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music and opinion from Wales' wandering poet.
One Union
A song to inspire if not ''Revolution'' then... at least Action!
D'you Wanna Know the Diff'rence Between Heaven and Hell?
A question for the majority who love and aspire to build a better world
Rail Services in Parts of England
Grind to Halt in First of Three
Train Strikes This Week
May 31st, 2:27pm (FNA)
Rail services in parts of England ground to a halt with the
first of three train strikes this week taking place as the
long-running dispute between the unions and the
government over pay, jobs and conditions...
continues.
A 24-hour strike by about 12,000 members of the driver’s
union Aslef is under way and a further day of industrial
action is planned for Saturday, the day of the FA Cup
final, The Guardian reported.
Rail operators have said services will be severely
reduced and have urged passengers to plan
their journey before travelling.
About 40% of trains will be running but there will be
wide regional variations, with no services on
networks including Avanti West Coast,
Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry,
East Midlands Railway, Great
Northern, Southern, South
eastern, Thameslink
and Northern.
In addition, crew and station staff who are members
of RMT... will take industrial action on Friday.
Approximately half of normal services
will run.
Mick Whelan, the general secretary of Aslef, said no
negotiations aimed at resolving the bitter row were
taking place, while the Department for Transport
(DfT) said it had “facilitated a fair and
reasonable pay offer”.
Joining a picket line at Newcastle station, Whelan said,
“There are no negotiations, since they came out with
yet another deal that contained all our ‘red lines’. If
you spend months in a room, tell people things
aren’t acceptable to you, then they produce a deal that contains those things then they are setting the deal up to fail."
“That is a deliberate act on behalf of both the government
and the people that we’re dealing with. They do not,
apparently, want a resolution,” Whelan added.
He added ---- “They seem to want (a) thousands of
percent productivity (increase) for a 20% pay cut.”
The strikes come, after Aslef and RMT rejected a pay offer
from the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents rail
operators. Both unions have said the government is
preventing the train companies from making an
acceptable offer, which ministers deny.
UKHospitality has said the upcoming industrial
action will cost the industry £132mln in sales.
Whelan said there is “no waning in enthusiasm”
from train drivers --- to continue taking
industrial action.
He added, “We are determined to get a resolution and
remain in this for the long haul. It is time for the
government to step back from interference ---
which is preventing a deal --- drivers, in line
with other workers, deserve a pay rise
after four years without one, and
inflation running over the last
12 months, north of 10%.”
The RDG said fans wanting to travel from Manchester to
London for the FA Cup final between Manchester City
and Manchester United should not do so on
Saturday, the day of the match.
InWales& Scotland, where unions are not in dispute,
only cross-border services will be affected.
Bortnikov: The West is actively
pushing Moldova - to become
involved in Ukrainian conflict
June 1st, 11:50am
https://en.news-front.info/
The director of Russia’s Federal Security Service, Alexander
Bortnikov, has said that the West is actively inciting Moldova
to take part in the conflict in Ukraine. He said this, at a
meeting of participants of the Council of the Heads of
Security Agencies and Special Services of the CIS
Member States, with President Alexander
Lukashenko, of Belarus.
“Ukraine has become a springboard for war against Russia
and subversive activities against Belarus. Westerners are
actively pushing Moldova to take part in the Ukrainian
conflict, inciting it to forcefully clean up Transnistria,” TASS quoted him as saying.
Earlier, Lukashenka said that the conflict
in Ukraine had started long before 2014.
In mid-May, the head of the TMR state security ministry,
Valeriy Gebos, said that Ukraine and Moldova were
speculating on the topic of resolving the conflict
in Transnistria --- by force.
____________________________
Zakharova responded to Sandu's words... about the lack of respect from Russia
May 31st, 8:50pm
(RT.ru)
Moldovan President Maia Sandu's claims that there has
never been any mutual respect between Moldova and
Russia, are false, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, said.
"Lies again," she wrote on the Telegram channel.
Zakharova stressed that Russia has always treated Moldova
and its people with respect, with whom the Russian people
have many historical ties. Russia also felt, that it was
mutual, the diplomat noted.
"The current president of Moldova, who has a Romanian
passport and such pseudo-politicians as sent by her,
have no mutual respect for the people of this
wonderful country, from whom, she even
took away their language,"
Zakharova said.
____________________________
Sandu claims - that there has never
been any mutual respect between
Russia and Moldova
May 31st, 6:43pm
(RT.ru)
Moldovan President Maia Sandu claims that there has
never been any mutual respect between Russia and
Moldova. According to her, Chisinau made every
effort to do this. She said this on TVR Moldova.
"When I came to power, I said that we want pragmatic
relations with Russia based on mutual respect, but
we must admit that we have never had relations
based on mutual respect, despite... all the
efforts of Moldova," the politician said.
No cooperation agreement, including one on strategic
cooperation ....or an agreement at the CIS level,
allowed the Moldovan authorities "to receive
a respectful attitude from Russia," RIA Novosti quotes her as saying.
Sandu added that the government takes decisions on
denouncing certain agreements with the CIS and
on relations with Russia in the interests of the Moldovan people.
Earlier, Maia Sandu said that partnership with the CIS
countries is not profitable for Moldova. She also
called for Moldova to become a member of
the EU as soon as possible.
As Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted, the
West considers Moldova -- to be the next Ukraine.
Moscow stressed that Chisinau does not show
a reciprocal readiness for dialogue with
Moscow, and the choice was made: in favour of whipping up anti-
Russian hysteria.
In addition.... the Russian Foreign Ministry denied Sandu's statements -- that the Russian side has a plan to "destabilize the situation" in the republic.
______________________________________
About 60 thousand people took part
in opposition rallies in Moldova
May 21st, 12:52pm
(RT.ru)
About 60 thousand people took part in anti-government
rallies - that took place in three cities of Moldova. This
was reported by the opposition Moldovan party "Shor".
"60 thousand peopledemanded today to hold a referendum
on the external vector of Moldova," the release says.
Earlier it became known that at the entrance to Chisinau,
there was a clash between participants of the pro-
government rally "European Moldova" ...and
supporters of the opposition movement
"Haiduki" --- arriving in the city.
_______________________________________
Moldovan farmers have declared
their readiness to start an
indefinite proteston
June 7th
May 17th, 7:43pm
(RT.ru)
The press service of the Power of Farmers Association said
that Moldovan farmers -- have declared their readiness to
start an indefinite protest from June 7, if the Moldovan
government does not provide them with assistance
and does not ban the import of Ukrainian grain.
According to RIA Novosti, the association noted --- that the
Cabinet of Ministers in the framework of negotiations that
began in February -- completely ignores the proposals of
farmers. At the same time, many problems lead to the
destruction of small and medium-sized farmers.
"We very much hope that this warning will be heeded and
urgent measures will be taken to save the agricultural
industry from collapse. Otherwise, we announce on
June 7 mass incessant protests of farmers across
the country with possible blocking of highways
and a march of agricultural machinery to
Chisinau," the statement reads.
Earlier, the Moldovan association "Power of Farmers" had
already appealed to the authorities: to temporarily ban
the import of wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower
from Ukraine.
In turn, former Moldovan President Igor Dodon also pointed
out the need to ban the import of Ukrainian grain, for the
benefit of Moldovan farmers.
_________________________________
Head of the opposition Socialist Party Dodon called on the current President of Moldova, Sandu - to resign
May 4th, 3:41pm
https://en.news-front.info/
The head of the opposition Socialist Party, and former
President of Moldova, Igor Dodon, demanded that the
country’s current president, Maia Sandu, resign
before July. This is reported by RIA Novosti.
He clarifies that this is necessary in order to hold
early elections for the presidency, in the Autumn.
It is known that earlier the head of the opposition Socialist
Party, proposed to merge the local elections scheduled for
autumn together with early parliamentary and presidential
elections. He argues, that there is nothing to be afraid of,
if there is popular support.
“I would suggest that she resign in July, so that, together
with the local elections in November, there will be joint
presidential and local elections. If you are not afraid
of the opinion of the people, you need to do so and
prove that you are not afraid of anything and are
confident in the support of the people. This is
a kind of challenge, a call – resign before
July”, the politician said.
Gagauzia allowed --- to hold a
referendum on independence
May 27th, 1:50pm
(Lenta.ru)
MP Dudoglo allowed holding a
referendum on Gagauzia's
independence
Gagauzia allows holding a referendum on independence
if the central authorities of Moldova do not meet the
requirements of the region. This proposal.... was
made by the deputy of the People's Assembly
of Gagauzia, Nikolay Dudoglo, RIA
Novosti reports.
"The division of powers between Chisinau and Comrat (the
administrative centre of Gagauzia) and the return of our
powers, customs, law enforcement agencies, tax ----
this will allow us to continue to conduct a dialogue
between the centre and Comrat. If our friends in
Chisinau do not agree, we should appeal to the
Gagauz people --- and hold a referendum on
independence," Dudoglo stated, during a
congress of deputies & representative
authorities of the region.
According to him, this will allow "cooling
the ardour " of the Chisinau authorities.
On Saturday, May 27th, the congress participants adopted
a resolution --- demanding to fix the status of Gagauzia's
autonomy in the Moldovan constitution. According to
the document, the central authorities of the country ---- must restore the activities of the regional
tax, statistical, environmental, and other deconcentrated services, and bodies, as well as state-owned enterprises
in Gagauzia - within three months.
Earlier in May, it became known that the National Anti-
Corruption Centre (NCAC) of Moldova came with
searches to the Central Election Commission
(CEC) of the autonomous territorial entity
(ATO) Gagauzia after the election of the
head of the autonomy.
Earlier, the candidate from the opposition Shor party in
Moldova, Eugenia Gutsul, won the largest number of
votes in the election of the head of the Gagauz
Autonomous Region.
_______________________________________________
Court of Appeals confirms victory of Sor
party candidate in Gagauzia election
May 22nd, 4:09pm (TASS)
The Comrat Court of Appeals has certified the victory of
Evghenia Gutul from the Sor opposition party in the
gubernatorial runoff in Moldova’s Gagauz
autonomy, at its meeting on Monday.
"To recognize as valid the mandate of Evghenia Gutul, the
elected head of Gagauzia. The decision takes effect
immediately after being passed," Judge Andrei
Mironov, read out the ruling.
The court's meeting looked into the Central Election
Commission’s report about the results of the
election on May 14th.
___________________________________________
Opposition party to block Moldova’sintegration with EU
May 2nd, 12:11pm (TASS)
The leader of the opposition Sor party pledged to
call for suspending Moldova’s integration into the European Union --- if its candidate, Yevgenia Gutsul, won the election
for head of the autonomous region of Gagauzia.
"We, the Sor party, will demand and insist that any Moldovan
integration into Europe be suspended, as it contravenes the constitution," Ilan Sor told Rossiya-24 TV.
The politician accused Moldovan authorities of ignoring the
principle of neutrality, which is enshrined in the country’s
fundamental law, as well as showing no respect for those citizens who, he said, favored "an
Russian Armed Forces will undoubtedly respond in the case
of Kiev’s provocation in Transnistria, and will protect the
people of the region, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister
Mikhail Galuzin, told TASS.
"No one should have any doubts ---- that the Russian Armed
Forces will provide an adequate response to a provocation
from the Kiev region, should one happen -- and will ensure
protection of our compatriots, the Russian peacekeeping
contingent, OGRF servicemen, and ammunition depots in
Kolbasna in Transnistria. Any actions that pose a threat
to their security, will be viewed, in accordance with
international law, as an attack on the Russian
Federation," the Deputy Foreign Minister
underscored.
