The Akademik Lomonosov has been operating in the Arctic since 2020.
On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country is leading the development and operation of floating nuclear power plants, as can be seen in the Akademik Lomonosov, which is operating in the port of Pevek, in the Chukotka region, across from Alaska.
“This is not just a project; the plant is operational. It is located in northern Russia, in the Arctic region, and has been operating and generating electricity since 2020,” he said on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa Forum in Moscow.
Putin insisted that French, Japanese and U.S. companies say they are ready to develop plants like Russia’s, “but so far, no one has done anything.” By contrast, “Russia has an existing plant that has been built and is operating, and there is nothing like it anywhere in the world,” he reiterated.
Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom) previously signed the first agreement with Indonesia to build two floating nuclear power plants abroad.
A nuclear power plant… on water 🌊⚡️ Russia’s Akademik Lomonosov first floating NPP is bringing reliable, low-carbon energy to remote regions. Learn more from this video ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/UrTPsWix49
— Russian Embassy in Kenya/Посольство России в Кении (@russembkenya) April 27, 2026
Rosatom Director Alexei Likhachev said Moscow hopes the international business community will take note of “an infrastructure project in the field of nuclear energy capable of transforming a country’s economy.”
The world’s first floating nuclear power plant, the Akademik Lomonosov, was built to withstand tsunamis and iceberg impacts. It has a capacity of 70 megawatts of electricity and 50 gigacalories of thermal energy, and can supply electricity and heat to a city of nearly 100,000 people.
The United States also launched a floating nuclear power plant, the Sturgis, in the Panama Canal in 1968, but decommissioned it in 1976 because of high maintenance costs.
The Argentine president was directly involved in the operation, said a lawyer close to the Bolsonaro clan.
Over the last 12 hours, Argentine and Brazilian media outlets have continued to stir up controversy regarding the role President Javier Milei played in the flight of far-right Brazilian senator Flavio Bolsonaro to the United States—a journey that included a stop in Argentina.
On Tuesday, outlets reported that Bolsonaro might flee through Argentina. Immigration authorities, however, responded by saying there were no records of Bolsonaro entering the country.
Presidential spokesman Adrian Ravier said only at a news conference that Argentina had received no asylum request from the Brazilian senator. Milei chose to remain silent.
In an interview with channel A24 on Tuesday night, Mexican lawyer Simon Levy, who is close to the Bolsonaro family, claimed that Milei was aware of the efforts to coordinate Bolsonaro’s escape to Miami.
“Thanks to President Milei, Flavio Bolsonaro is alive today. The only person who knew about this was President Milei. He has been and was involved in part of the coordination of this entire operation,” Levy said.
Flávio Bolsonaro fugiu para os Estados Unidos em um jato de uma empresa que aparece numa investigação sobre lavagem de dinheiro ligado a contratos públicos para atender pessoas com deficiência na Argentina.
The text reads, “Flavio Bolsonaro fled to the U.S. on a jet belonging to a company that appears in an investigation into money laundering linked to public contracts for the care of people with disabilities in Argentina.
The aircraft belongs to Baires Fly, which is owned by Luis Grande. The company also transported Javier Milei to the U.S. following his 2023 electoral victory. On that trip, Grande himself piloted the plane. Argentine judicial authorities are investigating transfers made by suppliers of the National Disability Agency (ANDIS) to Baires Fly accounts.
Following these payments, invoices were issued for the advance purchase of flight miles. It is suspected that these transactions were used to provide a veneer of legality to funds derived from irregular contracting. Flavio left Brazil despite a court order prohibiting him from exiting the country and requiring him to surrender his passports. Sources: Reuters, elDiarioAR, and Ambito.“
The newspaper La Nacion reported that presidential adviser Santiago Caputo was in Misiones province, which borders Brazil, on Tuesday night, when the aircraft carrying Bolsonaro took off. This would confirm that the Milei administration actively assisted in the operation.
According to Argentina’s National Directorate of Migration, Flavio Bolsonaro, his wife, Fernanda Antunes Figueira, and their two daughters entered the country on Tuesday at 10:50 p.m. local time via the Tancredo Neves International Bridge in Misiones province.
Bolsonaro used his Italian passport, while his family members traveled with their usual identification documents, according to the flight plan. Argentine immigration authorities said no laws had been violated: “We cannot prevent him from entering the country with his European passport.”
Forty minutes later, at 11:30 p.m. local time, the Bolsonaros boarded a private aircraft operated by Baires Fly S.A. at Puerto Iguazu Airport, bound for Guayaquil, Ecuador, from where they traveled to Miami, United States.
So far, neither Milei nor his ministers and aides have made any public statements about the operation that enabled the escape of Bolsonaro, a far-right politician who faces several criminal investigations.
His departure came after Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered him to surrender his passports and barred him from leaving the country as part of money laundering investigations.
All opposition parties to Milei in Argentina’s Congress have demanded explanations about what role the government may have played in the operation.
Federal and state governments to address chronic shortages and contamination without taking on new debt.
On Wednesday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that the federal government and the state of Jalisco will jointly invest about US$1.3 billion to improve water supply and quality in the Guadalajara metropolitan area, the country’s second-most-populous metropolitan area.
During her morning news conference, she explained that her administration will contribute US$777 million, while Jalisco will allocate US$547 million.
“The good news is that the joint investment will prevent the need to take on debt and will make it possible to carry out this very important project for the country’s second-most-populous metropolitan area,” Sheinbaum said.
Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus said the agreement will address a longstanding problem of water service interruptions and poor water quality that has affected residents of Guadalajara and neighboring municipalities for generations. He stressed that the projects will not involve new debt, privatization, or water rate increases.
For decades, Guadalajara has faced water supply and contamination problems, exacerbated by the deterioration of hydraulic infrastructure that is more than 70 years old in some sections. Some of the water supplied from Lake Chapala flows through open channels exposed to domestic and industrial discharges, while various neighborhoods experience service interruptions and irregular water distribution.
Efrain Morales, director of the National Water Commission (CONAGUA), explained that federal investment will fund two new aqueducts, with construction set to begin in early 2027 and last approximately two years. The projects will increase water supply by 1,200 liters per second, equivalent to providing water to half a million people, and improve water quality over the next 30 years.
Chapala: el reto de llevar más agua sin perderla en el camino y sin sobreexplotar el lago
El proyecto del gobierno de Jalisco para mejorar el abasto de agua en la zona metropolitana de Guadalajara mediante un nuevo acueducto genera preocupación entre organismos ciudadanos. pic.twitter.com/VG7vyvz7Qz
The text reads, “Chapala: the challenge of transporting more water without losing it along the way or overexploiting the lake. The Jalisco state government’s project to improve the water supply for the Guadalajara metropolitan area—which involves a new aqueduct—is raising concerns among civic organizations.”
