As reported by the Parliament on Twitter, the head of the Assembly exchanged with the MEP at the headquarters of the National Capitol as part of the work agenda of the Italian politician and writer.

During the day on Monday, Smeriglio was received by Félix Martínez, president of the Assembly’s Economic Affairs Committee, and Rolando González, vice president of its International Relations Committee, to discuss current national and international issues.

The MEP, a member of the Democratic Party in Italy, toured rooms of interest in the Capitol along with the delegation that accompanies him.

(Taken from ACN)

“A 40-meter piece of pipe was ripped off, the pipes were 250 meters apart, one piece bent 90 degrees and fell into part of the North Stream; there is no doubt that it is a terrorist act,” he pointed out.

Putin stressed that details of the incident had been discovered by investigators from the Russian energy company Gazprom, who were eventually admitted to the blast site.

Sweden, in whose special economic zone the accident occurred, had previously refused to involve Russia in the investigation, hiding behind the fact that the information on the events “is subject to confidentiality directly related to national security.”

Russian president explains why the grain transport agreement was suspended

“We are not saying that we are ending our participation in this operation; no, we are saying that we are interrupting it,” Putin said. Photo: AP

Russian President Vladimir Putin participated in a press conference after his meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, aimed at finding a solution to the conflict over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

In his statements, the Russian president addressed the suspension of Moscow’s participation in the agreement for the transport of wheat and other agricultural products from Ukrainian ports after the massive attack launched this Saturday with drones against its ships in the Sevastopol Bay ( Crimea).

Putin stated that Moscow is suspending its participation in the agreement until Ukraine guarantees the safety of ships in the Black Sea.

In his words, “the unsuccessful attack that Ukraine launched against ships of the Black Sea Fleet” was carried out by drones “both underwater and aerial” that partly flew over the corridor through which grain is transported from Ukraine.

“In this way, they created a threat both to our ships, which must ensure the safety of grain exports, and to the civilian ships involved,” he said.

The president emphasized that if kyiv attacked civilian vessels, Russia would be accused of the aggression, since it is responsible for guaranteeing their safety.

“We are not saying that we are ending our participation in this operation; no, we are saying that we are interrupting it,” Putin said, stressing that Ukraine must ensure that there are no threats to Russian civilian and military ships.

According to the Russian president, the UN should carry out “additional work” with kyiv so that Ukraine “guarantees the security of this corridor.”

(With information from RT in Spanish)

Consumer price growth in the 19 countries that share the European currency accelerated to 10.7% in October from 9.9% the previous month, Eurostat data showed on Monday.

This increase would be driven by an astronomical 41.9% growth in energy costs, compared to last year, according to the EU statistical office.

Likewise, the value of food, which increased by 13.1%, and that of imported industrial goods pushed prices up.

The European Central Bank has raised interest rates a total of 200 basis points (2%) in the last 3 months and has already promised a further tightening for December.

The ECB deposit rate, now at 1.5%, is seen to peak at just under 2.9% in 2023, a big jump from expectations around 2.6%. after the body’s meeting last Thursday.
(Taken from RT in Spanish)

“The damage suffered by the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines in international waters of the Baltic Sea is very worrying. All currently available information indicates that it is the result of deliberate, reckless and irresponsible acts of sabotage,” reads the bloc’s statement. military.

The alliance pointed out risks to navigation and considerable environmental damage as a result of the act.

“We support the ongoing investigations to determine the origin of the damage,” he said before expressing his commitment to deterrence and defense “against the coercive use of energy and other hybrid tactics by state and non-state actors.”

Meanwhile, the German security organs recognized today the possibility of large explosions as the cause of leaks registered in pipes of the Russian North Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines.

To create such a magnitude of damage, explosives equivalent to 500 kilograms of TNT had to be used, says the daily Der Spiegel. This is also based on several seismic monitoring centers, says the publication.

The company North Stream AG referred last Tuesday to unprecedented destruction in the three pipes of the aforementioned gas pipelines, indicated Berlin television.

Even the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who advocates suspending purchases of hydrocarbons from Russia, had to describe these incidents as sabotage.

