Today's news: Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi sentenced to seven and a half years in prison. Leaders in Delhi and Kuala Lumpur intend to strengthen trade ties. The 9th Congress will be held in North Korea by the end of February. Riyadh has announced a major package of investments in Syria, ranging from energy to telecommunications.

JAPAN

In the elections, the governing coalition of outgoing Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi triumphs, winning the early vote by a large margin over its opponents. A few hours after the polls closed, the right-wing leader's NHK party won over 300 seats out of a total of 465 in Parliament, with another 31 going to Ishin's allies. This result exceeded expectations and will allow her to pursue a programme focused on the economy, tax cuts and strengthening military capabilities. With over two-thirds of the seats in the House of Representatives, she will be able to pass legislation without fear of a veto by the House of Councillors. Despite the cold and snow in the country, turnout was 56.2%, 2.4% higher than in the 2024 elections and the highest since 2014.

THAILAND

In Thailand's elections, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul's conservative Bhumjaithai party won by a larger margin than expected, with talks on forming a new government expected in the coming days. With 94% of the votes counted, the ruling faction secured at least 193 of the 500 seats in Parliament. The People's Party followed with 118 seats and the Pheu Thai Party came third with 74. Anutin called the elections in December after less than 100 days in office and sought to capitalise on the wave of nationalism generated by the conflict with Cambodia.

IRAN

Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi, repeatedly imprisoned for her campaign for women's rights, has been sentenced to a new seven-and-a-half-year prison term. The 53-year-old activist staged a week-long hunger strike, which ended yesterday, at the detention centre in Mashhad where she is being held.

The Foreign Ministry declined to comment, amid renewed repression of dissent following anti-government protests in December.

INDIA - MALAYSIA

Leaders in Delhi and Kuala Lumpur intend to strengthen trade ties and find new avenues of cooperation in areas such as semiconductors and defence. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim met yesterday in Putrajaya, pledging to deepen relations in trade and investment, food security, healthcare and tourism. Modi is on a two-day visit to the Southeast Asian nation, the first since the two countries elevated their ties to a global strategic partnership in August 2024.

NORTH KOREA

North Korea will convene its 9th Congress at the end of February in Pyongyang. This was reported yesterday by state media, without specifying the exact date. The ruling Workers' Party's political bureau held a meeting over the weekend to prepare for the event, including the agenda and timing. Leader Kim Jong Un recently visited various military and economic facilities, including a cruise missile launch site and a large-scale greenhouse.

SYRIA - SAUDI ARABIA

Over the weekend, Saudi Arabia announced a major investment package in Syria covering energy, aviation, real estate and telecommunications, as the kingdom positions itself as one of the main supporters of the new leadership in Damascus. Riyadh has launched a fund (Elaf) that will commit around billion to develop two airports in the Syrian city of Aleppo in several phases. The joint venture will be 51% owned by the Syrian side and 49% by the Saudi side.

RUSSIA - CHINA - UNITED STATES

According to a report in Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Russia is experiencing local energy production shortages in several regions and plans to increase the necessary power by 10% by 2042. In contrast, China exceeds the generating capacity of the United States by eight times according to last year's calculations, with the opening of many new power plants adding 545 gigawatts to reach 3,891, while Washington added 64.

TAJIKISTAN - AFGHANISTAN

The director of Tajikistan's anti-drug trafficking agency, Zafar Samad, has announced that by 2025, the volume of drugs confiscated at the border with Afghanistan, in the regions of Khatlon and Gorno-Badakshan, will have increased by one and a half times compared to 2024. The value reached 2,742 kg compared to 1,824 kg previously, with an increase of one tonne, clearly demonstrating the continued rise in drug smuggling from Afghanistan.