Hamas Recruited 10,000+ Fighters During 15-month War with 'Israel'

By Al Mayadeen English

24 Jan 2025 23:45

US intelligence agencies have been monitoring the group's recruitment efforts, which suggest that Hamas remains capable of replenishing its ranks, continuing to pose a formidable challenge to "Israel."

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has reportedly recruited between 10,000 and 15,000 new members during its ongoing defense against "Israel," two congressional sources familiar with US intelligence briefings told Reuters. 

These figures reflect the resilience of the Resistance movement in maintaining its operational capabilities despite enduring heavy losses.

According to the report, US intelligence agencies have been monitoring the group's recruitment efforts, which suggest that Hamas remains capable of replenishing its ranks, continuing to pose a formidable challenge to "Israel."

The information was shared in a series of intelligence updates provided during the final weeks of the Biden administration.

While the resistance movement has successfully added to its ranks, many of the new recruits are described as young and lacking proper training, with most being assigned to basic security roles, according to Reuters' sources.

This nonetheless demonstrates the movement's ability to adapt and prepare the next generation of Resistance fighters amidst a prolonged war.

The war, which has caused extensive destruction in Gaza and intensified regional tensions, has paused under a ceasefire agreement that began on Sunday after 15 months of battles.

Despite this, Hamas's demonstrated resilience and ability to recover from significant losses signal its continued presence as a key force of resistance in the face of ongoing challenges.

Thousands of Endangered Tortoises are Rescued in Madagascar After Their Sanctuary is Flooded

By GERALD IMRAY

3:03 PM EST, January 24, 2025

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — A community in southern Madagascar has pulled together to save thousands of critically endangered tortoises swept away from their sanctuary and left swimming for their lives in floods this month caused by a tropical cyclone.

The 12,000 radiated and spider tortoises that were housed at the Lavavolo Tortoise Center had been confiscated from illegal wildlife traffickers but faced a new and unexpected ordeal when Cyclone Dikeledi hit the southern part of the Indian Ocean island in mid-January. Flood waters a meter (3.2 feet) high engulfed the sanctuary, and the tortoises — many of them mere whippersnappers in the tortoise world at about 25-50 years old — were carried away.

Sanctuary staff, members of the community and even police officers joined together in a rescue operation, wading through the water with large containers to collect the bewildered tortoises. Some rescuers converted damaged building structures into makeshift rafts for the tortoises to ride on as they moved around to find others.

Hery Razafimamonjiraibe, the Madagascar director for the Turtle Survival Alliance, which runs the sanctuary, said they were optimistic that they had saved more than 10,000 tortoises, although they still had to do an official count. That’s not easy, he said, as tortoises can move faster than you think when they want to and rarely cooperate.

The rescuers had recovered around 700 dead tortoises so far, which Razafimamonjiraibe said were trapped by rocks and debris in the floods.

“Fortunately, most of the tortoises were able to float,” Razafimamonjiraibe said. “Tortoises are actually very good swimmers,” he added. “You should see them.”

While most of the tortoises have been returned to the sanctuary, the floods were a blow to the center, which has lost much of its infrastructure, said the Turtle Survival Alliance.

Lavavolo Tortoise Center underwent a major renovation in 2018 when authorities seized a group of 10,000 radiated tortoises from wildlife traffickers and needed somewhere to keep them. More confiscated tortoises arrived later.

Most of the tortoises at Lavavolo are radiated tortoises, which are native to Madagascar. They generally grow to about 30 centimeters (11.8 inches) in length but are long-lived and can reach 100 years or more.

British explorer Captain James Cook is believed to have given a radiated tortoise to the Tongan royal family as a gift in 1777. The tortoise reportedly died in 1966 at the age of 188.

Radiated and spider tortoises are critically endangered in Madagascar because of habitat destruction and poaching. They are eaten, but also illegally trafficked to be sold as pets because of the striking yellow and black markings on their shells, Razafimamonjiraibe said.

There were once tens of millions of radiated tortoises in Madagascar, the Turtle Alliance said, but their numbers have been drastically reduced and they’ve disappeared from 65% of their natural habitat.

Killed for Fighting Corruption, a Congolese Man Made a Martyr is Inspiring a New Generation

By JUSTIN KABUMBA

9:39 AM EST, January 24, 2025

GOMA, Congo (AP) — When Floribert Bwana Chui Bin Kositi was asked in 2007 to allow spoiled rice from Rwanda to be transported across the border to the eastern Congo city of Goma, he knew the risks of resisting corruption, especially as a government worker. He refused nonetheless.

It didn’t take long before he was kidnapped; days later, his body was found by colleagues at the Office Congolais de Contrôle, the agency that monitors the quality of products. Nearly two decades after his death, he is being celebrated in the central African country and beyond following Pope Francis’ recent approval of his beatification. It’s a step toward possible sainthood, a status no one from Congo has ever achieved.

In the conflict-battered Goma, where years of war have increased desperation and corruption, Kositi’s designation as a martyr has eased some of the pain caused by his death.

“Floribert was murdered in very difficult circumstances,” said Yack’s Jean Jacques, his former colleague in Goma. Jacques recalled the wounds in Kositi’s body when they found him after a dayslong search.

“He left us a fight that we must all continue as Christians, as people, as young people in the province of North Kivu,” said Jacques, referring to the war-ravaged province where Kositi lived most of his 25 years before being killed.

Pope Francis recognized Kositi as a martyr late last year, setting him on the path to beatification. The move fits into the pope’s broader definition of martyr as a social justice concept, paving the way for others deemed to have been killed for doing God’s work, to be considered for sainthood.

The Rev. Francesco Tedeschi, an Italian priest who is spearheading the beatification cause as the postulator, said the Vatican decree of martyrdom indeed recognizes Kositi died out of hatred for the faith, because his decision to not accept the spoiled food was profoundly inspired by the Gospel.

“How much spoiled food, how much expired medicine, how many discarded things are sent to these places because there is this conception that these lives there aren’t as worthy?” Tedeschi said. “And yet Floribert, in his Christianity, wanted to put the value of the lives of these people, and above all the poorest, at the center.”

Tedeschi, who knew Kositi’s through their work together with the Sant’Egidio Community, said he was a model for today’s young people in Congo, who are constantly tempted by corruption in a country ranked among the poorest in the world. At least 70% of its people lived on less than $2.15 a day in 2024, according to the World Bank.

Kositi “could have earned a lot of money and made a nice life. Instead, he chose to be a witness to the Gospel,” Tedeschi said. If in the past the Catholic Church identified martyrs who refused to kneel down to false idols, “the idol to which he refused to kneel down was the idol of money.”

Tedeschi confirmed that Kositi could be the first Congolese saint, but noted there are several other Congolese who have been beatified before him. And regardless, the Vatican must confirm a miracle attributed to his intercession after he is beatified before he could be canonized, a process that can take decades or more.

“We feel relieved today to see that our son has been recognized worldwide for the benefits he has brought,” Kositi’s mother, Gertrude Kamara Ntawiha, said in December when a memorial Mass was celebrated in his honor at Goma’s Sainte-Esprit Catholic parish.

The Mass brought together family, friends and community members. They reminisced about Kositi’s life, drawing from it lessons about his fight against corruption and inspiration for his martyrdom.

“We can have saints here, we can have blessed people here in Goma, it’s not impossible,” Abbé Jean Baptiste Bahati, a Catholic priest, said during the commemoration.

Being declared a martyr exempts the sainthood candidate from the requirement that a miracle must be attributed to their intercession before they are beatified, thereby fast-tracking the process to get to the first step of sainthood.

Several others have been declared martyrs under the redefinition of the word, including El Salvador Archbishop Oscar Romero who was killed in 1980 for his preaching against the repression of the poor at the start of the country’s civil war as well as St. Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish priest who traded his life for that of a married man in 1941. Kolbe was beatified under normal procedures in 1971 before St. John Paul II announced that he would be venerated as a martyr when he canonized him in 1982.

