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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates denounced, in a statement, a Knesset (Parliament) initiative that would cut off electricity and water to the facilities owned or operated by UNRWA in the occupied territories.

The new legislation would also allow the Government to confiscate properties in East Jerusalem leased to the agency “without the need to initiate legal or administrative proceedings.”

The Ministry warned that this measure is a direct attack on a UN humanitarian agency that enjoys international legal immunity and whose vital and irreplaceable role is internationally recognized.

The diplomatic institution recalled that Israel has no sovereignty over Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, nor over UNRWA.

The Foreign Ministry affirmed that the continued attacks on the institution not only affect it but also are a serious blow to the entire international humanitarian system and a deliberate attempt to criminalize aid to the Palestinians.

The Ministry called on the world to take urgent measures to protect UNRWA and its staff.

jdt/iff/npg/rob

The post Palestine condemns Israeli campaign against UN agency first appeared on Prensa Latina.

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“We are preparing certain contacts with our American colleagues to obtain information on the results of the work that the Americans have carried out with the Europeans and with Ukraine,” Peskov told reporters.

Previously, the newspaper Politico, citing sources, reported that Russian and American representatives could hold talks in Miami this weekend on a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine.

On December 14, talks were held in Berlin involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and businessman Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, with the aim of reaching an agreement on the conflict in Ukraine.

A 20-point plan was debated for five hours, and Witkoff later reported that some progress had been made.

On December 2, Witkoff and Kushner visited Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The meeting covered several topics, but primarily the conflict in Ukraine, focusing on a proposal promoted by the US since mid-November.

Days earlier, on November 30, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Witkoff met in Florida with Zelensky’s envoys to discuss a possible end to hostilities.

jdt/arm/mem/gfa

The post Russia to contact US regarding results of work with Ukraine first appeared on Prensa Latina.

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Hezbollah warned that it will not disarm under any circumstances and denounced its dwindling patience in the face of repeated ceasefire violations by Israel, which maintains forces in Lebanese territory despite the agreement of November 27, 2024.

Mahmoud Qamati, vice president of the political council of the Lebanese resistance movement, reiterated that Hezbollah will not relinquish its role as a deterrent force against Israeli aggression.

RELATED:

Resistance Unites Against Israeli Aggression and Calls for National Unity

“If the resistance group loses patience, it will no longer negotiate with anyone,” Qamati stated, emphasizing that Lebanon’s survival is at risk due to the escalating tensions.

The high-ranking official insisted that Hezbollah will maintain its presence south of the Litani River, thus failing to meet the expectations of full deployment required by the ceasefire agreement and UN Security Council Resolution 1701. In his view, these measures are necessary to preserve national sovereignty in the face of constant Israeli incursions.

The statements come amid a new wave of Israeli attacks that have left at least three dead in southern Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

Israel has violated the ceasefire almost daily since it came into effect on November 27, maintaining troops at five locations in southern Lebanon and conducting constant airstrikes and overflights.

The Israeli military has launched a series of strikes on southern and eastern Lebanon, saying it targeted training and weapons sites used by Hezbollah. Despite a ceasefire since last year, Israel has carried out near-daily strikes on the country. pic.twitter.com/XUvo0NesmW

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) December 18, 2025

These actions have been denounced by Lebanese authorities and international organizations, including the United Nations, as flagrant violations of Lebanese sovereignty and international law.

According to reports from Israel’s Channel 12, the Israeli Defense Forces are compiling a list of strategic targets for Hezbollah, including infrastructure, party members—both high- and low-ranking—missile units, and weapons depots.

77 years ago today, the UN adopted the Genocide Convention – a treaty to ensure mass atrocities such as the Holocaust never happened again.

Tragically, this has not been the reality.

Nearly 2 months after the so-called ‘ceasefire’ in Gaza, Palestinians are still enduring… pic.twitter.com/4ayAaKUNNa

— Amnesty UK (@AmnestyUK) December 9, 2025

The Israeli media outlet noted that Tel Aviv seeks to limit the group’s capabilities, acknowledging that Hezbollah still possesses long-range missiles and continues to strengthen its deterrent power. Faced with pressure from the United States and Israel to disarm Hezbollah, some within the Arab world argue that these demands ignore ongoing Israeli aggression against Lebanese territory.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah remains the only credible military force capable of countering the Israeli occupation, according to regional analysts.

Lebanese authorities have warned that persistent Israeli aggression threatens national stability, amidst escalating border tensions and potential scenarios for large-scale confrontation.

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At the night TV program, “Con el Mazo Dando” (With the Sledgehammer), the PSUV Secretary General emphasized that the declaration made by U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday night “provoked indignation among Chavistas and non-Chavistas alike.”

He said this indignation came from people associated with businesses and ordinary citizens, public and private sector workers, women and men, young and old.

He stressed that this indignation is a response to the offensive that the Americans “have been accelerating for the past 17 weeks, turning their cannons on Venezuela in a war of psychological terrorism against the people, solely to steal our oil; it is nothing else,” he asserted.

The Venezuelan political leader denounced as aberrant the pronouncements by the White House chief regarding the desire to seize oil, assets, and other natural resources, thus revealing the true intention of imperialism to plunder Venezuela’s wealth.

