The US Treasury Department said Monday Chinese state-sponsored hackers broke into its systems earlier this month. In a letter informing lawmakers of the breach, the department said Chinese hackers remotely accessed Treasury workstations and stole unclassified documents. The hack is being treated as a "major cybersecurity incident." What do we know about the breach? The department did not say how many workstations were accessed or what documents the hackers might have taken. However, it informed lawmakers that a Chinese state-sponsored group compromised BeyondTrust, a third-party software provider, and accessed the Treasury workstations. "There is no evidence indicating the threat actor has continued access to Treasury systems or information," the department's spokesperson said. The department said it was working with the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to assess the exact scope of the hack. Chinese cyberattacks against governments Several countries, notably the US, have expressed concern over alleged hacking activities linked to the Chinese government in recent years. Beijing has denied these accusations, saying it opposes and actively combats all forms of cyberattacks.

A court in South Korea has approved an arrest warrant to detain impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived imposition of martial law earlier this month.  The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials said in a statement on Tuesday that the Seoul Western District Court issued the warrant.  The agency said it was probing whether Yoon's December 3 martial law decree amounted to rebellion. It was not immediately clear when or how the arrest warrant for Yoon will be carried out.  On Tuesday, South Korea's presidential security service issued a statement saying it will treat the arrest warrant according to due process. The impeached president's lawyer said that the arrest warrant was "illegal and invalid",  "The arrest warrant and search and seizure warrant issued at the request of an agency without investigative authority are illegal and invalid," Yoon Kab-keun said in a statement sent to news agency AFP. The lawyer added that the body investigating Yoon Suk Yeol "lacks investigative authority." The prosecutors' application for a warrant, sought on Monday, is believed to be the first attempt to forcibly detain a sitting president in the country's constitutional history. Why did investigators seek the arrest warrant? Yoon has circumvented several requests to appear for questioning by the joint investigation team and public prosecutors. He has also blocked searches of his office related to the investigation. Investigators are planning to question Yoon on charges of abuse of authority and orchestrating a rebellion. The martial law declaration drew immediate opposition from politicians, with lawmakers having quickly passed a resolution demanding Yoon lift his order. On December 14, lawmakers voted to impeach the president over his failed attempt to impose military rule, suspending his presidential powers. However, it is up to the Constitutional Court to decide whether to confirm the impeachment and remove Yoon from office or restore his powers. The process could take months.  Short-lived martial law plunges South Korea into crisis Days after his attempt to impose martial law, Yoon apologized saying he would not evade legal and political responsibility over his actions. He nevertheless later came out to defend his decision, saying it was a measure to protect the country's democracy. Opposition party members have criticized his repeated defiance of the summons and have warned against possible destruction of evidence. Yoon faces a string of investigations, including potential charges of leading an insurrection, a crime punishable by life imprisonment or even the death penalty.  The country's political crisis deepend further, when parliament last week also impeached acting President Han Duck-soo, over his reluctance to fill three Constitutional Court vacancies.  

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday called Vladimir Putin his "dearest friend and comrade" in his letter to the Russian president praising the close ties between the two countries. Kim sent New Year greetings "to the fraternal Russian people and all the service personnel of the brave Russian army on behalf of himself, the Korean people and all the service personnel of the armed forces of the DPRK," the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported, using an acronym of the North's formal name. He also expressed his readiness "to design and push ahead with new projects" after their "meaningful journey in 2024." North Korea's troop deployments to Russia In a possible reference to Russia's war in Ukraine, Kim wished that 2025 would be the year "when the Russian army and people defeat neo-Nazism and achieve a great victory." Seoul and Washington have accused Pyongyang of sending tens of thousands of troops to help Russia fight Ukraine. North Korean troops are experiencing mass casualties on the frontlines of Russia's war against Ukraine, the Biden administration said last week.  At least 1,000 North Korean troops have either been killed or wounded last week alone in Russia's Kursk region — where Ukrainian troops have been holding territory since this summer — White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters. Closer ties between Russia and North Korea The two nations have strengthened their political, military, and cultural ties since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In June, Putin and Kim signed a landmark defense pact during the Russian leader's visit to North Korea. The pact calls for each side to provide immediate military aid if the other is attacked.

Dr. Khalilur Rahman, High Representative of the Chief Adviser on Rohingya Crisis and Priority Issues, met Ambassador Philemon Yang, the President of the UN General Assembly (PGA), in New York yesterday.  The main point of discussion was the modalities and objectives of the upcoming International Conference on the Rohingya Crisis, to be convened by the UN in 2025 as per a UN General Assembly consensus resolution adopted this year.  The idea of such a conference was initiated by the Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus during his statement in the UN General Assembly in September 2024, with a view to finding out sustainable and peaceful solution of the Rohingya issue.     During the discussion, Dr. Khalilur Rahman expressed Bangladesh’s willingness to fully assist the UN for holding the conference. He informed Ambassador Yang that keen interest is already being raised among the international community about the conference and its outcome.  He apprised the PGA about latest political developments in the region; and Bangladesh Government’s willingness and efforts towards effective engagement with and cooperation from all parties concerned for sustainable repatriation of the forcibly displaced Rohingyas.  While stressing upon the need for early repatriation of the forcibly displaced Rohingyas which is essential for ensuring peace and stability of the whole region, the discussions also highlighted the emerging need of providing humanitarian assistance to Rakhine State in view of recent developments.      PGA Ambassador Yang appreciated Bangladesh’s proactive role in the UN on critical issues. As the convenor of the International Conference, he assured of his all-out support for maximum participation and a pragmatic outcome of the conference aiming at peaceful solution of the crisis.  He thanked the High Representative for reaching out, and expressed willingness to work closely on the holding of the conference.

China has heightened trade war tensions with the United States by extending existing tariffs imposed on a crucial chemical solvent, sanctioning seven American firms on security grounds and threatening to stop buying US semiconductors within a single day. China’s Ministry of Commerce (MoC) announced on December 27 that it will continue to impose anti-dumping duties on n-butanol imports from the US, Taiwan and Malaysia for another five years, effective from December 29, 2024. The MoC said removing the anti-dumping duties would likely lead to a resumption or continuation of dumping practices and subsequent harm to China’s domestic n-butanol industry. N-butanol is a key organic chemical used in the production of various products including paints, adhesives and plasticizers. On December 29, 2018, China imposed 52.2-139.3% tariffs on n-butanol imports from the US and 12.7-26.7% tariffs on those from Malaysia. A 56.1% duty was imposed on all Taiwanese firms, except Formosa Plastics Corp, which only paid 6%.