According to Galuzin, Moscow has information... that
Ukrainian forces are concentrating near Transnistria.
"The situation around this region.... is indeed, complicated; we
are being guided by assessments of the regional leadership.
So far, judging by statements made by Transnistria head
Vadim Krasnoselsky, there is no direct threat of a
military escalation," Galuzin added.
He pointed out that Russia is closely monitoring the situation
on the Dniester and warns that "any attempts to destabilize the situation --- will be futile."
"Considering the risky course of Ukrainian authorities
towards escalation of the conflict in the interest of
destructive plans of its Western masters, no
scenario of events can be ruled out," the diplomat noted.
Galuzin pointed out that the Russian peacekeeping
contingent has been deployed in Transnistria,
in order to prevent such scenarios.
"The Kiev regime has repeatedly displayed its readiness
to resort to the dirtiest and the most brutal forms of
hostilities in order to achieve its goals. Its record
includes the deployment of military vehicles in
residential buildings & civilian infrastructure
facilities, including schools, hospitals and
kindergartens; using civilians as human
shields; and terror attacks on Russian
territory," Galuzin concluded.
Soon everyone across Europe will be singing this gently effective song!
It's telling the USA...
Amigo, Amigo, Ami - go home.
Majority of German citizens
oppose deliveries of long-
range missiles to Ukraine
– poll
May 31st, 1:11pm
https://en.news-front.info/
There is no need to supply Ukraine with long-range missiles –
this is exactly what 66% of the Germans surveyed think.
This is reported by the Military Review, referring to the
RTL and NTV television channels, which conducted
a survey among the local population of Germany.
In Germany, citizens of the country believe that Ukraine does
not need the supply of long-range missiles. A poll of two TV
channels showed that 66% of the country’s inhabitants
do not want to supply long-range weapons to Kyiv.
According to the survey, the majority of Germans do not share
the attitude of the leadership of NATO and the European
Union, to increase military assistance to the Kyiv
regime. The citizens of Germany... see in these
deliveries a further escalation of the conflict,
and they fear it. Also -- most residents of
Germany have relatives, close friends
and acquaintances in the Russian
Federation, about whom, they
most likely... worry.
Recall... that earlier, former congressmen, retired military,
politicians, public figures, journalists and TV presenters
organized the action “Rage against the War Machine”
against the supply of weapons to Ukraine and the
escalation of the world conflict. Rallies were
announced in Washington, San Francisco,
Los Angeles, Seattle, Minneapolis and
other cities in the United States.
_____________________________________
German authorities have suggested
that the inhabitants of Germany
consume no more than 10
grams of meat per day
May 31st, 9:22am
https://en.news-front.info/
Cem Özdemir (Alliance 90/The Greens), Germany’s Federal
Minister of Food and Agriculture, has said that Germans
need to reduce meat consumption to 10 grams per day.
This was reported by journalist Evan Ungar,
especially for RG.ru.
Evan Ungar claims that if Cem Özdemir’s initiative is
accepted, then in the future German citizens will
consume 10 grams of meat per day. This,
he says, is tantamount to “a sausage
sandwich, once every three days,
or a wiener once every ten days.”
“It’s not for nothing that the Greens are considered
the‘Prohibition Party’. At present, it is not only the
consumption of meat, by the Germans, that is a
thorn in their side. They also want to regulate
heating methods. Oil and gas will be banned
in Germany -- at the legislative level. The
Germans must -- heat their houses with
electricity, using heat pumps. This will
help the climate, the Greens say,” the
source of the agency says ironically.
According to the journalist, the supporters of these
ideas, are not ready to make any compromise.
Thus --- the “Greens” “in the implementation
of their grandiose ideas are authoritarian,
totalitarian and undemocratic,” the
agency’s interlocutor believes.
“In big German cities like Berlin or Hamburg, you will
definitely be called a “Nazi” if you admit that you
eat meat,” Ungar summed up.
_____________________________
Bundestag MP urges German
Vice-Chancellor to resign
May 30th, 1:15pm
(Izvestia.ru)
The deputy of the Bundestag from the Alternative for
Germany party Edgar Naujok called on the Vice-
Chancellor of Germany, Minister of Economy
and Climate Protection Robert Habeck to
resign, and also demanded to stop the
supply of weapons to Ukraine.
The MP's video message was published on Tuesday, May 30,
in the German Telegram channel "Achse der Wahrheit "
("Axis of Truth" — Ed.)
"What the Vice-Chancellor, Minister of Economy and Climate
Protection of Germany Robert Habeck is doing is impossible
to describe. This is corruption! Habek must resign! This
can't be tolerated any longer!" said Naujok.
In his opinion, the German government... is much toofocused
on helping Ukraine and does not pay attention to Germany's
internal problems. For example, the budget of the federal
state of Saxony, according to the deputy, can not ensure
the normal functioning of kindergartens and schools,
and 80% of bridges in the region, require repair.
"We need money in our country, this is much more important!
We have very serious problems. Look, for example, at the
supply of weapons [to Ukraine]. We are against the
supply of weapons!" - commented Naujok.
In May 2022, the parliamentarian also spoke out against the
destruction of cultural and humanitarian ties with Russia.
Alternative for Germany is one of the few German parties
opposed to the supply of weapons to Ukraine. At the
same time, the German government and Western
countries continue to strengthen military and
financial support for Ukraine --- against the
background of Russia's special operation
to protect the Donbass --- which the
Russian authorities announced on
February 24th, 2022.... amid the
aggravation of the situation in
the region due to shelling by
the Ukrainian military.
_______________________________
Poland - made a
loud accusation
against Germany
May 28th, 10:29am
https://en.news-front.info/
Polish historian, Wojciech Polak, said that the Germans
deliberately change history in order to make the Poles
responsible for the Holocaust. It is reported by RIA
Novosti, with reference to wPolityce.
Wojciech Polak argues that Germany is purposefully trying to
make Poland the perpetrator of the Holocaust in the world
community. The attention of the Polish historian was
attracted --- by the information that the German
Historical Institute stated that Warsaw was
involved in the genocide of Jews.
“Declaring that the crimes against the Jews were committed
by the Nazis and that the concentration camps were located
mainly in Poland, one gets the impression that these Nazis
were Poles. This is exactly what the Germans need, to
spread such nightmarish, shameful and false
concepts”, the historian believes.
According to the historian, the play on words with the change
“Germans” to “Nazis” helps to shift the focus for crimes
against humanity from Nazi Germany towards Poland.
He believes the expression “Polish concentration
camps” also speaks of this trend.
“Actions to whitewash the Germans, by the Germans
themselves, have been carried out for quite a long
time and are being carried out in such a way that
they are, already, yielding practical results.
Perhaps - often not directly - sometimes a
little veiled, but the Poles are presented
as the perpetrators of the Holocaust
or the people who created the
concentration camps”,
says Polak.
The Western community, due to poor-quality education,
tends to believe in such “fictions” --- that change the
historical line, the Polish specialist notes.
He also drew public attention to the fact that very often
the lack of a good historical education, allows such
concepts to gain popularity, Polak concluded.
_________________________________________
Bankruptcies in Germany Surge...
as Economic Outlook Turns Bleak
May 27th, 11:19am (FNA)
The second largest German shoe retailer, confirmed
that most of its stores in Germany will be closed,
after its efforts to woo investors... failed to
produce the expected results.
This means closing up to 150 of the 180 stores under
the brand Reno, the insolvency administrator, Immo
Hamer, said, Xinhua news agency reported.
The shoe retailer changed hands in September 2022,
but the attempts by the new owner to rescue the
struggling business failed and a bankruptcy
procedure was initiated in March.
This development is the latest in a series of closures
announced in recent weeks.. including last week's
news that Goertz, a Hamburg-based shoe retailer,
was closing its stores in Germany.
Describing the magnitude of the problem, Rolf Pangels,
general manager of the Textile Shoes Leather Goods
(BTE) trade association, was quoted by the German
media as saying that around 1,500 shops,
13 percent of all the shoe stores in
Germany, closed last year.
The shoe retail industry in Germany was first hit by the
COVID-19 pandemic, which led to lockdowns and
kept people indoors.
The stubbornly high energy and raw material costs,
which are largely blamed for the high inflation in
Germany, just add to the shoe industry's
troubles.
But the wave of bankruptcies ---- is not limited to the
footwear sector. There are signs that bankruptcies
are on the rise across the country.
In Bavaria, one of the richest states in Germany, 577
companies became insolvent in the first quarter
this year, the local statistical office announced
on Thursday.
While this figure is lower than the historical average,
the pace of increase still worries some researchers
at Allianz Trade, a trade credit insurance company.
In a recent report, the company warned that the number
of bankruptcies in Germany had been rising at a pace
unprecedented -- since the financial crisis in 2008.
During the last quarter, the number of companies
filing for bankruptcy increased by 19 percent,
according to data released by the German
Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).
According to Allianz Trade, the tide of bankruptcy
in Germany will extend well into 2024.
"Our forecasts for bankruptcies in Germany, for
2023 and 2024 are above the pre-COVID levels,"
Allianz Trade added.
These forecasts.. are rooted in Allianz Trade's gloomy
outlook for Germany's economy, expecting that 2023
will be "a lost year economically" for Germany, "and
then the situation will be far from rosy, in 2024".
A survey conducted by the German Chamber of Commerce
and Industry among around 21,000 companies found that
in general, energy and raw material costs are weighing
on the business sentiment of German companies.
Commenting on the survey, Ilja Nothnagel, a member of
the DIHK's executive board responsible for economic
analyses, said the economic outlook remains bleak
for the next twelve months, due to weak demand.
"There are still no signs of a broad-
based upturn," Nothnagel said.
____________________________________
Hundreds of Germans to leave Russia
due to employee limit set by Moscow
– report
May 27th, 8:06am (TASS)
Moscow decided to reduce the employee limit for German
institutions in Russia to 350, which will force hundreds of
Germans to leave Russia before June, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung, reported on Saturday, citing its sources.
The list of German citizens that will have to leave Russia,
includes diplomats, teachers & employees of the Goethe
Institute. According to the newspaper, Russia believes
that the German government..... sent twice as many
employees to Russia, than Russia sent to Germany.
In this regard, the Russian Foreign Ministry decided
to reduce the number of employees of German
institutions and cultural organizations... to
about 350 people, in response to Berlin’s
expulsion of Russian diplomats.
"This limit, set by Russia starting in June, will require
major staff reductions in all areas of our presence in Russia," the German Foreign Ministry told
the newspaper.
__________________________________________
Kiev requests Taurus cruise missiles
with range of 500 km --- from Berlin
– report
May 27th, 7:29am (TASS)
Ukraine.. asked the German government to ship Taurus
crusie missiles with a range of 500 km, the DPA news
agency reported ---- citing a German Defense
Ministry representative.
"Such a request came from the Ukrainian side, in recent days," the source said.
However, no details were provided on how
many missiles were requested by Kiev.
According to Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung
sources, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky
discussed shipments of Taurus missiles with
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, during his
visit to Berlin on May 14. According to
the sources, Kiev wanted to receive
them "urgently."
About 10 years ago, the Bundeswehr procured about 600
Taurus missiles, with about 150 currently ready for use.
These missiles are considered similar to UK’s Storm
Shadow missiles that have already been shipped to
Ukraine. However... the German-Swedish missiles
have a slightly greater range. According to local
experts cited by RND ---- the MBDA missile
manufacturer is able to ramp up Taurus
production, in the case of their
shipment to Kiev.
