Connect with us

International

China says ready to support North Korea in Covid battle

AFP

China said Thursday it was ready to “fully support” North Korea in its pandemic prevention efforts after Pyongyang reported its first official Covid-19 case and declared a national emergency.

North Korea, which imposed a rigid blockade of its borders at the start of the pandemic in 2020, had not previously reported any Covid-19 cases.

But samples taken from patients with fevers in Pyongyang “coincided with Omicron BA.2 variant”, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Thursday, as leader Kim Jong Un and top officials announced they would implement the “maximum emergency epidemic prevention system”.

China is North Korea’s biggest trade partner and close ally.

Advertisement
20251220_limites_newscentral_728x90
previous arrow
next arrow

“We sympathise with the current (coronavirus) outbreak situation in North Korea,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Thursday at a regular presser.

“As comrades, neighbours and friends, China is ready to provide full support and assistance to North Korea in its fight against the epidemic,” Zhao said, without offering details on whether China will send vaccines, medical equipment or aid. 

North Korea has so far rejected any kind of vaccine programme — even when offered supplies by the World Health Organization, China and Russia — and has tried to prevent an outbreak by sealing its borders.

Experts say the nation’s 25 million people are vulnerable due to the lack of Covid-19 vaccines, and that the country’s crumbling health infrastructure would struggle to deal with a major outbreak.

China is one of the biggest donors of Covid-19 vaccines to developing countries, but exports have dropped sharply in recent months as it battles major virus outbreaks in several provinces.

Advertisement
20251220_limites_newscentral_728x90
previous arrow
next arrow
Continue Reading
Advertisement
20251220_limites_newscentral_300x250

International

Brazil’s Bolsonaro Returns to Prison After Supreme Court Denies House Arrest

Brazil: Court bans Bolsonaro from running in elections until 2030

Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro left a hospital in Brasília on Thursday after spending more than a week admitted and returned to prison, after the Supreme Court denied his request for house arrest, an AFP journalist reported.

Bolsonaro, 70, departed the DF Star Hospital under a police motorcycle escort and was transferred back to a small room at a police facility, where he is serving a 27-year sentence for attempting to stage a coup to remain in power after losing the 2022 election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

The nine-day hospitalization marked Bolsonaro’s first time outside custody since his imprisonment. His legal team had requested house arrest on health grounds following surgery last week for an inguinal hernia, arguing there was a “concrete risk of sudden deterioration” in his condition. He was also treated for recurring bouts of hiccups.

However, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes rejected the request, stating that, contrary to the defense’s claims, there had been no worsening of Bolsonaro’s health condition. The former right-wing leader was admitted to the hospital on December 24 and underwent surgery the following day.

Continue Reading

International

Regional mexican music mourns the death of Banda Gota de Oro singer Giovanni Vera

Regional Mexican music is mourning the death of Giovanni Vera, lead vocalist of the band Banda Gota de Oro, who was among the victims of an armed attack that occurred on Sunday, December 28, in the Mexican state of Guanajuato.

The incident took place inside a residence located in the Los Presidentes neighborhood, in the municipality of Irapuato.

According to preliminary reports, several people were gathered at the house when armed men burst in and opened fire on those present. The attack left five people dead, including the singer.

Hours after the shooting, Banda Gota de Oro confirmed Vera’s death through its official Instagram account. In one of the posts, the group expressed its grief with an emotional message: “Today, the sky is dressed for a celebration because you are singing up there. Your voice and your joy will live on forever within us.”

Messages of support and condolences from fans and fellow musicians quickly flooded social media, paying tribute to the artist and expressing solidarity with his family and bandmates.

Advertisement

20251220_limites_newscentral_728x90

previous arrow
next arrow

Continue Reading

International

One Dead, Three Injured in Shooting at Cree Nation in Saskatchewan

One person was killed and three others were injured in a shooting reported early Tuesday in the Big Island Lake Cree Nation, in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, according to local media.

Police said they were alerted to the incident in a remote area located approximately 392 kilometers northwest of the city of Saskatoon. Authorities issued a dangerous persons alert for two suspects, who were described as armed.

Saskatchewan police urged residents to seek shelter immediately, lock their doors, and avoid the area while the situation remains under investigation. Officers are working to determine whether the shooting was a targeted attack or a random act of violence.

As a precautionary measure, seven health-care facilities in the surrounding area were placed under lockdown, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said in a post on X.

Continue Reading

Trending

Central News