They have a common bond: A life lost fighting for the poor and the less privileged.

It is the ethos that Pope Francis encouraged Congolese people to emulate when he visited the country in 2023.

“He could easily have turned a blind eye; nobody would have found out, and he might even have gotten ahead as a result,” the pope said of Kositi. “But since he was a Christian, he prayed. He thought of others and he chose to be honest, saying no to the filth of corruption.”

That cause lives on at the Floribert Bwana Chui School of Peace in Goma. Named after Kositi, the school aims to advance the social justice and welfare that he fought for, with hundreds of children displaced or orphaned by war under its care.

“Floribert is an example,” said Aline Minani, part of the Sant’Egidio community of laypeople that runs the school. “Through this school, we continue to live and pass on Floribert’s values to these children.”

___

Associated Press journalists Nicole Winfield in Rome and Chinedu Asadu in Abuja, Nigeria, contributed.

Governor of DR Congo’s North Kivu Province Dies of His Wounds in Fighting with Rebels, Authorities Say

By JUSTIN KABUMBA and MARK BANCHEREAU

1:09 PM EST, January 24, 2025

GOMA, Congo (AP) — The governor of eastern Congo’s North Kivu province has died from injuries sustained during fighting on the front line, a military spokesman said Friday, as M23 rebels closed in on the provincial capital.

M23 made significant territorial gains in recent weeks, encircling Goma, which has around 2 million people and is a regional hub for security and humanitarian efforts.

The circumstances around the death of Maj. Gen Peter Cirimwami were unclear but Cirimwami, who led army operations in the restive North Kivu, visited troops on the front line in Kasengezi, around 13 kilometers (8 miles) from Goma, on the day of his death.

The governor died at a hospital after sustaining injuries on the front line, officials said. The Congolese army spokesperson, Gen. Sylvain Ekenge, confirmed Cirimwami’s death.

“He fell on the field of honor,” Ekenge said in a video posted by Congo’s presidency on X, adding that the governor succumbed to his injuries after being evacuated from the fighting.

On Thursday, panic spread in Goma as rebels took control of Sake, a town only 27 kilometers (16 miles) from the provincial capital and one of the last main routes into the city still under government control, according to the U.N. chief.

M23 is one of about 100 armed groups that have been vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo, along the border with Rwanda, in a decadeslong conflict that has created one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.

More than 7 million people have been displaced by the fighting. Earlier this month, M23 captured the towns of Minova, Katale and Masisi, west of Goma.

M23 seized Goma in 2012 and controlled it for over a week.

Congo, the United States and U.N. experts accuse Rwanda of backing M23, which is mainly composed of ethnic Tutsis who broke away from the Congolese army over a decade ago.

Rwanda’s government denies the claim but last year admitted that it has troops and missile systems in eastern Congo to safeguard its security, pointing to a buildup of Congolese forces near the border. U.N. experts estimate there are up to 4,000 Rwandan forces in Congo.

The city of Goma was gripped by palpable tension as clashes between Congo’s armed forces and M23 raged on in the city’s periphery on Friday.

The fighting is concentrated in Kibumba, around 25 kilometers (15 miles) north of Goma, and around Sake, to the west.

More than 178,000 people have fled M23 advance in the last two weeks.

Alliance Gentil, 25, was among dozens of displaced people on the road from Sake to Goma on Friday. Sitting on her water container next to her belongings, a baby on her back, she said she is tired of constantly fleeing.

“I am fleeing, but I don’t know where I am going,” the mother of two children said, adding that she already fled twice in the last month.

The front line near Goma is just a few dozen meters (yards) from the Lushagala and Bulengo displaced people camps, fueling fear among those who sought safety near the provincial capital.

Tens of thousands more arrived in recent weeks in the camps in Goma and its periphery, which were already home to nearly 600,000 displaced people, according to the U.N. refugee agency.

The explosions of heavy weapons resonated throughout Goma on Friday. Many shops and stores remained closed and police were deployed on the city’s main streets.

Military checkpoints were set up throughout the city, checking all vehicles.

What to Know About the Escalating Conflict in Eastern DR Congo as Rebels Close in On Goma

By MONIKA PRONCZUK and MARK BANCHEREAU

4:46 PM EST, January 24, 2025

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Fighting has escalated sharply in recent weeks in eastern Congo, where rebels have seized key towns and are closing in on the city of Goma, the government’s last stronghold in the region bordering Rwanda.

The offensive by the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group has stretched local hospitals to the limit, with hundreds of wounded coming in every day as civilians get caught in the crossfire. Thousands have been displaced, exacerbating an existing humanitarian crisis and prompting fears of an all-out regional war.

Here is what to know about the fighting:

What’s happening on the ground?

Explosions from Goma’s outskirts have been reverberating across the city of 2 million people this week. Schools and stores are closed and police are out in full force. Military checkpoints, erected overnight, stop and check all vehicles.

On Friday, the governor of eastern Congo’s North Kivu province, where Goma is the provincial capital, died of wounds sustained on the front line. The circumstances of Maj. Gen Peter Cirimwami’s death were not immediately known — he was visiting troops fighting the rebels when he was wounded.

On Thursday, the rebels seized Sake, a town only 27 kilometers (16 miles) from Goma, sending panic surging as concerns mounted that the city could soon fall. Earlier in the week, they captured Minova, a strategically important port on the shores of Lake Kivu, and also the towns of Katale and Masisi, west of Goma.

Most of the fighting between the Congolese army and the rebels on Friday was focused on Kibumba, a town about 25 kilometers (15 miles) north of Goma, and also around Sake.

Who are the rebels and what do they want?

The M23 rebels — or The March 23 Movement — is one of about 100 armed groups vying for a foothold in the mineral-rich region in a decades-long conflict in eastern Congo. In recent weeks, the rebels have made significant territorial gains, seizing towns and villages and encircling Goma.

The group was created in 2012 after the failed integration of ethnic Tutsis who broke away from the Congolese army. It claims to defend Tutsi from discrimination but critics say it’s a pretext for Rwanda to obtain economic and political influence over eastern Congo.

“Studies have long highlighted the smuggling of resources” from Congo into Rwanda, said Ladd Serwat, senior Africa analyst with U.S.-based Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project. “Congolese officials increasingly accuse Rwanda of pursuing control over the region’s resources and aiming to annex parts” of Congo.

In territories under its control, M23 implements its own tax system, runs a local government and controls natural resources.

What’s the role of neighboring Rwanda?

Congo, the United States and U.N. experts accuse Rwanda of backing the M23, which had only hundreds of members in 2021. Now, according to the United Nations, the group has around 6,500 fighters.

While Rwanda denies that claim, it acknowledged last year that it has troops and missile systems in eastern Congo, allegedly to safeguard its security. U.N. experts estimate there are up to 4,000 Rwandan forces in Congo.

Serwat, the Africa analyst, says that Rwanda’s engagement has brought it into direct conflict with Congolese forces, “escalating political tensions” between the neighbors.

A “declaration of war” by Congo against Rwanda would risk turning “into a regional conflict in East Africa,” said Darren Davids, an analyst with the Economist Intelligence Unit.

People are fleeing fighting again

The U.N. refugee agency says more than 400,000 people have been displaced in eastern Congo since the beginning of the year, exacerbating “desperate conditions” in severely overcrowded displacement centers in and around Goma and triggering an increase in cholera cases.

Jean Claude Bauma, 35, fled Masisi when M23 overran the town and was staying with his family at the Nzulo camp for the displaced on the outskirts of Goma. But relentless shelling near the camp forced the father of five to flee into the city center this week.

“We fear for our lives, since the birth of my children, we have been fleeing the war,” Bauma told the AP. “This time ... if it’s to die, I will die here.”

Why is Goma important for the rebels?

The city is a regional hub for trade, security and humanitarian efforts, and its airport is key for transporting supplies.