Von der Leye stressed that the willful violation of Europe’s energy infrastructure was unacceptable and would lead to the most severe response measures, she stated.

The Russian Embassy in the United States commented this Thursday on its social networks the attempts of some US legislators to blame Russia for the incidents that occurred in the Nord Stream gas pipelines, highlighting that, in reality, there are facts that may indicate the opposite.

Thus, he mentioned the activity of US warships a day before there is a failure in the Russian infrastructure there, as well as the US Navy exercises with underwater explosives that were carried out in the Same area a while ago.

In this way, the Embassy raised the question: “Who benefits from the rupture of the gas pipelines?”. According to the legation, “the answer is on the surface.”

On the same day, the spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, María Zajárova, assured that the emergencies in the Nord Stream gas transportation system took place in an area controlled by the United States secret services.

“It’s the commercial and economic zone of Denmark and Sweden, and these are two very NATO-focused countries that are riddled with American weapons, these are the same countries that are completely controlled by American intelligence services. They are absolutely and precisely under the control of the US intelligence services, which are in total control of the situation there,” he said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov recalled on Wednesday the statements made by US President Joe Biden last February, when he promised that he would put an end to Nord Stream 2.

In this regard, Zajárova maintained that the US president “is obliged to answer the question of whether the United States carried out its threat on September 25 and 26, 2022.”

The spokeswoman stressed that “the declaration of intent was backed by a promise” and that “one has to take responsibility for his words.” “Not understanding what is said does not exempt from responsibility. Europe must know the truth!”, she concluded.

In addition, the spokeswoman announced that Moscow intends to convene a meeting of the UN Security Council to deal with the issue of breakdowns.
The news about the leaks did not take long to generate all kinds of reactions.

“As we say in Polish, a small thing, but a lot of joy,” former Polish Foreign Minister and current MEP Radoslaw Sikorski wrote on his Twitter account.

He also retweeted a video from the first days of February in which US President Joe Biden threatened to end Nord Stream 2. “If Russia invades (Ukraine)… then there will be no Nord Stream 2. We will end it.” said the president.

Finally, he published another tweet with the comment: “Thank you, USA”, along with a photo showing the size of the leak on the surface of the Baltic Sea. “Is it an official statement of a terrorist attack?” María Zajárova reacted on her Telegram account, after Sikorski’s publications.

(With information from RT in Spanish and Prensa Latina)

The new import bans on Russian goods, according to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, will deprive Moscow of an additional €7 billion ($6.7 billion) in revenue. In addition, new prohibitions on the export of key technology used for the army, such as aviation products, electronic components and specific chemical substances, are incorporated.

In announcing the sanctions, von der Leyen noted that “some developing countries still need some supplies of Russian oil, but at low prices,” and therefore the G7 countries agreed to introduce a price cap. of Russian crude.

“This is why the G7 has agreed in principle to introduce a cap on Russian oil prices for third countries. This cap will, on the one hand, help reduce Russia’s income and, on the other hand, keep global energy markets stable,” Von der Leyen said, adding that the current sanctions package lays “the legal foundation for this cap on oil prices”.

Members of the Group of Seven (G7), made up of the UK, US, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan, have already agreed to introduce caps on Russian oil prices on September 2.

The cap on the price of Russian oil is in line with the political agreement reached by the G7 leaders, proposing that the transport of Russian oil and its derivatives be only allowed globally if the products are sold below a certain amount.

The prohibition for EU citizens to be part of the boards of directors of companies is designed to avoid possible cases such as that of former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder, who worked for Gazprom.

“Russia must not benefit from European knowledge and its experts,” said von der Leyen.

The high representative of the EU for Foreign Policy and Security, Josep Borrell, revealed that the number of natural and legal persons subject to the bloc’s punitive measures will amount to about 1,300, and among them there are individuals and entities that contribute to that the “territorial integrity of Ukraine” is undermined.

The sanctions will target Russian individuals and authorities in Russian-controlled areas who organized referendums on joining Russia in two republics of Donbass and the Kherson and Zaporozhie regions.

In addition, Borrell proposes to appoint the top officials of the Russian Defense Ministry responsible for supporting the country’s army in Ukraine with weapons and equipment, as well as the declared mobilization of 300,000 reservists.

