The Democrats 66 (D66) party, led by Rob Jetten, won
the parliamentary elections in the Netherlands, the
Electoral Council confirmed today.
The president of that body, Wim Kuijken, announced the
final results in a public hearing and noted that the D66
obtained 29,668 more votes than its closest rival, the
Freedom Party (PVV), led by Geert Wilders.
Both political forces won 26 seats in the
150-member lower house of Parliament.
The result confirms the D66 as the overall winner and
positions Jetten to lead the upcoming coalition
negotiations and form a new government.
Of the 27 parties that ran in the elections...... 15 obtained
enough votes to secure representation in the legislature.
The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy... won 22
seats, the Green Left-Labour alliance (GroenLinks-PvdA)
won 20, and the Christian Democratic Call, won 18.
Kuijken stated that the results are reliable and
that no irregularities were detected.
The election was called after the PVV withdrew from the
ruling coalition in June over a dispute over migration,
prompting the resignation of Prime Minister Dick
Schoof's cabinet.
With the victory of D66, negotiations to form a coalition,
are expected to determine the composition of the next
Dutch government.
____________________________________________
China ---- lifts suspension of
chicken exports from Brazil
November 7th, 11:06am
(Prensa Latina)
The Chinese Government, through the General Customs
Administration of the Asian country (GACC), lifted the
restrictions imposed on the export of chicken meat
from Brazil, the administration of Luiz Inácio Lula
da Silva confirmed today.
The official note indicates that «the decision, effective
immediately, was made ---- based on the results of the
risk analysis carried out by the Chinese authorities».
Brazil is the world's largest exporter of chicken meat,
responsible for approximately 35 percent of the
global market.
The temporary suspension of exports had been adopted
by Beijing in May --- after the confirmation of the first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HAI) on a commercial farm located in the municipality
of Montenegro, state of Rio Grande do Sul.
The virus caused the death of approximately 15,000 birds, and 2,000 more were sacrificed preventively.
In addition, more than 1,700,000 eggs distributed in
Rio Grande do Sul, Minas Gerais and Paraná were
destroyed... to prevent the spread of the virus.
Authorities implemented strict measures to contain the
outbreak, including installing seven sanitary barriers
to disinfect vehicles, inspecting 540 properties
within a 10-kilometre radius... around the
outbreak, and the suspension of bird
events in the state.
Since June 18, after the completion of the property's
disinfection procedures - and all required health
actions, Brazil maintains its status as an
IAAP-free country.
_______________________________________
They blame the US Government
shutdown for chaos at airports
November 7th, 10:16am
(Prensa Latina)
United States Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy,
said today that the reduction in flights ordered by the
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is directly
related to the government closure, the
longest in history.
The cancellation of hundreds of flights starting this Friday
is due to the shortage of air traffic controllers, during this
Government blackout.
Duffy, and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, announced the
decision to reduce 10 percent of flights at 40 high-impact
airports... nationwide.
“If anyone wants to question us...... I answer: Open the
Government!”, Duffy said in statements to CBS News.
As he explained “we have to take unprecedented measures
because we are in an unprecedented situation with the
(government) closure”.
Duffy admitted that it has been impossible to pay air traffic
controllers, which is causing many absences from work
while if they stay in their jobs they are overloaded.
“We saw controllers working six days
a week, 10-hour days”, he said.
Local media reported that SkyWest, the largest regional
airline in the US, which operates flights for four major
airlines..... recorded the highest number of
cancellations on Friday ---- at the 40
airports affected by FAA cuts.
About 172 flights were canceled early in the morning,
which was 6% of the day's total, CNN reported,
based on data from the FlightAware tracker.
While, among airports, Chicago O'Hare topped the list
with 40 cancellations, followed by Atlanta Hartsfield
-Jackson --- with 38.
Since October 1, the partial closure of the Government
began after being left without financing with the start,
that day, of fiscal year 2026.
___________________________________________
G.A. Zyuganov's congratulations on the Day
of the Great October Socialist Revolution
November 6th, 7:29pm
(Press Service of the Central Committee of the
Communist Party of the Russian Federation)
Dear comrades, My friends!
I sincerely congratulate you on the 108th anniversary of the Great
October Socialist Revolution! This fateful day forever changed
the course of history, paving the way for social justice and
genuine democracy. For millions of workers around the
world the Great October Revolution became a symbol
of liberation from centuries of oppression and the
triumph of equality and brotherhood.
The Aurora's volley heralded the birth of a new type of state - the
state - of workers and peasants. Overcoming the severe trials of
the Civil War and foreign intervention --- the Soviet people, under
the leadership of the Bolshevik Party, selflessly built their future.
In just two decades, mass illiteracy was eliminated. Thousands
of industrial giants were built. Dneproges, Magnitogorsk
Metallurgical Plant, Uralmash, and GAZ – these
symbols of the era, created a powerful
scientific and industrial potential
that allowed us to survive and
win - the most terrible war.
The Soviet Union was the first country in the world, to establish a
system of universal free education and healthcare, guaranteeing
the right to work, rest, housing --- and a dignified old age.
Knowledge and health were no longer a privilege for
the elite; they became the common property of
the entire nation.
It was October.. that opened the way to the stars for humanity.
The first satellite and the first cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin, were
a triumph of socialism, as a system where the highest value
is the human being. The USSR proved to the world, that it is possible to build a civilization based - not on greed and competition - but on principles of equality, justice, and collective creation.
Today, we are - once again - witnessing the enduring
power of the ideas of the Great October Revolution.
transportation, while humanoids are used in research,
teaching, tourist guides and cultural tourism.
He expressed his hope - that in the future humanoid robots will
enter homes, helping with household chores, elderly care and
school attendance, although they still require a process of
growth and improvement.
Zhou highlighted that production, with more than one
hundred key components, drives the development
of the entire industrial chain.
Prensa Latina - also visited Shandong Zhongke Advanced
Technology Co. ----- to learn about its NeuroSci wireless
electroencephalography (EEG) system - which allows
the acquisition of up to 64 channels of brain signals
and applications.... in neuroscientific research,
neurological diseases and brain-computer
interfaces (BCI).
Li Weimin, the institution's top representative, said the company
benefited from the collaboration with the Chinese Academy of
Sciences and the favorable business and talent environment
in Jinan.
The manager specified that the NeuroSci system enables BCI
experiences, including drone control and writing through
thinking, thereby demonstrating the reliability of signal
acquisition, algorithm processing - and interaction
with external devices.
Li stressed: the company develops non-implantable
interfaces ----- considered safer, and cheaper.
Likewise, he advanced plans for implantable interfaces that
allow stronger and more stable brain signals, with the
potential for practical applications in the daily lives
of patients.
The director noted that the institution has made advances
in advanced manufacturing, renewable energy and
rehabilitation, integrating neuroengineering,
EEG and robotics.
Youbaote and Zhongke's projects --- reflect China's technological
capabilities in humanoid robotics and brain-computer interfaces,
and, at the same time, they consolidate the country as a global
benchmark in innovation applied to industry, health, and
scientific research.
_______________________________________________
Partial closure of the US
government on the 30th
October 30th, 10:37am
(Prensa Latina)
Republican and Democratic legislators in the US Senate
could reach an agreement next week to end the partial
shutdown of the federal government, which entered its
thirtieth day today.
The closure or shutdown, at the rate it is going, could cost
the United States economy up to 14 billion dollars,
according to official information.
According to estimates, such a loss would reduce the
Gross Domestic Product (GDP), for the fourth quarter
by a maximum of 2.0 percent due to the break in
public spending, revealed the Congressional
Budget Office (CBO).
The economy will be affected by the delay in federal spending
on employee compensation, goods and services, and food
stamps for low-income Americans, the CBO revealed.
“Although most of the real GDP decline will recover over time,
the CBO estimates that between $7 billion and $14 billion
will not recover”, the agency's director, Phillip
Swagel, warned.
In a letter sent yesterday to House Budget Committee Chairman
Jodey Arrington (Republican of Texas), Swagel wrote that “the
effects of the shutdown on the economy are uncertain. These
effects depend on the decisions made by the administration
throughout the closure”.
About 750,000 federal workers were placed on unpaid leave
after government funds ran out on October 1, when fiscal
year 2026 began.
At this time there is a rush to end the legislative impasse due
to the expiration of subsidies from the Affordable Care Act
(known as Obamacare) ------ that will skyrocket health
insurance premiums.
Also......... due to the imminent interruption of funding for the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the
salaries of military workers... as the stagnation continues.
The previous shutdown occurred between December 2018
and January 2019, lasted 35 days and is considered the
longest in United States history so far. The president
then .....was Donald Trump.
_________________________________________________
Cuba thanks Venezuela for
humanitarian aid after
Melissa passed
October 30th, 4:12pm
(Prensa Latina)
Cuba today thanked Venezuela for sending 26 tons
of humanitarian aid intended to support recovery
efforts and assist victims of Hurricane Melissa.
In a message spread on social networks, Cuban Foreign
Minister Bruno Rodríguez expressed his recognition to
the Bolivarian government for the solidarity shown in
times of adversity, citing National Hero Jose Marti ''Doing is the best way to say.''
The assistance, announced by the Venezuelan Minister
of Foreign Affairs, Yván Gil, includes medical supplies,
food products and materials for the reconstruction
of affected infrastructure in the east.
The shipment joins national and international efforts,
aimed at --- restoring basic services, guaranteein the health of the population and supporting the
rehabilitation of production centres in the
territories hardest hit by the cyclone.
Melissa made Cuban landfall in a point in the southeast of
its geography where she caused severe flooding, as well
as extensive material damage to homes and crops in
the eastern provinces.
To date, no fatalities caused by the
hurricane ---- have been reported.
______________________________________
Venezuelan ambassador to Bolivia
-- highlights failure of US blockade
----------- Cuba is not alone
by Jorge Petinaud Martínez, the
Chief correspondent in Bolivia
October 30th, 1:28pm
(Prensa Latina)
The Venezuelan ambassador to Bolivia, César Trómpiz, today,
considered the vote condemning the economic, commercial
and financial blockade of the United States against Cuba
---------- a triumph of truth over lies.
The diplomat stated in statements to Prensa Latina that the
result of the vote (165 in favour, 12 abstentions and 7
against) is confirmation that the blockade is a
criminal, infamous and unjust action.
“Cuba continues to demonstrate the immorality of the economic,
commercial and financial reprisals maintained for more than six
decades against all those people by the US Government”, said
the ambassador.
He reiterated that the most recent vote in the United Nations
General Assembly on the need to eliminate the economic
commercial and financial blockade of the US against
Cuba demonstrates the immorality of Washington's
reprisals, and aggressions and the siege of a
people that resists ---- and triumphs
against imperialism.
“From Venezuela'' - the diplomat emphasized - ''we support and
continue to support Cuba's call to eliminate the criminal
blockade that causes death and pain, but it will never
cause the defeat of the humanist and revolutionary
cause of Cubans and Latin Americans”.
When referring to the deployment of a powerful Pentagon
naval squadron that includes thousands of troops,
nuclear propulsion means and more than 1,200
long-range cruise missiles, Trómpiz warned
that the ''justification''... that this is an
operation against drug trafficking
--- is just a pretext.
“The new Yankee policy --- is to expand its borders to the Caribbean with weapons, with an attempt to intimidate.....the people in struggle”, he clarified.
He indicated that “they have not been able to defeat Cuba,
they have not been able to defeat Nicaragua and they
have not been able to defeat Venezuela, and not
even with the largest and most armed navy
will they be able to defeat the
Bolivarian people”.
He expressed that Venezuelans tell everyone - that it is
necessary to raise awareness and solidarity with the
Bolivarian Revolution, that confronts on the front
line the expansionist and warlike intentions
of the North American empire.
“What Washington wants is the oil of the Venezuelan people -
Trómpiz warned -, and today's containment, heroic and on
the front line, is carried out by President Nicolás Maduro
Moros with the civic-military union of Venezuelans,
and with the loving solidarity of the people, so
we are sure ---- that we will win”.