Back in 2012, the rebels seized Goma and controlled it for about a week but after mounting international pressure on Rwanda — including suspension of aid from the United States and Britain — the M23 surrendered the city.

Since 2021, Congo’s government and allied forces, including Burundian troops and U.N. troops, have been keeping the rebels away from Goma.

“The capture of such a large city” will certainly be a huge boost for the rebels and a major defeat of the government forces, said Davids, the economist.

Its fall would also have a “catastrophic impact on hundreds of thousands of civilians, putting them at risk of heightened exposure to human rights violations and abuses,” said Ravina Shamdasani of the U.N. human rights office.

Francois Moreillon, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross for Congo, said he’s worried also that ICRC staff running the main hospital in Goma would have to evacuate. If the hospital and the staff were no longer safe, who would treat the patients, he asked.

“This situation is simply unacceptable,” Moreillon said.

Why is News of Overseas Talents Coming to China ‘Trending’?: Global Times Editorial

By Global Times

Jan 24, 2025 12:20 AM

Illustration: Liu Xidan/GT

Recently, the news of several outstanding talents who graduated from Peking University and Tsinghua University returning to China from abroad has attracted attention. A closer look at the websites of domestic universities reveals that headlines about the return of overseas research talent have been "trending." Many of these individuals are in the prime of their careers and have the potential to make substantial contributions. Some are chief scientists at renowned international companies, while others have secured tenured positions at world-class research institutions. Behind the "trending" lies a resonance among various talents regarding China's innovation ecosystem, as well as a significant test of the openness and innovative capabilities of this great Eastern technological power. The curtain has already risen on a new era of globalization, and China is actively participating, poised to exert an even greater siphoning effect on this wave.

From mathematics, physics, and biomedical science to environmental science, materials science, and artificial intelligence, the expertise of these scholars returning to China spans diverse disciplines, often venturing into interdisciplinary areas such as business. At a time when China is in the critical stage of comprehensively deepening reforms, technological innovation has become a core driving force for promoting high-quality development. Their return will undoubtedly contribute to the development of new quality productive forces and facilitate the transformation of the Chinese economy and the upgrading of industries. Their global perspectives and experiences complement and resonate with domestic talent, fostering the integration of related disciplines and promoting a virtuous cycle of academic development. With an open mind-set to "welcome heroes from all walks of life" and an innovative environment to "build nests to attract phoenixes," China is collaborating with global talent to advance development. The positive impact of these efforts is already evident. Scientists returning to China have also expressed that the continuously rising academic strength and talent treatment in the country are attractive to them.

Over the past year, not only have returned talents chosen to teach in China, but also some leading figures in the global technology field, such as French physicist and Nobel laureate Gérard Mourou and Kenji Fukaya, a member of the Japanese National Academy of Sciences. The reasons China is attracting them lie in both hardware and software conditions. Some foreign experts remarked that they came to "the right place at the right time," enabling them to realize their aspirations. From collaboration and exchange in basic research to joint efforts on cutting-edge technological projects, China is opening its arms to global talent comprehensively and at multiple levels.

Compared to developed countries, China still has a significant gap in attracting and utilizing talent. However, the continuous influx of top talent in recent years indicates that China's competitiveness and influence are steadily increasing. According to statistics, from 2020 to 2024, the number of leading scientists in China increased from 18,805 to 32,511, with its global share rising from 16.9 percent to 27.9 percent. This indicates a significant shift in global talent dynamics. None of this is coincidental. Some foreign media outlets said that today's China is no longer just the "world's factory" or "a giant market for the world's companies;" it is increasingly becoming the "world's research-and-development laboratory."

China's complete industrial categories provide an excellent environment for the transformation of technology and productivity. The enormous demand generated by the development of new quality productive forces offers a platform and space for ambitious and capable talents to engage in entrepreneurship. From Zhongguancun in Beijing to Nanshan in Shenzhen, and from Zhangjiang in Shanghai to Future Sci-Tech City in Hangzhou, numerous internationally influential innovation clusters in China have brought together many universities, research institutions, and upstream and downstream enterprises within the industrial chain. Many of these are among the Fortune Global 500, continuously radiating their attractiveness outward.

More importantly, China has an open attitude toward welcoming global talent. We will not shut our doors to innovation, nor will we allow technology to become a tool for seeking hegemony or to suppress the development of other countries. Attracted by China's opening-up policies, many multinational companies, such as Volkswagen, Apple, and AstraZeneca, have established R&D centers in China, making it a true "hotbed of innovation." Upholding the concept that "science knows no borders and benefits all humanity," we not only "bring in" talent but also continuously "go out," promoting international innovation cooperation and facilitating the sharing of technological achievements. We have established scientific and technological cooperation relationships with over 160 countries and regions, particularly strengthening the sharing of technological achievements and applications with countries in the "Global South." The aim is to bridge the technological divide and prevent technological innovation from becoming a "game for the rich countries and people," ensuring that technology serves as a positive force for promoting the common good of humanity.

In the early years following the founding of the People's Republic of China, a large number of outstanding scientists, including Qian Xuesen, Deng Jiaxian and Li Siguang, returned to the country to contribute to its development, leaving indelible marks in history. Today, we see this legacy reflected in the talents returning from overseas, especially among the younger generation. "Returning to conduct the best research" - we have seen unprecedented demand for talent, and strong encouragement across various industries for individuals to take initiative and start their own ventures. For ambitious and aspiring talents, this is the springtime to showcase their abilities.

GT Voice: Supply Chain Co-op Key to Hedging Against Tariff Barrier Challenges

By Global Times

Jan 23, 2025 11:48 PM

Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

At a time when the global trade system is facing another round of tariff barrier challenges, the urgency for China and the US to seek new opportunities for cooperation, rather than falling into a tariff war that sees no winner, is becoming increasingly prominent.

US consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble (P&G) will look to hike prices on its household basics if US President Donald Trump imposes new tariffs that increase the cost of imports, P&G's chief financial officer said on Wednesday, according to a Reuters report. The company usually buys inputs like chemicals, razor blades and small electronics from around the world and manufactures the final product closer to consumers in local factories.

P&G's situation to a certain extent reflects the concerns that American companies have regarding the challenges of cost surges posed by Trump's proposed round of new tariffs. 

Trump on Tuesday voiced his latest threats for a new February 1 deadline for 25 percent tariffs against Canada and Mexico, as well as duties on products from China and the EU, according to Reuters. 

In response to a question regarding reported Trump's tariff plan, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday that "We believe that there's no winner in a trade or tariff war, and we firmly uphold our national interests."

Over the years, the tariff policies adopted by the US have proven to be an unsustainable option. Continuing to raise tariffs will not only harm the interests of businesses but will also risk escalation into a global tariff war, potentially inflicting significant damage on the global economy.

What China and the US truly need is a collaborative effort to alleviate the uncertainties that companies from both nations face regarding trade and investment and strengthen supply chain cooperation. It is essential to emphasize that cooperation between China and the US must be grounded in the principles of equality, mutual benefit and win-win outcomes. Neither side can effectively resolve differences and issues through threats or by forcing the other side to make concessions. 

In recent months, the looming threat of potential tariffs has sparked widespread concerns across the globe. The potential new tariffs will not only trigger a chain reaction in the US commercial sector but will also send ripples throughout the global supply chain. From raw material suppliers to consumers, everyone could feel the chill of dramatic changes in the global trade environment in the near future.

Nevertheless, a notable trend is that many US importers have rushed in goods from China in response to the potential tariff barriers, aiming to lock in supply chain costs before any release of new tariff policies. For instance, US sunscreen maker Edgewell said in November 2024 that it was looking to reach new two- to three-year contracts for Chinese chemicals to help control costs ahead of possible tariffs.

This indicates that despite the US attempt to reshape the global trade landscape through tariff policies, companies' reliance on global supply chains, particularly on Chinese supply chains, remains a key factor in maintaining their market competitiveness. Behind this phenomenon is the recognition of the stability and efficiency of the Chinese supply chain by American businesses, thanks to the former's comprehensive industrial system and strong manufacturing capabilities.

