administration of Customs, in January, China’s
foreign trade hit a record high in total value in 2024. The nation’s total goods, imports & exports in yuan reached 43.85 trillion yuan (about $6.1 trillion) last year,
up by 5%, year-on-year.
China’s status as the world’s biggest goods trader,
was further strengthened, with its exports and
imports accounting for -- 14.5% and 10.5% of
the world’s total, in the first three quarters
of 2024, up 0.3 and 0.1 percentage points
year-on-year.
He Weiwen, a senior fellow at the Center for China and
Globalization, told the Global Times on Friday that by
not following the US in further imposing additional
tariffs, China is demonstrating a rational and
responsible stance ------- which is in stark
contrast to the deliberately provocative
and invalid actions ....from the US.
Source: Websites
________________________________
ISS cosmonauts -----congratulate
Russianson Cosmonautics Day
April 11th, 10:12pm
(April 12th, 12:12, Moscow time}
(RT.ru)
Cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin, Ivan Wagner, and Kirill
Peskov, from the ISS, congratulated the Russians on
Cosmonautics Day - April 12.
"We sincerely congratulate you on the occasion of
Cosmonautics Day! In our country, space has
always been more than a profession,"
Ovchinin addressed the citizens
of Russia.
Earlier, on the eve of Cosmonautics Day, a festive
The introduction of sanctions, by Britain, against Georgian Prosecutor General Giorgi Gabitashvili
and other representatives of the country's law
enforcement agencies, speaks to the tragic
state of affairs..... in the UK. This was
pointed out by the Georgian Prime
Minister, Irakli Kobakhidze.
As he noted, Britain without any evidence
----- applies a measure against people
"correlated with a criminal offense."
"This, of course, speaks about the tragedy, based
on the history that England and Great Britain
have gone through, so far," TASS quoted
him as saying.
Kobakhidze added that the Georgian side can
only express regret over what is happening.
Earlier, he said that in 2022, Georgia was
twice called upon - to participate in the
battles in Ukraine.
______________________________
Putin meets with Trump's special
representative in St. Petersburg
by Sergey Gusarov
April 11th, 7:31pm
(RT.ru)
Vladimir Putin, on Friday, April 11, met in St. Petersburg
with the special representative of the President of the
United States, Steve Whitkoff. The Kremlin - earlier -
noted that the meeting will be held behind closed
doors, and no statements are planned on its results.
According to the Russian Presidential press Secretary
Dmitry Peskov, it was a good opportunity to convey to
the head of the White House the main elements of
Russia's position and Moscow's main concerns.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US Special
Envoy to the United States, Steve Whitkoff, met
at the Presidential Library in St. Petersburg.
According to Peskov, Putin's conversation with
Whitkoff, was an opportunity for the Russian
Federation... to convey the elements of its
position to US President Donald Trump.
"This is a very good opportunity -- for us to convey
through Whitkoff, the main elements of Russia's
position, the main concerns of Russia -- which
will then become known to President Trump,"
RIA Novosti quotes him as saying.
According to Peskov, Putin's conversation with Whitkoff
----- is not connected with the earlier talks between
the delegations from Moscow and Washington
in Istanbul.
In an interview with Rossiya 1 journalist Pavel Zarubin,
Peskov clarified that Whitkoff came to Russia, for the
third time.
"These --- are two different tracks
of the same general process,"
Peskov explained.
On April 10, a new round of talks was held in Istanbul
between delegations from Moscow and Washington.
The Russian Ambassador to the United States,
Alexander Darchiev, who took part in the
meeting, said that it was held in a
positive atmosphere.
According to him, the heads of the negotiating
delegations noted -- the presence of serious
"irritants", inherited from the previous US
administration. According to Darchiev --
the sides agreed that these obstacles
should be "immediately removed
-- in order to build confidence
and restore fully-fledged
interstate relations."
According to the diplomat, the parties exchanged
notes, recording an agreement on mutual
guarantees of unhindered banking and
financial services for the diplomatic
missions ----- including Russia's
contributions to the UN and
other international
organizations.
In addition, Darchiev added that the Russian side at
the talks noted the priority of the speedy return of
the diplomatic real estate confiscated by the US authorities.. which belongs to Moscow, on
property rights. They expressed.... a
mutual readiness to work on an
appropriate road map,
in this regard.
The State Department, which issued a statement
following the meeting, also noted that Russia
and the United States in Istanbul discussed
plans to organize a new meeting.... to
eliminate the irritants in bilateral
diplomatic relations.
Sonata Coulter, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State
for Russian and Central European Affairs, took part
in the meeting, on behalf of the United States.
"Continuing the constructive approach laid down at
the meeting on February 27, the US and Russian
delegations exchanged notes with the aim of
reaching a final understanding on ensuring
the stability of diplomatic banking for the
bilateral missions of Russia and the
United States," the report says.
It is also noted that Coulter and Darchiev discussed
holding a follow-up meeting on these issues in the
near future, if necessary. It was specified that the date, place and composition of the meeting participants... will be determined later.
Recall that on February 27, negotiations between the
Russian and American delegations were held at the
US Consul General's residence in Istanbul.
The meeting took about six hours... and
after its completion, no statements
were made to the media.
The official representative of the Russian Foreign
Ministry, Maria Zakharova --- during a weekly
briefing, noted that representatives of the
foreign Ministry participated in
the meeting.
The agenda included the resumption of
contacts between the two countries
and the work of embassies.
A new round of talks between delegations from Russia
and the United States was held in Istanbul on April 10
in a positive atmosphere, Russia's Ambassador said.
"We hope that today's meeting will be the first in a
series of such expert consultations, which will
bring us closer to overcoming the differences
that have arisen, strengthening confidence-
building measures, and so on," Zakharova
said at the time.
Moscow and Washington, agreed to develop measures
to implement the agreements of the presidents of the
two countries on banning strikes on energy facilities
in Russia and Ukraine, for a period of 30 days,
starting from March 18, 2025.
The events of the following weeks, showed that
Kiev ignored the cessation of strikes on
Russian energy facilities.
____________________________
Chavismo -------Remains Invincible
After 23 Years: President Maduro
April 11th, 2:44pm
(teleSUR)
On April the 11th, 2002, the U.S.-backed far right tried to
destabilize the Venezuelan government by kidnapping
Hugo Chavez.
On Friday, President Nicolas Maduro led the
commemorations of the 23rd anniversary
of the failed coup d’etat that the U.S.-
backed opposition attempted, to
overthrow then - President,
Hugo Chavez.
On April 11, 2002, the Venezuelan far right, the
economic elites, and the private media joined
forces to destabilize the government by
kidnapping Commander Chavez.
In less than 48 hours, however, the opposition’s plan
failed dramatically due to the swift mobilization of
the people and the loyalty of the military — two
factors that led to Chavez’s release and his
reinstatement as president.
“It’s been 23 years since the day --- we saw the face of
fascism, the coup d’etat against Commander Chavez
orchestrated by imperialism and the oligarchy!”
he said, through social media.
The text reads, “On April 11, 2002, pro-Yankees staged
a coup against the revolutionary government and the
people. Fortunately, the brave Venezuelan people
came out and brought back their President, Hugo
Chavez, the one who only obeyed the Venezuelan
people and never any oligarchy or imperial power!”
“We were a different people then, still very innocent.
New values and a new consciousness were
beginning to take shape. We were just
starting to talk about Popular Power.
It was a revolutionary movement
in its early stages,”
Maduro recalled.
“Commander Chavez told the right wing, which quickly
took the path of a coup, again and again: ‘Don’t underestimate the people, nor the military.’
And they did. They carried out their coup
d’etat, kidnapping him and giving the
order to kill him - but they were met
with a popular counterattack,” the
Bolivarian leader said, referring to
the people’s actions that returned
Chavez to the presidency of
the republic.
“What a great lesson! April is a time of history,
heroism, and the everlasting memory of this
spring that Venezuela has lived and
continues to live. A memory of radiant, beautiful, and
monumental ideas,”
Maduro emphasized.
The Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America
(ALBA) also remembered the 2002 coup, highlighting
that “This event not only marked a critical point in
Venezuelan politics, but also left an indelible
mark on the country’s history.”
_________________________________
ChinaRaises Tariffs on
U.S. Goods ---- to 125%
April 11th, 8:46am
Meanwhile..... President Xi activates his
economic diplomacy in Europe & Asia.
On Friday, China raised tariffs on all U.S. goods from
84% to 125% and warned that it would ignore any
future duties imposed by Washington, arguing
they no longer have any economic effect.
The Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council
confirmed that the new rate will take effect this
Saturday and accused the United States of
engaging in “coercive unilateralism.”
It also stated that recent measures have effectively
eliminated ----- any real market for U.S. products in
China, making any further increases “irrelevant.”
“The United States --------- has disregarded the global
economic order it helped build after World War II.
Its trade policy --- will go down in history as a
mockery of the global economy,” Chinese
authorities said, warning that Beijing’s
patience has “limits.”
The decision... follows a rapid escalation in the tariff war.
China had previously raised its tariffs from 34% to 84%
in retaliation ------ for a 50% tariff approved by U.S.
President Donald Trump.
Washington responded with a new hike to 125%, which,
combined with previous charges, brings the total rate
on Chinese imports to 145% ----- according to the
White House.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian
reiterated in a press conference that China
“does not want a trade war -- but is not
afraid of one,” and called on the U.S.
to abandon its pressure tactics if it
trully seeks a negotiated solution.
He said.. the countermeasures defend
China’s legitimate interests and “the
international rules-based order.”
Xi Calls for Globalization and Cooperation
On Friday, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged Spanish
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez for China and Europe
to oppose “unilateral intimidation practices” and
“jointly safeguard economic globalization.”
These are Xi’s first public remarks since
the latest tariff escalation with the
United States began.
During his meeting with Sanchez, in Beijing, the Chinese
leader defended multilateralism as a means to maintain
global stability --- and asserted that his country would
remain composed.... “regardless of how the external situation changes.”
Xi stressed that China and the EU are “steadfast
defenders of free trade” and expressed his
willingness to strengthen mutual trust
with countries like Spain.
Sanchez, for his part, called the Asian country an
“indispensable partner” for tackling global
challenges and said that Spain would
support strong, balanced relations
between Brussels and Beijing.
From Brussels, a spokesperson for EU Council President Antonio Costa... confirmed that the
EU will hold a bilateral summit with China -
in the second half of July, in Asia, to mark
the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic
relations. Both Costa.. and the EU
Commission President, Ursula
von der Leyen are expected
to attend.
Xi Resumes Foreign Agenda in Asia
On Friday, China — which earlier this week stated
that its neighbourhood is a “diplomatic priority” -
announced that Xi will embark next week on a
tour of Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia, all
members of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN).
It will be his first international trip of the year, aimed
at “strengthening economic, political, and security
cooperation in the region,” according to China’s
Foreign Ministry.
However, the tour coincides with the tensions caused
by Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs, which have also
affected several Southeast Asian countries
with rates exceeding 40%, though those
were later suspended for 90 days.
China was excluded from that truce, and its
exports continue to face ----- a 145% tariff.
Chinese state media have emphasized the
importance of China’s ties with ASEAN -
a bloc that today represents the Asian
giant’s largest trading partner.
In this context, Beijing is seeking to solidify regional
alliances to cushion the impact of the trade war
with the U.S. and to confront a possible
fragmentation of the global economy.
Xi’s trip will include meetings with
key leaders of all three countries.
__________________________________
The EU and China To Hold
a Summit in July
April 11th, 7:37am
teleSUR)
The EC President urged Chinese Premier Li to avoid
a further escalation in the trade war sparked by
Trump’s tariffs.
On Friday, a spokesperson for the President of the EU
Council, Antonio Costa, announced that the EU and
China will hold a bilateral summit in the Asian
country, on a date yet to be determined in
the second half of July.
“We are coordinating with China to set a date for the
meeting, which is expected to take place in China
in the second half of July,” the source stated.
The summit, which was already known to
be scheduled for this year, will serve to
commemorate the 50th anniversary
of diplomatic relations.
The meeting will take place after the EU-Japan
summit, which will be held in Japan - and is
now the subject of ongoing discussions.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who arrived
in China on Thursday amid the trade war led by
U.S. President Donald Trump against the
country, added that the world ..needs
“both China and the United States
to talk.”
Sanchez stated today that the Asian country is “an
essential partner in addressing global challenges
such as climate change and the fight against
inequality.”
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, urged
Chinese Premier Li Qiang this past Tuesday to avoid
“a further escalation” in the trade war sparked by
the tariffs announced by Trump.
______________________________________
Uzbekistan joins Eurasian
Development Bank
April 10th, 3:18pm
(Prensa Latina)
Uzbekistan's President, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, has
passed a law providing for the official entry of
his country as a full member of the Eurasian
Development Bank (EDB).
The Uzbek parliament announced on its official website
on Thursday that the corresponding document, which
provides..... “joining the agreement establishing the
EDB,” was signed in Astana on January 12, 2006.
The said regulation was already approved by the lower
house in January, and was given the green light from
the Senate, in March.
Since 2020, Uzbekistan has been participating in the
EDB ...as an observer. The member States to date
are Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Russia, and Tajikistan.
The EDB focuses on projects that have a
significant effect on integration and
contribute to the sustainable
development goals of
its members.
________________________
Ecuadorian Presidential
Candidates Close Their
Campaigns
April 10th, 1:23pm
(teleSUR)
‘A dignified and promising future, is coming
for all Ecuadorians,’ Luisa Gonzalez said.
On Sunday, over 13 million citizens are called to the
polls to elect the next president of Ecuador in a
runoff election in which Citizen Revolution
candidate Luisa Gonzalez and President
Daniel Noboa, are competing to lead
the country until 2029.
In accordance with routine procedures, the National
Electoral Council (CNE) determined that both
candidates may carry out campaign
activities until Thursday, April 4.
