News Headlines - 06 January 2021

▽Hong Kong arrests 53 activists for attempt to 'overthrow' govt with unofficial vote - CNA

Hong Kong police arrested 53 people in raids on democracy activists on Wednesday (Jan 6), with authorities saying an unofficial vote to choose opposition candidates in city elections was part of a plan to "overthrow" the government... The mass arrests were linked to an unprecedented, independently organised and non-binding vote last July to select opposition candidates for a since-postponed legislative election.

▽Malaysia Ruling Coalition Split Over Whether to Call Snap Polls - Bloomberg

Tensions are rising in the largest party in Malaysia’s ruling coalition over whether a general election should be held amid the nation’s worsening coronavirus epidemic.
Ties between Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s Bersatu party and key ally United Malays National Organisation, which holds about a third of the seats in Muhyiddin’s 12-party government, have steadily deteriorated since UMNO threatened to pull out of the coalition in October.
Now at least two ministers have pushed back against calls from UMNO president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to hold a general election as soon as possible. Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said holding a vote during an outbreak was irresponsible.

▽Gulf Arab leaders sign declaration to ease rift with Qatar

Gulf Arab leaders signed a declaration Tuesday to ease a rift with Qatar, following Saudi Arabia’s decision to end a 3 1/2-year embargo of the tiny energy-rich country that deeply divided regional U.S. security allies and frayed social ties across the Arabian Peninsula.
Saudi Arabia also said it was restoring full diplomatic relations with Qatar, although it was not clear how soon the step would be followed by the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt, which had joined the kingdom in isolating the country over its regional policies.

▽Venezuela's socialists take control of once-defiant congress

Parading giant portraits of Hugo Chavez and independence hero Simon Bolivar, allies of President Nicolas Maduro retook control of Venezuela’s congress Tuesday, the last institution in the country it didn’t already control.

▽Japan Saury Catches Hit Record Low in 2020 - JIJI PRESS

Japan's saury catches in 2020 fell 27 pct from the previous year to a record low of 29,566 tons, an industry body said Wednesday.
The previous smallest catches were 40,517 tons, set in 2019, which had represented the lowest level since comparable data became available in 1961. Reflecting the poor catches, market prices for saury in 2020 rose 50 pct from the 2019 levels to an average of 480 yen per kilogram, according to the saury fishing association.