The potential consequences of the US tariff policies on major trading partners are already evident. The imposition of tariffs will directly lead to increased import costs for American businesses, which will ultimately pass these costs on to American consumers, contributing to inflation. Furthermore, the additional tariffs will cause disruption to established supply chains, increasing operational costs for businesses.

More importantly, the unilateral imposition of tariffs by the US undermines the foundation of international cooperation, further squeezing the space for collaboration, particularly China-US economic and trade cooperation. As one of the most important bilateral economic and trade relationships in the world, China-US trade holds significant importance for the stability and prosperity of both countries and the global economy. Tariffs will only exacerbate divisions, which will be detrimental to the development of China-US economic and trade cooperation and bring great uncertainty to the global economic recovery.

Thus, it is increasingly urgent for China and the US to explore and expand avenues of cooperation that can enhance stability and certainty in their bilateral economic and trade relations. This approach aligns with the fundamental interests of both peoples and is vital for maintaining the stability and prosperity of the global economy.

China Becomes Largest Online Retail Market for 12 Consecutive Years

By Xinhua

Jan 25, 2025 07:38 AM

A press conference on ensuring market supply and promoting consumption during the Spring Festival is held by the State Council Information Office in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Pan Xu)

China has become the world's largest online retail market for 12 consecutive years, with online retail sales reaching 15.5 trillion yuan (about 2.16 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2024, the Ministry of Commerce said Friday.

China's wholesale and retail industries have made steady progress driven by various policies, providing strong support for expanding domestic demand and forging a new development paradigm, Vice Commerce Minister Sheng Qiuping told a press conference.

Sheng said that the added value of the wholesale and retail industries reached 13.8 trillion yuan in 2024, accounting for 10.2 percent of the GDP and playing a vital role in smoothing circulation, creating jobs and reducing logistics costs.

The ministry will work with relevant departments to further enrich supporting policies, implement detailed measures and accelerate the promotion of high-quality development of wholesale and retail industries, so as to further smooth the circulation of the national economy, Sheng added.

Xi Extends Spring Festival Greetings to All Chinese During Inspection Tour

By Xinhua

Jan 25, 2025 07:53 AM

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with local people while visiting a food market in Shenyang, capital city of northeast China's Liaoning Province, Jan. 23, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

President Xi Jinping has extended Spring Festival greetings to Chinese people of all ethnic groups, compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, as well as overseas Chinese during an inspection trip to the northeastern province of Liaoning from Wednesday to Friday.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, wished all Chinese people happiness and health, and the country peace and prosperity in the upcoming Year of the Snake.

The Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, falls on Jan. 29 this year. It is the most important holiday on the Chinese calendar and an occasion for family reunions.

For more than a decade, Xi, as the Party and the state's top leader, has made it a tradition to spend time with ordinary people, especially those in difficulties, during the holiday season.

On Wednesday afternoon, Xi made his first stop at Zhujiagou Village, administered by the city of Huludao. Having suffered severe flooding in August last year, the village launched post-disaster reconstruction and 41 affected households moved into new residences before the start of winter.

At the entrance to the village, Xi looked at the affected areas, asking in detail about the summer flooding and the relocation of villagers at that time, as well as the subsequent relief work. He urged local officials to ensure the villagers stay warm throughout the winter.

During visits to two village households, the president inspected the structural integrity of their homes, checked their preparations for holiday celebrations, and asked whether government subsidies for rebuilding had been adequately provided. He also inquired about the villagers' main sources of income.

Noting that natural disasters had hit a number of regions across China during the past year, Xi said: "As the Spring Festival draws near, on behalf of the Party Central Committee, I extend sincere regards and festive greetings to all those affected and those working on the frontlines of post-disaster reconstruction!"

On Thursday morning, Xi went to the provincial capital Shenyang, where he talked with merchants and customers at a food market to learn about the market supply during the holiday season.

He later visited a residential community in Shenyang, and acknowledged the significant improvements in living conditions following a general revamping there.

At the community service center, Xi joined residents who were writing Spring Festival couplets, while children were tying Chinese knots that symbolize auspiciousness. He also enjoyed a Chinese bamboo flute performance, encouraging the performers to further promote fine traditional Chinese culture.

Before leaving, Xi waved to the crowd and extended festive greetings. "Having a good Spring Festival means a great start to the new year," he told the residents.

MODERNIZATION, REVITALIZATION

Inspecting a cold rolling mill of Bensteel Group in the city of Benxi on Thursday afternoon, Xi said that the manufacturing sector should keep pursuing higher-standard, smarter, and more eco-friendly development, and make more technology-intensive products with higher added value.

After listening to the work report from local officials of Liaoning on Friday morning, Xi urged the province, which already has a relatively complete industrial system, to accelerate the modernization of this system.

Traditional industries should strengthen industrial foundation reengineering and seek breakthroughs on major technologies and equipment to continuously boost core competitiveness, he said, while also highlighting the importance of ecological protection.

The full revitalization of Northeast China relies fundamentally on reform and opening up, and more efforts should be made to strengthen the rule of law in government operations and optimize the business environment, Xi added, urging officials to improve their capabilities and performance in line with the country's further opening up.

Noting that Liaoning is rich in agricultural resources and has a solid foundation for development, Xi said the province should adhere to the integrated development of urban and rural areas.

He also stressed enhancing cultural confidence and strength, unswervingly upholding the leadership of the Party and exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance.

Xi urged more efforts to care for disadvantaged groups, ensure smooth transportation, provide sufficient market supplies, enrich people's cultural life, and strengthen workplace safety during the holiday season.

Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, accompanied Xi on the inspection tour. 

Imam Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin Facing Health Emergency in Federal Prison

Dear friends,

Earlier this month, I was finally able to visit Imam Jamil Al-Amin, formerly H. Rap Brown, at the federal prison in Tucson, Arizona. Imam Jamil is one of the great political activists of the Black and Islamic movements. Most people have never heard of him. If they have, they are usually surprised to discover that he is still alive. His imprisonment is designed to make the world forget about him, and it has largely succeeded.

The last time I met with him was in August 2021 when I was able to spend two days in the Tucson prison interviewing him for the biography I am writing. Last year, I applied to visit him again, hoping I would not have to repeat the long, drawn-out legal process I had to go through to meet with him the first time. But the Federal Bureau of Prisons only allowed me to do another visit after the Cornell University Law School and Arizona State University Law School First Amendment Clinics threatened to go to court to say that blocking my visits was a violation of my constitutional rights.

In any case, when I landed in Arizona, I thought that everything had been agreed, and I would be able to spend four hours recording Jamil Al-Amin speaking about his life. I also expected to learn about the medical neglect he is experiencing. He's 81 years old and has had various health issues over the years of his incarceration. But recently a photo of him emerged showing a large swelling on his face that the prison was refusing to treat.

When I got to the prison, two unexpected things happened. Firstly, I was told by the corrections officers that I was not allowed to record Jamil Al-Amin speaking. That meant I wasn't able to get a recording of him talking about his medical situation, which would have been a powerful way to galvanize support for him to receive proper treatment. I assume that was exactly why the warden of the prison didn't want me to record the conversation.

Secondly, on my second day with Imam Jamil, I found out that he had in fact been taken to a hospital that morning. But instead of proper care, he received yet more abusive treatment. Someone attempted to pierce the swelling on his face by cutting it, hoping to drain the fluid. But that didn't work. So Imam Jamil was sent back to the prison, with a bandage over the left side of his face, the swelling untreated, and still without any diagnosis. He was in considerable pain, found hearing hard as the swelling was beginning to cover his ear, and could not swallow solid food; while I was with him, a prison guard gave him a nutritional shake, his only diet.