Marine Le Pen calls Crimea
a legitimate part of Russia
May 24th, 2:38pm
(Izvestia.ru)
The leader of the parliamentary faction of the French National
Association party, Marine Le Pen, called Crimea a legitimate
part of Russia. She spoke on this topic on Wednesday, May
24th, answering questions from deputies of the National
Assembly. The broadcast was conducted on Twitter
of the lower house of parliament.
"Crimea was Russian for two centuries and Ukrainian for 60
years after it was handed over by the dictator at his whim.
I am a strong supporter of referendums and I believe that
the residents of Crimea freely expressed their desire to
be part of Russia, by voting," the politician said.
In addition, Le Pen said that during her visits to the peninsula,
she spoke with local residents and made sure that they feel
more like part of Russia.
Le Pen has previously stressed that Crimea was reunited with
Russia based on the results of the referendum held in the
region. On April 13 last year, the politician said that she
still considers Crimea Russian. According to her,
history cannot be rewritten.
On April 18th, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov pointed out
that the statements of the Kiev regime about the return
of Crimea - are demagogic.
In March, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Ukraine
continues to plan a forceful seizure of Crimea. The
department recalled the words of US Deputy
Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, who
called military facilities in Crimea
legitimate targets for Ukraine.
On February 24, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky
said that Ukrainian forces are ready "morally and
technically" to seize Crimea. In early April -- he
called the return of the peninsula to Ukraine
a non-alternative option, both for Kiev and ...for the whole world.
Crimea became part of Russia in 2014 after a referendum in
which the majority of residents of the peninsula voted for
reunification with the Russian Federation. Kiev refuses
to recognize the results of the vote --- and considers
Crimea its territory. The Russian leadership has
repeatedly stated --- that the residents of the
republic voted for democratic reunification
and the question of ownership of the
peninsula, is finally closed.
_____________________________
Former EP MP Filippoaccused Macron of being obsessed with Zelensky
May 22nd, 9:36pm
(RT.ru)
French politician and former member of the European
Parliament, Florian Philippot, said on his social
networks, that the unlimited support of the
Kiev regime, by French President
Emmanuel Macron --- leads to
negative consequences
for the French side.
Thus, he commented on the picture from the meeting
between Macron and the head of the Kiev regime,
Vladimir Zelensky, at the G7 summit in Hiroshima.
"All these antics of Macron and Zelensky, are costing us
too much," Filippo was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti.
At the same time, he clarified that the issue concerns
both the financial costs of France and its reputation
in the international arena.
According to the French politician, Macron... who
was exposed to the "Zelensky syndrome", must
be stopped.
Earlier, Macron said that providing Zelensky with
a plane, to fly to the G7 summit, is a matter of
honour, for France.
__________________________________________
Former EP deputy Filippo demanded
that the West stop the conflict
in Ukraine
May 21st, 12:43pm
(RT.ru)
It is time for the West to stop supplying weapons to Ukraine,
especially against the background of the transfer of
Artemivsk (Bakhmut), under the control of Russian
forces, French politician and former MEP, Florian
Philippot believes. He wrote about this
on Twitter.
"Zelensky lost Bakhmut despite what all the "experts"
trumpeted for months! It's time to stop the supply of
weapons," he said.
According to him, "billions were
spent on corruption in Ukraine."
Filippo demanded that negotiations
on a peace plan begin immediately.
_________________________________
16% of French People Say They Do Not Have
Enough to Eat
May 20th, 1:36pm (FNA)
According to a report by the Research Centre for the Study
and Observation of Living Conditions (Crédoc), 16% of
French people say they do not have enough to eat.
A figure that has jumped 4 points, in just
five months.
According to this study revealed by franceinfo, 39% of French
people said they could eat all the products they want in
November 2022, compared to 44%.... in July of the
same year. Over the same period, the proportion
of people claiming to have enough to eat but
not necessarily the foods they would like
remained almost stable, from 44 to
45%, The Time News reported.
But it is, above all, the jump in the number of people who do
not eat enough that challenges, going from 12 to 16% of
the population, in five months. In 2016, there were
“only” 9% --- in this situation.
Unsurprisingly, it is the already most vulnerable people who
suffer from insufficient nutrition. 24% of people under 40 do
not have enough to eat, compared to 3% of people over 70.
This food insecurity also concerns 18% of women against
14% of men.
Finally, 31% of people with low incomes are affected,
compared to 4% of those with high incomes. The
French of the middle class are between 11 and
13%, to be in this situation.
Discount products are on the rise
The Crédoc affirms that inflation is the main factor in this
sudden increase. “Until 2021, when inflation was
contained at less than 2%, food insecurity has
changed little,” Crédoc underlines.
Above all, this inflation is particularly important for
discount brand products --- plunging people with
already limited budgets, into food insecurity.
But the increase in prices on other household
expenditure items, also plays a role.
“Food expenses can be modulated, unlike other pre-
committed expenses (rent, subscriptions, school
canteens, etc.). We can thus assume, that the
French have restricted themselves to the
food items, due to the increase in the
cost of certain incompressible
expenses,” explains
the Crédoc.
Worrying data because inflation remains very
strong, several months after the completion
of this study.
China slams US - for plans to
sign trade deal with Taiwan,
warns against any official
contact with Taipei
June 1st, 4:37pm
(PressTV)
China has slammed the US for having plans to reach a trade
deal with Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), warning Washington
against making any official interaction with the
self-ruled island.
"China strongly opposes official interaction of any form
between China’s Taiwan region and countries that
have diplomatic relations with China. That
includes --- negotiating or signing any
agreement of sovereign implication
or official nature" --- said Chinese
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman,
Mao Ning, at a regular press
conference on Thursday.
Washington and Taipei reached an agreement last month
on the first stage of a bilateral trade initiative, titled the
US-Taiwan Initiative of 21st-Century Trade, less than a
year after negotiations began.
It will be the first official trade agreement between the
two sides since US President Joe Biden assumed
office in 2021.
According to Taipei, the so-called trade deal is due to
be signed on Thursday by employees of the unofficial
entities that represent Washington and Taipei to
each other at a ceremony attended by US and
Taiwanese trade officials.
The treaty is claimed... to cover customs and trade
facilitation, regulatory practices & small business.
China has sovereignty over the Chinese Taipei, and under
the ‘One China’ policy, almost all world countries
recognize that sovereignty. The US, too,
recognizes the Chinese sovereignty
over the island --- but has long
courted Taipei in an attempt
to unnerve Beijing.
Furthermore, Washington, which backs Taipei’s secessionist
president, also infuriates Beijing by selling weapons to the
self-governed island in violation of its own official policy.
The Chinese government strongly opposes other countries
pursuing official and diplomatic ties with Chinese Taipei
and has consistently warned the US and other states
against engaging with the self-proclaimed
government in Taipei.
"The US’s move gravely violates the one-China principle and
the three China-US joint communiqués -- and contravenes
the US’s own commitment of maintaining only unofficial
relations with Taiwan," Mao further said, stressing that
China has frequently made solemn démarches to
the US.
"The US, needs to stop official interaction of any form with
Taiwan, refrain from negotiating or signing any agreement
of sovereign implication, or official nature, with China’s
Taiwan region - and stop sending any wrong message
to separatist forces seeking “Taiwan independence”
in the name of economy and trade," emphasized
the Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman.
Beijing has reiterated its sovereignty over Taiwan, saying no
individual or force can hold China back from achieving the
goal of national reunification.
Mao further stressed that all attempts by authorities in Taipei
to seek 'independence' through relying on Washington under
the pretext of economic and trade cooperation are "doomed to fail."
China has time and again stressed that the self-ruled island
is obliged to unite with the mainland, by military force
if necessary.
Despite Beijing's warnings, the US government has
continued its attempts to forge strong alliances
with regional allies, while countering China's
growing clout.
________________________________________
Ukrainian Conflict.. Has Far-
Reaching Negative Impact:
Italy's Central Bank
June 1st (teleSUR)
Besides increasing interest rates, the war has generated
a loss of purchasing power, reduced consumption, and
a deterioration in working conditions.
On Wednesday, the Italian Central Bank Governor, Ignazio Visco, said that the Ukrainian conflict has had a
sprawling impact on the European economies,
pushing the median wealth and consumer
confidence lower.
In his annual report, he pointed out that the Ukraine crisis
has also had an impact on energy prices, which resulted
in an increase in interest rates by the European Central
Bank (ECB), all of which had a far-reaching negative
economic impact.
The Ukraine conflict "was a turning point in international
relations that heavily affected growth, inflation, & world
trade... Amid the clear and widespread increase
in inflation... global growth slowed down
in a scenario of strong economic and
political uncertainty," Visco said.
The European economies were significantly boosted by the
European Union's (EU) massive coronavirus recovery
package of loans and grants. To date, over
US$160 billion has been distributed
to the EU member states.
While the disposable income of Italy's households grew by
6.2 percent last year, that was a 1.2 percent decrease in
real terms due to the record-setting inflation, sparked
mainly by the situation in Ukraine.
Contrary to what Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni thinks, the
Central Bank governor expressed the need to structure
policies to improve wages and youth employment.
"Temporary work is associated with very long precarious
conditions. The proportion of young people who after
5 years continue in limited-term jobs remains close
to 20 percent," Visco said.
________________________________________
United Nations General Assembly elects
Trinidad & Tobago representative
as president of 78th session
June 1st, 4:05pm (TASS)
The representative of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago,
diplomat Dennis Francis was elected as the President of
the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, a TASS
correspondent reported.
Francis was the only candidate running for the post. He
has been working as a diplomat for 40 years. He was
his country’s permanent representative to the UN
in Geneva, to the World Trade Organization
and to the UN Human Rights Council.
He also served in the UN specialized
agencies in Vienna and Rome.
The 78th session of the UN General
Assembly will begin this September.
____________________________________
Peruvian WorkersProtest Against
REPSOL Labour Abuses
June 1st, 3:36pm
(teleSUR))
On Wednesday, La Pampilla Refinery Workers Union
(SUTRELAPA) held a sit-in to denounce the breach
of labour agreements by the transnational oil
company REPSOL.
"So far, the company has not satisfied various demands
to avoid arbitrary changes," the Peruvian workers said,
explaining that they are requesting an annual shift
schedule: that allows for establishing positions,
vacations, medical breaks, and replacements for each worker.
SUTRELAPA Secretary Jack Chavarry affirmed that REPSOL
does not recognize the clauses of the collective agreement
related to issues such as the wage gap and a health plan.
If REPSOL does not comply with its responsibilities as an
employer, SUTRELAPA will demand the intervention of
the National Superintendence of Labour Inspection.
SUTRELAPA also denounced labour abuses against three
women, two of whom were pregnant and one of whom
was lactating.
Although these workers were hired to fill positions
in the refining process, they were fired by the
transnational company.
For its part, the La Pampilla Refinery management stated
that REPSOL is complying with both the Peruvian labour
regulations and its policy on human rights and
community relations.
____________________________________
Israelintroduces bills to tighten
control over Palestinian schools
June 1st, 3:30pm
(PressTV)
The Israeli Knesset (parliament) has introduced two bills
that would bring Palestinian educational centres and
staff in the 1948-occupied territories under stricter
scrutiny from the regime’s so-called security and
intelligence apparatus.
One of the bills, proposed on Wednesday, would require the
Israeli education ministry to conduct background security
checks on potential teachers, according to Hebrew-
language media outlets.
