As a result of the Ukrainian decision, Slovakia will lose €500 million in revenue from transit gas fees through its territory. On Thursday, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico described Ukraine’s decision to block the transit of Russian natural gas through its territory as “sabotage.” As a result of this measure, which took effect on January 1, Slovakia will lose €500 million in revenue from transit gas fees through its territory.

“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has started harming Slovakia’s state finances and the entire European Union,” Fico said, noting that the disruption of Russian gas supplies will cost the EU up to an additional €70 billion, according to a study conducted by Slovak Gas Industry (SPP).

“Only the United States will benefit from this decision, with increased gas imports to Europe,” Fico asserted. On Tuesday, delegations from Slovakia and Ukraine are set to meet in Brussels to address this gas dispute, and if an agreement is not reached, Bratislava will take action. “We are ready to propose cutting off electricity supplies,” Fico reiterated, although such a move would require declaring force majeure.

The reason for this is that energy suppliers are private companies, and the decision to supply or not supply electricity to the neighboring country does not fall under state jurisdiction. Fico is also prepared to “substantially reduce support for Ukrainian citizens in Slovak territory.” Currently, about 127,000 Ukrainian refugees with special visas reside in Slovakia. He has been a consistent critic of Western support policies for Ukraine and halted military aid to Kyiv upon assuming office in the fall of 2023. His late December visit to Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow sparked outrage in Kyiv.

Previously, families filed a lawsuit related to the consequences of content disseminated on TikTok without any oversight. On Monday, the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) of Venezuela imposed a fine on the TikTok platform over a case of “viral challenges” that caused significant harm to minors.

Previously, on November 21, Venezuelan families and organizations filed a lawsuit related to the consequences of content disseminated on TikTok without any oversight. Regarding this action, the judges pointed out that the platform was negligent for failing to implement necessary measures to prevent the dissemination of posts featuring viral challenges that violate the legal framework and create an unsafe cyber environment.

The fine imposed by the Court amounts to US$10 million, which the company must pay to the National Telecommunications Commission (Conatel) within eight days of the official publication of the decision. In the event of non-compliance, the Constitutional Chamber stated it would take the measures it deems necessary to ensure the obligation is fulfilled.

The Constitutional Chamber also ordered TikTok to establish a permanent representation in Venezuela so as to control the implementation of tools that ensure compliance with local telecommunications and social media laws. This measure aims to enhance user safety and preserve their physical, psychological, and emotional well-being.

After receiving the rights protection lawsuit filed by the families, the Constitutional Chamber formed a multidisciplinary team to discuss the consequences of viral challenges and social media consumption. On Monday, the judges ordered the expansion of this team and the creation of a technical committee involving affected families to assess the damages caused by the events proven in this case, including the confirmed deaths of three teenagers.

With the funds from the fine, Venezuela will establish a “TikTok Victims Fund” to compensate for the psychological, emotional, and physical damages to users, especially children and adolescents.

The Chinese leader expressed his deep sorrow over Carter’s passing and extended his sincere condolences to his family. On Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping highlighted the late former U.S. President Jimmy Carter as a “key promoter” in establishing diplomatic relations between China and the United States in 1979.

In a message addressed to U.S. President Joe Biden, Xi expressed his “deep sorrow” over Carter’s passing and extended his “sincere condolences” to Carter’s family on behalf of the Chinese people. Xi emphasized that Carter played a decisive role in normalizing ties between Beijing and Washington in 1979, praising his “significant contributions to the development of bilateral relations and the promotion of friendly exchanges.”

As Secretary of the Communist Party of China, Xi also used the message to underscore that relations between the Asian giant and the North American nation are “among the most important globally.” The Chinese president reaffirmed his government’s willingness to “work with the U.S. in the interest of both peoples and the expectations of the international community.”

Carter, who served as president from 1977 to 1981, played a pivotal role in the establishment of diplomatic relations between Beijing and Washington on January 1, 1979, following the rapprochement initiated during Richard Nixon’s presidency (1969–1974). The former president, whose reputation as a defender of human values grew after leaving office, passed away on Sunday at the age of 100 at his home in Plains, Georgia, making him the longest-lived former U.S. president.

These actions are part of a strike demanding better conditions for farmers and a minimum price for their crops. On Monday, thousands of farmers forced the cancellation of 163 trains and blocked dozens of roads in the state of Punjab, in northwestern India.

These actions are part of a strike demanding better conditions for farmers and a minimum price for their crops. Farmers in Punjab began the blockades at 7:00 AM local time across twenty districts simultaneously and plan to continue their protests until 4:00 PM local time. During this period, farmers blocked major train routes and highways, resulting in the cancellation of trains and buses. The protest was also accompanied by a call for a strike that led to the closure of businesses and factories across Punjab in solidarity with the farmers.

The demonstrators are demanding that the central government meet over a dozen demands. These include legal guarantees to set a minimum price for their crops, pensions for farmers, and the dropping of charges against several of its members for the 2021 protests. This initiative also comes a day before the deadline set by the Supreme Court of India for the Punjab government to persuade a farmer leader, who has been on a hunger strike for 35 days, to be transferred to a hospital.

Jagjit Singh Dallewal began his indefinite fast in November and, despite his fragile health, refuses to see doctors. Instead, he insists that the government fulfill the farmers’ demands to end the hunger strike. Over the last month, India has witnessed several agricultural protests. In November, farmers began a demonstration around New Delhi aiming to reach Parliament, a move ultimately blocked by the police.

Agricultural workers, the largest workforce in the country, are fueled by the success of a massive protest movement between 2020 and 2021 that led to the repeal of three neoliberal laws proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. These laws aimed to withdraw state regulation of agricultural markets, allowing product prices to fluctuate according to “market forces.”