Alsephina

On October 30, the UN General Assembly once again convened to debate and vote on a non-binding resolution to end the US blockade against Cuba. This year, 187 countries voted in favor of the resolution. The United States and Israel were the only countries to vote against it, and only one country, Moldova, abstained.

Cuba has presented the resolution “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba” every year since 1992 (except 2020), to the UNGA. Every year it passes in an almost unanimous vote, showcasing the international consensus against the US policy.

This year’s resolution comes as Cuba experiences a historic energy crisis and is recovering from the devastating Tropical Storm Oscar. Despite these challenges, Biden refuses to lift the blockade, take Cuba off the State Sponsors of Terrorism list, or lift Trump’s additional 243 sanctions against Cuba. US-based Cuba solidarity activists have organized a fundraiser to deliver essential humanitarian aid to Cuba as it faces these crises.

“US imperialism continues violence & genocide, but the peoples of the world have had enough and call for an end to the blockade,” writes the International Peoples’ Assembly.

Many were pleasantly surprised to see that the far-right government of Argentina supported Cuba’s resolution, abandoning its proclaimed allies Israel and the US. However, hours after the vote, Argentine President Javier Milei announced that he was firing Foreign Minister Diana Mondino because of the vote. Her replacement is Gerardo Werthein, Argentina’s current ambassador to the US who is a businessman and an ideologically committed Zionist.

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China aims to scale up infrastructure construction in uniquely strategic Laos to accelerate trade and investment throughout Southeast Asia as Chinese businesses scout for space to grow offshore, analysts said.

Premier Li Qiang said during a four-day visit to the Southeast Asian nation earlier this month that he would work with Laotian officials to turn Laos from landlocked to “land-linked”, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Laos, relatively undeveloped and small at just 7.4 million people, matters to Beijing because it shares borders not only with China, but also with the larger Southeast Asian economies of Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

“Laos is seen as a transport hub for China to export Chinese products to the other countries in the subregion and import products from those countries to China,” said Supitcha Punya, an assistant professor of political science and public administration with Chiang Mai University in Thailand.

China would eventually add roads, airports and dry ports tethered to a 400km (249 mile), US$5.9 billion railway that was finished in 2021, the Asean+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (Amro) in Singapore said in January last year.

The additions would boost China’s economic reach in Southeast Asia for its own landlocked western regions, said Naubahar Sharif, head of public policy at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) bloc has a combined population of about 673 million, including several manufacturing hubs and some of the world’s fastest growing economies.

Laos is the only Asean nation with a direct railway route from its capital, Vientiane, to China, Sharif added.

A Bangkok-Nong Khai high-speed railway in Thailand is expected to link with the tracks in Laos to make it a “transit point”, giving China access to the Gulf of Thailand, also known as the Gulf of Siam, while also offering a “boost for seaborne trade”, Sharif said.

China is building much of the Thai railway and will help operate it. This month, China and Laos signed a joint statement aimed at improving a “connectivity development corridor” between the two countries and Thailand, according to the official Lao News Agency.

In February, Laos opened its third-largest airport, Bokeo International, which took funding from a Chinese developer.

China could use Laos to transport goods or people into Cambodia, where Chinese have invested heavily in property, analysts said.

In neighbouring Vietnam, a prime destination for Chinese manufacturers keen to sidestep the US-China trade war, officials have approved a high-speed rail project to be synced with tracks in China.

China particularly values the potential for agriculture, energy and tourism in Laos, Punya said.

Laotians, meanwhile, see China as a means to economic growth and job opportunities, the assistant professor said.

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Tehran stressed its right to retaliate against Israeli action but said it was also focused on a lasting ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon.

Iran warned on Saturday it would defend itself after Israeli air strikes killed at least four soldiers and further stoked fears of a full-scale war in the Middle East.

Biden had urged Israel to spare nuclear and oil facilities in its retaliatory strikes and the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that no nuclear sites were hit.

Iran insisted it had the “right and the duty” to defend itself, while its Lebanese ally Hezbollah said it had already launched rocket salvoes targeting five residential areas in northern Israel.

Hezbollah later issued evacuation warnings for more than a dozen named locations in Israel, while the Israeli army made similar warnings for two neighbourhoods in southern Beirut.

Lebanon’s official National News Agency reported early Sunday that Israel had carried out a fresh raid in Beirut’s southern suburbs.

Iran’s armed forces general staff said only radar systems were damaged in the strikes and held back from any threat of immediate retaliation.

“While reserving its legal and legitimate right to respond at the appropriate moment, Iran is prioritising the establishment of a lasting ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon,” it said.

