International observers on Monday welcomed progress in Kazakhstan's parliamentary elections but said more democratic reforms were needed as the country hopes to turn the page after a brutal crackdown.. "But further changes to the legal framework are needed to provide a sufficient basis for conducting democratic elections," the OSCE observers said.
With half the world experiencing water scarcity for at least part of the year, the huge dams being built by some countries to boost their power supplies while their neighbours go parched are a growing source of potential conflict.. One of the two hydroelectricity plants that produce the most power in the world, alongside China's Three Gorges, had its energy shared out under a 1973 treaty.
After more than five years navigating the bureaucratic maze of Hong Kong's asylum system, John faces a new fear: deportation under a recently amended "removal policy". . Leafing through his well-worn court documents, John said he was not aware of Hong Kong's high rejection rate when he first sought asylum, and had struggled to find a sympathetic ear from officials in the system.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un led two days of military drills "simulating a nuclear counterattack", including the firing of a ballistic missile carrying a mock nuclear warhead, state news agency KCNA reported Monday.. Saturday and Sunday's drills were divided into exercises simulating the shift to a nuclear counterattack posture and a drill for "launching a tactical ballistic missile tipped with a mock nuclear warhead", KCNA said.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday he hoped his bitterly contested pensions reform plan, forced through parliament without a vote, could complete "its democratic journey", a day before crucial votes in parliament.. , Macron expressed his wish "that the text on pensions can go to the end of its democratic journey with respect for all".
A new floating storage and regasification unit considered crucial to Italy's energy security arrived in Tuscany on Sunday, sparking local protests.. But there have been months of local protests against the project, and a small march was staged Sunday ahead of the vessel's late-night arrival from Singapore.
Chinese President Xi Jinping begins a state visit to Russia Monday, a trip Beijing has touted as a "visit for peace" as it seeks to play mediator in Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine.. - 'True multilateralism' - The United States has said it would oppose Chinese calls for a ceasefire during Xi's visit, saying such a move would "simply benefit Russia" by allowing it to consolidate its "conquest" of Ukraine and prepare another offensive.
President Vladimir Putin on Sunday welcomed China's willingness to play a "constructive role" in ending the conflict in Ukraine, saying Sino-Russian relations were "at the highest point".. Putin hailed "China's willingness to play a constructive role in resolving" the year-long conflict in Ukraine.
Montenegrins voted Sunday in a presidential election pitting the Adriatic nation's longest serving leader Milo Djukanovic against a range of rivals hoping to shake up the country's political scene.. Nonetheless, Djukanovic remains one of the country's most instrumental figures, famed for wielding power and influence since he broke with Serbia and helped oversee Montenegro's independence in 2006.
UBS was up against the clock Sunday in talks to finalise a mammoth takeover of its troubled rival Swiss bank Credit Suisse and reassure investors before the markets reopen.. - 'Merger of the century' - Credit Suisse, the country's SNB central bank and the Swiss financial watchdog FINMA all declined to comment when contacted by AFP about the possibility of a UBS takeover.