“What, Venezuela is stealing land from the United States? What, Venezuela is stealing oil and other assets? For God’s sake! Review history, Mr. President,” Cabello declared.

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The post Venezuelan people express outrage over Trump’s statement first appeared on Prensa Latina.

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“We have been fighting this militarization for two years,” Estefania Garzon, spokesperson for the Alliance of Relatives of Incarcerated Individuals, told Prensa Latina.

She went to the Legislative Assembly to recount the horrors in the prisons and request supervision.

In her conversation with this news agency, the young woman explained that the presence of uniformed personnel in the penitentiaries, since President Daniel Noboa’s decree of internal armed conflict in January 2024, “has only demonstrated its cruelty toward those deprived of their liberty” and their families.

Garzon explained that the Alliance was born “out of the pain of the families, from the lack of answers from this indifferent state,” and denounced isolation, lack of food, and deaths in prison.

“They shouldn’t have to die from beatings, torture, or starvation, which is what we’re seeing today,” she emphasized.

According to the spokesperson, there was a time when the government didn’t provide food for the inmates, and it was their families who had to feed their loved ones.

“We are a group of working women, mothers, and senior citizens,” she said, stressing that the inmates “are not human waste; they are people.”

abo/jav/npg/avr

The post Relatives of prisoners denounce cruel treatment in Ecuadorian prisons first appeared on Prensa Latina.

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A report published by the press office of this international institution indicates that these allocations, aimed at “improving the management of agricultural landscapes,” primarily benefited India, with two projects, as well as Mexico, Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Tanzania, and Ukraine.

The budget allocated to these nations also aims to “promote climate-friendly and biodiversity-positive livestock production and restore forest, coastal, and marine ecosystems,” the text adds.

Furthermore, these projects will mobilize approximately $429 million in co-financing to improve the management of 305,000 hectares of terrestrial and marine protected areas, which, according to the document, will benefit one million people.

They will also restore 314,000 hectares of landscapes, improve the management of 1.2 million hectares of productive land, and mitigate the emission of 84.5 million tons of greenhouse gases.

“We are ready to continue collaborating with countries to access crucial financing that will allow them to transform their agri-food systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient, and more sustainable,” FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu said regarding this initiative.

abo/arm/mem/ort

The post FAO approves environmental projects worth $58.8 million first appeared on Prensa Latina.

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“There is no doubt that these elections are completely tainted,” stated former Honduran President Manuel Zelaya (2006-2009) during a massive rally at the Presidential Palace in Tegucigalpa, convened by President Xiomara Castro in defense of democracy.

According to Zelaya, who is also the general coordinator of Libre, one of the main reasons for demanding the annulment of the recent elections, as established by law, is that “the people, who are sovereign and must vote freely, were subjected to coercion, blackmail, and threats.”

Zelaya, who was ousted in a 2009 coup, lashed out at US President Donald Trump’s interference in the election, following Trump’s open support for the presidential candidate of the right-wing National Party (PN), Nasry Asfura.

The leader of the young left-wing party accused the local oligarchy of resorting to threats from the “empire” to intimidate citizens, to the detriment of Libre’s presidential candidate, Rixi Moncada, whom Trump labeled a “communist.”

She stated that the interference is so pervasive that even today “they continue to threaten us from the north,” referring to a message from the US State Department urging the National Electoral Council (CNE) to begin the special recount process “immediately.”

In his speech, Zelaya called on the election officials to open the ballot boxes and recount every vote, as demanded by three of the five parties participating in the November 30th election, in order to clarify the numerous allegations of irregularities. He emphasized that, “The final word on the elections in Honduras has not yet been spoken.”

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The post Libre Party demands annulment of general elections in Honduras first appeared on Prensa Latina.

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Ever since Hugo Chávez came to power in 1998, the United States has attempted to overthrow the Bolivarian Revolution. They havetried everything short of a full-scale military invasion: a military coup, selecting a substitute president, cutting off access to the global financial system, imposing layers of sanctions, sabotaging the electricity grid, sending in mercenaries, and attempting to assassinate its leaders. If you can think of a method to overthrow a government, the United States has likely tried it against Venezuela.

However, in 2025, the escalation became unmistakable. The US sent its warships to patrol Venezuela’s coast, began sinking small boats and killing those on board as they left the South American mainland, and seized an oil tanker bound for Cuba. The quantity of attacks on Venezuela has increased, suggesting the quality of the threats has now reached a different magnitude. It feels as if the United States is preparing for a full-blown invasion of the country.

Donald Trump came to office saying that he was opposed to military interventions that did not further US interests, which is why hecalled the illegal US war on Iraq a waste of “blood and treasure”. This does not mean Trump is against the use of the US military – he deployed it in Afghanistan (remember the “Mother of all Bombs”) and Yemen, and has fully backed the US/Israeli genocide against the Palestinians. His formula is not for or against war categorically, but about what the US would gain from it. With Iraq, he stated that the problem was not the war itself, but the failure to seize Iraqi oil. Had the US taken Iraq’s oil, Trump would likely have been in Baghdad, ready to build – with Iraqi treasure – a Trump hotel on one of the former presidential properties.

