First migrants sent to Albania for processing are returned to Italy

An Italian navy ship has taken back to Italy the first 12 migrants from newly opened asylum processing centers in Albania following a court decision in Rome

ByVLASOV SULAJ Associated Press and LLAZAR SEMINI Associated Press
October 19, 2024


SHENGJIN, Albania -- An Italian navy ship on Saturday took back to Italy the first 12 migrants from newly opened asylum processing centers in Albania following a court decision in Rome.

The court ruling on Friday represents an early stumbling block to a five-year deal between Italy and Albania for Tirana to host 3,000 migrants per month picked up by the Italian coast guard. They will be vetted for possible asylum in Italy or to be sent back to their countries.

Italian Premier Minister Giorgia Meloni has hailed it as a new “model” to handle illegal migration.

The court in Rome rejected the detention of 12 of the migrants, arguing they cannot be sent back to their countries or origin -- Bangladesh and Egypt -- because the court did not deem them to be safe enough.

The Italian navy ship took the 12 from the port of Shengjin, 66 kilometers (40 miles) northwest of the capital Tirana. After arriving there this week, the four other migrants had already been rejected by center staff, two as vulnerable after undergoing health checks and two for being minors.

Each migrant’s detention must be reviewed by special migration courts in Italy under Italian law.

Meloni slammed the judges following the ruling, and said that deeming countries such as Bangladesh and Egypt unsafe means that virtually all migrants would be barred from the Albania program, making it unworkable. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said the government would appeal the ruling.

Speaking to reporters during a trip to Lebanon, Meloni said she would convene a Cabinet meeting Monday to discuss the issue.

“We’ll meet to approve some norms that will allow us to overcome this obstacle,” Meloni said. “I believe it’s up to the government and not magistrates to establish which countries can be considered safe.”

Although Bangladesh and Egypt are not at war or facing any large refugee crises, the Rome judges said their decision was based on recent international rulings that consider discrimination or persecution in even a part of a country as grounds for such a determination.


Italy has agreed to welcome those migrants who are granted asylum, while those whose applications are rejected face deportation directly from Albania.

The controversial agreement to outsource the housing of asylum-seekers to a non-EU member country has been hailed by some countries that, like Italy, are experiencing a high level of migrant arrivals.

The agreement was endorsed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as an example of “out-of-box thinking” in tackling the issue of migration into the European Union.

Human rights organizations considered it as setting a dangerous precedent.

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Semini reported from Tirana. Follow him at https://x.com/lsemini

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Follow AP’s global migration coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration

Meloni's discontent with court's ruling on migrant outsourcing

The first batch of immigrants sent to Albania to undergo accelerated border procedures under the Italy-Albania deal on Wednesday, Oct, 16, 2024. -

Copyright © africanewscleared
By Dominic Wabwireh
with AP Last updated: 

Migration agreement between Libya and Italy

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticized judges on Friday for ruling against the right-wing government’s initiative to hold 12 migrants at newly established centres in Albania.

This marks a significant obstacle in the administration’s strategy to transfer some of its migrant processing to the Balkan nation.

During a visit to Lebanon, Meloni told reporters that labelling countries like Bangladesh and Egypt as unsafe would effectively exclude nearly all migrants from the Albania program, rendering it impractical.

Meloni argued, ''It's challenging to address the needs of this nation when there is opposition from certain institutions that are supposed to assist in solving its issues. I believe the ruling by the judges in Rome is biased. This is evident as some judges had already criticized the agreement with Albania before even considering the details. It's also noteworthy that this decision was announced yesterday by some members of the Democratic Party."

The ruling marks an initial obstacle in the agreement between Italy and Albania that Meloni's administration has praised as a new "model" for addressing illegal migration.

"The concern extends beyond Albania. The judges essentially indicate that there are no safe countries. Therefore, I declare that the issue is not specific to Albania. The real problem is that repatriation is no longer feasible. The challenge lies in the inability to send people away. Additionally, it is impossible to implement any policies that effectively secure your borders, so I hope they can provide solutions," Meloni concluded.

The interior minister, Matteo Piantedosi, announced that the government plans to challenge the ruling, and she indicated that a Cabinet meeting would be held on Monday to address the matter.

16 migrants, 10 from Bangladesh and 6 from Egypt, were moved to Albania by an Italian navy ship on Wednesday, following government directives.

This transfer was part of the accelerated border procedures outlined in the Italy-Albania agreement. However, they are now required to be sent back to Italy.

Italy will spend 670 million euros ($730 million) over the next five years on the centres.

These facilities are managed by Italy and fall under its jurisdiction, with Albanian guards providing external security.

Italy has committed to accepting migrants who receive asylum, while those whose applications are denied will be deported directly from Albania.

This contentious deal to house asylum-seekers in a non-EU country has been praised by several nations facing high migrant influxes, similar to Italy.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has supported the agreement, calling it an example of innovative thinking in addressing migration challenges within the European Union.

Putin's appreciation message for 'friend' PM Modi's concern on Ukraine war

Putin claimed that Ukraine had backed out of the last peace negotiations, while reiterating Russia's willingness to engage in peace talks.


PM Modi and Russian President Putin

India Today
New Delhi,

UPDATED: Oct 19, 2024 
Written By: Nakul Ahuja

India says Russia will ultimately win war with Ukraine

Blames US, NATO for instigating conflict

Ahead of BRICS, Putin supports PM's "non-western" stance


Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Friday that it is challenging to set a timeline for ending the ongoing war in Ukraine, but he asserted that Russia will ultimately prevail. Speaking at his official residence in Novo-Ogaryovo, near Moscow, Putin expressed appreciation for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's concerns regarding the situation.

Putin acknowledged PM Modi as a "friend" and expressed gratitude for India's support in seeking a peaceful resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He mentioned that Ukraine had backed out of previous negotiation efforts and reiterated Russia's willingness to engage in peace talks.


Regarding the conflict, Putin claimed that the United States and NATO were responsible for instigating the war, stating, "NATO is waging a war against us." He declared, "We will have the upper hand. We'll win. We'll prevail," while asserting that the Russian military has become one of the most advanced in the world.

He also accused the US of resorting to provocative actions in different regions and "literally dragging NATO like puppies into Asia like an angry big person".

Ahead of the 16th BRICS Summit, scheduled for October 22-23 in Kazan, Putin endorsed PM Modi's characterisation of BRICS as "not an anti-Western one but a non-Western one." He emphasised that the grouping, which recently expanded from five to ten members, should not be viewed as a "bloc-style organisation."

In addition to discussing the Ukraine situation, Putin highlighted the significance of BRICS as a platform for economic cooperation, noting that it represents 24% of global GDP and 41% of the world's population. He stated that BRICS is open to new members and that its development would benefit even non-member countries.

Putin also touched upon various topics, including the potential for a common currency within BRICS, which he said is progressing "slowly and cautiously." He expressed interest in promoting Indian films in Russia and acknowledged the popularity of Indian cinema.