No-one should have to suffer this way. But for a man of Jamil Al-Amin's stature to be treated like this left me feeling enraged. I urge everyone reading this to support the campaign calling for an emergency medical transfer of Imam Jamil to the Federal Medical Center at Butner, North Carolina, and for him to receive immediate medical treatment there. You can use this link to access email and phone call templates to make the request to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Mayotte’s Students Are Returning to School Amid Cyclone Devastation

By CHAFION M’MADI ALI

8:22 AM EST, January 23, 2025

MAMOUDZOU, Mayotte (AP) — Students in the French territory of Mayotte are preparing to return to school on Monday, just over six weeks after the worst cyclone to hit the islands off Africa in nearly a century laid waste to entire neighborhoods and villages and left widespread devastation in its wake.

Teachers called back into work this week found many of their classrooms were missing a roof, or several windows. It remains unclear how many students will have a table and chair to sit at when they head back to learning.

At the Lycée de Petite Terre high school in the town of Pamandzi, locals and firefighters are busy working to consolidate the framework of some of the main buildings, covering the gaping holes in the roofs with clear tarpaulin.

Efforts to repair the archipelago’s damaged schools have been underway since Cyclone Chido struck in December, in a race against the clock to make schools safe for students.

After the passage of another tropical storm this month, the return of teachers had to be postponed, with some 120,000 students expected to come back gradually next week.

Assistant headmistress Peggy Guillerez noted that while the damage at Lycée de Petite Terre, which has some 2,000 students, was less severe than at some other schools, several classrooms remain unusable.

“We had built an excellent student union building, but it was largely destroyed,” she said. “Overall, however, only 12 rooms are out of use, which is minimal considering the size of our school.”

Many buildings were left without usable furniture, and some facilities remain uninhabitable.

Colonel Olivier Bruyère, a firefighter heading a team overseeing the reconstruction effort, said his team had deployed more than 60 people to secure the site.

“We’ve removed anything that could cause injuries and are covering every possible spot with tarpaulins to keep the buildings dry,” Bruyère said. “We have also removed wet, collapsed ceilings and rebuilt wooden frameworks where possible.”

Many students and teachers are still struggling with a lack of shelter, electricity and running water, and it is unclear how many will be able to return to school. Around 300 teachers went on strike on Thursday to denounce the conditions under which pupils are returning to school. They also demanded financial help for colleagues who have lost their homes.

Chido was the worst cyclone to hit Mayotte in 90 years, authorities said. While 39 deaths have been confirmed, French Prime Minister François Bayrou warned on a visit to the islands that the final death toll could be several hundred.

Authorities have faced challenges in recording the deaths and injuries from the storm because many of those affected were undocumented migrants, and also because of the Muslim practice of burying people within 24 hours of them dying.

Gabon’s Military Government Announces Presidential Election on April 12

A voter show his stamped electoral card after casting his ballot in a referendum on whether to adopt a new constitution in Libreville, Gabon, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Betines Makosso, File)

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

4:45 AM EST, January 23, 2025

LIBREVILLE, Gabon (AP) — Gabon will hold a presidential election on April 12, the council of ministers said. The West African country is currently ruled by the military following a coup in August 2023.

“Under this decree, the electoral college is convened on Saturday, April 12, 2025,” a government statement, issued late Wednesday after a ministerial cabinet meeting, said.

The announcement comes after the adoption last Sunday by Gabon’s parliament of a new electoral code, which sets out the rules and conditions for organizing elections in the country.

The legislation, which requires approval by the Constitutional Court, is controversial as it authorize military personnel to be candidates in all political elections in the country, which was not possible in the past.

It could pave the way for Gen. Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, who led the 2023 coup that overthrew former president Ali Bongo Ondimba, to run for his first presidential term.

Gabon’s constitution, which was adopted by referendum in November, sets the presidential term at 7 years, renewable once.

M23 Rebels Battling DR Congo’s Army Close in on Goma as Panic Spreads Among City’s 2 Million People

By JUSTIN KABUMBA and MARK BANCHEREAU

8:46 PM EST, January 23, 2025

GOMA, Congo (AP) — Panic spread in eastern Congo’s main city on Thursday, with M23 rebels steadily inching closer to Goma and seizing a nearby town as they battle the Congolese army. Bombs were heard going off in the city’s distant outskirts and hundreds of wounded civilians were brought in to the main hospital from the area of the fighting.

The rebel group has advanced significantly in recent weeks, closing in on Goma, which has around 2 million people and is a regional hub for security and humanitarian efforts. On Thursday, the rebels took Sake, a town only 27 kilometers (16 miles) from Goma and one of the last main routes into the provincial capital still under government control, according to the U.N. chief.

M23 is one of about 100 armed groups that have been vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo, along the border with Rwanda, in a decadeslong conflict that has created one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.

More than 7 million people have been displaced by the fighting. Earlier this month, M23 captured the towns of Minova, Katale and Masisi, west of Goma.

“The people of Goma have suffered greatly, like other Congolese,” an M23 spokesperson, Lawrence Kanyuka, said on X. “M23 is on its way to liberate them, and they must prepare to welcome this liberation.”

M23 seized Goma in 2012 and controlled it for over a week.

As news of fighting spread, schools in Goma sent students home on Thursday morning.

“We are told that the enemy wants to enter the city. That’s why we are told to go home,” Hassan Kambale, a 19-year-old high school student, said. “We are constantly waiting for the bombs.”

Congo, the United States and U.N. experts accuse Rwanda of backing the M23, mainly composed of ethnic Tutsis who broke away from the Congolese army over a decade ago.

Rwanda’s government denies the claim but last year admitted that it has troops and missile systems in eastern Congo to safeguard its security, pointing to a buildup of Congolese forces near the border. U.N. experts estimate there are up to 4,000 Rwandan forces in Congo.

On Wednesday, Congo’s minister of communication, Patrick Muyaya, told French broadcaster France 24 that war with Rwanda is an “option to consider.”

Late Thursday, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres condemned “in the strongest terms, the renewed offensive launched by the 23 March Movement (M23),” including the “seizure of Sake.”

“This offensive has a devastating toll on the civilian population and heightened the risk of a broader regional war,” Guterres’ statement read. He also urged “all parties to uphold human rights and international humanitarian law.”

Earlier in the day, Congolese authorities claimed that the military pushed back an attack from the “Rwandan army” on Sake. The Associated Press was unable to verify if Rwanda’s army took part in the offensive.

“The population is in panic. The M23 now control large parts of the town,” said Léopold Mwisha, the president of civil society of the area of Sake.

Guterres said he was “deeply troubled” by the most recent reports about the “presence of Rwandan troops on Congolese soil and continued support to the M23.”

The U.S. Embassy in Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, in a notice warned of “an increase in the severity of armed conflict near Sake” and advised U.S. nationals in North Kivu province, which includes Goma, to be on the alert in case they need to leave their homes on short notice.

The United Kingdom also issued a travel advisory that said M23 now controls Sake and urged British nationals to leave Goma while roads remain open.

Many Sake residents have joined the more than 178,000 people who have fled the M23 advance in the last two weeks.

The CBCA Ndosho Hospital in Goma was stretched to the limit, with hundreds of newly wounded on Thursday.

Thousands escaped the fighting by boat on Wednesday, making their way north across Lake Kivu and spilling out of packed wooden boats in Goma, some with bundles of their belongings strapped around their foreheads.

Neema Matondo said she fled Sake during the night, when the first explosions started to go off. She recounted seeing people around her torn to pieces and killed.

“We escaped, but unfortunately” others did not, Matondo told the AP.

Mariam Nasibu, who fled Sake with her three children, was in tears — one of her children lost a leg, blown off in the relentless shelling.

“As I continued to flee, another bomb fell in front of me, hitting my child,” she said, crying.

___

Banchereau reported from Dakar, Senegal. Associated Press writers Monika Pronczuk in Dakar, Senegal; Jean-Yves Kamale and Christina Malkia in Kinshasa, Congo, contributed to this report.