If passed, the bill would authorize a committee, after
conducting a hearing, to rescind the appointment
of a teacher, or dismiss a school staff member
if they “identify with a [so-called] terror
organization” or express support for
the armed struggle of an
adversarial entity.
It also requires potential teachers
to prove they have no “affinity
for terrorism.”
The second legislation sets more stringent
guidelines that would make receiving a
teaching license much harder.
The licensing of schools would be dependent
on whether they accommodate “the
fundamental requirements of the
Israeli school system.”
The Israeli Ministerial Committee for Legislation
approved both bills earlier this week.
According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the
Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) said
the move is a step towards reinstating the
supervision of the Palestinian school
system in occupied lands --- which
Israel’s ‘internal security service’
Shin Bet used to carry out. The
practice was discontinued
in 2005.
Last month, Israeli military forces demolished a donor-
funded Palestinian primary school in the central part
of the occupied West Bank, in a flagrant violation of
Palestinian children’s right to education.
Witnesses and local officials said the Israeli military
raided Beit Ta’mir village, located six kilometres
(3.7 miles) southeast of Bethlehem, on May 7
and demolished Challenge 5 School.
They said dozens of Israeli soldiers cordoned off the
area around the school, and a bulldozer flattened it
shortly afterwards.
The school, which was built of makeshift materials,
was attended by 66 Palestinian students. It was
demolished in 2017 before it was rebuilt in the
same year.
Israeli forces have delivered demolition orders to 58 schools
in the West Bank, including East al-Quds, according to the
Arab Campaign for Education for All (ACEA).
It warned in a statement that the violations affect children,
teachers and school buildings, highlighting the need that
concerned institutions and the relevant United Nations
agencies to assume their role and responsibilities in
pressuring the regime ---- to stop the policy of
demolishing schools.
___________________________________
Economic challenges to compel
former member countries to
return to CIS fold —
Lukashenko
June 1st, 2:45pm (TASS)
The need to resolve challenging economic problems ...will prompt the former member countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States to return to the CIS fold, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said, on Thursday.
"It will be more difficult to get back in, but they will have
to return; economics will compel them to do so,"
Lukashenko said.
The former republics of the USSR "aren’t needed [by anyone],
other than the post-Soviet space that now exists following
the break-up of the Soviet Union," the Belarusian leader
said. "In actual fact, we speak the same language, we
have an integrated economy, we have common
markets, industrial cooperation, and so on.
Neither our lifetimes, nor the lifetimes of
our children, would be enough time to
create such a thing [from scratch].
So, why would you want to tear it
all apart? What would be the
rationale ----- for breaking up
such an integrated market?"
Lukashenko asked,
rhetorically.
He cited Ukraine as an example of the West’s attitude toward
the former Soviet republics... with "everybody shutting their
doors" to Kiev after the country had "started emptying out
its grain storage elevators and shipped it all to Europe."
"What else would Ukraine sell in Western markets? Nothing.
The war will end, and they will end up coming to us in any
case," Lukashenko said, noting that, "how the situation
will evolve for Moldova is still unclear.".
___________________________________________
Colombia:Murder of Human Rights
Defenders Increased by 42 Pct
June 1st, 2:14pm
(teleSUR)
The Duque administration left in 2022 a legacy that
"could not be worse" --- due to the growth and
expansion of illegal armed organizations.
On Thursday, the We Are Defenders organization released
a report showing that 197 social leaders and human
rights defenders were killed in 2022.
"We are especially concerned about the 42 percent increase
in murders in 2022 compared to 2021... In addition, there
were 840 attacks of different types, which show the
diversity of violent acts that social leaders face,"
the Somos Defensores Coordinator Lourdes
Castro said.
The report shows that President Ivan Duque's administration
(2018-2022) left a legacy that "could not be worse" due to
the growth and expansion of illegal armed organizations
that have modified the "variable geometry" of violent
conflicts in Colombian territory.
"The year 2022 was the cruelest for social leaders, due to
the number of murders," said Hernando Toro, prosecutor
in charge of the Special Investigation Unit (UEI).
Despite the serious situation that still prevails, President
Gustavo Petro has shown a willingness to face violence
through policies such as the emergency plan for the
protection of human rights defenders, social
leaders and peace signatories, Castro
pointed out.
These policies, however... have not been transferred to the
control and research institutions. The Prosecutor's Office,
the Attorney General's Office and other public institutions
are not advancing quickly in the investigation of the
murders, the Somos Defensores affirms.
The implementation of better policies "requires a joint
evaluation between the different public institutions
involved," it added.
____________________________________________
Brazil's Lula calls for common
South American currency
June 1st, 2:10pm
(PressTV)
Brazil's president has called on South American countries
to create a local currency for their regional trade, in
efforts to reduce its reliance on the US dollar.
Addressing a summit of South American leaders, Lula da
Silva called on the Mercosur trade bloc to create better
compensation mechanisms and a shared unit of
transaction for commerce.
The idea of a shared currency within the Mercosur trade
bloc, comprised of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and
Uruguay, has been discussed intermittently
since its establishment in 1991.
________________________________________
In the US- the largest outflow of
deposits from banks in 39 years
was recorded
May 31st, 10:16pm
(Lenta.ru)
US banks in the first quarter of 2023 faced the largest
outflow of deposits since 1984. This, is stated in the
report of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
(FDIC) of the United States.
The largest outflow of funds in 39 years occurred against the
background of bankruptcies of major financial institutions in
the country. The FDIC noted that the reduction was mainly
due to uninsured deposits exceeding $ 250 thousand. It is
specified that the total volume of deposits decreased by
$ 472 billion, which is a record 2.5 percent.
At the same time, the FDIC reported that profit in the banking
sector as a whole remained at the same level. In addition,
the outflow of deposits was offset by an increase in
wholesale financing, which increased by 14.4%
in the first quarter of this year.
Earlier, former vice president of the financial corporation
Lehman Brothers, Lawrence McDonald, said that, if the
US authorities do not solve the problem of outflows of
deposits in the amount of more than 250 thousand
dollars, fifty more US banks... may go bankrupt.
Regional banks will lose "hundreds of billions
of dollars". These funds will go to large
banks, and then to Treasury bonds.
_______________________________________
Multipolar world waiting in wings
to replace noxious neo-colonial
practices — Medvedev
May 31st, 4:59pm (TASS)
Neo-colonial practices must become a thing of the past and
give way to a multipolar world, said Dmitry Medvedev, the
deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council and
chairman of the ruling United Russia party.
"The struggle against neo-colonialism, is not just a timely
theme, but remains one of the most acute and, perhaps,
entirely contemporary issues in politics today,"
Medvedev said on Wednesday in the second meeting of the organizing committee for the Forum of Supporters of the Fight
Against Modern Neo-colonialist Practices - an association of
political and social forces.
He said, "it is clear that those perniciously harmful neo-
colonial practices that have lingered on [from a bygone
era] should be abandoned once and for all and finally
give way to a multipolar world order."
"Acting in the name of security -- and the well-being of our
peoples, we must strive to make our world a fairer, more
equitable place," Medvedev stressed ---- noting that
currently the world "unfortunately, cannot be
described as just."
He believes that the task of the forum is "to protect the
sacred right of people to determine their own path of
development in each specific country -- as well as
uphold unconditional respect for the generally
accepted norms of international law, with a grounding in the UN Charter."
_________________________________
NDB could become ‘clearing centre’
for common BRICS currency —
Russian Minister
May 31st, 4:51pm (TASS)
The New Development Bank (NDB) created by BRICS countries may become a kind of a clearing centre if
the idea of creating a common currency for BRICS
members materializes, Finance Minister Anton
Siluanov told TASS, on Wednesday.
"The idea of creating a common currency, although I would
probably call it a payment unit inside BRICS countries, is
floating around and is being discussed. We also have
proposals --- about using digital financial assets
supported by real assets, for example, gold
- stable coins," the Minister said.
Such proposals have not been discussed in detail, he noted.
"Nevertheless --- we are ready to discuss them within the
New Development Bank framework that may become
a kind of clearing centre. This... is not the core
business for the bank now... but this is [also]
not the main obstacle to solving the task,"
Siluanov said.
"National currencies are used in conditions of payment
restrictions," the minister said, noting that about 70%
of payments with China ---- are made in national
exchanges now.
"This is an absolutely proper decision. However, such
relations cannot be built with all countries; not all
countries have a sound currency and a balanced
trade turnover. At the same time, the omnibus
clearing, will significantly simplify the task of balancing export and import flows.
Flexibility..... when using the new
payment unit, will be supported
thereby,'' he added.
_________________________
Brazilian Lower House Approves
Anti-Indigenous Territories Bill
May 31st, 4:14pm
(teleSUR)
If this law is fully approved, large areas of the Amazon and
other Brazilian ecosystems will remain available for the
exploitation by private companies
With 283 votes in favour and 155 against, the right-wing
controlled Lower House on Tuesday approved a bill
that makes it difficult to demarcate Indigenous
lands in Brazil.
Supported by the far-right President Jair Bolsonaro (2019-
2023), Bill 490, which establishes a time limit for the
demarcation of Indigenous lands, it will now be
analyzed by the Senate.
If approved by the senators, this bill will be sent to
Brazilian President Lula da Silva, who must
approve it or veto it definitively.
According to the Bill 490, the Brazilian state will only
recognize as Indigenous territories those lands that
Indigenous peoples had occupied until October 5,
1988, when the country's Constitution
was promulgated.
With the current legislation, Indigenous peoples are not
required to demonstrate that they were occupying
their lands up to that date.
In practical terms, the bill 490 approval will mean that large
areas of the Amazon and other Brazilian ecosystems will
remain available for the exploitation of natural resources
by national or foreign companies.
The text approved by the Lower House allows Indigenous
peoples to be expelled from their places of residence if
they do not prove that they lived there before 1988.
Once the inhabitants are expelled, those lands
can be commercialized.
According to official data, Indigenous peoples occupy 13.7
percent of the Brazilian territory. So far, the authorities
have recognized the existence of 610 Indigenous
territories, 487 of which, are already fully
delimited. Some 329 demarcated areas
are located in the Amazon.
For four years, Bolsonaro completely paralyzed the
demarcation of Indigenous territories --- which is
an essential legal procedure for the protection
of communities.
Through this policy, the former Capitan sought to
facilitate the activity of mining and logging
companies in areas protected by
environmental laws.
___________________________________
Voice to parliament referendum
legislation bill passes through
Australia's lower house
May 31st, 4:02pm
(PressTV)
The Australian lower house has voted in favour of
a government's constitutional amendment bill
to create an indigenous voice in parliament.
Australia's House of Representatives, or the lower house
of the Australian Parliament, on Wednesday passed
legislation to hold a referendum on the
Indigenous Voice, with 121 votes
in favour and 25 against.
It means Australians are now one step closer to voting
on creating an Indigenous Voice in parliament, in the
country's first referendum since 1999.
The bill will now be sent to the Senate, where it is expected
to be considered in June, by the government, before a poll
date is set later this year.
The referendum could take place between the months
of October and December If the Senate also approves
the bill.
If successful, the referendum would change the constitution
to recognize Australia's First Peoples by creating an
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, also
known as the Indigenous Voice or the Voice,
as a body that advises the government
and parliament on issues relating
to Indigenous Australians.
In a tweet after the vote, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
said, "Our Constitutional Alteration Bill has just passed
the House of Representatives. We're one step closer
to recognizing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people in our Constitution."
The vote in parliament coincided with more than 100
Australian cultural and immigrant organizations
joining to declare their support for the Voice.
