This is the world in brief from The Economist.

Our top stories. Lloyd Austin, America's defense secretary, announced the formation of a new maritime force to secure the Red Sea, a vital artery for world trade.

Ships from America and nine of its allies

will protect commercial vessels sailing through the waterway

and conduct joint patrols.

In the last week, the Hutis, an Iran-backed militant group based in Yemen, have stepped up drone

attacks on merchant shipping traversing the sea, triggering a spike in energy prices.

Several companies, including BP and Merck, said they would

reroute their ships to go around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa instead.

The UN Security Council agreed to gradually withdraw peacekeeping forces from the Democratic Republic of Congo

after the country's government demanded that the UN end its decades-long mission there.

The departure comes despite growing violence in the region and fears

from some council members that Congolese forces will be unable to ensure the security of

the population. India's government has suspended 141 opposition MPs since last week, prompting allegations

that the ruling Barthiaginta Party was attacking democracy.

The MPs, most of whom have been barred from Parliament

until its winter session ends on Friday, were suspended after demanding the

government issue a statement and hold a discussion on a security breach last week when two people broke into Parliament.

In an end of your address, Volodemir Zelensky, Ukraine's president, asserted that Russia achieved, quote, not one of their goals and quote on the battlefield in

2023. He added that he welcomed the European Union's decision to open accession talks and

expected new aid from America to be approved soon.

However, Ukraine is in a precarious situation.

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