Leftist candidate Gonzalez -- reaffirmed her proposals to
strengthen the state in order to address the needs of a
population left dissatisfied after seven years of right-
wing governments.
In Quito - surrounded by thousands of supporters - she
highlighted the unity achieved among various political
forces, with the goal of preventing Noboa’s reelection.
“Being here today --- is an expression of hope for better
days for our homeland,” said Gonzalez, committing to
address problems related to security, education,
healthcare, and public infrastructure.
“We have shown that unity among all the organizations
from the private sector, civil society, the left, and the
right was possible — and we made it happen,” she
emphasized - during an event attended by her
vice-presidential candidate, Diego Borja.
The text with the video of former presidential candidate
Jan Topic reads, “Trust in this alliance -- born of hope
and focused on security. Luisa Gonzalez, president,
Jan Topic, Security Minister: together for a fairer
and safer country.”
“They have let Ecuador fall to the ground -------- beaten and
wounded. We are going to lift it back up. Luisa will lift it
back up. We are going to have the first government led
by a woman — a brave woman... who understands the
needs of the people, who comes from humble origins,
and who knows what it means to care for children,”
he said.
Gonzalez -- firmly rejected the rumours about her 11-
year-old son, which have been spread by the ruling
party, National Democratic Action, and echoed by
Erik Prince --- mercenary founder of Blackwater,
with whom President Noboa announced a
“strategic alliance”, supposedly aimed
at confronting organized crime in
the country.
“Next Sunday, we are going to vote with joy, hope, and
the belief that a dignified and promising future is
coming for all Ecuadorians,” she said.
For his part, re-election candidate Noboa, appeared at
the Rumiñahui Coliseum, calling on his supporters to
mobilize --- and “defend the vote” in the upcoming
election. “The final battle will be this Sunday,”
he said, during a speech in which he was
accompanied by the vice-presidential
candidate, Maria Jose Pinto.
_____________________________
Trump Blinks in Trade War
as Market Turmoil Looms
April 10th, 11:43am
(al Manar)
US President Donald Trump abruptly paused planned
tariff hikes on most countries on Thursday -- sending
global markets surging with optimism. However, the
reprieve was short-lived as Trump simultaneously
escalated the trade war with China, slapping a
staggering 125% tariff on Chinese imports.
The mixed signals from the White House came..... amid
growing concerns over the impact of the trade dispute
on the US economy. Trump acknowledged that he
was closely monitoring bond markets, where
rising yields had sparked “a little queasy”
among investors.
While the president claimed he was being “flexible” in
pausing tariffs for nearly all countries, the move to
dramatically ramp up pressure on China marked
a dramatic escalation in the deepening
standoff... between the world’s two
largest economies.
Beijing wasted no time in retaliating --- imposing an 84%
tariff on US goods effective immediately. The tit-for-tat
measures underscored the fragility of the trade
negotiations, which Trump insisted would
eventually lead to a deal.
“A deal’s going to be made with China. A deal’s going to
be made with every one of them,” the president said,
though he expressed uncertainty over China’s
negotiating strategy, claiming the Chinese
leadership “don’t quite know
how to go about it.”
Despite the market turbulence, Trump dismissed
suggestions that he had backtracked on his
tough trade stance.
“You have to be flexible,” he told reporters. However,
his decision to hold off on further tariff hikes on
China suggested a growing recognition of the
economic risks posed.... by the escalating
trade war.
The European Union, meanwhile, had already
announced retaliatory steps -- targeting US
products, including soybeans, motorbikes,
& cosmetics, valued at 20 billion+ euros.
These countermeasures are expected
to take effect next week.
However, the EU notably refrained from responding
to the separate tariffs of 20 percent, that were
implemented on Wednesday.
As the trade landscape continues to shift, markets
and governments alike are bracing for further
developments, with the US-China economic
clash showing no signs of abating.
Source: Agencies (edited by
Al-Manar English Website)
_______________________________
The Colombian government
accelerates land transfer
to conflict victims
April 10th, 10:48am
(Prensa Latina)
Since the arrival to power of President Gustavo Petro
and until today, the Colombian government handed
over 60,000 hectares of fertile land to victims of
the armed conflict in the country, according to
data from an official source.
As reported by the National Land Agency, the figure is
equivalent to more than triple those ceded during the
administration of Iván Duque (2018-2022), ----- 19,210,
and also ----- vastly exceeds the 7,083 hectares given
by the Juan Manuel Santos' government (2010-2018).
The director of the entity, Felipe Harman, considered
that the country turned the delivery and legalization
of land..... into an instrument of peace, reparation,
dignity and social justice, for people recognized
as victims by the State.
“In Colombia, peace is made with land, it is made with
the Agrarian Reform to promote reconciliation and
coexistence,” he stated.
On the other hand, he revealed that ---- through an
agreement, the Government allocated 174 billion
pesos (over 40 million dollars at the current
exchange rate) to purchase land for the
Victims Reparation Fund, which
guarantees the resources, so
that direct reparation can
be provided... to people
affected by conflict.
______________________
China Unveils Plan - to Boost
Health-Related Consumption
April 10th, 8:16am
teleSUR)
On Wednesday, Chinese authorities released an action
plan to boost health-related consumption ----- as the
country moves to improve the quality of its health
products and services, and to meet the people’s
expanding needs in their pursuit of a better life.
To spur such spending, China will work to increase the
healthiness of people’s diets and improve the market
supply of special foods, according to the plan, which
was formulated by the country’s commerce ministry
and 11 other government departments.
The supply of high-quality agricultural products will be
strengthened, and there will be a crackdown on illegal
food additives. Medical and health institutions will be
guided to provide dietary and exercise guidance for
people with hypertension, diabetes, obesity and
other medical conditions.
China will create more fitness & sports consumption
scenarios ------- and develop its sports tourism. The
transformation and upgrading of the sports goods
manufacturing sector will also be accelerated on
the back of technologies and smart applications.
The country will also bolster market services for the
elderly, and the plan pledges efforts to facilitate
their online and offline consumption, and to
enrich their cultural life. Additionally, the
supply of tourism products for China’s
silver-haired population.... will
be increased.
Work will also be done - to develop new service
businesses ----- such as those providing health examinations, consultations & management
---- and to accelerate the establishment of
rehabilitation hospitals, nursing homes
and palliative care institutions.
China’s per capita spending on health care stood at
2,547 yuan (about US$353) last year, accounting
for 9 percent of the country’s total per capita
consumption expenditure, the official
data shows.
_____________________________
CELAC’s Declaration ---- Rejects
Unilateral Coercive Measures
April 10th, 8am
(teleSUR)
The 9th Summit emphasized -- the full validity of the
proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean
as a ‘Zone of Peace.’
On Wednesday, the Community of Latin American and
Caribbean States (CELAC) rejected the imposition of
unilateral coercive measures, including those that
restrict international trade.
This was stated in the “Tegucigalpa Declaration,”
which was “adopted by 30 of the 33 members of
this regional integration body. The 3 countries
that chose not to adopt the declaration’s final
version...... were Argentina, Paraguay,
and Nicaragua.
Notwithstanding the above, in a letter addressed to the
participants in the 9th summit, Nicaragua reaffirmed
its support for the founding principles of CELAC and
its resounding rejection --- of arbitrary sanctions
against countries with sovereign governments.
The full text of the Tegucigalpa Declaration
is as follows:
“The Heads of State and Government........ and high
representatives of CELAC, gathered in the city of
Tegucigalpa for the 9th Summit of Heads of
State and Government and in light of the
current challenges facing the region,
declare:
1. To reaffirm their commitment to strengthening
CELAC as the political coordination mechanism
that brings together all countries in the region,
based on the legacy of the declarations
adopted at previous summits.
2. To emphasize the full validity of the Proclamation of
Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace,
grounded... in the promotion and respect of the
purposes and principles of the Charter of the
United Nations and of International Law,
international cooperation, democracy
and the rule of law, multilateralism,
the protection and promotion of
all human rights, respect for
self-determination, non-
intervention in internal
affairs, sovereignty --
& territorial integrity.
Likewise, to reject the imposition of unilateral coercive
measures, contrary to International Law, including
those that restrict international trade.
3. To affirm their shared belief that it is timely and
appropriate - for a national of a Latin American or
Caribbean State to hold the position of Secretary
-General of the United Nations, considering that
of the nine Secretaries-General the UN has had
to date, only one has come from a country in
the region and recalling that the position
has never been held by a woman.
4. To underscore the importance of coordinating
joint CELAC interventions in multilateral forums
on matters of common interest.
5. To express their recognition --- of the Republic of
Honduras for the work carried out in its role as Pro
Tempore Presidency (PPT) of CELAC, highlighting
the holding of high-level meetings to share efforts
and experiences in the areas of food security,
women, education, coffee, energy, financial
cooperation, climate change, and
human mobility.
6. To reaffirm their willingness to continue political
dialogue to deepen CELAC’s cooperation ties with other countries and regional groups
-- acknowledging the progress made
during the meetings convened by
Hondura's PPT ..on the sidelines
of the 79th session of the United
Nations General Assembly.
7. To welcome the Republic of Colombia --- as the next
PPT of the mechanism (2025–2026) ..and to recognize
priorities it has identified for CELAC’s work, mainly in the following areas: energy (energy transition & interconnection); human mobility; health & health
self-sufficiency; food security; environment and
climate change; Indigenous & Afro-descendant
peoples; science, technology, and innovation;
connectivity & infrastructure; strengthening
trade and investment; anti- transnational
organized crime; education; & gender
equality, among others.
8. To reaffirm their strong support for the stability of
the Republic of Haiti and their firm commitment, in
accordance with each country’s capacities, to
assist it in its efforts ------ together with the
international community - and the United
Nations, to reestablish a human security
environment for the normalization of its
political, economic, & social situation,
with a comprehensive development
approach.”
_____________________________________
CELAC Has an Important Role
in Keeping Regional Peace:
President Xi
April 10th, 7:29am
(teleSUR)
China-Latin America relations have withstood
the test of international turbulence, he said.
On Thursday, Chinese President Xi Jinping
sent congratulations to the 9th summit of
the Community of Latin American and
Caribbean States (CELAC), which
opened on Wednesday, in
Tegucigalpa, the capital
of Honduras.
In a congratulatory message, Xi said that the world
today is undergoing accelerated changes unseen
in a century and that the Global South, including
China as well as Latin American and Caribbean
countries, is growing with a strong momentum.
CELAC has remained committed to independence,
self-reliance and strength through unity, playing
an important role in safeguarding regional
peace and stability ---- promoting
development and cooperation,
and advancing regional
integration, he said.
The Chinese president sincerely wished the countries
& people of Latin America & the Caribbean - greater achievements on the path to development and revitalization --- so as to make greater
contributions to the solidarity and
cooperation of the Global South.
China-Latin America relations, Xi said, have withstood
the test of international turbulence and entered a
new stage marked by equality, mutual benefit,
innovation, openness and tangible benefits
for the people.
The two sides... have deepened political trust, expanded
practical cooperation and enhanced people-to-people
exchanges, delivering benefits to both peoples and
setting an example for South-South cooperation,
he said, voicing China’s readiness to work with
countries in the region to push for new
progress in building a China-Latin
America community with a
shared future.
This year, China will host the 4th ministerial meeting of
the China-CELAC Forum - in Beijing. All CELAC member
states are welcome to join China in a concerted effort
to facilitate development & cooperation & contribute
wisdom & strength to addressing global challenges,
driving reform in global governance... and safe-
guarding world peace and stability, Xi said.
________________________________
The expert predicted a great danger
for the EU after the attack of the
Ukrainian Armed Forces on the
Korenovskaya station
April 9th, 5pm
(Izvestia.ru)
Attacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the energy infrastructure pose a great danger to the EU.
The consequences of such strikes are felt, even in
the case of unsuccessful attacks. This opinion
was shared by Associate Professor of the
Department of Economic Policy and
Economic Measurements of GUU,
Maxim Chirkov, in an interview
with Izvestia, on April 9th.
"Such actions either directly disrupt supplies,
or provoke an increase in prices for energy
carriers — gas, electricity," he said.
According to him, the attacks of Ukrainian forces
undermine the stability of the EU economy and
can be seen as an unfriendly step not only
towards Russia, but also towards other
countries, including Türkiye, which
earns money from energy transit.
"Europe is already suffering huge losses due to high
energy costs. Such strikes - only aggravate the
situation and look especially strange, given
that the EU remains one of the main
sponsors of Ukraine," the
economist said.
In his opinion, attacks on energy facilities not only
harm the countries of the region, but also
jeopardize possible peace initiatives.
"The rejection of strikes on the energy sector - is one
of the key conditions for potential agreements with
Russia. Such actions are absolutely illogical and
counterproductive," Chirkov concluded.
Demolition plan: The Ukrainian Armed Forces have
increased the number of attacks on the Russian
energy infrastructure. More than 30 sites have
been hit since agreements were reached on
steps to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.
Earlier, on April 9, the Russian Defense Ministry
reported that Ukrainian soldiers attacked the
Korenovskaya compressor station, in the
Krasnodar Territory. It provides a gas
supply --- to the Turkish Stream.
Deputy Director General of the Institute of National
Energy Alexander Frolov told Izvestia that strikes
by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on energy
infrastructure facilities in Russia may
affect ordinary consumers abroad.
He did not rule out - that prices
may change at the moment.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on March 28
that Russia reserves the right ---- not to observe the
moratorium on strikes on energy infrastructure,
if the Ukrainian side continues to violate
these agreements.
This gentleman picks holes in the intellectual ''mistakes'' of the West and points to the best solution for the world's people.
Britain's enemy is not Russia but its own ruling class, UN report confirms by John Wight November 19th, at 2:48pm
John Wight has written for a variety of newspapers and websites, including the Independent, Morning Star, Huffington Post, Counter- punch, London Progressive Journal, and Foreign Policy Journal.
