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The Deputy Minister of Anti-Blockade Policies, William Castillo, spoke exclusively to Sputnik at the latest edition of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, where he outlined the keys to the Caribbean nation's success in defeating Western sanctions, while also advocating the formation of a common front among the affected nations.

Interviewed after the end of the forum's plenary session -which was led by Russian President Vladimir Putin- Castillo agreed with the Kremlin chief's words that the new world order “appears as the rising of the sun”.

"The sun appears, even if you don't want it to, every morning. And that new sun is the pluripolar world, the world of equality, the world of respect for sovereignty, the world of economic cooperation relations, which is not a world of cannibalization, nor of aggression, nor of sanctions," the deputy minister commented.

“So I found it very interesting that an important time was dedicated in this final plenary to discuss this issue of sanctions and to demonstrate that sanctions can be defeated, that if countries organize themselves, that if countries respect international law, that if they have commercial partners and allies that respect international law, a world without sanctions can be created in this new pluripolar world”, he said.

According to Castillo, this is illustrated by the case of Russia -the most sanctioned country in history, with tens of thousands of restrictions- which "has been adapting and has been defeating the impacts that were sought, which was to collapse the national economy".

Venezuela comes out ahead

This is also the case of Venezuela, said the director of the Venezuelan Anti-Blockade Observatory.

"Venezuela has up to this moment 1,039 sanctions, we are practically the fifth country in the world with more sanctioned ships, more sanctioned airplanes, more public officials and more companies. Venezuela has almost 200 sanctioned companies, Venezuelan and foreign, for doing business with Venezuela, including some Russian companies", he pointed out.

However, the country “is showing that it can face sanctions and that it can move forward and that it can offer economic answers to its people, welfare, despite the fact that sanctions are still in force”.

"We have been under these measures for 10 years. Of course, the first 6 years impacted us hard, but also after the pandemic the Venezuelan economy is growing and today it is the most dynamic economy in South America. We have had four consecutive years of economic growth, an average of over 6%, similar to the figures that the Russian economy has today, between 5% and 7% growth", he stressed.

The keys to the anti-blockade policy

According to Castillo, working for food sovereignty was among the main lines of action of the Venezuelan government, previously "highly dependent on food imports".

"When imports were closed, we lived some two or three years of very acute shortages. President Nicolás Maduro designed an economic recovery strategy, designed a set of productive alliances with the private sector, with small producers, with peasants and also with the communes - which are organizations, grassroots communities - to turn the economic recovery, to focus it on the recovery of food production. Today Venezuela produces more food than in 2014, than before the sanctions. We produce more rice, more corn flour, more potatoes. We have practically recovered the supply of basic foodstuffs, 97% is produced today in Venezuela", he emphasized.

The Caribbean country is also expanding its food supply for international markets.

"We are increasing non-traditional exports. In addition to oil, cocoa and coffee, which is what we are known for, we are exporting shrimp, today we are exporting blue crab, we are exporting fruits to several countries. That is to say, the country united around the need to defend the right of Venezuelans to live, and that started with the food sector", he reiterated.

In fact, the other line of action of Caracas is to diversify its commercial partners, developing “very important productive projects” with nations such as Russia or China.

"For example, in Venezuela we are building right now, with Russian technology, through a Russian investment, an insulin manufacturing plant, which will allow us to free ourselves from insulin imports. So, there are pharmaceutical projects, there are tourism projects, there are industrial projects, there are production projects and there are alliances between businessmen from these countries and Venezuelan businessmen, or the Venezuelan public sector, to recover factories, to recover production in certain sectors. So, this tells you that the response of sovereign countries to coercive measures is creativity, union, shared work, and this can be seen in the different projects that Venezuela has been signing, particularly with what we call this BRICS world, this world of equals, this world that they are making", he stated.

“All the countries -there are 30 nations that have unilateral coercive measures- are learning from the experience of other countries and are creating antibodies against this attempt to introduce and inoculate an economic epidemic”, remarked Castillo.

Venezuela and Russia will hold the first anti-blockade meeting

The Deputy Minister for Anti-blockade Policies also announced "the first Russia-Venezuela meeting on unilateral coercive measures, in accordance with the memorandum signed by the foreign ministers of our countries a year ago". He added that the document includes cooperation in "fighting and overcoming sanctions".

According to Castillo, the Western unilateral coercive measures -which are an "economic aggression" because they do not have the approval of the UN Security Council- are presented as "an instrument that supposedly defends democracy and human rights, but which seeks to control countries through devastation".

