China: former defence minister expelled from party for 'corruption'

Today's news: polls open in Iran for presidential elections; In New Delhi, the roof of the new airport terminal hastily opened by Modi during the election campaign collapses in heavy rain, killing one person; In South Korea a six-day working week for executives; In Laos a new mega-dam to sell energy to Vietnam.

CHINA

Beijing expelled former Defence Minister Li Shangfu and his predecessor Wei Fenghe from the Communist Party of China over allegations of corruption, in a new chapter in President Xi Jinping's sweeping purge of the military's top leadership. Li was removed in October last year without explanation, having disappeared from circulation within months of taking office. The announcement made by state broadcaster CCTV is the first official confirmation by the Chinese authorities that allegations of corruption were behind his dramatic disappearance.

IRAN

Presidential elections have been underway in Iran since 8 am this morning to designate the successor to the late Ibrahim Raisi. 61.4 million voters are called to the polls. Polling stations are scheduled to close at 6pm local time, but the authorities have the right to extend voting until midnight. In the polls, the reformist Pezeshkian is given the lead over the divided conservative front, but should no candidate get at least 50 per cent plus one of all votes cast, it will go to a runoff.

INDIA

A canopy collapsed under heavy rain and winds at the main airport in the Indian capital New Delhi, killing one person and injuring at least eight, as well as cancelling flights from a domestic terminal. The incident occurred at 5 a.m., a busy time for domestic flights carrying people across the country. Terminal 1 had recently been expanded and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated it on 11 March. Opposition leaders had criticised Modi for insisting on inaugurating the terminal during his election campaign while it was still 'incomplete'.

SOUTH KOREA

The six-day working week is making a comeback in South Korea almost two decades after the introduction of the free weekend. An increasing number of companies have ordered their managers to come to the office on Saturdays to discuss strategies to overcome the recession. The measure will be introduced from July by HD Hyundai Oilbank, the group's oil sector. Samsung and SK had already asked their executives to work six days a week earlier this year.

LAOS-VIETNAM

The Laotian government has signed an agreement with a joint venture to build a 4 million dam in the north of the country, which will send most of the electricity generated to neighbouring Vietnam. The hydroelectric project on the Nam Neun River will be completed by 2027 and will generate 124 megawatts of energy. This is yet another dam planned for the impoverished and landlocked country, which has already built dozens of them with the aim of selling 20,000 megawatts of electricity to neighbouring countries by 2030 and becoming the 'battery of South-East Asia'.

RUSSIA

The Russian Ministry of Finance has proposed an eightfold increase in the divorce tax to 5,000 roubles (50 euro), along with other taxes on registry services such as name changes, measures in addition to the tax reform already approved in the first reading on 20 June. Almost 700,000 divorces were registered in Russia in 2023, according to data from the registry institute Rosstat.

TAJIKISTAN

As Asia-Plus informs, 80 Tajik citizens who had just landed at Moscow's Vnukovo airport on a flight from Dushanbe were denied entry to the territory of Russia. Half of them were sent back to Tajikistan the next morning, while another 40 are at the airport awaiting repatriation, without stating the reasons for the refusal, with lengthy interrogations, searches and mobile phone checks.

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