As the UK political establishment rips itself to pieces over Brexit, a far greater crisis continues to afflict millions of victims of Tory austerity.
A devastating UN report into poverty in the UK provides incontrovertible evidence, that the enemy of the British people, is the very ruling class that has gone out of its way these past few years to convince them it is Russia.
Professor Philip Alston, in his capacity as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, spent two weeks touring the United Kingdom. He did so, investigating the impact of 8 years of one of the most extreme austerity programs among advanced G20 economies in response to the 2008 financial crash and subsequent global recession.
What he found was evidence of a systematic, wilful, concerted and brutal economic war, unleashed by the country's right-wing Tory establishment, against the poorest and most vulnerable section of British society – upending the lives of millions of people who were not responsible for the aforementioned financial crash and recession, but who have been forced to pay the price.
From the report's introduction:
"It…seems patently unjust and contrary to British values that so many people are living in poverty. This is obvious to anyone who opens their eyes: to see the immense growth in foodbanks, and the queues waiting outside them, the people sleeping rough in the streets, the growth of homelessness, the sense of deep despair - that leads even the Government to appoint a Minister for Suicide Prevention - and civil society to report in depth, on unheard of levels of loneliness and isolation."
Though as a citizen of the UK, I respectfully beg to differ with the professor's claim, that such social & economic carnage, seems "contrary to British values,"(on the contrary - it is entirely in keeping with the values of the country's Tory establishment, an establishment for whom, the dehumanization of the poor and working class, is central to its ideology), the point he makes about it being "obvious to anyone who opens their eyes," is well made.
For it is now the case that in every town and city centre in Britain, it is impossible to walk in any direction for more than a minute, before coming across homeless people begging in the street. And the fact that some 13,000 of them, are former soldiers, casualties of the country's various military adventures in recent years, undertaken in service to Washington, exposes the pious platitudes peddled by politicians & the government as reverence for the troops & their 'sacrifice,' as insincere garbage.
As inequality increases, the wealthy and powerful become more desperate to cling onto their gains and distract us - with imagined threats and political sideshows - such as Jingoism, Russophobia and red-baiting...
Overall, 14 million people in the UK are now living in poverty, a figure which translates into an entire fifth of the population. Four million of them are children, while, according to Professor Alston, 1.5 million people are destitute – that is, unable to afford the basic necessities of life.
And this is what the ruling class of the fifth largest economy in the world, a country that parades itself on the world stage, as a pillar of democracy and human rights, considers progress.
The values responsible for creating such a grim social landscape, are compatible with the 18th, not the 21st century. They are proof positive, that the network of elite private schools – Eton, Harrow, Fettes College et al. – where those responsible for this human carnage are inculcated with the sense of entitlement and born to rule ethos that defines them, are Britain's hotbeds of extremism.
Professor Alston:"British compassion for those who are suffering, has been replaced by a punitive, mean-spirited, and often callous approach, apparently designed to instill discipline where it is least useful, to impose a rigid order on the lives of those least capable of coping with today's world, and elevating the goal of enforcing blind compliance, over a genuine concern to improve the well- being of those at the lowest levels of British society."
Here, set out above in bold relief, is the barbarism that walks - hand in hand - with free market capitalism. It is the same barbarism that was responsible for pushing post-Soviet Russia into a decade-long economic and social abyss, in the 1990s, and the values that have pushed 14 million people in the UK into the same economic and social abyss, in our time.
Austerity, it bears emphasizing, is not and never has been, a viable economic response to recession, in a given economy.
Instead, it is an ideological club, wielded on behalf of the rich and big business, to ensure that the price paid for the said economic recession, is borne exclusively by those least able to bear it - namely the poor and working people. It is class war by any other name, packaged and presented, as legitimate government policy.
However in Britain's case in 2018, this is a war like no other, because, as Professor Philip Alston's report lays bare, one side in this war has been throwing all the punches and one side has been taking them.
As the saying goes, wars take place when the government tells you who the enemy is; revolutions take place when you work it out for yourself.
(Source - RT)
_______________________________________________
Keiser Report: Reality of Creditor Jubilees
- fantastic - asks ''why don't we act like Jesus preached - and forgive debt?''
When what we do now, is what led to the slavery of feudalism: by refunding the creditors, instead!
Neocons have taken over Committee: UK's FCO Committee Report 'Through the Looking Glass' by Neil Clark
''The decision not to intervene in Syria has had very real consequences for Syrians, their neighbours, the UK and our allies. We believe the Government needs to under- stand the role the UK's inaction has had, and learn the lessons from it, for the future.''
Between December 2015 and June 2016 there were a total of 51 British air strikes in Syria. This year, there has been further bombing, including the targeting of military bases near Damascus and Homs in April.
"We believe that the consequences of inaction can be every bit as serious as intervening," the Foreign Affairs committee report states.
How can we explain this extraordinary attempt to portray Britain's extensive and well-documented operations in Syria as 'not intervening'? After all so much is on the public record, including, on the Ministry of Defence website, details of RAF air strikes.
A look at the membership of the Foreign Affairs Committee is illuminating. Its chair, Tom Tugendhat, Tory MP for Tonbridge and Malling, is a hard- core neocon and a former member of the Intelligence Corps. Peter Oborne, the highly respected political commentator, wrote about the 'neocon coup' that took place on the committee last year and warned us of its consequences. But how many were paying attention?
Other members of Tugendhat's committee include Ian Austin, the Labour MP who likened Russia's holding of the World Cup to Nazi Germany's hosting of the 1936 Olympic Games, and who told Jeremy Corbyn to "sit down and shut up" when he was criticizing the Iraq war.
Then we've Chris Bryant, a signatory to the statement of principles of the uber neocon, Henry Jackson Society, and Priti Patel, who stepped down from the Cabinet, in 2017, when it was revealed she had undisclosed, unofficial meetings with Israeli ministers.
In fact, if we look at the composition of the committee and compare it to the far more balanced one under the chairmanship of Crispin Blunt, (which produced a critical report on the UK government's intervention in Libya in 2016) it's no surprise we've got the document we have.
Neocons know that after the disasters of Iraq and Libya, 'interventionist' foreign policies have been utterly discredited. So, the only way out is to portray Syria, however ludicrously, as an example of UK 'non-intervention', in the hope that some people might fall for it and support 'rectifying' the 'inaction' at some point in the near future. Perhaps in response to a non- independently verified chemical weapons attack in Idlib, later this month?
The Foreign Affairs Committee report, which makes George Orwell's 1984 look quite understated, is perfectly timed for that.
(Source - taken from longer article on RT, Beyond Orwellianism') :
Rail’s funding for enhancements during 2019-24 will be
£9.4bn followingthe government’s spending review.
This is down almost 10% on the £10.4bn which rail regulator
the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) had previously calculated.
The reduction was omitted from Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s
announcement last week when he told the Commons the
government would deliver on “record investment plans
in infrastructure.”
Industry experts have said the decision is likely to affect a
number of forthcoming projects, which they say calls into
question Britain’s ability to rebuild following the corona-
virus pandemic.
The government defended its decision,saying it continues
to“invest significant sums in modernising our railway” but
admitted it was“closely examining”spending to“strive for
a better deal for taxpayers”given the scale ofsupport
for railways.
A Department for Transport spokesman added: “We must
ensure that, where necessary, projects are reviewed to
reflect the changing demand for rail services as a
result of the pandemic.”
Rail unions have warned the decision threatens jobs when
Britain should be investing and building its way out of the
Covid and climate crisis — also hitting out at the govern-
ment also over its latest environmental targets, which
were announced today.
Transport Salaried Staffs’ Associationgeneral secretary
Manuel Cortes said: “On the day when the government
has committed itself to increased binding targets to cut emissions, it is foolhardy to cut investment to the green transport offered by our railways.
“The fact that this spending cut didn’t feature in the Chancellor’s
speech, in which he lauded record investment in rail, but was
instead snuck out, says it all. The Tories are duplicitous -
and their commitment to levelling up and investing in
our futures, is paper thin.
“Without doubt cutting investment in our railways is both short-
sighted and reckless, particularly when borrowing costs are at
a historic low.
“You can’t trust Boris Johnson and this lot as far as you can
throw them.”
Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said itwas timefor the
government to “come clean” on what it plans to cut.
He added: “How is Britain to be rebuilt after Brexit, and after
the pandemic, which has ravaged this country’s economy?
And what has happened to this government’s promises?
“This revelation puts a question mark over not only some long-
planned, and much-needed, improvements to our transport
infrastructure, but to the whole question of rebuilding this
country after the pandemic.”
Environmental campaigners hit out at the government’s continued
spending on road building while snatching back cash to improve
rail infrastructure.
Greenpeace UK’s Sam Chetan-Welsh: “The Chancellor is happy
to waste £27bn on road building schemes that will tear up our
countryside --- adding to harmful air pollution and climate-
wrecking emissions that we desperately need to reduce.
“But when it comes to the little money that was available
for upgrading our railways, he’s snatched it back at the
first opportunity.
“This is completely indefensible, as is his attempt to bury this
bad news, by leaving it out of last month’s spending review.
“Rishi Sunak either doesn’t get that we’re in a climate
emergency or he simply doesn’t care.”
RMT representatives demanded thegovernment reverse the
cuts and instead invest and build its way out of the corona-
virus and climate crises.
The union said the spending cut could jeopardise planned
works to electrify parts of the rail network, threatening both the creation of new skilled jobs and Britain’s carbon reduction promises.
General secretary Mick Cash said: “These massive cuts to
rail infrastructure budgets are a shameful indictment of the
government’s understanding of the importance of our rail
network and fly in the face of their stated objective of
building and investing our way out of the
Covid-19 crisis.
“At a time when our economy and transport links need a
once in a generation investment in rail to create skilled
jobs and shift passengers and freight off the roads
and on to rail, this Tory austerity by stealth, will
only serve to do the opposite.”
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Unison says Welsh Labour must democratise leadership contest by Peter Lazenby Friday, July 27, 2018
Labour’s biggest trade union affiliate in Wales is demanding that the party democratise the process of electing its Welsh leader.
At present, there are three blocks of voters in leadership elections – party members, affiliated trade union members and elected members of legislative bodies (the Westminster Parliament, the Welsh Assembly, and the European Parliament).
Each block of votes carries the same weight.
The Labour Party in Wales has around 25,000 individual members and 76,400 affiliated union members.
It has 58 legislators - 29 Welsh Assembly members, 28 MPs and one MEP - whose combined voice counts for one-third in leadership elections.
Unison says the voice of MPs, AMs and MEPs in a leadership election “is completely out of proportion,” compared with party and trade union members.
The union wants a 50-50 split between party members and union members, with legislators simply have one vote each.
Unison Cymru/Wales Labour Link chair, Dan Beard, said:
“We cannot support the disproportionate voting bloc of elected members continuing in its present form.
“The Labour Party is the fastest-growing political party in western Europe, and it’s time we agreed a more democratic method of electing our leaders.
“It’s vital unions retain a significant voice, when electing the leader and deputy leader of Welsh Labour.
“Unions helped establish the Labour Party at the beginning of the last century and we have supported it through some very difficult times.
"Our members help to keep the Labour Party’s feet on the ground, and in touch with its natural supporters.
“Reforming the electoral college will mean that, whoever becomes the new leader of Welsh Labour, will have a firm mandate from the members and trade unions --- to work together, to deliver the policies contained in the manifesto.”
A pioneering new report argues that thousands more engineering jobs could be created, by stopping the renewal of the Trident missiles system.
The report, Defence Diversification: International Learning for Trident Jobs, was published today by the Nuclear Education Trust. It examines various government and Civil Service initiatives in Britain, western Europe and the United States.
It argues that an internationally led programme to diversify the work of Trident’s workers, would cost far less than it would to renew the cold-war-era nuclear weapons system — estimated to be between £180 billion and £205bn over the next several decades.
The authors claim that further jobs — particularly in the skilled engineering sector — may be created by ditching Trident, and point to the decline in British arms industry employment, in which 263,000 jobs have vanished since 1980.
CND general secretary Kate Hudson said that the report demonstrates, from real-world examples, how the scrapping of unpopular projects such as Trident doesn’t have to mean the loss of high-skill employment.
“Far from it, in fact — if there is the political will to fully engage with defence diversification, far more high- skilled jobs can be created in the engineering sector,” she said.
Shadow minister for peace & disarmament Fabian Hamilton commented that while it is not Labour’s policy to get rid of Trident, “a defence diversification strategy would go hand in hand with Labour’s plan to invest in our economy.
“We do not lack the talent, we simply lack the funding.
“There is no denying that Trident is a major employer in some parts of the country, so proper funding must be made available so those in high-skilled work stay in high-skilled work.
“High-skilled jobs are good for our economy and, if we decide to transition away from Trident, defence diversification is the only way to ensure that the vital skills used in the development of Britain’s nuclear weapons, are not lost.”
The study argues that workers and local communities must be lead decision makers in diversification decisions related to nuclear weapons, and that serious government intervention - at every level - must be taken in their support.
Vatican calls for more regulation of markets, financial systems, condemns ‘economic cannibalism’ May 17th, at 10:52am
The Vatican called on Thursday for more regulation of markets and financial systems.
A major document says economic crises showed they were not able to govern themselves, and needed a strong injection of morality and ethics.
‘Considerations for an Ethical Discernment Regarding Some Aspects of the Present Economic-Financial System,’ jointly prepared by the doctrinal office and the department on human development, appeared to take aim at the plans to further de-regulate markets in some countries, such as the US, Reuters said.
The document attacked the “economic cannibalism” of some financial practices, saying profit for the sake of profit and not for the greater good, was “illegitimate.”
The Vatican condemned an “amoral culture of waste” that has created oligarchies in some countries, while leaving great masses of impoverished people “without any means of escape.”
The pronouncement is considered official teachings of the Catholic Church and could affect the attitude of the church’s 1.2 billion members.