On the international stage, Putin voiced concerns over the escalating situation in Gaza and noted that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has been invited to participate in BRICS events.

India’s BRICS Balancing Act

Jagannath Panda
Commentaries and Op-eds Experts Take 

October, 2024

KEY TAKEAWAYS

For India, BRICS is an avenue to promote its global leadership, strategic autonomy and multipolar vision.

India’s relations with anti-U.S. BRICS states like Russia and Iran complicate U.S.-India ties.

But these relationships have not obstructed the development of security ties with the U.S.

Leaders of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) will meet in Kazan, Russia from October 22-24 for the 16th BRICS Summit. BRICS will welcome its five new members (Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates), with at least 24 other prospective members joining the summit. As BRICS expands and looks to become a more influential player in world affairs, India faces the increasingly complicated task of continuing to deepen ties with the United States and play a leading role in Russian- and Chinese-dominant global forums, like BRICS.Jagannath Panda, head of the Stockholm Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs at the Institute for Security and Development Policy, discusses India’s views on BRICS expansion, what its membership in the grouping says about India’s foreign policy and how it impacts ties with the U.S.


In 2024, five new countries joined BRICS, and dozens of other countries have expressed interest in joining. Where does India stand on BRICS expansion and does its position differ from that of Russia and China?

Panda: Kazan marks the first BRICS summit since its expansion and will also include other Global South nations that have expressed interest in joining. While BRICS expansion has brought attention to its collective economic power, the grouping currently has very little in the way of an organizational structure or achievements. Hence, this summit may include deliberations on the challenges of integrating a larger, more diverse membership and deepening cooperation within the grouping, perhaps through a “partner country” and “observer country” model.

Discussion of subsequent expansions are premature, India will continue to be cautious and reserve judgment in this area realizing the significance that China holds in the grouping. India’s support for the recently added members to the BRICS forum was rooted more in backing members that could add economic vigor to the grouping such as the UAE, its own strategic partnerships with the newly added countries, and a desire to see greater global representation. In the future, too, India is likely to support states, including those in Southeast Asia, with similar interest-based criteria, disregarding states with a clear “anti-India” agenda such as Pakistan.


India sees BRICS and its expansion as a multipolar base to expand its economic outreach in the Middle East and beyond.For New Delhi, BRICS provides significant leverage for promoting India’s global leadership aspirations, as well as strategic autonomy and multipolar vision both in the West and the Global South. The optics of India as a bridge between Western (like the Quad) and non-Western forums, or even a participant in both, creates a favorable impression about its bargaining capacity. Not to mention, the opportunities to maneuver a wide range of states for its multi-aligned foreign policy objectives at a time when its economic power appears to be on the rise. Access also allows greater coordination potential in regions such as Central Asia or West Asia where China is stronger than ever.New Delhi expects that the expansion of BRICS will further boost India’s strategic position across the world (particularly in the Middle East). While many consider BRICS a China-driven multilateral Eurasian project, for India it is an important part of its foreign policy matrix. In other words, India sees BRICS and its expansion as a multipolar base to expand its economic outreach in the Middle East and beyond.


What are the key items on the agenda for the upcoming BRICS summit in Kazan, and what should observers be watching for from India?

Panda: Russia holds the presidency of BRICS this year. That Russian President Vladimir Putin is hosting the upcoming BRICS summit in Kazan — the capital of Tatarstan in the Russian heartland of the Volga region — is in itself a statement. The location showcases Russian affluence and an identity that is a blend of both East and West and hosting the summit there advances Moscow’s effort to project itself in a better light and demonstrate that it is not entirely an isolated country internationally. The crisis in the Middle East, rather than the war in Ukraine, is likely to dominate the conversation, as a large section of the Global South has strongly condemned Israel’s actions following Hamas’ October 7 terrorist attack.

India’s stance on Israel has differed somewhat from other BRICS members. In the latest vote at the U.N. General Assembly on a resolution calling for the end to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, India and Ethiopia were the only two BRICS countries that abstained, while all others were for the resolution. While India’s position on the Middle East conflict is unlikely to play a role in the summit — divisions are not uncommon among BRICS members — it may matter for longer-term competition with China to be viewed as a leader of the Global South. China has been heavily critical of Israel over the last year, hosted rival Palestinian factions for reconciliation talks, and aligned itself with the Arab world and much of the Global South on the Arab-Israeli conflict.

The development of a BRICS-centric financial system remains a top priority, particularly as two member countries (Russia and Iran) now have various sectors including the economy and military hindered by Western sanctions. This ties into broader efforts toward economic sovereignty and stability within the group, especially amid global shifts toward de-dollarization.

But the new BRICS currency seems unfeasible for now. India would be cautious of “de-dollarization” or even using local currencies for trade, depending on the viability of the partner state. While rupee-ruble trade has increased, Indian financial regulators are still wary of granting licenses to Russian banks. Earlier this year, India’s top banker, Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das, dismissed “de-dollarization” as a “media creation.”

The summit will, however, look to enhance the grouping’s New Development Bank as a viable alternative to Western financial institutions for financing sustainable projects in Global South economies.

Russia has outlined a broad-based agenda for the Kazan summit. But the focus is likely to be on the strategic-political agenda, in particular advancing multipolarity and multilateralism and coalescing a middle power-led opposition to the Western-led liberal order. While India does not have an anti-West agenda, this vision of a multipolar world is consistent with its interests to increase its own capabilities and influence — which necessitates some reduction in Western dominance — but is not as firmly rooted in Russia and China’s anti-West rhetoric.
The BRICS summit will bring Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi together in person. Do you expect any breakthroughs in the difficult relationship between China and India?

Panda: The BRICS summit provides a rare opportunity for direct dialogue between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a time when mutual distrust is palpable. The two leaders could address their essential concerns over the prolonged standoff at their border and trade imbalances in a multilateral setting, where both leaders can explore cooperative avenues under the BRICS framework.

However, the meeting, if it happens, is unlikely to produce any immediate breakthroughs in their strained relationship. Although there has been some military disengagement along the disputed border between India and China following successful diplomatic and military negotiations, the lack of high-level interaction at the leadership level and India’s continued stance that the border needs to be addressed before moving forward with the bilateral relationship, makes it unlikely that the summit will produce any major breakthroughs.

Nevertheless, any diplomatic progress, even incremental, could lay the groundwork for reducing regional friction and enhancing cooperation in trade, technology and infrastructure development within BRICS. In keeping with recent trends, India’s China stance may soften temporarily due to such a type of leadership meeting, though not permanently as the issues between the two sides are complex and long drawn.
How does India’s role in BRICS, a group that includes Russia, China, and now Iran, complicate its deepening ties with the United States?

India’s relationship with anti-U.S. BRICS states like Russia and Iran adds a layer to the already complex India-U.S. dynamics, but this is nothing new. India has a long-standing policy of strategic autonomy, striving to pursue its interests in its relations with the United States and countries like Russia and China.



