Five things to know to start your Monday

Nigeria is tightening its security against passengers from China

Nigeria’s Federal Government will start checking passengers coming from China more carefully because of a new respiratory virus that’s causing problems there. Chinese hospitals are getting overcrowded, and people are worried about this situation.

This virus, called Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV), is spreading in northern China, especially among children this winter. While nearby countries like Cambodia, Taiwan, and Hong Kong have seen a few cases, they haven’t had major outbreaks.

The Chinese authorities have noticed more HMPV cases in children under 14 in northern China. People have been sharing videos of crowded hospitals on social media, making others worried about a possible health crisis.

North Korea fired a ballistic missile while Blinken visited Seoul

North Korea launched what seems to be a medium-range missile into the sea on Monday. This happened at the same time that America’s top diplomat, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, was visiting Seoul during a difficult political situation in South Korea.

South Korea’s military reported that the missile was fired toward the east around noon (4 am WAT), just after Blinken met with South Korea’s Acting President Choi Sang-mok. During this meeting, Blinken stressed America’s strong support for South Korea’s security, saying Washington had an “unwavering” commitment to protecting South Korea. He also called for both countries to work together to prepare for any threats from North Korea.

This missile launch is North Korea’s first since November 5, when they fired at least seven short-range ballistic missiles off their east coast. While the exact type of missile isn’t confirmed yet, North Korea’s previous missile tests last year included new technology – they used solid fuel and what North Korea claimed was a special warhead designed to dodge missile defence systems.

Canada’s Trudeau will likely resign this week

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau may soon step down as head of his Liberal Party, according to a report by the Globe and Mail newspaper. The paper says this information comes from three unnamed sources. Another report by Reuters confirmed this.

Members of Trudeau’s own party have been pushing him to resign for several months. The pressure got even stronger when his Finance Minister, Chrystia Freeland, quit on December 16. She left because she and Trudeau disagreed on policy matters.

The Liberal Party’s members of parliament are planning to meet on Wednesday. If Trudeau does resign, the party will need to choose a new leader, and whoever wins that contest will become Canada’s new prime minister.

Read Also: Justin Trudeau to lead minority Canadian government

Rising local demand for crude puts NNPCL’s debt servicing under pressure

Nigeria’s state oil company, NNPCL, might have to keep paying back its oil-backed loans until 2029, at a time when Nigerian refineries need more oil than before.

NNPCL got into this situation because it took several loans that must be paid back with oil instead of money. Now, this is becoming more complicated because local demand for oil is growing. Several refineries are now working or starting to work: the Port Harcourt refinery, the Warri refinery, and the new Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lagos, which cost $20 billion to build.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission recently announced that between January and June 2025, Port Harcourt, Dangote, Warri, and other working refineries will need 123,480,500 barrels of crude oil.

Looking at reports from the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative and NNPCL’s own financial records, we can see that NNPCL has committed 272,500 barrels of oil per day to pay back loans worth $8.86 billion. This means about 8.17 million barrels of crude oil must go toward paying these loans every month.

Biden will attend Trump’s inauguration

President Biden says he’s ready to peacefully step down as president when his term ends this month. At the same time, he’s concerned about people trying to minimise how serious the violent attack on the Capitol was four years ago when rioters tried to stop his own election from being certified.

Biden shared his thoughts in an article he wrote for the Washington Post. The article came out the night before Congress meets to count the Electoral College votes that will officially confirm Trump as the next president. In it, Biden wrote: “I’m determined to do everything I can to respect the peaceful transfer of power and restore the traditions we have long respected in America.”

He also made a clear promise: “The election will be certified peacefully. I have invited the incoming president to the White House on the morning of Jan. 20, and I will be present for his inauguration that afternoon.”

The article also mentioned that Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost the election, will oversee the counting of Electoral College votes in her role as Senate president, ultimately confirming her own defeat.