The Israeli retaliation drew condemnation from Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, and Saudi Arabia, which warned against further escalation. Jordan said Israeli jets had not used its airspace.

Turkey was one of the most outspoken critics, calling for an end to “terror created by Israel”.

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Dozens of civilians have been killed and thousands displaced in Sudan’s Gezira state, aid groups said, after several days of attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been battling the army for more than a year.

A union of doctors and a youth group said the RSF attacked several villages and towns in the east-central state of Gezira, looting and vandalising public and private properties, and leaving dozens dead, The Associated Press news agency reported on Saturday.

RSF attacks in al-Sireha, a village in Gezira state, continued for three days, with 50 people killed in one day alone, according to aid groups that have been tracking the deaths and publishing the list, seen by Al Jazeera.

Fighting erupted on April 15, 2023, as a result of a power struggle between the RSF led by Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo and army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Since then, the conflict has displaced more than 10 million people, creating one of the worst global humanitarian crises, according to data from the United Nations.

Since September, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have been pursuing a major offensive to retake areas in and around the capital, Khartoum, from the control of the RSF.

Ted Chaiban, deputy head of UNICEF, the United Nations children’s agency, called for more international attention to “the forgotten crisis” in Sudan.

In an interview with The AP on Friday, Chaiban said the war has created “one of the most acute crises in living memory” with more than 14 million people forced to flee their homes, plunging Sudan into the world’s largest displacement crisis.

About 25.6 million people – more than half of Sudan’s population – are expected to face acute hunger this year due to the conflict.

The UNICEF and the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, are calling for unimpeded access to people in need across the country.

The war has been marked by atrocities such as mass rape and “ethnic cleansing”, which the UN said amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, particularly in the western region of Darfur, which has been facing a bitter onslaught by the RSF.

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Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed met with his Malaysian counterpart on Saturday as he continued his visit to the country.

Following the talks in Putrajaya, Abiy told reporters that both nations had agreed to collaborate further in several sectors including agriculture, industry and trade and investment.

"There are plenty of opportunities from both sides," he said standing alongside Malaysian Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim.

Anwar expressed his gratitude to Abiy for his endorsement for Malaysia's entry into the BRICS bloc of developing economies which recently concluded its summit in Russia.

The alliance that initially included Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa when it was founded in 2009 has expanded to embrace Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

Turkey, Azerbaijan and Malaysia have formally applied to become members, and several other countries have expressed interest in joining.

Malaysia was officially accepted into the organization as a “partner country."

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Israeli fighter jets carried out airstrikes on targets across Iran early Saturday, delivering on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s vow to retaliate for a missile barrage three weeks ago and fanning fear of open conflict between the two longtime adversaries.

Numerous explosions were reported around Tehran in what appeared to be a first wave of strikes. More than an hour later, Israel’s Channel 12 reported more strikes in the city of Shiraz and said dozens of fighter jets were involved. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

A person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified discussing Israel’s operation, said its forces struck missile production facilities and air defense systems. That suggested that Netanyahu held off strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and energy infrastructure as US President Joe Biden had urged.

The early morning strikes fulfilled Netanyahu’s promise to hit back after Iran fired about 200 ballistic missiles at Israel on Oct. 1. The Islamic Republic said that attack was a reprisal after days of military and intelligence operations that killed Hezbollah militia members in Lebanon, which is Tehran’s most important proxy group and is deemed a terrorist organization by the US.

Iran “reserves the right to respond to any form of aggression,” the official Tasnim news agency said. Civilian flights in Iran were canceled until further notice.

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The African Union (AU) wants all remaining sanctions imposed against Zimbabwe to be lifted immediately and unconditionally.

In a statement issued on Friday to mark SADC Anti-Sanctions Day, AU Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat expressed concern about the negative impact of continued sanctions on Zimbabwe’s socio-economic development and recovery efforts.

October 25 has been designated by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) as SADC Anti-Sanctions Day to protest against the sanctions imposed by the West.

Mahamat also encouraged all parties to continue constructive dialogue to remove the remaining sanctions imposed on Zimbabwean individuals and institutions.

“The Chairperson reaffirms the full support of the African Union to the Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) efforts in this regard, and aligns fully with the position of SADC on the issue.”

Mahamat’s call echoed a similar one by Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who said the sanctions “violate the basic tenets of international law and the Charter of the United Nations.”

“I implore all progressive countries to continue rendering their principled support to enable Zimbabwe and the SADC region to meaningfully contribute to the socio-economic development of the region and the world,” Mnangagwa said in an address on Thursday.