He warned that his people face the onslaught of US
imperialism, the most concentrated expression of
contemporary fascism --- in the world.
“The Yankee supremacist and fascist government is what
we face from Latin America and the Caribbean and the
world, and the union that our president Nicolás
Maduro is calling for, is the right thing to do
for this moment of transition towards
multipolarity on the planet”,
he insisted.
Regarding this reality -- the diplomat reiterated
confidence in the victory of the popular forces.
“Just as imperialism fell at the beginning of the 20th century,
at the beginning of the 21st century the defeat fell to the
North American empire, and to the Cuban people and
those of Latin America and the Caribbean, we tell
them that we must resist together this time of
supremacism and Yankee fascism”,
concluded the ambassador.
____________________________________
Hurricane Melissa is
heading to Bermuda
October 30th, 6:46am
(Prensa Latina)
The centre of Hurricane Melissa is expected to pass north-
west Bermuda tonight, a bulletin from the United States
National Hurricane Centre warned.
The weather phenomenon is moving north-northeast at
about 33 kilometres per hour (km/h), and is expected
to continue accelerating northeastward over the
next two days, as indicated by the forecast.
Melissa's maximum sustained winds, have risen
to 165 km/h with higher gusts, the report added.
A slight strengthening is possible today before
the weakening of the system is likely to begin
on Friday.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 95
kilometers (km) from the centre and tropical
storm-force winds reach outward.... up to
315 km, while the estimated minimum
central pressure is 968 millibars.
Tropical storm conditions will begin in Bermuda
late today, with hurricane conditions expected
there tonight.
Meanwhile, water levels should continue to
decline into the morning for the south-
eastern Bahamas.
Coastal storm surge flooding is possible
.....in onshore wind areas - for Bermuda.
The storm surges generated by Melissa will continue
to affect portions of Hispaniola, Cuba, the Bahamas,
and the Turks and Caicos Islands over the next
two days, and they will spread to Bermuda
late today, causing life-threatening surf
conditions and ocean currents.
____________________________________
Xi to Trump: China has the capacity
------ to face risks and challenges
October 30th, 4:07am
(Prensa Latina)
China has never tried to challenge or replace anyone, the
country's success is to concentrate on managing its
own affairs, president Xi Jinping today stressed to his US counterpart, Donald Trump.
«The Chinese economy --- is like an ocean, with
considerable scale, resilience and potential.
We have the confidence and capacity to
face various risks and challenges»,
he added.
During their meeting in Busan, South Korea, Xi explained
to Trump the economic achievements recorded in the
country this year - despite external and internal
challenges, among them a growth of 5.2%
in the first nine months ---- and a 4%
increase in foreign trade.
«For more than 70 years ----- we have adhered to a coherent plan, with successive generations building on the efforts of previous ones», he noted.
According to the president, China will further deepen
reform in all areas and expand openness, striving to
promote the comprehensive development of people
and common prosperity which will open greater
opportunities for cooperation.... with the US.
«Economic and commercial ties must continue to be the
counterweight and driving force of bilateral relations,
and not obstacles, or points of conflict. Both sides
should focus on the big picture -- prioritizing the
long-term benefits of cooperationrather than
getting caught ------- in a vicious cycle of
retaliation», he stressed.
Xi Jinping urged the negotiating teams to continue
discussions under the principles of equality,
mutual respect and reciprocity, while
calling on them - to progressively
reduce the list of issues while
expanding the scope
of cooperation.
«The prospects for cooperation are promising in areas
such as the fight against illegal immigration and
telecommunications fraud, the fight against
money laundering, artificial intelligence
and the response to infectious
diseases», he added.
He also advocated strengthening communication and
dialogue at all levels, plus increasing coordination
in regional and international forums.
According to the Chinese press, Trump declared it
an honour ---- to meet with President Xi Jinping.
«China is a great nation ---- and President Xi is a respected
and magnificent leader, as well as a good friend of mine
-- for many years. We get along very well. Relations
between the United States and China, have
always been good and will be even
better ------ in the future», the
Republican asserted.
After this meeting, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce
confirmed an agreement reached with the US side
that contemplates.... the elimination and/or/or
suspension of tariffs and other retaliatory
measures derived from the trade war
between the two countries.
_______________________________
Azerbaijan liquidates BBC
representative office
October 29th, 9:16pm
(RT.ru)
The Azerbaijani government has decided to close the
BBC's office in the country --- and has revoked the
accreditation of its employees.
APA writes about this.
The publication notes, that there is no international treaty
that provides for the activities of a representative office
in Azerbaijan.
"In this regard, the relevant authorities have liquidated
this representative office," the article states.
_____________________________________
Exit polls ---- "Democrats 66"
party wins Dutch elections
by Ivan Kartashov
October 29th, 8:51pm
(Rossiyskaya Gazeta)
To share
On Wednesday, the Netherlands held early parliamentary
elections. According to the first exit poll results, the
Social Liberal party "Democrats 66", is winning.
The "Democrats 66" party won 27 seats in the lower house of
the Dutch parliament. The far-right Freedom Party (PVV) of
Geert Wilders came in second place with 25 seats. This
was reported by the newspaper De Telegraaf.
The ruling People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) is in
third place with 23 seats, while the left-wing Green Left bloc, is
in third place. The Labour Party (GroenLinks-PvdA) is the
fourth, with 20 mandates.
As a reminder, in the previous parliamentary elections in
2023, the Freedom Party (PVV) ---- led by Geert Wilders
emerged victorious, securing 37 seats in parliament.
But.... they failed to fulfill their campaign pledges.
Early parliamentary elections were called in the Netherlands
after the Freedom Party left the ruling coalition in June and
the cabinet ---- led by the independent politician, Dick
Schoof... resigned.
The PVV's decision... was based on disagreements with its
The governments of Colombia and Saudi Arabia signed an
agreement - that establishes a five-year cooperation to
develop joint projects in hydrogen, clean energy,
energy efficiency, as well as carbon capture
and storage, the Presidency reported
here today.
The Memorandum of Understanding, which may be renewed,
was signed in Riyadh between the Colombian Ministry of
Mines and Energy, led by Edwin Palma, and the Saudi
counterpart entity headed by Abdulaziz Bin Salman
Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
According to the source, the alliance also promotes technology
transfer and knowledge exchange, as well as the creation of a
binational team that will define roadmaps and specific
collaboration programs in all segments of the
energy chain.
With the agreement, Palma declared, Colombia positions itself
as a strategic partner in the global discussion on energy.
“We want to learn, share - and build new energy solutions that
are sustainable and sovereign. This is one more step towards
a just transition that puts people and the planet at the
centre”, he commented.
He considered that Saudi Arabia, despite its wealth in fossil
energy, is accelerating its energy transition and hopes to
change its energy matrix by 50 percent in five years.
The signing of the Memorandum was carried out as part
of President Gustavo Petro's visit to Riyadh, where he
participates in an agenda of the Future Investment
Initiative (FII9).
At the global forum that brings together the world's most
influential leaders to drive sustainable growth, promote
innovation and channel investments that contribute to
the well-being of humanity, more than 600 speakers
and 15 heads of state participate, the
Presidency detailed.
The minister's delegation is also made up of the ministers
of Foreign Affairs, Commerce, Industry and Tourism,
and Culture.
______________________________________
Ecuadorian unions will mobilize
---- for No in Noboa referendum
October 29th, 1:23pm
(Prensa Latina)
Trade union centres in Ecuador announced today a national day
of protest on November 12 to promote the negative vote in the
popular consultation and referendum promoted by president
Daniel Noboa.
At a press conference this Wednesday, representatives of
organizations -- such as the National Union of Educators
(UNE) and the Unitary Workers' Front (FUT) maintained
that the Executive is trying to approve “regressive”
reforms that would affect labour and social rights.
They also denounced the lack of financing for
key sectors such as education, health and
social security.
According to the organizers, the mobilization seeks to demand
that public resources be prioritized for social areas and not
for military spending or repression.
The president of the FUT, Edwin Bedoya, assured.... that the day
“it is not an electoral campaign, it is in defense of sovereignty”,
and he accused the Government of having “bought media
and journalists” -------- to impose its narrative.
Bedoya also pointed out that “employment has not grown,
crime has grown”, and called for union and citizen unity
“to defend the dignity of the people”.
He also questioned the lack of care for retirees and patients
of the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute (IESS), while
“millions are spent on repression”, and he criticized
what he considers a welfare model that replaces
public investment.
The leader denounced what he considers to be political
persecution against social leaders after the national
strike, indicating that several leaders “have been
hacked, threatened and investigated ------ with
absurd fiscal processes”.
He also rejected the Executive's proposals, on the presence of
foreign military bases and private security companies, as well
as attempts to limit free education --- measures he described
as “a transfer of sovereignty”.
For his part, Andrés Quishpe, president of the UNE, accused the
head of the National Electoral Council (CNE), Diana Atamaint,
of assuming “a political position” ---- and of trying to prevent
the participation of his organization and the Confederation
of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie) in the
campaign, prior to the popular consultation.
Both the FUT and the UNE reiterated their call to “reject
any attempt to violate labour and social rights” within
the framework of the popular consultation, which is
scheduled for November 16.
In less than three weeks -- Ecuadorians are called to the polls
to answer four questions at the initiative of President Noboa,
among them ---- the possibility of convening a Constituent
Assembly to draft a new Constitution.
Furthermore, in the consultative process, citizens must respond
if they wish to allow the installation of foreign military bases,
reduce the number of legislators and eliminate public
financing for political organizations.
In a recent interview, Noboa expressed ''confidence''
that citizens will support his initiatives at the polls.
Officially, the electoral campaign will run from next
Saturday, November the 1st, to Thursday, the 13th.
_______________________________________
Popular and military parades
in Türkiye for Republic Day
October 29th, 12:33pm
(Prensa Latina)
Türkiye was the scene today of parades and popular celebrations
on the occasion of the 102nd anniversary of the founding of the
Republic, on a day marked by the participation of civil and
military authorities .....and thousands of citizens.
The commemorative events ----------- were held in different parts of
Istanbul, highlighting the main ceremony on Vatan Street, in the
European part of the city, attended by Governor Davut Gül,
vice Mayor Nuri Aslan and representatives of political
and military institutions.
During the event, parades of army and security force units were held, as well as artistic and folkloric presentations, starring students and civil organizations.
Domestically manufactured military vehicles and systems,
developed by Türkiye's defense industry, were also
on display.
President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan led the official 102nd
anniversary ceremonies in Ankara, which began with
a visit to the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk,
founder of the Republic.
The president expressed his congratulations to the citizens
of Türkiye and Turkish communities abroad, reaffirming
the government's commitment - to continue working
“to lift the Republic to the level of contemporary
civilizations, as you, the people, dreamed”.
ErdoÄŸan highlighted... the continuity of investment and
development programs, as well as the strengthening
of the country's international position.
Every October 29, Türkiye celebrates Republic Day,
commemorating the proclamation of its founding
by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in 1923, a date
considered one of the most important
milestones in the modern history of
the country.
_____________________________________
Despite pressure, the world with
Cuba ------- against the blockade
October 29th, 11:45am
(Prensa Latina)
Cuba achieved a new victory today in the UN General Assembly
after obtaining 165 votes in favour of the resolution calling for
the end of the US' state blockade of the island.
A vote that, in the midst of the brutal pressure campaign by the
US prior to this exercise, has been carried out every year since
1992, the international community once again spoke out
against an economic, commercial and financial siege
that has lasted more than six decades and that it
describes as the longest in history --- against
any country.
On this occasion there were
seven votes against and
12 abstentions.
___________________________________
China confirms - Xi, Trump
will meet in South Korea
on Thursday
October 29th, 10:51am
(al Manar)
Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to meet with US President
Donald Trump on Thursday in South Korea, to seek “positive
outcomes,” Beijing confirmed on Wednesday.
The two heads of state will “have an in-depth communication on
strategic and long-term issues concerning China-US relations,
as well as major issues of mutual concern,” Chinese Foreign
Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said.
