Category: Africa

South Africa: Vincent Magwenya Disagrees With Ukraine Foreign Affairs Minister Over Missile Attack Claims

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

The presidential spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya has disagreed with the statement made by the Ukrainian foreign minister that Russia launched a missile towards Kyiv as African leaders are preparing to enter Ukraine. Vincent Magwenya stated that since they came, they have not heard any explosion, and they have seen people moving about their businesses, saying that there were no signs of explosion as the Ukrainian minister had claimed. Furthermore, the Ukrainian foreign minister seems to be drawing Africans into the conflict by insinuating that the missile launched by Russia towards Kyiv is a message to African leaders. Social media users are arguing who among them could be saying the truth. However, since they have been conducting president Cyril Ramaphosa and other African leaders around Ukraine, they have not reported any explosion, yet, the Ukrainian foreign minister claimed that the missile was launched.

South Africa: Vincent Magwenya Disagrees With Ukraine Foreign Affairs Minister Over Missile Attack Claims

Related:

RT: South Africa calls out Reuters’ air-raid ‘misinformation’

New Voice of Ukraine (and every other Western media outlet): Visiting South African leader taken to hotel bomb shelter as Russian missiles rain on Kyiv

Ramaphosa arrives in Poland ahead of Russia-Ukraine Peace Mission

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

President Cyril Ramaphosa has arrived in Warsaw Airport in Poland ahead of the Peace Mission to Russia and Ukraine by seven African leaders.

Ramaphosa arrives in Poland ahead of Russia-Ukraine Peace Mission

Video via 2nacheki

Related:

African leaders to propose ‘confidence building measures’ to Russia, Ukraine

Those measures could include a Russian troop pull-back, removal of tactical nuclear weapons from Belarus, suspension of implementation of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant targeting Putin, and sanctions relief.

Abbas visits China as Beijing seeks to grow influence in the Middle East

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Beijing this week to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, becoming the first Arab leader to visit China this year.

Abbas visits China as Beijing seeks to grow influence in the Middle East

Related:

China, Palestine upgrade ties to ‘milestone’ strategic partnership

China and Palestine: No To ‘Piecemeal Crisis Management’

Cuba, Pentagon and White House dismiss reports of China building a spy base in Cuba

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)2 Comments

Pentagon Dismisses WSJ Report on China Spy Station in Cuba

“I can tell you based on the information that we have, that that is not accurate, that we are not aware of China and Cuba developing a new type of spy station,” said Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Patrick Ryder.

Related:

White House Denies Report That China Is Building a Spy Base on Cuba

“I’ve seen that press report. It’s not accurate,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said in an interview on MSNBC.

Cuba to Host Secret Chinese Spy Base Focusing on U.S. [according to no one]

The U.S. has intervened before to stop foreign powers from extending their influence in the Western Hemisphere, most notably during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. The U.S. and the Soviet Union came to the brink of nuclear war after the Soviets deployed nuclear-capable missiles to Cuba, prompting a U.S. Navy quarantine of the island.

The Soviets backed down and removed the missiles. A few months later, the U.S. quietly removed intermediate-range ballistic missiles from Turkey that the Soviets had complained about.

H/T: Emil Cosman

New Thai Government’s Vows Obedience to US Foreign Policy: Myanmar is First Victim

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Following recent general elections in Thailand, influenced heavily by years of US interference, a pro-US proxy regime is poised to take power.

Even before officially taking office, the leadership of the victorious Move Forward Party has vowed to help pursue US foreign policy objectives both in regards to “rebalancing” Thailand away from China and back toward the West, as well as regarding US interference elsewhere in Southeast Asia, and more specifically, Myanmar.

New Thai Government’s Vows Obedience to US Foreign Policy: Myanmar is First Victim

Previously:

Anti-junta parties dominate Thai elections but may struggle to form government

Jeffrey Sachs: Bipartisan Support of War, from Iraq to Ukraine, Is Helping Fuel U.S. Debt Crisis

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

The United States faces a default on its debt in early June if a deal on the debt ceiling is not reached between the Biden administration and Republicans in Congress before then. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is pushing for sweeping budget cuts and new work requirements for recipients of government programs, including Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and SNAP. Notably, however, neither Republicans nor Democrats are proposing cuts to one of the biggest drivers of the nation’s debt: the massive U.S. military budget. “We’ve got to get this military-industrial lobby under control, but it’s hard to do, because it’s a bipartisan affair,” says our guest, economist Jeffrey Sachs, whose recent article is headlined “America’s Wars and the US Debt Crisis.”

Jeffrey Sachs: Bipartisan Support of War, from Iraq to Ukraine, Is Helping Fuel U.S. Debt Crisis

Previously:

The War in Ukraine Was Provoked—and Why That Matters to Achieve Peace