In the category of economic actors, people, not necessarily Russians, who participate in the circumvention of sanctions will be included, Borrell said.

The European Commission’s announcement comes after the leaders of Lugansk and the Kherson and Zaporozhie regions asked Vladimir Putin to join Russia after holding referendums on accession, which took place from September 23 to 27.

Moscow: Russian oil only for countries operating under market conditions
From the Kremlin they warned that Moscow will send its crude only to countries that “operate under market conditions”, and that supplies that do not go to nations that support price limits will go to “alternative destinations”.

The cap on the price of Russian oil is in line with the political agreement reached by the G7 leaders, proposing that the transport of Russian oil and its derivatives be only allowed globally if the products are sold below a certain amount.

EU countries will stop importing Russian oil by pipeline from December 5.

Leaders of Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporozhye ask Putin to join Russia
The leader of the Lugansk People’s Republic (PLR), Leonid Pásechnik, the head of the Regional Civil-Military Administration of the Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, and the representative of the Zaporozhye region, Yevgueni Balitski, addressed this Wednesday to the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, with the request to incorporate the territories into Russia.

“Since the population of the republic approved the decision in the referendum, I ask you to consider the possibility of the Lugansk People’s Republic becoming part of Russia as a constituent entity of the Russian Federation,” said the LPR leader.

In his speech to Putin, Passechnik noted that the RPL is aware of its historical, cultural and spiritual ties with the people of Russia.

The senior official denounced that “for eight years, residents of the Lugansk People’s Republic have been subjected to brutal bombing and genocide by the kyiv regime.”

“In their impotent rage at their unsuccessful attempts to invade the territory of the Luhansk People’s Republic and their failures in open combat with the republic’s defenders, the neo-Nazis have only intensified their terror and bombardment of civilian infrastructure. and industrial, destroying schools, hospitals and nurseries,” he said.

According to Pásechnik, most of the world is “silent” about what is happening in Donbass.

“Not a single state or international organization has condemned kyiv’s actions in Donbass,” he continued, adding that only Russia “has provided and continues to provide extensive assistance to the population of Donbass.”

For his part, Saldo stressed that “the people of Kherson province have decided courageously and unequivocally that the only path they want to follow is that of union with Russia as an integral part of their multinational people.”

“Today, when freedom of thought, expression, conscience and religion is in danger of being eradicated in favor of centrally imposed values ​​that are often contrary not only to reason but also to nature itself, we, the people of Zaporozhie For the sake of our common goal of guaranteeing peace and security, the rule of human rights and freedoms, we want to become a single state with the Russian Federation”, says Balitski’s petition to the Russian president.

In the referendums, which took place from 8:00 a.m. (local time) on Friday, September 23, to 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 27, the voters of the people’s republics of Donbass and the regions of Kherson and Zaporozhie voted for Please join Russia.

93.11% of voters in Zaporozhie and 87.05% in Kherson voted yes to being part of Russia. In the Lugansk and Donets republics, 98.42% and 99.23% of voters voted affirmatively.

The process of integrating new regions into the Russian Federation can take some time, as it requires the approval of the president and parliament.

However, last Friday the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitri Peskov, was convinced that the necessary steps will be taken “quickly enough”.

Russians withdraw from the Dakar 2023 due to the demand to condemn their country
The Russian team KAMAZ-Master will not participate in the next Dakar rally after announcing that it will not sign the documents that would force it to “denounce” its own country.

Thus, for the first time in 24 years, the famous annual competition will not have Russian representation.

In a statement published on the KAMAZ-Master website, the 19-time rally-winning team criticized the decision of the International Automobile Federation (FIA), which allows the Russians to participate neutrally, but on the condition to sign certain documents that include statements about the conflict in Ukraine.

“The participation of Russian athletes in the Dakar rally is conditioned by the need to sign the FIA ​​questionnaire denouncing the Russian special operation in Ukraine. In our opinion, the content of this document is of a political nature and violates the principles of equal conditions for athletes.

“We consider that it is impossible for us to sign those documents and participate in the competitions in those conditions,” the message reads.

