20 years after tsunami tragedy Jakarta studies early warning system

Today's news: Hong Kong cancels passports of seven exiled activists, crackdown on dissent continues; Thousands of Syrians take to the streets in the Kurdish north-east to call for respect for women's rights; Dhaka asks Delhi to repatriate former premier Hasina for ‘legal proceedings’. At Christmas, the law requiring identity verification on social media goes into effect in Vietnam.

INDONESIA - ASIA

Jakarta is working on a tsunami early warning system using GPS that monitors sea level changes. According to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency it could be implemented in the next five years and is announced as the country, and Asia, celebrate 20 years since one of the worst natural disasters in history. A powerful 9.1 magnitude earthquake in the Indian Ocean on 26 December 2004 triggered a massive tidal wave that killed about 230,000 people in more than 10 countries.

HONG KONG

Applying the new National Security Act, the Hong Kong government cancelled the passports of seven activists abroad and froze their funds. The note, issued today, affects former legislators Ted Hui and Dennis Kwok, activists Kevin Yam, Kwok Fung-yee, Elmer Yuan, Hui Wing-ting and Joey Siu. The latest measures are part of an ongoing crackdown on dissent.

SYRIA

Thousands of women's representatives took to the streets yesterday to demonstrate in the city of Qamishli in north-east Syria, a Kurdish-majority area, to demand that the new pro-Islamic rulers in power in Damascus respect women's rights. The demonstrators also call for the condemnation of the military campaigns promoted by Turkey in the region against the population.

BANGLADESH - INDIA

Dhaka has asked Delhi to repatriate former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been in exile since last August following the university protest that led to the fall of the executive. The authorities intend to initiate ‘judicial proceedings’ against him. Relations between the two countries, with strong economic and cultural ties, soured following the former premier's ouster.

TURKEY

A powerful explosion devastated an explosives plant in Balikesir, north-west Turkey, killing at least 12 people and injuring four others. Footage shows shards of glass and metal scattered outside the facility, which produces ammunition, explosives and rockets for domestic and international markets. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya says the cause is not immediately known, but the authorities do not rule out sabotage.

VIETNAM

Users of social networking sites - from Facebook to TiTok - will have to verify their identity under new rules governing the Internet imposed by Hanoi, which critics say further undermine freedom of expression in the communist country. The law, which comes into force tomorrow to coincide with Christmas, will force technology giants to store user data, provide it to the authorities upon request, and remove content that the government considers ‘illegal’ within 24 hours.

RUSSIA - NORTH KOREA

North Korea and Russia are further increasing military cooperation, with arms deliveries from Pyongyang to Moscow for the war in Ukraine, repaid by financial aid and oil. From satellite images, as the New York Times writes, the increase in arms production is evident, allowing Russia to compensate for losses from sanctions and war.

GEORGIA

On Rustaveli prospekt, in the centre of Tbilisi, opponents of the ‘illegitimate’ Georgian Dream government are preparing ‘a big night of protest on New Year's Eve’, continuing the demonstrations of the past weeks. Already 17,000 people have joined the event on Facebook, and outgoing president Salome Zurabišvili has promised to ‘join the party’.

• Asia
• Today