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Cuba cancels May Day parade because of fuel shortages

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Cuba’s communist government has cancelled Monday’s traditional May Day parade because of acute fuel shortages.

Every year hundreds of thousands of people are bussed in from across the island to fill Havana’s Revolution Square on International Workers’ Day.

It is the first time since the 1959 revolution that the celebrations have been cancelled for economic reasons.

In recent weeks long queues have formed at petrol stations, with drivers often waiting for days.

Earlier this month, President Miguel Diaz-Canel said Cuba was only receiving two-thirds of the fuel it needs, adding that suppliers were failing to fulfil contractual obligations.

While Cuba has access to low-grade crude, the US-sanctioned island lacks the facilities to process it.

Deliveries of higher quality crude from Venezuela, Cuba’s largest provider of fuel, have dropped by 50% in recent years.

Analysts say Venezuela is experiencing severe problems itself and finds it increasingly difficult to subsidise its socialist ally.

The shortages have added to daily pressures faced by Cubans. According to Spain’s El Pais newspaper, a typical monthly salary is $150-200 (£120-160), while a litre of cooking oil costs $30.

The government insists that its state-driven socialist model is best for the country and blames the problems on longstanding US sanctions.

Cuban authorities have traditionally mobilised huge resources to ensure the success of the May Day parade, transporting workers en masse to Havana.

Before this year, the event had only ever been cancelled in 2020 and 2021, because of the Covid pandemic.

Local events are expected to go ahead instead, with people marching on foot.

Ulises Guilarte de Nacimiento, the head of the Workers’ Cuba’s main trade union said on Tuesday such acts would highlight “the obstacles to the development programmes due to the ironclad economic blockade”.

(BBC News)

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7th CIIE opening ceremony kicks off in Shanghai

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Chinese Premier Li Qiang delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE) and the Hongqiao International Economic Forum in Shanghai on Tuesday (Nov. 05). 

The CIIE is the world’s first national-level exposition dedicated to imports. This year’s expo is scheduled to run from November 5 to 10. 

“Today, the seventh CIIE is opening as scheduled. Friends both old and new, from home and abroad, have come as promised. On behalf of the Chinese government, I wish to express cordial greetings and warm welcome to you all,” said Li. 

China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao moderated the opening ceremony. 

The 7th CIIE has attracted 3,496 exhibitors from 129 countries and regions. It also sets a new record with 297 Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders attending the event. 

More than 400 new products, new technologies and new services are set to be unveiled during the expo, which experts believe is a strong indication of global companies’ confidence in the Chinese market, and their commitment to further development in China despite a sluggish global economic recovery.

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Singapore tops Henley Passport Index; Sri Lanka ranks 94th

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Singapore has once again been named the world’s most powerful passport, providing its citizens with visa-free access to 195 countries, according to the latest Henley Passport Index released in October 2024.

France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Spain shared the second spot, allowing entry to 192 countries, while Austria, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Sweden ranked third with access to 191 countries.

Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom allow visa-free travel to 190 countries, placing them fourth.

Australia and Portugal secured fifth place, offering access to 189 countries.

The United States ranked eighth, providing access to 186 countries, while India sits at 83rd with visa-free access to 58 countries.

Sri Lanka ranked 94th, allowing its citizens visa-free travel to 44 countries.

The Henley Passport Index rankings reflect the number of countries accessible without a visa and are influenced by international agreements and diplomatic relations. Asian countries, particularly South Korea, Singapore, and Japan, consistently top the list, highlighting their strong diplomatic ties globally.

Among the least powerful passports are those from Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, and Pakistan.

With agencies inputs

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Shenzhou-18 crew return to Earth after 6-month mission in space

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The three astronauts of China’s Shenzhou-18 crewed spaceflight mission returned to Earth safely on Monday after completing their mission aboard the country’s Tiangong space station. 

The return capsule, carrying astronauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong and Li Guangsu, touched down at the Dongfeng Landing Site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at 01:24 (Beijing Time), according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). 

Shenzhou-18 commander Ye Guangfu, who now holds the longest duration of stay in orbit among Chinese astronauts, was the first of the three crew members to emerge from the return capsule. 

“I am proud of my motherland. I am grateful to the great motherland, the people of China, and the entire project team for making our dream of spaceflight a reality and ensuring our safe return. Our Shenzhou spacecraft family has continued the relay of space exploration, and I believe that the new record of time spent in orbit by Chinese astronauts will soon be set,” he said. 

“During this trip to realize our space dream, our crew members united as one, and collaborated effectively with the ground teams. The two extravehicular activities were completed smoothly, as were the in-orbit scientific research experiments,” said Li Cong, the second astronaut to come out of the return capsule. 

All three astronauts were out of the capsule by 02:15 (Beijing Time). 

“Space is vast, magical and beautiful. We all enjoy the pleasure brought by weightlessness. Returning to Earth from space is a mixture of the excitement and joy of being back home, as well as a sense of attachment to space. The greatest feeling at this moment is that I am so proud of our great motherland,” said Li Guangsu, the third astronaut. 

The astronauts are all in good physical condition, and the mission is a complete success, according to the CMSA. 

The Shenzhou-18 crew was sent into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on April 25. Prior to the return, the crew completed all planned tasks and handed over the space station to the Shenzhou-19 astronauts who got on board on Oct 30.

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