International
Seoul, Tokyo and Washington condemn “in the most energetic terms” the Pyongyang-Moscow pact
South Korea, Japan and the United States published a statement on Monday in which they “condemn in the most vigorous terms possible” the recent agreement between North Korea and Russia, which deepens their military cooperation and can increase the supply of weapons from Pyongyang to Moscow for use in Ukraine.
The text, published by the South Korean Foreign Ministry, places special emphasis on “the continuous transfers of weapons from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (official name of North Korea) to Russia that prolong the suffering of the Ukrainian people, violate multiple United Nations Security Council Resolutions and threaten stability in both Northeast Asia and Europe.”
The statement adds that the Pyongyang-Moscow rapprochement “should be a cause for serious concern for anyone who has an interest in maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, defending the global non-proliferation regime and supporting the people of Ukraine in their defense of their freedom and independence against Russia’s brutal aggression.”
The so-called “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement”, which includes a clause of mutual military assistance in case of aggression against its territories, was signed last week coinciding with the visit to Pyongyang of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who signed the pact together with the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un.
The agreement, which both Moscow and Pyongyang say complies with international law, could also involve the shipment of Russian technology to North Korea, according to some experts.
“The United States, the Republic of Korea (official name of South Korea) and Japan reaffirm their intention to further strengthen their diplomatic and security cooperation to counter the threats posed by the DPRK to regional and global security and prevent an escalation of the situation,” adds the joint statement published today.
The announcement concludes that the US commitment to the defense of its two allies “remains firm” and that Seoul, Washington and Tokyo “reaffirm that the path of dialogue remains open and urge the DPRK to cease new provocations and return to negotiations.”
After the failure of the dialogue on denuclearization in 2019, Pyongyang has opted to turn its back on new proposals to negotiate, to modernize its armaments, to rule out peaceful reunification with the South and to strengthen its rapprochement with Putin’s Russia, especially after the invasion of Ukraine.
International
Trump criticizes Panama Canal fees and demands U.S. control over strategic waterway
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump criticized what he described as unfair fees imposed on American ships passing through the Panama Canal and threatened to demand that Washington take back control of the strategic waterway.
“Our Navy and commerce have been threatened in a very unjust and reckless way. The rates that Panama charges are ridiculous,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
The president-elect also denounced the growing influence of China in the canal, a situation he called concerning as U.S. businesses depend on the waterway to transport goods between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
“This complete scam against our country will end immediately,” he stated.
The Panama Canal, completed by the United States in 1914, was handed over to Panama under the 1977 treaty signed by Democratic President Jimmy Carter. Panama took full control of the commercial passage in 1999.
“It was exclusively for Panama to manage, not China or anyone else,” Trump said. “We would never allow it to fall into the wrong hands!”
“If Panama cannot guarantee a ‘safe, efficient, and reliable’ operation of the canal, we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us in its entirety, without a doubt,” the Republican added.
Panamanian authorities did not immediately respond to Trump’s statements. While he will assume office on January 20, Trump has been exerting his political influence in the final days of President Joe Biden’s administration.
Five percent of global maritime trade passes through the Panama Canal, which allows vessels traveling from Asia to the U.S. East Coast to avoid the long and dangerous route around the southern tip of South America.
The countries that use the Panama Canal the most are the United States, China, Japan, and South Korea.
In October, the Panama Canal Authority reported earnings of nearly $5 billion in the last fiscal year.
International
Putin vows retaliation following drone attack on luxury building in Kazan
Russian President Vladimir Putin promised more “destruction” in Ukraine on Sunday, in response to a drone strike that hit a residential building in the city of Kazan, located in central Russia, on Saturday.
Russia accused Ukraine of launching a “massive” drone attack, which struck a luxury apartment block in Kazan, about 1,000 kilometers from the border.
Videos shared on Russian social media show drones hitting a high-rise glass building. No casualties have been reported as a result of the attack.
In his statements, Putin addressed the local leader of Tatarstan, the region where Kazan is located, during a virtual ceremony marking the opening of a road.
The attack in Kazan is the latest in a series of increasingly frequent bombings in this nearly three-year-old conflict. Ukraine has not commented on the attack.
Putin had previously threatened to strike the center of Kyiv with a hypersonic ballistic missile in response to Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the recent Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities were retaliation for Ukraine’s use of Western-supplied missiles to target Russian territory.
International
Small plane crashes in Gramado, Brazil, killing nine people
At least nine people were killed on Sunday after a small aircraft crashed in a commercial area of the tourist city of Gramado, in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, authorities confirmed.
“There are nine confirmed deaths according to Civil Defense services, and there are no survivors from the plane,” said Cléber dos Santos Lima, director of the Interior Police Department of the Civil Police of the state, in a statement to AFP.
Authorities have not yet confirmed the exact number of passengers and crew aboard the aircraft, a turbo-prop Piper Cheyenne 400. However, Civil Defense had previously stated that “preliminarily, the plane was carrying ten people.”
The plane crashed on Sunday morning “into the chimney of a building, then onto the second floor of a house, and finally fell onto a furniture store,” according to a statement from the Rio Grande do Sul Public Security Secretariat.
Trump criticizes Panama Canal fees and demands U.S. control over strategic waterway
Putin vows retaliation following drone attack on luxury building in Kazan
Small plane crashes in Gramado, Brazil, killing nine people
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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