Marx's theory still shines with truth: Xi May 4th, at 10:53am
Xinhua - Two centuries on, despite huge and profound changes in human society, the name of Karl Marx is still respected all over the world and his theory still shines with the brilliant light of truth, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at a grand gathering in Beijing to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Marx's birth.
Xi said Marx is the "teacher of revolution for the proletariat and working people all over the world, the main founder of Marxism, creator of Marxist parties, a pathfinder for international communism and the greatest thinker of modern times."
"Today, we hold this grand gathering with great veneration to mark the 200th anniversary of Marx's birth, to remember his great character and historic deeds and to review his noble spirit and brilliant thoughts," Xi said at the event.
''With noble ideals and no fear of difficulty or adversity, throughout his life, Marx devoted himself to perseveringly striving for the liberation of humanity, scaling the peak of thought in his pursuit of truth, and the unremitting fight to overturn the old world and establish a new one'', according to Xi.
''Marx is not only a great figure who bore the weight of the world, but also an ordinary person with a passion for life, who was sincere and true to his friends'', Xi said.
''The most valuable and influential spiritual asset that Marx left us is the scientific theory named after him -- Marxism. Like a spectacular sunrise, the theory illuminated the path of humanity's exploration of the law of history, and humanity's search for their own liberation'', Xi said.
"The thought and theory of Marx are of his times and go beyond his times," Xi said. "They are the essence of the spirit of that times and the essence of the spirit of all humanity."
Xi said Marxism is a scientific theory that reveals the rules of human society's development, in a creative manner.
Having developed the materialist conception of history and surplus value theory, Marx showed how humanity would leap from the realm of necessity, to the realm of freedom, and also showed the road for people to realize freedom and liberation, Xi said.
Marxism, the first ideology for the liberation of the people themselves, is a theory of the people.
"Marxism, for the first time, explored the path for humanity's freedom and liberation from the stance of the people, and pointed out the direction, with scientific theory, toward an ideal society with no oppression or exploitation, where every person would enjoy equality and freedom," Xi said.
Stressing that practicality is a prominent characteristic of Marxism that makes it different from other theories, Xi said Marxism is a theory of practices that directs the people to change the world.
It is an open theory that is constantly developing and always stands at the frontier of the times, Xi said.
"That is why it is always able to keep young, explore the new issues in the development of the times and respond to the new challenges for human society."
The general secretary said that over the 170 years since publication of The Communist Manifesto, Marxism had been spread around the world, unrivaled in the history of human ideology in terms of the breadth and depth of its influence.
After the end of World War II, a large number of socialist countries were established, Xi said, stressing that the founding of the People's Republic of China, especially, has greatly increased the socialist strength in the world.
"There might be setbacks in the development of socialism in the world, but the overall trend for human society's development has never changed, and it will never change," Xi said.
"Marxism has not only profoundly changed the world, but also China," Xi said.
The reverberations of the October Revolution in Russia brought Marxism-Leninism to China, pointing out the direction forward, offering a brand new choice for the Chinese people in their struggle to survive, and setting the scene for the birth of the CPC.
Since the CPC's birth, it has combined the fundamental principles of Marxism with the reality of the Chinese revolution and construction, transforming the Chinese nation from "the sick man of East Asia" to one who has stood up, by uniting and leading the people through long-term struggle.
"This tremendous transformation serves as cast iron proof that only through socialism, can we save China," Xi said.
Since reform and opening up, the CPC has combined the fundamental principles of Marxism, with the reality of China's reform and opening up, and the nation who stood up, has grown rich.
"This tremendous transformation serves as cast iron proof that only through socialism with Chinese characteristics, can we develop China," Xi said.
In the new era, the CPC again combined the fundamental principles of Marxism with the reality of China in this new era, uniting and leading the people in "under- taking the great struggle, building the great project, advancing the great cause and realizing the great dream."
The Chinese nation has come to embrace a tremendous transformation, as the one who has grown rich, now, is becoming strong.
"This tremendous transformation serves as cast iron proof that only by adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, can we realize national rejuvenation," Xi said.
"It is perfectly right for history and the people to choose Marxism, as well as for the CPC to write Marxism on its own flag, to adhere to the principle of combining the fundamental principles of Marxism, with China's reality, and continuously adapt Marxism to the Chinese context and the times."
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China lifts 740 mln rural poor out of poverty since 1978 September 3rd, at 12:57pm
Xinhua - China lifted 740 million people in rural areas out of poverty from 1978 to 2017, roughly 19 million each year, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Monday.
The poverty ratio in rural areas dropped 94.4 percentage points during the same time period with an average annual decrease of 2.4 percentage points, according to the NBS.
NBS data shows that China's poverty relief achievements have contributed more than 70 percent to global poverty alleviation work, in the past 40 years.
The average annual income of rural residents in impoverished areas rose an average of 10.4 percent each year from 2012 to 2017, up 2.5 percentage points from the average for rural residents.
Over the past five years, over 68 million people were lifted out of poverty in China. The country aims to further lift 10 million people out of poverty this year and eradicate poverty by 2020.
China recently released guidelines on winning the battle against poverty in the next three years, in order to prepare the nation for eradicating poverty by 2020.
According to the guidelines, the impoverished people should be guaranteed food & clothing, and children from poor families should be guaranteed a 9-year compulsory education. Basic medical needs and living conditions of the impoverished, should also be guaranteed.
People whose annual income is lower than 2,300 yuan (337.3 U.S. dollars), are defined as living below the poverty line, in China.
Almost half of Russians see USSR collapse as shameful – poll January 17th, at 12:11pm
The collapse of the Soviet Union is considered a reason to be ashamed, by 45 percent of Russians, according to a recent opinion poll. The only option that scored higher, is Russia’s failure to eradicate poverty.
The poll, conducted in late 2018, by the Levada Center is its latest study of what Russians are proud and ashamed of, about their nation. The demise of the USSR, saw a rebound in popularity from a low point of 28 percent in mid-2015, and is at a level comparable with the late 1990s and early 2000s.
The only more popular answer is Russia’s failure to eradicate poverty, which was named as a reason to be ashamed, by 61 percent of the people polled. This answer has topped Levada’s polls, for decades.
Russians are also ashamed of fellow countrymen treating each other disrespectfully (37 percent), Russia’s failure to catch up economically with the Western powers (24 percent), the out- come of Mikhail Gorbachev’s reforms (24 percent), and Joseph Stalin’s reign of terror (21 percent).
On the opposite side of Russians’ national identity are the qualities and events, people are proud of.
Defeating Nazi Germany in World War II remains the one thing Russians are overwhelmingly proud of (87 percent).
There is also the role that the country played in space exploration – about half are proud to belong to a space pioneering nation.
The third most popular option is accepting Crimea (the breakaway former Ukrainian region) as part of Russia again, which is seen as a point of national pride, by 45 percent.
Many people are also proud of Russian literature, science, and martial prowess, Soviet-era industrialization and the best qualities of the Russian character, like resolve and patience.
A record 75 percent said Russia is definitely, or most likely, a great nation today, while 88 percent believe that it should be one.
There was no apparent correlation between wishing greatness for Russia and regretting the USSR’s collapse, the agency noted, suggesting that Russians expect a great nation to - first and foremost - provide social justice, and protection.
Sixty-two percent said the Russians are a great people.
Levada remarked that about 80 percent of the people polled, identified themselves as Russians.
When asked what makes them feel connected to their people, most respondents named national history (53 percent), Russia’s land (35 percent), their place of birth (33 percent), and the nature that they call their own (25 percent).
The formal national symbols, including the flag, the coat of arms, and the national anthem, was the least popular option (5 percent).
Interestingly, religion is a relatively small factor in Russian national identity (9 percent).
(Source - RT)
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Number of Russians who regret collapse of USSR hits 10-year high December 26th, 2017, at 7:20am
The number of Russians who regret the collapse of the Soviet Union has reached its highest level since 2009, with almost an equal share saying the event could have been avoided.
A public opinion poll conducted by the independent Levada Center in late November this year found that 58 percent of Russians now regret the collapse of the USSR. Twenty-five percent said they felt no regret about this, and 16 percent could not describe their feelings in one word.
When researchers asked those who regret the end of the USSR what the primary reasons were behind their sentiments, 54 percent said that they missed a single economic system, 36 percent said they had lost the feeling of belonging to a real superpower, 34 percent complained about the drop in mutual trust among ordinary people, and 26 percent said that the collapse had destroyed the ties between friends and relatives.
The same research showed that 52 percent of Russians think that the collapse of the USSR could have been avoided, 29 percent said that the event was absolutely inevitable, and 19 percent did not have a fixed opinion on the matter.
The share of those who regret the demise of the Soviet Union has risen continuously over the past decade, but in 2009 it was even higher than today – at 60 percent. The all-time high – 75 percent – was recorded in 2000.
President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly addressed the issue of the collapse of the USSR in his speeches. In an address to the Russian parliament in 2005 he called the event the greatest geopolitical disaster of the 20th century and a cause of major disruption for the Russian people. In September 2016, Putin said the Communist Party should have transformed the Soviet Union into a democratic state, rather than see it break into separate nations.
At the same time, Putin has always emphasized that he and other Russian officials have no plans to revive the USSR, and has expressed anger that people cannot accept this. He's also accused Western governments of deliberately confusing modern Russia with the USSR and harming the interests of ordinary people, on the pretense of preventing an imaginary threat.
Historian:Russia's October Revolution Was Inevitable, Relatively Bloodless November 10th, at 4:33pm by Ekaterina Blinova
The October Uprising of 1917 became the logical conclusion of the February Revolution, Michael J. Carley, a professor of history at the Universite de Montreal has told Sputnik. According to the academic, the Russian Revolution was inevitable and occurred because evolutionary processes of change to benefit the lives of ordinary people had failed.
"February 1917 marked the beginning of a revolutionary change in power in Russia, that was accomplished in October," Michael Jabara Carley, professor of history at the Université de Montréal and the author of "Silent Conflict: A Hidden History of Early Soviet-Western Relations,"told Sputnik, commenting on the 100th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution.
"The tsarist order was bankrupt and doomed. Almost everyone at the time said so. The immediate cause of the bankruptcy was the Great War [The First World War]," the Canadian academic stressed, adding that "the result was calamity marked by millions of casualties, large territories lost and an economy thrown into chaos, by the unsustainable financial and economic demands of fighting a world war."
Russian Provisional Government: 'Neither Revolutionary, Nor Democratic'
The so-called February Revolution, which is regarded as a combination of a popular uprising with an elitist anti- monarchist plot, led to the abdication of Russian Emperor Nicholas II and the establishment of the Provisional Government.
Still, the Provisional Government"was neither revolutionary nor democratic,"the academic pointed out: The crux of the matter was that it was largely controlled by the "bourgeois" urban and rural elites and old tsarist establishment"that was opposed to the revolution and attempted to block its further development."
October Uprising Was Relatively Bloodless
The professor explained why, contrary to popular belief, the October Revolution of 1917 that took place on November 7 (October 25 in the Julian calendar) was relatively bloodless.
"Well, in the first instance because the Provisional Government was utterly discredited. It had no popular support. It was a head without a body. It could give orders or issue decrees, but had no power to enforce them. In a revolutionary period, power comes from the support of the insurgent masses and the Provisional Government had none,"Carley told Sputnik.
The professor suggested that 1917 could have been averted if old elites as well as their forebears had not blocked"political and economic evolutionary processes"in Russia.
'Provisional Government Became a Cork in the Bottle'
"The Provisional Government became a cork in the bottle holding back the revolution,"the historian said."The revolutionary masses in Petrograd [Saint Petersburg] and elsewhere put pressure on their socialist leaders to blow the cork out of the bottle…. It was the Bolsheviks who put themselves at the head of the mass movement & articulated its demands, essentially peace, bread and land."
He pointed out, however, that"the Bolsheviks themselves were not united on all the big issues and most importantly on the seizure of power in October (the Julian calendar)."
"I would propose that the Provisional Government collapsed of its own rot. The insurgent masses led by the Bolsheviks only had to kick it over,"Carley remarked.
Was the October Revolution of 1917 Inevitable?
"It is a question impossible to answer except in this way: popular revolutions come about because political and economic elites over time are too selfish to share wealth and power with the masses,"Carley responded."Like the tsarist autocracy, they treat the masses as a resource to be exploited and rung dry. When evolutionary processes of change fail, revolution is often the result."
According to the academic, it is wrong to think that such revolutions succeed "because of the evil genius and cruelty of a small revolutionary elite"
"They succeed because of mass support and effective, responsive leadership."
The question then arises as to whether it was possible to follow an evolutionary path, rather than go through a revolution.
"A revolution occurred because evolutionary processes of change to benefit the lives of ordinary people had failed,"the professor responded."Serfdom, inequality, exploitation, violence, continued unabated until 1917."
October 1917: 'Driver of Transformations Across the Globe'. Revisiting the October Revolution of 1917.
Addressing the 14th Annual Meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that"the largely utopian social model and ideology" the Soviets tried to implement initially following the 1917 revolution became "a powerful driver of transformations across the globe, caused a major revaluation of development models, and gave rise to rivalry and competition, the benefits of which were mostly reaped by the West."
The Canadian professor disagrees that the term "utopian" could be used with regards to the "Communist model," for instance.
"Is free, public education for everyone, no matter what their class, nationality or religion, utopian? Is the elimination of illiteracy, utopian? Are women's rights, or universal health care, utopian? Was the desire to create a more equal society, socially, economically and politically, utopian?"Carley asked, adding"in fact, that Soviet society was eventually able to withstand and then to destroy almost single- handedly, the so-called invincible Nazi 'colossus.'"
Still, he believes that the 1917 revolution certainly was"a powerful driver of transformations"around the world since it"inspired successful revolutionary movements in China, Vietnam, Korea, and Cuba."
