International
Corgi killing by health workers sparks outrage in China
AFP
Video of Chinese health workers killing a pet dog with a crowbar after its owners were sent into Covid quarantine has sparked outrage, with social media users voicing concern about the extremes local authorities will go to enforce Beijing’s zero-case strategy.
The owners had been ordered to isolate themselves in a hotel after a Covid case was discovered in their apartment compound in Shangrao, Jiangxi province — a typically uncompromising response by authorities desperate to eliminate outbreaks.
The next day, health officials in hazmat suits entered their apartment, and security footage showed one of them hitting the woman’s pet corgi in the head with a crowbar.
“Even if they thought the doggy was a threat or it was carrying the virus, they should at least have given it a test first,” the corgi’s owner, who identified herself only as Ms Fu, told a Shanghai TV station.
The video of the killing, shared last week, prompted a wave of anger against the way authorities have treated animals while enforcing Covid prevention rules.
“If a government that claims to serve the people enforces the law so brutally, can the government still be believed?” one user asked on the Twitter-like Weibo platform.
The local government said in a statement Saturday that it had apologised to the woman for the workers’ “harm-free disposal of the pet dog without adequate prior communication” with the pet owner — referring to getting rid of biohazardous waste through methods including cremation and burial.
Officials had said they would enter the woman’s home to disinfect it and had promised not to hurt the dog, according to screenshots of a now-deleted Weibo post shared by an acquaintance of the owner.
The Shangrao workers have been “reprimanded and educated”, and removed from their posts, the local government said.
– No mercy shown to pets –
State-run broadcaster CCTV weighed in on Monday, urging people “not to treat others’ pets as livestock” and calling for more humane and flexible treatment of pets during mandatory quarantines.
China has squashed domestic Covid-19 cases down to a trickle through aggressive lockdowns and mass testing, with local governments often showing no mercy to pets left behind by quarantined owners.
Three cats belonging to a Covid-19 patient in northeastern China’s Heilongjiang province were euthanised after testing positive for the virus in September, local media reported.
Dog ownership was denounced as bourgeois by Communist China’s founder Mao Zedong, but the country’s population of pampered companion animals has ballooned in recent years.
Authorities in some major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai have been forced to make special concessions for pet owners during Covid-19 lockdowns.
International
At Least Eight Dead and 19 Injured in Deadly Bus Crash in Veracruz, Mexico
A tragic bus accident in the eastern state of Veracruz left at least eight people dead and 19 others injured on Wednesday afternoon, according to local authorities.
The vehicle was traveling through the town of Zontecomatlán when it crashed near a ravine, state Civil Protection officials reported late Wednesday night. “Regrettably, the prosecutor’s office has confirmed eight fatalities,” the agency stated in an official release.
Emergency Response and Medical Care Rescue teams worked into the night to assist the survivors. The 19 injured passengers were stabilized at the scene before being transported to hospitals in the nearby municipalities of Chicontepec and Huayacocotla. While the identities of the victims have not yet been released, Mexican press reports indicate the bus was en route from Mexico City to Chicontepec.
A Recurring Issue on Mexican Highways Road accidents involving long-haul passenger buses and freight transport are a frequent occurrence in Mexico. Experts often cite excessive speed, mechanical failure, or driver fatigue as the primary catalysts for these tragedies.
This latest incident follows another major disaster in late November, where 10 people were killed and 20 injured in a similar bus crash in the western state of Michoacán. The recurring nature of these accidents continues to spark national debate regarding the enforcement of stricter safety regulations for commercial transport units.
International
Jair Bolsonaro Hospitalized for Inguinal Hernia Surgery While Serving Sentence for Attempted Coup
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, currently serving a 27-year prison sentence for an attempted coup, underwent surgery this Thursday for an inguinal hernia. The procedure took place at the DF Star Hospital in Brasilia, according to his wife, Michelle Bolsonaro.
The 70-year-old former leader left prison on Wednesday for the first time since his incarceration in late November to prepare for the operation. “My love has just gone to the surgical center,” Michelle Bolsonaro posted on Instagram, where she has been documenting her accompaniment during his hospitalization.
Surgical Expectations and Health History Medical professionals treating the far-right ex-president (2019-2022) anticipate the operation will last approximately four hours. His recovery period in the hospital is expected to extend between five and seven days.
Dr. Claudio Birolini explained on Wednesday that while the surgery is standardized, it remains complex due to the patient’s history. Bolsonaro continues to suffer from the long-term effects of a 2018 campaign rally stabbing, an injury that required several major abdominal surgeries in the years following the attack.
“There is no such thing as a simple surgery. However, this is a scheduled and standardized procedure, so we expect it to be carried out without major complications,” Dr. Birolini stated.
Potential Additional Procedures Following the hernia repair, the medical team will evaluate whether Bolsonaro can undergo a second procedure: an anesthetic block of the phrenic nerve. This nerve controls the diaphragm, and the intervention would aim to resolve a chronic case of recurrent hiccups that has plagued the former president for years.
Bolsonaro remains under heavy security at the medical facility as he serves his lengthy sentence related to the events surrounding the January 2023 institutional crisis in Brazil.
International
Trump Orders Construction of New ‘Golden Fleet’ to Revitalize U.S. Naval Superiority
President Donald Trump issued an executive order this Monday for the immediate construction of two new warships that will bear his name. These vessels will be the pioneers of what he described as the “Golden Fleet,” a future generation of “Trump-class” battleships that he claimed would be “100 times more powerful” than those currently in service.
The announcement took place at his private residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida. The President indicated that following the initial two ships, the administration aims to commission up to 25 additional vessels. He is scheduled to meet with Florida-based contractors next week to expedite production, criticizing existing defense firms for failing to deliver results efficiently.
This naval expansion is a cornerstone of Trump’s goal to revitalized the American shipbuilding industry and address the strategic gap between the U.S. and competitors like China.
The move comes amid heightened geopolitical tension. Just last week, Trump ordered the seizure of all sanctioned tankers involved with Venezuela’s “ghost fleet” to cripple the country’s crude oil industry. Since December 10, the U.S. military—deployed in the Caribbean under the guise of counter-narcotics operations—has already detained two tankers linked to Venezuelan oil transport.
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