Lima, May 14 (Prensa Latina) Presidential candidates Keiko Fujimori and Roberto Sánchez continued today seeking alliances for the second round of elections that will define, on June 7, which of the two will govern Peru for five years.

Senior representatives of the finalists are tasked with sounding out or entering into talks with other forces, with varying levels of accuracy and progress, while awaiting the formality of the imminent proclamation of the results of the first round on April 12, when Fujimori achieved a lead of almost seven percent.

Together for Peru (JPP), the party of progressive candidate Sánchez, and second place in the first round, faces the challenge of increasing the 12 percent vote obtained in that instance, until achieving half plus one of the votes in three weeks and winning the presidency.

Fujimori, of the neoliberal Popular Force party, for her part, achieved first place on April 12 with a less meager percentage, of 17 percent, so she also needs to increase her vote to be crowned president after three failures in the endeavor.

JPP Secretary General Ernesto Zunini stated that his group maintains an advantage over the neoliberal Rafael López Aliaga.

The talks aim for a programmatic agreement not only to build a political proposal for the runoff campaign, but also to guarantee the governability of a potential Sánchez government.

He mentioned that there is dialogue or rapprochement with the alliance of leftist groups Venceremos and the centrist parties Primero la Gente, Ahora Nación, Venceremos, Perú Federal and Obras.

Zunini stressed that the negotiations must be conducted with prudence and transparency, and considered that there could be results in the coming days, despite the complex nature of the talks.

“A programmatic negotiation means putting at the center of the dialogue with the other parties the public problems that citizens have today and not the group interests that some political organizations may have, much less the economic interests of some groups linked to the Government and to power,” he added.

Fujimori, for his part, has appointed the vice-presidential candidate, Luis Galarreta, to contact other political forces. Galarreta stated that there are contacts through intermediaries with the centrist Good Government Party, which came in fourth in the first round, and whose leader and candidate denied it.

Political analyst Enrique Castillo commented that Fujimorism maintains contacts with political forces that decline to make them public, which is negative for Keiko Fujimori, because, he opined, it means that appearing alongside her does not benefit the potential ally.

The candidate has the advantage of having the support of the party of the defeated López Aliaga, Popular Renewal (RP), despite the latter’s harsh attacks.

He also has the support of most of the press media, which daily publish comments and information against Sánchez, JPP leaders and their allies.

Holguín, Cuba, May 14 (Prensa Latina) The province of Holguín interconnected its territory to the National Electrical System (SEN) today after a partial disconnection was registered in the central-eastern region of Cuba.

The director of the Business Unit of Base (UEB) Dispatch of the Holguín Electric Company, Davielquis Cortina Cobas, reported that the link was made through a 110 kilovolt (kV) line from the neighboring province of Las Tunas.

Fuel shortages prevented the planned creation of an isolated microsystem, so the overall restoration will be gradual and complex given the country’s marked generation deficit.

This technological contingency is accentuated by the shutdown of the Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Power Plant (CTE) and unit one of the Lidio Ramón Pérez CTE (Felton), two of the nation’s largest blocks.

Cortina Cobas specified that circuits 12 and 20 of the main city are currently receiving energy, guaranteeing the operation of the clinical-surgical, pediatric, military and Vladimir Ilich Lenin provincial hospitals.

In addition, the drinking water pumping systems and the communication services linked to these sectors were restored as a priority.

The strategic process includes advancing the heating of lines towards the municipality of Moa to incorporate its fuel (fuel oil) plant, which will serve as a link to stabilize the system and extend it progressively towards Santiago de Cuba and Granma.

Havana, May 14 (Prensa Latina) Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla stated today that, for the first time, the United States government publicly formalized, through a statement from the State Department, an offer of aid to the island valued at 100 million dollars.

“It remains unclear whether the aid will be in cash or in kind, and whether it will be allocated to the most urgent needs of the people at the moment, such as fuel, food, and medicine,” Rodríguez wrote on his social media.

He argued that “in any case, even taking into account the incongruity of the apparent generosity on the part of those who subject the Cuban people to collective punishment through economic warfare, the Cuban government does not have the practice of rejecting foreign aid that is offered in good faith and with genuine purposes of cooperation, whether bilateral or multilateral.”

“He also has no problem working with the Catholic Church, with whose cooperative efforts he has a long and positive experience of working together,” he noted.

The official stated that “we are willing to listen to the details of the offer and how it would be implemented.”

“We hope it will be free from political maneuvering and attempts to exploit the needs and pain of a people under siege,” he continued.

He stated that the best help the US government could give to the noble Cuban people now and at any time is to de-escalate the energy, economic, commercial and financial blockade measures, which have intensified like never before in recent months, severely affecting all sectors of the Cuban economy and society.

The day before, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel announced on social media that the situation of the National Electrical System would be particularly tense in the coming days.

“This dramatic worsening has a single cause: the genocidal energy blockade that the United States imposes on our country, threatening with irrational tariffs any nation that supplies us with fuel,” the head of state said.

Pyongyang, May 14 (Prensa Latina) The foreign ministers of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Vietnam reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening traditional friendship and expanding bilateral cooperation in foreign policy and international affairs, official sources highlighted today.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on a meeting in this capital between the DPRK Foreign Minister, Choe Son-hui, and Le Hoai Trung, special envoy of the Vietnamese President, Foreign Minister and Secretary General of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

During the meeting, held the previous day in the Assembly Hall of Pyongyang, Choe reaffirmed the government’s willingness to strengthen traditional relations of friendship and cooperation with Vietnam, in line with the agreements reached at the historic summit in October 2025 between the leaders of both countries.