“This is a policy of neo-colonization through the economy, which has pathetically demonstrated that it failed, both in the case of Russia and in the case of Venezuela,” he explained.

Venezuela highlights Sputnik's communication work

The Venezuelan Vice Minister opposed the efforts to "cancel" Sputnik, describing the Western censorship campaign as "brutal". At the same time, he stressed that, nevertheless, its audience is growing globally.

"In Venezuela, for example, a lot of international information is now consumed through Russian media, because we have the experience of what Western media are, with their news bias. So, we have a source of information. But I believe -and I have seen some statistics- that also in other parts of the world, including Europe, Russian media such as Sputnik and others are being watched with great force", he highlighted.

"These countries and their media are giving an important response in terms of the cultural battle, the battle of ideas, of information, of people's right to access information. I think they are using the platforms intelligently -which must be done, you cannot reject the platforms, even if they are Western platforms- but they are also creating new media, new platforms, and they are opening the opportunity for our people to see balanced information, balanced, and not to stay with Western narratives," Castillo concluded.

We continue to tell you about the details of the visit of Khabarovsk entrepreneurs to Pyongyang:

For 3 days, the participants of the business mission held more than 30 meetings with representatives of Korean companies.

🔹 For example, manufacturers of building materials expressed interest in establishing joint ventures in Khabarovsk Krai and provided samples of their products for testing.

🔹Representatives of the oil refining industry were also able to find common ground in the supply and processing of oil products.

🔹 Another promising direction is the supply of fruits and vegetables from the DPRK to Khabarovsk retail chains. Some agreements have been reached on this issue and the parties have already started building direct communication.

🔹 During the meeting between Khabarovsk Krai CCI and Korean International Sports Travel Company, which is the main operator of the new resort “Wonsan-Kalma”, the Korean side requested to search for a travel company-partner in Khabarovsk and expressed readiness to discuss the launch of a charter flight Khabarovsk-Wonsan.

🔹The staff of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the DPRK contributed to the success of the business mission by providing assistance at all stages of the trip and participating in the negotiations. The members of the delegation met with the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the DPRK A.I. Matsegora to discuss the interim results of the trip and prospects of cooperation.

The business mission was concluded with the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Khabarovsk Krai and the Chamber of Commerce of the DPRK.

Photos and videos of the encounter:

Source -> https://t.me/tpp_dv/787

-> https://t.me/RusEmbDPRK/5001

In this recently aired episode of ‘Piers Morgan Uncensored’ (@ piersuncensored on X), while speaking on the support Iran has in its response to Israel's attacks and aggression, George Galloway (@ GeorgeGalloway on X), leader of the Workers Party of Britain, delivered a searing reality check to the British journalist, exposing the arrogance of Western-centric worldviews.

Galloway boldly challenged Morgan's presumptuousness in arbitrarily deciding which countries deserve legitimacy. Western hegemony, relentlessly propagated by figures like Morgan, shamelessly romanticises Western leadership, arrogantly positioning it as superior to the voices and sovereignty of the Global South. Yet, as Galloway aptly pointed out, this narrative is a dangerous illusion. Western powers such as the US and the UK cloak themselves in the façade of civilisation and democracy, all the while propping up, funding, and enabling brutal regimes. Israel being the largest recipient of US foreign aid since World War II despite Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories is a glaring example.

Furthermore, the West's self-proclaimed status as the bastion of freedom and human rights has been exposed as a grotesque hypocrisy. Since Israel's siege of Gaza began on 7 October 2023, the world has witnessed how its allies have systematically silenced dissent through the arrests of activists like US legal resident Mahmoud Khalil, as well as the UK and Austria’s detention of journalists, such as Richard Medhurst, for speaking out against Israel's devastating assault. This blatant suppression of free speech contradicts Western claims of moral superiority. It reveals a ruthless double standard designed to protect their geopolitical interests at the expense of justice and truth.

It’s no wonder that the Global South and Russia support Iran, as it represents the fight against imperial forces.

Around 4,000 people from 80 countries traveled to Cairo with the intention of reaching the Rafah border with Gaza and breaking the humanitarian blockade. However, the co-chair and spokesperson of the march, the Palestinian-born Spaniard Saif Abukeshek, was arrested on Monday, June 16 and deported on Tuesday, June 17, arriving in Rome in the evening. The organization denounced the escalation of illegal arrests, abuses and ill-treatment against the participants, despite having coordinated with the Egyptian authorities and announced the end of the planned actions in Egypt.