Contamination and Water Supply Interruptions
The state of Jalisco will allocate about US$402 million to renovate the Miravalle water treatment plant, which is about 70 years old. Lemus explained that the first phase will begin operating in April 2027 and that all work will be completed in approximately two years.
Authorities are also working to clean up channels and dams affected by polluting discharges and to build collectors to protect water from Lake Chapala.
Sheinbaum said about 150 unauthorized discharges have been identified, 80 of which have already been shut down. The project also aims to make full use of the infrastructure at the El Zapotillo Dam, built during the administration of former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (2018-2024).
The nonbinding resolution passed with 130 votes in favor, 17 against and 25 abstentions.
On Wednesday, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) approved a resolution presented by Cuba against the U.S. blockade, with 130 votes in favor, 17 against and 25 abstentions.
Colombia, Paraguay, Argentina, Ecuador, and Costa Rica were the Latin American countries that joined the United States in voting against the nonbinding resolution titled “Necessity of Ending the Economic, Commercial and Financial Blockade Imposed by the United States of America Against Cuba.”
“The world has once again spoken out overwhelmingly against the blockade, despite the most blatant pressure and blackmail by the U.S. to change the course of this vote,” Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on social media.
“This victory for Cuba today in the UNGA is a victory for the heroic Cuban people, who refuse to surrender in the face of economic strangulation, threats and abuses by the U.S. government.”
“It is the triumph of truth over those who resort to lies and blackmail to subject an entire nation to collective punishment. Cuba is not a threat; the blockade is!” the revolutionary leader stressed.
BREAKING 🇨🇺🇺🇳 The UN General Assembly has overwhelmingly condemned the genocidal US blockade of Cuba for the 34th time. pic.twitter.com/WbPSMmHL7x
The U.S. Blockade Causes $23 Million In Damages Per Day
Before the vote, Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodriguez forcefully rebutted the United States, which denies that a blockade against the island exists. He said the economic war against Cuba causes more than US$22.9 million in economic damage in a single day.
Rodriguez displayed a real-time counter tracking the economic impact of the U.S. blockade. The counter began operating on Tuesday, coinciding with the start of the debate in the General Assembly on the annual resolution against the sanctions.
“The blockade kills and silently punishes our population as never before,” Rodriguez said and warned that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump “has unleashed a wave of pressure, intimidation and blackmail” against countries to prevent them from supporting the resolution, a text that has been approved almost unanimously year after year since 1992.
“The U.S. blockade is an act of war, collective punishment, and genocide… Its effects are felt at Cuban families’ dinner tables, in the beds of the sick, during childbirth or in operating rooms, in a child’s food or classroom, in the lack of electricity, drinking water and medicines, and in the high prices of goods essential to life,” Rodriguez pointed out.
Among other things, he denounced that Cuba faces shortages of 70% of the medicines on its basic list and that about 100,000 people, including 12,000 children, are awaiting surgery. All of this is “a consequence of the blockade.”
“What Cuba is asking for is to be left in peace, to allow the Cuban people to live in peace, resolve our own problems peacefully and find solutions to the great difficulties facing the world today, free from political, military, cognitive or economic aggression,” Rodriguez concluded.
“Cuba is not a threat. The blockade is.” 🇨🇺🇺🇳
In his speech, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez denounced the cynicism and hypocrisy of labeling the island an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to the national security of the world's greatest nuclear power.
The far-right politician arrived at Miami-Opa Locka Airport with his wife and two daughters.
On Wednesday, former presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro, his wife and their two daughters entered the United States through Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport in Miami-Dade County.
The far-right politician left Brazil by crossing the land border with Argentina after losing Sunday’s presidential runoff to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
After several hours of unconfirmed media reports, Argentine immigration authorities acknowledged that Flavio Bolsonaro had stopped in Argentina before traveling to Ecuador.
On Tuesday night, Bolsonaro and his family entered Argentina through the Tancredo Neves International Bridge border crossing in the province of Misiones.
Then, at 11:30 p.m. local time, they boarded a private flight that departed from Puerto Iguazu Airport bound for the city of Guayaquil, Ecuador, from where they traveled to Miami.
Why Did Flavio Bolsonaro Flee?
Following his electoral defeat on Oct. 25, Flavio will also lose his seat in the Senate in February 2027, when the new legislative session begins, marking the first time since 2003 that he will not hold public office.
An electoral victory for the far-right politician would have halted investigations against him, as Brazilian presidents cannot be held accountable during their terms for acts committed before their inauguration.
On Monday, Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the rapporteur in the trial that ended with Jair Bolsonaro’s conviction for attempting a coup, gave Flavio 24 hours to surrender his travel documents as part of a money laundering case being handled under seal.
That same day, the 45-year-old senator posted a video on social media saying he had no intention of leaving Brazil, that he would surrender his passports and that he would defend himself against what he described as a “clear attempt at intimidation.” However, the Federal Police canceled the documents on Tuesday after the deadline to surrender them expired.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump’s administration confirmed that it would issue visas and formally receive Bolsonaro and his family. Trump, a close ally of the Bolsonaro clan, called Brazil’s election “fraudulent,” although he added that he does not govern Brazil when asked whether he would take any action in response.
Flavio will reunite with his brother Eduardo Bolsonaro, who has been living in the United States since March 2025 after fleeing Brazilian justice.
Putin Denounces Western Colonialism and Pledges Increased Grain Supplies to Africa.
On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin inaugurated the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, where delegations from 48 countries will discuss cooperation, defense and technology topics for two days.
Representatives of regional organizations, such as the African Union and the African Continental Free Trade Area, are also present at the Moscow meeting.
The summit will have two plenary sessions, after which participants will adopt a final declaration outlining the agreed approaches for the development of Russian-African cooperation and the deepening of collaboration in the international sphere.
They will also approve a declaration on cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence and an action plan for the Russia-Africa Cooperation Forum for the years 2027-2029.
At the end of the event, Putin and Burundi President Evariste Ndayishimiye, in his capacity as the current head of the African Union, will offer statements to the media to summarize the results of the summit.
📌 EXCLUSIVE | Russia-Africa Summit convenes as "global geopolitics has changed substantially": Kenyan FM
During his intervention at the summit, Putin denounced Western colonialism in Africa and promised to increase grain supplies to the continent.
“We are observing active attempts by Western countries to once again plunge Africans into debt, imposing on them much-needed financial resources under abusive conditions, subsequently forcing them to overpay far beyond the debt to the detriment of their long-term development plans,” he said in the plenary session.