Naturally, the US military buildup in the Caribbean is about Venezuelan oil – the largest known reserves in the world. The US-backed politician, Maria Corina Machado, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize just this week after supporting the Israeli genocide and calling for a US invasion of her own country, is on recordpromising to open up her country’s resources to foreign capital. She would welcome the extraction of Venezuela’s wealth rather than allow its social wealth to better the lives of its own people, as is the goal of the Bolivarian Revolution started by Hugo Chávez. A hypothetical “President Machado” would immediately surrender any claim to the Essequibo region and grant ExxonMobil full command of Venezuela’s oil reserves. This is certainly the prize.

But it is not the immediate spur. A closereading of the2025 National Security Strategy of the United Statesshows that there is a renewed emphasis on the Western Hemisphere. The Trump Corollary to the 1823 Monroe Doctrine is clear: the Western Hemisphere must be under US control, and the United States will do what it takes to ensure that only pro-US politicians hold power. It is worth reading that section of the National Security Strategy:

“After years of neglect, the United States will reassert and enforce the Monroe Doctrine to restore American pre-eminence in the Western Hemisphere, and to protect our homeland and our access to key geographies throughout the region. We will deny non-Hemispheric competitors the ability to position forces or other threatening capabilities, or to own or control strategically vital assets, in our Hemisphere. This ‘Trump Corollary’ to the Monroe Doctrine is a common-sense and potent restoration of American power and priorities, consistent with American security interests.”

When Argentina faced local elections, Trump warned that the US would cut off external financing if candidates opposing pro-US President Javier Milei lost. In Honduras, Trump intervened directly to oppose the Libre Party, even offering to release a convicted drug trafficker (and former President). The United States is moving aggressively because it has accurately assessed the weakness of the Pink Tide and the strength of a new, far-right “Angry Tide”. The emergence of right-wing governments across South America, Central America, and the Caribbean has emboldened the US to squeeze Venezuela and thereby weaken Cuba – the two major poles of the Latin American left. Overturning these revolutionary processes would allow a full-scale Monroe Doctrine domination of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Since the 1990s, the United States began to speak of Latin America as a partner for shared prosperity, emphasizing globalization over direct control. Now, the language has changed. As the Trump Corollary asserts: “We want a Hemisphere that remains free of hostile foreign incursion or ownership of key assets and that supports critical supply chains…We want to ensure our continued access to key strategic locations.” Latin America is seen as a battlefield for geopolitical competition against China and a source of threats like immigration and drug trafficking. The attack on Venezuela and Cuba is not merely an assault on these two countries; it is the opening salvo of direct US intervention on behalf of the Angry Tide. This will not deliver better lives for the population, but greater wealth for US corporations and the oligarchies of Latin America.

Trump is ready to revive the belief that any problem can be solved by military force, even when other tools exist. The Trump Corollary promises to use its “military system superior to any country in the world” to steal the hemisphere’s resources.

The aggression against Venezuela is not a war against Venezuela alone. It is a war against all of Latin America.

Vijay Prashadis an Indian historian, editor, and journalist. He is a writing fellow and chief correspondent at Globetrotter. He is an editor ofLeftWord Booksand the director ofTricontinental: Institute for Social Research. He has written more than 20 books, includingThe Darker NationsandThe Poorer Nations. His latest books areOn Cuba: Reflections on 70 Years of Revolution and Struggle(with Noam Chomsky),Struggle Makes Us Human: Learning from Movements for Socialism, and (also with Noam Chomsky)The Withdrawal: Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, and the Fragility of US Power. Chelwa and Prashad will publish How the International Monetary Fund is Suffocating Africa later this year withInkani Books.

Source: Globetrotter

The post Why Did Trump Send His Warships to Venezuela? appeared first on Venezuelanalysis.

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Honduran President Xiomara Castro stated this Wednesday that democracy in the country is facing serious difficulties, denouncing the electoral coup in the presidential elections and demanding a vote-by-vote recount during a massive public rally in Tegucigalpa against the fraud in the November 30 elections.

She emphasized that “I have called you here because the country is once again going through a crisis. Today, democracy in Honduras is in serious trouble; they want to manipulate our democracy and make decisions that only the people have the right to make in the only democratic opportunity they have to express themselves: the electoral process.”

RELATED:

Electoral Coup in Honduras: Libre Party Urgently Calls for a Gathering at the Vote Counting Center

The president urged the people to “defend the democracy of our country, to prevent the manipulation of the ballots,” and emphasized the importance of a “vote-by-vote” recount to ensure that the results are an “exact representation” of what was expressed at the ballot box. She also pointed out that “democracy is defended standing up, not in silence,” and called on those present to participate in a peaceful mobilization.

“We have changed the history of Honduras,” she said, adding that the history of a people who have marched in resistance has also been changed, and that this resistance “has allowed us to demonstrate the exercise of power.”

“What is needed is political will and commitment to you,” the president added. “Let us continue defending the people’s votes,” she affirmed, and called for waiting for the resolutions that are issued. “But the people,” she emphasized, “must demand a recount of every single vote. That is how we can build democracy.”

(Developing Story)

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Fighters from the rebel group March 23 Movement (M23) began withdrawing from their positions in Uvira, a strategic city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), this Wednesday.

RELATED:

M23 Rebels Seize Congolese City of Uvira

“The withdrawal of AFC/M23 forces from the city of Uvira is underway and will be completed by tomorrow,” said M23 political leader Bertrand Bisimwa on the social media platform X, urging local residents to remain calm.