The organization detailed that plainclothes officers forcibly removed participants from hotels, cafes and streets without identification or explanation. In one particularly serious incident, on Monday afternoon, June 16, secret police abducted five people, including Saif Abukeshek and Norwegians Jonas Selhi and Huthayfa Abuserriya, while they were in a cafe. The three were blindfolded, handcuffed, interrogated and brutally beaten, Selhi said after their release.

Abukeshek managed to leave Egypt for Barcelona, while Jonas and Huthayfa were transferred to the Cairo airport detention center without formal charges, pending their release. The organization urged the international community to contact Egyptian embassies to demand the release of the detainees and the safe return of those attempting to leave the country peacefully.

The suspension of the march in Egypt came after the organization sent out a press release on Monday afternoon, June 16, assuring that the stage in the country had ended and requesting all participants to return to their countries. Despite this decision, the Egyptian authorities intensified the repression. Judge Pilar Barroso, a participant in the march and member of Judges for Palestine, said that the level of security in Egypt had increased dramatically due to the geopolitical situation and that it was “impossible to do anything else here without risking imprisonment”. The organization estimates that around 300 people have been deported, 14 of them from the Spanish delegation.

Activists denounced the inaction of their embassies, including the Spanish embassy, which according to testimonies did not offer the expected assistance in the face of arrests and harassment. Sumar deputy, Tesh Sidi, criticized the response of the Spanish Embassy in Cairo, which according to her only offered attention for aggressions without further mediation. However, the Spanish delegation affirmed that the consular attention was correct and that they went to the detainees in several cases.

Despite the repression, the organization reiterated that its objectives coincide with those of Egyptian diplomats to end Israel's illegal siege and achieve a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. They consider the crackdown “unnecessary and counterproductive” for Egypt. Abukeshek, before his arrest, and Pilar Barrado emphasized that the “main concern remains the people of Gaza” and that, despite the violence and intimidation, the movement has grown stronger. They affirmed that the Global March to Gaza “is not over, it is just beginning,” and that they will tirelessly explore ways to end the atrocities in Palestine and promote Palestinian life, dignity and self-determination.

Today, the first train - the longest railroad route in the world - left Moscow for North Korea. Passengers will cover more than 10 thousand kilometers for 9 days of travel. The route is considered to be the longest non-stop railroad trip in the world.

Trains will depart twice a month: from Pyongyang to Moscow - on the 3rd and 17th of each month with arrival on the 11th and 25th. from Moscow to Pyongyang - on the 12th and 26th of each month with arrival on the 20th and 4th.

The Simpsons reference

From neglected tributary on the eastern edge of Beijing to clear stream, the rebirth of the Liangma River and the emergence of a vibrant new landmark reflect China's ecological transformation, one of many powerful stories unfolding across the country.

A prominent Democratic state lawmaker in Minnesota and her husband have been killed, and another Democratic state lawmaker and his wife were shot, in the early hours of Saturday.

State representative Melissa Hortman has died, as has her husband, Mark, the state’s governor, Tim Walz, confirmed at a press conference on Saturday. He said the shooting “appears to be a politically motivated assassination”. Hortman was the top Democrat in the Minnesota house and the former speaker. The Democratic state senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were both shot multiple times and are out of surgery, and Walz said he was “cautiously optimistic” both will survive.

The gunman was still at large, law enforcement said on Saturday, and the city of Brooklyn Park was still under a shelter-in-place order. The shooter was impersonating a police officer, dressed in a uniform that would appear to be real to most people, police said. Sources told the Associated Press that 57-year old Vance Boelter is currently being sought as a suspect.

“No Kings” protests against the Trump administration are set for midday at the Minnesota state capitol and around the country, but the Minnesota state patrol and Walz have asked the state’s public not to attend “out of an abundance of caution”. The state patrol said “No Kings” flyers had been found inside the suspect’s vehicle.

Organizers said they would cancel events across the state that hadn’t already started, though the main protest at the state capitol in St Paul is under way, with people in attendance.

Brooklyn Park’s police chief, Mark Bruley, said at a press conference that the suspect drove a vehicle that looked identical to an SUV police squad car. “It was equipped with lights, emergency lights, that looked exactly like a police vehicle, and yes, they were wearing a vest with Taser, other equipment, a badge very similar to mine, that, no question, if they were in this room, you would assume that they are a police officer.”

