Weekly Brief

Welcome to the tut0ugh Weekly Brief. This past week, conflict escalation, economic pressures, labour unrest, and policy shifts reshaped global affairs across Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

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Thailand imposes curfew as border clashes with Cambodia intensify

Thailand has imposed a curfew in Trat province as fighting with Cambodia spread to coastal areas of a disputed border region, despite US President Donald Trump saying both sides had agreed to halt hostilities. Thai Defence Ministry spokesman Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri said clashes have continued, while Thailand accused Cambodia of sustaining attacks. Caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul vowed to keep fighting until threats end, as Cambodia accused Thailand of striking civilian infrastructure.

Amid the escalation, Thailand’s parliament was dissolved on Friday (Dec. 12). Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul dissolved the House after approval from King Maha Vajiralongkorn, triggering elections within 45–60 days. The move follows looming no-confidence threats and constitutional disputes, as border fighting heightens political tensions.

US escalates pressure on Maduro with tanker seizure and sanctions

US President Donald Trump has signalled that the United States will soon begin land-based strikes to interdict narcotics shipments moving from Venezuela, expanding pressure on President Nicolás Maduro’sgovernment. The has also US imposed sanctions on six shipping firms, six tankers, and three relatives of Maduro’s wife

Speaking at the White House, President Trump said maritime drug trafficking had fallen sharply and warned that overland routes would be targeted next. The White House confirmed the seizure of an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast, which will be taken to a US port.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the operation targeted an alleged illicit oil network linked to the Maduro government, while Attorney General Pam Bondi released footage of US forces boarding the vessel. Venezuela’s foreign ministry condemned the seizure as “international piracy”.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged restraint, while Senator Dick Durbin, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned the operation’s legality.

Bulgarian government collapses after weeks of unrest 

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov resigned on Thursday (Dec. 11), ending weeks of nationwide protests over economic policy and long-running concerns about corruption. He announced the decision minutes before parliament was due to vote on a no-confidence motion.

In a televised address, Zhelyazkov said the ruling coalition had assessed the “current situation” and chosen to step down, adding that power “stems from the voice of the people”. Protests intensified after the government unveiled its 2026 budget, Bulgaria’s first drafted in euros, proposing higher social security contributions and dividend taxes. Although the plan was withdrawn, demonstrations continued.

The resignation comes ahead of Bulgaria’s planned eurozone entry on 1 January. President Rumen Radev is expected to consult parties on forming a new government amid persistent political instability.

Australia bans social media for under-16s in global first

Australia has become the first country to ban social media access for children under 16, a move closely watched by regulators worldwide and contested by major technology firms and free-speech advocates.

Ten platforms — including TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook — were ordered to block under-16 users or face fines of up to A$49.5 million. Officials acknowledge enforcement will be imperfect but describe the policy as a global test case.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the measure “a proud day”, arguing it will reduce online harms and encourage children to spend more time offline during the summer break.

Authorities say around 200,000 TikTok accounts were deactivated within hours, with up to one million children expected to lose access overall.

EU agrees to indefinitely freeze €210bn in Russian sovereign assets

The European Union has agreed to indefinitely immobilise €210bn in Russian sovereign assets held in Europe, ending the need for six-monthly renewals imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.European Council President António Costa said the decision reinforces the EU’s commitment to keep the assets frozen until Russia ends its war and compensates Ukraine. Most funds are held at Euroclear, a Belgian financial clearing house.

The move reduces veto risks from EU members with closer ties to Moscow and supports plans to channel proceeds toward a €165bn EU loan package for Ukraine (2026–27). Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán criticised the step as a breach of EU law, while Russia’s Central Bank has filed lawsuits against Euroclear citing sovereign immunity.

DRC conflict escalates as M23 gains ground near Burundi border

The M23 rebel group has consolidated control of Uvira in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, raising fears of regional spillover and threatening a US-brokered peace process. The advance brings fighting close to Burundi, where tens of thousands of refugees have crossed the border in recent days.

The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the offensive, warning it risks a wider regional conflagration and calling for an immediate ceasefire. Kinshasa has accused Rwanda of backing M23, a claim Kigali denies.

The escalation comes days after President Félix Tshisekedi and President Paul Kagame met US President Donald Trump in Washington to reaffirm support for peace talks. DRC Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner has urged expanded sanctions, as civilian casualties and displacement continue to rise.

Italy unions strike over budget; Portugal hit by joint labour protests

Trade unions across Italy staged a nationwide general strike on 12 December 2025, protesting the draft budget proposed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Tens of thousands rallied against what unions call an unjust fiscal plan, disrupting schools, hospitals, postal services, and rail and local transport. 

CGIL, Italy’s largest trade union confederation, said the budget would worsen living standards and underfund healthcare, education, housing, and public transport, despite €18bn in new spending. The budget is due to be debated in the Chamber of Deputies and must pass both chambers by year-end.

In Portugal, the two main trade union confederations held their first joint strike since 2013, opposing proposed labour reforms by the centre-right government. António Leitão Amaro, Minister for the Cabinet, said private-sector impact was limited, while union leader Tiago Oliveira called the action a necessary response amid low wages and housing pressures.

Militant merger in Iran’s Baluchestan highlights evolving security challenge for Tehran

A new militant umbrella group, the People’s Resistance Front, has announced its formation in Iran, claiming responsibility for an attack on an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) convoy in Sistan-Baluchestan that reportedly killed four soldiers.

State media say the group brings together marginal factions, including PADA Baluch, Harakat al-Nasr, and Jebhe Mohammad Rasoulallah. Early assessments, however, indicate it is largely rooted in Jaish al-Adl, the main Sunni Baluch insurgent group.

The group says it seeks to defend human, political and religious dignity, appealing beyond the Baluch community. Iranian outlets linked to the IRGC have dismissed the move as a weakened rebrand, describing it as foreign-backed propaganda.

Analysts say the shift reflects sustained security pressure and widening ethnic grievances inside Iran.

China’s trade surplus tops $1tn as exports offset weak domestic demand

China’s goods trade surplus has surpassed $1tn for the first time in 2025, underlining continued export strength despite US tariffs, according to official customs data.

The surplus reached $1.076tn in the first 11 months, exceeding 2024’s near-record level. Exports rose 5.9% year-on-year in November, reversing an October decline, while imports increased 1.9%, producing a $112bn monthly surplus.

Analysts point to growing shipments to south-east Asia, with some goods potentially re-exported to the United States. Direct exports to the US fell 29%, while exports to the EU rose 14.8%, helped by a weaker renminbi.

Amid weak domestic consumption and a prolonged property downturn, President Xi Jinping has reiterated the need to boost internal demand while expanding “new growth drivers”, including electric vehicles and robotics.

Lithuania declares state of emergency over Belarus-linked smuggler balloons

Lithuania has declared a state of emergency after hundreds of smuggler balloons launched from Belarus repeatedly disrupted aviation and raised national security concerns.

Authorities say the balloons, used to transport contraband such as cigarettes, forced Vilnius Airport to close for more than 60 hours in recent weeks, disrupting over 350 flights and affecting 50,000 passengers. Kaunas Airport has also faced temporary shutdowns.

Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė said the move was necessary to counter what Vilnius describes as a hybrid attack linked to Belarus and Russia, an allegation Minsk denies. The emergency enables greater military involvement and inter-agency coordination nationwide.

Lithuania, alongside Latvia and Poland, has renewed calls for EU action and sanctions amid wider hybrid pressures since 2021, including forced migration, suspected arson and vandalism.

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