Elections in Iraq: al-Sudani proclaims victory but will need allies

Today's headlines: Gunfire on the border between Thailand and Cambodia, Phnom Phen calls for independent investigation; The new Japanese government intends to abolish restrictions on arms sales; Progress against tuberculosis in India: incidence has fallen by 21%; Russia prepares a plan to exploit its rare earth reserves.

IRAQ

The coalition led by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani won a relative majority in Iraq's parliamentary elections, as expected, but will not be able to govern alone. Claiming victory, the prime minister praised the 56% turnout, calling it “clear evidence of success” that reflects “renewed confidence in the political system”. However, turnout was lower in areas such as Baghdad and Najaf after populist Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr called on his vast support base to boycott the vote. Now, the delicate phase of forming alliances will begin in the 329-member parliament, a complex process that often takes months in Iraq.

CAMBODIA-THAILAND

Cambodia has called for an independent investigation into the Thai army's shooting of four Cambodian civilians yesterday, killing one. The clashes took place in Prey Chan, a hotspot on the disputed border, with hundreds of people forced to flee their homes, accusing the Khmer army of using the villages as shields. Thailand suspended the peace agreement signed on 26 October in the presence of US President Donald Trump on 11 November after four of its soldiers were injured in a landmine explosion. Bangkok said the mine had been laid recently, while Phnom Penh claimed that the soldiers had stepped on an old mine.

JAPAN

The ruling coalition formed by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner, Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party), aims to repeal the rule limiting exports of defence equipment during the 2026 regular session of the Diet. The implementation guidelines for the Three Principles on Defence Equipment and Technology Transfer, adopted in 2014, currently limit arms exports from Japan to five purposes: rescue, transport, security, surveillance and mine clearance.

SOUTH KOREA

In South Korea, more than 550,000 students are currently taking the Suneung, the exam that determines whether a person will be admitted to university. Depending on the subjects chosen, students must answer approximately 200 questions on Korean language, mathematics, English, social or natural sciences, an additional foreign language and Hanja (the classical Chinese characters used in Korean). For most students, this is an eight-hour marathon of consecutive exams. However, blind students with severe visual impairments, due to the additional difficulties involved in using Braille, are allowed 1.7 times the standard exam time, which means that for them it can last up to almost 13 hours.

INDIA

The incidence of tuberculosis in India has decreased by 21% - from 237 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 2015 to 187 in 2024. This is almost double the 12% decline reported in the World Health Organisation's Global Tuberculosis Report 2025. This is one of the highest reductions in tuberculosis incidence in the world, exceeding the rates of decline recorded in other countries with high incidence of the disease. According to the Delhi Ministry of Health, the progress is linked to widespread mobilisation for the diagnosis of new cases.

RUSSIA

By December, the Russian government has promised to finalise a plan for the long-term development of the extraction and processing of metals and rare earths, according to a directive from President Vladimir Putin. Russia has the second largest reserves of these materials in the world after China, but only manages to produce 1% of its potential. The aim is to reach 50,000 tonnes per year by 2030, compared to the current 2,000 tonnes.

KYRGYZSTAN

During the handover of new service accommodation at the Kara-Myk checkpoint in the Chon-Alaysk district of the Osh region, the head of Kyrgyzstan's National Security Committee, Kamchibek Tashev, announced that it had been decided to remove heavy weapons from the country's border controls, given that “we have now completed the border demarcation procedures with all our neighbours, and we hope that there will be no more conflicts”.