The man had a list of other lawmakers and officials in the vehicle police searched, and alerts were sent out to take action and provide security to others, Bruley said.

“There was a list of individuals, and the individuals that were targeted in this situation were on that list,” said Drew Evans, the superintendent of the Minnesota bureau of criminal apprehension. He added that it was “far too early in the investigation” to provide a motive or assess whether the victims had been targeted for their political affiliation, but that he believes the state will be able to provide more information on the motivation behind the attacks as the investigation unfolds.

“We’re here today because an unspeakable tragedy has unfolded in Minnesota,” Walz said. “My good friend and colleague, Speaker Melissa Hortman, and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed early this morning in what appears to be a politically motivated assassination. Our state lost a great leader, and I lost the dearest of friends.”

He added that Hortman was “someone who served the people of Minnesota with grace, compassion, humor and a sense of service. She was a formidable public servant, a fixture and a giant in Minnesota. She woke up every day determined to make this state a better place. She is irreplaceable.”

Democratic state senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were both shot multiple times and are out of surgery, and Walz said he was “cautiously optimistic” both will survive.

“This was an act of targeted political violence,” Walz said. “Peaceful discourse is the foundation of our democracy. We don’t settle our differences with violence or at gunpoint.”

At about 2am local time, police received a call in Champlin, a suburb of Minneapolis, that Hoffman and his wife had been shot, Evans said. Police in Champlin responded to that location, and police in a nearby suburb, Brooklyn Park, assisted.

Police in Brooklyn Park went to Hortman’s house at about 3.30am to check on her, given the nearby shooting of Hoffman. Upon arrival at Hortman’s house, officers saw a supposed police vehicle in the driveway with emergency lights on and what appeared to be an officer coming out of the house, Bruley said. The gunman, impersonating an officer, immediately fired at them, and then was able to escape out the back of the house, Bruley said.

“This is somebody that clearly had been impersonating a police officer, again, using the trust of this badge and this uniform to manipulate their way into the home,” Bruley said.

Police found a man with gunshot wounds, Hortman’s husband, and administered first aid, but he was pronounced dead shortly after. Officers then used a drone to identify the woman, Hortman, in the home.

Bruley advised people in the area to call in to the police department if an officer arrives to ensure the officer belongs there, which dispatch would be able to confirm. Officers were approaching people in pairs of two officers as the search continued, he said, so if there is a single officer outside your door, do not answer. Police had detained several people for questioning, but did not have anyone in custody at the time, Bruley said.

Bob Jacobson, the commissioner of the state’s department of public safety, said there was increased security in place for elected officials and others who may be at risk.

“This is a dark day today for Minnesota and for democracy,” Jacobson said. “We will not allow fear or violence to define who we are or how we move forward. We will stand together. We will stand strong … These are public servants, leaders who committed their lives to improving the lives of others, and they were targeted in a violent and cowardly way.”

Minnesota’s house of representatives was evenly split between Republicans and Democrats. Democrats have a one-vote majority in the state senate.

Amy Klobuchar, the state’s Democratic senator, called the shootings “a stunning act of violence”: “My prayers are with the Hortman and Hoffman families. Both legislators are close friends and devoted to their families and public service.”

Trump said in a statement that he had been briefed on the shootings, which appeared to be a “targeted attack against state lawmakers”. The US attorney general, Pam Bondi, and the FBI was investigating and would prosecute anyone involved “to the fullest extent of the law”, Trump said. “Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America,” he said. “God bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place!”

The shootings took place at a time when political violence has become more commonplace in the US, though the vast majority of Americans do not support it, according to a University of Chicago survey.

June 13 (Reuters) - Iranian state media confirmed on Friday the killing of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Commander Hossein Salami in an Israeli strike.

In a world obsessed with self-expression, instant gratification, and personal gain, there is one country that dares to say: you are not alone—you are part of something greater. That country is the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

You’ve heard the headlines. You’ve seen the memes. But what if you’ve only been shown one side of the story?

Let’s talk about Japan for a moment. The Western world is obsessed with it. Articles flood the internet praising Japan’s impeccable subway queues, schoolchildren who clean their own classrooms, and the quiet efficiency of daily life. The discipline, they say, is beautiful. The order is admirable. The group mindset? A cultural treasure.

Western societies love to praise Japan for its order and discipline, but when the DPRK shows the same values, it’s called “oppression”. Why? Because the DPRK doesn’t play by the rules of the Western narrative. It plays by its own values: unity, collective strength, and loyalty to the people.