Community organizations released a joint resolution
calling on all Australians to work together, to
ensure a successful referendum on
the proposal.
___________________________________
Report: Youth Unemployment in Greece Among Highest in EU
May 31st, 2:24pm (FNA)
The youth unemployment rate in Greece
is among the highest in the EU, the
bloc’s statistical body said,
onTuesday.
Accordingly, Ceuta, Spain’s enclave in Africa, has the
highest youth unemployment with 42.4%, followed by
Greece’s regions of Thessaly and Central Greece
with 39.8% and 36.5% respectively, according to
EUROSTAT, Anadolu news agency reported.
The average unemployment rate in the bloc is 11.3%
but the lowest is recorded in the Central Bohemia
region of the Czech Republic, at 1.7%.
____________________________________________
Venezuela Signs Cooperation
Agreements With Brazil
and Colombia
May 31st, 12:35pm
(teleSUR)
The Bolivarian nation established instruments to promote
food production and cooperation in the border areas.
In meetings parallel to the presidential summit held in Brasilia
on Tuesday, presidents Nicolas Maduro (Venezuela) and Lula
da Silva (Brazil) were present at the signing of cooperation
agreements between their countries.
In a ceremony held at the Itamaraty Palace, where 11 South
American presidents were meeting to promote new forms
of regional integration, Venezuela and Brazil signed a
Memorandum of Understanding on agri-food matters.
The Venezuelan Agriculture Minister Wilmar Castro and the
Brazilian Foreign Affairs Minister Mauro Vieira signed an
agreement whose purpose is to deepen exchanges
in the areas of agriculture, livestock, and
food sovereignty.
Vieira and the Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Yvan
Gil also signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the
establishment of the supervision and follow-up
mechanism of the Brazil-Venezuela Bilateral
Cooperation Program, which seeks to
promote technical cooperation
--- based on the exchange of
knowledge & experiences.
On Tuesday, Gil and Colombian Foreign Minister Alvaro
Leyva, signed the Agreement for the Creation of the
Neighbourhood and Integration Commission, which
will promote cooperation in common border
spaces and business complementarity.
During the ceremony, Presidents Maduro and Gustavo
Petro ratified their commitment to consolidate
diplomatic relations between their countries,
which were resumed in August 2022, when
Petro assumed the Colombian presidency.
Maduro and Petro also agreed to start the search for the
remains of Colombians who were killed by paramilitary
groups in the 2000s and 2010s. These remains were
dumped in Venezuelan territory, according to what
Salvatore Mancuso, the former head of the United
Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), told the
Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP).
____________________________
Erdogan's WinThwarts
US Attempt .......at
Geopolitical Shift
May 31st (teleSUR)
On Sunday, Incumbent Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan, beat his challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu in a
presidential runoff to start a third term in office.
The election had been seen as the best chance for the pro-
West opposition to beat Erdogan, but the result narrowly
missed Washington's expectations. The 74-year-old
pro-West politician, Kilicdaroglu, probably has no
chance to run in the next election in five years.
There was no doubt that Washington saw Kilicdaroglu
as a much better choice and expected that a
geopolitical shift of Türkiye might happen
if he won.
U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye Jeff Flake met Kilicdaroglu
in March, implying that the United States would back
him to be the new leader of the country.
The result, however, shows that Erdogan is still dominant
in the power of his country and his political career is not
coming to an end. It is also a clear sign that Erdogan's
tough attitude toward the United States is popular
among the Turkish people, as most Turks might
not see the United States as the "City upon
a Hill" anymore.
Washington has long been reckoning that Erdogan's
administration hampers the country's democracy,
and the opposition parties are getting weaker
and promoting secularism is not on the
agenda of Ankara. The rift between
Ankara and Washington becomes
wider ------- due to their
different values.
Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said openly ahead
of the election that Washington is seeking to impose its
hegemony on global affairs and "the whole world
hates America," and that the meeting between
the U.S. envoy with Kilicdaroglu would further
alienate Ankara from Washington.
Türkiye's balance strategy between Russia and the
United States upsets Washington. The cooperation
between Ankara and Moscow... seems to be
increasing in different dimensions.
As an energy-dependent country, Türkiye receives about
45 percent of its natural gas and significant amounts of
oil and coal, from Russia.
After the Ukraine crisis broke out, Türkiye refused to
follow Western sanctions on Russia, and instead,
its NATO membership actually boosted its
cooperation with Russia.
Li Yanan, an expert on the Turkish issue and associate
researcher at the China Institute of Contemporary
International Relations, said that after Erdogan's
successful re-election, he will still maintain a
balanced foreign policy and play a more
important role in the Ukraine crisis,
and prioritize... Ankara's own
interests in its relationship
with the United States
and the West.
On Sweden's accession to NATO, Li said it still depends
on whether Sweden can meet the conditions proposed
by Erdogan.
However, during the third term of the presidency of
Erdogan, Türkiye would not easily approve
Sweden's NATO membership, as long as
the demand of Ankara is not met.
Erdogan accused Sweden
of being soft on groups
Ankara considers to
be terrorists.
Li believes that Erdogan himself will not give up Türkiye's
NATO membership -- as it is still very important for
Ankara, and is also one of the best bargaining
chips, to deal with Russia.
Following Saudi Arabia's reconciliation with Iran, Erdogan's
win in the presidential election could, further, make major
powers of the Middle East, turn away from U.S.
manipulation. This could be another fiasco
of the U.S. Middle East policy --- after the
Iraq invasion.
___________________________________________
UN Allocates 18 Mln USD
to Address Food Security
in Yemen
May 31st (teleSUR)
On Tuesday, UN humanitarians reported that 18 million
U.S. dollars were allocated, to provide assistance
to over 17 million people who are experiencing
elevated levels of food insecurity in Yemen.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination
of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the Central
Emergency Response Fund (CERF)
allocation aims to provide aid
to an estimated 80% of
the population.
Official data states that factors such as armed conflict,
economic shocks, and climate change are the
leading cause of rising malnutrition rates
in Yemen.
According to a recent analysis conducted by the United
Nations, there is a significant impact on children who
are under the age of five due to the increasing rates
of malnutrition, as noted OCHA. The 4.3 billion-
dollar 2023 appeal for Yemen, is currently
just over 24 percent funded.
"This allocation from the CERF will allow humanitarian
agencies and partners to support people in the
governorates of Hajjah, Al Hodeidah and
Ta'iz," OCHA said.
According to the government statistics, such
governorates are among the most vulnerable
and affected by food insecurity
and malnutrition.
Since late 2014, a military conflict has been
ongoing in Yemen. The hostilities have
resulted in a humanitarian crisis with
widespread hunger.
________________________________________
Turkmenistan and Iran Sign
5 Cooperation Agreements
And 3 MoUs
May 31st, 12:09pm
(teleSUR)
On Tuesday, Iran and Turkmenistan signed five agreements
and three memoranda of understanding (MoUs) aimed at
improving cooperation in various areas, as reported
by the official news agency, IRNA.
As per the report, the agreements were signed in Tehran
in the presence of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and
Chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan,
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow.
The documents highlighted an emphasis on collaboration
between the respective parties, across a number
of industries, including transportation, the
establishment of international passage
ways, energy and electricity trading,
agriculture, education,
and investment.
During a press conference after the signing ceremony,
Raisi stated that the signing of these documents is
indicative of the two nations’ determination and
desire to expand political, economic, and
cultural connections on a bilateral level.
Raisi also called for an increase of mutual collaboration
regarding water, electricity, and transportation, in
addition to the advancement of the exchange of
technical and engineering services in the
agriculture sector.
According to Raisi, Iran and Turkmenistan decided to
bolster cooperation in both regional and trans-
regional entities, including the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization.
In the press conference, Berdimuhamedow asserted..
that the relationship between Iran and Turkmenistan
is "friendly and brotherly" ---- and expressed
Turkmenistan’s commitment to fortifying
such connections.
__________________________________________
India to hold Shanghai
Cooperation Summit
virtually
by Luis Linares Petrov
May 31st, 8:16am
(Prensa Latina)
The Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)
will be chaired by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi
and will be held on July 4th in a virtual format, official
sources reported.
High dignitaries from member countries (China, Russia,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and
Uzbekistan) as well as observer states (Iran,
Belarus and Mongolia) will participate in
the event. So far, the causes for the
change in the modality of the
meeting, are unknown.
According to the organizers of the event, as is the tradition,
Turkmenistan will participate as a guest of the country
currently leading the organization, in this case, India,
which assumed the rotating presidency of the SCO
at the Samarkand Summit, in September 2022.
The heads of the organization and the United Nations, the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Independent
States of the Commonwealth, the Collective Security
Treaty Organization, the Eurasian Economic Union
and the Conference on Interaction and
Confidence Building Measures in
Asia, will also be present.
At the initiative of the Indian Prime Minister, the Summit will
emphasize the objective of working to strengthen security,
the economy and trade, connectivity, unity, respect for
sovereignty and territorial integrity, and
the environment.
During its SCO presidency, New Delhi established new
avenues of cooperation - in the sectors of innovation
and traditional medicine, for digital inclusion, youth
empowerment and highlighting Shared Buddhist
heritage, according to a note issued by the
Foreign Ministry of India.
In addition, India has worked to foster greater people
-to-people ties ...as upholding the historical and
civilizational ties between the nations of the
bloc, with socio-cultural events, such as
those organized by Varanasi as part of
the first SCO Capital of Culture and
Tourism for 2022-2023, the
source noted.
The Indian authorities value India’s period at the helm of the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization as a period of intense
activity and mutually beneficial collaboration between
member states.
They also confirmed India’s commitment to play a positive and constructive role in the organization, and hoped that
the upcoming SCO Summit would be just as successful,
as the culmination of the country’s presidency.
_________________________________________________
Competition between Russia and
Ukraine inevitable after breakup
of USSR — Putin
May 30th, 2:58pm (TASS)
The competition between Moscow and Kiev after the
collapse of the Soviet Union, was inevitable, but
expected to be in a civilized manner, Russian
President Vladimir Putin, said on Tuesday.
"It was inevitable after the breakup of the USSR that
there would be... a kind of competition between
Russia and Ukraine. This goes without saying
but probably... the ones dealing with that,
assumed.. that everything would be in a
civilized way and, furthermore --- on the
basis of our proximity and commonality
- historical, cultural and language, and
so on. Regrettably.. things followed a
different way," the head of state said.
Ukraine found itself under the control of pro-Western
political figures -- who started turning the country
into an "anti-Russia" -- almost immediately after
the collapse of the USSR, the President added.
_________________________________________________
Peskov: BRICS members to discuss
new countries joining the union
May 30th, 11:21am
https://en.news-front.info/
The press secretary of the Russian president, Dmitry Peskov,
said that the BRICS members will discuss the inclusion of
new countries in the union.
He commented on the statement by Venezuelan leader,
Nicolas Maduro on Venezuela’s desire to join the BRICS.
“Over the last year, more and more countries have shown a
keen interest in this format, more and more countries have
declared their intention to be oriented towards joining it.
This is a topic for discussion for the members of this
format, which will be done,” he said.
Earlier, Maduro said at a meeting with Brazilian leader Luiz
Inácio Lula da Silva, that the country was in favour of
joining the BRICS.
______________________
The poll showed the loss of voter
confidence:by politicians of the
ruling party of Poland
May 29th, 6:43pm
(Izvestia.ru)
Politicians of Poland's ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS)
are losing the confidence of voters. This - is evidenced
by the data of a social survey of the CBOS laboratory,
published on Monday, May 29th.