As Putin noted during his Valdai speech "many Western achievements of the 20th century were an answer to the challenge posed by the Soviet Union," such as"raising living standards, forming a strong middle class, reforming the labour market and the social sphere, promoting education, guaranteeing human rights, including the rights of minorities and women, overcoming racial segregation."
Red October: Allied Intervention and 'Beginning of Cold War'
The October Revolution became the trigger for the Civil War (1917-1922) and prompted the Allied intervention of major foreign powers in Russia.
The Canadian academic pointed out that the October Uprising "produced an immediate violent reaction by the United States, France and Britain, whose elites attempted to overthrow the Soviet government."
"The foreign intervention against Soviet Russia fed a civil war and exacerbated the violence of the counter-revolution by many times over,"Carley said."On its own, the former tsarist elite could never have mounted such violent resistance to the October Revolution."
The professor underscored that after their failure to overthrow the Soviets,"the Western powers spent the next 70 years, with the exception of a truce between 1941-1945, in trying to harm or bring down the USSR and all those revolutions to which it had given birth."
According to the academic, the Cold War started in October (November) 1917.
"Just ask the Chinese, Vietnamese, Cubans, or N. Koreans about the frightful price of resistance to US and Western hegemony,"Carley remarked."Or for that matter, we might ask, if we could, the soldiers, sailors and workers of Soviet Russia, what price they had to pay, to defend their revolution."
(Source - Sputnik)
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Communist leader dispels new Russian budget as "oligarch orientated" October 28th, 2017 Fort Russ News - KtovKurse translated by Inessa Sinchougova
Communist Party leader, Gennady Zyuganov, called the draft federal budget for 2018-2020, "a budget of the oligarchy", which will increase stagnation and poverty.
On Friday October 27th, the State Duma considered the first reading of the draft budget for 2018 for the planning period 2019-2020. According to the draft of the Ministry of Finance, the budget deficit in 2018 will be 1.3 trillion rubles or 1.37% of GDP, in 2019 it will be 867 billion rubles or 0.84% of GDP, and in 2020 - 960 billion rubles or 0.87% of GDP.
Such a budget Zyuganov considers "a budget for the oligarchy, where further stagnation and deepening of poverty in the country will occur."
In his opinion, the draft budget does not meet the current challenges and can only aggravate the split in Russian civil society.
The Communist Party leader stressed that incomes and expenditures are constantly declining. Zyuganov noted that "in plain language" this means that the "share of the national pie" created by the working people is constantly shrinking in the budget.
Zyuganov's main issue with the budget was the reduction in government expenses for 14 out of 13 articles listed within. He explained that for eight of these articles, expenses are simply cut, and for four other articles, a small increase is offset by inflation, and as a result, real costs are below the ones prophesized.
According to Zyuganov, the current budget policy "creeps of the old Gaidar-Chubais reforms. It does not smell of modernization, nor a breakthrough for the future."
"I do not know why the president has not reacted to this helplessness, to this impotence of the financial and economic blockade on behalf of the government," Zyuganov said.
President Vladimir Putin does not oversee forthcoming bills until they pass all the stages of parliamentary negotiation - that is until his signature is required. It remains to be said that a majority of Russia's parliament and governmental organs, are liberal representatives, both economically and culturally, whereby it is only the President that stops certain bills being passed.
Without looking at the document in detail (which is not yet available to the public) it makes sense to assume that the Communist Party leader has every right to become concerned at this early stage.
Zyuganov's Communist Party enjoys the second most popular rating in the Russian political sphere, after United Russia (Vladimir Putin.)
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And a Record Number of Russians Want Socialism Back !!!
First published in Komsomolskaya Pravda Translated by Kristina Kharlova
The number of those nostalgic for the Soviet Union, is now growing steadily.
According to the findings of sociologists, 56% of respondents now express regret for the collapse of the Soviet state.
A majority of Russians regret the collapse of the Soviet Union, and do not mind if it's restored — conclude the sociologists of "Levada-centre".
2016 sees a record number of respondents nostalgic for the Soviet Union, in the whole history of public opinion surveys.
At the same time, the percentage of those who don't long for the Union, decreases over time: if, in November of last year it was 37%, today only 28% do not feel any pity.
58% of Russians would like a socialist system and the Soviet Union to be restored, and 31% say they don't want the Soviet Union back.
Over half of respondents, 51%, believe that it was still possible to save the country in 1991 while 33% of Russians say the collapse was 'inevitable'.
Experts, meanwhile, note that those most nostalgic for the Soviet Union don't yearn so much for the Soviet ideology, as for the stability, justice, confidence in the future, secure jobs, free education, medical care and housing.
Serbia:Mass anti-NATO demonstrations silenced Nothing has been the same since NATO brutally bombed Yugoslavia 17 years ago. The 5th column, trained by NATO, took over the destroyed country to continue the job that the West had started.
The economy collapsed, the country was ripped apart, and the Army, dismissed.
Year by year, malicious plans brainstormed by NATO, and executed by the government, are pushing all of the Balkans into the deep maw of the West's 'modern' imperialism.
The latest move was the Agreement with NATO about logistics. Parliament has approved, and the President has signed, an agreement which gives NATO soldiers immunity and freedom of movement on the territory of Serbia. The same people who killed thousands of innocent Serb civilians are now given freedom and immunity. NATO personnel rule the roost in Serbia
NATO personnel are exempt from paying taxes, VAT and/or customs duties. The adoption of the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP), lets NATO soldiers use Serbia's infrastructure, with free transit across the whole territory of Serbia, as well as protection from the law -- being given 'special status' while staying in Serbian territory.
However, although almost two decades have passed since NATO's cruel attack, most Serbs have not forgotten how important freedom is -- which is the main problem for the ruling elite.
In the mainstream media, news about signing the agreement with NATO, was published as small & irrelevant. In a couple of sentences, mainstream journalists wrote about it, as if it was tomorrow's weather forecast, but they couldn't fool people.
Boiling situation hidden by Government
The situation was boiling. A few patriotic parties and war veterans managed to organize a protest -- & expected no more than a thousand people in Belgrade, to show their disagreement with the ruling party's decisions.
On the 20th February, more than 15,000 Serbs, mostly youth, came onto the Belgrade streets to join in with the protesters. Even the police were surprised, quickly trying to reinforce -- fearing nonverbal shows of disagreement.
The mainstream media weren't at all interested in massive protests in the capital city. They just reported, after the protest, that there were only a couple of hundred demonstrators.
Amongst all media, just one, the alternative patriotic website, Srbin info, sent reporters to the vicinity, to cover the whole protest.
It was the only media that had pictures and videos of the massive protests, showing the huge number of protesters.
During the protest, over 2,000 readers per second were following their live streaming of the demonstrations. Each minute, their website was gaining more followers.
Just a couple of minutes after the end of the peaceful protest, huge cyber-attacks began.
The weak website couldn't defend itself from the biggest attacks in its history, & the web- site eventually crashed. Attacks continued for 24 hours, never letting the website repair.
The only possible source of the attacks on the website & freedom of the speech, is the ruling elite. There is no one else who would be able to manage such strong attacks.
The main problem for the alternative, free media in Serbia is that the web providers, most of them belonging to the SBB company, part of the Soros foundation, don't want to reveal who was behind the attacks. However, some opposition forces, also attacked by hackers, discovered that the IP address of the hacker belongs to one of the directors of SBB company.
It is also interesting that 25% of web providers and some mainstream media in Serbia - belong to David Petraeus, former director of the CIA.
Despite their crashed website, Srbin info reporters managed to find way to send the real story & used Facebook to spread the truth. A video showing the masses of people protesting, was viewed by over 1,700,000 Facebook users --- a huge number for Serbia, with its 7 million population.
For 48 hours after the attack, the website was closed.
Thanks to its loyal readers, who appreciate Srbin info's fight for freedom of speech, donations were collected to make a new website, with better protection.
But the problem of having a neutral web provider who will not sabotage the website -- after orders from the Government -- still exists. A much worse problem.... is that the once proud and honorable Serbia, is now under the boots of imperialists.
‘Appalling injustice’overturned as UK court clears names of Post Office workers wrongfully convicted due to faulty software
April 24th, 11:09am (RT)
Dozens of former Post Office workers have had
their convictions for theft and fraud thrown out
--- after an accounting system used in their
branches was later deemed faulty,
bringing partial closure to a
decades-old legal scandal.
Some 39 subpostmasters were cleared on Friday of
wrongdoing after being accused of stealing from
their offices. Their cases hinged on a soft- ware programme called Horizon.
The system, developed by the Japanese firm Fujitsu,
was used by the Post Office to keep track of trans-
actions and accounting. There was one problem:
the software had a bug, that caused accounting
errors, leading to hundreds of suspected cases
in which employees were accused of theft.
According to reports, some employees even used their
own money to try and correct the software’s account- ing errors, and avoid accusations of wrongdoing.
Between 2000 and 2014, the Post Office prosecuted 736
subpostmasters based on data outputted by Horizon.
Six other convictions were overturned back in
December. According to the BBC, the
miscarriage of justice is one of the
largest the UK has ever seen.
Shockingly, the Post Office “knew there were serious
issues about the reliability of Horizon” but didn't take
action, to investigate possible defects, concluded a
judgment issued by the Court of Appeal of the Royal
Courts of Justice in London. Instead of looking into
the matter, the Post Office consistently claimed that
Horizon was reliable, effectively “steamrolling” any
employee who challenged the software’s accuracy,
one of the presiding judges commented.
Many former employees who were slapped with criminal
charges due to Horizon’s bug went to prison or had their
lives ruined in other ways. One ex-employee spent nine
months in prison in 2007 after her Post Office branch
reported a shortfall of £59,000. The ordeal took her
away from her two children and “destroyed
everything.”
Another subpostmaster who was convicted of theft in
2008 and spent more than three years behind bars
denounced the Post Office as a “disgrace” and
demanded that the “bullies” responsible for
pressing the charges against ex-workers, such as himself, be held accountable.
Post Office chief executive Nick Read expressed his regret
over the episode, and said that the quashing of convictions
served as a “vital milestone” in correcting past wrongs by
his organisation, adding there should be compensation
for the victims that “reflects what has happened.”
In December 2019, the Post Office settled a civil claim
brought by 555 ex-employees for £57.75 million, but
did not admit liability.
Prime Minister Borish Johnson also weighed in,
describing the scandal “an appalling injustice
which has had a devastating impact on these
families for years.”
No one has yet been held accountable for the scandal. The
government launched an 'inquiry' into the matter last year,
but campaigners seeking justice say that the investigation
lacks teeth and suffers from a conflict of interest because
it is being carried out by the Department for Business,
Energy and Industrial Strategy, which runs the
Post Office.
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LEN RE-ELECTED - VICTORY FOR LEFT!
"Serving you, our members, is the greatest privilege of my working life. I'm proud to have stood shoulder- to-shoulder with you in your struggles and proud to have been asked by so many, to continue to fight for you"
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The Corbyn Supporters From Hell - Attila The Stockbroker,15th Oct 2015 at The Blue Boar Hotel, Maldon, Essex, UK
ONE UNION
Two weeks before Brexit, the African Union announced a new single African passport that permits holders to enter any of the 54 AU member states without a visa – an interesting turn in African history which NO-ONE in the West knows or cares about ! What a stunning reflection of how far our mindset and media are, from the 'world community' we say we love.
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ADAM JOHANNES, CO-CONVENOR, PEOPLE'S ASSEMBLY
“Most people under 40 have never been a member of a trade union. So unions are irrelevant, right? Wrong. Unions are more relevant than ever before. With in- work poverty, zero hours contracts and precarious employment, trade unions urgently need to make inroads into the private sector where the majority of us work, but a majority are still un-unionised.”
3 recent campaigns show how this might be done -
1. BETTER THAN ZERO
"Better than Zero" is an exciting campaign launched last year by the Scottish TUC to combat employers using zero-hours contracts. It is run by young people for young people to take on the issue of insecure work. Its activists are mostly in their teens or twenties. The campaign calls upon an older generation not to stand by while a generation of young people are forced into insecure work.
It has responded to tip off from employees in workplaces charging staff for training or uniforms, and bars and restaurants where workers tips are taken by the company. It's fought against people routinely expected to work additional late hours at short notice, with little or no thought given to how they'll get home & whether they will be safe.
The campaign uses direct action, stunts and creative protests such as targeting bars and restaurants with 'flash mob choirs', activists and former staff posing as customers, before each stand up in a restaurant to make speeches while other activists leaflet out- side, Halloween funeral marches on exploitative employers, or, memorably, activists clad in chemical-spill clean up garb placing several popular bars & restaurants in 'quarantine', for exploitative work practices. A recent campaign victory saw restaurant chain Las Iguanas end a policy of deducting money from staff tips.
2. SPORTS DIRECT
Unite has waged a dynamic fightback against Sports Direct including pickets of over 30 stores across the UK, occupations, direct action such as the unfurling of a #SportsDirectShame banner by Newcastle United fans at the club owned by Sports Direct boss, Mike Ashley, other banner drops from bridges, shareholder action, and a social media campaign,
Sports Direct is Britain's biggest sportswear company. It made over a billion in profits last year, but the majority of its workers agency staff are on zero hour contracts with no holiday or sick pay, and no guaranteed work from one week to the next. It has been called more 'workhouse' than workplace with intense surveillance and searches of staff, a culture of fear, bullying and intimidation rife.
Unite's campaign had forced the issue of its Victorian working conditions into national media & a company review. Unite demands all staff are re-employed on permanent contracts on a living wage. So far they have won a pay rise for staff and the company is now being investigated by HM Revenue & Customs after the union exposed it for effectively paying under the minimum wage.
3. PIZZA EXPRESS
Unite scored a victory against Pizza Express after exposing and ending the company deducting a proportion of staff's hard earned tips as an 'admin fee', recruiting new members. The campaign involved union activists going into Pizza Express branches to speak to waiting staff, weekly pickets, handing out hundreds of flyers with customers given a ‘scrap the admin fee’ postcard to leave with their cash tips, and finally a 'meal of justice' when protesters went into a restaurant, enjoyed a meal and when the bill came, one person stood up and told customers about the admin fee while others handed out postcards. Customers often respond with spontaneous applause.
