Nicaragua breaks off
relations with the
Netherlands
by Martin Hacthoun
October 1st, 8:22am
(Prensa Latina)
The government of Nicaragua broke off bilateral
relations with the Kingdom of the Netherlands
due to its repeated interventionist and
neocolonialist position, a diplomatic
note informed today.
According to the text, the Netherlands
offended Nicaraguan families: with
threats and suspension of works
for the common good, such as
hospitals for native and Afro
-descendant communities.
“We repudiate and condemn the offenses and crimes
of that colonialist and neocolonialist Europe, against
coveted and attacked countries like ours,” the
document underlines.
Likewise, the document called the Dutch government
neocolonial and pro-imperial and affirmed that the
continued offensive of its representation,
undiplomatic and in violation of the
Vienna Convention, “obliges us
to take this measure: that we
defend with honour, dignity
& the spirit of sovereignty.”
The Dutch authorities regretted Nicaragua’s decision
after the European country announced it would not
fund the construction of a hospital... due to the
''human rights situation''.''
_____________________________________
West failed to defeat Russia in
UN Security Council vote on
referendums — UN envoy
September 30th, 9:20pm (TASS)
The West failed to defeat Russia in Friday's UN Security
Council vote on an American resolution condemning
the referendums in the Donetsk and the Lugansk
People's Republics, as well as in the Kherson
and Zaporozhye Regions, Russia's First
Deputy Permanent Representative
to the United Nations, Dmitry
Polyansky, said, in a
message... on his
Telegram channel.
"The Westerners, can hardly appreciate the result of the
vote on the anti-Russian draft resolution of the Security
Council. China, Brazil, India, and Gabon didn't give in to
the pressure and abstained. We, of course, vetoed the
draft. So.. there was no ‘defeat’ --- and the statement
about the isolation of Russia in the speeches of our
former Western partners... is clearly shrinking,"
he pointed out.
______________________________________________
Russia will do everything: to
bring hotheads in the West
to their senses — Putin
September 30th, 4:52pm (TASS)
Russia will do everything possible to bring to their
senses the hotheads in the Western countries
who are trying to "patch up their holes" - by
plundering other states, Russian President
Vladimir Putin said --- at the ceremony of
admitting four new territories to Russia.
He stressed that in its attempts to get out of the web
of contradictions, the West "needs to break Russia
--- and other states that choose the path of
sovereign development."
"They (Western countries) are determined to do this at
all costs, to be able to rob other people's wealth, even
more, and, at their expense, to patch up their holes,"
Putin warned.
"Russia understands its responsibility to the world
community and it will do everything to bring such
hotheads -- to their senses. It is obvious that the
current neo-colonial model, is hopelessly
doomed," he said.
Putin recalled that the contradictions in Western
countries at the beginning of the 20th century
sent them into the First World War.
"The dividends from the Second World War enabled the
United States to finally overcome the consequences
of the Great Depression, to become the largest
economy in the world and impose the dollar
on the globe ---- as the reserve currency.
The imminent crisis of the 1980s also
...worsened. The West largely over-
came it, by misappropriating the
heritage and resources of the
declining Soviet Union that
eventually collapsed.
These are the hard
facts," Putin said.
He also added that the Western countries had
"nothing to offer" to the world, other than
"robbery and racketeering."
"In fact, they deny, the natural right of billions of
people, a majority of humanity, to freedom and
justice, that would let them determine their
own future," Putin added.
______________________________________________
Putin says: US essentially still
occupies: Germany, Japan,
South Korea
September 30th, 4:31pm (TASS)
Russian President Vladimir Putin, on Friday, said the US
cynically calls Germany, Japan, South Korea and some
other countries, its allies, although it still,
essentially, occupies them.
"The US has left a terrible imprint on the memory of
the people in Korea and Vietnam. Barbaric carpet
bombings, use of napalm and chemical weapons.
It still, essentially, occupies Germany, Japan,
South Korea and some other countries, but
cynically, calls them equal allies," Putin
said at a ceremony for accepting four
new territories into Russia.
He said "the entire world" knows.. that the leaders
of these countries are spied on, including in their
living quarters. He said it’s a shame, how the
leaders of some countries "silently and
resignedly swallow that rudeness."
"What kind of an alliance is that, I wonder? The whole
world knows, that the leaders of these countries are
spied upon, the top officials of these countries are
wiretapped, not only in their offices, but also in
their living quarters. That’s really a shame.
Shame on those who do it... and on those
who, like slaves, silently and resignedly
swallow that rudeness," the
president said.
________________________________
Treaties on accession of Donbass
and other liberated territories
to Russia signed
September 30th, 2:26pm (TASS)
Russian President Vladimir Putin and the heads of the
Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics and the
Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions have signed
treaties on the accession of these regions
to Russia.
The ceremony took place on Friday, in the St. George's
Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace. Before signing the
documents, Putin delivered a speech about the
accesion of these territories to Russia.
___________________________________________
Russia - to make residents of
new regions feel its support
— Putin
September 30th, 2:24pm (TASS)
Russia will make sure that the residents of Donbass and
the other liberated territories, feel the support of the
entire country, Russian President Vladimir Putin
said on Friday --- speaking at the ceremony of
accession of four new territories to Russia:
...the Donetsk and the Lugansk People's
Republics, as well as the Zaporozhye
and Kherson Regions.
"We will definitely rebuild destroyed cities and towns,
houses, schools, hospitals, theatres and museums.
We will restore and develop industrial enterprises,
factories, infrastructure, social and pension
systems, health care and education," the
president said.
