On December 29, 2024, Cuba received a donation from the People's Republic of China consisting of 69 tons of radiators, engines, and other related supplies to benefit its national power grid 🇨🇳⚡🇨🇺

The Chinese government’s Project of Equipment and Spare Parts for Power Generators in Cuba originated from agreements signed by Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.

Hua Xin, the Chinese ambassador to Cuba, stated that this donation is part of the second package of assistance provided by China to Cuba this year. The aid aims to help restore approximately 400 MW of power generation capacity across more than 70 diesel and fuel oil power plants on the island, following the principle of "agility for the most urgent."

The ambassador highlighted the strong bonds of friendship between the two nations, their joint efforts to build a community with a shared future, and the fruitful results of their bilateral cooperation across various fields.

Speaking on behalf of the Cuban government and its people, Déborah Rivas Saavedra, Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade, expressed gratitude to China for the donation. She noted that it would enable electricity access for 53,200 households across Cuba while supporting efforts to achieve sustainability in the energy sector and improve the well-being of citizens.

The deputy minister also commended the dedication of Cuban electricity workers, emphasising the challenges they face daily due to the restrictions imposed by the ongoing unilateral and coercive U.S. embargo on Cuba.

Today, December 22, the streets of Hanoi come alive as the Vietnamese people commemorate the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam People's Army (VPA) 🇻🇳

Established on December 22, 1944, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President Ho Chi Minh, the VPA was entrusted with the noble mission of safeguarding the nation's independence, freedom, and territorial integrity.

Throughout its history, the army has secured legendary victories, including the August Revolution of 1945, the Dien Bien Phu campaign of 1954 against French colonialism, and the Ho Chi Minh Campaign of 1975, which triumphed over American imperialism. These achievements were pivotal in the nation's liberation and reunification.

In times of peace, the VPA continues to play an active role in national development. It contributes to socio-economic progress by building infrastructure, promoting rural modernisation, supporting poverty reduction programs, and engaging in disaster relief and search-and-rescue operations.

Vietnam remains committed to its "Four No’s" defense policy: no participation in military alliances, no siding with one country against another, no foreign military bases on Vietnamese territory or using Vietnam as leverage against other nations, and no use or threat of force in international relations.

700,000 Cubans took to the streets of Havana today in a demonstration against over six decades of U.S. economic sanctions and hostility. The crowd marched past the U.S. embassy, delivering a message of unity and defiance.

Demonstrator Rosalina Rodriguez declared that "The only thing that Cuba needs economically to get up and move forward again is for sanctions to be lifted...We are declaring our right to freedom and sovereignty"

"Biden in a disciplined and cruel manner complied with the policy that Trump approved during his mandate," Cuban President Diaz-Canel said as he rallied protesters.

The protest follows recent medical shipments by the Cuba Solidarity Campaign made up of donations from the 'Cuba Vive' campaign as an effort led by British Trade Unions to lift the extreme pressures of the US blockade.

Yesterday night, Islamist forces under Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) entered Aleppo, Syria's second largest city. For the first time in the history of the Syrian Civil War, terrorists are freely flying the flag of the Islamic State across the city of Aleppo - armed and trained by the Turkish state as well as the United States and UK. Roads leading out of the city remain blocked by the cars of thousands of civilians fleeing from HTS forces.

The pro-Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have entered and secured the majority Kurdish Sheikh Maqsoud neighbourhood of Aleppo in order to defend the area against the Turkish-backed ethno-nationalist Free Syrian Army and HTS.

Russian forces in coalition with the Syrian Arab Army under the leadership of Bashar al-Assad have begun an aerial counter-attack to retake the city from terrorist and imperialist forces. Regional states such as Egypt, Iraq, Iran, and Saudi Arabia have reiterated their position in support of the internationally recognised legitimacy of the Syrian Arab Republic.

After a year-long campaign by Palestine Action, Barclays has completely divested from Elbit Systems, Israel's largest arms manufacturer. ??

Palestine Action has carried out over 50 direct actions against Barclays branches, including smashing windows and covering buildings in red paint.

Prior to today, Barclays held more than 16,000 shares in Elbit Systems, valued at over £2.5 million.

?BREAKING: President Zelensky has been told that Ukraine is “too corrupt” for NATO Membership. 

This comes just one month before the NATO summit, where Zelensky is expected to be told that he must take additional measures to combat corruption before membership talks can proceed.

Despite the US's assurances to the Soviet Union in the early 1990s that NATO would not expand “one inch eastward”, NATO members agreed in 2008 that Ukraine would eventually join the alliance. 

Following the 2014 Euromaidan coup, Ukraine intensified its efforts to join NATO, formally applying for membership in 2022 in a move that is widely recognised as the key cause of the devastating conflict in the region.

Ukraine has long struggled with corruption, an issue that has only become more apparent since 2014. The Ukrainian military includes battalions made up of neo-Nazis, and several high-profile scandals have occurred in recent months. 

Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index places Ukraine in the ‘red zone’, ranking it 104th out of 180 countries.