According to the Kremlin chief, the multipolar world is a reality, but not everyone is willing to accept it. “We are witnessing how the multipolar world is becoming a reality and this trend is objective and irreversible,” he asserted.
He also drew the attention of those present to Africa’s “new awakening” with the strengthening of its countries’ sovereignty and the increase of their prestige on the world stage.
Russia develops its relations with African countries on the principles of “equality and friendship” and is willing to expand aid to the continent, said Putin, who stressed that “more than 40 African countries already receive Russian fertilizers and cereals, and we are ready to further expand the geographic scope of our agricultural exports.”
In the first nine months of 2026, Moscow exported 13 million tons of agricultural products to Africa. “For some countries, shipment volumes have multiplied several times, not only in percentage, but in absolute terms,” Putin stated.
He also mentioned that exports of African agricultural products to Russia cover 8% of the needs of the Russian market and “this figure must grow and it will.”
The Russian leader placed special emphasis on humanitarian contacts, highlighting the growing number of students at Russian universities, and called on African airlines to begin operating flights to Russia.
Debate on a nonbinding resolution takes place amid U.S. pressure on countries ahead of the vote.
On Tuesday, the Cuban government thanked the international community for its support in opposing the U.S. blockade during the first day of debate at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on a nonbinding resolution calling for an end to U.S. sanctions.
“Today at the United Nations, the overwhelming support of the international community for Cuba in condemning the blockade and opposing the U.S. government’s policy of maximum strangulation was evident. Most speakers, some representing regional blocs, were clear in their denunciations,” Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said.
He also referred to the incidents involving U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, who made unfounded accusations against the Cuban government during his address to the General Assembly.
“During the debate, the U.S. representative, in clear isolation, did not have the courage to explain to the world the reason for the criminal energy siege imposed on the Cuban people, or for the strengthening of the blockade’s extraterritorial reach,” the Cuban president said.
“They may pressure sovereign nations, intimidate them and make distracting fabrications, but the overwhelming majority knows which side the truth is on and will continue to say it loud and clear: Cuba Is Not a Threat, the blockade is!” he added.
BREAKING: Cuba’s UN delegation, led by Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, confronts US ambassador Mike Waltz during a debate on the US blockade.
The UN General Assembly will hold its 34th annual vote this week condemning the US blockade on Cuba. Cuban representatives… pic.twitter.com/YuMyUzbT9F
In social media posts, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez also thanked those who had called for an end to the U.S. blockade against Cuba, including the energy siege and secondary sanctions.
Earlier, Rodriguez and Waltz engaged in a heated argument during the session. Amid mutual accusations from the two representatives, UNGA President Khalilur Rahman threatened to suspend the session.
The current debate over the U.S. blockade, which has been in place for more than six decades, is taking place amid an oil blockade and secondary sanctions imposed by Washington.
The debate is also taking place amid allegations that President Donald Trump’s administration is pressuring countries to influence their votes and prevent widespread support for Cuba.
The resolution, titled “Necessity of Ending the Economic, Commercial and Financial Blockade Imposed by the United States of America Against Cuba,” has received the support of the overwhelming majority of the international community at the United Nations every year since 1992.
With about 77 percent of the votes counted, Netanyahu’s bloc was projected to win 54 out of 120 seats.
On Wednesday, Senior Arab lawmaker Ahmad Tibi confirmed that the Joint List, an alliance of Arab-led parties, is in talks with the bloc opposing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the formation of an alternative government following Tuesday’s parliamentary election.
Tibi, chairman of the Ta’al party, said the Joint List was ready to help the so-called “change bloc” replace Netanyahu, although it was unlikely to formally join a governing coalition. The Joint List is a political alliance of Arab-majority parties in Israel, comprising Ta’al, Balad, and Hadash.
“We have blocked the possibility of Netanyahu forming a government,” Tibi said, referring to the election results. “Our public wants us to go further and influence the shape of the political system after the elections.”
Tibi said the alliance was open to discussing parliamentary arrangements, including how and when its lawmakers would vote, in exchange for progress on issues affecting Israel’s Arab minority, including crime, house demolitions, infrastructure and incitement. “We will probably not be an organic part of this government,” he said, adding that other arrangements were possible.
Yair Golan, leader of the center-left Democrats party, which is part of the opposition bloc led by Eisenkot, urged his allies to abandon their refusal to cooperate with Arab parties. “We must no longer accept Netanyahu’s racist division between Jewish votes and Arab votes,” he said.
Israeli settlers deliberately sabotaging voting at polling stations in Palestinian towns —— Knesset member and Ta’al party leader Ahmad Tibi accused Israeli settlers of intentionally delaying the voting process across Palestinian towns during parliamentary elections.
Yousef Jabareen, chairman of the Joint List, also expressed willingness to help Eisenkot replace Netanyahu. “Anyone who wants to offer a real alternative to Netanyahu’s bloodstained government will have to talk to us. We are ready to pave the way for Netanyahu’s removal,” he stated.
These remarks came as vote counting continued after an election that appeared to leave neither Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc nor the rival bloc led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot with the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority.
With about 77 percent of the votes counted, Netanyahu’s bloc was projected to win 54 seats in the 120-seat parliament, compared with 49 for Eisenkot’s bloc, according to Israel’s Central Elections Committee, which oversees the election. The Joint List and the Muslim Ra’am party were projected to win a combined 17 seats, with 11 going to the Joint List.
The Joint List could play a decisive role in efforts to form a government, potentially by providing parliamentary support from outside the coalition. However, both Netanyahu and Eisenkot have previously ruled out forming a government with Arab parties, complicating efforts to assemble a majority.
Dozens of injuries and arrests on charges of disobedience were reported.
On Tueday, thousands of people gathered outside Portugal’s parliament in Lisbon to protest a police operation to clear housing rights encampments in the early hours of Sunday.
Businesses in the surrounding area closed at the request of municipal authorities, as parliament began debating the 2027 state budget.
The Acampada de Lisboa movement joined the demonstration and called for a popular assembly to be held outside parliament.
Municipal police asked nearby businesses to close for the afternoon, a request that most complied with. Several units of the Public Security Police (PSP), including intervention teams, were deployed to the area, along with emergency medical teams from INEM.
The police operation, carried out in the early hours of Sunday, cleared encampments in both Lisbon and Porto following more than two hours of tension and repeated orders for protesters to vacate the squares. The protesters refused to leave, citing their constitutional right to demonstrate.
Thousands of protesters gathered outside Portugal's parliament in Lisbon demanding affordable housing after police forcefully cleared protest camps, arresting dozens.
