VIETNAM FLOOD TOLL HITS 49 AHEAD OF APEC SUMMIT

HOI AN, Vietnam: At least 49 people have died after Typhoon Damrey slammed into central Vietnam, disaster officials said on Monday, as heavy flooding cast doubt on a planned retreat for APEC leaders’ spouses to the ancient town of Hoi An. The weather system hit just days before Vietnam welcomes world leaders to the APEC summit in Danang and has left several areas totally submerged in the worst flooding in years. While Danang itself has not been seriously affected, heavy flooding has hit Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its unique blend of buildings, some dating back to the 15th century. Large swathes of four central and southern provinces were submerged on Monday, officials said, with the death toll likely to rise further as the search for at least 19 missing people got under way. Some 30,000 people were evacu-

CHINA’S MILITARY ORDERED TO PLEDGE TOTAL LOYALTY TO XI

BEIJING: China’s military has been ordered to pledge absolute loyalty to President Xi Jinping while a paramilitary police force now literally sings his praises, further cementing his place as the country’s most powerful leader in decades. The world’s largest armed forces should be “absolutely loyal, honest and reliable to Xi,” said a new guideline issued by the Central Military Commission and reported by state news agency Xinhua late Sunday. China’s military personnel of around two million is technically the armed force of the ruling Communist Party rather than the state. The commission’s calls for fidelity to Xi shows the extent to which he has consolidated power since having his eponymous philosophy written into the party constitution last month. Xi’s political philosophy—Xi Jinping Thought—should also guide the strengthening of the military, Xinhua said of the new guideline.