India’s economic rise and push for security ties with the West may grant it further leverage to moderate the more aggressive stances of China and Russia.BRICS serves as a platform for India to advocate for multipolarity and alternatives to U.S.-dominated institutions. This would seemingly hinder Delhi’s deepening security ties with the Washington. But India’s presence in these China-dominated, non-Western forums may also play a constructive role as U.S. relationships with China, Russia and Iran become more confrontational, particularly for shaping out to be completely an anti-West sentiment. India’s economic rise and push for security ties with the West may grant it further leverage to moderate the more aggressive stances of China and Russia.Further, India’s diplomacy during the Ukraine war and its continuing trade with Russia have not significantly hindered U.S.-India ties, and it’s unlikely that BRICS would pose any additional complications.



India’s focus within BRICS has been on showcasing multipolarity and advocating for equitable global governance, a stance in India’s foreign policy that the U.S. is well aware of. The inclusion of Iran, while complex, also offers India a chance to stabilize regional dynamics without directly antagonizing the United States — a predictable, precarious diplomatic balancing for India, especially given the escalating Iran-Israel conflict.

On another note, how the addition of new members shifts the nature of BRICS functioning is of interest to both the United States and India. Although going by past summits’ non-productive outcomes, a major achievement this time around should not be expected too.

Overall, India’s presence in BRICS can be seen as a strategic asset that adds depth to its foreign policy without obstructing the development of security ties with the United States.



Dr. Jagannath Panda is the head of the Stockholm Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs at the Institute for Security and Development Policy, Sweden. He is also a senior fellow at The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies in the Netherlands and a professor at the University of Warsaw. Dr. Panda is the series editor for Routledge Studies on Think Asia.

This interview/piece is first published at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) in Washington DC on October 17, 2024.

63 years later: the enigma of UN Chief Hammarskjöld's death

 africanewsAP
By Dominic Wabwireh
with AP 


A significant mystery in United Nations history remains unresolved: the 1961 plane crash that took the life of Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld and everyone else on board while he was attempting to negotiate peace in the Congo.

A new assessment released on Friday indicates that “specific and crucial” information is still being kept secret by several Member States.

Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General of the United Nations, stated: “The Secretary-General has sent the report from the Eminent Person, former Chief Justice of Tanzania, Mr. Mohamed Chande Othman, to the President of the General Assembly...At this point, the Eminent Person believes it remains plausible that an external attack or threat contributed to the crash... other possible explanations include sabotage or unintentional human error.

Hammarskjöld of Sweden was appointed as the youngest UN Secretary-General at the age of 47.

Recognized as a visionary diplomat and reformer, he played a crucial role in enhancing the UN's influence during a time of significant global unrest, particularly amid the decolonization movements in Africa and Asia.

Haq, added that "The Secretary-General highlights that the Eminent Person is almost certain that important, yet undisclosed, information is held in the archives of Member States. With significant advancements made, the Secretary-General urges everyone to reaffirm their commitment to uncovering the complete truth about the events of that tragic night in 1961.”

Hammarskjöld's leadership was essential during the chaotic events of 1956, where he spearheaded a ceasefire mission in the Middle East and navigated the Suez crisis, facilitating the withdrawal of foreign troops from Egypt and overseeing the UN's inaugural emergency peacekeeping operation, the UN Emergency Force.

Hammarskjöld was celebrated for his integrity and commitment to public service, receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in transforming the UN into a dynamic and effective international organization that embodied the principles outlined in the UN Charter.

He held the position of Secretary-General from April 1953 until his untimely death at 56.

On the night of September 17-18, 1961, the Douglas DC6 aircraft he was aboard, registered as SE-BDY, crashed near Ndola in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia).

He was on his way to negotiate a ceasefire between UN peacekeepers and separatists in the Congolese region of Katanga, with hopes of establishing a broader peace agreement for the newly independent Congo.

The fateful crush on the 18th September saw15 other passengers die on impact, and the sole survivor succumbed to his injuries a few days later.

An initial inquiry by Rhodesian authorities reportedly attributed the crash to pilot error but the finding was disputed.


Additional sources • Other agencies

BREAKING: Blackout Across Nigerian Cities As National Grid Suffers Major Setback


October 19, 2024

Blackouts were reported in Abuja, Lagos and other parts of the country and there is no official reaction yet from the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

The national grid collapsed again on Saturday morning for the third time within one week with the power generaton falling to zero MW.

Blackouts were reported in Abuja, Lagos and other parts of the country and there is no official reaction yet from the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

"BREAKING: National Grid suffers a major setback," the national grid monitor posted.

"DisCo Load 08:40 a.m: Abuja DisCo- 0 MW Benin DisCo- 0 MW Eko DisCo- 0 MW Enugu DisCo- 0 MW Ibadan DisCo- 0 MW Ikeja DisCo- 0 MW Jos DisCo- 0 MW Kaduna DisCo- 0 MW Kano DisCo- 0 MW PHarcourt DisCo- 0 MW Yola DisCo- 0 MW."

SaharaReporters had on Wednesday reported that the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) announced that supply had been restored to the Abuja axis and other major distribution load centres nationwide after national grid collapsed on Monday.

TCN General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, had disclosed this in a statement, adding that ongoing restoration of the national grid was still ongoing and almost completed.

SaharaReporters reported on Monday that the national grid collapsed on Monday triggering nationwide blackout as distribution companies declared lack of supply to their customers.

TCN also confirmed the development noting that national grid experienced a partial disturbance, on Monday, 14th October 2024 at about 6:48 pm.

Cuba slowly starts restoring power after island-wide blackout

October 19, 2024
By Reuters

A woman prepares to catch a tossed flying disc during a massive blackout after a major power plant failed in Havana, Oct. 18, 2024.

HAVANA —

Cuba restored a trickle of power to its grid by mid-evening Friday, officials said, hours after the island plunged into a countrywide blackout following the collapse of one of its major power plants.

The vast majority of the country's 10 million residents were still in the dark Friday night, but scattered pockets of the capital Havana, including some of the city's major hospitals, saw lights flicker back on shortly after dark.

Grid operator UNE said it hoped to restart at least five of its oil-fired generation plants overnight, providing enough electricity, it said, to begin returning power to broader areas of the country.

The Communist-run government closed schools and non-essential industry early on Friday and sent most state workers home in a last-ditch effort to keep the lights on after weeks of severe power shortages. Recreational and cultural activities, including nightclubs, were also ordered closed.

But shortly before midday, the Antonio Guiteras power plant, the country's largest and most efficient, went offline, prompting a total grid failure and suddenly leaving the entire island without power.

Officials said late Friday they were working to fix the problem that had led the oil-fired plant to fail. They did not specify the cause of its collapse.

The blackout marks a new low point on an island where life has become increasingly unbearable, with residents suffering from shortages of food, fuel, water and medicine.