"Of course, we will work to increase the level of
security; together, we will make sure that the
citizens in the new regions feel the support
of the entire population of Russia, of all
the republics, of all the territories and
regions of our enormous Motherland."
________________________________________
Restrictions on West-run NGOs
crucial to resisting US colour
revolutions — Security Council
September 30th, 1:19pm (TASS)
To effectively resist the export of colour revolutions,
the activity of the West-controlled non-governmental
organizations, media, and Internet resources should
be limited, Secretary of Russia’s Security Council
Nikolay Patrushev, said at a meeting of the
heads of CIS security agencies and
intelligence services, on Friday.
"To effectively fight against the export of colour
revolutions, we believe, in particular -- that it is
necessary to develop a regulatory legal frame
work at the national level --- for enhancing
control and limiting the activities of the
West-controlled NGOs, media and
their Internet resources,"
Patrushev said.
"Russia has such experience,
and we are ready to share it."
The Russian Security Council’s secretary believes
that "the US's ability to maintain its hegemony in
the political, military, economic, and ideological
spheres... is becoming increasingly limited."
"In a situation like this, the American authorities
proceed from the premise that any action to
strengthen their own influence should
proceed, without tapping large
resources - and yield both
political and economic
dividends," he noted.
According to Patrushev, the United States uses the
same approach "to organizing colour revolutions
to overthrow undesirable regimes."
"Washington-controlled non-governmental
organizations, the media and opposition
leaders, continue to spearhead this
campaign.''
The United States has been trying hard, to escalate
interfaith and ethnic conflicts, incite ethnic hatred
and separatist sentiment, to form pro-American
lobbies, train new generations of managers
...according to Western standards, and to
finance the non-systemic opposition,"
Patrushev said.
"This should be remembered: by all the states
that - today - obediently follow Washington’s
instructions, but tomorrow --- may be under
attack themselves," he warned.
______________________________________
Lavrov: EU Lost Its Autonomy,
Suffers Enormous Losses
From What US Dragged It Into
September 30th, 12:42pm
(al Manar)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the
European Union has lost its autonomy and is
suffering enormous losses from what the
United States has dragged it into.
“By pursuing their thoughtless course on the ‘abolition
of Russia’, the Anglo-Saxons have achieved the
unconditional subordination of the entire
collective West, NATO, as well as the
European Union, which has finally
lost its course on strategic
autonomy,” Lavrov said.
Lavrov added that no CIS state is immune to
interference from the West led by the US,
Sputnik news agency reported on Friday.
“But it is obvious that no CIS state is immune from such
interventions. This is clearly seen in the impudent
actions of the United States, NATO, and the
European Union in Central Asia and the
South Caucasus,” Lavrov said.
The goal of the West is to further fragment the post-
Soviet space, to divide the peoples; the most
striking example is the creation of an
“anti-Russia” in Ukraine, Sergei
Lavrov said.
“It’s no secret that the philosophy of ‘divide and rule’ is
actively used by the West - in relation to the states of
the former Soviet Union. The goal is absolutely clear
– to further fragment the post-Soviet space, to divide
our countries and peoples, to impose unprofitable
schemes of interaction, to push them to the
margins of global processes,” Lavrov said.
For several months, European countries have been
facing an acute economic crisis, partially caused
by supply chain disruptions & sanctions imposed
by the West against Russia, in response to its
military operation in Ukraine. With prices on
energy, food skyrocketing and household
and business asking for more financing
assistance, some of the EU countries
have adopted ''relief packages'' to
boost the economy.. and mitigate
the consequences of the crisis.
The EU has already approved seven
packages of sanctions against
Moscow.
In February, Russia began a military operation in
Ukraine responding to calls for help from the
republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. Western
countries responded --- by imposing
comprehensive sanctions against
Moscow, while also ramping up
their military support for Kiev.
Source: Agencies
___________________________________
ERR: Estonia’s recklessness
will give Russia a billion euros
September 30th, 10:56am
https://en.news-front.info/
Tallinn demands new sanctions from the EU bloc, which
would be extremely “beneficial” to Moscow, expert Mait
Ots has come to this conclusion in the newspaper ERR.
The PolitRussia daily writes about it.
There are active discussions in the euro bloc about the
next Russian sanctions package: Tallinn will initiate
punitive measures against Russian Railways. The
idea, as it turns out, is extremely advantageous
to Russia, as this kind of punishment would
bring down Estonia’s economy.
“The Estonian Foreign Ministry has proposed direct
sanctions against Russian railways which would
lead to a complete standstill in business
between Estonian railway companies
and Russian Railways,” said
the author.
''Representatives of the Estonian railway industry do not
share the optimism of official Tallinn either, rightly
pointing out, that the country will lose a billion
euros, while Moscow will only gain from this
situation by increasing its own profits. Anti-
Russian restrictions will lead to a total
paralysis of freight traffic between
Estonia and Russia,'' warns the
“knowledgeable” community.
Despite all the warnings, the initiative has already
been sent to the EU for consideration.
“From a practical and economic point of view -- the
introduction of such sanctions threatens Estonian
operators with billions in losses. In addition, this
step would further strengthen the position of
Russian Railways and allow it to dominate
in Central Asia”, the expert notes.
At the same time, Estonian experts predict a desperate
“trap” for the authorities, emphasizing that the Russian
side will be left with assets, belonging to Estonian
companies, worth at least one billion euros. The
restrained trains, analysts fear, may well be
used by Moscow to carry out its own
projects, particularly in Central
Asian countries.