We need to think creatively of how to bring politics into the workplace whether collections for refugees in Calais, foodbanks or local homeless, organising delegations from our work to local protests, or even setting up People's Assembly networks with likeminded people we work with.
Cardiff People's Assembly is part of The People's Assembly Against Austerity, a UK anti-cuts network sponsored by eight trade unions. Locally we have worked with Unison defending our city's library service & PCS to organise solidarity with museum workers, we will be supporting Unite Community's day of action against benefit sanctions. With much of our nation's workforce unorganised in their workplace in unions, joining movements like ours can boost people's confidence to stand up to their employers and build workplace organisation.
In the 1980s Thatcher declared war on the unions --- as a prelude to letting the market rip through society --- transforming us into a highly unequal low pay, low skill economy. The assault on the 'social wage' means we now have the highest private rents, highest energy bills, highest rail fares, and most expensive university education in the EU. Now the Trade Union Bill aims to take out a key part of the resistance to extend the cuts, privatisation and outsourcing agenda and shift even more power and wealth from the 99% to the 1%.
Our economy is dominated by low paid jobs. Low pay makes people insecure. A low pay economy and tax avoiding corporations make it hard to invest in public services. Joining a union is one way to fight back.
Profit Is The Only Concern For Railway Privateers 2016 Thursday 29TH DEC
The only way to have a public transport system worthy of the name is to have a fully nationalised railway,says GORDON MARTIN
All things transport have been making the news in Scotland for a number of months and the signs are this isn’t going to change in the dark winter months ahead.
Scotland’s railways have been subjected to an unprecedented level of scrutiny and criticism with opposition politicians, media columnists and some trade union officials calling for Nicola Sturgeon to sack her Transport Minister, Humza Yousaf MSP.
In my view the roots of the public’s dissatisfaction with Scotland’s railways goes back to the Scottish government’s ill-conceived decision to award the ScotRail franchise to a state-owned rail operator.
Unfortunately for passengers and the ScotRail workforce, the state in question was not our own — and the Netherlands now benefits from profits made by its state company, Abellio, out of ScotRail.
A public-sector bid from Scotland was not allowed when the franchise was awarded to Abellio for a 10-year period. With profit the first and only concern of the profiteers at Abellio, a major dispute with Scotland’s biggest rail union RMT was highly predictable.
Abellio’s attack on the role of the guard on our trains brought a summer of discontent as industrial action spread across much of the Scottish rail network.
The Scottish government quickly showed its true colours. The normally very assured and competent First Minister committed a monumental blunder when she disgracefully inferred the strike was only about who pushed a button to open and close train doors.
While the SNP government very often claims to be on the side of working-class communities, it remains very much a political party wedded to capitalism. The First Minister should have taken the trouble to speak to disabled passengers or those travelling on Scotland’s trains who feel vulnerable in any way about how crucial the role of the guard is in making their journey a safer, more relaxing experience.
Thankfully the Scottish government and Abellio ScotRail finally saw sense and a negotiated settlement was reached which was favourable to RMT and which will see safety-trained guards remain in place.
Following on from our successful efforts to Keep The Guard on the Train, RMT has launched a high- profile “Safer Scottish Trains” campaign designed to ensure trains, stations & rail infrastructure in general are properly resourced and managed to ensure the best possible service is delivered.
Everyone, in particular disabled people, should be able to travel on a 21st-century rail network without having to check ahead days in advance to ensure staff will be in place to assist them.
At the same time, Westminster and the European Union have also intervened in a negative way which may have serious repercussions for rail workers and passengers in the years ahead.
Earlier this month Chris Grayling, Transport Secretary in Theresa May’s rotten Tory government, delivered a speech which potentially takes the rail industry back to the complete fragmentation foisted upon the people of Britain by the hapless government of John Major in the 1990s.
Grayling now seeks to reintroduce “competition” into rail infrastructure, maintenance and repairs.
Inevitably this will eventually lead to the complete break-up of Network Rail. The centralised standards implemented by this public-sector organisation will be discarded and profit and loss will become the decisive factor in deciding the standards for maintaining the rail infrastructure. This is a frightening scenario with potentially deadly outcomes and RMT will fight this with everything we have.
The latest plans for railways across the EU, the ultimate bosses’ club, are contained within the Fourth Railway Package which MEPs are voting on. These proposals make it mandatory to put rail passenger services out to competitive tender. With the Scottish government recently beginning to engage with the rail unions and others regarding a public-sector bid for the ScotRail contract, the 4th Railway Package underlines how fragile and fleeting this public-sector bid could ultimately be.
Scotland’s ferry sector also had a fair amount of publicity in the last year or so, with RMT engaged in a high-profile, long-running and ultimately successful campaign to keep CalMac ferries in public ownership.
RMT stands by our assertion that the Clyde and Hebridean ferry service did not have to go out to tender under the Teckal exemption.
Unfortunately, the Scottish government are keen to be seen as good Europeans, despite the negative impact on the Scottish people, and meekly went along with directives from the EU.
The uncertainty for island communities and the stress for the CalMac workforce while their future was unclear, was not high on the government’s agenda.
Unfortunately it looks highly likely that the workforce and the islanders on the Northern Isles are about to be put through the same uncertainty as their counterparts on the west coast.
The government is once again meekly following diktats from Brussels by putting the Northern Isles ferry service out to a competitive tendering process, despite the people of Britain voting to leave the EU, including a sizeable section of the Scottish working class.
RMT has a clear and principled position which is to insist that the Northern Isles contract is brought back into public ownership forthwith.
We demand an immediate end to the exploitation of eastern European seafarers. These workers, employed on a Scottish government contract, are being paid wages at a derisory rate while being denied the protection of a trade union agreement with wages and conditions covered by collective bargaining agreements.
As part of our ongoing Save our Seafarers campaign, we have highlighted this disgraceful fact to the media and the public with our slogan SNP — Ships of Shame.
This is causing the government and, in particular, the Transport Minister a great deal of embarrassment. I make no apologies for this and I sincerely hope the embarrassment will lead to action before too much longer.
It is clear to everyone, with the possible exception of right-wing profiteering zealots, that the only way to have a public transport system worthy of the name is to have a fully nationalised railway, properly resourced, with adequate staffing levels --- together with a publicly owned ferry operator, working exclusively on behalf of ferry users and the Scottish government, & money raised reinvested --- instead of lining the pockets of private shareholders.
Gordon Martin is Scottish regional organiser of the RMT.
(source - Morning Star)
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Tory aid-dumping revelation means the money should be seized and used by Mike Sivier
The worst part of this is, it suggests that people who said the International Aid budget could be used in better ways, were right.
The Times reports that the Tories have been ‘dumping’ billions of pounds in aid into shady World Bank funds, to sit unused indefinitely – in order to "keep up the appearance" of meeting the government’s commitment to donating 0.7% of the UK’s GDP in foreign aid.
According to the Times, at least £9 billion has been transferred like this in the past 5 years. Rather than helping developing countries, the money, which is spread across over 200 different bank accounts, simply sits there – doing nothing except rack up World Bank ‘administration fees’.
UK International Development Secretary Priti Patel’s only qualification for her job appears to be the fact that she had previously wanted to get rid of it and the funding it oversees. This seems to be the standard Tory qualification for any ministerial role that is supposed to help people – Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt infamously wrote a book, before becoming Health Secretary, that called for abolition of the ’60-year-old mistake’ of the NHS.
Clearly, to a Tory, maintaining the appearance of doing something is far more important than actually doing it – especially if it helps you put cash into the bank accounts of your backers and allies and ideally while you get rid of the very thing you’re supposed to be looking after. If you hear Tories say ‘reform’, run for cover – or better yet, get the pitchforks out.
Source: Keeping up appearances: aid-dumping shows Tories care for PR, not people The SKWAWKBOX
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Left Looks To Unite To Protect Its Power Base CHARLEY ALLAN
The Labour right was desperate to see the back of “Red Len,” as the tabloids call him.
But Len won his victory. Now’s the perfect time to join Unite, with full membership costing just £3.50 a week, reduced to 50p for the unemployed.
The AWL and its allies may have won the national committee battle, but they won’t win the OMOV war --- if the movementists get organised.
A new current called Opening Momentum has rallied round the point that anti-OMOVers had denied members their advertised right to “vote in national-level elections.”
And it’s crucial that every member who really believes in the fabled “new kind of politics” turns up to their local branch meetings - if they have them - to halt plans for a parallel party.
This is bigger than Momentum. We need to see much more direct democracy in Labour itself, although there will always be resistance from those who benefit most from the delegate system.
There are literally hundreds of thousands of new Labour members and Momentum’s top priority --- should making sure their voice is heard at next year’s party conference.
The Labour left can’t afford to be crushed again on the conference floor, as happened this year.
While Momentum was dazzling everyone with its World Transformed free festival, right faction Labour First was distributing fliers to let delegates know when and where vital votes were taking place.
Critically, Momentum must:- have slates of candidates ready when local constituency parties select conference delegates in thecoming months.
The new left movement needs to get serious if it wants to win the looming electoral battles within Labour, the trade unions and the grassroots.
Defending, strengthening and expanding this power base at the ballot box, will take back the leadership, and keep the movement fighting fit for the general election.
• Chat to Charley on Twitter: @charleyallan.
(source - Morning Star)
A New Lucas Plan For The Future by David King
The ideas pioneered by the Lucas workers are just as, or more, relevant now than in the 1970s, and there are strong political similarities in the situation.
As in the ’70s, we have an economic crisis caused by unjust economic policies and the failure of successive governments’ industrial strategy.
As usual, this has hit the working class hardest, and anger over this is being channelled into racism against immigrants. Now, the environmental effects of industrial capitalism are far more evident than 40 years ago, already creating wars, militarisation and widespread concern about insecurity.
Finally, introduction of new technologies threatens structural unemployment on a scale considerably greater than the ’70s.
The Tory government’s response to the economic and political crisis, despite continuing to publicly espouse neoliberal principles, looks a lot like a classic Keynesian economic stimulus package.
In the last few months it has made decisions to go ahead with a range of industrial infrastructure megaprojects — Hinkley C, fracking, HS2 and the Heathrow third runway, as well as pressing ahead with spending £200 billion on Trident renewal.
A key element in the case for all these projects is the jobs that they will generate or preserve, although the jobs estimates are bound to be inflated, while the price tag will be massively underestimated.
Compared to the ’70s, far fewer jobs will be created in this way because, due to automation and mechanisation, they are all highly capital rather than labour-intensive.
The Lucas Aerospace workers’ idea of socially useful production suggests a far better way forward.
Even in the early phase of the environmental movement, before most socialists realised the significance of these issues, the Lucas Plan acknowledged that protecting the environment is part of the concept of socially useful production.
With the exception of HS2, all the new projects are environmental anathema, and the damage that project would do to the English countryside and people’s homes and communities, for the sake of saving 30 minutes of executives’ time, makes it emblematic of neoliberalism.
The working-class people who voted for Brexit are demanding jobs and regeneration of their communities, but these industrial vanity projects are not the solution.
Now is the moment to realise the proposals of the Campaign Against Climate Change Trade Union Group (Million Climate Jobs Campaign), which is often seen as a successor to the Lucas Plan.
We should be investing in renewable energy, home insulation, public transport etc as part of the international trade union initiative of Just Transition, ie transition to a low-carbon economy with job protection for workers in industries that need to be phased out.
Imagine what could be achieved in regional economic renewal and environmental benefits with the Trident billions.
But exactly how that money should be spent should not be decided by economic planners alone.
One of the great strengths of the Lucas Plan was that it came from the bottom up, from workers, not managers.
Recognising that they could not, by themselves, define what people need, the Lucas workers began to work with various regional communities to develop “popular planning for social need.”
In London, the Greater London Council created technology development networks that involved users, for example disabled people, in technology design.
These traditions of bottom-up local planning have been continued by various citizens’ local planning initiatives, such as Just Space in London, and would be vital to a democratic solution to the crises.
The current economic and environmental crises are symptoms of a deeper crisis in the industrial capitalist mode of production, and they demand a fundamental rethink of how we produce the basic things that people need for a decent life.
One of the less well-remembered, but crucial aspects of the Lucas Plan was the workers’ struggle against the automation and deskilling of their work with computer-controlled machinery, a struggle shared with trade unionists around the world in that period.
As Phil Asquith of the Lucas Combine puts it, “Harold Wilson’s ‘white heat of the technological revolution’ was burning up workers’ jobs.’
The continuation of this trend over the last 40 years is a major source of the jobless recoveries and income polarisation that are creating the “squeezed middle” of angry, Daily Mail- reading, Brexit voters.
Forecasts suggest that digital technology will eliminate half the jobs in the economy over the next 20 years, but its track record shows that it creates far fewer new jobs to replace them.
One response to this that has become popular on the left is the belief that automation will usher in a post- capitalist society, if we can only feed those useless human workers with basic income.
This is a complex argument, but one thing for sure is that this was not the Lucas workers’ philosophy.
Instead of: “Demand Full Automation, Demand Universal Basic Income, Demand the Future,” they would have reminded us that the romance of high-technology leads to what historian of technology David Noble aptly called: “Progress without people.”
The Lucas workers’ slogan would likely have been: “Demand Democratic Control of Technology, Demand Socially Useful Production, Demand Equality and Sustainability.”
They were very clear that the idea of socially useful production is also about how things are produced.
There is no point in socially useful products if they are made in a way that alienates and deskills the workers who produce them.
They went on to design “human-centred technologies,” in which the point was to use and develop workers’ skills, rather than design them out of the production process.