Virtually all commerce in Havana ground to a halt Friday. Many residents sat sweating on doorsteps. Tourists hunkered down in frustration. By nightfall, the city was almost completely enveloped in darkness.

"We went to a restaurant and they had no food because there was no power, now we are also without internet," said Brazilian tourist Carlos Roberto Julio, who had recently arrived in Havana. "In two days, we have already had several problems."

Prime Minister Manuel Marrero this week blamed worsening blackouts during the past several weeks on a perfect storm well-known to most Cubans - deteriorating infrastructure, fuel shortages and rising demand.

"The fuel shortage is the biggest factor," Marrero said in a televised message to the nation.

Strong winds that began with Hurricane Milton last week have crippled the island's ability to deliver scarce fuel from boats offshore to its power plants, officials said.

A man drives during a massive blackout after a major power plant failed in Havana, Oct. 18, 2024.

Reduced fuel

Cuba's government also blames the U.S. trade embargo, as well as sanctions under then-President Donald Trump, for difficulties in acquiring fuel and spare parts to operate its oil-fired plants.

"The complex scenario is caused primarily by the intensification of the economic war and financial and energy persecution of the United States," Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on X on Thursday.

A White House National Security Council spokesperson said, "The United States is not to blame for today's blackout on the island, or the overall energy situation in Cuba."

A State Department official said late Friday that Washington was closely monitoring the potential humanitarian impact of the blackout but that the Cuban government had not requested assistance.

For many Cubans, far removed from politics and accustomed to regular power outages, the nationwide blackout was nothing more than a normal Friday night.

Carlos Manuel Pedre said he had defaulted to simple pleasures to pass the time.

"In the times we're living in, with everything happening in our country, the most logical entertainment is dominoes," he said as he played the popular game with friends. "We're in total crisis."

While demand for electricity has grown in recent years alongside Cuba's fledgling private sector, fuel supply has fallen sharply.

Cuba's largest oil supplier, Venezuela, has reduced shipments to the island to an average of 32,600 barrels per day in the first nine months of the year, barely half the 60,000 bpd sent in the same period of 2023, according to vessel-monitoring data and internal shipping documents from Venezuela's state company PDVSA.

PDVSA, whose refining infrastructure is also ailing, has this year tried to avoid a new wave of fuel scarcity at home, leaving smaller volumes available for export to allied countries like Cuba.

Russia and Mexico, which in the past have sent fuel to Cuba, have also greatly reduced shipments.

The shortfalls have left Cuba to fend for itself on the far costlier spot market at a time when its government is nearly bankrupt.

Cuba’s grid goes offline amid a massive blackout and after a major power plant fails

Cuba’s electrical grid went offline Friday after one of the island’s major power plants failed, and as a massive blackout that started a day earlier swept across the Caribbean island.



Photo by: Ramon Espinosa/AP
A person drives a classic American car past a floating generator that has not been producing electricity for days in Havana, Cuba, Friday, Oct. 18, 2024.




By: AP via Scripps News
 Oct 18, 2024

Cuba’s electrical grid went offline Friday after one of the island’s major power plants failed, and as a massive blackout that started a day earlier swept across the Caribbean island.

Cuba's energy ministry announced that the grid had gone down hours after the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant had ceased operations, at about 11 a.m. local time. Authorities said at the time it was only offline temporarily.

Hours earlier, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero had sought to assuage concerned citizens about the outage that began Thursday evening. Millions of Cubans were left without power, prompting the government Friday to implement emergency measures to slash demand, including suspending classes, shutting down some state-owned workplaces and canceling non-essential services.

Various calls by The Associated Press seeking to clarify the extent of the blackout on Friday weren’t answered. In addition to the Antonio Guiteras plant, Cuba has several others and it wasn’t immediately clear whether or not they remain functional.


“We are devoting absolute priority to addressing and solving this highly sensitive energy contingency," Cuba's President Miguel Díaz-Canel wrote on X. “There will be no rest until its restoration.”

Cuban officials earlier said that 1.64 gigawatts went offline during peak hours early Thursday evening, about half the total demand at the time.

“The situation has worsened in recent days,” Marrero said in a special address on national television in the early hours of Friday. “We must be fully transparent ... we have been halting economic activities to ensure energy for the population.”

During his address, Marrero was accompanied by Alfredo López, the chief of UNE, who said the outage stemmed from increased demand from small- and medium-sized companies and residences’ air conditioners, as well as breakdowns in old thermoelectric plants that haven’t been properly maintained and the lack of fuel to operate some facilities.

Changes to electricity rates for small- and medium-sized companies, which have proliferated since they were first authorized by the communist government in 2021, are also being considered, Marrero said.

Marrero sought to placate people’s concerns about the outage, citing an expected influx of fuel supply from Cuba's state-owned oil company.

Even in a country accustomed to frequent outages amid a deepening economic crisis, the size of Thursday night’s blackout left millions of Cubans on edge. Residents shut their doors and windows they typically leave open at night, and candles or lanterns were visible inside their homes.

Copyright 2024 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Cuba declares an 'energy emergency' as blackouts leave citizens on edge

As the country suffers an economic crisis, problems stretch to electricity supply

Cubans sit and chat in the dark during a nationwide blackout on Friday.

 Photo: AFP

Cuban Tania Ramirez walks alone along Havana's famous Malecon promenade to relieve the stress wrought by the massive blackout that has plunged the entire island into darkness.

"I feel very disappointed, frustrated and hopeless," said the 39-year-old housewife.

"It's not only the lack of electricity but also of gas and water," she told AFP, 11 hours after the unplanned shutdown of Cuba's main thermal power plant triggered the collapse of the country's grid.

With a frown, she said her "generation wants to continue trusting" in the 1959 revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power, but her "resilience has limits".

Cuba is in the throes of its worst economic crisis in 30 years, marked by sky-high inflation and shortages of food, medicine, fuel and water.

And for the past three months Cubans have been battling chronic blackouts that have become longer and more frequent.

Cuban authorities were trying since Friday night into Saturday to restore electricity.

The unexpected shutdown of the Antonio Guiteras power plant, the biggest of the island's eight decrepit coal-fired power plants, caused the national grid to fail, Lazaro Guerra, director general electricity at the Ministry of Energy and Mines, told state television.

When the power plant shut down, "the system collapsed," he said, adding that the government was working to restore service as soon as possible to the island's 11 million people.

By nightfall, the only lights illuminating the capital of two million people were those from hotels, hospitals and a few private businesses with their own generating plants.

The streets were almost empty, with no public transport and traffic lights out of service.
'It hurts a lot'

Small groups of people could be seen, their cell phones lit, chatting with family and friends. Some came out of their homes to cool off from the night heat, with temperatures hovering around 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit).

"We have a little baby girl and we live in a building that isn't in the best condition. We have to go downstairs and sit here," said self-employed Betsabe Valdes, 40, in the downtown Paseo del Prado.