“In essence, the assets of Estonian businessmen worth
about a billion euros will be transferred to Russia, and
will help increase its income influence in Central
Asia,” the industry expert, Andres
Valgerist, opined.
As foreign analyst Marko Raimondi said earlier, Tallinn
is already calculating losses... due to the collapse of
cargo traffic caused by the anti-Russian sanctions.
For example, the national operator Eesti Raudtee
has managed to lose two dozen million euros.
The situation in the other Baltic states is similar: a
sharp drop in freight traffic is actively reducing
the economy of the whole Baltic troika.
____________________________________
Russia forges pipeline
route to India
September 30th, 10:10am
https://en.news-front.info/
The recent summit of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization in Samarkand has triggered
tectonic processes in the sphere of
energy security in Eurasia.
Fragmentary statements of individual speakers on this
subject, in fact, conceal a huge mass of unspoken
words. However, the energy sector and gigantic
infrastructure projects... accompanying its
development... may become not only the
core of the forming union of developing
countries, but also the main measure
of its sustainability in the long term.
It is the SCO that allows Russia, while implementing the
“pivot to the East” project --- to think about developing
economic relations not only with China, but also with
the whole of Eurasia, and above all --- with the main
alternative to China, India. Due to its development
dynamics and logistical proximity, China remains
a key buyer of Russian energy resources.
It is worth recognising that these purchases are
somewhat of an emergency, and their build-up
is not possible... indefinitely.
Russia has sharply reduced gas sales to Europe, and
China.. is taking advantage of the situation to stock
pile oil and gas for its own benefit – resources are
being purchased at a still tangible discount.
It seems only a matter of time before Russian gas
supplies to the EU are cut off completely. Mean-
while, the lack of transport infrastructure has
so far prevented Russia from realising its full
energy potential to the east and south.
An important project will be the Power of Siberia-2
pipeline, the approval of which, was announced
shortly in Samarkand by Russian Deputy Prime
Minister, Alexander Novak. The pipe, with a
capacity of 50 billion cubic metres of gas
a year.. will take in the volume that was
meant to be pumped by Nord Stream-2.
And the continuation of Siberia’s Power 2, the Soyuz
Vostok gas pipeline, which will run through
Mongolia to China, will make Ulaanbaatar
part of the common energy space.
The North-South route is just as, if not more, important
in terms of infrastructure construction. The narrow
neck of the Caucasus, and the permanent political
instability in the region prevents the construction
of major gas pipelines from being initiated.
Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran are developing cooperation
through substitute supplies, which have significant
limitations. This, however, has not prevented the
development of transport infrastructure in the
region. In early September.. the 3 countries
signed an agreement to develop the North-
South Transport Corridor, which claims to
be Russia’s most important import route
from South Asia, amid the sanctions
restrictions.
Still, access to South Asian energy markets remains
highly relevant to Moscow. Yes, it is possible to
supply LNG there. But, firstly, the logistics of
LNG delivery are still inferior to pipeline gas
in terms of costs. And, secondly, it is also
threatened by sanctions, starting with the
problem of building enough gas carriers
and ending with restrictions on the
insurance of ships and of
entering ports.
The geopolitical aspect of the pipe.. is also important,
with its unique property of monumentally cementing
the economic interests of very different states,
including antagonist states. The “Turkish”
and “Blue” streams, for all the complexity
of relations between Moscow & Ankara,
do not allow the two countries, to shift
into open confrontation, which would
cause irreparable damage to the
economic interests of
both countries.
In this sense, the pipeline acts as a fuse that prevents
uncontrolled confrontation and forces the parties to
seek compromises. After all... the countries are
literally shackled by an iron bar. In this sense,
pipelines add the sobriety that the European
Union currently lacks. It is not for nothing
that the biggest pipelines are named
Druzhba, Mir, Soyuz and the like.
An alternative route through the Caucasus remains the
route through Central Asia. In Samarkand - during talks
with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, President
Vladimir Putin casually mentioned the Pakistan Stream
project. It would seem, that the latter has little to do
with Russian interests.
The pipeline would run from the south, to the north of
Pakistan, from Karachi to Lahore, carrying LNG from
the regasification terminal, to the northern, colder
parts of the country. However, the significance of
the pipeline, originally named North-South, is that
it could eventually, become part of a major gas
pipeline system in southern Asia, connecting
major producing countries.. such as Russia,
Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan with major
consumers in Pakistan and, most
importantly, India.
So far, all major projects that would allow Delhi to get
piped gas on an industrial scale, have been blocked
by the West. The most famous of these projects is
the Mir gas pipeline from Iran through Pakistan to
India. The Iranian section of the pipe, which was
supposed to be operational as early as 2014,
was built. But there have been problems
with the Pakistani one.
The US has intervened, stating that it does not
support projects that “do not meet the
conditions of transparency and
sustainable development”. In
other words – not in the
interests of the US.
And in 2020, under pressure from Washington, India
announced its withdrawal from the project, under
the pretext of an unwillingness to cooperate
with hostile Pakistan.
The long-delayed TAPI project, a gas pipeline from
Turkmenistan through Afghanistan with terminals
in Pakistan and India, is also going nowhere. This
pipe could be a continuation of the Gazprom-
controlled Central Asia-Centre pipeline
system (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan), but
the instability in Afghanistan, has
already become a problem here.
This, incidentally, was also mentioned by Putin at his
meeting with the prime minister of Pakistan, which
is known to have influence on the Taliban.
The SCO platform, in which all the above-mentioned
countries participate, is capable if not to resolve
centuries-old contradictions between major
Asian players – China and India, India and
Pakistan – then at least not to let those
contradictions get in the way of the
infrastructural development of
South Asia.
