WORLD ROUNDUP“Open-Hearted” Sweden Cracks Down on Asylum | Biden “Discussed Plans to Strike Iran Nuclear Sites Before Trump Inauguration” | Hungary Loses Out on $1 Billion in EU Funding, and more

Why “Open-Hearted” Sweden Brought in a Wholesale Crackdown on Asylum  (Oliver Moody, The Times)
After the 2015 refugee crisis, years of liberal migration policies met the tough reality of gangs, riots and failed integration.

Tech Firm’s Fate Shows Trump Is Rright on China  (Juliet Samuel, The Times)Imagination, a UK company, was meant to be evidence that it’s worth doing business with Beijing —it hasn’t turn out that way.

Why Syria’s Reconstruction May Depend on the Fate of Its Minorities  (Ramazan Kılınç, The Conversation)
Syria’s population is predominantly Arab and Sunni Muslim, but minority communities have long been part of the region. Alawites, a Shiite sect and one of the largest minority groups, constitute about 10% to 13% of the population. The number of Christians, once another large minority group, has been dwindling since the start of the 2011 civil war. While accurate numbers are hard to come by, their population is believed to have shrunk to about 2.5% from 10%.

Druze, another religious group, constitute about 3%, while Kurds, an ethnic minority concentrated in the northeast, account for about 10% and are predominantly Sunni Muslim. Smaller groups such as Armenians, Circassians and Turkmen also contribute to Syria’s diverse mosaic.
As an expert on religious minorities, I believe that the future of these groups is central to discussions about Syria’s reconstruction. Their treatment will be a critical indicator of whether Syria can build an inclusive society, fostering trust among its diverse communities.

Finland Seeks Seizure of Oil Tanker Suspected of Damaging Undersea Cable  (RFE/RL’s Russian Service)
Finland’s national power grid operator (Fingrid) is seeking the formal seizure of the oil tanker suspected of damaging an electric power cable in the Baltic Sea last month.
Fingrid said in a statement it had filed an application with the Helsinki District Court to seize the Eagle S to help secure its financial claim for damages related to the breakdown of the undersea Estlink 2 electricity interconnector.
The cable between Finland and Estonia was suddenly disconnected from the grid on December 25 along with telecommunications lines. The Eagle S was detained by Finnish authorities and is being held in Finnish waters in the Baltic Sea pending an investigation.

Hungary Loses Out on $1 Billion in EU Funding  (RFE/RL)
Hungary has been officially denied some $1 billion dollars in European Union funding that the bloc had frozen because of corruption allegations.
The move, confirmed in an EU statement late on December 31, was the first time that it had taken such a step against a bloc member.
That amount was part of a larger sum — 19 billion euros ($19.7 billion) — that had been frozen, dating back to 2022, when Brussels began “conditionality” proceedings against Hungary.
Those proceedings blocked the disbursements of funds because of allegations that the Hungarian government had violated rules on public procurement as well as a lack of control and transparency.

Biden “discussed plans to strike Iran nuclear sites before Trump inauguration”  (Kieran Kelly, The Telegraph)
US president reportedly held secret talks last month on what to do if Tehran moved closer to building a nuclear bomb.

Attempt to Arrest S. Korea President Suspended After Dramatic Standoff  (Kelly Ng and Yuna Ku, BBC)
After a dramatic six-hour long standoff with security, South Korean police have called off an attempt to arrest suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol. The 150 officers involved found themselves helplessly outnumbered - first by the large number of pro-Yoon supporters who had gathered outside his residence before sunrise, and then by a human wall of security staff inside the property.

UK Terror Alert in Wake of New Orleans Atrocity: ‘Sadly a Question of When –Not If’  (Michael Knowles, Express)
Security experts said the “ISIS ideology has never left us” in the UK, warning “it is sadly a question of when - not if - the next attempt succeeds”.

After Assad, Are the Houthis Next?  (Ari Heistein and Nathaniel Rabkin, National Interest)
Syria’s ousting of the Assad regime increases the opportunities for Houthi forces in Yemen to take advantage of regional instability. Will they take the chance?

South Korea’s Democracy Endured Yoon’s Authoritarian Nostalgia, but Trilateral Cooperation May Not  (Rob York, National Interest)
President Yoon Suk-yeol’s sudden martial law declaration was a shock to everyone, foreigners and Koreans alike. However surprising this brief overthrow of South Korea’s democratic process was, were there subtle signs that the environment was ripe in Korean politics to foster someone like Yoon?

Israel Struggles to Deter Escalating Attacks from Yemen’s Houthi Rebels as Other Fronts Calm  (Tia Goldberg, AP)
Israel has repeatedly bombarded ports, oil infrastructure and the airport in the Houthi-held capital Sanaa, some 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) away. Israeli leaders have threatened to kill central Houthi figures and have tried to galvanize the world against the threat.
But the Houthis persist.