One Union

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 too focused

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.

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 Workers Protest 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.

____________________________________

Israel introduces 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 Win Thwarts

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

Election After 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,

Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

___________________________________________________

Lavrov says grain deal will no longer

be valid - unless there is progress

in its implementation

May 29th,1:57pm (TASS)

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 Squeeze Triggers 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 Minister denounces impact

of blockade on 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.

_____________________________

Russia denounces Western

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.