The drivers indicate that their position “is clear: always be with the country, especially when it finds itself in a difficult situation.”

Last March, the FIA ​​required Russian and Belarusian drivers to sign a declaration of commitment to the principles of peace and political neutrality that includes a clause of solidarity with Ukraine.

The move was announced amid broader restrictions imposed on Russian sport by various sports federations, which followed a stern rebuke of Russia by the International Olympic Committee.

Earlier this month, Russian drivers Sergei Karyakin and Anastasia Nifontova condemned the requirement, announcing that they will not take part in the 45th edition of the Dakar to be held in Saudi Arabia between December 31, 2022 and January 15, 2023.

Meanwhile, co-driver Konstantin Zhiltsov chose an alternative option by changing his sporting nationality and will participate in the Dakar under the Israeli flag, evading the restrictions.

(With information from EFE, AFP and RT in Spanish)

However, as part of the actions to reinforce hostility and the blockade against Cuba, a visit to the Caribbean nation would complicate the process.
“If it is found that a traveler has visited a country designated as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, the traveler will no longer be eligible to participate in the Visa Waiver Program and must apply for a visa to enter the United States,” warns the portal of the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Recently, the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs shared relevant information about the little-known measure. Its website reads that the requirements are “applicable even for trips made to Cuba and the US separately and in different ways.”
moments”.

The Ministry reported that people must apply for a visa at the Consulate General or Consular Section of the United States Embassy in their place of residence. Tourists from Spain, Germany, France and Italy are part of the largest influx of European travelers that Cuba receives, according to the most recent data published by Tourism Analytics.

The measure that impacts North American tourism is due to the fact that Cuba was spuriously designated as a State Sponsor of Terrorism by the
administration of former President Donald Trump. The government of Joe Biden, last May, once again included the island on the black list along with countries such as Venezuela, Iran, North Korea and Syria.

The classification has received harsh criticism from citizens as well as Cuban political figures. “Even talking to officials of the
(US) government, they see no reason why Cuba should be on the list. They affirm that it is politically difficult for them”, alleged the
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, Carlos Fernández de Cossío, referring to the US government

(With information from AP)

And it is that Europeans seem unwilling to pay for the geopolitical decisions of their leaders.

More than 32,000 Austrian citizens marched against rising prices for fuel, electricity and food.

Meanwhile, the French and Italians also spoke out against the negative effect of the restrictions.

(With information from RT)

Gigantic sandbanks also slow down river trade in sections of the Rhine, where coal freighters go to a third of their capacity, generating huge losses for companies.

Cruise ships and tourist barges are also not allowed to operate on some rivers such as the Loire where today you can cross walking from side to side.

In France, nuclear plants responsible for more than 70 percent of its electricity are temporarily shutting down, and supplies from reservoirs of electrical power that supply Norway have sunk to their lowest point in 25 years, driving up electricity prices. energy throughout Europe.

(Con información de la BBC)

In his speech before the prime ministers and heads of delegations of the member states and observers of the Eurasian Economic Union, the Cuban Head of Government ratified the political will to deepen relations with the nations of the Union. He also stated the intention to achieve an active participation of the Eurasian business community in investment projects, increase and diversify exports of goods and services and implement joint ventures in various sectors. He also highlighted the need for collaboration between these States in the context of complex international circumstances.

Marrero Cruz extended the invitation to the government and business representatives of the countries of the Union to participate in the thirty-eighth International Fair of Havana, which will be held from November 14 to 18.

The Prime Minister thanked, on behalf of the Cuban people and Government, the expressions of solidarity due to the fire that occurred at the Supertanker Base in Matanzas, as well as the permanent support of the Member States of the Union to the Cuban cause for the cessation of economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States government.

This is the fifth session of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in which Cuba participates, after receiving the status of observer State of the Eurasian Economic Union on December 11, 2020.

(With information from Cubaminrex)

Speaking to Prensa Latina, the president of the Association of Cuban Residents in Germany, José Conde, specified that the event will be launched on October 10, to be held on October 24 with the participation of organizations and people scattered throughout the old continent.

(Taken of Prensa Latina)