The acute conflict between Russia and the West --
focuses the latter’s efforts -- at one point. It is no
longer possible for the collective West to put as
much pressure on India and Pakistan under
these conditions, as it did before. But the
collective countries of the East could
take on a kind of patronage over
Afghanistan - guaranteeing the
stability there ---- without
actively interfering in
its internal affairs.
Step by step, Russia, and with it other countries, are
looking for a new pipeline route to India. When the
search is successful, the Asian continent will
enter a new era of economic power to
counterbalance the waning
“hegemons of the sea” –
the US and UK.
Gleb Prostakov, VZGLYAD
_______________________________
Bolivia endorses Mexico’s
proposal for the Inter-
American Bank
by Alina Ramos Martin
September 30th, 9am
(Prensa Latina)
The president of Bolivia, Luis Arce, confirmed in a
tweet his support for the candidacy of Mexican
Alicia Bárcena to head the Inter-American
Development Bank (IDB).
‘We support the position of the brother president of
#Mexico, @lopezobrador, who proposed
@aliciabarcena to head the Inter-
American Development Bank
#IDB’, the president wrote
on his Twitter account.
Arce assured that he knows the ‘capacity, integrity,
trajectory and commitment to the progress of the
region’ of Bárcena, who headed the Economic
Commission for Latin America and the
Caribbean from 2008 to March of
this year.
The head of the regional financial institution was left
vacant after the recent dismissal of the American
Mauricio Claver-Carone for giving two salary
increases to a subordinate with whom he
was romantically involved.
An assembly of 48 Governors representing an equal
number of member countries elects the president
of the IDB, who must obtain a majority of the
voting power of the member nations.
In addition, the winner must have the support of at least
15 of the continent’s 28 countries (26 Latin American
and Caribbean countries plus Canada and the US).
The bank’s three main shareholders, Argentina, Brazil
and the United States, the largest shareholders,
together hold almost 53% of the voting rights.
Bárcena currently serves as Mexico’s
ambassador to Chile.
_________________________________________
Lula's Victory in First Round to
Bring Peace to Brazil: Alckmin
September 29th, teleSUR
Right-wing militias and Bolsonaristas could try to
discourage citizen participation in the elections
in order to prevent the victory of the Workers'
Party leader.
On Thursday, Geraldo Alckmin expressed that the
Brazilian post-election environment will probably
be calmer ---- if the far-right President Jair
Bolsonaro is defeated in the first round.
"it's better for Brazil, because we will get out of the
confusion and fights, which can suddenly turn into
deaths. Accidents and tragedies ...can happen,"
said Alckmin, the vice-presidential candidate
running alongside Workers' Party candidate
Lula da Silva.
So far, all voting intention polls show that the Lula-
Alckmin binomial, will emerge victorious, in the
elections on Sunday. Some polls even forecast
that Lula will win in a single round with over
50 percent of the valid votes, that is,
excluding blank and invalid votes
from the count.
Over past weeks, democratic politicians, intelectuals,
opinion leaders have expressed concern about the
possibility of violent actions by Bolsonaro's
supporters on election day, especially in
rural areas and in the poorest
neighborhoods.
Right-wing militias and Bolsonaristas could try to
discourage citizen participation in the elections
in order to prevent the victory of the Workers'
Party leader. This scenario is not remote,
considering that the Brazilian president
himself -- has threatened to ignore the
elections, and, last week ----- he even
dared to affirm that it's "impossible"
for Lula to win in the first round.
Recently, the Bolsonaristas have been associated with
violent armed actions against citizens who have
expressed their support for Lula da Silva.
Among the most reported incidents are the attack on a
pregnant woman and the murder of two Workers' Party
supporters. Federal and subnational authorities are
investigating these facts.
On Friday, the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) prohibited
the carrying of weapons, by citizens, from Saturday,
October 1st to Monday, October 4th. This decision
was approved with the favorable vote of all the
judges and at the suggestion of the police
chiefs of the 27 states of the country.
This ban even covers shooting clubs, which have
multiplied exponentially in Brazil thanks to the
arms policies -- promoted by Bolsonaro, a far-
right former Captain whose electoral hopes
are focused on capturing the vote of the
most conservative Christians.
_____________________________________
US Debt Vultures ---------- Prey on
Countries in Economic Distress
September 29th, 5:22pm (teleSUR)
"Vulture funds" have overcome developing countries
--- holding countries such as Ecuador and Argentina
hostage, while nabbing astronomical amounts
of money.
The Federal Reserve's latest 75-basis-point interest rate
hike has triggered high concern in the global financial
markets ---- since the effects of consecutive U.S.
interest hikes, may ripple through the world.
In previous Fed rate hikes, U.S. interest groups and
financial institutions teamed up to create debt
crises in several emerging markets, so as to
fill up their own money bags.
As one of the tools the United States uses for its
financial hegemony, such vulture funds, have
over the past decades... held Ecuador,
Argentina, Peru, Vietnam and many
developing countries hostage...
while nabbing astronomical
amounts of money.
PREDATORY BUYING
The term "vulture funds" is a metaphor that compares
distressed debt investors' obsession with now-cheap
yet highly risky debts ---- to a vultures' predilection
for carrion.
These activist hedge funds usually buy sovereign debt
of countries near or in default at deep discounts from
secondary markets, then fiercely litigate with the
debtors to claim full payments and employ all
possible tactics to bring them to heel, no
matter how long such a fight goes;
that's why they are also dubbed
as "doomsday investors."