According to the study, the rating of the head of state Andrzej
Duda has dropped. Compared to the April figures, he lost 2%
of the voters who trust him... and the number of those who
do not trust the president of the country increased by 3%.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki also lost the
confidence of 2% of voters. Confidence in National
Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak also declined.
Now he is trusted by 35% of Poles surveyed (-2%)
and not trusted by 37% (+4%) of respondents.
Earlier, on May 28th, Senator Alexey Pushkov accused the
Polish elites of espionage mania and Russophobia. Thus,
he reacted to the statement of the former head of the
Polish military counterintelligence service, General
Janusz Nosek, who announced that the country is
ruled by pro-Russian groups, and the ruling Law
and Justice Party... is riddled with
"Russian agents".
Pushkov responded to this by saying that a well-known Polish
politician spoke to him about spies "more seriously than in
jest" seven years ago. In addition, Pushkov's interlocutor
also said, that the former head of the Polish Defense
Ministry, at that time, Antoni Macierewicz, was
obsessed with the "Russian threat".
_____________________________________
Maduro said that Venezuela is
in favour of joining the BRICS
May 29th, 6:13pm
(RT.ru)
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro at a meeting
with Brazilian leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva,
said that the country supports joining
the BRICS.
In his opinion, the organization is transforming into a
great magnet for those "who want a different world,
peace, cooperation."
"If they ask Venezuela if you want to join BRICS, at
some point, Venezuela says --- yes, we would like to be part of BRICS ---- and accompany the
construction of this new architecture and global politics," Maduro said.
The BRICS countries have accelerated the transition
to payments in national currencies, Russian Deputy
Foreign Minister, Sergei Ryabkov, said.
Earlier, British economist Martin Wolf wrote in an article
for the Financial Times... that the growth of BRICS
influence means the end of the dominance of
the US and the Group of Seven countries.
________________________________________
Venezuelan President is Received
at Brazil's Planalto Palace
May 29th, 4:19pm
(teleSUR)
Lula da Silva and Nicolas Maduro will have a private meeting
in which they are expected to deal with bilateral issues and
analyze the regional integration process.
On Monday, the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his
wife, the legislator Cilia Flores, were received with honours
by the Brazilian President Lula da Silva, and First Lady Rosangela da Silva, at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia.
Upon his arrival, Maduro received the honours corresponding
to a Head of State and was awaited by Lula at the top of a
ramp leading to the first floor of the Planalto Palace,
where fifty soldiers in historical uniforms, formed
a welcome corridor.
On Tuesday, Lula will lead a regional summit, which will also
be attended by the presidents of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile,
Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname,
and Uruguay.
Lula and Maduro will have a private meeting. Besides dealing
with bilateral issues, both leaders will analyze the internal
dialogue process in Venezuela, which takes place within
the framework of the 2024 elections.
After this meeting, both presidents will make a joint
statement. Subsequently, Lula will offer a lunch to
the Venezuelan delegation, at the headquarters
of the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
Maduro is making his first visit to Brazil since 2015, when
he arrived in this South American country to attend the
inauguration of President Dilma Rousseff. During the
administration of President Michel Temer, bilateral
relations between the two countries, began to
cool down.
In January 2019, the far-right Jair Bolsonaro assumed the
Brazilian presidency, closed the Brazilian embassy in
Caracas, and issued a decree prohibiting Maduro
from entering Brazil.
This decree was revoked by Lula da Silva on January the
1st, when he assumed the Presidency and ordered the
immediate resumption of relations with Venezuela.
____________________________________
Spanish PM Calls Early General
ElectionAfter Elections Defeat
May 29th (teleSUR)
On Sunday, far-right and conservative organizations like
the People's Party emerged victorious in elections for
12 regional governments and over 8,000 city halls.
On Monday, Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez
called a general election for the country on July 23.
Sanchez announced his decision following the defeat of the
Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) to the People's Party (PP)
in the elections for 12 regional governments and over
8,000 city halls.
"I have communicated to the Head of State (King Felipe VI)
the decision to call a Council of Ministers this afternoon
to dissolve Parliament and proceed to call a general
election," Sanchez said.
He said he had taken his decision in "the face" of the results, adding he believed it was the "best for the Spanish people to be able to give their decision and define the political future of this country without delay."
In the regional and municipal votes on Sunday, the right-wing
PP won 31.5 percent of the vote, whereas PSOE gained
28.11 percent. Meanwhile, the far-right Vox party saw
its votes almost doubled, compared to the 2019
local elections.
The People's Party, has also won the city hall in Valencia,
Zaragoza, and Seville, which has long been considered
a socialist stronghold.
On Sunday night, the PP leader, Alberto Nunez Feijoo,
celebrated his party's victory in the regional and
municipal votes, calling it a "the start of a new
political era."
_____________________________________
Iran Wants to Restore
Diplomatic Relations
With Egypt
May 29th, 2:42pm
(teleSUR)
On Monday, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei stated that Iran
wants to restore diplomatic relations with Egypt during a
conversation with the Omani Sultan, Haitham bin Tareq,
who is visiting the Persian territory.
Bin Tareq conveyed to Khamenei Egypt's readiness to resume
relations with Iran, broken since the triumph of the Islamic
Revolution in 1979, when Cairo welcomed the
deposed Shah.
"We welcome this position and we don't see any problem
with it," Khamenei replied to Bin Tareq, who arrived in
Tehran after visiting Cairo on Sunday.
Iranian and Egyptian representatives have held meetings in
recent months to repair ties between the two countries.
The last bilateral meeting took place in Baghdad
this month.
Currently, the two countries have charge d'affaires in their
respective embassies, but not ambassadors. In recent
years, Oman has acted as a mediator between Iran
and other countries, to resolve diplomatic or
political issues.
Thanks to recent diplomatic mediation processes, Iran and
Belgium exchanged prisoners in Muscat on Friday, after
months of negotiations.
The possible restoration of diplomatic relations between Iran
and Egypt is announced shortly after Iran and Saudi Arabia
agreed to normalize their diplomatic relations in March.
_________________________________________
President Maduro to Strengthen
Integration at Brazilian Summit
May 29th, 1:57pm
(teleSUR)
"We will develop a diplomatic agenda.. that reinforces the necessary union of the peoples of our continent,"
the Bolivarian leader said.
On Sunday, the president of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro
arrived in Brazil --- to participate in the summit of
presidents, that will seek to revitalize South
American integration.
"In the next few hours we will develop a diplomatic agenda
that reinforces the necessary union of the peoples of our
continent. Stay tuned!," he tweeted.
The Bolivarian leader and his wife, legislator Cilia Flores,
landed in Brasilia, two days before the start of the
summit, called by Brazilian President, Lula
da Silva.
Maduro will meet with Lula to continue strengthening
relations between the two countries, which were
resumed in January --- after four years of the
suspension of diplomatic relations.
It is an "historic visit" to Brazil, the first one since 2015,
when Maduro attended the inauguration of former
President Dilma Rousseff, for a second term.
The objective of the summit of South American presidents
is to promote dialogue among all countries to reactivate
the cooperation agenda in areas such as health,
climate change, defense, the fight against
transnational crime, infrastructure,
and energy.
Last week, Brazilian Foreign Affairs Minister, Mauro Vieira,
announced that his country had invited the presidents of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana,
Russia will assume that the grain deal is no longer valid
unless there is progress in its implementation, Russian
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters
on Monday.
"If everything remains unchanged, and it seems that this is
what will happen, it will be necessary to proceed from the
premise that it (grain deal - TASS) is no longer valid,"
he said.
The grain initiative is part of the package agreement. The
second part - the three-year Russia-UN memorandum -
stipulates: unfreezing of Russian export of food and
fertilizers, connection of Rosselkhozbank back to
SWIFT, resumption of supplies of agriculture
equipment, components and service
maintenance, resumption of the
work of the Tolyatti-Odessa
ammonia pipeline, and a
number of other steps.
This part of the package agreement has not yet been
implemented as stated by Moscow. The Russian
Foreign Ministry said earlier, that the grain
agreement was extended... through July
17th without any changes, adding that
the agreement would be terminated..
after July 17th, unless all the issues
on the deal... were fully solved.
_________________________________
ADB Approves 350 Million USD Loan for Sri Lanka’s Economy
May 29th, 12:04pm
(teleSUR)
On Monday, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) granted
approval for a sum of 350 million U.S. dollars of a loan
with special policy conditions. The ADB has said in a
press release that the primary objective of the loan
is to provide budgetary assistance to Sri Lanka,
aimed at promoting the stabilization of the
country's economy.
The ADB affirmed that the program, is an integral component
of a comprehensive financial support initiative, underscored
by the International Monetary Fund's Extended Fund Facility
designated for the nation. The overarching objective of the
program is to establish economic stability, while
simultaneously laying the groundwork for
sustained growth and overall recovery.
According to the ADB, Sri Lanka is currently experiencing a
significant and unparalleled economic crisis. The country
is suffering from elevated inflation rates, which have
substantially diminished its purchasing power.
Furthermore, numerous livelihoods have been affected,
and the country has suffered the reversal of earlier
development achievements.
"The ADB is concerned about the deep crisis in the country
and its impact on the people of Sri Lanka, especially the
poor and the vulnerable, particularly women," said
ADB President, Masatsugu Asakawa.
According to Asakawa, the ADB is dedicated to providing
ongoing support to Sri Lanka in its efforts to overcome
contemporary difficulties and pursue objectives of
economic stabilization, sustainable recovery,
and inclusive growth.
Moreover, the ADB has said that Sri Lanka has undertaken
decisive measures to counteract the origins of both
domestic and international imbalances, and to
achieve a feasible path towards
debt sustainability.
The ADB contends that it is crucial to guarantee substantial
social security during the implementation of measures,
whilst stressing the key nature of implementing
reforms in governance and anti-
corruption measures.
___________________________________
Vietnam trade surplus - is
close to 10 billion dollars
by Luis Linares Petrov
May 29th, 8:19am
(Prensa Latina)
Vietnam reached a trade surplus of close to 10 billion dollars
in the first five months of the year, according to a report
from the General Statistics Office.
The value of exports during that period was estimated at
136.17 billion dollars, while goods were imported for
126.37 billion dollars, which led to a favorable
balance of 9.8 billions.
According to the entity’s report, 23 products achieved
revenues of more than one billion dollars from
foreign sales and five of them billed more
than five billion dollars.
Of the total revenue from exports, the processing industry
ranked first, with 88.3 percent, followed by agroforestry
goods (7.9), aquaculture products (2.5) and energy
and minerals (1.3).
Between January and May of this year, Vietnam registered
a trade surplus of 31.2 billion dollars, with the US, which
represented a 22 percent year-on-year decrease, and
12.6 billion with the EU.
On the contrary, the trade balance had a shortfall
with China, South Korea and the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
_________________________________
Supreme Court of Brazil
will try coup plotters
by Luis Linares Petrov
May 29th, 7:18am
(Prensa Latina)
The Federal Supreme Court (STF) of Brazil will try some 131 people involved in the coup acts and depredation of the government's 3 powers, on last January 8th.
This is the sixth group of accused, totaling 1,176 out of the
1,300 complaints filed by the Attorney General’s Office,.
This group is formed by those who acted as authors
and instigators of the anti-democratic acts.
If the majority of the magistrates accept the complaints,
the defendants will have to answer for the crimes of
incitement to crime and criminal association.
So far, the STF has prosecuted 1,045 defendants.
