January 9, 2023

*) Brazil’s Lula vows to punish those responsible for riots in capital Brazilian authorities have begun investigating the attack on democratic institutions in the capital city in a failed attempt by former president Jair Bolsonaro's supporters to overthrow President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s week-old government. Hundreds of Bolsonaro supporters have stormed into Congress, trashed the Supreme Court and climbed the ramp to the presidential palace. The incident, aimed at overthrowing current President Lula, recalled the US Capitol riots on January 6th 2021 by supporters of then-president Donald Trump. Lula decreed federal intervention of public security in the capital and promised exemplary punishment for the leaders of the assault that was aimed at provoking a military coup. *) Israel's Ben-Gvir orders removal of Palestinian flags Israel's new far-right Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has instructed police to remove Palestinian flags from public spaces. Ben-Gvir, who heads an ultranationalist party in Benjamin Netanyahu's new government, said that waving the Palestinian flag is an act in support of "terrorism". Israeli law doesn’t outlaw Palestinian flags but police and soldiers have the right to remove them in cases where they deem there is a threat to public order. *) China conducts military exercises near Taiwan China's military has carried out large-scale combat strike drills near Taiwan, sending warplanes and navy vessels toward the self-ruled island it claims sovereignty over. Taiwan's defence ministry reported that in 24 hours, China's military flew 57 warplanes and four ships toward Taiwan in a move that severely disrupted peace and stability. Twenty-eight of those planes crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial boundary that both sides had previously stood by. The Chinese military said their “primary target was to practice land strikes and sea assaults. *) Nearly 200 Rohingya refugees arrive in Indonesia A wooden boat carrying nearly 200 Rohingya refugees, a majority of