“China stands ready to work with the US,” Guo told a news
conference in Beijing, adding that the country seeks
“positive outcomes of this meeting” and hopes to
inject “new momentum into the development
of China-US relations.”
Specific information regarding the upcoming meeting
will be released in due course, he added.
Last week, the White House announced the two leaders
were set to meet on October 30 in South Korea on the
sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation Summit.
Source: Agencies (edited by
Al-Manar English Website)
_____________________________________________
Trump for removing China from
Argentina---- the Chinese
expand investments
October 29th, 12:53am
(Prensa Latina)
Given President Donald Trump's insistence that the current
Argentine government remove China from the country, the
Chinese today continue with the usual Asian impassivity
by promoting their cooperation and investment for the
benefit of local companies.
The Zoomlion company, producer of equipment for the
construction of public works, began to make a big
splash on Argentine soil with the help of Grupo
Viales, 40-year-old company dedicated to the
sale and rental of construction equipment
and one of the central players ---- in the
national road machinery market.
Zoomlion, the main Chinese company in the world, will be
the supplier and advisor of the Argentine group that
organized a recent demonstration, to which it
attracted more than 60 clients, distributors
and professionals in the road sector.
The Noticias Argentinas (NA) agency, that covered the exclusive
event detailed that attendees were able to learn up close about
Zoomlion's line of excavators and bulldozers, in addition to
testing the equipment ....and sharing experiences with
brand specialists.
Thanks to Grupo Viales, the Chinese brand is already among the
three main players in Argentina in the excavator segment,
competing with North American and European firms
with a long history in the local market ------ with a
high quality product and innovative technology.
“This event was an example of the growth and confidence that
Zoomlion generates in Argentina. More and more customers
choose the brand for its performance and its price-quality
ratio”, said Ariel Straccia, managing partner of Grupo
Viales, quoted by NA.
Grupo Viales is positioned today as one of the leaders
in sales of excavators and bulldozers in Argentina ---
providing comprehensive solutions and a support
network that supports each operation.
_____________________________________
Chinese Foreign Ministry highlights
strategic role of summit between
Xi and Trump
October 29th, 5:41am
(Prensa Latina)
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun,
expressed that the meeting between Presidents
Xi Jinping and Donald Trump in South Korea
will have a strategic role in guiding
bilateral relations.
Beijing confirmed for tomorrow in Busan the meeting that
the White House had already announced and questioned,
within the framework of the meeting of leaders of the
Asia-Pacific Cooperation Forum (Apec).
Guo pointed out that the leaders will address strategic,
long-term issues of common interest..... in depth.
He stressed that China is willing to work with the US
to achieve positive results that boost the stability
and development of the bilateral relationship.
Asked about Trump's proposal to reduce tariffs in exchange
for Chinese measures against fentanyl --- Guo reiterated
Beijing's firm and consistent stance on drug control.
He stated that China is one of the countries with the
greatest rigour in the regulation of psychoactive
substances and with the largest number of
controlled compounds in the world.
The spokesperson expressed empathy for the fentanyl crisis
affecting the US people and recalled that China has already
provided cooperation ...with positive results.
He indicated that Beijing maintains an open attitude to
continue collaborating, as long as Washington adopts
concrete actions that facilitate such cooperation.
China and the US have maintained intense diplomatic
and trade contacts in recent weeks, in a context of
efforts to stabilize their relationship after periods
of trade and technological tensions.
____________________________________________
At least 76 companies interested
in investing in .....Guatemala
October 29th, 12:23am
(Prensa Latina)
At least 76 companies are today interested in investing in
Guatemala, at different stages, explained the Minister of the Economy, Gabriela García.
There are some who have just met us, others who perhaps
have already come on a mission of this type, and there
are those about to say if they are interested, the
minister stressed --- in an interview with the
official Diario de CentroAmérica.
We were going to have a couple of announcements this year,
but due to the tariffs (imposed on the nation on April 10 by
the US) they stopped us, the official noted.
Regarding the possibility that this panorama will allow new trade
agreements in April, García stated that they first closed the
circle with Peru, because that pact was there, and
something... was missing.
With South Korea, accession was also signed and approved in
Congress, she recalled, while mentioning that all the Central
American countries specified it .....and Guatemala, for
some reason, had not.
Now, she noted, US tariff policy ----- is putting pressure on in
this regard. We have 15 trade agreements and preferential
access to more than 40 markets underway, the
minister expanded.
With current conditions, it is being seen that the Central
American niche is the one that buys from us the most,
she described. Now ---- the possibility is opening up
again, to the Caribbean, she said.
All this new change in commercial chains, once again, puts
the possibility of exporting to other places on the horizon
of companies, said the minister.
Regarding the main macroeconomic advances recorded this
year, she said the good solid decisions of the Executive,
through its Ministry of Public Finance, allowed for a rating of BB+, from Fitch Ratings.
She said that the recent improvement provides more guarantees
and legal certainty in relation to the private rights of a company.
When a company comes and settles here, because it has
trusted the process, it generates better and more jobs,
with new technologies, and that, is where it reaches
the citizen... because job opportunities open up,
García reflected.
Second, she asserted --- it establishes competition for
our companies, because we bring a new technology,
or a new way of doing things.
________________________________________
The Ministry of Mines -------- will
buy gold produced in Colombia
October 29th, 12:02am
(Prensa Latina)
The Ministry of Mines and Energy of Colombia announced
the purchase, starting next month, of the gold that is
currently produced in different regions of the
country, by guidance of the president,
Gustavo Petro.
According to the head of the organization, Edwin Palma,
in response to the president's instructions, the direct
acquisition of the mineral will be implemented in
the regions where it is obtained.
The official explained that 80 percent of the 70 tons sold
each year for a value greater than four billion dollars
comes from informal or illegal exploitations, which
leaves losses in royalties of approximately five
trillion pesos, close to 1.3 billion dollars, at
the current exchange rate.
In his message posted on social networks, Palma regretted
that Congress did not help move forward with the bill for
the creation of a state mining company, whose
objective was to combat illegality and
increase income for the nation.
He pointed out, however, that, in coordination with state entities,
a process will be carried out so that gold companies in the
process of asset forfeiture put themselves at the service
of cooperatives and associations of small miners, which
will contribute to conferring a high social value on
assets that were once used for illicit operations.
The measure, which today already favours 7,400 miners
organized in cooperatives, should be extended.... to
about 350,000 informal and subsistence miners,
he stated.
The president also mentioned the need to massively
regularize small miners -- and remove mafias from
the sector.
The president also described it as a great financial
disaster ---- that the Bank of the Republic has sold
Colombian gold and is not buying it in the regions.
_________________________________________
Government of Brazil joins
global condemnation -------
againstblockade of Cuba
October 28th, 1:26pm
(Prensa Latina)
The Government of Brazil reiterated today at the United Nations
its rejection of the economic, commercial & financial blockade
imposed by the United States on Cuba, describing it as unfair,
inhumane and contrary to the principles of international law.
In its intervention, Brazil reaffirmed its historical position against
unilateral sanctions & coercive measures that - as it denounced
— «affect the stability of international relations, distort global
trade — and hinder sustainable development».
The unilateral measure -- «has caused incalculable suffering to the
Cuban people, discouraged foreign investment and limited access
to essential goods such as medicines and vital technologies», the
Brazilian Government stressed, and called for its immediate lifting.
Such a statement also criticized Cuba being permanently on the
US list of alleged State sponsors of terrorism, a decision that
Brazil described as «unfair and unjustified» ----- for having
aggravated trade restrictions and humanitarian
difficulties on the island.
The administration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva pointed
out that these provisions directly affect the human rights of the
Cuban people, by restricting remittances and access to basic
supplies, especially medicines. «These are humanly
unacceptable and politically unsustainable
consequences», he warned.
Brazil recalled that the rejection of the siege «is practically
universal today», as demonstrated by the support of 187
countries - for the UN resolution that demands its end,
and he cited the summits of the Community of Latin
American and Caribbean States, in which Latin
America and the Caribbean have reiterated
the same position.
The South American giant maintains its commitment to
the principles of solidarity, cooperation and respect
for sovereignty, the Government stressed.
He specified that «ending the blockade will be essential
for Cuba to overcome its challenges and guarantee the
well-being of its people».
With this declaration, Brazil once again joined the vast majority
of the international community that condemns a policy
considered as anachronistic, and contrary to the
spirit of the United Nations.
This Tuesday, the United States ''blockade'' against Cuba
returned to global scrutiny in the UN General Assembly
with the debate on the draft resolution - that calls for
lifting the longest economic siege in world history.
The US National Nuclear Security Administration, is
responsible for modernizing the US nuclear arsenal.
On October 20, NNSA Administrator Brandon Williams
signed a memorandum, temporarily suspending a
number of the office's employees due to the
lack of an approved budget for Fiscal
Year 2026.
Earlier, due to the shutdown, the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration (NASA) suspended most of
its activities - and put more than 15,000 employees
on leave. The Association of FBI Agents, warns:
that the shutdown could jeopardize the national security of the US.
_________________________________________________
In Myanmar, troops regained control
of the call centre where Russians
were being held
October 20th, 7:16pm
(RT.ru)
During their offensive in Karen State -- Myanmar's
government forces regained control of the
fraudulent KK Park call centre, which
held foreigners, including Russians
--- as forced labourers.
This was reported by the portal Eleven Media.
"During the attack, Tatmadaw troops also occupied
-- and cleared -- the infamous KK Park near the
Myanmar-Thailand border," the article says.
Earlier, it was reported that Russian citizen Dashima
Ochirnimaeva came to work as a model in Thailand.
Later - she was kidnapped and taken to work in an
illegal call centre in Myanmar. Later, the Russian
Embassy in Thailand reported that the girl was
released by the efforts of the Myanmar police.
On October 8, the girl arrived in Moscow.
Ilya Ilyin, Head of the Consular Department of the Russian
Embassy in Thailand, reported that several Russians
were being held in a slave labour centre in
Myanmar, near the country's border
with Thailand.
________________________________
Bolivia begins XXI Latin American
and Caribbean Film Festival
October 20th, 1:03pm
(Prensa Latina)
With a high-profile proposal, the Bolivian fiction film La Casa
del Sur, today the Cinemateca Foundation hosts the
inauguration in La Paz of the XXI Latin American
and Caribbean Film Festival.
The debut feature - by directors Carina Oroza and Ramiro Fierro
comes with the endorsement of being selected to compete on
behalf of the highland country in the next edition of the
Oscars, as reported to Prensa Latina by the director
of the Cinematheque, Mela Márquez.
This fiction feature film produced by Banda Imagen in co-
production with Kymo (Colombia), Filmosonido (Chile),
Escorzo SRL and Cinearte (La Paz), won the Sol de
los Pastos award for Best Film at the Pasto
International Film Festival, Colombia
(2024) ....and the award for Best
Bolivian Film at the Fenavid,
in Santa Cruz.
To reach the big screen, La Casa del Sur managed to go through
several municipal competitive funds, via the sponsorship of
Ibermedia and had to win the post-production award
for Intervenciones Urbanas.
It was selected.... as a project at the prestigious cultural event
Bolivia Lab, and invited to the festival markets of Cartagena,
Guadalajara, Huelva and received the Eduardo Abaroa
award in the scriptwriting category.
The story is inspired by a real event that occurred during a military
dictatorship, and takes place on a farm surrounded by vineyards,
where Naty and her daughter Anita ---- are assaulted by
soldiers looking for guerrillas.
The mother.. is arrested for an alleged cover-up and taken to
the city, her sister, a renowned singer, returns to the family
home and takes charge of Anita's upbringing.
The military's lack of scruples will cause the family's previous
life to change forever, as its members ------- must go into exile.
Five decades later, Ana will return as an important
professional person -- with the purpose of selling
the home.
However, 'Reuniting with Home' will give you the information
you need to put together the puzzle of your existence, and
to understand... and forgive.
When referring to the XXI Exhibition, the Colombian ambassador,
Elízabeth García, considered that it is a special gift for Bolivia
on the Bicentennial of its independence.
