Unrest in Papua New Guinea: at least 8 dead

Today's news: Thai officials investigated for corruption, accused of sending migrants to Finland for payment; Clashes again Manipur, where the longest internet blockade of 2023 was recorded; North Korea is stepping up military cooperation with Russia, Seoul says; UN Security Council asks Houthis to stop attacks on ships in the Red Sea, China and Russia abstain.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

At least eight people have died so far due to riots that broke out in Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea: groups of people stormed shops and supermarkets while police and other public officials were on strike after finding their salaries halved. Prime Minister James Marape said that around 0 had been deducted from civil servants' salaries due to a computer system problem and not a surprise tax increase.

BRUNEI

The wedding between a Brunei prince Abdul Mateen and Yang Mulia Anisha Rosnah, granddaughter of one of the king's main advisors, is held today. Mateen is the tenth son of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, once the richest man in the world. Today's celebration will be held in the mosque but the celebrations will last 10 days, and the main event will be the procession of the newlyweds on January 14, for which many people have already geared up to try to see the royal couple.

THAILAND

Two former ministers and two other officials will be investigated for allegedly asking for 36 million baht (935 thousand euros) to send 12 thousand Thai workers to Finland to harvest berries between 2020 and 2023. Some of the accusations come from the same Finnish authorities, while the Special Investigations Department, which did not name the four suspects, said it had evidence to support the corruption charges.

INDIA

The situation in the north-eastern Indian state of Manipur has not yet returned to normal since the inter-ethnic violence broke out in May last year: three out of four Meitei men kidnapped by a group of Kuki were found dead, while around a hundred people had to abandon their village due to armed clashes. According to a recent report, the internet ban in Manipur imposed by the government was the longest globally in all of 2023 at around 5,000 hours.

NORTH KOREA – RUSSIA

North Korea is seeking to step up military cooperation with Russia by sending new types of tactical guided missiles to Moscow. Seoul's Defense Minister, Shin Won-sik, raised the alarm, according to which Pyongyang could test new weapons before this year's elections in South Korea and the United States. Meanwhile, Seoul this year will launch the first national and international survey to gauge people's opinion on possible reunification with North Korea.

RUSSIA

Russia will not open polling stations abroad for presidential elections in "unfriendly" EU countries, the USA, Australia, Great Britain, Switzerland, Montenegro, Japan, Taiwan and others, in total 49 countries, to "preserve the safety of voters" as explained by sources from the Foreign Ministry. In the last elections in 2018, almost half a million Russians voted from abroad, with 85% preferring Putin, compared to 76.6% of Russians at home.

MIDDLE EAST

The United Nations Security Council has asked Yemen's pro-Iranian Houthi group to stop attacks on ships in the Red Sea, giving its (implicit) support to the US-led Prosperity Guardian special force which has so far defended the vessels commercial. During the vote on the resolution, Russia and China, which have veto rights, abstained. Houthi spokesman in Yemen, Mohammed Abdul Salam, called the Security Council statement a "political game":

ARMENIA - AZERBAIJAN

The head of the foreign commission of the Yerevan parliament, Sarkis Khandanyan, declared that Armenia is ready to discuss the border and customs regime with Baku, but not to allow free passage of the borders, they are "the red lines at which we cannot easily give up,” in response to requests from Azerbaijani official Khikmet Gadžiev.

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