Myanmar: electricity production down by a third due to war

Today's news: South Korean police also opened an investigation into President Yoon for the crime of ‘insurrection’; In Hong Kong, Chief Executive John Lee dismisses two ministers; Iranian Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi released from prison for three weeks for health reasons; Manila clamps down on agencies sending domestic workers to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

MYANMAR

Power cuts are an increasingly common experience across Myanmar, where electricity production has plummeted by at least a third since the coup in 2021. It has fallen from 3,589 megawatts per day to the current 2,376 MW per day in November 2024, according to data from the junta's Ministry of Electricity. Regular electricity supply is now only available in the capital Naypyidaw - the power centre of the military regime - while other areas, including the commercial capital Yangon, suffer from severe shortages, residents say.

SOUTH KOREA

South Korean police also opened an investigation against President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of ‘insurrection’ for the proclamation of martial law, which was later lifted within hours after a wave of protests and a vote against it by parliament. Meanwhile, a vote on the impeachment motion tabled by the opposition is expected to take place on Saturday. The People Power Party - despite having asked Yoon to step down as party president - said it would vote against it, but some of its deputies said they had not yet decided whether to obey their leaders or vote for impeachment.

CHINA-TAIWAN-UNITED STATES

China has imposed sanctions on 13 US defence companies and their executives for selling arms to Taiwan. The list of sanctions includes drone and artificial intelligence companies. The announcement came on the same day that Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te passed through Guam, home to a key US military base, after a stop in Hawaii this week.

HONG KONG

Hong Kong's Culture and Transport Ministers were sacked by Chief Executive John Lee, who avoided answering questions about the reason for the move. Transport and Logistics Secretary Lam Sai-hung was replaced by Mable Chan, Permanent Secretary of the Office. Culture, Sports and Tourism Secretary Kevin Yeung was replaced by Rosanna Law, director of housing. Both ministries had been at the centre of controversy over the management of the taxi service and the poor performance of ‘big events’ in attracting foreign tourists to Hong Kong.

IRAN

Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi was released from prison for three weeks on medical grounds. Her lawyer Mostafa Nili said her prison sentence was suspended on medical advice after Mohammadi underwent surgery to remove a tumour. Her family and supporters have called for the final release of the 52-year-old women's rights activist, who has been held in Tehran's notorious Evin prison since 2021.

PHILIPPINES-SAUDI ARABIA

The Department for Migrant Workers of the Philippine government introduced new rules for sending domestic workers to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Only whitelisted recruitment agencies will be allowed to place such workers in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, where several cases of exploitation have emerged in the past.

RUSSIA

The head of the Kremlin's Human Rights Council, Valerij Fadeev, officially proposed to remove the Solovki stone, a memorial to the victims of the Stalinist terror since 1990, from Moscow's Lubyanka square to another location, as visitors ‘carry out protest actions against the Fsb’ which is based in front of the monument.

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