Her biggest fear is that the food in her refrigerator could spoil if power is not restored soon. "It hurts me a lot," she said.

The grid collapsed a few hours after the government declared an "energy emergency" and announced the stoppage of business activities in the country.

Some provinces have in recent weeks endured up to 20 hours without electricity.

"What we want is electricity, not the explanation they give us," complained Pablo Reve, a 61-year-old teacher who took the blackout with less annoyance than others.

"Now we are playing dominoes and even laughing at our own luck," added Reve.

"To keep going forward is what we have left," he said with a sense of resignation.

By the end of Friday the power company had managed to restore a minimum level of supply with annexed "microsystems", which will be used to start up the thermal and floating plants.

"We have a well-defined strategy" and "we are complying with all the protocols to do it safely", said the energy minister Vicente de la O Levy.

To bolster its grid, Cuba has leased seven floating power plants from Turkish companies and also added many small diesel-powered generators.

But disappointed housewife Tania Ramirez was more pessimistic. "Solutions seem far away," she said, adding "no immediate improvement is in sight, quite the contrary."

European companies continue layoffs due to stagnant economic outlook

Layoffs concentrate in automotive, engineering, banking, tech, oil, pharmaceutical sectors with no signs of slowing

Nuran Erkul Kaya, Bahattin Gonultas |19.10.2024 - TRT/AA



LONDON/BERLIN

European companies continue layoffs in the second half of 2024 due to a stagnant economic outlook.

The region seeks to reduce labor costs amid the effect of the Russia-Ukraine War on economies, structural problems in Germany and weakened consumer demand because of a tight monetary policy.

Inflation is higher than pre-coronavirus pandemic levels in Europe and it has consequently reduced the purchasing power of households, and as a result, the increase in interest rates to combat inflationary pressures has led to increased costs of loans for companies.

The decline in sales and profits of many European firms, as well as the resulting economic recession, are the main drivers for continued layoffs.

Layoffs span across almost all sectors, but they are mostly concentrated in the automotive, engineering, banking, technology, oil, and pharmaceutical fields with no signs of slowing.

The most recent layoff took place in the France-based aerospace firm, Airbus, which decided to cut up to 2,500 positions in its defense and space division by the middle of 2026.

As for other major European companies, which have made layoff decisions since July, Sweden-based battery maker, Northvolt, comes to the fore among engineering firms with its plan to layoff 1,600 employees as a cost-cutting measure to boost production capacity at its Skelleftea plant, according to the firm.

German railroad operator Deutsche Bahn announced it would lay off 30,000 employees in July, making up 9% of its total employment, while Swedish telecom operator Telia said it would terminate 3,000 workers this year.

German chipmaker Infineon said in August the firm would reduce employment by 1,400 worldwide and relocate the vacant positions to countries with cheaper labor costs.

International reports said Finnish tech firm Nokia is planning to lay off 350 workers in Europe and 2,000 in China.

As for banking firms, Norwegian financial services firm DNB said last month it would lay off 500 full-time employees within six months, while Italian bank UniCredit said Thursday it reached an agreement with its labor union to voluntarily lay off 1,000 and create 500 new jobs.

Meanwhile, on the retail and consumer goods side, home appliance firm Dyson decided to cut around 1,000 jobs in the UK in July as a part of its global restructuring plan, while multinational consumer goods firm Unilever announced the same month it would cut all office positions in Europe by a third by the end of next year.

News reports showed that the energy firm Shell plans to reduce employment in its oil and gas division by 20%.

Pharmaceutical firm Individor said in July it would lay off 130 employees, while Norwegian fertilizer maker Yara said this week that planned production changes at its Belgian plant could mean 115 employees would be laid off.

The BBC said this week that 155 employees would be laid off, while the English Premier League soccer club Manchester United is planning to cut around 250 jobs.

*Writing by Emir Yildirim in Istanbul

Post-Uprising Bangladesh Toddles Towards Democracy

Bangladesh’s post-uprising government is negotiating a sea of challenges as it speaks of radical changes to restore democracy

Snigdhendu Bhattacharya
Updated on: 19 October 2024

Students stage a demonstration on the High Court premises during a protest to demand the resignation of pro-Awami League judges in Dhaka Photo: Getty Images

There was a hint of tragedy right at the beginning of Bangladesh’s new journey on August 5 that spoilt the celebration party, even if partially.

On August 1, when the stage was set for the student-led protesters’ one-point demand for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation, one video clip from a 2019 event went viral on social media. Its audio was used in the background of almost every visual of public gatherings in Bangladesh’s cities and towns in the first week of August.

The video had hundreds of students joining folk music band Joler Gaan’s members to sing Dhono Dhanyo Pushpe Bhora (abundant with wealth, food and flowers), one of undivided Bengal’s most popular patriotic songs, while waving their cellphone flashlights in darkness – a magical moment.

People sharing the clip on social media in August 2024 said the 2019 rendition – with hundreds in thundering chorus and Joler Gaan’s Rahul Ananda’s prompts in between – brought tears to their eyes, gave them goosebumps and filled them with patriotic fervour as they fought to liberate themselves from Hasina’s Awami League’s authoritarian rule. Joler Gaan members, too, participated in the protests.

But on August 5, as the news of Hasina’s resignation and exit from Bangladesh spread, and mobs started vandalising Hasina’s residence and statues, sculptures and properties of national importance across cities and towns, Joler Gaan founder Rahul Ananda’s residence-cum-the group’s studio in Dhaka was not spared either. Rare musical instruments were burnt, broken and looted. Ananda bore the brunt of collateral damage.

In Jessore, when a group of young protesters was reportedly vandalising an upper floor of ruling party leader Shaheen Chakladar’s 5-star hotel, another mob set fire to the lower floors, killing about two dozen youths stranded on the upper floor.

Since then, while being relieved at the fall of an authoritarian rule, the people of Bangladesh have also remained worried about the possibility of falling into anarchy or in the hands of another group of undemocratic forces, the Islamic radicals.

Mob rule has kept Bangladesh on the edge, in particular, leading to a series of tragedies. People have been lynched, humiliated, and forced to resign from government jobs. Hindu temples, Sufi shrines and Buddha statues came under attack. While the interim government, headed by peace Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, has taken multiple measures that earned praises from civil society, some trends keep even some of Hasina’s staunchest critics worried.

According to Dhaka-based economist and public intellectual Anu Muhammad, the interim government has taken the right steps to look deeply into the financial crisis, national indebtedness, problems with financing mega projects, agreements and contracts and mega corruption.

He lauded the efforts to reform the election commission, the civil administration and the police force and rewriting the Constitution. Some “good, well-deserved” people have found appointments in top posts in various institutions like Universities and art and culture academies, Muhammad says.

However, he is concerned with the government’s “inability or reluctance” to stop the mob violence, and attacks on religious and ethnic minorities, temples and shrines. He is also worried about the indiscriminate filing of cases against people connected with the previous regime. This he finds a violation of the new government’s promise to ensure free and fair trials of specific responsible persons of the past regime for killing and looting.