Military vehicles and M23 members were seen leaving their main base in the city. Lawrence Kanyuka, a spokesman for the rebel group, confirmed the withdrawal but did not provide further details.

Tu #DRC 🇨🇩 After Uvira fell to M23 rebels backed by Rwanda’s army, Kinshasa is urging Washington to tighten sanctions on Kigali.
FM Thérèse @kayikwambaT Wagner says current measures are not enough as violence and displacement intensify in the East.#Congo #Uvira #M23 #Rwanda pic.twitter.com/7IUpbE82Oo

— Africa universal English (@Africa_Univers1) December 10, 2025

After declaring the capture of Uvira on December 10, the M23 announced on Monday its decision to “unilaterally withdraw its forces” at the request of US mediators.

Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance (AFC), a political-military coalition allied with the M23, emphasized a “conditional” withdrawal and demanded security guarantees, including the deployment of a neutral force.

In a statement, Nangaa said the decision came after recent progress in the Doha peace process, including the signing of the Doha Framework Agreement in November.

Uvira, located near the border with Burundi on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, served as the interim administrative center for South Kivu after the provincial capital, Bukavu, fell to the M23 in February.

Analysts and local sources have warned that the loss of Uvira could eventually open a corridor into southeastern DRC, including Haut-Katanga, a key economic region. Clashes have also been reported further south in the Baraka and Fizi territories of South Kivu.

From teleSUR English via This RSS Feed.

Economic data and public opinion polls contradict his statements.

In a prime-time national address Wednesday night, U.S. President Donald Trump highlighted the economic achievements of the first year of his second term even as economic data and polls painted a less rosy picture.

RELATED:

Venezuelan Interior Minister Accuses U.S. of Plot to Seize Resources, Citing Trump

In the roughly 20-minute speech, Trump lashed out at the previous administration’s policies and claimed that his leadership has restored U.S. strength and revitalized the economy.

“We are bringing our economy back from the brink of ruin. There are more people working today than at any time in American history, and 100 percent of all jobs created since I took office have been in the private sector,” Trump said, claiming that he is bringing high prices down “very fast.”

The Republican leader also defended his tariff policies, saying he has secured trillions of dollars in investment in the United States, and “much of this success has been accomplished by tariffs.” Trump also lauded the massive tax and spending bill approved by Congress in early July.

“Next year, you will also see the results of the largest tax cuts in American history that were really accomplished through our great, Big Beautiful Bill,” he said.

Analysis of Trump's Speech:

"It was one of the most, if not the most overtly authoritarian speeches ever delivered from the White House, in U.S. history.”

This was not an economic update. It was a propaganda-style address designed to replace reality with a loyalty narrative,… pic.twitter.com/eiEAwbfNJs

— ⚓️ 🇺🇸 Proud Navy Veteran (@naretevduorp) December 18, 2025

Despite Trump’s claims of success, economic data and public opinion polls suggest a less optimistic outlook. The jobless rate jumped to 4.6 percent in November, a four-year high, according to data released Tuesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

This indicates that the Trump administration has “taken its eye off the most important goal, which is improving the economy,” said Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West.

“Unemployment is rising and inflation remains high. It is a bad combination for someone who campaigned on those issues and promised he would focus on them from day one,” he added.

Paul Krugman, a winner of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, wrote earlier Wednesday that “While it’s too soon to declare that we’re in a recession, the data are at least pre-recessionary: that is, the numbers are weak enough that we should be seriously worried that a recession is coming. And that’s a state of affairs completely at odds with Trump’s rose-colored — spray-tanned? — picture.”

WATCH: CNN’s Daniel Dale fact checks Trump's unhinged "presidential" address tonight as only he can.

Dale can barely get through all the nonsense Trump spewed this evening.

Spread this far and wide.#DonTheCon pic.twitter.com/modgBe7O5y

— Democratic Coalition (@TheDemCoalition) December 18, 2025

In a recent report, NBC News noted that Trump’s approval has inched down in 2025 amid concern about the economy as “Americans remain worried about inflation and costs after Trump’s campaign promises to ease those anxieties.”

American adults largely disapprove of Trump’s job performance, with his approval rating at 42 percent in the new poll, a drop of 3 points over the course of four polls since April.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll published Tuesday showed that Trump’s approval rating slips to 39 percent, down from 41 percent earlier in December and within a point of the 38 percent reading from mid-November, Trump’s lowest rating this year.

An opinion published on The Wall Street Journal argued that “Trump’s affordability failures will cost him,” as the economy has gone from one of the president’s best issues with American voters to one of his worst.

Despite the illegal actions taken by the #US against Venezuela's oil and mineral trade, #Venezuela will continue to trade its natural resources #legally, says Venezuelan President #NicolasMaduro. pic.twitter.com/0nZJ5tKckR

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) December 18, 2025

teleSUR/ JF

Source: Xinhua

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Unions warn of security risks nearly two months after Crown Jewels theft as budget cuts fuel dispute.

On Thursday, the Louvre Museum in Paris — the world’s most visited museum, with nearly 9 million visitors a year — partially reopened, despite the decision by about 300 workers to continue for one more day the strike they began on Monday.

RELATED:

Louvre Workers On Strike Over Labor Conditions and Maintenance

As on the previous day, Louvre management decided to reopen the museum to tourists, but only the sections of its facilities that house its most famous works, such as the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo.