Dozens of injuries and arrests on charges of disobedience were reported. Hospitals in Lisbon said they had treated 27 people for injuries, more than double the five cases initially reported by police.
Opening the parliamentary debate on the budget, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro defended the police response, saying the PSP had acted proportionately and had been “particularly careful and competent” in restoring public order.
Montenegro said he wanted to address the issue directly before turning to the details of the budget, as the police operation had come to dominate media coverage.
The debate on the 2027 state budget is scheduled to run through Tuesday and Wednesday. Its passage at the first reading is assured, as the main opposition Socialist Party has pledged to abstain.
Their companies supply weapons and technologies that are used in Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russian territory.
On Tuesday, Russia barred seven British defense industry executives from entering the country, accusing their companies of supplying Ukraine with weapons and military technologies.
The executives were added to Russia’s entry ban list because their companies supply weapons and technologies that are used in Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russian territory.
Three of the executives are from Rotron Aerospace: CEO Alex Head, chief military adviser Kev Oliver and board chairman George Zambellas. The company is involved in the development of the Brakestop long-range missile project.
The other four are Robert Gascoyne, CEO of MGI Engineering, which is also involved in the Brakestop project; Neil Appleton, CEO of drone maker Malloy Aeronautics; Paul Webb, director and co-founder of reconnaissance drone maker Tekever UK; and Julian Cracknell, chief technology and information officer at BAE Systems.
🇬🇧Britain's defence secretary just told NATO to get ready for war with Russia:
In Warsaw, Wes Streeting said: "We have to be ready for a scenario in which the United Kingdom and the NATO alliance finds itself at war with Russia."
The Foreign Affairs ministry accused Britain of supplying Ukraine with missile and drone weapons and technologies, with the aim of inflicting maximum damage on Russia.
It also criticized the British government’s defense spending priorities, arguing that funds allocated to military contractors could instead be used to support Britain’s civilian sector amid domestic economic and social challenges.
The Generalissimus Suvorov is equipped with modern missile and torpedo systems.
On Wednesday, , the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that nuclear-powered strategic missile submarine Generalissimus Suvorov launched a Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile from the Sea of Okhotsk toward the Chizha test range in the Arkhangelsk region.
The launch was carried out by the submarine’s Pacific Fleet crew as part of scheduled combat training. The missile was launched from a submerged position in the Sea of Okhotsk. Monitoring data showed that its warheads had reached the designated area of the test range at the scheduled time, according to the ministry.
The Generalissimus Suvorov is a fourth-generation nuclear-powered strategic missile submarine equipped with modern missile and torpedo systems, as well as navigation, radio engineering and hydroacoustic equipment, the ministry said.
The Russian navy commissioned the submarine in December 2022. It carries 16 Bulava intercontinental ballistic missiles, according to Russian media reports.
From the waters of the Sea of Okhotsk, the crew of the Borei-A-class SSBN К-553 “Generalissimus Suvorov” conducted a test launch of the R-30 “Bulava” SLBM at the Chizha test range in the Arkhangelsk Region. 🎥MoD RF(Oct 27-28)https://t.co/mKD7bYH4cCpic.twitter.com/WCM6CstPcn
Humanitarian Ceasefire In Oleshky Extended Until Nov. 1
On Tuesday, Russia’s Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova confirmed that the humanitarian ceasefire in Oleshky, a town in the Kherson region, will remain in effect until 10:59 p.m. Moscow time on Nov. 1.
Lantratova said the ceasefire agreement was being fully implemented, with no violations reported. She stressed that maintaining the truce was important for providing assistance to local residents.
Oleshky is located on the left bank of the Dnieper River, opposite the Ukrainian-controlled city of Kherson. The town has been facing a severe humanitarian situation, with residents reportedly experiencing worsening shortages of food and other essential supplies amid continuous fighting.
Last Friday, Russia and Ukraine agreed to a temporary ceasefire in the area to facilitate humanitarian aid deliveries and civilian evacuations.
On Wednesday, Spanish media reported that at least 50 people were killed and 179 others injured in a collision between two high-speed trains on the railway line linking Madrid with the southern region of Andalusia.
The accident occurred at around 8:54 a.m. local time near Urda station in the province of Toledo, about 120 km south of Madrid. The collision involved a train operated by state-owned railway company Renfe and another operated by private company Iryo.
Preliminary reports suggested that the Renfe train struck the rear of the Iryo train, which had reportedly been stationary on the tracks. Two carriages derailed and plunged down an embankment.
The Chinese Embassy in Spain has confirmed that four Chinese nationals were aboard the trains involved in the collision, with at least one sustaining minor injury.
💥🇪🇸 IMPACTANTE | Nueva tragedia de trenes de Alta Velocidad enluta a España con cerca de 46 fallecidos y más de 179 heridos: Un AVE de Renfe ha embestido a más de 100 km/h, a un tren de Iryo detenido en Urda (Toledo), sin que se activaran los sistemas de emergencia.
The text reads, “Shocking | A new high-speed rail tragedy has plunged Spain into mourning, leaving approximately 46 dead and more than 179 injured. A Renfe AVE train, traveling at over 100 km/h, collided with a stationary Iryo train in Urda (Toledo) after emergency systems failed to activate. Preliminary findings indicate that the LZB signaling system malfunctioned 24 minutes earlier, forcing the trains into a “degraded mode” (requiring operation by sight). As is often the case, the Socialist government has pointed to human error at the Atocha control center. This marks the second fatal high-speed rail accident this year; the previous one occurred in Adamuz.”
Spanish railway infrastructure operator Adif confirmed that the accident prompted the suspension of rail services between Madrid and Andalusia.
Political parties across Spain cancelled scheduled activities on Wednesday, while officials expressed their condolences and support for those affected.
“Shocked by the serious train accident in Toledo,” Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wrote on social media, adding that emergency services are on the ground to assist those impacted.
The collision came just nine months after another major railway accident near Adamuz, in the southern province of Cordoba, which killed 46 people.
Brazilian President Says Far-Right Senator Should Have Stayed in the Country to Face Criminal Charges.
On Tuesday, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called former presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro’s flight from Brazil to the United States a shameful act.
During a celebration of his 81st birthday in Brasilia, Lula said the far-right senator should have remained in the country to answer the criminal accusations against him.
“Those who have nothing to hide have nothing to fear. Democracy must be respected in victory and defeat. Brazil is our home, and it is here that we must face challenges, respect the justice system, and defend our country’s sovereignty,” the Workers’ Party leader said.
Lula then recalled that he had decided to remain in Brazil and serve prison time to “unmask” his accusers and prove his innocence in the Lava Jato case.
