‘Chinese-style’ To Lam elected Vietnamese president

Today’s headlines: fresh fire between Israel and Iran, as Tehran rejects ceasefire and continues blocade Strait of Hormuz; Taiwan’s opposition leader makes her first official visit to China; Over 110 people have died in Afghanistan due to landslides and flooding caused by heavy rains; New campaign for the release of sick political prisoners held in Russian jails.

VIETNAM

MPs today unanimously elected Communist Party General Secretary To Lam as president for the next five years, making him the most powerful Vietnamese leader in decades. A widely anticipated move that marks a break with the traditional system of collective leadership, consolidating authority in a single figure and allowing for faster decision-making, much more akin to that of neighbouring China. All 495 deputies present at the session approved the Communist Party’s nomination, whilst five were absent.

IRAN - USA - ISRAEL

Iran and Israel exchanged fresh attacks in the early hours of today, whilst Tehran refused to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and accept a ceasefire agreement – brokered by Pakistan – just hours before the expiry of US President Donald Trump’s ultimatum. The Iranian response consists of 10 clauses, including an end to conflicts in the region, a protocol for safe passage through Hormuz, the lifting of sanctions and reconstruction. In the last few hours, the Rafi-Nia synagogue in Tehran is reported to have been completely destroyed by Israeli air strikes; according to some sources, Mojtaba Khamanei is unconscious and receiving treatment in Qom and is reportedly unable to govern.

TAIWAN - CHINA

The leader of Taiwan’s main opposition party arrived in China today, the first sitting party leader to visit the country in a decade. Cheng Li-wun, who took over as president of the Kuomintang (KMT) last year, said she had “gladly accepted” the invitation to visit President Xi Jinping and hopes to be a “bridge for peace”. Beijing cut off some communications with Taiwan after Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party became president in May 2016, citing Tsai’s refusal to endorse the concept of a single Chinese nation. Cheng is expected to meet Xi during the second half of her six-day trip, which will take in the cities of Shanghai, Nanjing and Beijing.

AFGHANISTAN

The death toll from the extreme weather conditions that have caused widespread flooding and landslides across much of the country has risen to 110 dead and 160 injured, with 958 homes completely destroyed and a further 4,155 partially damaged. Seven people are currently missing, whilst experts are forecasting even heavier rainfall. The storms began across Afghanistan around two weeks ago, affecting most of the 34 provinces.

INDONESIA - MYANMAR

A criminal case against Myanmar’s newly elected president was filed yesterday in Indonesia by civil society NGOs, who accuse Min Aung Hlaing of acts of genocide against the Rohingya ethnic group. The country, which hosts the ASEAN headquarters as well as being the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation, is among the destinations for the Muslim minority fleeing from former Burma or from refugee camps in Bangladesh. The Burmese armed forces, under the then head of the junta, launched an offensive in 2017 that forced at least 730,000 Rohingya to flee their homes, with reports of killings, mass rapes and arson.

JAPAN

Tokyo has drawn up the first roadmap for managing the bear population, following a series of attacks on humans. In November, the government presented a package of countermeasures, with initiatives undertaken by nine ministries and agencies. The roadmap outlines measures and targets to make them more effective before the bears become active again after hibernation. Under current policy, bears must be captured if sighted. The new plan shifts the focus to active capture in specific areas, aiming for “coexistence between bears and humans” by 2030.

RUSSIA

Activists are developing the #free120 campaign for the release of seriously ill Russian political prisoners who are not being provided with the necessary treatment for chronic conditions and those acquired during detention. The aim is to ensure they have access to lawyers and doctors approved by the prison system. When the campaign began last year, there were 120 seriously ill prisoners; now there are 333.

TAJIKISTAN - SAUDI ARABIA

The Tajik Ministry of the Interior has brought criminal proceedings against a resident of Gissar, Badriddin Safaraliev, who was arrested at the border with Uzbekistan and charged with “illegal business activities”. He is alleged to have organised religious pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia through foreign travel agencies, as this allows people to travel to Mecca at more affordable prices, whilst the defendant claims he merely “helped disabled people to travel”.