Valeri Baud, spokesperson for the French Democratic Confederation of Labor, said reopening the Paris museum under the current conditions, nearly two months after the theft of eight French Crown jewels, puts “the security of the institution at risk.”

It is estimated that a one-day closure at the Louvre — which did not open Tuesday because it is the museum’s weekly day off — results in revenue losses of about 400,000 euros.

In a minutes-long strike inside the world’s most-visited museum, thieves rode a basket lift up the Louvre’s facade, forced a window, smashed display cases and fled with priceless Napoleonic jewels. Here's what to know. pic.twitter.com/HXQD2vPh5h

— The Associated Press (@AP) October 20, 2025

Representatives of the striking workers have asked Culture Minister Rachida Dati to abandon budget cuts and are demanding that the money be allocated to museum maintenance rather than the planned renovation of the vast building, which they argue will not improve the institution’s overall conditions.

The unions have set their sights on Louvre President Laurence des Cars, whom they accuse of prioritizing large-scale events over addressing the museum’s necessary rehabilitation.

Appearing before a Senate investigative committee examining the Oct. 19 jewel theft, des Cars acknowledged Wednesday that the museum is going through a “crisis” and is suffering from “disorganization” in security matters.

The Louvre has been under intense scrutiny since that autumn Sunday. Since then, its troubles have mounted, including the closure of part of the museum because of weakened beams, the flooding of a room housing Egyptian manuscripts and now a strike.

The Louvre Museum 🇫🇷 was the scene of a historic robbery: in just seven minutes, armed thieves stole historic jewels.

⚠️ An event that calls into question the #security of one of the most visited venues in the world. pic.twitter.com/zViQwupdub

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) October 23, 2025

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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The ministry added that, in addition to serious damage, the armed aggression injured 77 civilians and displaced hundreds of thousands of people from their homes.

The ministry also called on the international community to “strongly condemn Thailand’s violations of the Joint Declaration and its repeated war crimes and illegal activities,” and demanded that the neighboring nation “assume full responsibility for these blatant violations.”

Cambodia urged Thailand to immediately cease all hostile activities, withdraw its forces from its territory, and refrain from acts of aggression that threaten peace and stability in the region, the statement added.

Meanwhile, at a press conference Lieutenant General Maly Socheata, spokesperson for the Kingdom’s Ministry of National Defense, revealed that Thai forces deployed a new weapon, identified as the DTI-2, in their attacks against Cambodia’s territorial integrity.

She detailed that the new weapon was used to launch attacks on the battlefields of Preah Vihear province.

jdt/jav/oda/mpm

The post Thai attacks leave 17 civilians killed in Cambodia first appeared on Prensa Latina.

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Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro hails Iran as a global example in defending international law.

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Russia and Iran announce a joint initiative to create a global group against unilateral sanctions, calling them a violation of international law.

Russia and Iran announced a joint initiative to establish a global group against unilateral sanctions, which they label a violation of international law.

The proposal was presented by Foreign Ministers Sergey Lavrov and Abbas Araghchi during a press conference in Moscow, as part of their commitment to strengthening bilateral strategic cooperation.

RELATED: Russian Military to Liberate Historic Territories in Ukraine if Diplomacy Fails

Lavrov further highlighted the active cooperation between both countries on strategic projects, such as the Bushehr nuclear power plant, and expressed Russia’s willingness to join mediation efforts if requested by Tehran.

The Russian foreign minister also expressed concern over the Pentagon’s actions in the Caribbean, including “threats of military action and the sinking of civilian vessels,” criticizing the European Union’s lack of reaction to such acts.

For his part, Araghchi emphasized the importance of the International North-South Transport Corridor, a key route to mitigate the effects of unilateral sanctions and strengthen regional connectivity.

He reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to international nuclear agreements, without renouncing its sovereign rights, and warned that the U.S. approach of alleged “peace through force” represents a global threat.

Iran and Russia have further cemented their upward trend in cooperation, signing a new agreement that outlines practical implementation steps for some clauses of the strategic partnership treaty they signed earlier this year.https://t.co/5LH2Y90x0z

— Tehran Times (@TehranTimes79) December 18, 2025

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The United States has transferred 22 Cuban migrants to the Guantánamo Bay naval base this week, resuming a controversial Trump-era immigration policy for the first time since January.

The United States Government transferred 22 Cuban immigrants this week to the Guantanamo Bay naval base, a move that marks the first transfer of those nationals to the facility since January 2025, when President Donald Trump ordered the creation of an immigration detention center at the base with a capacity for approximately 30,000 people.

RELATED: NY Mayor-Elect Mamdani Vows to Protect Immigrants After ICE Raid Attempt

The 22 men were transferred from Louisiana on a charter flight by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) despite a federal court ruling.

According to an anonymous Department of War official, five of them are considered “high-risk illegal aliens” and will likely remain in an area previously used to detain Al Qaeda suspects.

Official data shows that ICE has arrested nearly 75,000 people without criminal records between January 20 and October 15, 2025, more than one-third of the 220,000 arrests reported in that period.

