Vietnam confirms To Lam as Communist Party chief

HO CHI MINH CITY -- Former top cop To Lam has been confirmed as Vietnamese Communist Party general secretary, opening the door to a new era after the death of the dogmatic anti-corruption crusader who preceded him.

The party's Central Committee on Saturday morning voted 100% in favor of keeping Lam as general secretary, the country's highest political office, a role he had taken on temporarily last month, on the eve of predecessor Nguyen Phu Trong's death. Now he will remain in the job until 2026 when the party selects permanent officeholders at its twice-a-decade congress.