“Harassing women for dress, occupation and appearances has become a matter of big concern. The spread of discriminatory oppressive ideas and forces is also a matter of concern,” says Muhammad, a member of the newly formed Ganatantrik Adhikar Committee (Committee for Democratic Rights).

In Bangladesh, Will The August Of Liberation Last?
BY Snigdhendu Bhattacharya

Debates and Diktats

One of the positive aspects a Dhaka-based journalist highlights is the increase in the number of debates and discussions on a range of issues involving a wide variety of forces.

There are demands for rewriting the national socio-political history, re-evaluating major events leading to where the country stands today, identifying the roots of political authoritarianism and the search for the identity of Bangladeshi people and the role of language and religion in shaping politics and identity. People are debating about what the key features of the new Constitution should be.

Leaders of the interim government have argued that during Hasina’s rule, the AL appropriated the whole history of the country’s 1971 liberation war, suppressed the AL’s authoritarian turn during 1972-75 and erased everyone other than Hasina’s family from the history of nation building to create a cult out of her father, Mujibur Rahman, the leader of the Liberation War and Bangladesh’s first President.

This is why an objective history of the country, highlighting the roles of all heroes sidelined in history for so long, has to be rewritten, they have argued. AL supporters have seen in these efforts to erase Mujibur Rahman and the legacy of the 1971 liberation war. Some Islamic radicals have even called for disowning the 1971 ‘independence’ altogether, ob the ground that it came with India’s help.

There are debates about the nature of Islam – how the religion practiced in Bangladesh is different from those of northwest India, Pakistan, and the Arab world. Many such discussions are triggering radical backlashes, who are calling for turning Bangladesh into an Islamic country.

Bangladeshi political expert Mubashar Hasan, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Oslo, Norway, agrees that people are speaking more freely on matters related to politics and governance. “People are enjoying this freedom of expression. No one is spared from criticism,” he tells Outlook.

Hasan, a survivor of the Hasina regime’s enforced disappearance tactics used to silence critics, lauds the Yunus government’s decision to join the Convention against Enforced Disappearance and the move to try those accused of the July-August violence perpetrated by the previous government and ruling party in the International Crimes Tribunal. He appreciates the government’s measures in the economic field, such as initiating talks with Western financial institutions.


Law and Order

Many in Bangladesh believe the Yunus government’s lack of control over law and order stems from its lack of political authority.

They argue that at the core of the interim government are Yunus and three student leaders – Mahfuz Abdullah (Alam), Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmood – from a student organisation, Ganatantrik Chhatra Shakti, launched only last year. It lacks organisational influence outside Dhaka and other varsity towns, even if the leaders enjoy high popularity among the masses.

“Due to their lack of political organisation and authority, they depend heavily on cooperation from the Army and myriad political forces opposed to Hasina, especially Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) and other Muslim groups,” says a Dhaka University professor who does not want to be named.

The professor adds that the government is trying to gain the civil society’s confidence but in the conflict between civil society and undemocratic religious forces, it stands indecisive or infirm. “At present, even the police fear getting mobbed and lynched. Only a government with a clear public mandate can restore law and order. ”

Among the most worrying trends, the professor highlights how the banned international terrorist organisation Hizb-Ut-Tahrir has been publicly holding rallies, displaying the black flag used by West Asian terror groups, and calling for establishing a Caliphate in Bangladesh. Besides, the syllabus reforms committee was dissolved after an Islamic cleric objected to some members for their secular stands.

“No one really knows who is in control. There is a cold tension between all forces. I feel that multiple forces are trying to assert and wrest control but none have it yet,” says a Dhaka-based journalist.

Hasan, however, attributes the Yunus government’s struggles in restoring control over the law and order situation to the police force’s lack of confidence. Many officers remain in hiding due to their brutal crackdown on protesters and are attempting to avoid public backlash and legal procedures, he says.

Those who have returned to duty often remain inactive, even in situations that require a proactive role from law enforcement. This contributed to insecurity among some minorities, as seen in attacks on minority religious groups and followers of Sufi traditions. The government finally granted magistracy power to the Army to improve the situation.

According to Hasan, the most pressing issue is when Bangladesh will hold elections, as at the root of the country’s current crisis lies the absence of a credible election in over a decade. People joined the student movement demanding Hasina’s resignation because they had already been calling for her departure for many months to pave the way for a free and fair election.

“Even during the student agitation, there was no talk of Rashtra Sanskar (state reforms). Their sole demand, which garnered widespread support, was for Hasina’s resignation. This was neither a coup nor a revolution. There was no pre-declared reform agenda—it was a mass uprising. While people want reforms, they also desire a government with a popular mandate to implement them. The government must prioritise conducting a free and fair election,” he tells Outlook.


Behind Bangladesh Protests, The Weight of Deep-Seated Frustrations
BY Rabiul Alam

Changing Political Landscape

Another debate that has gripped Bangladesh is whether the interim government should wait for all its intended reforms before conducting the elections or engage only in the reforms necessary for conducting a free and fair election and then leave the rest on the government form through electoral mandate.

While the main forces behind the uprising are favouring thorough reforms first, major parties like the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which was Hasina’s AL’s chief opponent and is now perceived to be the largest party, prefer the interim government to focus on electoral and administrative reforms necessary for conducting the elections.

Indicating a change in the political landscape, the BNP is increasingly trying to project itself as a liberal democratic force and engaging in conflict with Jamaat-e-Islami, the largest Islamic political party. The JeI was the BNP’s long-term ally against Hasina.

Political observers see in these developments the emergence of new political alignments, in which the BNP stands on one side, the Ganatantrik Chhatra Shakti-backed new political formation on the other, and a JeI-led alliance of Islamic parties as the third force.

While some Ganatantrik Chhatra Shakti leaders and others have argued for banning Hasina’s Awami League from politics, the BNP opposed it, saying it wants the AL to be on the electoral field. Hasina and her collaborators should face free and fair trials but all parties should get a level playing field for the proper restoration of democracy, BNP leaders argued.

BNP leaders believe the AL has earned such notoriety due to its authoritarian rule and the massacre of protesters between July 15 and August 4 that it has no chance of coming anywhere close to power even if allowed to contest.

Parties that had allied with Hasina, though, allege an atmosphere of terror that would not allow them any scope for free and fair participation in the elections. The Yunus government has already issued an arrest warrant against Hasina, who is reportedly living in India since her hurried exit from Bangladesh on August 5. Most other senior AL leaders are either in jail or in hiding. Leaders of some of Hasina’s ally parties have shared the same fate.

Recently, Army Chief Waker-uz-Zaman, while strongly backing the Yunus government, said that he feels the reforms should be completed and a transition to democracy initiated within 12 to 18 months. While Yunus has been evasive on any electoral timeline, the government’s chief law advisor, Dhaka University professor Asif Nazrul told the media that his “primary assumption” says conducting the elections should be possible by the next year.