“Art teaches us that there are no borders --- to unite, and this
exhibition is a cry for humanity in times of tensions in the
world and on our continent”, stated the diplomat.
García assured that the 13 selected films represent 13 countries
and will be shown from this Monday until the 30th of the current
month, they reflect the cultural wealth of the region and the
potential of cinema ....as a vehicle for integration.
________________________________
US farmers advocate for.......
strengthening cooperation
with Cuba
October 20th, 12:49pm
(Prensa Latina)
US representatives highlighted today in Havana their mutual
interest in strengthening exchanges, especially in the
agricultural field, during a new edition of the Cuba-
United States Agricultural Conference.
According to the president of the Agricultural Coalition
between both nations, Paul Johnson, bilateral
cooperation shows concrete potential in
strategic sectors such as agriculture,
scientific research and trade.
He stressed that --- despite existing obstacles, there was a
recent
growth in imports — 17% compared to the previous year —
and a diversification of products, including rice, poultry
and other foods, driven by new measures adopted
in the Caribbean country.
Likewise, he mentioned the progress in academic and technical
agreements --- such as memoranda of understanding between
universities and the productive entities of both countries.
However, Johnson acknowledged that structural barriers persist,
including financial limitations derived from Cuba's inclusion on
the US list of countries sponsoring terrorism.
He also expressed his hope that the technical and commercial
dialogue will continue to advance for the benefit of producers
and consumers of both nations.
For his part, Andrés Schade, one of the US executives involved
in bilateral cooperation, highlighted that the objective of his
delegation on the island -------- is to continue strengthening
this collaboration.
He recalled that in 2024 a trilateral agreement was signed
between the Agricultural Centre of Louisiana State
University, the US Department of Agriculture
and the Cuban Ministry of Agriculture.
“So the goal of our trip is to continue this collaboration
established in last year's memorandum”, he stressed,
and noted the importance ------ of sharing
productive experiences.
“I think it is essential for us, and especially for our researchers,
that they come here and learn about the production practices
that exist, as well as the opportunities to improve them, and
the varieties that are developed in Cuba”, he argued.
Meanwhile, the fifth generation farmer, P. J. Haynie commented
that she is excited to participate in the meeting “because we
want to ensure that the Cuban people have high-quality rice
to consume”.
The general director of Haynie Family Foods, a company dedicated
to the cultivation of corn, soybeans, rice and wheat, expressed
his expectation of being able to exchange techniques with
Cuban farmers to grow rice more sustainably and obtain
higher yields.
“Agriculture feeds seven billion people daily, and it is projected
that by 2050 ---- that number will reach nine billion”, he said.
For this reason -- Haynie said, “regardless of the administration
or political changes, we all have to eat, and we want to make
sure we consume products --- of the best possible quality”.
_________________________________
Russia.... doubles its gold reserves
October 20th, 12:23pm
(Prensa Latina)
The constant increase in gold prices over the last two years
has allowed Russia to double the value of its gold reserves
to 282.1 billion of dollars, the Central Bank reported today.
The financial institution highlighted that the increase in the
value of Russia's gold reserves was due to the dynamics
of world metal prices, since as of October 1, 2023, the
Bank of Russia had $140.5 billion in gold in its vaults.
The reason for this increase was the rebound in the gold market.
During that two-year period, the price of the precious metal
more than doubled, from $1,800 to $4,300 per troy ounce.
In physical terms, the reserves decreased by 0.2 million
troy ounces, equivalent to approximately 6.2 tons: as
of September 1, reserves stood at 74.8 million troy
ounces, or two thousand 326.5 tons.
Gold accounted for 39.5 percent of Russia's reserves at
the beginning of October. Foreign exchange reserves
increased only 0.6 percent during the same period,
reaching $431.1 billion.
_____________________________
Slovakia --- will veto sanctions
on Russia over energy prices
October 20th, 12:21pm
(Prensa Latina)
The Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico --- warned today
that he will veto the 19th package of EU sanctions against
Russia ---- if Brussels does not take concrete measures to
make energy cheaper.
I call for clear indications in Thursday's EU Council
conclusions for the Commission to immediately
present proposals leading to a fall in energy
prices, fico said --- in a brief statement
posted on social media.
The Slovak politician, who is on an official visit to the United
Arab Emirates to try to attract investments for his country,
argued that EU companies, due to prices, can never be
competitive with China... or the US.
Slovakia has already blocked package 18 of sanctions against
Moscow to achieve exceptions to the REPowerEU agreement,
with which the EU wants to disassociate itself from all
Russian fuels (gas, oil and nuclear) from 2028.
_________________________________
Government of Bolivia ready
for presidential transition
October 20th, 12:20pm
(Prensa Latina)
The president of Bolivia, Luis Arce, assured on social networks
that the Government today is ready “to work on the orderly
transition that we committed to at all times”, after the
victory of the president elected the day before,
Rodrigo Paz.
Arce highlighted that after 28 years there will be the transfer of
command from a government elected at the polls... to another
--- elected under the same conditions.
The dignitary congratulated the new head of state elected in the
first runoff in Bolivian history, and wished him success in his
future government. He will take office... on November 8.
“I congratulate Rodrigo Paz Pereira -- the president-elect in
an historic second electoral round - that was held for the
first time in Bolivia and I wish his government the best
of success”, Arce reiterated in his X account.
According to data from the Preliminary Electoral Results System (Sirepre), Paz won with 54.61% (3,356,937 votes), surpassing
Jorge Tuto Quiroga, from the Libre alliance, who garnered
45.39% (2,790,364 ballots).
These results were reported with 98%
of the votes processed by Sirepre.
Within this context..... the acting president of the Supreme
Electoral Tribunal (TSE), Óscar Hassenteufel, considered
the result “irreversible” ..and thanked the people of
Bolivia ---- “for their peaceful and democratic
participation”, agreeig with Arce's praise.
For his part, the spokesperson for the Christian Democratic
Party (PDC), Alejandro Medinacelli, confirmed this Monday
that, after Paz's victory, Arce is expected to sign the
supreme decree for the government transition.
“Now what we are waiting for is for President (Arce) to sign,
accordingly, the transition decree, in this way he already
enables us to become senators, elected deputies -- and
we can generate the transition with what corresponds
to the Legislative Body”, he declared to Cadena A.
He stressed that the signing of this decree, will also allow the
commissions of the victorious PDC, “which are already being
formed”, to carry out the transition work regarding all the
tasks of the Executive Body.
“However, we are now ready -- to assume all these functions
and responsibilities, but from the legal order it is up to the
president to issue this supreme decree so that he can
give us a hand and we can move forward”,
Medinacelli insisted.
He mentioned that one of the important responsibilities of
the Legislative Assembly is to appoint the new members
of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE).
Likewise, regarding the Executive Body, he pointed out that
it will be the best professionals, women and men, who will
assume the different portfolios.
“There will undoubtedly be a restructuring of the Government
--- which is a reduction of ministries”, the spokesperson said.
________________________________
President of Venezuela -------highlights
the validity of Hugo Chávez's dreams
October 20th, 9:27am
(Prensa Latina)
The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, highlighted today
that the validity of dreams, the theory and guidelines left by
Commander Hugo Chávez (1954-2013) are undeniable.
When evoking this Monday the 13 years of the historic speech
called Coup de Timón, the president pointed out on his
Telegram account that “at that crucial moment, he
gave me... the most important mission of the
Revolution, telling me: «Nicolás - I entrust
to you the communes --- as my own life».
Maduro indicated that that gesture was an act of deep education
and supreme trust, which marked the course of the new society.
The Commander planted the idea of Popular Power, of
empowerment; and turned our innate rebellion
against imperialism into a creative and
emancipatory force, stated the ruler.
In this regard, he highlighted that that is why his mandate:
«Commune or Nothing!» ------- is the unavoidable horizon.
It is about building a new civilization, deeply human and
anchored in the values of our roots --- which requires
permanent criticism and self-criticism ---- to face
and solve people's problems, he noted.
For the head of state, the Coup de Timón is the masterful route
to build participatory and leading democracy; the political
model of the 21st century ------ that buried the failed and
exhausted bourgeois democracy of the elites.
“Commander Chávez, today we say with the certainty of victory:
You did not plow in the sea! Here is your homeland, your people,
and we move forward standing, firm, towards the great goals
of our Bolivarian Socialism. Commune - or Nothing! It is the
mission, Chávez said in the Coup de Timón”, he stressed.
He stressed that, thirteen years after the Coup de Timón, the
validity of the dreams, the theory and the guidelines that
Commander Chávez left us ---- are undeniable.
In the audiovisual that accompanies the message, the Bolivarian
Supreme Commander stated that “we have to territorialize the
models ....given the complexity of the challenge”.
''Everyone here has to do with that, it is a part of the soul of this
project, those of us who are here, have a great responsibility
before history,'' he declared then.
“See the faces! See your eyes! in the mirror every time they go to
the bathroom, Nicolás I entrust this to you as I would entrust my
life to you: the Communes”, said the Bolivarian leader.
As part of the commemorative day this Monday it is planned by the
Government and the Popular Power, the delivery of 20 thousand
works ---- emanating from the popular consultation with the
people, that will benefit thousands of the most humble
people in communities throughout the country.
_____________________________________
Syria reintegrates one million displaced
students into the educational system
October 20th, 8:24am
(Prensa Latina)
The Syrian Ministry of Education implements a comprehensive
plan to welcome more than one million students returning
from abroad, within the framework of efforts to rebuild
and strengthen the national educational system,
it was reported here today.
According to statements by the Ministry's Director of Education,
Mohammad Saed Qaddour.... the return of these students, from
various countries, requires a comprehensive educational and
organizational response, aimed at guaranteeing their full
integration, equity in access to learning and an
adequate school environment.
Qaddour explained that - among the measures adopted is the
allocation of places to teach the Arabic language to non-
native speakers... as well as the application of the
Accelerated Education Program - which allows
students who have left the school system to
resume their training without obstacles.
In addition, specialized personnel were deployed in each region
to offer continuous educational and psychological support,
and facilitate the process of students' adaptation to the new academic environment.
The official highlighted that one of the main challenges lies in
the geographical dispersion of returned students and the
pressure this exerts on school infrastructure... already
affected by years of conflict. The shortage of class
-rooms, teaching staff and teaching materials...
requires, he stated, a joint effort of planning,
investment and community cooperation.
During 14 years of war, the Syrian education sector suffered
a profound deterioration as a result of systematic attacks
on school facilities, as well as the massive emigration
of teachers.... for economic and security reasons.
In response, the new government prioritized the recovery of
the school system. As part of this strategy, the Ministry of
Education --- has already rehabilitated 750 schools in
various provinces, while the restoration of another
850 progresses, with the aim of revitalizing the
teaching process and offering children a safe and dignified environment.
The director of School Buildings of the Ministry,
Mohammed Al-Hanoun, reported that the
educational centres present different
degrees of destruction - from total
damage to deterioration due to
abandonment --- or looting.
The purpose is clear: to secure a school place for every Syrian
child and to rebuild a solid, sovereign and equitable national
education, he repeated.
_____________________________________
“Los Soles Cartel”is Intelligence
Myth, U.S. Mercenary Says
October 20th, 12:49am
(teleSUR)
U.S. mercenary and former Green Beret Jordan Goudreau
stated that the narrative of a Venezuelan drug cartel,
which Washington has used to justify pressure and
intervention against Caracas --- originated within
U.S. intelligence agencies.
In an interview with journalist Max Blumenthal for The Grayzone,
he asserted that the so-called “Los Soles Cartel” was not a
criminal organization led by Venezuelan officials, but
rather a structure created by the CIA in the 1990s
------ years before Commandant Hugo Chávez
came to power.
Goudreau stated ---- that the CIA facilitated drug trafficking
operations, and that U.S. authorities later used this same
network to build accusations against President Nicolás
Maduro. He maintained --- that the name “Los Soles
Cartel” emerged informally, due to a sun-shaped
insignia worn by Venezuelan officers, and that
within intelligence circles, the concept was
treated almost as an inside joke, rather
than a legitimate criminal cartel.
