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
HMPV infection rate declining in Northern China, health official reports
The rate of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) infections, which is similar to the flu, in northern China is decreasing, a health official said on Sunday, amid international concern about a potential pandemic.
HMPV, which belongs to the same family as the human respiratory syncytial virus, causes symptoms similar to the flu or a cold, such as fever, cough, and nasal congestion. Symptoms often resolve on their own, although they can lead to lower respiratory tract infections in children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals.
“Human metapneumovirus is not a new virus and has been with humans for at least several decades,” said Wang Liping, a researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, during a press conference by the National Health Commission of China.
Wang added that the recent increase in cases of the virus, first detected in the Netherlands in 2001, is due to better detection methods.
International
Elon Musk sends Cybertrucks with Starlink and supplies to assist Los Angeles wildfire victims
Rescuers are working to contain the wildfires in Los Angeles, where the death toll stands at least 24. Amid the tragedy, billionaire Elon Musk announced the deployment of Cybertrucks with Starlink and supplies to help the victims.
“We’re going to place Cybertrucks with Starlinks and free WiFi in a grid pattern in the areas that need it most in the Los Angeles/Malibu metropolitan area,” Musk posted on X.
“Security personnel will also be added to the vehicle, along with snacks and drinks for passersby,” he explained.
The Cybertrucks being used are scheduled deliveries, so Musk apologized in advance.
“We apologize to those awaiting Cybertruck deliveries in California over the next few days. We need to use those trucks as mobile base stations to provide power to Starlink internet terminals in Los Angeles areas without connectivity. A new truck will be delivered by the end of the week,” he stated.
International
Trump announces creation of external revenue service to collect foreign tariffs
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump announced on Tuesday the creation of a body to “collect tariffs, duties, and all revenue from foreign sources,” comparing it to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which collects taxes from Americans.
“We will begin charging those who profit at our expense through trade, and they will finally start paying what they owe,” Trump said in a message on his social media platform, Truth Social.
He indicated that the new body, to be called the External Revenue Service, will begin operations on January 20, the day Trump is sworn in as the 47th president of the U.S. and when he is expected to make the first decisions of his second term.
The Republican also criticized “soft and pathetically weak trade deals” that have been in place until now.
“The U.S. economy has provided growth and prosperity to the world while we taxed ourselves,” he stated.
Trump has been insisting on raising tariffs for months and has even declared that “tariff” is, for him, “the most beautiful word in the dictionary.”
HMPV infection rate declining in Northern China, health official reports
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Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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