He conveyed the constant interest of the Party, the State and the Vietnamese people in consolidating bilateral ties, and expressed his support for the process of implementing the decisions of the 9th Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea under the leadership of Kim Jong Un.

Both sides agreed to expand exchanges in various areas, strengthen strategic communication and coordinate cooperation between their foreign policy agencies.

They also exchanged views on regional and international issues.

The talks involved officials from the DPRK’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including Deputy Minister Park Sang-gil, and on the Vietnamese side, Ambassador Le Ba Bing along with the special delegation.

New Delhi, May 14 (Prensa Latina) There is a growing expectation, particularly from emerging markets and developing countries, about the constructive and stabilizing role that the BRICS should play, India said today.

At the opening session of the bloc’s foreign ministers’ meeting, under Indian presidency, Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar noted that these aspirations stem from a time of considerable dynamism in international relations.

Ongoing conflicts, economic uncertainties, and challenges in trade, technology, and climate are shaping the global landscape, he said.

The Indian foreign minister, who is leading the meeting, noted that in this context, the current discussions provide an opportunity to reflect on global and regional developments and to consider practical ways to strengthen cooperation among the countries of the organization.

He noted that development issues remain central, as many countries continue to face challenges in energy, food, fertilizer and health security, as well as in access to finance.

In this regard, he pointed out that the BRICS can help to respond to these challenges more effectively.

Jaishankar also said that economic resilience is a key factor.

“Reliable supply chains and diversified markets are its essential components. We must focus on both of these aspects,” he added.

The Indian foreign minister stated that climate change remains a pressing concern and advocated for deliberations that promote sustainable development while respecting the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities.

He emphasized that technological advances are transforming the global landscape and that these can be leveraged to promote good governance and inclusive growth.

Furthermore, Jaishankar pointed out that recent conflicts only serve to underscore the importance of dialogue and diplomacy, and that there is a deeply shared interest in strengthening cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

Tegucigalpa, May 14 (Prensa Latina) The Honduran government today officially began implementing a sharp cut to the electricity subsidy, which during the four years of the administration of former President Xiomara Castro (2022-2026) benefited some 950,000 vulnerable families.

Based on the bills for the current month, only 324,000 households in extreme poverty will continue to not pay for electricity - those with consumption equal to or less than 150 kilowatt hours (kWh) - according to a decree by the neoliberal executive of Nasry Asfura.

Before the implementation of this new scheme, around 950,000 users benefited from this state aid, as the previous provision also included poor households.

However, with the new targeting implemented by the right-wing National Party, which is in power, hundreds of thousands of Honduran families will once again have to bear the full cost of their energy consumption in the coming days.

Furthermore, the authorities warned that the subsidy for targeted households will only be in effect during May and June of 2026, at which time they will review the new scheme again.

Rolando Castillo, the distribution manager of the National Electric Energy Company, explained that “the selection of beneficiaries was carried out through technical and socioeconomic studies.”

“Aspects such as the type of housing, geographic location, and consumption levels were evaluated to determine which users would retain the financial assistance,” the official from the state-owned company noted.

According to former Energy Minister Erick Tejada, the Racha (as the Asfura government is popularly known) has made a political decision, “to leave more than half a million poor families without subsidies and only leave families in extreme poverty within the coverage.”

“The neoliberal streak is destroying the welfare state left by former president Xiomara Castro,” Tejada denounced on his social media account X.

An Army official confirmed the decision Wednesday but did not provide details and referred all questions to the Defense Department, which did not respond to a request for information. During a congressional hearing Tuesday on the Army’s budget posture, neither Army Secretary Dan Driscoll nor Gen. Christopher LaNeve, the Army vice chief of staff, mentioned the deployment cancellation. But word already had started spreading early Tuesday morning among those affected, with soldiers texting friends and loved ones about the change. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said during his opening statement in the hearing that the Army faces a budget shortfall of at least $2 billion as a result of extended operations that include deployments of the Army National Guard to Washington, D.C., and units to participate in U.S. border control. Reed wondered what the impact was on training and operations but the topic was not addressed.

According to ABC News, the Army budget shortfall is significantly larger than Reed’s estimate. In the report, Army officials told the outlet the amount actually is between $4 billion and $6 billion. The Pentagon announced in April that it planned to withdraw roughly 5,000 troops from Germany. Defense Department spokesperson Sean Parnell said that Secretary Pete Hegseth made the decision after reviewing “theater requirements and conditions on the ground.” The move would bring U.S. troops levels in Europe to pre-2022 levels, before Russia invaded Ukraine

…

More than 10,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Poland on rotation. The “Black Jack” brigade was expected to deploy for nine months. The Stars and Stripes reported that the Fort Hood, Texas-based tank brigade cased its colors May 1 in preparation for the deployment. Portions of the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team advanced echelon are already in Poland and equipment is in transit, according to the deployment plan. Army officials from Fort Hood and U.S. Army Headquarters referred all questions to DoD, which declined to comment. “We have no comment on this at this time,” the Pentagon press office wrote in an email to Army Times.

Is the US military so cooked at this point that they can’t even maintain a proper development in Europe anymore? What’s going on

February 26 (Pre War) $ $2.983

Current Gas Record: $5.016 on 6/14/22

February 26 (Pre War) $3.720

Current Diesel Record: $5.816 on 6/19/22

I note that his last major act as Health Secretary was allowing Palantir full access to NHS patient records. He also spent his entire term telling trans people that new restrictions on their healthcare / rights have all been part of some bigger plan to make things better, somehow, that will now clearly never be followed up on (if it wasn’t clear already).

He also neglected to mention the Mandelson affair in his published criticisms of Starmer.