Speaking before the UN General Assembly in 2014,
then Argentine President Cristina Fernandez
accused the vulture funds of practicing
"economic and financial terrorism"...
referring to the strife, between her
country and rogue debt collectors
that caused "hunger, misery
and poverty."
Back in the 1990s, the optimism and opportunism
emanating from Wall Street --- combined with a
heavy inflow of money into Argentina.. made
Buenos Aires comfortable issuing more and
more bonds, driving its debt to levels that
later proved ruinous.
Meanwhile, as part of its neoliberal reform supported by
Washington, Argentina pegged its peso one for one to
the U.S. dollar, an idiosyncratic fixed exchange rate
that rendered its economy uncompetitive... as the
appreciation of the currency, sparked a massive
loss of exports and employment, as well as the
1998-2002 Argentine great depression.
In 2001, Argentina defaulted on US$100 billion of
sovereign bonds. The insolvent country, offered
debt revamps twice in 2005 and 2010, accepted
by about 92 percent of the creditors. In contrast
a handful of vulture funds that had snapped up
the defaulted bonds at bargain prices shunned
the settlement process. In 2005, the funds
hauled Argentina to U.S. courts, which
had jurisdiction over the bonds, to
collect both the principal and
interest payments.
Martin M. Guzman, an economist at Columbia Business
School --- who once served as Argentina's economic
minister, estimated that NML Capital, a subsidiary
of Elliott Management headed by Paul Singer, paid
US$48 million in 2008 for such bonds with a total
face value of approximately US$620 million.
From the perspective of Buenos Aires, the vulture funds
were virtually blackmailing it over the debt issue
because they had provided no loans and
knowingly bought defaulted bonds
at a low cost.
However, the U.S. federal court, in 2014, barred
Argentina from repaying any other bondholders
until it paid the holdout creditors, based on
the equal treatment clause in contract law
and managed to force the country into an
agreement, in 2016, with vulture funds
involved, paying them US$4.65 billion,
a sum equivalent to 0.83 percent of
Argentina's GDP that year, putting
an end to the 15-year scuffle.
BACKED BY U.S. JUDICIAL POWER
Although Wall Street vultures were laying debt traps
around the globe over the past decades, the
"original sin" arose from the U.S.
establishment, which created
prey and squeezed poor
countries dry.
In the case of Argentina, its 2001 default and financial
crisis stemmed from the above-mentioned neoliberal
reform taken by President Carlos Menem's
government from 1989 to 1999 and based
on the "Washington Consensus," a set
of economic policies promoted by
Washington-based institutions
that opened the door to
Argentina's economic
catastrophe.
When left-wing politicians took office and attempted
to restructure the debt, the vulture investors set off
to profiteer from defaulted debt under the aegis of
U.S. jurisdiction.
After the holdout bondholders led by NML Captial filed
lawsuits, then Judge Thomas Griesa of the U.S.
District Court for the Southern District of New
York, ruled, in 2012, that Argentina had to pay
them back at full value. The debtor appealed
the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court, but the
Court finally decided to uphold the lower
court ruling.
In June 2014, Argentina deposited US$539 million in the
indentured trustee Bank of New York Mellon's account
at the Argentine Central Bank to repay those who had
accepted the debt swaps, while Griesa's order
blocked the transfer of the money, citing
Argentina's failure to pay
the holdouts.
Standard & Poor's soon threw another punch at
Argentina by cutting its rating to B-minus from
B, suggesting a negative outlook on the
rating, already deep in junk bond
territory.
"It was the first time in history that a country was
willing and able to pay its creditors, but was
blocked by a judge from doing so," wrote
Nobel economist, Joseph Stiglitz, a full
professor at Columbia University, in an
article... criticizing Griesa's order. The
ruling "encourages usurious behavior"
and "threatens the functioning of
international financial markets,"
he said.
Clearly, international litigations by U.S. vulture funds
are useful for U.S. financial hegemony and long-arm
jurisdiction. Given their close ties to U.S. Congress
and the White House, Wall Street financiers have
the incentive & ability to intervene in legislation
and policymaking to secure their own interests,
said Zhang Yuewen, a researcher at the
Institute of Finance and Banking at
the Chinese Academy of
Social Sciences.
In U.S. media reports, Singer, Elliott's boss, is always
described as a mega-donor for the Republican Party.
The New Yorker called him a "donor activist,"
referring to his deep involvement with GOP
candidates and campaigns.
DEEPENING "DEVELOPMENT TRAP"
In the wake of Argentina's settlement with the holdouts
in 2016, Griesa lifted the injunction that had barred
Argentina from raising new money in the bond
market or paying its creditors, allowing the
country to be removed from the category
of "selective default" ...and return to
international capital markets for
the first time after 15 years.
Nonetheless, for indebted countries like Argentina,
such a long delay in debt restructuring was a
significant drain on national wealth and
resulted in... missed opportunities for
its growth and development. With its
international credit report seriously
damaged and financing channels
obstructed, Argentina's road to
economic recovery was long
and painful.
Juan Pablo Bohoslavsky, former UN independent expert
on foreign debt and human rights, said, "vulture fund
litigation has come at a significant cost for some
States, diverting public funds into questionable
forms of debt service, which should better be
used for fighting poverty, improving public
health care or education, and boost the
debtors' economies."
Former Secretary General of the Organization of the
American States Jose Miguel Insulza said that
national bankruptcy would deal a blow to the
impoverished ----- but that is never a "big
problem" for international speculators,
for whom, other's debt woes... are
their fortune.