In March, the U.S. imposed sanctions on 11 Zimbabweans, including Mnangagwa and Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, over alleged human rights abuses and corruption. The executive order signed by President Joe Biden, however, ended a sanctions program on Zimbabwe that had been in force since 2003.

There are other sanctions maintained on Zimbabwe through the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001.

Indonesia has started the process of becoming part of the BRICS in a sign of growing influence for the group that’s positioned itself as an alternative to the US-led global order.

Southeast Asia’s largest economy expressed its interest in joining the bloc at the BRICS Plus Summit in Kazan, Russia on Thursday, according to newly-appointed Indonesia Foreign Minister Sugiono.

BRICS, led by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is the “right vehicle” to advance the interests of the Global South, Sugiono said in a statement. The bloc also backs new Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto’s priorities, including food and energy security, poverty eradication and improving human capital, he added.

“Joining BRICS is a manifestation of Indonesia’s free and active foreign policy,” said Sugiono who goes by one name.

The starting the process to join BRICS marks the first foreign policy move by the Prabowo government. It would be a major win for BRICS should Indonesia join its ranks. Within Southeast Asia alone, Thailand — a US treaty ally — and Malaysia have also expressed interest to join.

In his speech at the BRICS Plus Summit in Kazan, Sugiono underlined Indonesia’s solidarity with Palestine and Lebanon, and reiterated calls for a ceasefire. “Indonesia cannot remain silent while these atrocities continue without anyone being held accountable,” he said.

The worsening conflict in the Middle East continues to be a major issue for Indonesia, home to one of the world’s largest Muslim populations.

Still, Indonesia has said it would continue to engage with other multilateral groups. Prabowo is set to attend the Group of 20 Summit in Brazil in November. The country is also going through the accession process for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

“It does not mean that we join a certain camp, but we actively participate in all forums,” Sugiono said.

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China and India are pulling back troops from the two remaining friction points along the disputed Himalayan border, days after the leaders of the two countries met.

Troops deployed toe-to-toe are moving back and temporary structures built during a four-year stalemate at the border are to be dismantled, senior Indian officials said, asking not to be identified as the discussions are private.

Earlier this week, the two nuclear-armed neighbors announced they’d reached an agreement to resume normal border patrols, easing a standoff that began in 2020 when clashes left 20 Indian and at least four Chinese soldiers dead. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi followed up with their first formal meeting in two years on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan on Wednesday.

The latest agreement won’t involve the several no-patrol zones along the border created in the last four years to prevent further clashes between troops, the people said, adding that future talks will address the buffer zones.

Pulling back troops from the friction points will take a few days, after which patrolling will start, the people said. Military commanders from both sides will continue to discuss confidence-building measures to further prevent clashes, they said.

The border agreement has raised expectations that India will ease investment restrictions on Chinese businesses, although government officials have indicated there won’t be any immediate moves. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India’s external affairs minister, said earlier this month that a lack of trust has damaged economic ties with neighbors, without referring directly to China.

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On October 21, left-wing parties in India held a protest and sit-in outside the Adani-Elbit factory in Hyderabad, Telangana, demanding an immediate ban on all weapon supplies to Israel. The protesters, carrying flags and banners depicting Israel’s massacre of Palestinians, chanted slogans condemning Israel’s Zionist regime and its collaboration with India.

S. Veeraiah, a leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Telangana, addressed the protesters, saying that while India has historically supported Palestine, the Narendra Modi government now stands by genocide. He urged opposition parties, including Congress, to unite against imperialist attacks.

Adani Defense and Aerospace (ADA), an Indian company, has allegedly been supplying large quantities of arms to Israel, violating international law and India’s stated position on Palestine. ADA’s joint venture with Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems, Adani-Elbit Advanced Systems India Limited, is a supplier of Hermes 900 drones, reportedly used in Israel’s wars in Gaza and Lebanon.

Critics claim India’s abstention from voting in favor of the UN Human Rights Commission resolution in April this year, calling for an immediate ceasefire and arms embargo, was due to its arms exports to Israel. Having supported a Gaza ceasefire at the UN General Assembly late last year, India’s position remains inconsistent.

Left parties and civil society groups oppose the Modi government’s policy shift on Israel-Palestine, including alleged arms deliveries which have helped to prolong the Israeli genocide in Palestine. They held a press conference in August, criticizing India’s growing ties with Israel and distancing itself from its historical support for Palestinian resistance. Nationwide protests were also organized by the left on the anniversary of the beginning of Israel’s genocide on October 7.

Modi’s pro-Zionist stance has sparked government crackdowns on anti-Israel protests, with arrests and detentions of protesters and the criminalization of Palestinian resistance symbols.