The United States continues to manipulate its drug trafficking
allegations for geopolitical purposes, using them to fabricate
pretexts for government change operations and to maintain
strategic control over Latin America. He said the current
pressure against Venezuela ----- is part of a renewed
version of the Monroe Doctrine ------ aimed at
blocking Russian and Chinese help ---- to
businesses and workers in the region.
Goudreau’s comments carry weight due to his direct involvement
in Operation Gideon, the failed 2020 paramilitary mission to
overthrow President Maduro. He has recently linked
Venezuelan opposition figures Juan Guaidó and
Leopoldo López, as well as former Colombian
President Iván Duque, to covert operations
and drug trafficking networks supported
by U.S. agencies.
His testimony adds to growing criticism of the United States’
use of drug enforcement narratives ----- to justify its illegal
interventionist policies in Latin America.
___________________________________________
Tsivilev: BRICS is taking on new
Standards in the Energy Sector
October 18th, 3:23pm
(RT.ru)
Russia's Energy Minister, Sergey Tsivilyov, said in an
interview with RT that BRICS is creating standards
in the field of energy.
Tsivilev noted that BRICS is one of the largest
producers and consumers of electric energy.
"Therefore, in fact, BRICS is already creating standards
in the field of energy. We are negotiating with all our
friendly countries, including the creation of joint
standards for equipment.. so these standards
are convenient for all countries, so that we
can plan and design based on common
standards," he said.
According to the minister, it is the communities and
companies themselves that create the standards
that are convenient for them to work with.
Earlier, Dmitry Belik, a member of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs ------ said that trade & economic relations between the BRICS countries .....are developing dynamically.
Dmitry Belik, said BRICS plays a key role
in shaping the new world order.
This was his comment on US President Donald Trump's
statement at a meeting with Argentine President
Javier Mieles - that all Brics countries had
decided to withdraw from the union
....due to US tariffs.
As Belik emphasized, this association
is not intended to confront anyone.
"Of course, the introduction of American tariffs as a tool of
pressure has a negative impact on the global order, and
leads to tensions between the BRICS countries and
the United States," the parliamentarian said.
According to the deputy, the collective efforts of the BRICS
countries contribute to the formation of a more balanced
and fair system of international economic relations,
which should not be affected by the introduction
of tariffs.
Earlier, Trump said that the US ---- with the introduction of
duties allegedly became the richest country in the world.
In addition, he threatened Spain with tariffs for
refusing to increase defense spending to
5% of GDP.
_____________________________________
Syrian government asks Russia
to extradite Bashar Al-Assad
October 18th, 11:21am
(Prensa Latina)
The transitional president of Syria, Ahmad Al-Shara, asked
his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to hand over
former president Bashar Al-Assad, overthrown at
the end of 2024, it was reported here today.
The information was released by the deputy director of the
Department of Russia and Eastern Europe... of the Syrian
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ashhad Salibi, in statements
reported by the national channel Al-Ikhbariya.
The official clarified that the Syrian president's recent visit
to Moscow had - as its main axis - reestablishing bilateral
cooperation on new bases, and respecting the national
interest of Syria.
He stressed that all current agreements with Moscow will
be reformulated to guarantee the supreme interest of the
Syrian people, and that it was agreed to establish joint
legal mechanisms that allow progress on judicial and
transitional justice issues.
The diplomat noted --- that the Russian side expressed
understanding of the need to implement transitional
justice as an essential step to achieve political
and security stability in the country.
During his stay in Moscow, Al-Sharaa held an official meeting
with President Putin, in which both leaders addressed the
restructuring of bilateral relations at the political levels,
the economy, and defense.
In a press conference prior to the meeting, Al-Sharaa declared
that the new Syria seeks to reestablish strategic, balanced
ties with all countries, including the Russian Federation,
within a framework of mutual respect and sovereignty.
Putin, for his part, reaffirmed the historical and friendly nature of
Russian-Syrian ties, and he said such links have developed over
decades and must adapt to new circumstances constructively.
A coalition of 108 U.S. civil rights and advocacy organizations
has demanded a congressional investigation into a series of
lethal maritime assaults authorized by the Trump
administration in the Caribbean.... between
September and October 2025.
In a letter sent to leaders of the Senate and House Armed
Services Committees, the groups denounce unlawful
extrajudicial killings carried out under the guise
of anti-narcotics operations.
The letter cites five separate U.S. military strikes - on small
vessels. The first incident, on September 2, left 11 people
dead -- after a U.S. warship repeatedly rammed a boat.
Subsequent strikes on September 15, 16, October 3, and October
14, killed 13 more people in total. None of the victims have been
publicly identified, and U.S. officials have not provided evidence
proving they were combatants.
President Trump later bragged about the operation, stating
that three boats had been destroyed ....rather than two.
The organizations argue that the administration violated both
U.S. constitutional limits and international law, noting there
is no proof the targeted vessels posed any threat or were
armed. They criticize the White House for bypassing
standard interdiction and arrest procedures --- in
favour of lethal force, and for deploying naval
assets to the Caribbean.... without
congressional approval.
Administration officials have defended the killings as part of a
broader campaign against “narcoterrorists,” but have failed
to present any legal justification or strategy. Secretary
Rubio vowed.... during recent trips to Mexico and
Ecuador that the U.S. would keep ''hunting''
suspects ........and using force.
The letter also links these foreign actions to rising domestic
militarization, pointing to National Guard and military
deployments in major U.S. cities, to police protests
and crime. Critics warn this reflects a dangerous
expansion of executive power and military
involvement in civilian affairs.
The signatories argue that these Caribbean strikes are part
of a failed escalation of the War on Drugs ---- which has
funneled trillions into militarized enforcement - while
fueling violence and human rights abuses. Despite
harsher drug policies, U.S. overdose deaths
surged 60% between 2018 and 2022,
driven by synthetic opioids like
fentanyl. Meanwhile - funding
for addiction treatment, and
public health has been cut.
___________________________________
Tensionwith the US,anti-corruption
and women's summit......during
Chinese week
October 18th, 3:59am
(Prensa Latina)
Trade tensions with the US, the expulsion for corruption
of the country's top military commanders and the
World Women's Summit, marked a news week
that ends today in China.
Negotiating teams from Beijing and Washington will meet
«as soon as possible» to address the recent escalation
of trade tensions between the world's top two
economies, official sources confirmed.
The announcement was made known here after a video
call between Vice Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury
Secretary Scott Bessent.
Trade relations between China and the United States entered
a new phase of tension after Beijing strengthened controls
on the export of strategic minerals, which unleashed
Washington's ''fury''.
Last week, US President Donald Trump threatened to cancel
the planned meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Xi
Jinping, and raise tariffs on Chinese products by
100 percent.
“We do not want a trade war, but we do not fear it either”,
stressed Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian.
After the collapse of the stock markets...... due to the recent
escalation of tensions, Trump resumed a more conciliatory
speech: «The United States wants to help China, not hurt
it», he wrote on his Truth Social network.
This week China announced the dismissal and expulsion from
the Communist Party of nine senior military commanders,
including the member of the Political Bureau of the
Central Committee and vice president of the
Central Military Commission, He Weidong,
for serious disciplinary violations
and corruption.
Those sanctioned..... also include: Miao Hua, former director of the
Department of Political Labour of the Central Military Commission;
He Hongjun, former deputy executive director of the Department
of Political Labour of the Central Military Commission; Wang
Xiubin, former deputy executive director of the Joint
Operations Command Centre of the Central Military
Commission; Lin Xiangyang.. former commander
of the Eastern Theatre Command; Qin Shutong,
former Army political commissar; Yuan Huazhi,
former Navy political commissar; Wang Houbin
- former commander of the Rocket Force, and
Wang Chunning, former commander of the
Armed Police Force.
The investigation determined that the nine involved
committed serious violations of Party discipline
and crimes related to the exercise of their
functions, with sums of money ------ of
especially high magnitude.
This week the World Women's Summit in this capital also
made headlines ...with the participation of 800 guests
from more than 110 countries and a final declaration
focused on the fight for gender equality.
China announced the donation of $10 million to UN Women
over the next five years, 100 million dollars from the Fund
for Global Development and South-South Cooperation to
projects with a gender focus and the execution of a
thousand projects “small but beautiful” focused on
women and girls.
In addition, the country will invite 50 thousand foreign
women to exchange and training programs and has
already established a “World Centre for Women's
Training” -- in collaboration with world partners.
________________________________________________
U.S. Prosecutor Fired ----------
After Defying White House
Pressure to Prosecute
a Trump Adversary
October 18th, 12:13am
(teleSUR)
The Trump administration fired a prosecutor on Friday who
refused to file charges against New York Attorney General
Letitia James, who was accused after being one of the
main investigators ---------- of the Republican’s
''business'' activities.
The U.S. Department of Injustice notified prosecutor Elizabeth
Yusi of her dismissal after she rejected the president’s public
requests to indict Attorney General James, arguing that she
found no probable cause to bring charges.
Yusi, a long-serving federal attorney --- had built a reputation in
the Eastern District of Virginia for leading high-profile criminal
prosecutions, particularly in cases of violent offenses and
financial fraud.
Despite Yusi’s refusal to act, a federal grand jury in the same
district, issued an indictment against James on October 9th, accusing her of bank fraud and providing false statements to a financial institution in relation to a 2020 real estate purchase in Norfolk, Virginia.
James has been a persistent legal adversary of Trump. Back
in September 2022, she pursued civil litigation against the
president in Manhattan, alleging that the Trump
Organization artificially inflated property and
asset values --- to secure favourable loans
and insurance agreements.
Since returning to power, Trump has relied on his new Attorney
General, Pam Bondi, to pursue legal action against several
individuals viewed as political adversaries. Along with
James, this list now includes former FBI Director
James Comey and, most recently, former
National Security Adviser John Bolton
— whom Trump openly labels
an ''enemy''.
________________________________
Russia and the United States have started
discussing the construction of.... a direct tunnel to Alaska
by Ekaterina Volkova
October 17th, 10:45pm
(Gazeta.ru)
Special Representative of the President of the Russian
Federation for economic cooperation with foreign
countries, Director General of the RDIF, Kirill
Dmitriev, said that Russia and the USA
-------- have started discussing the
construction of a direct tunnel
to Alaska. He wrote about it
on his social network
account, X.
"Discussions about the tunnel
are beginning," Dmitriev said.
The day before, US President Donald Trump --- called
''interesting'' the idea of creating a tunnel between
Russia and Alaska.
On October 17th, Dmitriev, on the social network X,
put forward the idea of connecting the continents
with a tunnel, that Russia and America will build
together. He also suggested naming this tunnel
after the Russian and American leaders.
According to Dmitriev, the RDIF - has already invested
and built a railway bridge between Russia and China.
Now, it's time to "do more, and connect Eurasia and
North America - for the first time in human history."
The Russian president's special representative
clarified that, according to his calculations,
such an infrastructure project would cost
$65 billion. However --- if modern
technologies are used in the
construction, the cost
could be reduced...
to $8 billion.
______________________________________
Iberostar... signs a new hotel
management model in Cuba
October 17th, 8:29am
(Prensa Latina)
The Spanish hotel group Iberostar Cuba Hotels & Resorts
and the Cuban company Gaviota reported today the
signing of an agreement to lease the Iberostar
Origin Laguna Azul hotel.
The deal was signed by the president of the Gaviota
Tourism Group, Carlos Latuff, and the delegate of
Iberostar Cuba Hotels & Resorts, Alejandro
Barrios, at the Iberostar Grand Packard
hotel (Havana).
This management model will promote the repositioning of
the hotel locally and internationally, aligning it with the
quality and excellence of the Iberostar Cuba brand
and strengthening its competitiveness, this
Friday's statement insists.
The initiative involves a comprehensive transformation
of strategic areas, including in place asset renewals.
Furthermore, it includes the incorporation of cutting-edge
technology.... the optimization of sales channels, the
strengthening of operations, financial modernizing,
etc, the development of a robust marketing and
communication strategy.