Cuba and Zimbabwe: A Friendship Beyond Words

A courtesy meeting took place yesterday between President Díaz-Canel and Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, Secretary for International Relations of the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front Party (ZANA-PF)

Author: Alina Perera Robbio | internet@granma.cu

January 16, 2025 08:01:37

Photo: Estudios Revolución

A warm embrace was the first note of the courtesy meeting that, from the Palace of the Revolution, took place yesterday between the President of the Republic of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, and Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, Secretary of International Relations of the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front Party (ZANA-PF).

The Head of State shared with the African leader -who has arrived as Special Envoy of the President of Zimbabwe- his gratitude to the friendly government and people for “all the support that Cuba has received from you in the fight against the blockade”; and also for the support to be removed from the list of countries allegedly sponsoring terrorism.

“It is a victory for the Cuban people, but we also have to share it with friends like you, who supported us at the international level,” Díaz-Canel emphasized.

He ratified “Cuba's position to continue expanding and strengthening our historic ties of friendship, solidarity and cooperation,” as well as “the willingness to expand Cuban collaboration in the areas, activities and spheres that you request.” He also expressed his wish that “2025 will be a year of success and progress for our two peoples and governments”.

For his part, Simbarashe Mumbengegwi -who in 2021 had held a meeting with Díaz-Canel- thanked for the reception and described it as “a great honor to be before you, to be holding these conversations with you”.

The Secretary of International Relations of the ZANA-PF Party emphasized that the Cuban President “has always been available, at our disposal when we have requested it; and this underlines, of course, the nature, the character of our relations, since the initial days of our liberation struggle.”

“Cuba was the smallest country, from the point of view of geographic dimension, and yet it was the one that contributed the most in our liberation struggle,” he added.

Representing the Cuban side were Emilio Lozada García, head of the International Relations Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party; as well as the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Elio Rodríguez Perdomo, among other officials.

Removal from the Terrorist List is Nothing More than the Recognition of the Truth

Detroit Cuba Solidarity organizer at reception for Prensa Latina.

Speaking to the press about the U.S. government's actions against Cuba, the Cuban Foreign Minister said that the decision confirms that what has been done was illegal and arbitrary

Author: Elizabeth Naranjo | internet@granma.cu

January 16, 2025 08:01:21

Photo: Cubaminrex

“Serious, important and in the right direction, although very limited and late”. This is how Political Bureau member and Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla referred yesterday to the measures announced last Tuesday by the U.S. government, which exclude Cuba from the list of countries that sponsor terrorism; indicate the suspension of the right to initiate an action under Title III of the Helms-Burton Act of 1996, and eliminate the list of restricted Cuban entities with which U.S. citizens and institutions are prohibited from financial transactions, which has had an effect on third countries.

When answering the reasons for these provisions, the Minister assured the press that “the U.S. administration has taken these decisions because its plan has failed, because the vision of provoking the collapse of the Cuban economy, the social explosion (...), is still unable to achieve its objectives”.

He stressed that the measures constitute the recognition that their policy against Cuba is an obsolete, failed policy, which does not contribute to the objectives or national interests of the U.S., nor does it have the support of U.S. citizens or Cubans living in that country; that it causes world isolation, discrediting its foreign policy, damaging instruments that, supposedly, the U.S. government needs to achieve certain objectives of its international agenda.

“What we should ask the Biden administration is why it has waited until now to do what it could have done since its election, because in its electoral platform he committed himself to adopt significant changes in U.S. policy,” he said.

He stressed that, with this decision, the list of countries sponsoring terrorism has been demolished. It no longer exists, no one else will be able to believe in it, because it is an absolute and tangible confirmation that it has no purpose in confronting the scourge of terrorism, but is a mere and vulgar instrument of political coercion against sovereign states”, he added.

“If another president were to come along and include Cuba on the list again, we would have to ask ourselves what the reasons are, what the U.S. government law enforcement agencies would say, where would the credibility of the government be,” he questioned.

Regarding the possibility that these decisions may not be sustained in time, he said that “they are executive measures that could be reversed”, he said, although he emphasized that “it will be difficult to explain it, if it were to happen”.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs referred to having read, in this regard, “opinions of some of those who drafted the previous measures -and who participated, played a leading role and caused the setback in the bilateral relationship- pointing out that it will take time and work to reverse them”.

As for the foreign policy of each state, he pointed out that “it should not be subject to the ups and downs of the different governments, much less to the whims of domestic politics or electoral competitions or chicanery”.

Addressing the importance of the exclusion of the Island from this list, he argued that “it has been the recognition of the truth”. He insisted that Cuba should never have been included in this list, fundamentally because of its status as a victim of terrorism.

The Minister said that this measure “lacked any credibility or prestige at international level”, but its practical effects, especially in the financial sector, are extraordinary.

“It will be very difficult to maintain the coercive measures derived from this list, which limit access to financial institutions and services in any country,” he said, recalling the obstacles that the inclusion of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism posed to the importation of basic necessities for the Cuban people, the prohibition for European citizens and citizens of other countries to use the electronic authorization system for U.S. visas.

Regarding Title III of the Helms-Burton Act, he noted that it is aimed at intimidating third countries. “It contains a brutal arbitrariness and violation of international law, which is to try in U.S. courts individuals, entities and companies from third countries or Cubans for their economic ties with the Island, outside U.S. jurisdiction or without any relation to the United States.

He said that it is also the recognition that what has been done was illegal and arbitrary, with a great effect not only on international law, but also on the flow of capital investment to Cuba, access to technology, to the market and a threat against foreign sovereignty.

Regarding the third decision signed by Biden, the Foreign Minister commented that it is a directive that gives orders to almost the entire U.S. government.

“Within that memorandum, one of the atrocities of the blockade against Cuba has also been eliminated, which is the so-called list of restricted entities of 2022, which affects both public entities and private sector services in our country.”

“The corresponding step is to continue lifting elements of the blockade, to allow Cubans to live in peace. We will defend with all vigor and determination our independence and our sovereignty against any act of interference, the observance of our Constitution and the application of our laws, just as we preserve national security, internal order and citizen security”, he said.

He emphasized the importance of “considering that, whatever happens in relation to these measures in the future, they are an important fact, an event that has traveled the world, and that has received very broad international support in a few hours”.

He also reiterated that “the government of Cuba has historically and persistently proposed to the government of the United States of America to hold a respectful and responsible dialogue, on the basis of equality, sovereignty and mutual respect, without interfering in the internal affairs of our countries”.

Our Doctrine Remains the War of the Whole People

Bastion 2024 Strategic Exercise will be held from today until January 24, and Saturday 25 will be National Defense Day

Author: MINFAR | internet@granma.cu

January 22, 2025 08:01:27

Yesterday, the University Student Bastion was held. Photo: Courtesy of MINFAR 

As part of the country's defense preparedness, the Bastion 2024 Strategic Exercise is being carried out in the national territory from today until January 24.

Its realization was planned for November last year; however, due to the effects of hurricanes Oscar - in the eastern provinces - and Rafael - in the west - and the impact of earthquakes in Granma and Santiago de Cuba, it was necessary to postpone it for this year.

The purpose of the exercise is to train the management and command bodies of the different structures in charge of national and territorial defense, in the organization of work in the interest of raising the country's readiness for defense and the preparation of the troops and the population, in order to face the different actions of the enemy.

Yesterday, Tuesday, January 21, the University Student Bastion was held, an expression of the participation of young people in the defense of the Homeland.

During the Bastion 2024 Strategic Exercise, and the National Defense Day, which will take place on Saturday, January 25, there will be maneuvers and tactical exercises of different types, with the participation of units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, the Ministry of the Interior and other components of the territorial defense system. Therefore, there will be troop and war material movements, aviation flights, and explosions may be felt throughout the country.

The Bastion 2024 Strategic Exercise is an essential element in the materialization of our doctrine of the War of the Whole People.