Last week the Mixed Parliamentary Commission of
Investigation into the coup events, was installed.
The Commission will have 180 days to investigate the
actions and may submit their results to the Attorney
General’s Office in order to provide evidence for
the criminal process.
____________________________
White House & Republicans Reach
Debt Ceiling Deal in Principle
May 28th, 4:02pm
(teleSUR)
On Saturday, the U.S. White House and Republicans reached
an "agreement in principle" ---- to raise the debt ceiling to
avert a possible default amid the deep partisan divide
and global concerns.
The agreement is an important step forward and represents a
compromise, U.S. President Joe Biden said, adding that "Over
the next day, our negotiating teams will finalize the
legislative text and the agreement will go to the
United States House and Senate."
The debt ceiling agreement will be available to lawmakers on
Sunday and the House of Representatives will vote on it on
Wednesday, said U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Both Biden and McCarthy claimed credit for the breakthrough,
though no detail of the agreement was revealed formally.
"The agreement reduces spending while protecting critical
programs for working people and growing the economy for
everyone," Biden said, while urging both chambers of
Congress to pass the agreement right away.
Republicans are poised to deliver a big, consequential
change in Washington by stopping the Democrats'
reckless spending, clawing back unspent COVID
funds, and blocking Biden's new tax schemes,
said McCarthy.
The deal would suspend the debt limit until 2025, allowing the
upcoming presidential election not to be troubled by the debt
ceiling issue. However, it's not clear if the agreement would
win enough support in Congress as Republicans control the
House and Democrats have an upper hand in the Senate.
The Department of Treasury will have insufficient resources
to satisfy the government's obligations if Congress has not
raised or suspended the debt limit by June 5th, said U.S.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, on Friday.
The debt ceiling has been modified 102 times
since World War II, according to the U.S.
Congressional Research Service.
_________________________________________
Erdogan called on supporters
--- to guard the ballot boxes
until the election results
are summed up
May 28th, 3:18pm
(RT.ru)
Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, called on his
supporters to guard the ballot boxes: until the results
of the second round of elections are summed up.
"I call on all my brothers and sisters to protect the ballot
boxes, until the results are summed up," Erdogan said
on Twitter.
He noted that the time has come -- to
defend the will of the Turkish people.
Earlier it became known that polling stations in Türkiye
were closed for voting... in the second round of the
presidential election. The vote count begins.
________________________________________________
Cubans Elect Subnational
Governments' Highest
Authorities
May 28th 2:07pm
(teleSUR)
On Sunday, Cubans get ready to participate in the
elections for governors and deputy governors of
the country's provinces.
As established by the 2019 Electoral Law, the highest
provincial authorities hold office for a period of five
years. The election process begins with the
definition of the names of the candidates
by the Cuban president.
In each locality, the elections are directed by the
president of the Municipal Electoral Council and
a lawmaker of the National Parliament, who is
appointed by the Council of State.
Once the electoral colleges have been established,
the delegates meet in plenary session to elect
governor and deputy governors by a free,
direct and secret vote.
At the end of the elections, the Municipal Electoral
Council prepares the tally sheet, specifying the
number of ballots, the number of votes
obtained by each candidate, and the
number of blank or annulled votes.
In order to be eligible, a candidate must have been born
in Cuba, have no other citizenship, have reached
30 years of age, reside in the province to be
represented, and be in enjoyment of
civil and political rights.
The provincial government is made up of a governor and a
council. Governors render accounts of their management
before the National Assembly, the Council of State, the
Council of Ministers, and the Provincial Council.
_________________________________________________
Aliyev said that Azerbaijan has
no taboos in the framework of
rapprochement with the EAEU
May 28th, 1:29pm
(RT.ru)
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in the program
"Moscow. Kremlin. Putin" stated that Azerbaijan
has no taboos... in the framework of a
rapprochement with the Eurasian
Economic Union (EAEU).
This is reported by TASS, with reference to a fragment of the broadcast, which was
published by journalist Pavel Zarubin.
"We don't have any taboos in the framework
of rapprochement. Again --- everything will
be based on the specific situation related
to the global economy and the economic
situation of Azerbaijan. Therefore,
everything... will show in the
future," he said, answering
media questions.
The President of Armenia also added that the
very fact of Azerbaijan's participation in the
EAEU summit, indicates the country's
interest in this association.
Earlier, Aliyev said that Baku's cooperation with
the EAEU member states, with the exception
of Armenia, has been developing
successfully - for 30 years.
___________________________________
Balitsky said that Zaporozhye region
is ready to export grain to China
May 27th, 2:27pm
(RT.ru)
Acting head of Zaporizhia region Yevhen Balitsky
said that the region is ready to export up to
2 million tons of grain to China. This is
reported by RIA Novosti.
"We are not just doing this work, this is our strategic
direction. We would very much like, in cooperation
with the People's Republic of China, to get sales
of 2 million tons of our grain, which we grow
for sale," he said.
Balitsky added that the region is ready to
export finished products in the form of
flour and vegetable oil.
On April 14, Acting Head of the Donetsk People's Republic
Denis Pushilin, announced his readiness to fully use the
restored capacities of the port of Mariupol, in order
to import building materials to the republic and
export grain from it.
________________________________________
US Credit SqueezeTriggers Rise
in Corporate Bankruptcies
May 27th, 1:12pm (FNA)
More large US companies are taking shelter in bankruptcy
court, a sign of a tightening credit squeeze as interest
rates rise and financial markets become less
hospitable to borrowers.
Eight companies with more than $500mln in liabilities have
filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this month, including five
in a single 24-hour stretch last week. In 2022, the
monthly average was just over three filings,
The Financial Times reported.
Twenty-seven large debtors have filed for bankruptcy so far
in 2023 compared to 40 for all of 2022, according to figures
compiled by bankruptcydata.com.
Among recent companies to succumb to creditors include
Envision Healthcare, Vice Media and Kidde-Fenwal, a
maker of fire control systems --- facing thousands of lawsuits --- over its use of so-called forever chemicals.
The bankruptcies come after years of quiescent markets and
rising valuations allowed even financially stressed firms to
raise debt and equity capital to stay afloat. Debt default
rates had fallen to about 1 percent in 2021 as central
banks pumped money into the coronavirus
pandemic-stressed economy.
Now, S&P Global forecasts that the 12-month trailing default
rate for speculative-grade securities, will jump from the
current 2.5 percent --- to 4.5 percent by early 2024.
Yields on junk bonds have more than doubled from less than
4 percent in mid-2021, as measured by the BofA US High
Yield Index, an indication of how much more expensive
capital has become for less creditworthy borrowers.
The Federal Reserve has warned that lenders could further
contract the supply of credit to businesses, after recent
turmoil in the banking sector.
“Our general view is that we are going to see an increase in
‘hard restructurings’ -- driven by the combination of higher
debt levels from the borrowing binge of COVID, and rising
interest rates. The triggers will be running out of money
and any ability to refinance maturing debt,” said Bill
Derrough, an investment banker at Moelis, who
advises clients across distressed situations.
“Some companies have used every trick in
the book and now have run out of tricks,”
he added.
________________________________________
Foreign Ministerdenounces impact
of blockadeon Syrian children
by Ana Luisa Brown
May 27th, 12:39pm
(Prensa Latina)
The Syrian Foreign Minister, Faisal Al-Mekdad, considered
today that the unilateral coercive measures imposed by
the United States and its allies affect all segments of
Syrian society, especially children.
The head of diplomacy’s assertion was expressed during
his reception of Yasumasa Kimura, the new resident
representative of the United Nations Children’s
Fund (Unicef) in Syria, who handed over
his credentials.
The Western countries, led by the United States, impose
an unjust blockade and punitive measures only because
Syria rejects their dictates and impositions and retains
its sovereign decisions, the foreign minister said.
He described as important the cooperation between the
Syrian government and Unicef in the fields of health,
education, security and drinking water.
Our collaboration culminated in concrete actions such as
the rehabilitation of schools damaged by the war and
the earthquake, as well as the implementation of
national vaccination campaigns, said
the minister.
In turn, the UN official thanked the Syrian government -
for the support and facilities provided for Unicef’s work.
Our work focuses specifically on women and children,
who represent the future of Syria, and on contributing
to the recovery of the education sector for its impact
on the social and economic sectors, he added.
_____________________________________
Türkiye elects on Sunday
the president for the
next five years
Published by Martin Hacthoun
May 27th, 11:12am
(Prensa Latina)
Some 191,885 ballot boxes will be opened on Sunday for
over 60 million Turkish citizens to elect in a runoff, who
will be their president for the next five years.. between
incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdogan, 69, and opposition
politician Kemal Kilicdaroglu, 74-years-old.
In the first round on May 14, Erdogan who is seeking a fifth
term after 20 years in the executive office received the
most votes with 49.5%, a five point lead over
Kilicdaroglu’s. His bloc, though... won a
comfortable majority in the legislature
in a parallel parliamentary vote.
Voter turnout in the first round on May 14 stood at nearly
90%. according to the Supreme Election Council (YSK),
yet no single candidate received an absolute majority,
taking the election to the first presidential runoff
in Türkiye.
Turkish voters head to the polls on Sunday for the
second time in two weeks, in one of the most
decisive presidential races in the republic’s
history and the first runoff for president.
According to Türkiye’s Supreme Electoral Council, more
than 1.89 million people voted in Türkiye’s foreign
missions by Thursday morning.
The election comes as Turkey is grappling with a economic
crisis as well as struggling to recover from devastating
earthquakes in February 6 that killed more than
50,000 people and displaced over 5.9 million
across southern Turkey and northern Syria.
Analysts point out that despite facing the strongest
opposition yet to his rule, Erdogan’s future does
not look as dark as some predicted, earlier
this year.
Forecasts suggest a close race with Erdogan ahead. That
said, the results from the first round defied pre-election
predictions, when some opinion polls had projected
Kilicdaroglu to win in the first round.
Erdogan received a key endorsement on Monday from Sinan
Ogan, a nationalist former candidate who finished third in
the May 14 elections, with 5.2% of the votes, giving the
incumbent hopeful a significant boost.
Hours before the vote, political observers agree Erdogan
appears poised to win, extending his tenure as the
longest-serving leader in the history of the
Turkish Republic.
________________________________________
Report: US 1 of 17 Countries
Practicing Modern Slavery
with Forced Labour
May 27th, 9:02am (FNA)
The US is 1 of only 17 countries in the world that
uses state-imposed forced labour, a form of
“modern slavery” --- according to a new
report from an international human
rights group.
Walk Free’s Global Slavery Index 2023 placed the US
among the small group of nations over its use of
compulsory prison labour, The Hill reported.
The report noted the 13th Amendment includes a
caveat that allows involuntary servitude to be
used as punishment for a crime.
“Neither slavery, nor involuntary servitude, except
as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall
have been duly convicted, shall exist within the
United States, or any place subject to their
jurisdiction,” the amendment reads.
As a result, US prisoners are excluded from many
labour law protections -- “given that compulsory
prison labour is considered a legal punishment
rather than an economic activity,” according
to the report.
The US has the 10th highest estimated number of people in modern-day slavery, with about
1.1 million, the report found.
Globally, there were about 3.9 million people who
were forced to work by state authorities in 2021.
The largest portion - 2.2 million - were engaged
in compulsory prison labour, according to
the report.
Another 1.1 million.. were conscripts who were
forced to perform nonmilitary work, and about
700,000 more were engaged in forced labour
for economic development.