In the West, discipline is either glamorized in productivity culture or attacked as authoritarian. But in the DPRK, discipline is human. It’s part of a shared life where people matter; not because they shout the loudest, but because they build together.

From childhood, DPRK citizens are taught something the West has forgotten: respect. Respect for elders, for workers, for the land, and for one another. A child cleaning a classroom isn’t forced labor. It’s learning dignity and community. Meanwhile, many children in the West are growing up glued to screens, disconnected from their neighbors, unsure what they even belong to.

Let’s face it: “freedom” in the West often looks like isolation. People don’t know their neighbors. Elders die alone. Families barely talk. Everything’s about me. In the DPRK, life is about we. It’s about shared songs, shared struggles, and a shared sense of purpose.

Yes – patriotism in the DPRK is real. Not the flag-waving-for-show kind, but a lived reality. People believe in their country not because they’re forced to, but because they see what unity has buil, against all odds, despite sanctions, and in the face of decades of pressure. They know their history. They honor it. And they carry it forward.

And here’s something else you won’t hear in Western media: the DPRK admits to its challenges. It does not pretend to be a utopia. The leadership speaks openly about the difficulties posed by natural disasters, economic pressure from international sanctions, and the struggle to modernize infrastructure under blockade. When a flood damages homes, the country rallies. When the economy is tight, people adapt. When hardships arise, the state mobilizes resources, not just to rebuild, but to improve.

Take the devastating flood of July 2024 as an example. Entire communities were submerged, homes lost, lives upended. But the response was immediate and collective. In just over four months, the government, under the guidance of respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, transformed the flood-hit island area in the lower Amnok River into a cultured rural town, a completely rebuilt district with modern homes, rock-solid flood embankments, nurseries, schools, kindergartens, and hospitals. It wasn’t just a recovery. It was a renewal.

This is how the DPRK answers hardship. Not with silence, but with action. Not with abandonment, but with reconstruction. When hardships arise, the state mobilizes resources. Not just to rebuild, but to improve.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the DPRK did not deny the danger. It closed borders, organized health checks, and focused national efforts on prevention. That’s not denialism, it’s discipline. It’s care. It’s putting the safety of the people first, even when the global media mocked or dismissed it.

Meanwhile, Western societies are falling apart at the seams: rising loneliness, cultural confusion, crumbling public trust, and politics that divide families. Is that the model we’re supposed to believe in?

The truth is uncomfortable: the DPRK has something the West has lost. Not wealth. Not tech. But cohesion. People who know who they are. People who know their place in the world. People who have each other.

In the DPRK, strength doesn’t come from competing with your neighbor, it comes from lifting them up. Progress doesn’t mean stepping over the weak, it means walking together. Patriotism isn’t weaponized for elections, it’s lived quietly, proudly, daily.

No nation is perfect, it is true. But maybe it’s time to stop judging a society simply because it dares to believe in something deeper than the individual. Maybe it’s time to ask: what if they’re not the ones who are lost? What if we are?

Russia and North Korea have signed an agreement to deepen cooperation in education, including the launch of language centers in both countries.

Russian Education Minister Sergey Kravtsov and North Korean Education Minister Kim Seung-doo formalized the deal on the sidelines of the Third International Forum of Ministers of Education, ‘Shaping the Future’, in Kazan on Wednesday.

Under the agreement, Moscow will help establish a Russian language and general education center in Pyongyang, and a Korean language center will be set up in Russia. The deal also includes joint fairs, academic competitions, exhibitions, and seminars. Both countries aim to expand the use of electronic learning tools and promote Russian and Korean among schoolchildren.

Russian became a mandatory subject in North Korean schools starting from the fourth grade in 2024. More than 100 North Korean teachers completed a Russian refresher course that year, hosted by Blagoveshchensk State Pedagogical University.

The forum brought together officials from over 30 countries. Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the event via video, urging stronger global cooperation in education.

Bilateral ties between Russia and North Korea have expanded in recent years, including political, military, and economic engagement. In 2023, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met with Putin in Russia to discuss defense and trade cooperation.

In June 2024, the two countries signed the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement, which includes a clause providing for military and other assistance in the event of an invasion of either side. Both countries confirmed the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia’s Kursk Region earlier this year to assist in repelling a Ukrainian incursion.

Russia and North Korea have also explored joint projects in energy and logistics, while coordinating efforts to mitigate the impact of international sanctions.