A skills and people-based, more labour-intensive approach is, in the era of Brexit and environmental crisis, a much better way to create a socially just, sustainable economy than old-fashioned, capital- intensive high-tech mega projects. This is the agenda we will be discussing in Birmingham today.
(source - the Morning Star)
Construction Workers Can’t Be Expected To Work Into Their Sixties by Brian Rye (source - The Star)
British governments seem to think one of two things about construction workers: they're either superhuman, or they don’t give a toss about them. That would be the logical conclusion, given the raise in the pension age, to 68.
With the state pension age due to rise to 67 by 2026 and 68 by 2044, our political elites seem to believe that we are breeding a race of human beings with quite exceptional physical capabilities.
While professional sportspeople are pretty much done by their mid-thirties, with their strength, speed and stamina leeching away by the day, the British construction worker - if you believe our politicians - lives in a world that defies conventional science.
Despite the early starts, the exposure to the elements, the heavy lifting, the long hours, the poor diet & susceptibility to minor injury, these lions of the labour force are all going to get their telegram from the king - because the stats say we’re all living longer.
Sadly, if you have a shred of common sense you will immediately know this is not true.
Construction workers are the same as any other human being. Like professional sportspeople, they can feel their physical abilities start to wane from their mid-thirties.
The only difference being: construction workers have to stay in the game. & not only that, given the increase in the pensionable age, the game just went into extra time.
Empathy is a wonderful characteristic for a human being to possess because it creates understanding and caring for others.
So we have to ask ourselves, as our besuited, overweight politicians sit back in their comfy chairs before skipping off to their subsidised three-course meal in the House of Commons - with a glass of wine or two — how much empathy are they feeling with their compatriots in construction?
Can they imagine the freezing mornings, the hours of standing up, the repetitive physical work or the greasy chips for lunch? It would seem not.
Recent research carried out by the TUC, in a report called Postponing the Pension, shows that a significant proportion of the population won’t reach the pensionable age of 68 in any fit state to enjoy their retirement.
The results show that half a million workers within five years of the state pension have had to leave work for medical reasons, and that nearly half of 60 to 64-year-olds stopped working before their official retirement age.
This is why Ucatt is currently trying to get the Labour Party to support policies that would mean a future Labour government would introduce a flexible pension age for physically demanding professions.
Construction work is hugely physically demanding because it involves prolonged standing, highly repetitive work, heavy lifting, working with the hands lifted to shoulder height or higher, and working with the back twisted or bent forward. It can lead to musculoskeletal disorder, cardiovascular disease and long-term sickness absence.
These work conditions and their effects need to be factored into the calculation of a pensionable age. It is only fair.
At 60, most politicians are on a few company boards, are picking up consultancies, maybe writing a book and reaping the benefits of a lifetime’s work.
The current presidential candidates in the US are 68 (Hillary Clinton) and 70 (Donald Trump) - beneficiaries of a lifetime of comfort, good food, little or no physical exertion and excellent healthcare on demand.
These individuals see no reason to retire - they’re feeling fine. Construction workers often aren’t feeling fine.
We all know that one in four people in Britain will now live to 100 — but what about the other three? At what age will they be checking out? And what jobs are they doing?
According to figures from the government’s own Office for National Statistics, doctors and accountants are outliving builders and cleaners, by as much as eight years.
Men in professional occupations can expect to live to 80, almost eight years longer than those in unskilled jobs, whose life expectancy is 72.7. So people are not all the same - shock, horror! Comparing the accountant to the construction worker is comparing apples with oranges - and yet our governments conveniently ignore this.
Our ageing population and the fears surrounding the viability of the state pension in the future has caused the political class to legislate in a heavy- handed, insensitive and unsophisticated way.
The phrase “we’ve all got to work longer” is bandied about by those sitting comfortably behind a desk. For those leading a more active life, this phrase is just a plain, old-fashioned threat.
To quote ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn: “Living longer doesn’t mean we are able to work longer in physically demanding jobs like that of the firefighter, police officer or paramedic. And it’s not just in the emergency services. Construction workers, care workers and prison officers cannot be expected to work into their sixties. We need a flexible pension age that allows people to work for as long as they want to.”
Ucatt’s campaign plainly states “68 is too late.” It’s a campaign that needs to be fought to a victory - for the sake of thousands of British workers. We need to present our case, find broad support and build empathy within the country. And we have to find acceptance that it may cost us all a little bit more while we’re of working age.
Otherwise we will all be using another well- known phrase: “flogging a dead horse.”
We’ll leave the last words to Mr Corbyn: “If we want dignity for all in old age, then it has to be paid for.”
Brian Rye is acting general secretary of Ucatt.
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Britain’s workers feel stressed and insecure (originally in the Morning Star) by Carolyn Jones
The UK's 31 million workers are among the most insecure, stressed and unhappiest in Europe.
No wonder! According to the latest report by the Institute of Employment Rights (IER), the evidence is damning.
On average, UK workers work more hours per week, more days per year, more years before retirement -- after which, they receive lower levels of pension -- than most of their European counterparts.
In comparison to other European workers they generally receive less education and training, and (because of lack of employer investment) their productivity is lower.
They get fewer paid holidays than almost all European comparators and their pay is so low that a great proportion of them are in poverty --- with the state subsidising employers’ low wages.
And it doesn’t end there. The UK has a high proportion of its workforce in so-called “self- employment,” agency work, temporary work, and/or on zero-hours contracts.
It has more part-time workers who want full- time jobs, than other European countries.
UK workers have less entitlement to redundancy pay, sick pay, and maternity pay, than most European workers.
Workers’ rights to remedies for unfair dismissal and discrimination are set low and have been made practically unenforceable by the imposition of high access fees.
In the UK, unlike most European countries, there is no ministry of labour, no labour inspectorate and a negligible complement of health and safety inspectors.
All this in the fifth richest nation in the world. It is obscene. So what’s to be done?
An excellent starting point is the establishment of Jeremy Corbyn’s Workplace 2020 initiative. Launched in May 2016, the aim of the project is to start a national conversation on what work should be like in 2020.
Under the chairmanship of Ian Lavery, shadow trade union minister, the Labour Party wants to hear the good, the bad and the ugly stories about working life in Britain.
On a recently launched website people can submit their comments, complaints and suggestions on a range of workplace issues.
So whether it’s job security, pay and pensions, training and apprenticeships, diversity and equality, trade unions or health and safety that raises your passion, there’s scope to feed into the policy agenda.
Once again the Labour leadership team is turning out to the country for ideas rather than assuming it knows best in the corridors of power.
Labour is already committed to raising the minimum wage, banning zero-hours contracts, ensuring workers are given access to justice, and giving temporary workers the same rights as permanent staff. But it recognises that more needs to be done -- not just to secure fairness at work but to rebuild the UK's economy and industry.
So, at the request of Jeremy Corbyn and Ian Lavery, the IER drafted a contribution to the review, using 15 of its academic and legal experts. At the heart of our proposals is the need to ensure the voice of the UK’s 31 million workers is heard & respected -- in government (via a ministry of labour), in the economy (via a national economic forum) and in industry (via sectoral employment commissions).
The manifesto offers 25 major policy recommendations for consideration.
It proposes changing the way in which working conditions are regulated. It moves responsibility for workplace regulation from legislation to collective bargaining.
It calls for the repeal of the Trade Union Act 2016, the removal of tribunal fees and the introduction of fundamental & enforceable rights for workers, enforceable in a labour court with the assistance of labour inspectors.
The Thatcher concept of individual rights for individual workers has to go. It does little for workers, it’s costly to enforce and it fails to deliver fairness at work.
IER’s manifesto offers a system based on the collective voice of workers, negotiating collectively agreed standards & delivering collectively enforced fairness at work.
A new framework of labour law should be built on the following 10 points:
A ministry of labour
A national economic forum
Sectoral employment commissions
Sectoral collective agreements and wages councils’ orders
Workplace bargaining
A strengthened framework of statutory employment rights
Labour courts and labour inspectors
Employment tribunals
Stronger support for freedom of association and collective rights
The right to strike
Carolyn Jones is director of the Institue of Employment Rights
A manifesto for labour law: Towards a comprehensive revision of workers’ rights --- is available from IER. Go to www.ier.org.uk for more information.
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Why Labour is putting energy reform at the heart of its green agenda Jeremy Corbyn
No issue better connects the environment to people’s lives than energy. To deliver clean, affordable electricity,we need to change our undemocratic system of supply.
We are on course for a climate catastrophe. 2016 is set to be the hottest year on record. Unless the Paris agreement’s target of limiting the rise in temperatures by 1.5C is met, heatwaves like that in 2003, which killed tens of thousands of people in Europe, will become the norm. And that's before considering rising sea levels and desertification, that will sink cities, and kill and displace millions, or the fact that the Earth has already lost half its wildlife, in the past 40 years.
The task for politicians is to propose real solutions to the single most important issue facing humanity. Too often, the environment is considered a matter for scientists, enthusiasts & activists. To increase public understanding and energise the political debate, we need more than facts – we need a programme that resonates with people’s every- day experiences, offering not just warnings, but opportunities and improvement.
No issue better connects the environment to people’s lives than energy. In Britain today, 7 million households struggle to pay their bills because of spiralling costs, while the big six energy companies have seen their profits rise by more than tenfold since 2007. The energy market is not just expensive, inefficient and polluting – it is, above all, undemocratic.
In order to deliver clean, affordable heating and electricity we need to change the whole system of energy supply. When energy is driven by the needs of people, it will be greener – because saving the planet is in the interests of everyone.
That is why I am today announcing a bold new set of policies which will pioneer a democratic, community- led system of energy supply. Over the course of the next parliament, we will use public investment and legislation to promote the creation of over 200 local energy companies, giving towns, cities & localities the powers they need to drive a clean, locally accountable energy system with public, not-for-profit companies.
At the heart of this policy will be a new generation of community energy co-operatives. We will create 1,000 of these co-operatives with the support of a network of regional development banks, and legislate to give them the right to sell energy directly to the communities they serve.
At the same time as building a new publicly run, locally accountable energy system, we will invest in the high quality homes & insulation needed to make Britain environmentally sustainable. We will create a National Home Insulation programme to insulate at least 4m homes to energy efficiency standard B or C. In the private rented sector, we will set compulsory standards at the same level & end the misery of cold rented accommodation. This would save millions of people money on their bills as well as saving energy that is currently wasted on poorly insulated homes.
In order to have any hope of keeping the rise in temperature to 2C – let alone meeting our Paris agreement target of 1.5C – we need to keep 80% of fossil fuels in the ground. This can and must be done. Scotland is already on course to generate 100% of its electricity by renewables, & Britain has an ample supply of wind & water. In government, I'll commit to generating 65% of Britain’s electricity from these sources by 2030.
All of these measures will create secure, skilled employment for hundreds of thousands of people. As part of our transition to a low-carbon economy, we estimate that we will create 316,000 jobs in wind, solar and wave power. We'll use a £500bn national investment programme, with a National Investment Bank and a network of regional development banks, to ensure that these jobs and opportunities are created in places where they are most needed – in coastal towns and areas with high unemployment.
Too often, environmental catastrophe is explained in the same terms as an asteroid hitting the earth. But the problems and the solutions are political – they are about the prioritisation of profit over the needs of people and, at the heart of it all, a lack of democracy in how decisions are made. By democratising our energy supply, and giving people power over their own destinies, we can rebuild and transform Britain so that no one and no community, is left behind.
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Together --- Stronger!
Change, when it comes, will not come from Westminster. The campaign to save our NHS must become a visible reality on every high street and a priority for Labour members.
The NHS is at breaking point, and as Keep Our NHS Public secretary John Lister says: “by 2020 it will all be over.”
To reverse the damage of four more years of A&E closures, outsourced or pared-down services and reduced access, could verge on the impossible.
MPs who obsess over the need to attract Tory voters may find that the champions who saved a local A&E win more hearts and minds than a lorryload of anti-immigration mugs ever could.
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HELP JOHN DUNN
John Dunn, ex-miner and a Labour Party member for 45 years, was blocked from voting for Corbyn, because he challenged Owen Smith for exploiting the legacy of Orgreave for electoral purposes.
He has been told he is suspended from the Labour Party.
John says: "45 years continuous membership and they couldn't even address me by my name"
It looks like the NEC are creating their very own blacklist.
Labour grew hugely under Corbyn and the ''guess'' is --- most of new members were Corbyn supporters.
A DREAM COME TRUE
Support for Jeremy Corbyn from Tyrone O’Sullivan, a fourth-generation south Wales miner, who led a workers’ buy-out of Tower Colliery, to save it from closure.
"I’ve been close to Jeremy since the miners’ strike. Knowing the man, knowing his abilities and his education, it was a dream come true for me when he became leader. His ideas and values are more necessary, here in south Wales, than probably anywhere else in the country. He wanted victory for Labour, but only under our terms - for a change."
O’Sullivan, a lifelong Labour member, says Jeremy is the only true socialist we have had as leader --- for 20 or 30 years.
____________________________________
PEOPLE DESERVE RESPECT
Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership opponent flaunted his contempt for democracy by backing a second referendum on UK membership of the EU.
And MPs pressured Jeremy Corbyn to resign, by constant smears, media lies and attacks on Labour's membership !!!
No wonder the Unite policy conference has overwhelmingly backed mandatory reselection of MPs - to ensure genuine democratic accountability in the party.
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Unite pushes for reselection of MPs by Conrad Landin
Candidates ‘should reflect members’ views’
Labour's largest affiliate is now behind the push for mandatory reselection of MPs, as Jeremy Corbyn critics have “destabilised” the party, to ditch anti-austerity policies.
Delegates at general union Unite’s conference are resolved to support the approach, in order “to ensure democratic accountability, and the rights of party members to select candidates that reflect their views.”
Currently, sitting MPs are only subject to a “trigger ballot” -- where they automatically become the candidate -- unless a super- majority of branches in the constituency support a new selection.