From 2012 to 2016, Argentina's growth rate hovered
between -2.5 and 2.7 percent, while inflation soared
between 22.3 and 41.1 percent. Even now, Argentina
remains the Latin American country with the highest
government debt, in relation to its gross domestic
product.
Sadly, Argentina is never the only victim that has fallen
into traps set by vulture funds, which have repeatedly
preyed on distressed countries from Latin America
to Asia, Africa, and Europe.
Pierre Jacquemot, who once served as the French
ambassador to Kenya and Ghana, said at least 32
African countries encountered legal battles with
vulture funds over distressed debt issues. The
funds have a win rate of around 75 percent.
Recently, restructuring guru Lee Buchheit
has warned that Sri Lanka might be the
next in the crosshairs of vulture
investors.
Data from Sri Lanka's Department of External
Resources showed that as of April 2021, the
plurality of its foreign debt... is owned by
Western, particularly American, vulture
funds and banks, which hold nearly
half, at 47 percent.
In early June, wielding life-size vulture puppets, a group
of activists stormed the venues of Elliott Management
and GoldenTree Asset Management, two notorious
distressed-debt funds in New York, in protest
against the financial predators
they represent.
Repulsed by the greed and brazenness of the vultures
profiting from suffering nations, the activists' chants
were clear: "Not a penny more."
_________________________________________________
Replacement for Lego
launched in Russia
September 29th, 3:49pm (TASS)
The Inventive Retail Group is launching a multi-brand
retail project dubbed Mir kubikov (The World of
Cubes) on the retail premises, where Lego
previously operated, the company said
in a statement.
"The Inventive Retail Group, a group of companies that
manages specialized retail and online stores, as well
as corporate sales and the distribution of consumer
goods of the world's leading brands, announces
the launch of a new multi-brand retail project
called Mir Kubikov. The new chain will
appear in place of certified Lego
stores," the statement says.
The new project will consist of 65 stores in more than
20 cities across Russia, as well as an online store
www.mir-kubikov.ru, with orders to be delivered
nationwide. The outlet will have a multi-brand
assortment. Lego will remain on its list and
will be purchased through parallel imports
from other suppliers, since Lego has
stopped working in Russia.
The Inventive Retail Group -- will start replenishing
store shelves with new brands in November 2022.
The company does not exclude rolling out its
own name-brand range of products in the
future, the statement says.
The first chain stores have already changed signboards
and the retailer plans to update them completely by the
end of October. In 2022, the company does not plan to
open new stores, but later on it is ready to return to
opening new outlets and developing the format,
the statement adds.
The Inventive Retail Group is a group of companies that
operates retail and online stores, as well as corporate
sales and distribution of consumer products from the
world's leading brands, including re:Store, which
specializes in Apple products.
_____________________________________
Kalashnikov increases production
of small arms by 40% this year
— company
September 29th, 3:25pm (TASS)
The Kalashnikov group of companies has increased
the production of small arms by 40% this year, the
company’s press service reported on Thursday.
"The Kalashnikov Concern increased the production
of small arms by 40%. A significant increase in the
production of small arms in 2022 was achieved
through export contracts for the supply of
military products and an increase in the
export of civilian weapons. Already, in
September, actual exports of civilian
weapons were equal to the total
figure for 2021," the
statement said.
The press service noted that the current plan
--- for the production of small arms at the
enterprise has become a record high
for the past 20 years.
"This year, we see an increase in demand on the
market for civilian small arms compared to last
year. That's why our production capacities are
quite intensively loaded, this year. We manage
to maintain a high pace of work thanks to the
responsibility of the team and the effective
organization of processes at all levels,"
Alan Lushnikov, the President of the
Concern said as quoted by the
press service.
Earlier, Lushnikov told TASS that 79% of the
Kalashnikov Concern's revenue comes
from military products, and 21%
from civilian products.
Kalashnikov is the flagship of the Russian weapon
industry, producing about 95% of all small arms
in the country. Kalashnikov Group companies
produce not only small arms, but also
specialized military and civilian
transport and equipment, such
as unmanned aerial vehicles,
high-speed transport and
assault boats for special
operations forces, high-
precision missile
weapons.
Kalashnikov Group exports its products to
more than 27 countries around the world.
______________________________________
Bolivia and Venezuela
strengthen diplomatic ties
by Ana Ibis Falcón Lamoth
September 29th, 3:13pm
(Prensa Latina)
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and the
Bolivian Foreign Minister, Rogelio Mayta,
agreed to strengthen diplomatic ties at
the highest level, during talks held in
Caracas ---- the Bolivian Foreign
Ministry's web portal reported.
During his stay in Venezuela, Mayta met with the
Executive Vice President, Delcy Rodríguez,
with whom he evaluated the strategic
cooperation agenda with issues of
common interest.
The two countries have strategic alliances in the
commercial, energy, agri-food and science and
technology spheres.
The Bolivian minister also spoke with Carlos Faría,
with whom he signed a Joint Declaration in which
the parties reaffirmed their bonds of solidarity,
complementarity and brotherhood, that unite
these member nations of the Bolivarian
Alliance... for the Peoples of Our
America-People’s Trade Treaty.
Mayta also spoke in Venezuela with the authorities of
the Ministry of Culture about bilateral cooperation
and paid tribute to the Liberator, Simón Bolívar,
with a floral offering.
______________________________________
Haiti: Dozens of inmates
starve to death in prisons
by Pavel López Lazo
September 29th, 1:50pm
(Prensa Latina)
The Office for the Protection of the Citizen (OPC) on
Thursday, condemned: that at least 12 inmates
died in prison in just one month, a situation
described as catastrophic, in Haiti's
prison conditions.