_____________________________________
US public debt used by Washington
to defraud other nations:
Russian lawmaker
May 26th, 4:50pm
(PressTV)
The Russian State Duma’s Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin
has censured the United States for defrauding other
nations through a planned debt scheme.
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned that
the United States is on track for a debt default, as
early as June.
The White House Council of Economic Advisors warned
earlier that the possible impact of a US debt default
could be a downgrading of US debt by a credit-
rating agency, followed by a worldwide
recession, worldwide frozen credit
markets --- and plunging stock
markets, in addition to mass
worldwide layoffs.
On Friday, the senior Russian lawmaker said the US Federal
Government's debt default – possibly taking place next
week – was a global pyramid scheme, heading for
an inevitable collapse, RT reported.
“Just think about it, in 2023 interest payments on the US
debt could reach $1.5 trillion – almost a third of all US
budget revenue!” Volodin, who serves as chairman
of Russia’s lower house of parliament, said, in a Telegram post.
If the proposed budget bill by the Democrat administration
is not approved by the lawmakers in Washington from the
opposing Republican Party.... who have hinged their
approval on the US debt increase with a decrease
in public spending.... the US could default on
its financial obligations to other nations.
“The US public debt is a global financial pyramid, built by
Washington to defraud other nations,” the State Duma
member wrote. “History has shown, that all pyramid
schemes eventually fail,” he said, warning: that the
US dollar is becoming toxic to nations dependent
on the greenback.
Volodin cited speeding up the current de-dollarization trend
across the globe as a solution to the problem. "Countries
dependent on the US dollar, should start looking for
alternatives, such as national currencies, to
reduce risks for their citizens."
Despite months of budget talks between lawmakers in
Washington, President Joe Biden and top Republican
lawmaker, Kevin McCarthy, only reached an
agreement on the debt ceiling, but have
yet to seal a deal on cuts in public
spending, media reports said
on Thursday.
Over the past years, major global powers have been working
to ditch the US dollar, thus preventing Washington from
further defrauding their nations, by exploiting its
power and weaponizing the greenback's
global dominance.
The current de-dollarization trend, which is not very new in
several countries --- such as Iran, Venezuela, China, and
Russia, has proven to work. Today, powerhouses such
as China, Russia and the EU, are major players in the
de-dollarization process.
West Asian and North African countries have also started
to move away from the greenback hegemony.. in recent
months. Countries like Iraq, the United Arab Emirates,
Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, are the main states.
Brazil and Argentina have reportedly been discussing
the creation of a common currency, since the
beginning of 2023.
India studies the option of using rupees to trade non
-oil commodities. In this regard, Indian Commerce
Secretary Sunil Barthwal has said the Indian
Rupee --- will be used in trade between
countries that are facing a shortage
of dollars, or currency failure.
He said that trade between India and
Malaysia, can now be settled in INR.
______________________________
Ioannis Sarmas to Lead a
Caretaker Government
in Greece
May 26th, 3:49pm
(teleSUR)
On Friday, Greece's caretaker government was sworn in
at the Presidential Mansion in Athens. The caretaker
government... is headed by Ioannis Sarmas,
president of the Greek Court of Audit.
It is comprised of ministers who used to be experienced
diplomats, military officers, technocrats and university
professors. The caretaker government will govern the
country until a new government is formed after the
runoff elections this summer.
The ruling conservative New Democracy (ND) party won
Sunday's elections with 40.79 percent of the votes,
but did not secure a parliamentary majority.
As the formation of a coalition government failed after
last Sunday's elections, Former Prime Minister and
ND party leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis called for
runoff elections on June 25th.
The runoff will use a revised electoral system, which
provides a bonus of up to 50 extra seats for the
winning party, facilitating the formation of a
single-party government.
Under such system, the frontrunner could gain an absolute
majority in parliament with around 38 percent of the vote,
political analysts say.
ND may secure 41.3 percent of the votes in the second ballot,
according to an opinion poll released this week by polling
firm Kapa Research.
Elected-lawmakers will be sworn in on Sunday. Then on
Monday, the parliament will be dissolved, as the date
of new legislature elections, is to be declared.
___________________________________
Six Citizens Are Running for the
Ecuadorean Presidency So Far
May 26th, 2:05pm
(teleSUR)
This week, the National Electoral Council (CNE)
announced that Ecuadorians will go to vote in
presidential and parliamentary elections on
August 20th. Although no candidacy has
been made official, before the CNE,
six citizens publicly expressed
their intention to run for
the presidency.
On Thursday, the Expanded Council of the Confederation
of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE)
nominated Leonidas Iza as its presidential
candidate. He led the massive protests
that put President Guillermo Lasso
in check, in 2022.
So far, however, his candidacy has not been endorsed by
the Pachakutik Plurinational Unity Movement, which
has traditionally acted as the CONAIE's electoral
organization.
Previously, Yaku Perez, who received the support of the
CONAIE and Pachakutik in the 2021 elections, also
launched his candidacy --- under the auspices
of "We are Water," "Democracy Yes," and
Popular Unity, three organizations that
define themselves as "progressive."
On the side of openly conservative political positions,
four candidates seek to reach the Presidency of the
Republic. One of them is Fernando Villavicencio,
who acted as an important political ally of
Lasso from the National Assembly,
which is currently dissolved.
The unexpected candidate who appears as an apolitical
"outsider" is Jan Topic. This security entrepreneur and
economist presents himself as a sniper who fought in
"multiple countries around the world," among
which he mentioned Ukraine and Syria.
A third candidate is Otto Sonnenholzner, who served as
Vice President from December 2018 to July 2020, that
is, during President Lenin Moreno's administration
(2017-2021).
At the height of the pandemic, he resigned amid
corruption scandals, and accusations of
inefficient management, evidenced by
scenes of corpses on the streets
of Guayaquil.
Finally, Daniel Noboa... also announced his interest in
becoming president. He is the son of Alvaro Noboa,
a billionaire banana businessman who
unsuccessfully tried to become
president, on more than 3
occasions, during the
last decades.
If none of the presidential candidates achieves the
majority of votes on August the 20th, the electoral
authorities will call a second round, on October
15th, when the two candidates with the most
votes will compete for the presidency.
The new legislators, the president, and the vice
president will remain in their positions until
May 24th, 2025.
_____________________________
RussiadenouncesWestern
intentions regarding
grain agreement
by Luis Linares Petrov
May 26th, 9:01am
(Prensa Latina)
The Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergei
Vershinin, described the grain agreement as a
measure in favour of grain exports to the
developed countries.
“The agreement was presented with the objective of reducing
threats to food security and help countries in need in Asia,
Africa and Latin America. However, it turned out to be a
screen - to facilitate exports to Western powers,” the
diplomat said during the 11th International Meeting
of Senior Security Representatives.
According to the deputy minister, since August 1st, 2022,
a total of over 30.3 million tons of grain have been
exported from the ports of Odessa, Yuzhni, and
Chernomorsk. “Most of the production, some
80 percent, went to high-income and above
-average countries, including the EU, with
around 40 percent,” he said.
“States in need such as Ethiopia, Yemen, Afghanistan,
Sudan and Somalia only received 722,000 tons, that
is, 2.5 percent of the shipments,” he said.
According to Vershinin, despite the agreement, the EU
and US are increasing their package of sanctions
against Russian agricultural exports, which
contradicts the application of the second
part of the negotiations.
He reminded that the grain agreement, proposed by UN
Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres and signed in
Istanbul on July 22nd, 2022, consists of two
interlinked parts: the Black Sea Initiative
on the export of Ukrainian food and
ammonia ------ and the Russia-UN
Memorandum on normalization
of agricultural exports.
________________________________
India expressed its desire -- to
bring cooperation with Russia
to a higher level
May 25th, 5:43pm
(RT.ru)
Indian Foreign Minister Subramaniam Jaishankar
expressed India's desire to bring cooperation
with Russia to a higher level. He wrote
about this, in his social networks...
after a meeting with the Russian
Ambassador to New Delhi,
Denis Alipov.
According to Jaishankar, this also applies to relations
within the intergovernmental commission on trade,
economic, scientific, technical and
cultural cooperation.
"I am glad to meet with Russian Ambassador Denis Alipov
this evening. We discussed our bilateral cooperation,
including within the framework of the IPC on trade,
economic, scientific, technical and cultural
cooperation. I look forward to reaching
a higher level," TASS quoted him
as saying.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that
the level of interaction between Russian regions and
the CIS countries, China, India, Iran and Türkiye,
has significantly increased.
_______________________________
Eurasian Economic Union-BRICS
Turnover Increases by 60 Pct
May 25th (teleSUR)
On Wednesday, as part of the first day of the Eurasian
Economic Forum (EEF) held in Moscow, policymakers
discussed the key areas of cooperation between the
Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the BRICS.
Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission
Mikhail Myasnikovich said that if we look at the volume of
foreign trade of the EAEU members with the SCO and the
BRICS, last year increased by more than 40 percent.
At the same time, the union's exports increased
1.6 times.
"The main trading partner of the union today is China. It
accounts for 23 per cent, up from 15 per cent in 2015.
India's share is growing & this is very encouraging,"
he said.
"The development of concerted joint measures and actions
to help strengthen cooperation between member states in
the areas of security, trade and economic cooperation,
investment, energy, transport and scientific and
cultural ties ---- is being actualised," the SCO
Deputy Secretary Nuran Niyazaliev said.
"These issues are permanently on the agenda of the SCO
Secretariat. We actively cooperate with the standing
bodies of the CIS, CICA, ASEAN, CSTO, OECD and
EEC," he added.
The SCO Deputy Secretary stressed: "The New Development
Bank established by BRICS countries, located in China, like
the SCO Secretariat, will promote closer cooperation and
exchange of experience in finance, investment and
interbank cooperation".
Dmitry Volvach, Russia's Deputy Minister of Economic
Development, gave the main indicators reflecting the
volume of Russia's mutual trade with the BRICS
countries and the EAEU states with the
five countries.
"By the end of 2022, Russia's trade turnover with the five
countries amounted to US$230 billion and increased by
more than 40 per cent -- compared to 2021. The trade
turnover between the BRICS countries and the EAEU
countries at the end of 2022 was US$263 billion, an
increase of more than 60 per cent compared to
the previous year," he said.
Liu Xuesong Plenipotentiary Minister, Embassy of the
People`s Republic of China in the Russian Federation,
stressed that China will continue to strongly support
and actively promote multipolarity and globalisation,
which is a constant trend in historical development.
"The trend of globalisation has given the main impetus to
cooperation between the EAEU, SCO and BRICS. All the
countries of these associations -- are facing common
challenges - economic development, improvement
of living standards of the population, as well as
strengthening external cooperation in the
spirit of openness and mutual benefit,"
he said.
Anil Sooklal, South Africa's Sherpa to BRICS, expressed hope
that the EAEU, SCO and BRICS can play a leading role in
world processes, when Russia takes over the BRICS
chairmanship in 2024.
"Our organisations that will work together will demonstrate
the very synergy that is needed --- to build a new global
architecture. Our focus is on the interaction between
the five countries and the states of the African
continent," he said.
"This year, all African leaders will meet with BRICS leaders,
and these meetings, are a clear indication of the global
community's interest in the BRICS development,"
Sooklal added.
____________________________________
Cuba's Tourism Booming ---- With
Inflow of 1.2 Mln Foreign Visitors
May 25th, 4:49pm
(teleSUR)
On Wednesday, the National Statistics Bureau, informed that,
in the first four months of 2023, Cuba received more than 1.2
million foreign visitors, up by 190 percent from a year earlier.