As reported by Reuters, Southeast Asian countries should be cautious in negotiating with China on its flagship Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to avoid being trapped in unsustainable debt, 70 percent of respondents said in a policy survey released on 6th January.

China’s main English newspaper, Global Times, reported that the Chinese government passed a law to make Islam in line with socialism. The paper stated that government officials, “agreed to guide Islam to be compatible with socialism and implement measures to Sinicize the religion” (adapt it to a more ‘Chinese’ way of practice) within the next 5 years

Yesterday in the second largest city of the Netherlands, Rotterdam, around 500 people participated in a silent march against violence towards women. The march was organized after the violent death of three women within just one month.

An accountability court has handed ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif seven years in jail in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference, and acquitted him in the Flagship Investments reference.