This --- is a determined commitment to the development of
talent as a key factor in the proposal, the message states.
The plan consists of applying the deal ..with a realistic,
innovative vision oriented to the customer experience.
This agreement confirms the commitment to
strengthen the hotel's capabilities, through
investment, greater operational autonomy
and the promotion of strategic alliances.
Iberostar Cuba Hotels & Resorts is a leading hotel chain
that promotes a responsible tourism model focused on
caring for people ...and the environment.
It has 18 four and five star hotels located in the main tourist
destinations in Cuba, and it offers its clients five hotels in
the heart of Havana, and 14 on the shores of beaches in
places such as Varadero, Cayo Cruz, Cayo Ensenachos,
Cayo Guillermo, Trinidad and Holguín, the note ends.
_______________________________________________
An Important Russian chain...
will operate a hotel in Cuba
October 17th, 8:14am
(Prensa Latina)
The Cosmos Hotel Group, the largest of its kind in Russia, will
operate a hotel in Cuba, which shows a successful progress
in tourist relations between both nations.
A report published this Friday in the digital newspaper Cubadebate
adds that Cosmos and the Cuban tourism group Gaviota SA
signed a management agreement for the five-star Hotel
Sierra Cristal, in the eastern province of Holguín,
(during the Moscow Tourism Forum).
The company clarified that the hotel will operate under the name
Sierra Cristal by Cosmos Hotels. Cosmos Hotel Group President
Alexander Biba noted that this is the first international resort
hotel the company will manage.
He said international projects are part of Cosmos Hotel Group's
long-term strategy. Currently, they are evaluating promising
markets and negotiating new hotel and urban complexes
that will operate under the management and franchise
agreements of Cosmos.
The Sierra Cristal is a five-star hotel complex with 640 rooms,
built in 2024. The hotel is located 25 kilometers from the city
of Antilla, in Holguín province (Frank País International
Airport, is 114 kilometres away).
Cosmos Hotel Group is a subsidiary of the investment group
Sistema.nb. The Tourist Territories Forum (FTT-2025) was
held on October 15 and 16 in Moscow, at the Luzhniki
In an interview with national radio Kossuth on Friday,
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that
“Europe should not be preparing for war
but for peace.”
“What is Europe’s biggest problem? The war --- is the biggest
problem. Continuing the war means continuing the problem.
The EU --- has sent 180 billion euros directly into this war,”
he stated.
Concerning the upcoming meeting between Russian President
Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump scheduled to
take place in Budapest, the Hungarian leader said
the preparations have started, with the foreign
ministers of the United States and Russia --
working - to “try to settle the outstanding
issues within a week, then a week after
that, they (Trump and Putin) could be
in Budapest.”
He described Hungary as the only pro-peace country in
Europe, which has.. “consistently, openly, loudly — and
indeed actively” stood for peace over the past 3 years.
While there are many possible venues outside Europe for
the high-level meeting between the United States and
Russia, within Europe - there is no other place but
Budapest, he said - and urged Europe to “throw
out” its war plans and “create a peace plan…
that has a security pillar.”
Orban said he already talked with Trump and will also speak
with Putin to prepare for their meeting, adding the cost and
inconvenience of the summit are worth it ------- because
nothing can bring greater profit ------- than peace.
“If there is peace, a new phase of economic
development can be opened - and that -
is in the interest of every Hungarian
family,” he said.
On Thursday, Trump said that he and other “high-level advisors”
will meet Putin in Budapest to discuss how to end the war
in Ukraine. The meeting... will be the second time the
leaders have come face-to-face - during Trump’s
second term, and could happen... within the
next two weeks, the U.S. president stated.
___________________________________________
Congresswoman Luna released
Russian materials about the
Kennedy assassination
October 16th, 4:16pm
(RT.ru)
Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna released Russian
materials about the assassination of U.S. President
John F. Kennedy, which were provided to her by
the Russian ambassador.
"The next report on the assassination of John Kennedy
was provided to me by the Russian ambassador and is now available --- to the American public. The documents have not been edited, altered, or forged," she wrote, on social media platform X.
Luna emphasized that the U.S. Archive Service did not help
with data uploads, due to the shutdown. The documents
were published on Substack.
Russian Ambassador to the United States Alexander Darchiev
previously gave Congresswoman Luna, materials about the
assassination of John Kennedy.
In February, the FBI found new declassified
documents on the Kennedy assassination.
Former CIA officer Philip Giraldi meanwhile has claimed
"Weekly values as of the end of the reporting date...
10.10.2025... are $729.5 billion," according to
the publication.
Earlier, it was reported that Russia's international
reserves --- are at an all-time high, of $713 billion.
__________________________________
Venezuela -Fortifies Border,
Citing “Covert US Threats”
October 16th, 3:23pm
(al Manar)
In a direct response to reports of renewed US covert operations,
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has announced the
creation of new “Comprehensive Defense Zones”
along the volatile border with Colombia.
During a televised address, on Wednesday, Maduro positioned the
move as a necessary defense of national sovereignty and peace.
He declared that the zones in the states of Táchira, Apure, and
Amazonas -- are designed to bolster coordination between the
military, civilian militias, and local communities -- to counter
any external threats.
“We are a model of dignity, courage, and hard work - a people
determined to live in peace and to defend our homeland with
honour,” Maduro stated. He emphasized that sovereignty is
an “active duty” and called for maximum mobilization
from both citizens and the armed forces.
Report Details about US Escalation
The presidential announcement came hours after a New York
Times investigation revealed that the Trump administration
secretly authorized CIA covert operations.... aimed at
destabilizing Venezuela.
The report, citing unnamed sources, claimed the 2024
authorization marks a significant escalation,
potentially including deadly strikes
on Venezuelan soil.
This plan expands upon previous US military actions in the
region, which Washington has justified as anti-narcotics
efforts.... but which Caracas condemns ---- as acts
of aggression.
Caracas Condemns -“Imperialist Schemes”
Venezuelan officials - swiftly denounced the report.
The Foreign Ministry issued a statement, labeling
the revelations a “violation of international law”
and an example of “neo-colonial arrogance.”
“These covert schemes will fail ------ just as every other
imperialist attempt has failed,” a spokesperson said.
“The Bolivarian Republic stands firm – united,
sovereign, and prepared.”
Maduro framed the new defense zones, as a proactive measure,
describing them as “examples of development and resistance”
---- essential for nurturing a “creative and conscious popular
resistance” ---- against any foreign intervention.
Source: Agencies (editted by
Al-Manar English Website)
___________________________________________
Mexico confirms.... sale of fuel
and humanitarian aid to Cuba
October 16th, 1:45pm
(Prensa Latina)
The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, confirmed today
the sale of fuel and humanitarian aid to Cuba, by ruling out
effects of this in the negotiations of the North American
treaty (T-MEC).
When answering a question about fuel shipping, the Chief
Executive pointed out in her usual press conference that
it is about “buying fuel, as other countries buy”, and she
pointed out that.. “now there is a surplus of diesel,
particularly, and it is being exported”.
“First, humanitarian aid in any case, Mexico will always provide
it, always. To Cuba and other countries that need it. That is
our essence: humanism. Now, there are contracts. For
example, Cuban doctors who are in Mexico”, said
the president.
She mentioned that the doctors have a very
transparent contract and you pay for their
stay here.
“Why is it done? Due to the need of Mexico, because for years
the door was closed to the training of specialists.... and they
generously come to support the most remote communities,
by the way. So, they are contracts that are made and
given and there is also humanitarian aid”,
she stressed.
Regarding statements by a North American congressman that this
could affect the Treaty negotiations between Mexico, the United
States and Canada, the president assured that this will not
happen --- and recalled that her country is independent,
and sovereign.
“The United States knows that Mexico is an independent, free and
sovereign country and that the decisions we make are sovereign
decisions. And the relationship with the United States - is very good”, she stated - when referring to the conversations
between the authorities of both nations.
According to the most recent data released by the Cuban
authorities, the economic blockade, commercial and
financial applied by the US ---- caused damage
estimated at seven thousand 556.1 million
dollars, between March 2024 and
last February.
Recently presenting the updated report, Cuban Foreign Minister
Bruno Rodríguez said that this figure means that the damage
compared to the previous period grew by 49 percent, as a
result of additional US tightening measures in the last
12 months.
At current prices, the accumulated damage in more than
six decades of siege, amounts to 170,677 million dollars.
The damage caused by this policy, condemned every year by the
vast majority of countries in the UN General Assembly, including
Mexico, exceeded two trillion dollars, taking into consideration
the value of gold in the international market, to avoid
fluctuations in the dollar.
___________________________________________
NAM meeting ---- expressed
firm support for Venezuela
October 16th, 1:43pm
(Prensa Latina)
The XIX Mid-Term Ministerial Conference of the Non-Aligned
Movement (NAM) concluded here today with firm support
for Venezuela in the face of external threats that
threaten regional peace and stability.
This was reported on his Telegram account by the Bolivarian
Foreign Minister, Yván Gil, at the end of the meeting of
Foreign Ministers of the bloc of countries, which met
on October 15 and 16 in Kampala, Uganda.
He highlighted that the Government of the Bolivarian Republic
“celebrates the call of the NAM” to respect international law,
promote dialogue and diplomacy, as well as safeguarding
the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all States.
A Special Declaration by high-level diplomats called for maximum
restraint ---- and for extra-regional powers (the United States) to
desist from their irresponsible behaviour in Latin America.
NAM also expressed its “deep concern about the
ongoing developments in the Caribbean region”.
NAM headlines warned: that any further deterioration of the
current situation, including as a result of a direct armed
attack against Venezuela -- runs the risk “of having an
overflow effect on the entire region of Latin America
and the Caribbean”, which would threaten its
status as a Zone of Peace.
The text recalled the statement issued by the NAM Coordination Bureau on September 19 --- and regretted that, since then, “the situation on the ground has only worsened”.
The NAM foreign ministers reaffirmed their firm determination to defend the principles of sovereignty and sovereign equality of
States, territorial integrity, non-intervention in the internal or
external affairs of States ----- and the peaceful resolution
of disputes ----- as well as abstaining from the threat or
use of force against the political independence of
any State.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Gil conveyed the greetings of
President Nicolás Maduro and the Venezuelan people -- to the
Foreign Ministers of Mozambique, María Manuela dos Santos
Lucas; Ahmed Attaf; from Algeria, and Haji Abubaker Hehe
Odongo, from Uganda.
“We deeply appreciate your valuable contributions during
this Summit, as well as your solidarity and firm support
for Venezuela's right to peace”, he stressed.
During his stay in this African nation, the Bolivarian minister met
with several counterparts to strengthen bilateral relations and
thank them for their rejection of the war policy against
Caracas, that threaten regional peace and stability.
The Dutch government said on Sunday that it has made a "highly
exceptional" decision to intervene in Nexperia, a subsidiary of
Chinese company Wingtech, citing concerns that it could
"pose a risk to Dutch and European economic security."
On September 30, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs issued
an administrative order restricting the business decisions of
Nexperia and its affiliated entities, effectively depriving
Chinese shareholders of their normal control.
Wingtech subsequently issued a statement --- expressing a strong
protest against such discriminatory treatment targeting Chinese-
funded enterprises. It is obvious to anyone with clear judgment
that this is a serious harassment of a chip company controlled
by Chinese enterprises, by the Dutch government under the
pretext of a fabricated "national security" concern.
This series of actions attempts to seize the capital and
technological achievements that Chinese companies
have built up ----- over many years. And many have
described such actions as "21st-century piracy."
The BBC noted that the Dutch government's statement did not
detail why it considered the firm's operations risky, and the
report also hinted that the move was related to the US
Commerce Department's further tightening of
restrictions on China in September.
Additional commentary has issued warnings: the UK's Financial
Times bluntly stated that the move escalates frictions between
Western countries and China in the high-tech sector, while
media outlets such as Bloomberg of the US also warned
that this highly unusual action, would further worsen
China-EU tensions.
