Bangladesh: BNP nationalists triumph, winning over two-thirds of seats

Today's headlines: the Japanese navy seizes a Chinese fishing boat that entered its territorial waters; Riyadh replaces its investment minister to relaunch mega-projects and events currently on hold; In Malaysia, calls for the resignation of anti-corruption chief Azam Baki; In less than 10 years, at least 50 people have died in cosmetic surgery procedures in South Korea.

BANGLADESH

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) triumphed - with a large two-thirds majority - in yesterday's general election, a result that should ensure stability in the country after the Generation Z-led protest that led to the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The latest counts give the BNP and its allies 212 of the 299 total seats. The coalition led by Jamaat-e-Islami won 70 seats in the Jatiya Sangsad (House of the Nation). The BNP and its leader (long in exile) Tarique Rahman return to power after 20 years, ending a period of intense tension and with a clear result at the polls, in an election that saw no incidents or violence.

JAPAN - CHINA

Japanese authorities have seized a Chinese fishing boat that tried to flee when asked to stop for inspection, a move that risks further raising tensions with Beijing. The vessel, with 11 people on board, was sailing yesterday in Japan's exclusive economic zone off the coast of Nagasaki Prefecture in the south-west when it was intercepted and its captain, a 47-year-old Chinese national, arrested. This is the first seizure since 2022. The incident comes at a time of tense relations after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi threatened military intervention in the event of a Chinese attack on Taiwan, infuriating the dragon.

SAUDI ARABIA

As part of efforts to attract foreign capital and revive investment plans under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's (MBS) Vision 2030 to modernise the kingdom, Riyadh has replaced its Minister of Investment. Khalid al-Falih, who has been in office since 2020 and is one of the most influential members of the government, is being replaced by Fahad Al-Saif, a former HSBC banker responsible for investment strategy at the Public Investment Fund, who will be called upon to relaunch several projects and events, including Expo 2030 and the 2034 World Cup.

MALAYSIA

Yesterday, new calls for the resignation of Malaysia's top anti-corruption official were made, due to (alleged) misconduct - along with other officials - in the exercise of their duties within the commission.

Kuala Lumpur is trying to clean up its image from past scandals, particularly the case involving former Prime Minister Najib Razak, who was sentenced to 12 years for multi-billion dollar fraud at the 1Malaysia Development state fund. Azam Baki rejects the allegations and denies any wrongdoing.

SOUTH KOREA

At least 50 people died - 41 women and nine men - in South Korea between 2016 and 2014 as a result of plastic surgery. This is according to data released by the National Forensic Service, which analysed autopsy records. The country boasts one of the largest cosmetic surgery industries in the world and is considered by many to be a leader in beauty and aesthetics, but it also has its critical issues. The average is 5.6 per year, with an upward trend. Approximately 64% of deaths occurred in the Seoul metropolitan area. The women were between 19 and 82 years old, with an average age of 29; the men were between 29 and 69 years old, with an average age of 50. Almost half of the deaths were due to anaesthesia, while 16 were due to complications related to surgery.

AFGHANISTAN - QATAR - USA

The US State Department has begun paying Afghan refugees and asylum seekers to convince them to return home, thus closing the reception centre in Qatar where they have been stranded for years. More than 1,100 people have been held at the former US Army base Camp As Sayliyah since the beginning of last year, when the administration of newly elected President Donald Trump halted the resettlement of Afghans who feared Taliban reprisals for their ties to the US military.

RUSSIA - KAZAKHSTAN

Kazakhstan is systematically repatriating Russian citizens who fled conscription for war or political persecution. This is demonstrated by the decision of the Attorney General's Office to accept Moscow's request to return Aleksey Navalny's activist Julia Emelyanova, who was detained in Almaty and had sought political asylum, and many others “after careful verification of the procedures”.

ARMENIA

The National Assembly of Armenia has approved amendments to the State Property Code, which provide for the cancellation of the free concession of land to the Armenian Apostolic Church for the construction of churches and ecclesiastical buildings. This was reported by the Minister of Territorial Administration, Asatur Vardanyan, with the aim of “implementing a policy of effective use of state and community property”. The measure will not be retroactive.