Taiwan hit by about 2.6 million daily cyberattacks from mainland China in 2025
Today's news: North Korea conducts a new missile test while South Korean President Lee is visiting Beijing. In Myanmar some 6,100 prisoners are pardoned on Independence Day. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar announces a reform to limit PM’s term to two mandates. After a gas deal with Israel, Egypt signs another with Qatar. A record cold snap in Armenia sees temperatures drop to -37°C.
TAIWAN – CHINA
Taiwan's key infrastructure, from hospitals to banks, experienced a daily average of 2.63 million Chinese cyberattacks in 2025, this according to data released by the country’s National Security Bureau (NSB). Some “hybrid threats” were synchronised with military drills. Released yesterday, the agency’s report indicates that the number of attacks increased by 113 per cent over 2023, the year it began publishing such information, with energy, emergency rescue, and hospitals as the hardest-hit sectors.
NORTH KOREA – SOUTH KOREA – CHINA
North Korea conducted a new test of hypersonic missiles, which – according to North Korean authorities – successfully struck targets in the East Sea over a thousand kilometres away. The South Korean military detected the missile launch at 7:50 am yesterday morning, just hours before President Lee Jae Myung was scheduled to travel to Beijing for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korea’s official mouthpiece, released images of leader Kim Jong-un personally observing the launch operations. North Korea also reacted to the US military operation in Venezuela, condemning the capture of Nicolás Maduro.
MYANMAR
Following an established annual practice, Myanmar's military junta pardoned 6,134 detainees on the anniversary of the country’s independence from Great Britain, on 4 January. Fifty-two foreign nationals are set to be released and expelled from Myanmar. In the absence of a complete list of those released, the only prominent figure among those pardoned is Ye Htut. A former high-profile army officer who served as information minister and presidential spokesperson in a previous military-backed government, he was arrested in October 2023 for social media posts critical of the junta. According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, more than 22,000 political prisoners are held in Myanmar, including 80-year-old Aung San Suu Kyi. Nothing suggests that she might be among the amnesty’s beneficiaries.
MALAYSIA
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim today announced a series of reforms, including the introduction of a two-term limit for the office of prime minister. The move is aimed at regaining support ahead of the upcoming general elections. In his New Year's speech, he noted that the reform, which will be presented to parliament this month, will limit the prime minister's term to 10 years, or two full terms. Anwar's Pakatan Harapan[*] (PH) party had promised this measure to distance itself from the administration of former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who ruled for 22 years until 2003, before making a comeback in 2018, for a 22-month term, to 2020.
EGYPT – QATAR
Egypt and Qatar signed an agreement to increase liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies to Egypt and expand energy cooperation, as Cairo seeks to diversify its energy sources to meet growing electricity demand. The agreement with Qatar comes just weeks after a separate long-term, US$ 35 billion gas deal with Israel. Egypt is set to receive 24 cargoes of LNG this summer, a period when energy demand typically peaks. Qatar, the world's second-largest natural gas exporter after the United States, has long been a key energy partner of Egypt. Beyond trade ties, Doha has also played a political role alongside Cairo, supporting development projects and mediating in regional conflicts, including Israel's war in Gaza.
RUSSIA
The Russian Interior Ministry announced that, in 2025, 97,000 Russian nationals were granted foreign citizenship or residence permits, 12,000 fewer than in 2024, but significantly more than in 2023 (68,000) and 2022 (35,000). Germany, Israel, Spain, Armenia, and the United States remained the most popular countries; others include Kazakhstan, Georgia, Cyprus, Finland, the United Arab Emirates, and Ukraine.
ARMENIA
A sudden cold snap hit Armenia on 3 January, this according to Armgidromettsentr, the Armenian Hydrological and Meteorological Centre, with temperatures reaching -37°C, the lowest ever recorded at this time of the year. Usually, the temperatures in this period range between -30°C and -25°C. The Armenian capital, Yerevan, is expected to experience -20°C. Continued frost without precipitation is forecast for the upcoming Christmas week, which follows the old Armenian calendar.
[*] Alliance of Hope.
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12/02/2016 15:14