Earlier, Worker’s Party lawmakers asked Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes to order Flavio’s preventive detention and add him to Interpol’s Red Notice list.
Throughout Tuesday, Brazilian and Argentine media outlets tried to establish Flavio Bolsonaro’s whereabouts. The son of former President Jair Bolsonaro is already on U.S. soil with his wife and two daughters, a source close to his family told EFE.
However, no news about Flavio emerged throughout the day, and secrecy still surrounds his departure route and destination city in the United States.
“We still have no information about his whereabouts, only some reports that have appeared in the press,” Sen. Rogerio Marinho, Bolsonaro’s former presidential campaign coordinator, said.
“I received a message from him on my cellphone, a text message, in which he said he wanted to take some time for himself today and would speak with us later,” he told reporters after a meeting with Liberal Party leaders.
Following his electoral defeat, Flavio will also lose his seat in the Senate next February, when the new legislative session begins, marking the first time since 2003 that he will not hold public office.
An electoral victory for the far-right politician would have halted investigations against him, as Brazilian presidents cannot be held accountable during their terms for acts committed before their inauguration.
Timeline of the Flight
The day began with front-page reports in major local media outlets that Bolsonaro had left the country, defying a Supreme Court order barring him from leaving Brazil and requiring him to immediately surrender his regular and diplomatic passports.
On Monday, Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the rapporteur in the trial that ended with Jair Bolsonaro’s conviction for attempting a coup, gave Flavio 24 hours to surrender his travel documents as part of a money laundering case being handled under seal.
That same day, the 45-year-old senator posted a video on social media saying he had no intention of leaving Brazil, that he would surrender his passports and that he would defend himself against what he described as a “clear attempt at intimidation.” However, the Federal Police canceled the documents on Tuesday after the deadline to surrender them expired.
By then, Flavio Bolsonaro was already on his way to the United States. Argentine media outlets reported that the far-right politician had crossed the border into Argentina to board a private plane bound for the United States from the city of Puerto Iguazu, in Misiones province.
However, the Argentine government said there was no record of the lawmaker entering the country and no formal asylum request.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump’s administration confirmed that it would issue visas and formally receive Bolsonaro and his family. Trump, a close ally of the Bolsonaro clan, called Brazil’s election “fraudulent,” although he added that he does not govern Brazil when asked whether he would take any action in response.
Flavio will reunite with his brother Eduardo Bolsonaro, who has been living in the United States since March 2025 after fleeing Brazilian justice.
Honorary Chamber President Says Conviction Could Bar Far-Right Leader From Running.
On Tuesday, Didier Guerin, the president of the honorary chamber of the French Supreme Court, expressed doubts about the possibility that far-right leader Marine Le Pen could run in the 2027 presidential elections following her conviction for misappropriation of European Parliament funds.
In an interview published by Le Monde, Guerin, who presided over the Supreme Court’s criminal chamber between 2014 and 2017, said she will not be able to run in the April-May elections if the appeal in cassation of the sentence handed down on appeal against Le Pen succeeds.
According to his thesis, if the Supreme Court annuls the appeal verdict, the ruling issued at first instance on March 31, 2025, will apply, which sentenced the far-right leader to two years of house arrest and five years of ineligibility with preventive application.
Le Pen was convicted of misappropriation of European Parliament funds, after having paid party workers and even domestic employees with European funds intended for parliamentary assistants.
Guerin considers that an appeal to the Supreme Court annuls the appeal judgment and imposes the first-instance sentence, so that de facto Le Pen is ineligible.
Le Pen launched her candidacy after the appeals court reduced the sentence to one year of house arrest and only 15 months of ineligibility, which she has already served.
Guerin affirms that the jurisprudence of the court to which he belongs supports his theory, contrary to what other jurists think, including the chief prosecutor of the Supreme Court, Remy Heitz.
The Supreme Court magistrate notes that the only possibility Le Pen has to run in the 2027 elections is, paradoxically, for the court to reject the appeals of the sentence and confirm her conviction.
If the Supreme Court’s decision is delayed beyond March 26, 2027, the deadline for validating candidacies for the first round on April 28, the far-right candidate will not be able to seek her fourth run for the Elysee, according to Guerin.
Marine #LePen is betting on public anger over rising prices, unrest, and immigration to propel her presidential bid, promising tougher borders and a sweeping return to law and order in France.https://t.co/inACuFz4DA
For her part, Le Pen has filed a complaint with the French Superior Council of the Judiciary against Judge Guerin over his statements about her ineligibility, considering that they violate magistrates’ duty of discretion and contain evaluations of a political nature, according to a statement from her six lawyers.
The lawyers of the far-right leader maintain that his interpretation contradicts current law on the provisional execution of sentences and the effects of judicial appeals.
They also note that the attorney general of the Supreme Court has defended a position contrary to that expressed by Guerin.
The statement also questions that an honorary magistrate publicly comments on a judicial decision of his own and considers future political scenarios, including the possibility that her candidacy be prevented or that she be removed if elected.
For this reason, Le Pen has asked the Superior Council of the Judiciary to remind Guerin of his ethical obligations, considering that his statements exceed the legal sphere and could compromise the image of the judicial institution.
Previously, U.S. Ambassador Waltz urged member states to reject Havana’s annual resolution against the blockade.
On Oct. 27 and 28, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) holds, for the 34th time, a debate and vote on a resolution presented by Cuba titled “Necessity of Ending the Economic, Commercial and Financial Blockade Imposed by the United States of America Against Cuba.”
On Tuesday, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez accused the U.S. government of lying “in a crude and permanent manner” to the countries represented at the UNGA.
“With its crude lies at the UNGA, the U.S. government has launched a new desperate attempt to justify its economic aggression against Cuba and its criminal energy blockade,” he said, lashing out at U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz and criticizing his “arrogance and haughtiness.”
“He forgets that he is at the United Nations. He is not at the U.S. National Security Council, in a Green Beret unit, or in a Signal group, where he has repeatedly demonstrated his incompetence and inability,” Rodriguez stated.
The Cuban diplomat said Waltz’s remarks before the General Assembly “are part of a media circus, threats and an election campaign” to which Washington “devotes substantial financial and human resources.”
“There is no justification for maintaining the act of collective punishment to which the Cuban people are subjected,” Rodriguez stressed.
Waltz Seeks to Put a Positive Spin on the U.S. Blockade
During his address, Waltz called on countries to vote against the text presented by Cuba, arguing that doing otherwise would contribute “to the mistreatment of the Cuban people.”
He also accused Cuban authorities of using the annual UN resolutions against the blockade as though they were international endorsements of the revolutionary government.
On Wednesday, more than 30 countries are expected to deliver speeches before the vote on the 34th resolution concerning the blockade against Cuba.