The OPC deplored that the civilian prisons of Les
Cayes, Saint Marc, Jeremie, Fort Liberté, Jacmel,
Petit-Goâve and Port-au-Prince have been facing
severe food shortages for several weeks. As a
result of such conditions, some 12 deaths
from malnutrition and lack of adequate
medical care were reported --- from
August 23rd to September 27th.
The last three deaths were reported at the Petit-Goâve
police station, where footage depicted serious
violations of human rights, in particular the
right to life, the right to health and the
right to food, the OPC said in
a statement.
OPC strongly believes that overcrowding is one of the
major causes of this ‘chaotic’ situation, in addition to
the use of lengthy pretrial detention, associated
with the inability of the judicial authorities
to take on their responsibilities and
meet deadlines.
Faced with an over 90% rate of prolonged pre-trial
detention, OPC warned that if pressing steps are
not taken, they could be facing a ‘humanitarian
catastrophe’ -- and also encouraged prisoners´
relatives to condemn human rights violations.
In August, the UN Office in Haiti (BINUH) condemned
that 97 inmates passed away during the first eight
months, 20 of them, in the month of June alone.
BINUH noted that Haitian prisons ''current conditions
are unacceptable and pose serious human rights
plights, while the occupancy rate of the four
main prisons is 401%, showing a serious
food and medical supply crisis.''
_________________________________
Conflict in Ukraine ------- is the
result of the USSR's collapse
by Ana Ibis Falcón Lamoth
September 29th, 1:36pm
(Prensa Latina)
The West elaborates scenarios to foment new conflicts
in the space of the disappeared Soviet Union and the
already existing ones are the result of its collapse,
the Russian president, Vladimir Putin,
affirmed today.
It is enough to look at what is happening now between
Russia and Ukraine, and on the borders of some other
countries of the Commonwealth of Independent
States (CIS), where the risks of destabilization
are increasing, including in the entire Asia-
Pacific region, Putin said.
_____________________________
Nord Stream repair may take
at least six months, says
lawmaker
September 29th, 12:07pm (TASS)
Repairing the ruptures that occurred on the lines of the
Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines may
take more than six months, Pavel Zavalny, who
heads the State Duma’s (lower house)
Committee on Energy, believes.
In his opinion, there are two ways to fix the damage:
making a caisson (a watertight chamber used in
underwater construction work or as a
foundation - TASS), or hoisting the
gas pipelines to the surface.
"One way is to manufacture a caisson, that will be
brought to the pipe. Work will be carried out in
the caisson to either replace the pipe or fix it.
The depths allow this. Of course, a complex
engineering underwater structure, would
have to be created. That being said, the
timeframe - the design, manufacturing
and the works - all this would take
not just months - but even longer.
The second option.. is lifting [the
pipes]," he told reporters on the
sidelines of the Sakhalin Oil
and Gas forum on Thursday.
According to him, raising the gas pipeline to
the surface would require cranes with a
lifting capacity of 3,000 tons.
"As part of the design of these gas pipelines, the
risks of its work being disrupted were factored
in, and, accordingly, the possibility of repairs
was taken into account. Therefore, the pipe
was laid, in such a way that would make it
possible to hoist it up. This will, also, take
time, technical equipment, cranes, ships,
and so on. But, in my opinion, technically
it's possible. It may take a long time, it's
not a month or two, it's six months or a
year, at least," Zavalny explained.
He noted that the decisive factor in choosing
options is the availability of ship equipment
to carry out repairs.
"Probably, these pipe-laying vessels are under
sanctions, so they simply won't be allowed to
be used to repair the gas pipeline," the
legislator admitted.
Nord Stream pipeline ruptures
Four Nord Stream gas pipeline leaks have been
uncovered, with the most recent one being
pinpointed by Sweden’s coast guard.
Earlier, the Nord Stream AG company reported that
three threads of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 offshore
gas pipelines, had suffered unprecedented
damage, on Monday.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Moscow
was "deeply concerned about the news" and did not
rule out that the pipelines’ operation... could have
been disrupted by an act of sabotage. Swedish
seismologists later reported --- that two
explosions had been recorded along
the Nord Stream pipelines,
on Monday.
The UN Security Council will discuss the situation
with the pipelines at a meeting on September
the 30th, convened at Russia’s request.
______________________________________
Dollar down to 57 rubles
on Moscow Exchange
Euro down to 54.58 rubles
September 29th, 5:51am (TASS)
The dollar fell by 54 kopecks to 57 rubles in early
trading on the Moscow Exchange on Thursday.
The euro was down by 90 kopecks,
to 54.575 rubles, the exchange
reported.
____________________________________
Hungary urges oversight of
Turkish Stream after Baltic
Sea incident
September 28th, 6:11pm (TASS)
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto on
Wednesday said the security of the Turkish
Stream natural gas pipeline requires close
attention, in the wake of the incident that
befell the Nord Stream lines.
"The Turkish Stream -- today -- remains the only gas
pipeline through which Russian gas is transported
to Europe --- without interruption. Even if transit
through Ukraine, is disrupted, we, will still be
able to guarantee gas supply to our country.
However, the recent developments show...
that countries along the [pipeline’s] route,
need to pay close attention to its security"
he said on Facebook (banned in Russia as
it’s owned by Meta Corporation, which is
designated as extremist in Russia).
He also said "the gas leak at the Nord Streams
puts Europe in an even more dangerous and
vulnerable position, than before."