The Dutch government's actions against Nexperia, are extremely
egregious --- going far beyond normal commercial regulation and carrying blatant political coercion and discriminatory
overtones. Such a move... using unfounded so-called "security allegations", as a pretext to restrict the rights of legitimate shareholders, violates the principles -- of a market economy and fair
competition ---- and runs counter to the international trade rules that the EU has consistently advocated.
This not only harms the legitimate rights and interests of
Chinese companies, but also undermines international
investors' confidence in the EU market. This should
not be seen.... as a dispute between the Dutch
government - and a Chinese company - it is
a blatant trampling of international rules
by Netherlands, and the international
community - cannot tolerate such
predatory actions... disguised
under the cloak of law, or
security, against multi-
national enterprises.
Many observers believe that the US' extreme suppression of
Chinese enterprises and its over-securitization practices
---- have sparked widespread concern across the world,
while also providing a negative example and external
support for the Netherlands' recent intervention
in Nexperia.
In response, on Monday, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of
Foreign Affairs stressed that China opposes overstretching
the concept of national security and taking discriminatory
moves that target companies from certain countries, and
China is firmly resolved - in defending its own legitimate
and lawful rights and interests. The country's counter-
sanctions legal framework --- anchored in laws such as the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law of the People's
Republic of China -- provides strong protection
for the lawful rights of Chinese enterprises.
No party should underestimate China's
firm resolve and full capability to
defend its own interests.
In the early stages of capitalism, some countries relied on
violence and colonial plunder - to accumulate primitive
capital, even fostering within their own cultures the
misguided historical notion, that "plunder brings
wealth." In today's geopolitical context, the
Dutch government, under the pretext of
"supply chain security," has imposed
excessive interference on Chinese
enterprises, and then cloaked its
asset seizure, under a façade of
legality - a seamless sequence
of actions ------ that inevitably
evokes memories of certain
dark chapters..... in this
country's history.
It is no wonder that some have wryly observed that a few
Western countries now treat "national security" ...as a
privateering license, a reflection of "colonial genes"
awakening in the 21st century.
In fact ------ since Wingtech's acquisition of Nexperia... in 2019,
the company .....has maintained steady and sound operations,
contributing positively ---- to the Dutch economy. From the US
government's coercive measures to the Dutch government's "predatory intervention" -- the primary risks facing Chinese
enterprises today no longer stem from market competition
itself, but from certain foreign competitors who, failing to
gain an advantage through regular market means, resort
to commercial plunder against Chinese firms, under the
guise of national security.
The Nexperia case -------- exemplifies this trend vividly. As China's
technological and commercial strength continues to grow, such
"robbery in legal disguise" is likely to recur. As observers have
pointed out, China's scientific & technological progress has
profoundly ''shaken the nerves'' of Western hegemony. Both the Chinese government and its enterprises, must be fully prepared for this.
On Monday --- data released by China's General Administration of
Customs showed that China's exports in September, measured
in US dollars, rose 8.3 percent year-on-year, while imports
increased 7.4 percent year-on-year ---- both figures well
above external expectations. In addition -- exports of
industrial robots, in the first three quarters --- grew
54.9 percent --- and "new three" products as well
as green products such as electric locomotives
for railways ---- all posted double-digit growth.
Many analysts see this.... as a reflection of China's economic
resilience and an indication that amid the US' strengthened
protectionism.. China's trade and economic ties with the
world --- are becoming deeper. In today's complex and
turbulent international environment -- the choice for
the world is clear: either revert to the colonial-era
paths of protectionism & unilateralism, or forge
a new path of openness, inclusiveness, and
shared prosperity.
The Netherlands, needs to recognize the trend of history;
otherwise, it will only be lifting a rock.... to drop it on its
Trump --- ordered the payment of salaries to the US military despite the shutdown
by Maxim Makarychev
October 11th, 8:28pm
(Rossiyskaya Gazeta)
To share
Donald Trump ordered the U.S. military to receive its pay, on
Wednesday, October 15th, despite the ongoing government
shutdown, which typically means that millions of federal
employees do not receive their salaries.
"I am using my authority as Commander-in-Chief ---- to order our
Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to use all available resources
to pay our military on October 15. I will not allow the
Democrats to hold our military and the security of
our country hostage," the President of the US
wrote on his Truth Social platform.
In Congress, the stalemate continues for the tenth day:
Republicans and Democrats --- have been unable to
agree on a budget since October 1, leading to a
shutdown ...that has already resulted in the
dismissal of more than 700,000 federal
government employees.
__________________________________________
Díaz-Canel accuses the US ---- of lying
about a Cuban incursion into Ukraine
October 11th, 12:42pm
(Prensa Latina)
The president of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, today, accused the
United States authorities of spreading lies about the island's
alleged incursion into the armed conflict between Ukraine
and Russia.
«We categorically reject - the mendacious accusations of the
US government regarding Cuba's alleged participation in the
conflict in Ukraine», he stated through the social network X.
«They have not and will not be able to provide any evidence to
support these unfounded accusations - to support their new
campaign against Cuba», added the head of state.
This Saturday, the Government of Cuba assured that it does not
participate in any way in the conflict in Ukraine - and accused
the United States authorities of defaming Cuba, in this regard.
According to a statement from the Cuban Foreign Ministry, the
United States discloses «a slanderous accusation that began
in 2023 by some media outlets, without providing evidence
or foundation of any kind, and clearly fulfilling -------- an
entrusted service».
«Cuba is not part of the armed conflict in Ukraine, nor does it
participate with military personnel there, or in any other
country»,the Ministry of Foreign Affairs insists.
___________________________________
Escalating..Peru Political Crisis:
7th President in 9 Years Ousted
Amid Turmoil
October 11th, 12:03pm
(teleSUR)
An in-depth look at the escalating Peru political crisis
after Dina Boluarte’s ouster, marking the 7th
presidential change in 9 years. Analysis
and context.
7th President in 9 Years Ousted Amid Turmoil
The Andean nation plunges deeper into chaos as Congress ousts
Dina Boluarte and inaugurates a successor accused of serious
crimes, highlighting a devastating cycle of instability.
LIMA, Peru – Peru has been plunged into a profound Peru political
crisis following the swift ousting of President Dina Boluarte by a
deeply unpopular Congress. The legislative body ------ which had
previously sustained her in power, acted with startling speed
to remove her through a vague “moral incapacity” motion, a
move critics call ----- a cynical tool of the political elite.
This abrupt transition of power marks the 7th presidential change
in just nine years, cementing a chronic cycle of ungovernability
that has left the nation reeling. The new successor, José Jerí,
is a politician with minimal popular support and a history of
serious allegations, including rape and corruption, further
eroding public trust in a system perceived as rotten to
its core.
The nation awoke to the news..... that Boluarte was no longer
president, a development that, while expected by some, has
plunged the country into a fresh wave of uncertainty. The
Congress, consistently ranked as the most despised
institution in the country, demonstrated the same
volatility with which it previously enabled
her government.
A Hypocritical Political Coup
The legislative body justified Boluarte’s removal by citing her
government’s failure to contain a severe security crisis that
has seen homicides soar and criminal gangs operate with
impunity. However, this same Congress was her chief
ally for three years, endorsing the very policies
it now claims to reject.
Analysts view the maneuver, as a transparent attempt by political
factions to salvage their public image ahead of general elections
scheduled in just six months. By distancing themselves from
Boluarte, whose approval rating had plummeted to an
historic low of 2%, they hope to avoid the electoral
backlash for the nation’s deep-seated problems.
Boluarte, who initially assumed the presidency ------ after the
controversial ouster and imprisonment of her predecessor,
Pedro Castillo, leaves a controversial and bloody legacy.
Her administration was marked by the brutal repression
of widespread protests, which resulted in the deaths
of at least 60 civilians.
Now stripped of presidential immunity, she faces multiple legal
battles. The Peruvian Attorney General’s Office - has filed two
preliminary measures to prevent her leaving the country.
These are linked to allegations of influence peddling to
benefit her plastic surgeon and a separate case
involving funds for a fugitive political ally.
A New Leader Mired in Allegations
Invested in an express ceremony, the former head of Congress,
José Jerí --- is now the nation’s president. At 38 years old, Jerí
possesses negligible political weight, having secured less
than 12,000 votes in the last elections. Yet ---- doubts
surrounding his integrity, are even more alarming.
Jerí has been publicly accused of rape ------ a case that was later
archived, and faces other corruption allegations. His credibility
suffered a further blow when it was revealed that he follows
dozens of pornographic accounts on Instagram... a
discovery that has sparked public outrage ...and
questions about his judgment.
During his inaugural address in Parliament, Jerí promised to
address the demands of the nation’s youth. However, his
word is already in question after he blatantly broke a
public promise. In an August interview with the
newspaper El Comercio, he explicitly stated
that he would “decline” the presidency if a
scenario for Boluarte’s removal arose —
a promise he has now forsaken.
Many local analysts perceive Jerí not as a true leader, but as
a puppet. He is widely believed to be controlled from the
shadows by powerful political operators, notably
Patricia Li, a figure herself questioned ----- for
complicity in tax fraud.
A Youthful Population Demands Real Change
While the political elite engages in a game of musical chairs with
the presidency, a powerful force is stirring on the streets. Peru’s
Generation Z has been leading protests for over a month,
demanding fundamental structural change and
expressing utter contempt for the entire
political class.
“We are already so used to political crises, to not having leaders,
but we are tired,” said Piero Meza, a 17-year-old university
student, outside Boluarte’s residence. “Now they remove
Dina and what happens? Nothing. We need everything
to change, we need an end to corrupt police, those
delinquents in uniform. Nothing makes sense -- if
we have no one to protect us.”
This sentiment.... reflects a deep and growing chasm between
Peru’s citizens and its ruling class. The youth are not merely
protesting over single president, but a system they view
as fundamentally broken and unresponsive.
The Vicious Cycle of Oligarchic Power
The current Peru political crisis cannot be understood in isolation.
With over 1,700 homicides recorded so far this year, the security
situation is dire. Yet, this is not an isolated failure but rather the
logical outcome of a long-standing neoliberal economic model
that perpetuates stark inequality ---------- and systematically
dismantles public services.
The final trigger for Boluarte’s downfall was a brazen attack
by gunmen - on a cumbia orchestra performing at a military
compound. This event severed the last thread of patience
holding her government together. However, the roots of
the crisis run much deeper.
Peru, a nation fabulously rich in natural resources, remains
desperately poor in social justice. This latest episode
demonstrates that the nation’s chronic instability is
a symptom of a rotten system. This system
prioritizes the interests of a rapacious
minority over the fundamental needs
of its people, creating a predictable
cycle of ........crisis, short-lived
governments, and public
disillusionment.
The broader geopolitical implications of Peru’s instability are
significant for Latin America. It contributes to a regional
pattern of democratic backsliding and institutional
weakness, where constitutional mechanisms are
weaponized for political vendettas rather than
serving the public good.
This constant state of flux undermines Peru’s ability to
act as a stable partner in international affairs --- and
fosters an environment where foreign investment
and long-term development projects become
increasingly risky.
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US Trade war escalation: Trump imposes
100% tariff - on imports from China U.S
October 11th, 9:50am
(teleSUR)
President Donald Trump announced the imposition of a 100%
tariff on all imports from China starting Nov. 1, 2025, in
addition to the current 30% levies. With this, the
total rate rises to 130 percent.
President Donald Trump announced the decision on his Truth
Social platform, where he also indicated - the application of
export controls ---- to all critical software manufactured in
the United States to China, effective from the same date.
“Effective November 1, 2025 (or sooner, depending on any
other actions or changes taken by China), the United
States of America will impose a 100 percent Tariff
on China, on any Tariff they are currently paying,”
the White House Chief wrote.
Tensions have been escalating since Oct. 8, when the U.S.
Commerce Department added 16 Chinese companies to
its list of export-controlled entities, a move rejected
by Beijing.