US sends 22 Cuban migrants to Guantanamo Bay despite court ruling
——
The US has transferred 22 Cuban migrants to its naval base at Guantanamo Bay, defying a recent federal court decision that ruled the administration exceeded its authority by holding migrants at the facility,… pic.twitter.com/PTIhVJOOSb

— The Cradle (@TheCradleMedia) December 17, 2025

By May, the Trump Administration had spent $21 million on flights to transfer only a few hundred migrants to Guantánamo, many of them Venezuelans.

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Argentinian police used water cannons & riot gear in a new repression against pensioners protesting outside Congress during a budget debate.

Argentinian security forces repressed a weekly pensioners’ march outside Congress on Wednesday for approximately 40 minutes using riot gear and water cannons, as lawmakers inside debated the government’s contentious 2026 budget.

Medical volunteers from the Corps of Evacuation and First Aid (CEPA, in Spanish) treated at least five individuals for injuries. Two were affected by pepper spray, while others were hit by high-pressure water jets. In one severe incident, a young woman was knocked to the ground by a water cannon blast, sustaining a serious knee injury.

RELATED: Argentina’s Environmental Rollback Through Law and Budget

The incident occurred during the retirees’ weekly march, as deputies inside the legislative palace held extraordinary sessions convened by far-right President Javier Milei to debate the Fiscal Innocence Principle law, and the National Commitment for Fiscal and Monetary Balance law.

For her part, Security Minister Alejandra Monteoliva promoted the narrative of a violent breach of public order, which she attributed to an “Antifascist Club.” A force of between 700 and 800 officers encircled the building with barriers, transport trucks, and water cannons—equipment that was subsequently turned on the elderly demonstrators.

ARGENTINA | así fue la represión de la policía contra jubilados que protestaron (hoy) frente al Congreso
video compartido por @gisoleok pic.twitter.com/ZOLcqytAEn

— PIENSAPRENSA 357 mil Seguidores (@PiensaPrensa) December 18, 2025

Text reads: ARGENTINA | It was the police repression against pensioners who protested (today) in front of the Congress”.

The Labour Reform Project

The Provincial Commission for Memory also denounced the repression. Acting as the Local Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture, the body highlighted the direct responsibility of Minister Monteoliva, who publicly stated she would apply the same anti-picket protocol at the major mobilization called by the General Confederation of Labour (CGT, in Spanish) against Milei’s neoliberal labour reform.

The CGT argues that the labour reform bill under debate in the Senate embodies “austerity and the precarization of work.” Key provisions include drastically reduced severance pay and the option for employers to pay wages in goods instead of currency.

The reform also aims to remove mandatory union dues collection by companies and create a new category of “independent delivery workers” for platform-based jobs. According to the union, these measures systematically undermine job security and workers’ rights.

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Gaza’s healthcare authorities reported a surge in victims of both renewed Israeli military operations and a severe winter storm, pushing the total death toll past 400 since the ceasefire agreement began to unravel on October 11, 2025, and overwhelming a decimated medical system.

This figure now includes victims of a punishing winter storm that has collapsed damaged buildings and exposed displaced people to extreme cold, killing at least 12.

RELATED: Gaza to Restart Search Operations for Bodies Under Rubble

In the last 24 hours alone, one civilian was killed and another wounded by direct Israeli fire, according to the Health Ministry’s daily report. The broader collapse of infrastructure, however, is proving just as deadly.

Israel Has Violated the Gaza Ceasefire More Than 800 Times

Since the US-brokered ceasefire came into effect in October, Israel has carried out near-daily violations across the Gaza Strip.

⭕️Hamas leader Ghazi Hamad stated that Israel has committed more than 813 ceasefire… pic.twitter.com/jLP90kh7xi

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) December 18, 2025

Gaza’s Healthcare System in Crisis

Beyond the immediate trauma, a severe public health disaster is accelerating. Khalil al-Daqran, a ministry spokesperson, warned that the healthcare system is facing “unprecedented pressure.”

He stated that patient numbers have quadrupled available hospital capacity, with a significant surge in infectious diseases—particularly respiratory and digestive illnesses—rapidly spreading among children.

Health officials stress that the convergence of continued aggression, devastated infrastructure, and extreme weather has created a perfect storm, deepening the humanitarian crisis and crippling the enclave’s remaining medical response capabilities.

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US boat strikes have killed four more people as part of a deadly Pacific campaign, with Washington escalating pressure on Venezuela.

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US lawmakers in the House of Representatives vote against bids to rein in President Donald Trump's aggressive campaign against Venezuela.

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ICRC Spokesperson in Gaza Amani al-Naouq stated that continuous Israeli attacks, the collapse of buildings damaged by floods, and bad weather have tragically increased the number of victims in Gaza.

Quoted by Al Quds newspaper, Al-Naouq emphasized that many civilians were forced to take refuge in those dilapidated structures despite the risks, as they have no other option.

The spokesperson noted that despite the ceasefire, conditions have not returned to what they were before the escalation in October 2023, because thousands of families remain separated.

Additionally, she added, people are having difficulty accessing food, drinking water, medicine, and adequate shelter.

Al-Naouq revealed that more than 80 percent of the population of the coastal enclave has been affected by successive evacuation orders from the Israeli Army over the last two years.

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Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro led this Tuesday the first plenary session of the Constituent Congress of the Working Class, a process he described as “victorious, successful, exemplary, unique and extraordinary,” which, he said, marks a historic rebirth of the Venezuelan labor movement amid a scenario of external aggression and international pressure.