In the Face of the Imperialist Onslaught, Cuba Will Win

Statement by the Revolutionary Government  

Author: Granma | internet@granma.cu

January 22, 2025 08:01:21

Photo: Ismael Batista

U.S. President Donald Trump is lashing out against Cuba from day one and without any pretext. The decision to reinstate the harsh measures of economic warfare against Cuba, which his predecessor eliminated only days before, is a demonstration of the aggressiveness of U.S. imperialism against the sovereignty, peace and welfare of the Cuban population. Among them is the inclusion of our country, once again, in the arbitrary list of States that allegedly sponsor terrorism, a designation that evidences an absolute disregard for the truth.

This is not surprising. The statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on January 14 already warned: "that the government of that country could reverse in the future the measures adopted today, as has happened on other occasions and as a sign of the lack of legitimacy, ethics, consistency and reason of its conduct against Cuba". He also affirmed that "U.S. politicians do not usually stop to find justification...". This is how they govern in that country.

Trump has interpreted his coming to power as the coronation of an emperor. His ambition includes, just for starters, the conquest of Canada, the usurpation of Greenland, the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico and the dispossession of the Panamanians of their canal. The hegemonic Monroe Doctrine and Manifest Destiny, which were imposed on Latin America and the Caribbean with blood and fire, are the guide of the new government team.

The groups and politicians who have made aggression against Cuba a way of life, have profited for decades from the anti-Cuban business and today share the new president's drunkenness are associated with him. All of them have a high responsibility in the difficult economic situation of the country and in the increase of the migratory flow from Cuba to the United States.

This new act of aggression by the U.S. government against the Cuban people shows, once again, the true, cruel and merciless objective of these and so many other measures of encirclement and suffocation applied against Cuba for the purpose of domination. It is the reaction of impotence in the face of the inability to bend our will and in the face of the respect, sympathy and support that the Revolution arouses among the peoples of the world.

The economic blockade, its reinforcement and the new aggressive measures will continue to weigh, with a very harmful effect, on our economy, the standard of living, the potential for development and the legitimate dreams of justice and well-being of the Cuban people, as has been the case in recent years.

They will not divert us from the socialist course, from the determination to recover the economy, to promote the greatest solidarity, creativity, talent, spirit of work, and to defend freedom, independence, sovereignty and the privilege of building a future without foreign interference as an impregnable bastion.

The Cuban people are grateful for the many expressions of support and solidarity received from all over the world, from governments, Cubans living abroad, parliaments, political, religious and social organizations and political figures from the United States and other countries.

No one should be deceived. The Cuban people expressed themselves with clear determination and strength in the march of December 20. Here the conviction prevails that CUBA WILL WIN.

HOMELAND OR DEATH, WE WILL WIN.

Havana, January 21st, 2025

Raúl and Díaz-Canel Presided Over the Start of the Bastión 2024 Strategic Exercise

These days will extend until next Saturday 25, which will culminate with the National Defense Day. The Exercise, which constitutes an essential element in the materialization of our doctrine of the war of all the people, aims to train the management and command bodies of the different structures in charge of national and territorial defense

Author: National Editor | internet@granma.cu

January 23, 2025 10:01:58

The Exercise constitutes an essential element in the materialization of our doctrine of the war of the whole people.

With the presence of Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, leader of the Cuban Revolution, and the President of the National Defense Council, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, the Strategic Exercise Bastion 2024 began this Wednesday, January 22, at the command room of the Ministry of the Interior.

In his speech, the President of the National Defense Council stressed the importance of continuing to strengthen the country's military invulnerability. These days will be extended until next Saturday 25, which will culminate with the National Defense Day.

At the opening, the report on the implementation of Bastion 2024 was analyzed by the participants, and the results of the confrontation of irregular migratory activity, crime, crime control and actions to address the challenges in social networks were evaluated.

The members of the National Defense Council, the main chiefs of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARs) and the Ministry of the Interior (Minint) also participated in the beginning of Bastion 2024.

The Exercise, which constitutes an essential element in the materialization of our doctrine of the War of the Whole People, aims to train the management and command bodies of the different structures in charge of national and territorial defense, in the organization of work in the interest of raising the readiness of the country for Defense, and the preparation of the troops and the population, in order to face the different actions of the enemy.

As part of this Strategic Exercise, maneuvers and tactical exercises of different types will be carried out over the next three days, with the participation of units of the FAR, the Minint and other components of the territorial defense system.

Sanaa Slams Trump’s Order to Designate Ansar Allah as 'Terrorist'

By Al Mayadeen English

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to reinstate the designation of Ansar Allah as a "foreign terrorist organization.

US President Donald Trump's executive order to reinstate the designation of Yemen's Ansar Allah movement as a "foreign terrorist organization" is a living example of American political instability, its strange contradictions, and its clear failure, pointed out the Yemeni Minister of Information in the Sanaa government, Hashem Sharafuddin.

"We are on the terrorism list, then we’re removed, then re-listed, then delisted again, only to be re-listed once more!" he said.

He added that "sometimes, the best response to American absurdities is to ignore them."

Sharafuddin asserted that the "criminal US regime, a partner in Israeli terrorism, has no right to label others as terrorists."

"This is nothing new, the Americans have already declared war on us, yet we stood strong, fought for justice, and defended our homeland and people," the Yemeni minister clarified, affirming that the Ansar Allah movement "will continue to focus on our mission, fighting for what we believe in."

Trump has signed an executive order to reinstate the designation of Ansar Allah as a "foreign terrorist organization," the White House announced on Wednesday. 

The designation, originally issued by Trump near the end of his first term, was revoked by former President Joe Biden in 2021. Biden's decision was driven by concerns from humanitarian organizations that the designation would force them to withdraw from Yemen, as they interact with the group, which controls significant territories, including the capital, Sanaa.

However, following the outbreak of the Israeli war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, the Yemeni forces began targeting shipping vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in support of the Palestinian people and also declared US and British interests as "legitimate targets" following repeated aggressions on the country. 

In response, the Biden administration last year reclassified the group as a "specially designated global terrorist" organization—a less restrictive designation that allowed humanitarian aid to continue flowing into Yemen.

The latest executive order by Trump seeks to reapply the more stringent "foreign terrorist organization" label. The order accuses Ansar Allah of carrying out numerous attacks on civilian infrastructure, including multiple attacks on civilian airports in Saudi Arabia," in addition to firing "more than 300 projectiles fired at Israel since October 2023."

The designation is expected to take several weeks to go into effect.

The White House statement emphasized that under Trump, US policy now focuses on working with regional partners to "eliminate" the capabilities and operations of Ansar Allah, "deprive them of resources, and thereby end their attacks on U.S. personnel and civilians, U.S. partners, and maritime shipping in the Red Sea."

Elsewhere, the statement also noted that Trump will direct the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to terminate relationships with entities that have made payments to Ansar Allah or opposed international efforts to counter the group.

West Africa’s Anti-imperialist States Announce Deployment of a Joint Force as Terrorist Violence Spiks

A mural reading " remain vigilant and mobilised” is seen in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Wednesday March 1, 2023. (AP Photo, File)

9:55 AM EST, January 22, 2025

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — The Sahalien West African countries of Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali have created a joint force that will soon be deployed in the restive Sahel region against rising extremist violence, Niger’s defense minister said Wednesday.

The force of 5,000 personnel will be posted in the three countries, Salifou Mody said during an interview on state television, adding that some joint operations have already taken place.

Niger and its neighbors Mali and Burkina Faso have battled for over a decade an insurgency fought by jihadi groups, including some allied with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. Following military coups in all three nations in recent years, the ruling juntas have expelled French forces and turned to Russia’s mercenary units for security assistance.

Mody also said the force will have its own personnel, as well as air, land, and intelligence resources, and a coordination system.

“We are in the same space. We face the same types of threats, in particular this threat from criminal groups,” the defense minister said. “We had to pool our efforts.”

The security situation in the Sahel has worsened since the juntas took power, analysts say, with a record number of attacks and civilians killed both by Islamic militants and government forces. The violence in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso has killed more than 3,470 people in the last six months while 2.6 million people are currently displaced, according to the United Nations refugee agency.