Since 1992, Cuba has presented this nonbinding resolution annually. In 2025, it received 165 votes in favor, seven against and 12 abstentions.
Von der Leyen, Carney, and Costa will discuss a new framework for Canada’s relationship with the European Union.
On Thursday and Friday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and European Council President Antonio Costa will meet in Montreal for the 21st European Union-Canada summit.
They and other senior officials will discuss possible features of a status that would allow Canada to become an “associated member” of the European Union.
For the EU, the meeting will be an “important milestone” in relations between the two sides and will pave the way for an “even broader and deeper” political partnership and greater cooperation.
Specifically, European and Canadian leaders are expected to launch a “Partnership for the Future,” a framework for shared prosperity and economic security backed by new initiatives aimed at strengthening people-to-people ties, deepening economic relations and reinforcing their joint position on the world stage.
The summit’s agenda will cover a wide range of issues, from trade, digital affairs and critical raw materials to defense and security, as well as cooperation in education, research, innovation, and youth affairs.
Yves-François Blanchet sur Paul St-Pierre Plamondon et le sommet Canada-UE : « tu peux venir t'asseoir, mais t'as pas le droit de parler. »
Blanchet on Quebec's premier at the Canada-EU summit: "You can come sit down, but you have no right to speak." pic.twitter.com/O3rSPGTc5y
EU sources said it was “clear” that one of the summit’s main topics would be a discussion of the proposal von der Leyen put forward last month — and which Carney welcomed — for Canada to become the EU’s first associated member state.
Currently, this status does not exist as a defined category in the European treaties. Therefore, its specific implications remain to be negotiated.
“This is somewhat uncharted territory, but I think what we want, together with our member states, side by side, and together with Canada over the next 12 months, is to have the ambition, confidence, creativity and vision to shape it together… It is the highest form of collaboration imaginable. For now, frankly, I see it as something very specific to Canada,” a senior EU official said.
“There is no doubt among the member states about their ambition for this relationship. All member states are clear that they want the closest possible partnership with Canada. So that is not in question,” another EU source said.
Nevertheless, some member states have reservations because this is uncharted territory. That is precisely the work that will need to be done in Montreal ahead of the next summit in 2027.
The senior official outlined three pillars for this membership: defining more joint policies on climate, energy, artificial intelligence, innovation, or security; having Canada participate more in EU programs, such as the Horizon Europe research program, or fully integrating it into Erasmus+; and, finally, bringing the institutions on both sides closer together to strengthen governance.
“The goal is to build a partnership that comes closer to membership than anything we have done before. It is clearly a partnership without membership (…), aimed at generating greater prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic,” the official said.
The EU was split today over whether to offer “associate membership” status to Canada, with several countries refusing to sign off on a statement containing that phrase just 48 hours before a summit between the two sides in Montreal.https://t.co/7hIHdoOeIw
Relations between Canada and the EU are already close in trade, security, defense, research and technological cooperation. Their main frameworks include the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which has been provisionally applied since 2017, as well as recent progress in defense, digital trade and specific European programs.
They have long been strategic partners and share common values, including democracy, a commitment to a rules-based international order, and free and fair trade.
One of the key areas where the EU sees “enormous potential” is critical raw materials. Imports into the EU have already increased significantly and could rise further through the bloc’s “raw materials mechanism,” which focuses on facilitating connections between Canadian suppliers of these materials and European buyers.
Another idea under consideration is the possible joint stockpiling of critical raw materials, as well as the option of giving the EU priority access to Canadian reserves, EU sources said.
Issued in a brief, unsigned opinion, the justices’ decision favors President Donald Trump’s administration, which opposes maintaining a practice that President Joe Biden formalized.
“In 2024, Biden’s administration adopted a regulation that formally codified administrative closure procedures, concluding that it lets judges efficiently manage their caseloads and promote the fair treatment of immigrants. That regulation replaced a prior rule adopted in 2020 during Trump’s first term in office that had been judicially blocked,” Reuters reported.
When Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, however, he announced that he would no longer allow administrative closure of cases as a mechanism for reducing workloads in immigration courts.
The family of Renee Good, one of two US citizens fatally shot by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis in January,have sued the Trump administration, saying there had been "no accountability" for her killing during deportation sweeps.
Texas had already challenged that policy in a federal court, arguing that the rule lets immigration judges “effectively grant indefinite amnesty to aliens illegally present in this country.”
Three cities with large immigrant populations — Baltimore, Maryland; Columbus, Ohio; and New Haven, Connecticut — along with an immigrant rights advocacy group, filed a lawsuit seeking to preserve Biden’s decision. The courts rejected these requests, bringing the matter before the Supreme Court.
Administrative closure of deportation proceedings, however, has been practiced for decades. According to government statistics, the rule has benefited about 360,000 migrants since 1990.
The Russian president hosts the Gas Exporting Countries Forum summit in Moscow.
On Tuesday, President Vladimir Putin accused Western nations of destabilizing the global gas industry through “terrorist attacks” on Russian pipelines and trade barriers, while calling on gas-exporting countries to strengthen cooperation in the face of mounting challenges.
Speaking at the 8th Summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) in Moscow, Putin said the organization—founded 25 years ago as a platform for expert analysis and market forecasting—has evolved “without any backroom intrigue or attempts to manipulate the market.”
The Russian leader noted that GECF member countries account for 70% of the world’s natural gas reserves and approximately 40% of global gas exports, making a “significant contribution to global energy security and the balanced development of countries and macroregions.”
Putin said natural gas currently accounts for a quarter of the global energy mix, with consumption rising 1.2% in 2025 to 4.2 trillion cubic meters. He predicted these trends would continue, saying “the role of natural gas as a mainstay of global energy, industry, agriculture and international trade will only grow.”
President @drpezeshkian met Russian President Vladimir #Putin on the sidelines of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum Summit. They discussed expanding political, economic, trade and energy cooperation, including joint projects in the oil and gas sectors. pic.twitter.com/ie6N35iz5h
— Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran (@Iran_GOV) October 27, 2026
He also pointed out that Russia ranks first in the world in natural gas reserves and second in production, having built a “unique production complex” that enables supply diversification and development of gas processing and chemical production.
However, Putin painted a bleak picture of the current global gas industry, citing deteriorating conditions in the Middle East and attacks on Russian infrastructure.
“Russian gas pipelines to Europe have been subjected to outright terrorist attacks—they were blown up,” Putin said, referring to the 2022 explosions on the Nord Stream pipelines.
“Some countries have also imposed barriers to purchasing equipment and technology for the sector. As a result, the global gas industry faces uncertainty,” he added and warned that efforts to exclude Russia from global gas markets would backfire.