During his address, the head of state underscored that more than 5,000 proposals were systematized following 22,110 grassroots assemblies held in workplaces across the country, a mechanism that enabled the direct and secret election of 66,330 principal delegates and 66,330 alternates, a figure he stated has no precedent in the country’s democratic history.

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President Maduro: A Democratization Process of the Labor Movement Like This Has Never Been Seen

“The greatest gift of all is the giant strength this constituent process of the working class has taken on, rising as the backbone of prosperity and guaranteed peace for our country,” Maduro said, stressing that no previous process had reached such a level of direct participation by organized workers.

In this context, the president reaffirmed his political and social identity by stating that he does not come from the economic elites, but from the popular sectors. “I have not been, nor am I, a tycoon or a multimillionaire; I am simply a man of the working class, an ordinary man,” he said, while reiterating his status as “Worker President and Commander-in-Chief of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces,” a statement directed, he noted, “at the oligarchies.”

#Venezuela | More than 1,300 workers gathered in Caracas to take part in the “Great Constituent Congress of the Venezuelan Working Class,” an event whose main objective is the transformation and organization of the country’s labor movement.https://t.co/nWfJRFs8ma

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) December 16, 2025

The President insisted that true power does not reside in the presidential office, but in popular organization. “My main mission in life is to build the greatest power, which is not the power of a president, but the power of the people in the streets, governing and leading,” he emphasized, noting that the constituent process has enabled an awakening and a resurrection of the Venezuelan labor movement.

Assessing the first eight weeks of the process, the president stated that the working class has consolidated itself as a central political actor, at a time when Venezuela, he denounced, has been facing for 25 weeks a campaign of multidimensional aggression, including psychological terrorism, economic sabotage, and acts of piracy against Venezuelan oil tankers.

“Venezuela has proven to be a strong country, and we are prepared to accelerate the pace of a profound revolution that gives power to the people fully and without intermediaries,” he said, thanking the solidarity support of social movements and governments that reject interventionist aggressions against the South American nation.

On the organizational front, the head of state called for a second plenary session of the Constituent Congress of the Working Class during the first week of January 2026, with the full participation of elected delegates, in order to approve the 2026 Action Plan. He also proposed extending the work of commissions and grassroots assemblies to deepen participation and consolidate proposals emerging from workplaces.

The Head of State also announced the relaunch of the Venezuelan university system, aimed at turning it into the great training school for leaders of the working class, and instructed the Council of Vice Presidents to immediately receive a workers’ delegation to implement proposals in the economic sphere.

In the area of defense, he reported on the expansion of working-class combat units, made up of nearly one million militiamen in workplaces, and called for an immediate review of the defensive plan, factory by factory and region by region, in coordination with the Bolivarian National Armed Forces.

On the international stage, the president called to defend in all multilateral bodies Venezuela’s right to freedom of trade, particularly oil trade, and denounced U.S. piracy as a threat not only to Venezuela, but to global commerce. “Defending Venezuela’s freedom of trade is defending the freedom of trade of the entire world,” he stated.

🔴 The immediate and unconditional release of the kidnapped crew.

🔴 The immediate return of Venezuelan oil illegally confiscated on the high seas.

🔴 The immediate cessation of any forceful action or interference against the legal commercialization of Venezuelan oil.

🔴 To… pic.twitter.com/TqpTcR4t3H

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) December 16, 2025

The Dignatary urged oil workers and international trade unions to activate a permanent global protest against piracy and attempts to impose new letters of marque, while rejecting drug trafficking accusations as “fake news and pretexts for war.”

“They cannot say we have weapons of mass destruction, but we do have the moral authority to say no more Vietnam, Libya, Afghanistan or Iraq. No to an eternal war,” he said, warning that “Nazifascist” right-wing sectors seek to colonize Venezuela in order to seize its strategic resources.

The president closed his address by reaffirming his oath to defend the homeland, peace, and shared happiness, and called to unite forces and consciousness in the face of what he defined as an imperial offensive against Venezuelan sovereignty.

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A serious crisis is rapidly unfolding inside UK prisons as eight Palestine Action-Affiliated activists held on remand continue a prolonged hunger strike (the biggest in the UK since 1981), that has already forced five of them into hospital. Lawyers warn that the group, detained under “terrorism charges,” are being left to face death while government officials remain silent.

Legal representatives from Imran Khan & Partners Solicitors have appealed directly to Justice Secretary David Lammy, urging an emergency meeting before the activists’ health “deteriorates beyond possible recovery.” With two prisoners now around day 40 without food, lawyers say they are suffering severe symptoms including shortness of breath, memory loss, blurred vision, and rapid physical decline. All eight are being held in prolonged pre-trial detention, which could stretch to two years due to court delays, despite none being convicted.

The hunger strikers have issued five demands they insist they will continue to pursue regardless of the risks. Three relate directly to their legal conditions: an end to the censorship of their communications, immediate bail, and the disclosure of documents detailing alleged Israeli state and corporate influence in their prosecutions. The remaining demands are: the de-proscription of Palestine Action, which the UK labelled a terrorist organization in July, and the complete shutdown of Elbit Systems’ UK operations. Elbit, Israel’s largest arms manufacturer, supplies most of the drones used in Israel’s military campaigns; Palestine Action has long targeted its UK sites.