After coming into power, the juntas in the three countries left the Economic Community of West African States, the nearly 50-year-old regional bloc known as ECOWAS, and created their own security partnership, the Alliance of Sahel States, in September last year.

Some analysts described it as an attempt to legitimize their military governments amid coup-related sanctions and strained relations with neighbors.

1,772 Black Servicemen Who Died in WWI Were Ignored in South Africa. At Last They Are Being Honored

By GERALD IMRAY

2:17 PM EST, January 22, 2025

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — The names are carved on poles of African hardwood that are set upright as if reaching for the sun. No one knows where the men they represent were buried.

But their names, forgotten for more than a century, have been revived and are now written in the records of history.

Black South African servicemen who died in non-combat roles on the Allied side during World War I and have no known grave have been recognized with a memorial featuring 1,772 names.

An inscription on a granite block at the memorial in Cape Town says: “Your legacies are preserved here.”

Because they were Black, they were not allowed to carry arms. They were members of the Cape Town Labor Corps, transporting food, ammunition and other supplies and building roads and bridges during the Great War.

They didn’t serve in Europe but in the fringe battles in Africa, where Allied forces fought in the then-German colonies of German South West Africa (now Namibia) and German East Africa (now Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi).

The men made the same ultimate sacrifice as around 10 million others who died serving in armies in the 1914-1918 war.

After the war, they were not recognized because of the racial policies of British colonialism and then South Africa’s apartheid regime.

The memorial finally rights a historical wrong, said the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the British organization that looks after war graves and built the new memorial in Cape Town’s oldest public garden.

The memorial was opened Wednesday by Britain’s Princess Anne, the commission’s president.

“It ensures the names and stories of those who died will echo in history for future generations,” Princess Anne said. “It is important to recognize that those we have come to pay tribute to have gone unacknowledged for too long. We will remember them.”

When her speech ended, a lone soldier played “The Last Post” on his bugle to commemorate the Black servicemen as war dead, 106 years, two months and 11 days after the end of World War I.

While South Africa has several memorials dedicated to its white soldiers who died in both world wars, the Black servicemen’s contribution was ignored for decades.

It was in danger of being lost forever until a researcher found evidence of their service in South African army documents around 10 years ago, said Commonwealth War Graves Commission operational manager David McDonald, who oversaw the South African project.

Researchers discovered the more than 1,700 Black servicemen and the war graves commission traced the families of six of the dead, most of them from deeply rural South African regions.

Four of those families were represented at Wednesday’s ceremony. They laid wreaths at the foot of the memorial and were able to touch the individual poles dedicated to their lost relatives and where their names are inscribed.

“It made us very proud. It made us very happy,” said Elliot Malunga Delihlazo, whose great-grandfather, Bhesengile, was among those honored.

Delihlazo said his family only knew that Bhesengile went to war and never came back.

“Although it pains us ... that we can’t find the remains, at last we know that he died in 1917,” Delihlazo said. “Now the family knows. Now, at last, we know.”

Russian Troops Liberate Zapadnoye Community in Kharkov Region Over Past Day

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicted roughly 40 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed three enemy artillery guns in its area of responsibility in the Kharkov Region over the past day, the ministry reported

© Alexander Reka/TASS

MOSCOW, January 22. /TASS/. Russian troops liberated the community of Zapadnoye in the Kharkov Region over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Wednesday.

"Battlegroup West units liberated the settlement of Zapadnoye in the Kharkov Region and inflicted damage on manpower and equipment of three mechanized brigades and a jaeger brigade of the Ukrainian army in areas near the settlements of Kamenka, Zelyony Gai, Dvurechnaya, Glushkovka and Lozovaya in the Kharkov Region, Yampol, Seversk and Kolodezi in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said in a statement.

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicts 40 casualties on Ukrainian army in Kharkov area

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicted roughly 40 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed three enemy artillery guns in its area of responsibility in the Kharkov Region over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup North units operating in the Kharkov direction inflicted casualties on formations of a motorized infantry brigade of the Ukrainian army near the settlement of Volchansk in the Kharkov Region," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost an estimated 40 personnel, an armored combat vehicle, two motor vehicles and three field artillery guns in that frontline area over the past 24 hours, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicts over 460 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicted more than 460 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed two enemy ammunition depots in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"The enemy’s losses totaled more than 460 personnel, a tank and seven armored combat vehicles, including two US-made M113 armored personnel carriers," the ministry said.

In addition, Russian forces destroyed 14 pickup trucks, six field artillery guns and two field ammunition depots of the Ukrainian army in that frontline area over the past 24 hours, it said.

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicts 250 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicted roughly 250 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed four enemy armored vehicles in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup South units improved their tactical position and inflicted losses on formations of three mechanized brigades, a motorized infantry brigade, a mountain assault brigade and an assault brigade of the Ukrainian army in areas near the settlements of Druzhkovka, Slavyansk, Nikolayevka, Konstantinovka, Predtechino, Verkhnekamenskoye, Ivano-Daryevka, Orekhovo-Vasilevka and Chasov Yar in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost an estimated 250 personnel, four armored combat vehicles, including a US-made M113 armored personnel carrier and seven motor vehicles, it specified.

In addition, Russian forces destroyed two field ammunition depots of the Ukrainian army, it said.

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicts 630 casualties on Ukrainian troops over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicted roughly 630 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed an enemy tank and five armored vehicles in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup Center units continued advancing deep into the enemy’s defenses and inflicted damage on manpower and equipment of a heavy mechanized brigade, three mechanized brigades and a motorized infantry brigade of the Ukrainian army, a National Guard brigade and three territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Krymskoye, Petrovka, Zelyonoye, Dzerzhinsk, Lysovka, Timofeyevka, Baranovka, Sergeyevka, Novoyelizavetovka, Novopavlovka and Novovasilevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 630 personnel, a tank, five armored combat vehicles, including two US-made M113 armored personnel carriers, six motor vehicles and three artillery guns, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicts 175 casualties on Ukrainian army over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicted roughly 175 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed three enemy tanks in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup East units gained better lines and positions and inflicted casualties on formations of three mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian army, a National Guard brigade and a territorial defense brigade in areas near the settlements of Velikaya Novosyolka, Zelyony Kut, Konstantinopol, Novy Komar and Bogatyr in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost an estimated 175 personnel, three tanks, five motor vehicles and three foreign-made 155mm artillery guns in that frontline area over the past 24 hours, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr inflicts 50 casualties on Ukrainian army over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr inflicted roughly 50 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed an enemy electronic warfare station in its area of responsibility over the past day, it said.

"Battlegroup Dnepr units inflicted damage on manpower and equipment of two coastal defense brigades of the Ukrainian army and a National Guard brigade in areas near the settlements of Maliye Shcherbaki in the Zaporozhye Region, Pridneprovskoye, Veletenskoye, Belozerka and Antonovka in the Kherson Region," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 50 personnel, eight motor vehicles and an electronic warfare station, it specified.

Russia hammers Ukrainian missile/artillery depots, UAV storage sites over past day

Russian forces struck Ukrainian missile/artillery depots and UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) storage sites over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Operational/tactical aircraft, attack unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery of the Russian groups of forces struck missile/artillery armament depots, storage facilities of unmanned aerial vehicles, fuel and lubricants of the Ukrainian army and also amassed enemy manpower and equipment in 136 areas," the ministry said.

Russian air defenses destroy 114 Ukrainian UAVs over past day

Russian air defense forces shot down 114 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Air defense capabilities shot down 114 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles," the ministry said.

Overall, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 652 Ukrainian warplanes, 283 helicopters, 41,148 unmanned aerial vehicles, 590 surface-to-air missile systems, 20,724 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,510 multiple rocket launchers, 20,860 field artillery guns and mortars and 30,582 special military motor vehicles since the start of the special military operation, the ministry reported.