A statement from the Asian giant’s Ministry of Commerce
describes Washington’s constant use of the concept of
national security as “exaggerated” adding -- it “has
abused export control measures and arbitrarily
exercised long-arm jurisdiction, imposing
high-impact sanctions ---- on multiple
entities, including Chinese ones”.
This measure “seriously undermines the legitimate rights and
interests of companies and alters the security and stability
of global industrial and supply chains,” the text states.
As of October 14, special port taxes applied by China to vessels
owned and operated by U.S. companies, organizations, and
individuals come into effect. The Ministry of Transport of
the Asian giant detailed, that the initial rates will be
400 yuan (about 56.3 dollars) per net ton, with
annual increases every April 17, for three
years, reaching 1,120 yuan in 2028.
The measure also affects entities with direct or indirect U.S.
participation of 25 percent or more -- as well as all U.S.-
flagged or U.S.-built vessels. For ships that dock at
multiple Chinese ports on one trip, the fees apply
only at the first port, with a maximum of five
trips per year.
The ministry justified the action as “a justified measure to
safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese
maritime companies.” in response to the additional
fees imposed by Washington on Chinese vessels
following a Section 301 investigation.
“The U.S. actions have seriously violated the relevant
international trade principles - and the China-U.S.
maritime transport agreement, causing serious
disruption to maritime trade between the two
countries,” the ministry noted, urging the
US to correct its wrong actions and
cease the crackdown on China’s
maritime industry.
Rare Earths: What the U.S. Needsand China Owns
The 100% levy demonstrates the Trump administration’s
dissatisfaction with Beijing’s decision to protect its
rare earths, the world’s largest reserve.
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce --- included 14 foreign
organizations, mostly from the U.S. defense sector, on
its list: of untrustworthy entities. These include ----
Dedrone by Axon, AeroVironment, BAE Systems,
TechInsights, Elbit’s U.S. subsidiary, DZYNE
Technologies, Epirus, Exelis, and VSE
Corporation, as well as the Halifax
International Security Forum
in Canada.
These entities face prohibitions to carry out imports and exports
linked to China, make new investments in the Asian giant and
maintain transactions or cooperation with organizations in
that country, especially in data transmission or provision
of sensitive information.
The ministry argued that the measure seeks to “safeguard China’s
sovereignty, security and national development interests,” as the
sanctioned firms ------ “have maintained cooperation on military
technology with Taiwan, published malicious statements
about China, and helped foreign governments suppress
Chinese companies.”
“These actions have seriously damaged China’s national
sovereignty, security and development interests,” the
statement said. It stresses that the list includes only
a “very small number of foreign entities” that put
national security at risk.
“Foreign companies that act with integrity and comply with
the law have no cause for concern,” he adds, reaffirming
the commitment to a stable business environment for
global investors.
On Thursday, October 9, Beijing required special approvals for
overseas shipments of these items and permits for exports
of mining, smelting and recycling technologies, rejecting
applications for military goods.
After calling China “very hostile,” Trump suggested he will cancel
his meeting with President Xi Jinping, scheduled as part of the
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in South Korea
in late October.
“I was due to meet with President Xi in two weeks, in APEC, in
South Korea, but now there seems to be no reason to do so,”
he said.
China, for its part, indicated that it will take all the necessary
measures to resolutely safeguard the rights of its entities, in a scenario of US aggression that could generate new fears ---- about the stability of the global economy.
_________________________
Reuters: Seven EU countries have
increased their energy imports
from Russia
October 10th, 10:19pm
(RT.ru)
According to Reuters, these countries are France, Belgium,
the Netherlands, Croatia, Romania, Portugal, and Hungary.
According to the agency, they have increased their
purchases of Russian energy resources in value
terms ...compared to last year.
It is noted that in France, for example, purchases of Russian
energy resources increased by 40% to €2.2 billion, and in
the Netherlands by 72% to €498 million.
The article states that US President Donald Trump has sharply
criticized European leaders, noting that they are buying oil
and gas from Russia while "at war with it."
Earlier, it was reported that the member states of the EU
overwhelmingly supported a ban on Russian gas and
oil imports... starting from January 2028.
Denis Kravchenko, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma
Committee on Economic Policy, said that Russia is ready
Ukrainians who live in the country's major cities, especially
in Kyiv, should move to villages before winter, as Ukraine
may experience a total blackout. This was stated by
Mariana Bezuglaya, a member of the Verkhovna
Rada, on October 10.
"The winter will be long, and there will be a blackout. Stock up
and cooperate. The best option is to consider moving out of
the city for the fall (Autumn) and winter," Bezuglaya wrote
on her Telegram channel.
She noted that everyone should understand.... and adapt to their
environment on their own. She pointed out that everyone needs
their own life and comfort, as well as the comfort of their
loved ones.
Prior to that, on August 31, Bezuglaya also urged Ukrainians to
prepare for the approach of a harsh winter and the onset of a
blackout. The ExPro Daily Gas publication reported on May
28 that the cost of natural gas in Ukraine reached record
levels in two years... and amounted to 23,000 hryvnias
($553) per 1 cubic metre. It was specified, that this
was the highest figure since February 2023.
_______________________________________________
Trump announced --- that the US is ready to
impose higher tariffs on Chinese goods
October 10th, 4:05pm
(Izvestia.ru)
US President Donald Trump on October 10, announced the
readiness of the US to impose increased duties on goods
from China in response to Beijing's decision to limit the
export of rare-earth elements.
"One of the measures we are currently working on is a significant increase - in tariffs on Chinese products imported into the US of A. There are many other retaliatory measures ----- that are also being seriously considered," the US president wrote on the Truth Social, social media platform.
According to him, China is "holding the world hostage" by creating a monopoly in the market for magnets and other metals. He has promised to take financial measures.
On October 8, the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF),
Kristalina Georgieva, said that the openness of the global
economy has been severely affected by US import tariffs,
but a global trade war has not yet occurred. According
to her forecasts, global public debt will exceed the
size of the entire global economy in 2029.
On October 9th, Trump highlighted the importance of tariffs to
strengthen the U.S. position. According to the US leader, the
tariffs he imposed have saved "millions of lives" of citizens.
______________________________________
CIS leaders ---- grant SCO observer status
October 10th, 11:52am
(Prensa Latina)
The leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
decided to grant the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)
observer status in the CIS, the Kremlin website announced
today.
At the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the CIS «the
decision on granting the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
observer status in the Community of States was signed,»
says the note.
In total, 19 documents were initialed during the meeting at the
highest level in Tajikistan, the text adds. In particular ---- the organization's leaders established a new CEI plus format.
The concept of military cooperation in the context of the CIS until
2030 was also approved, just as they committed to strengthening
border security and cooperating in the fight against terrorism and
its financing, extremism, transnational crime, money laundering
and financing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
Likewise, the heads of state signed an agreement to
collaborate in the field of regional energy security.
The CIS, founded in 1991 after the dissolution of the Soviet Union,
today includes ------- Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as
member states.
Georgia left the organization in 2009; Ukraine and Turkmenistan
legally maintain the status of state parties... to numerous
community agreements.
______________________________________
Putin arrives in Tajikistan
by Marina Sovina (night editor)
October 8th, 8:22pm
(Lenta.ru)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Tajikistan.
The Russian President will be in Dushanbe, for the next
three days, according to TASS.
Putin arrived in the country on a state visit.... where he will meet
with the President of the Republic Emomali Rahmon. In addition,
the Russian leader will take part in the Russia-Central Asia
Summit and the meeting of the Council of Heads of State
of the CIS.
It is noted that President Rahmon personally met Putin at the
airport. The national flags of Russia and Tajikistan were
raised in honour of the guest, and an honour guard
was lined up.
Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russian
and Azerbaijani presidents Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev
will discuss bilateral relations between Russia and
Azerbaijan at the first bilateral meeting since the cooling of relations, on Thursday, October 9.
____________________________________________
Medvedev on his visit to North Korea:
Friends are together,enemies......
are tense
October 8th, 8:06pm
(RT.ru)
Russian Deputy Security Council Chairman Dmitry Medvedev
commented on his visit to North Korea with the phrase
"Friends are together. Enemies are tense."
"I have arrived for the 80th anniversary of the Workers' Party
of Korea. Time is passing. Friends are together. Enemies
are tense," Dmitry Medvedev wrote on MAX.
In Pyongyang, he will participate in the celebrations
marking the anniversary of the founding of the
Workers' Party of Korea.
_____________________________________________
The Czech Prime Minister's candidate
refused to allocate budget funds for weapons for Ukraine
October 8th, 8:03pm
(Izvestia.ru)
Leader of the ANO movement - that won the parliamentary
elections ("Action of Dissatisfied Citizens") Andrej Babis'
candidate.... for the post of Prime Minister of the Czech
Republic, said on October 8, that the country will not
allocate "a single crown" from its budget - for the
purchase of weapons for Ukraine.
"We will not give Ukraine... a single crown for weapons.
We do not have money for the Czech Republic itself,"
the newspaper Denik quoted him as saying.
The politician also noted that the Czech Republic
contributes billions to the budget of the EU,
which is helping Ukraine.
The victory of ANO in the Czech elections - was announced
on October 4. It is noted that the country's outgoing Prime
Minister Petr Fiala --- congratulated the representatives
of ANO.
As Alexey Pushkov, Chairman of the Federation Council's
Information Policy Commission, later noted --- Hungary
may have a new ally in the EU --- following the victory
of the ANO political movement in the Czech Republic.
The Taliban reject foreign military bases in their country.
Following the “7th Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan”
on Tuesday, the Afghan Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, announced that the Taliban government would not allow
any foreign military bases on its territory.
“The Afghan minister firmly declared that Afghanistan and its
government will not permit the deployment of any foreign
bases in its territory. This includes the Bagram base,”
Russian Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir
Kabulov said -- and pointed out that the
Russian side also ruled out sending
troops to the country.
“Absolutely out of the question. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey
Lavrov expressed his categorical opposition to the deployment
of military bases both in Afghanistan and in the neighbouring countries,” Kabulov said, adding that “Russia has no such
plans or intentions” to establish a military base.
Recently, former U.S. President Donald Trump threatened the
Afghan authorities with serious consequences if they
refused to hand over the Bagram air base.
This base was occupied for 20 years by U.S. forces after the war
to expel the Taliban and the perpetrators of the September 11
attacks. In 2021, however, the Bagram base was abandoned
by the U.S. military itself. It was later looted before Afghan
forces took control.
On Tuesday, Minister Muttaqi also accused certain countries
of threatening regional stability by harbouring Islamic State
(IS) fighters.
“Our intelligence services show that recently the Islamic State
and other groups have established training and equipment
centres in countries in the region, which is a matter of
serious concern for the Afghan government,” he said.
Muttaqi urged neighbouring governments to take responsibility for
their own security challenges, rather than blaming Afghanistan,
asserting that “all factors of insecurity have been eliminated”
within the country since the Taliban came to power in 2021.
The Afghan diplomat also praised Russia’s role, noting that
Moscow had invited Afghanistan as an official member of
the forum for the first time — in a move he described as
“a courageous act” - recognizing the Islamic Emirate.
“We thank the Russian Federation for this bold step and hope
that other countries will follow its example, to move toward
practical cooperation with Afghanistan,” he said.
As part of the Taliban regime’s broader strategy to consolidate
international legitimacy, Muttaqi said his government seeks
“balanced economic, political, and diplomatic relations”
with countries in the region.
Muttaqi acknowledged that drug trafficking remains a public
health issue in Afghanistan but claimed that drug cultivation
and production within the country have been drastically
reduced. He added, that drug-related activities “have
increased in neighbouring countries --- and should
be independently investigated.”
In his closing remarks, Muttaqi criticized the international
community’s failure to stop the violence in Gaza, saying
the situation - “has cast doubt on the credibility of the
United Nations and the entire human rights system.”
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!
Cleaners form a picket line with their UVW comrades
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."
_____________________________________
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)
____________________________________________
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.
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.
_________________________
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.
________________________________________
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.
____________________________________
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.
_______________________________
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.
_____________________________________
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.
______________________________
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.”
_______________________________________
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.