As the hunger strike enters a potentially fatal stage, pressure is mounting on the Justice Secretary and The Crown Prosecution Service to intervene.

Liberated Palestinian Prisoners Express Support for Hunger-Striking Prisoners in British Jails

Human rights organizations say the crisis stems from the UK’s extreme misuse of counter-terror legislation. Amnesty International UK warned the situation has reached “crisis point,” accusing prosecutors of stretching terrorism laws far beyond their intended purpose. Amnesty’s Kerry Moscogiuri described the activists as “victims of the UK’s excessively broad terrorism laws,” which she said have transformed ordinary protest actions into terrorism cases and threaten the rights to expression and assembly for all.

As the hunger strike enters a potentially fatal stage, pressure is mounting on the Justice Secretary and The Crown Prosecution Service to intervene. Without immediate action, Qesser Zuhrah, Amu Gib, Kamran Ahmed, Jon Cink, Teuta Hoxha, Heba Muraisi, Lewie Chiaramello, and Muhammad Umer Khalid continue to face the risk of death as per medical opinion. Any consequences of the prisoners’ mistreatment and neglect would rest squarely on the government’s refusal to engage with their demands or address the escalating concerns over political repression.

(Al Akhbar)

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Cuba has condemned the U.S. naval blockade on Venezuela, reaffirming support for President Nicolás Maduro and the Bolivarian government amid growing regional tensions.

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Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel denounced the “naval blockade” imposed by the United States on Venezuela, asserting his country’s firm backing of the Bolivarian government. “Our energetic rejection of the U.S. Government’s naval blockade of Venezuela. We firmly support President Nicolás Maduro, the Bolivarian and Chavista Revolution, and its Popular-Military Union,” Díaz-Canel stated on Wednesday.

He also expressed Havana’s “full backing” of a Venezuelan government statement that accused Washington of seeking to “appropriate Venezuelan resources, such as hydrocarbons, minerals, and territorial assets” through “massive campaigns of lies and manipulation.”

🔴🇨🇺Cuba respalda al Gobierno de Maduro frente al bloqueo naval de EEUU🇺🇸

🔹El presidente de Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, ha repudiado el “bloqueo naval” impuesto por EE.UU. contra Venezuela🇻🇪 y expresado apoyo al Gobierno del país bolivariano.

🔗https://t.co/l5YOaEksH2 pic.twitter.com/H4zh4QdMbR

— HispanTV (@Nexo_Latino) December 17, 2025

Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez echoed the condemnation, describing the blockade as “a serious violation of International Law” and reaffirming the country’s “total and firm support” for President Maduro and Venezuela.

The U.S. measures follow President Donald Trump’s designation of the Venezuelan government as “a terrorist organization” and his announcement of a total blockade on all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving the country. Trump stated that the blockade will continue until “they return to the U.S. all the oil, land, and other assets that were stolen from us.”

🇨🇺❗️⚓️🇻🇪Cuba repudia "el bloqueo naval" de EE.UU. contra Venezuela

➡️https://t.co/kGBsswZUWe pic.twitter.com/SvUSA2pUXo

— RT Última Hora (@RTultimahora) December 17, 2025

This move comes shortly after U.S. forces seized a Venezuelan oil tanker off the country’s coast, an unusual operation amid an expanding U.S. military presence in the Caribbean. Since September, U.S. forces have carried out multiple operations in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, resulting in at least 95 deaths in the name of anti-drug campaigns.

Venezuelan authorities have warned that Washington’s ultimate goal is regime change and control over the country’s strategic resources, including oil, gas, and gold.

We reject the naval blockade against #Venezuela announced by the #US government, which is a very serious violation of International Law and a new escalation of the aggression against the Bolivarian government.

Our all-out and firmest support goes to the constitutional President… pic.twitter.com/hemaOjAojt

— Bruno Rodríguez P (@BrunoRguezP) December 17, 2025

Cuba’s statement reinforces its longstanding alliance with Venezuela and highlights regional opposition to U.S. interventionist policies.

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A meeting on the scientific, historical and application development of tropical agriculture took place in the presence of experts and members of the community, said the statement on Wednesday.

The official document, distributed in Havana, describes that specialists and the community of the western territory of Santiago de Las Vegas promote the scientific and historical collection of INIFAT.

The meeting was organized by the Instituto de Investigaciones Fundamentales en Agricultura Tropical Alejandro de Humboldt (INIFAT), in collaboration with the International Committee for the Development of Peoples (CISP).

The workshop took place as part of the actions planned in the task Conservation and dissemination of scientific knowledge and results of basic research in tropical agriculture.

It also includes elements such as the energy component, which is inserted in the Green Line, Renewable Energy Communities and Food Security project in Pinar del Río, funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS).

In addition to managers and specialists of the institution, the meeting was attended by officials from the Agro-Forestry Business Group (GAF), and students from the Information Sciences career, the Faculty of Communication of the University of Havana.

The purpose of the event was to disseminate the scientific, historical and heritage collection preserved in the INIFAT library and archive, and highlight its potential for academic and scientific use in the locality.

At the meeting, certain programmes were announced to promote agriculture, such as the digitization of the documentary heritage of Cuban agriculture, improvement of material conditions, strengthening of staff skills and new information services.

rc/rfc

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