Whether or when elections or reforms become a new conflict point remains to be seen.

Canada puts remaining Indian diplomats ‘on notice’ to not endanger Canadians

6 diplomats expelled after accusations of violent criminal activities on Canadian soil

Barry Ellsworth |19.10.2024 -


TRENTON, Canada

Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly on Friday put the last of India’s diplomats in the country “on notice” that Canada will not tolerate any more criminal activity on its territory.

The warning follows the expulsion earlier this week of six Indian diplomats after Canada’s national police force said there is ample evidence of murder and extortion by agents in Canada operating on orders from New Delhi.

India’s high commissioner was among those kicked out of Canada after he was identified as a person of interest in the June 18, 2023, assassination of Canadian Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia.

India has hotly denied the charges and it ordered six Canadian diplomats to leave the country.

But Joly said evidence shows that New Delhi has used criminals in Canada for violent acts, including the targeting of Sikh separatists who want to carve out a Sikh state in India.

"There was definitely a threat and that's exactly why the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) decided to take the extraordinary measure of making public the fact that Canadians were being intimidated, victims of extortion or even (received) death threats because agents and diplomats from India were linked to these criminal actions," Joly said at a news conference in Montreal, reported the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

“We’ve never seen that in our history. That level of transnational repression cannot happen on Canadian soil.”

Anadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news stories offered to subscribers in the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), and in summarized form. 

Situationer: Canada’s political spectrum rallies behind Trudeau in India spat

With most major political parties and ‘Five Eyes’ allies backing it, Ottawa seems resolved to not blink first.

Syed Rashid Husain

Published October 19, 2024 

“JUSTIN Trudeau hasn’t always been right on India. But he is this time,” writes the Toronto Star, one of Canada’s leading newspapers, in its editorial. The statement represents the sentiments of the country.

“The details are stunning. Eight people have been charged in Canada with homicides (although the exact number of deaths being investigated was not revealed) and 22 are charged with intimidation, coercion, harassment, and uttering threats. Since Trudeau first went public with allegations that the Indian government was complicit in the murder of Hardeep Singh Najjar… police have warned 13 Canadians from the South Asian diaspora that they are potential targets of Indian agents,” it explains.

While testifying before the Hogue Commission of Inquiry into foreign interference earlier this week, PM Trudeau said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) was committed to disrupting the chain of activities that was resulting in drive-by shootings, home invasions, violent extortion and even murder in and across Canada, particularly in the South Asian community — largely Sikh, but not exclusively the Sikh community.

In recent months, a growing number of extortion cases, mainly targeting South Asian-owned and operated businesses, were also reported in local media. But all such victims were not necessarily of Indian origin.

With most major political parties and ‘Five Eyes’ allies backing it, Ottawa seems resolved to not blink first

The Canadian PM also underlined that Ottawa opted to go public only after its behind-the-scenes efforts to avoid a public feud with New Delhi failed.

Interestingly, despite the deep political divide in the country, and federal elections anticipated to be called anytime, there seems a sense of unity on a single-point agenda: Canada cannot allow such activities on its soil.

Foreign interference is already a touchy subject: in Sept 2023, the Canadian government established the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions.

It was mandated with investigating whether China, Russia and other foreign actors may have interfered with the country’s 2019 and 2021 federal elections.

Five Eyes support

While the US decision to charge former Indian intelligence officer Vikash Yadav for a foiled plot to murder a Sikh separatist in New York has definitely upped the ante, Canada’s concerns are shared by other members of the ‘Five Eyes’ intelligence network, which is openly standing behind the Trudeau government on this.

British and American government officials have repeatedly called on India to cooperate with the ongoing Canadian investigation into allegations of a coordinated intimidation and homicide campaign, with the US State Department calling the allegations “extremely serious.”

New Zealand has also spoken publicly on this issue, which is something of a rarity. Its Foreign Minister Winston Peters issued a statement this week, saying: ’Canada had shared details about the latest criminal investigations, and that “the alleged criminal conduct outlined publicly by Canadian law enforcement authorities if proven, would be very concerning.”

Political spectrum galvanized

New Democrat Party leader Jagmeet Singh, told reporters after an unclassified security briefing on the diplomatic row between Canada and India that the Modi government is “engaging criminal elements in Canada to perpetrate violence against Canadians including …. shootings at Canadians’ homes, killing Canadians, shooting at Canadian businesses, shooting Canadian communities”.

Local media is also reporting that Jodhveer Dhaliwal, a brother-in-law of Jagmeet Singh was also warned by police in May this year of a possible threat to his life.

Jagmeet recommended the federal government immediately ban the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which he termed “a right-wing extremist militant group from India that has branches in other countries, including in Canada, that promotes violence and division”.

Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, who also received an unclassified briefing on the issue, termed the RCMP allegations on India “extremely concerning”, underlining foreign interference must stop and criminal prosecutions should proceed against “anyone and everyone who has threatened, murdered or otherwise harmed Canadian citizens.”

The Conservatives are traditionally regarded as pro-India, and recent polls indicate that Poilievre could very well be the next prime minister of Canada.

Opinion writers are also standing behind the government: India crossed a red line and Canada had to respond decisively, argued Vincent Rigby in Globe and Mail, Canada’s leading national daily.

Comparing the Indian reaction to Canadian allegations, Toronto Star columnist Martin Regg Cohn says that when the US blamed India, “the sounds of India sucking and blowing at the same time are impossible to miss.”

“India is playing the game, because it dare not antagonise America. Canada. however, is expendable — a middle power with no military clout, as desperate as any other Western country to maintain commercial ties with India — which is why India is making an example of us.”

In another opinion piece in the Globe and Mail, titled, ‘This is not a diplomatic spat: it’s state terrorism, and Canada is right to call it out’, columnist Andrew Coyne bluntly asks: “What ‘relationship’ can there be with a government that murders our citizens? Those who counsel timidity in the name of pragmatism, keeping up appearances even as the hit squads are roaming about the countryside, are fooling themselves. If Canada cannot at the very least stand up and call this out, we are only inviting more such contemptuous treatment.”

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2024

Header image: Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, with Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly, and Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs Dominic LeBlanc, takes part in a press conference, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on Oct 14, 2024. — Reuters

 

Ukraine’s Nuclear Meme Wave

UKRAINE HAS NO NUKES!

19.10.2024

Twitter was abuzz with nuclear weapons memes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine’s security hinges on either joining NATO or acquiring nuclear weapons.  

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine’s security relies on either joining NATO or obtaining nuclear weapons. Speaking at the European Council summit, he reminded leaders of Ukraine’s decision to relinquish its Soviet-era nuclear arsenal in 1994 under the Budapest Memorandum, in exchange for security guarantees from Russia, the U.S., and the U.K.

Zelenskyy is depicted turning away from NATO, smiling as he gazes at nuclear weapons.