“Any attempts to exclude Russia from the global gas market or hold back the development of our gas industry have serious consequences, above all in the form of rising, exorbitant costs for end users abroad—companies, industrial enterprises and households,” he said.
Putin directed particular criticism at Europe, saying the continent is “undermining its own industry and social sector by rejecting Russian energy supplies and terminating long-term contracts.”
'It's my pleasure to welcome you to Moscow for the 8th GECF Summit' — Vladimir Putin
Quoting a Russian proverb, he said: “Do not dig a pit for someone else, or you may fall into it yourself. In my view, this is precisely what has happened in EU countries.”
To address industry challenges, Putin called for enhanced cooperation among gas-exporting nations rather than the erection of barriers.
“We must build on our own capabilities and sovereign technologies, developing open, trust-based cooperation founded on mutual benefit and respect for each other’s interests,” he said.
The Russian leader expressed confidence that the GECF and its members have the resources to tackle complex challenges in the gas industry and global energy sector, adding that Russia “stands ready to make a substantial contribution to this work.”
The far-right politician escapes Brazilian justice two days after losing the presidential runoff.
On Tuesday, Brazilian and Argentine media outlets raised the possibility that Flavio Bolsonaro, the far-right presidential candidate who lost Sunday’s presidential runoff, had left Brazil for Argentina before planning to travel to the United States on a private jet.
“Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro fled to the United States. The plane is in flight. The information was confirmed by ‘people close to the family,’” Nacho Lemos, teleSUR’s correspondent in Brazil, reported.
“Pilot Mauro Mattosinho told the newspaper today that he had received information that Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro’s name appears on the passenger list of a private jet currently in Puerto Iguazu, Argentina,” he added.
“Flavio fled with his family to the U.S. and will seek political asylum from Trump. The operation to help Flavio Bolsonaro flee involved a small group of allies in Brazil and the U.S., who contacted the Trump administration,” the Brazilian outlet Metropolis reported.
FLÁVIO BOLSONARO FUGIU do Brasil.
Tal qual o pai e o irmão bananinha, é um covarde que saiu escondido do Brasil, com passagem pela Argentina, rumo aos Estados Unidos. Quem diz isso são os próprios aliados da família que tem a covardia no seu DNA. ✅ Jair Bolsonaro tentou se… pic.twitter.com/sKMkDxj6mZ
Legislator Alencar Santana’s text reads, “Flavio Bolsonaro has fled Brazil. Like his father and his brother ‘Bananinha,’ he is a coward who snuck out of Brazil—passing through Argentina—on his way to the United States. This is according to the family’s own allies; cowardice is in their DNA. Jair Bolsonaro tried to take refuge in the Hungarian embassy. Eduardo Bolsonaro snuck off to the United States. Flavio Bolsonaro snuck off to the United States. Catch the thief!
Previously, on Monday, Brazilian authorities took away Bolsonaro’s passport to prevent him from leaving the country. This happened when Flavio went to visit his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year prison sentence under house arrest for attempting a coup against Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
“The Bolsonaro family’s patriotism has just boarded a flight to the United States! Flavio Bolsonaro fled Brazil after losing the election and violating a court order,” lawmaker Anielle Franco commented on social media.
“The courage was all talk. When it comes time to face the consequences, the destination is always the same: fleeing!” added the sister of Marielle Franco, the socialist activist who was murdered in Rio de Janeiro by far-right militias linked to the Bolsonaro clan.
Flávio Bolsonaro está a caminho dos EUA, diz Reuters.
The text reads, “Flavio Bolsonaro is on the way to the USA, says Reuters.”
Flavio Bolsonaro Is Under Investigation for Money Laundering
Brazil’s Federal Police canceled Bolsonaro’s passports because he had failed to comply with a court order to surrender them as part of an ongoing investigation.
On Monday, Bolsonaro was barred from leaving the country and ordered to surrender his passports within 24 hours. The decision was issued by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who presided over the trial in which Jair Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years in prison.
For months, Flavio has been under investigation in a money-laundering case, according to the newspapers O Estado de Sao Paulo and O Globo. The case is being handled under judicial secrecy.
At the center of the police investigation is Willer Tomaz, a lawyer and close friend of Flavio who has been identified as the operator of a corporate network involving suspicious financial transactions linked to the sports betting industry.
Flavio was listed as a user with extensive access permissions to an account shared with Tomaz, who is also under scrutiny by authorities over a corruption scandal involving improper deductions from the pensions of millions of retirees.
On Monday, after receiving the order to surrender his passports, Flavio Bolsonaro publicly stated that he had no intention of leaving the country for Miami.
His brother Eduardo Bolsonaro, a former congressman who went into self-imposed exile in the United States after declaring himself the victim of judicial persecution, lives in that city.
The text reads, “‘I will not give up on my country’—and yet he fled less than 48 hours later. Catch the thief!!!! Flavio Bolsonaro, a traitor to his country.”
The Far-Right Senator Did Not Request Asylum in Argentina
On Tuesday, Argentine presidential spokesman Adrian Ravier said that his government “took note of the election results in Brazil.” These were the first remarks by the administration of far-right President Javier Milei following Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s victory in the Oct. 25 runoff.
During a news conference, Ravier said there would be no official statement from the Argentine government regarding the election and defended Milei’s silence.
“When Javier Milei was elected in 2023, President Lula made no gesture to personally congratulate him. The president is not a hypocrite. There are clearly ideological differences between the two leaders,” Ravier said, adding that trade relations with Brazil would continue and “we do not expect any of this to change.”
Milei’s spokesman held the news conference as Argentine media outlets continued reporting on the possibility that Bolsonaro had crossed the border and was in Argentina. “There has been no asylum request for Bolsonaro,” Ravier stressed amid the uproar caused by reports published in the Argentine press.
Early Tuesday, local media reported that Bolsonaro had crossed from Brazil into Puerto Iguazu, in the Argentine province of Misiones, to board a private plane owned by Baires Fly S.A. The flight was scheduled to take off during the early morning hours.
On Tuesday, Flavio Bolsonaro disappeared from his country without acknowledging Lula da Silva’s election victory. His Liberal Party, however, did acknowledge the result.
teleSUR/ JF
Sources: O Globo – Metropolis – teleSUR – O Estado de Sao Paulo – EFE
Cuba Presses Case Against Six-Decade Blockade as Washington Applies Pressure on Sovereign States.
On Oct. 27 and 28, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) holds, for the 34th time, the debate and vote on the resolution presented by Cuba titled: “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba.”