London and eastern region's delegate, Kevin Parslow: “The current trigger mechanism is difficult, & weighted in favour of the incumbent.
“We put ourselves up as reps and branch officers for election regularly.
“I don’t think it’s unreasonable for MPs to put themselves up for re-selection. They should be accountable to us, and not to Murdoch’s press: they're there because they have the Labour Party name on the ballot paper.”
Mike Hedges, another London delegate: “Four weeks ago I would have spoken against this motion--- but after the treachery of 172 MPs --- we have no option.”
The union’s leaders are also mandated to “support moves to bring more democracy into policy-making -- by returning powers to the party conference.”
A Unite spokesperson:
“This vote simply reflects the immense frustration that our members feel. They look at the conduct of some within the party, the challenge to the elected leader, and they feel angered.
“They want Labour fighting the Tories, not among themselves.”
KEEP FIGHTING FOR MORE DEMOCRACY!
Momentum and Labour are engaged in a huge consultation to expand democracy in Labour...
WHY NOT PASTE THE LINK BELOW AND JOIN THE DISCUSSION?
http://www.peoplesmomentum.com/democracy-review
* * *
With 640,000 members - and a huge 200,00 joining in just 2 weeks- Labour was the largest left-wing party in Europe.
If you haven't done so already, join Labour, join Momentum, and let's rebuild #BuildOurMovement.
join.labour.org.uk
join.peoplesmomentum.com
_________________________________
GMB Wins Lidl Recognition by Peter Lazenby Ruling affects hundreds of warehouse staff
The Star - General union GMB has won a landmark legal ruling giving hundreds of warehouse workers at giant cut-price supermarket chain Lidl the right to be represented by the union.
The German-owned chain opposes union recognition and resisted the union’s claim.
But the Central Arbitration Committee, whose decisions are legally binding, supported the GMB case, and gave the union full rights to represent and negotiate on behalf of its 223 members among warehouse workers at Bridgend, south Wales.
GMB now presses ahead with its campaign for recognition at 8 more Lidl warehouses across England and Scotland.
National secretary Justin Bowden says: “Lidl’s attempts at union-busting were quite properly thrown out by the judge --- in a massive victory for rights at work.
“[Wednesday’s] ruling opens the gates to not only improving employees’ pay & terms and conditions at the Bridgend site, but is also a major victory for the GMB’s campaign for a trade union voice at the workplace.
“The suggestion that Lidl’s workers don't need the option of a trade union to stick up for them and fight for their interests is baloney, pure and simple.
“As a result of today’s ruling, employees will get the chance to decide for them- selves, if the company’s own ‘personal personnel hotline’ is any match for an independent union taking their side & defending their interests in the workplace.”
GMB Wales and south-west regional secretary John Phillips adds: “Regrettably, Lidl continues to show both hostility towards GMB & shameful disregard for the wishes of its own workforce, with expensive challenges against fair and objective decisions made by independent third-party organisations.”
Lidl is also resisting attempts by shop workers’ union Usdaw to recruit and represent staff in its supermarkets.
An Usdaw spokesperson said: “Lidl will not even let our representatives into stores, to talk to staff.”
Lidl has 637 stores & 9 regional distribution centres --- employing over 18,000 staff. Its ambitions to expand in Britain, could see it more than double in size --- with plans for 1,500 stores & 2 more distribution centres.
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Tax offices’ own cleaners don’t get minimum wage
Cleaners at 6 government offices on Mersey- side walked out over their employer’s failure to pay them the legal minimum wage.
The staff began the two-day strike, because they have not received that £7.20-an-hour rate the government introduced on April 1.
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Wales: 50,000 days lost due to teacher stress
The number of teachers off sick due to stress in Wales has soared by thousands in just one year, new research shows.
Stress-related illness caused the 51,795 sick days: an increase of 2,568 on 2014, freedom of information figures revealed.
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Unions stood by Corbyn & McDonnell
The entire labour movement could have been concentrating all of our efforts - on bringing down this mean government.
Instead, 172 Labour MPs launched an attempted coup on Corbyn. If it's true that Angela Smith MP described the 10,000 activists, including general secretaries of affiliated trade unions, who were at a recent pro-Corbyn rally, as “dogs,” --- then serious questions need to be asked about the relationship between the PLP and the trade union movement.
Every trade union in Britain has regular elections for shop stewards, branch secretaries, and their general secretary.
It's time those who fund the Labour Party demanded the same level of democracy for sitting MPs.
Anything less than a mandatory reselection of MPs before every parliament is now untenable.
Let’s get this straight: none of these MPs backed Corbyn for leader, most of them abstained in the Welfare Reform Bill, many of them voted for the Iraq war, & to this day, hero-worship Tony Blair.
The 172 Labour MPs aren't just trying to change the Labour leader -- they are plotting to drag the movement back to a Blairite view of politics.
The vote of no confidence wasn't just an attempt to oust Corbyn --- it was a declaration of war on the entire organised left.
The gloves are off and there’s no going back. Everyone will need to decide: which side are you on? I stand with Corbyn and McDonnell.
Dave Smith is co-author, with Phil Chamberlain, of Blacklisted: The Secret War between Big Business and Trade Unionists, (New Internationalist Publications).
________________________________
RMT: We Must Fight Assault On Our Rights Union ‘disappointed’ with lack of action from TUC
Unions should move to take “generalised” strike action: with or without a go-ahead from the TUC, RMT activists insisted.
The union was meeting in Cardiff that week --- but you wouldn't know it, if you'd read the Welsh press!
Delegates at the transport union’s annual general meeting in Cardiff expressed disappointment that fiery rhetoric about defeating new anti-strike laws was not followed up with action.
The union unanimously passed a motion expressing concern at the TUC’s “lack of campaigning” on the issue and called for a “high-profile campaign.”
Leeds delegate Trevor Howard said: “Personally, my own view is that the TUC is a waste of space and it needs to be reorganised.”
The Trade Union Act, which received Royal Assent last month, imposes arbitrary thresholds on strike ballots & other curbs on labour movement activity.
RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: “It’s fundamentally undemocratic when you put these thresholds in.”
He said unions must respond to the law by ramping up their organising. “Whatever we do, we’ve got to make sure we get our members’ support,” he said.
And he praised Jeremy Corbyn’s Workplace 2020 agenda, which aims to introduce new labour rights.
“What we need to be doing is turning the tables,” he added: “We’ve got to get an alternative to this legislation --- to get us positive rights.”
Cash blasts ‘self-indulgent MPs’ for sabotaging left’s moment
“Self-indulgent” Labour MPs have squandered the left’s best moment to go on the offensive, RMT's general secretary, Mick Cash, stressed.
He used his address to the transport union’s annual general meeting to warn of “massive fights ahead” amid “political and economic turmoil.”
He said the divisions in the Tory Party and shockwaves in the world of capital should have been an opportunity for the left to get its message across. But he said this had been sabotaged by the frontbenchers resigning and calling for Jeremy Corbyn’s head.
He fumed: “What have they done? Self-indulgence. They’ve created division, they created a lack of leadership of progressive forces.
“They’ve created a situation where, if we’re not careful, we’ll have a Tory government ------ and worse, a Tory government supported by Ukip.
“We need to seize the opportunity to put forward an agenda to fight against austerity, against cuts and for workers’ rights. But that won’t happen if our politicians in London are playing the game they’re playing.
“Ordinary working people are sick of the political class and what they’re doing --- and yet they’re doing it again.”
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Putschist MPs ‘Let The Tories Off The Hook’ Unions rally round previous Labour leader
Union reps on Labour’s ruling executive signed a defiant statement to show that Mr Corbyn still has institutional support.
The leader of Labour’s most recent affiliate Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack pointed his hoses at the quitters, saying their action was “co-ordinated to cause maximum damage” to Mr Corbyn.
“It is bizarre that some of the MPs making the loudest criticism of Jeremy Corbyn over the referendum -- completely failed to convince the electorate in their own constituencies,” he said.
“After the referendum, Labour should be setting out policies to defend jobs, public services & wages, as an exit from the EU is negotiated. Instead, some Labour MPs are playing irresponsible & silly games, from their Westminster bubble.”
Unite south-east secretary Jenny Formby, one of the executive members behind the statement in support of Mr Corbyn, said it was “nonsense” to blame him for the result. “Now, more than ever, is a time for loyalty and unity,” she stormed.
Communication Workers’ Union leader Dave Ward fired off a missive, stating Mr Corbyn “has our full support” as leader.
“Jeremy Corbyn is, and remains, the catalyst for change in the Labour Party and the country,” he said. “Those who seek to oust him, represent the politics that forgot ordinary people.”
And food union BFAWU turned up the heat. They said plotters would “only serve to let the Conservative government off the hook for the damage they've heaped upon our communities & the crisis they've caused in pursuit of power.”
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WHERE IS MOST UK YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT?
WALES!
(WHERE IN WALES? GUESS !!!)
Youth unemployment rates in some parts of Britain, such as the North East, have reached the highest recorded level ever, recent data gathered by the GMB union shows.
The GMB report says unemployment rates among people aged between 18-25 have hit record levels.
Wales is top of the unemployment list, with almost 23,000 claimants. The GMT reveals that some parts of Wales have a jobless rate of 37%.
Paul Kenny, GMB general secretary:
"In the UK there are nearly 400,000 young workers aged 18-24 claiming jobseeker's allowance. When you add to that number the rest of the young people not in jobs, but seeking work, the real number is more than double that figure.”
The number of young UK job seekers is really almost one million;- which makes this young generation the real victims of the current recession in Britain.
Kenny again: “The Government is in denial that it is deliberately creating unemployment.”
This is while reports say almost 150,000 jobs are under threat across the country.
What Wales needs is AN ECONOMY
ONE THAT WILL LAST
"Regional aid" - artificially importing factories that owe no allegiance to Wales - has failed.
Innovation means NEW ! New thinking.
Stop moaning about the past. Start building an economy NOW, for our youngsters.
Or else!!!
New means old, if you want to build a genuine economy. From the ground up, means exactly that!
Agriculture, producing smart new food and drinks. But based on our strengths.
All the land we need is here, and if we look up, 80 percent of Wales' "valley" land is up in the air, like Penrhys!
And it's almost unused. Imagine! All that land from the Rhondda over to Aberdare and beyond.
I'm sure people with vision can see orchards and new products... new ways of working, etc.
All it requires is a WILLINGNESS TO CHANGE.
ALL TOGETHER NOW FOR PEACE
The UK's TUC is calling on the UK government to end its meddling policies in the Middle East and North Africa. “The “war on terror” is still continuing and has failed, after ten years, to bring the promised peace and stability to either the Middle East or the wider world,” the motion says...
UK FOLLOWING US DOWN THE DRAIN
Last year’s table of 10 top EU economies - assessing income, prices, working culture & public spending, put the UK in last place.
The UK now has the 4th-highest retirement age of any country averaging 63.1 years - and this,thanks to the Tories AND a supine work-force, is set to keep rising higher and higher.
Average net household income after tax, (and remember, this "average" includes the stinking rich) is £37,172 a year, but even after ignoring the ridiculously high "average", this is now much lower than the average amount earned in Ireland, the Netherlands & Denmark, where there are less of the obscenely rich, to distort the figures.
In Wales, we know that the "average" worker earns far less than this: (£15,000 after tax)
Life for most in the UK is set to get even worse - if people don't fight back - as public services are to be cut more, after the next Spending Review ..and will lead to budget cuts of up to 40% in many public service departments.
France and Spain again top the quality of life index, as workers there have more paid holidays, earlier retirement, lower prices, longer life expectancy and, just to rub it in... better weather.
There are no separate figures for Wales.... why?
Could it be that knowing... might lead to discontent or is it because Welsh workers, with their vibrant economy, as they stop mindlessly following London... and build their new economy, are now so well off, that the English might get jealous? Yeah, right!
The lesson is obvious. Strong unions with gutsy membership abound on the continent, while UK residents sink apathetically down & down & down.
As Tony Blair said: we British are "special".
We think life gets better for us if we let the bankers of London exploit the rest of the world, and our non-working workforce sinks into apathy and selfishness...
Makes you proud, doesn't it! Does it?
WORKERS ACROSS EUROPE UNITE & FIGHT TO STOP CUTS PEACE - NOT WAR AND LOOTING !
Workers from across Europe took part in a major demonstration in Brussels --- to demand that austerity measures be dropped in favour of an end to wars & for peaceful reconstruction.
Europeans took to the streets of Brussels to demonstrate against wage & pension cuts and diminishing job opportunities.
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), one of the EU's leading unions, says that about 100,000 people from 30 countries took part, and police estimates say 20,000.
“Cutting in a recession's crazy and we must fight it,” AFP quotes the ETUC's general secretary, a prominent UK union leader.
Marches also took place in Portugal, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Serbia, Romania, Poland, Ireland and France.
The rallies coincided with a general strike in Spain where the government froze pensions and cut the salaries of government workers.
“This is the worst economic crisis in the post- war history of Western Europe,” the eTUC leader adds.
"We call for a rethink and a change - in Spain and in Europe. We are mobilizing, and they will have to listen to us."
The union says European workers could be the main victims of a financial crisis set off by bankers and traders.
Many European governments have imposed reductions in wages, pensions & employment - to deal with the escalating economic issues.
The OECD has released its long awaited Action Plan to curb "base erosion and profit shifting" (BEPS) by large multinational enterprises.
"The OECD Action Plan has the ambition to effectively curb tax evasion by large multinational enterprises – but it is a plan, and it needs effective commitments by governments and effective implementation,” says ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow.
The Action plan consists of 15 measures to strengthen corporate income tax rules and prevent tax avoidance through manipulating intra-group transfer pricing between subsidiaries, and the use of empty shell companies in low tax jurisdictions.
Tax challenges created by globalised production and service systems, the digital economy and increasing importance of "intangibles" – r & d, and intellectual property – feature prominently in the OECD Action plan.