India was one of the first countries to recognize the Palestinian state, supporting a two-state solution and viewing the Palestinian liberation movement as an anti-colonial struggle. However, since the rise of the Hindu-supremacist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2014, India has grown closer to the Zionist regime, developing defense and other partnerships.

While the government has not confirmed or denied supplying arms to Israel, numerous national and international reports indicate it is doing precisely that. Last month, India’s top court dismissed a petition to halt weapon exports to Israel – filed by a group of retired diplomats, academicians and activists – arguing that foreign policy is the executive’s domain.

Additionally, India has facilitated the recruitment of thousands of Indian workers for low-paid jobs in Israel, following the ban on Palestinian workers from occupied territories since the war began. Despite opposition from left parties and civil society, the government calls these jobs a “golden opportunity” for Indian youth.

With arms wide open to Global South nations, Beijing is growing increasingly louder in calling for a bigger role in multilateral financial architecture, analysts say as they point to China’s slow progress in securing a bigger voice in the Western-dominated World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

Their assessments were underpinned by President Xi Jinping’s strongly worded speech on Wednesday at a Brics summit in Kazan, Russia, where he spoke out against stalled reform of the global governance system while trying to rally the efforts of key emerging markets to “push forward the international financial system to better reflect changes in the global economic landscape”.

The speech also sent a strong message to the World Bank and IMF, which are holding annual meetings this week that have brought hundreds of officials from across the globe to Washington to discuss the state of the global economy, public debt and financial risks. The gatherings also serve to reflect on institutional reform as the Bretton Woods system turns 80.

China, which accounts for around 17 per cent of the world’s gross domestic product and annually contributes to around 30 per cent of global growth, is often regarded as under-represented in the two key institutions – its voting power in the IMF, for instance, is now 6.08 per cent, compared with 6.14 per cent for Japan and 16.49 per cent for the US.

“It’s likely for China’s voting power to be raised. But we should not take it too seriously,” said Chen Fengying, a senior researcher with China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, explaining that there are some institutions in which China simply would not be given a leading role.

Beijing’s policy circle and researchers typically point to tensions with the United States fanning a wide range of worries, from dollar weaponisation to threats of financial sanctions.

Traditionally, presidents of the World Bank are from the United States, while IMF managing directors are from Europe. Some Chinese now hold high positions such as deputy president or deputy managing director.

At an event hosted by Renmin University last weekend, Chinese academics continued to push for de-dollarisation, and also for cross-border settlement among Brics countries, an association comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and some other emerging economies.

In Wednesday’s speech, Xi mentioned that a slew of cooperation networks will be set up within the Brics framework, and he emphasised the importance of empowering the Shanghai-based New Development Bank (NDB), in which China holds an 18.98 per cent stake – the same as Russia, India, Brazil and South Africa.

China is also the largest individual shareholder of the Beijing-headquartered Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), with a voting power of 26.6 per cent.

The nine-year-old AIIB has expanded its membership to 110, becoming the world’s second-largest multilateral development bank after the World Bank Group, in terms of membership.

“China is not looking to build a new world order from scratch,” he wrote in an article in Enhancing Global Governance in a Fragmented World, an open-access book published this summer.

Instead, it “emphasises reforms to dispute-settlement mechanisms under existing rules, especially within the framework of the UN and the WTO”.

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Russia has set out proposals for a unified depository and clearance system for BRICS countries, as it seeks to persuade member nations to deepen financial cooperation without the involvement of the West.

President Vladimir Putin is hosting the first summit since BRICS expanded to nine members in January, with the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia joining Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa in the organization. He said Wednesday that the group’s development showed that a “multipolar world” is emerging, in a challenge to the existing US-dominated global order.

While it’s technically feasible, there’s little sign most BRICS members beyond sanctioned Russia and Iran are interested in joining a common depository, said Oleg Vyugin, a former top Bank of Russia official.

Russia has a clear interest in developing alternative financial structures to bypass unprecedented sanctions imposed by the US and its Group of Seven allies after Putin ordered the February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Alternative payment systems “may not provide the immunity from sanctions that is anticipated,” said Tom Keatinge, director of the Centre for Finance and Security at the Royal United Services Institute in London. “With the US — and increasingly the UK and EU — developing sanctions and export control mechanisms that have extraterritorial reach, Western sanctions could still have an impact.”

Officials from central banks of BRICS states next plan to discuss the unified payment system in December, according to the person familiar.

While the process is challenging and slow, as individual countries have different technological and security protocols as well as laws and financial regulations, a partially integrated payment system is a possibility and could boost trade between BRICS members by 5%-7%, the person said.

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