Under the slogan “Cuba is not a threat, the blockade is,” the island defends its right to exist without the criminal weight of the blockade, while it considers “unfounded pretexts” the arguments put forward by Washington to maintain and intensify the siege in recent years, as well as denouncing the efforts deployed by the White House to condition Wednesday’s debate, with the use of direct threats and pressures against sovereign states to change their voting intention.
In this forum, Washington’s diplomatic isolation on this question is evidenced year after year, with the majority of the international community demonstrating its support for Cuba’s demand for the immediate cessation of this policy, a global will that is systematically ignored by the North American nation.
Against this backdrop, Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodriguez recently warned of the brutal deployment of extreme pressures against numerous states to force them to change their position regarding the draft resolution against the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed on Cuba, particularly with intense coercive efforts by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
He explained that the U.S. has been engaged for months in efforts to coerce other governments. He showed several documents that attest to intimidating messages against those nations, which contain lies such as that the U.S. blockade is legal and that the U.S. allows trade with Cuba.
In the documentation presented, the Cuban Foreign Ministry detailed that “the accumulated damages during more than six decades of application of this policy reach US$178.7 billion,” an accounting impact that hinders the obtaining of foreign currency and slows cross-border trade.
The total amount of damages to Cuba derived from the blockade in the period from March 1, 2025, to Feb. 28, 2026, shows a record figure of US$8.083 billion.
The Cuban Foreign Affairs Ministry stressed that “the persecution of oil tankers and banking institutions worsened the electricity generation crisis,” by causing continuous failures in the national interconnected system, and blocked the purchase of “medicines for hospital use.”
The consequences derived from this policy of maximum asphyxiation are identified by Havana as the main brake on the country’s economic and social development, while generating invaluable harm to the population, which suffers the hardships caused by a stance of collective punishment described by the highest authorities of the Caribbean archipelago as a “silent genocide.”
The Cuban delegation in New York asserted that “the international community will again choose truth, dignity and international solidarity,” while it will reject “diplomatic maneuvers aimed at fracturing the historical support for the island.”
Cuban FM Rodriguez highlighted that what is unusual in this case is the extreme and unprecedented intensification of the U.S. blockade, to which has been added, under the excuse that the archipelago is a threat to U.S. national security, an energy siege that prevents the arrival of fuel to the country under the risk of sanctions and tariff reprisals, extraterritorial actions that violate international law and free maritime trade.
This will then be the first time that the UNGA pronounces itself as a whole against the energy blockade and the collective punishment against our country, with serious humanitarian damages. In addition to the energy blockade, all Cuban commercial operations are pursued, he noted, as part of a policy to cause deliberately planned damages and destabilize the country by generating suffering and desperation.
The U.S. Permanent Representative Mike Waltz is a disgrace to what it means to be a diplomat.
The man talk, walks, and acts like a character from the film Idiocracy.
Cuba will not stay idly as this person eviscerates the principles of the United Nations.…
Cuban FM Rodriguez urged the United Nations General Assembly to call to order the U.S. representative, Mike Waltz, for offensive statements that lie to distract attention from the consequences of the blockade they impose on the island.
He asked the speaker to prepare better and stop ignoring the serious humanitarian repercussions that the North American siege entails. Finally, he wished Waltz a better performance in his future political positions after describing his current performance as “disastrous.”
Eritrea Calls for Compliance with International Law
The representative of Eritrea, on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations, urged compliance with international law regarding the question of the blockade against Cuba with respect to United Nations rules.
The African diplomat affirmed that, furthermore, the siege against Cuban medical collaboration with third countries, in which Washington’s stance has persisted, is a cruel maneuver, when this has allowed saving millions of lives around the world, while the U.S. promotes ongoing international conflicts.
Namibia and Africa: With Cuba, Solidarity Over Silence
Namibia joined previous declarations of support for the Cuban resolution while recalling Cuba’s support and participation in the struggle for national liberation on the continent and against Apartheid.
The regional representative noted that these positions are contrary to the rules of free trade among nations. The diplomat announced his vote in favor of the Cuban draft resolution, then recalled that respect for sovereignty and non-interference should be the compass of bilateral relations.
He lastly appealed to the United Nations to assume the responsibility of responding to these injustices and to put solidarity above silence toward Cuba.
At the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Singapore condemned the severe human and economic impact of the U.S. blockade on Cuba. 🇸🇬🇨🇺
Ambassador Burhan Gafoor, speaking on behalf of ASEAN, noted that unilateral sanctions caused critical shortages, affecting more than 60% of… pic.twitter.com/AeeiyiWPEg
Uruguay Highlights Cuba’s Weight in South-South Cooperation
Uruguay’s representation praised Cuba’s weight as a key link for South-South cooperation, and therefore proposed not only immediately ceasing the North American siege, but also removing it from its list of state sponsors of terrorism.
The South American diplomat expressed concern about the humanitarian consequences of the application of these sanctions and the brake on the achievement of sustainable development goals. She exemplified how these actions constitute an unsustainable threat to the laws of free trade and relations among nations.
She thus extended the solidarity of the group, and in particular of Uruguay, with the Cuban population, while reiterating the unjustifiability of imposing this type of relations between states for political reasons.
NAM Urges Respect for the Cuban People’s Rights
To Cuba’s cause for the lifting of the U.S. blockade was added the representation of Uganda, on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). In accordance with the bloc’s position, the African nation expressed particular concern about the measures adopted by Washington, which amount to an unprecedented naval blockade without basis in international law.
Uganda also condemned the weight of this measure in expanding the extraterritorial effects of the blockade that affect not only Cubans but also third countries, for which it is not only a bilateral question. Likewise, it urged the international body to mobilize efforts to prevent a military intervention, in violation of the current world order.
Ugandan diplomacy concluded by reiterating the country’s and the bloc’s commitment to cooperate in maintaining multilateralism and in defense of international forums where differences can be settled peacefully.
The United Nations General Assembly will hold its 34th annual debate +vote on October 27–28, 2026, regarding the Cuban blockade
— Movement for African Emancipation (@Arise4freedom) October 27, 2026
ASEAN: Lifting the Blockade Is a Position of Coherence
At the opening of the debate, the representative of Singapore, on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), noted that demanding the immediate cessation of the U.S. blockade against the island represents a collective act of coherence in line with the multilateral order based on rules and not on the use of force and coercive pressure.
The regional bloc expressed particular concern about the situation of the Cuban people, who are subjected to effects on the energy sector that hinder the exercise of basic human rights.
It forcefully mentioned the wait for more than 100,000 surgical operations for patients, with a high proportion of children, threatened by the current restrictions.
ASEAN added its voice to the international call of the body’s 81st General Assembly to end the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States against Cuba.
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