"If we had succumbed to pressure, threats of
sanctions and had not built the Turkish
Stream, we would now have huge
problems," Szijjarto said.
The Hungarian minister on Wednesday attended a
meeting of energy ministers of the Organization
of Turkic States, in Almaty.
"Central Asia holds more than 10% of the world’s
natural gas reserves, and Azerbaijan is ready to
double its supplies to Europe. Therefore, the
meeting of energy ministers is now very
useful," the minister said.
In early August, Russian President, Vladimir Putin, told
Turkish leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, that the Turkish
Stream is one of the most important routes to supply
Russian gas to Europe. The Russian president said
that the Turkish Stream --- unlike all other lines of
Russian hydrocarbon supplies, "works properly,
in a regular manner, without any disruptions."
The Turkish Stream pipeline.. starts at a compressor
station near Anapa, goes under the Black Sea... and
makes landfall in northwestern Turkey. The second
line ends near the Turkish-Bulgarian border.
That line, which formally is an extension of the Turkish
Stream and is known as the Balkan Stream, crosses
Bulgaria and Serbia, before terminating in Hungary.
_____________________________
“Hoped for Russia”: expert
explains EU gas hysteria
September 28th, 2:22pm
https://en.news-front.info/
Tens of millions of dollars and at least a year and a half
to two years, will “delay” the repair of the gas arteries
of “Nord Stream,” because the world’s history has
never seen such an accident, said the deputy
head of the Institute of Energy and Finance
Sergei Kondratyev, reports
“Economy Today”.
The analyst is convinced: that deliberate external
damage to pipeline strings is evident. ''Restoring
the strings will bring big trouble to the European
market,'' the speaker said, without a doubt.
''And, if there is any more damage to other pipelines to
Europe, it could create a near-hysterical situation for
the European market.''
''Filling the NSP2 pipeline with technical gas alone
requires nearly 180 million cubic metres of gas,
which is why the damage caused by the
accident cannot be assessed with any
precision, especially considering that
similar precedents --- have never
existed,'' the analyst
emphasized.
At the same time, Alexander Frolov, deputy director
general of the Institute of National Energy - noted
that the hysteria of the European gas market has
exposed the EU’s unconditional hopes ---- for
Russia and its gas, in a critical situation.
“There is no problem, there is no change, in the balance
of supply and demand. So what scared them so much?
There was no gas – there will be no gas. And the scare
was this: everybody understood, that if any absolutely
critical situation arises there's always Nord Stream-2,
which is operational, and it can be launched, at the
very least, by putting pressure on the leadership of
the countries. Even if this had not happened – and
I think it would not have happened, in any case,
because for the current EU leadership it would
be a political capitulation – there was such
hope, such a chance,” Frolov said.
As for Germany, the expert considers it the main victim
in this story and at the same time recommends looking
for the culprits in the ranks of those countries that are
looking forward to the collapse of German economic
energy independence.
“Some unknown people who have struck at the gas
pipelines between Russia and Germany, have not
just struck at the supply of gas and its reliability
in the coming heating season. The blow was
dealt to Germany’s attempts to strengthen
its subjectivity, its energy and economic
security,” Frolov said on the air of
Solovyov LIVE.
Just a month ago, the Germans, outraged by the Scholz
government’s failed policy, called on the government
to stop being led by Washington, apologize to
Russian leader Vladimir Putin, and launch
Nord Stream-2 immediately.
Tensions have long been running high in the German
establishment, where they fear a major crisis that
will hit the country in the coming winter and an
extreme gas shortage.. Not only the well-being
of countries will be affected, the situation may
well result in a skyrocketing gas price that,
according to experts, will at least triple.
The efforts of bureaucrats, to stabilise
the difficult energy situation, will not
be enough.
___________________________
Czech Protesters Rally
in Prague: Demanding
Negotiations --- Over
Russian Gas Imports
September 28th, 1:55pm
(Sputnik)
Earlier this month, the East European country faced
major rallies, with up to 100,000 people demanding
that the authorities engage in direct talks with
Moscow, regarding gas deliveries.
Sputnik is live from Prague, where protesters gather
on the streets to demonstrate against the EU and
government policies, urging neutrality amid the
special operation in Ukraine and demanding a
resumption of gas imports from Russia ------
amid a major energy crisis.
__________________________________________
Slovak Economy on Verge of
Collapse: as Energy Prices
Soar, Prime Minister Says
September 28th, 1pm
(Sputnik)
Slovak Prime Minister, Eduard Heger, said on
Wednesday that the energy crisis and rising
electricity prices could put the country's
economy on the verge of collapse
---- unless the European Union,
provides more financial help.
Heger said that money allocated from an EU windfall
tax --- which is put on "abnormally high profits" of
energy companies, should be equally distributed
and Slovakia should receive 1.5 billion euros
($1.5 billion).
The prime minister also hopes for additional help from
Brussels, that could provide Slovakia with 5 billion
euros more.. from unused regional development
funds.. to reduce energy bills for businesses.
"Otherwise [Slovakian businesses] will be closing and
could actually collapse the whole economy," Heger
was quoted by the Financial Times as saying,
adding that Slovak companies providing
energy supplies, would have to be
nationalized, if Brussels did
not help.
Since 2021 the energy prices in EU countries have been
surging, as part of a global trend. After the beginning
of Russia's military operation in Ukraine in February
2022 --- and the adoption of several packages of
sanctions against Moscow, by the EU, energy
prices have accelerated the growth, placing
energy security high both on the global and
national agenda --- and pushing many
European governments to resort
to contingency measures.
_______________________________
EU plans..... to lift part of