On Wednesday, Zelenskyy also outlined his Victory plan to the Kyiv parliament, aimed at ending the war with Russia. The plan includes securing a formal invitation to join NATO and continuing arms shipments to pressure Russia into negotiations.

It began seemingly innocently and literally pieces together Zelenskyy’s speech:

However, it quickly evolved into something like this.

Some suggested that, instead of Ukraine joining NATO, it should be NATO invited to join Ukraine.

The most prominent figures of the Ukrainian society were also featured.

This meme features Ukraine’s one of the most influential political figures and fundraiser Serhiy Prytula with his iconic phrase, “The day has come.” The punchline follows with, “We’re raising funds for nukes.”

Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s chief of intelligence and well-known meme figure, shows him emerging from a Boom Surprise chocolate egg—holding a nuclear bomb, adding a humorous twist to his bold reputation.

Budanov also appears in an AI-generated Oppenheimer video humorously titled “Budanov After Being Tasked with Leading Ukraine’s Nuclear Program.”

The creator of the nuclear bomb, Robert Oppenheimer, was humorously “Ukrainianized” by adding traditional Cossack features and changing his last name to “Oppenheimenko,” giving him a playful Ukrainian twist.

The “Ze-bomb” or “Ternopyl-M,” a parody of Russia’s Topol-M missile, humorously combines traditional Ukrainian embroidery with the design elements of Zelenskyy’s party’s election campaign, blending cultural pride with political satire.

Zelenskyy was also depicted as the main character in Stanley Kubrick’s “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb”.

Not only films were referenced, but classic Ukrainian cartoons as well. “The Cossacks” (Ukrainian: Козаки) series, a beloved collection of animated comedy shorts originally produced by Kyivnaukfilm and later by UkrAnimaFilm and Baraban studios, also made an appearance. In the memes, all three iconic Cossacks were humorously depicted carrying nuclear bombs. The original script and direction of the series were created by Volodymyr Dakhno.

NAFO jumped on the trend, rebranding itself with a playful twist as the “North Atomic Fellas Organization and picturing NAFO avatar as a nuclear bomb.

A Finnish NAFO member proposed a clever merch idea: a “MUNA” cap—playing on the word for “egg” in both Finnish and Estonian—with the slogan “Make Ukraine Nuclear Again.” The design humorously parodies the MAGA (Make America Great Again) hats popularized by Trump supporters and also refers to the “Ukraine – a country with balls” slogan.

Pes Patron, Ukraine’s most famous detection dog and mascot for the State Emergency Service, is shown wearing protective gear and a gas mask, with his name playfully changed to Pes PROTON.

“Discussion on nuclear weapons should also be directed against Russia’s nuclear threats. Ukraine points out that it is possible to counterbalance Russia’s nuclear blackmail,” assessed war blogger Rainer Saks. “The Ukrainian president probably got a bit too carried away with his performance. Later, he and several Ukrainian authorities had to confirm that Ukraine is not developing a nuclear bomb and does not plan such activities in the future.”

The actions of meme creators specifically helped to counterbalance Russia’s nuclear blackmail.

If you have encountered any interesting memes, please send them to Propastop, and we will gratefully include them in our post! 

The Brief – Ukraine’s Nuclear Option

It could either become a NATO member or develop nuclear weapons.

by Euractiv | October 19, 2024, 

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses media on October 17, 2024. François WALSCHAERTS / AFP


Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made it plain in Brussels on Oct. 17: if his country does not get a NATO invite immediately, it will develop nuclear weapons.

Facing the press after his participation at the EU summit, Zelenskyy was asked how he hoped to convince the US President, whether Kamala Harris or Donald Trump, that Ukraine should receive an official invitation to join NATO “right now”.

Receiving an invitation to join NATO "right now" is at the top of the five points from his ‘Victory Plan’, which he presented to EU leaders the same day.

He said he would give an example of a conversation he had on this issue.

“I talked to Trump about NATO. There are different signals in the media about his attitude. I gave him the example of the Budapest memorandum,” he said.

Under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, Ukraine surrendered its numerous Soviet-era nuclear weapons in exchange for guarantees from Russia, the US, the UK, France, and China to respect its sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.

But as we all know, none of the Western powers came to the defence of Ukraine when Russia launched its full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022.

"Which country gave up its nuclear weapons? All of them? Only Ukraine. Who is fighting today? Only Ukraine. That is a fact. In my conversation with Donald Trump, I said to him, 'What is the way out?' Either Ukraine will have again nuclear weapons - and then it will be a certain protection for us - or we must have some alliance. Apart from NATO, we do not know any effective alliances today," said Zelenskyy.

Other Topics of Interest
Zelensky's 'Victory Plan' Finds Doubters in Kyiv

Its announcement comes as Ukraine faces mounting pressure to find an exit strategy as its troops suffer battlefield losses and Moscow intensifies its strikes on infrastructure.

But he stressed Ukraine was "choosing NATO", not nuclear weapons, and that Trump heard him.

We can only imagine what Zelenskyy told leaders in private. But from what he said to the press, it is pretty clear that he warned them that Ukraine would either become a member of NATO or develop nuclear weapons.

Newsweek was one of the rare Western publications to print on this issue, titled “Ukraine Issues Nuclear Ultimatum to NATO”. Similar headlines appeared in Eastern European countries, which seem to have a stronger sensibility when it comes to nuclear hard talk.

Presenting the ‘Victory plan’ to the Ukrainian parliament on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said, “For us, determination on the NATO issue for Ukraine also means the inevitability of European integration for Ukraine and the fact that there is no alternative to democracy in Ukraine. And that is why this is the initial point of the Victory Plan. The first and very important. The sign of determination. This is what the invitation is. The unconditional invitation right now.”

The second point of the Victory Plan is about defence.

Zelenskyy told his members of parliament, “The defence point of the plan has a secret annexe, and it is accessible only to those partners who have the appropriate military assistance capabilities.”

This is not very difficult to translate. The partners that have nuclear weapons are the USA, France and the UK.

We already wrote last February – “Brace for nuclear proliferation!”. Where we pointed out that Ukraine a country with historic know-how regarding nuclear and missile technologies, is a country at war when democratic checks and balances take the back seat, so we should not be surprised if they are already working on a nuclear programme.
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Yesterday’s statements seem to confirm our apprehension.

To understand Ukraine’s message - the fifth point of the ‘Victory Plan’ provides some hints, covering the post-war period.

“We envisage if our partners agree, replacing certain military contingents of the United States Armed Forces stationed in Europe with Ukrainian units after the war. Ukrainians have proven that they can be the force that Russian evil cannot overcome,” Zelenskyy said.

That is certainly an offer Trump would like very much.

In essence, he left the impression that he is preparing for all eventualities, including a Trump presidency taking top consideration.

What remains to be seen is the reaction of other NATO partners. Our sources say that some of them find Zelenskyy’s declarations rather reckless.