International
Putin vows to back Lukashenko against ‘interference’
AFP
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday vowed to back Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko against foreign “interference”, as the two signed a series of agreements on closer integration.
Speaking during a televised video meeting with Lukashenko, Putin hailed the bilateral ties between Russia and Belarus and promised Moscow’s continued backing for the increasingly isolated Lukashenko.
“We will together resist any attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of our sovereign states and Russia will of course continue to provide assistance to the brotherly Belarusian people — there is no doubt about that,” Putin said from the Crimean city of Sevastopol where he was marking a national holiday.
Putin and Lukashenko agreed in September to a series of 28 programmes aimed at deepening integration under a decades-old plan for a “union state” between Russia and Belarus.
The agreements were signed on Thursday focus mainly on economic and regulatory issues, including common policies on taxation, banking, industry, agriculture and energy.
There was no mention of trickier issues surrounding political integration, like longstanding plans for a single parliament or currency.
Putin has become Lukashenko’s primary political backer as the longtime Belarusian leader faces international pressure following a brutal crackdown on the opposition.
Belarusian authorities arrested and jailed thousands of people after unprecedented anti-government protests erupted when Lukashenko claimed victory in an August 2020 election the opposition said was rigged.
Lukashenko on Thursday thanked Putin for his support, saying: “The unprecedented external pressure has become a serious test of strength for the relations between our countries. We can say with confidence that we have passed that test.”
There were reports of tensions between the two leaders ahead of the meeting and Lukashenko joked before signing that some in Russia had asked “whether we will sign or not”.
Putin told Lukashenko that more needed to be done to create a single migration and visa space and appeared to express displeasure with Belarus’s management of its borders.
“The task of creating an atmosphere of stability and security on our external borders is of particular importance,” Putin said.
Thousands of migrants — mostly from Africa and the Middle East — have crossed or tried to cross from Belarus into the eastern European Union states of Latvia, Lithuania and Poland in recent months.
The EU accuses Lukashenko of encouraging the migrants to come to Belarus and deliberately sending them across in retaliation for EU sanctions.
Putin, in power for more than 20 years, and Lukashenko, who has ruled for nearly 30 years, have had a volatile relationship.
The two have sought to present a united front against the West, but their countries have also seen a series of political and economic disputes.
International
Trump replaces Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem with Senator Markwayne Mullin
U.S. President Donald Trump announced Thursday the departure of Kristi Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security, one of the key architects of the administration’s policy of deporting undocumented immigrants.
Noem, who has been assigned a new role as a “special envoy” to Latin America, will be replaced starting March 31 by Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin, the president said in a message posted on his social media platform Truth Social.
According to media reports, Trump made the decision after Noem’s recent hearings in Congress, during which she faced tough questions regarding the awarding of a major public contract.
International
Young Woman Will Represent Mexico at 2026 World Cup Opener, Says President Sheinbaum
Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, announced Thursday that the young Mexican woman who proves to have the best ball control skills will receive her personal ticket to the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Mexico City.
The left-wing leader had previously said she would not attend the tournament’s opening game on June 11 in the Mexican capital and instead planned to give away the ticket number 00001, reserved for her by FIFA.
During her morning press conference, Sheinbaum explained that women between 16 and 25 years old can participate by submitting a video through an official platform.
“What do they have to do? Keep the ball in the air for one minute,” she said, referring to the soccer juggling challenge that will determine the winner.
Among the judges selecting the winner will be Mexican striker Charlyn Corral, the world’s top female scorer who set a ball-control record in 2005, and professional referee Katia Itzel García.
Sheinbaum also revealed that she plans to watch the opening match during a large public gathering with giant screens in the Zócalo, located in the historic center near the presidential palace.
“Very few people will be able to attend the opening. So I will watch it here with the people, and a young woman will represent me and the people of Mexico,” the president said.
Sheinbaum has previously commented on the high cost of World Cup tickets, as well as the difficulty of obtaining them in a metropolitan area with more than 20 million inhabitants.
In the 2026 tournament, jointly hosted by United States, Mexico, and Canada, Mexico will stage 13 matches in Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey.
The opening match will take place at the legendary Estadio Azteca, which previously hosted World Cup opening ceremonies in 1970 and 1986, occasions when the presidents in attendance were famously booed by the crowd.
International
Claudia Sheinbaum: Operation Against ‘El Mencho’ Was Based on Pending Arrest Warrants
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum on Wednesday rejected claims that the military operation that resulted in the death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was carried out under pressure from the United States government.
Sheinbaum explained that the deployment of federal forces was aimed at executing outstanding arrest warrants against Oseguera Cervantes, who was considered one of the most wanted criminals in both Mexico and the United States.
“That was not the objective (to ease pressure from the United States). It is very important, and I want to repeat it. This individual had an arrest warrant, or several,” Sheinbaum said, referring to the operation conducted on February 22.
According to the president, the initial goal was to capture Oseguera Cervantes, but military forces responded after coming under attack during the intervention.
“The operation was to detain him. The problem is that they were attacked — the Secretariat of National Defense — and they responded at that moment,” she said.
The president insisted that the action was not carried out in response to external demands, although she acknowledged intelligence cooperation with the United States.
“It was not done in any way because of pressure from the United States, not at all. Of course, there was intelligence information from the United States that was used specifically,” she concluded.
Trump replaces Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem with Senator Markwayne Mullin
Young Woman Will Represent Mexico at 2026 World Cup Opener, Says President Sheinbaum
Claudia Sheinbaum: Operation Against ‘El Mencho’ Was Based on Pending Arrest Warrants
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