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Hong Kong's oldest pro-democracy party has decided to disband, the group announced Sunday, after its members formally voted to dissolve the organisation and enter liquidation.The Democratic Party was founded in 1994, near the end of British colonial rule, when Hong Kong's leading liberal groups merged."Over these thirty years, we have taken part in and borne witness to the development and transformation of Hong Kong society, watching its systems and environment undergo one profound change after another," the party said in a statement. "Yet as the times have shifted, we now, with deep regret, must bring this chapter to a close."At Sunday's meeting, 117 out of 121 members voted for the group's liquidation, with the remaining four votes being blank ballots, Lo Kin-hei, the party's chair, told a news conference.He said that it was a "collective decision" made by party members, adding that it is the best way forward for them."We are deeply grateful to all the citizens who have walked with the Democratic Party for the past 30 years," Lo said.Former party leader Emily Lau reacted to the dissolution with dismay when leaving the meeting, telling reporters: "I don't understand why the Democratic Party would end up like this."" I find it very problematic," she said. "I think Beijing needs to provide an explanation."Lo said the disbandment was due to Hong Kong's "political environment", but declined to provide details of the constraints the party was facing.Senior party members previously told Reuters that they had been approached by Chinese officials or middlemen and told to disband or face severe consequences, including possible arrest.There was no immediate response to a request for comment from the Hong Kong Liaison Office, China's main representative body in Hong Kong.The Democratic Party's top concern was determining how the city would eventually elect its own leader and lawmakers through universal suffrage under China's "One Country, Two Systems" model.It said in its manifesto that "as part of the Chinese citizenry, we have the rights and obligations to participate in and comment on the affairs of China".Following Hong Kong's handover to China in 1997, the party became the most influential voice of opposition in the city's legislature and led peaceful street demonstrations.The disbandment decision indicated the regression of Hong Kong from being a liberal society into an "authoritarian society", said Yeung Sum, a former party leader who has served jail time.With the demise of Hong Kong's top pro-democracy parties, no candidate put forward a pro-democracy platform in the legislature election held this month – which critics pointed to as another sign of the city's slide towards authoritarianism.Yeung added that younger generations would feel frustrated if the political system went "backwards"."I think this kind of fighting for democracy will carry on, even though we got ourselves disbanded today," the 78-year-old said. "We won't die away. We won't fade away."Beijing tightened its grip on the Chinese finance hub after massive and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in 2019.After the imposition of the national security law, the city's political opposition dwindled, with most democracy campaigners jailed or overseas.The party holds no elected seats after its lawmakers resigned en masse from the Legislative Council in 2020.Four party lawmakers were jailed last year for subversion under a Beijing-imposed national security law.Former party leader Albert Ho is behind bars pending trial for national security charges that could see him jailed for life.Hong Kong's second-largest opposition group, the Civic Party, closed its doors in 2023.Another party, the League of Social Democrats, announced its disbandment in June this year, citing "immense political pressure"."The Hong Kong government should be more open, they should accept more different kinds of opinions, even though there may be some opposition," Lo said Sunday. "But that is how the society works and that is how things progress." 

Bosnia's Serb-majority entity began voting Sunday to pick a replacement for its banned firebrand president, Milorad Dodik, who was removed for defying Bosnia's international peace envoy. Dodik was ejected from office in August following his conviction for ignoring rulings by the international appointee who oversees a peace deal which has held Bosnia together since the end of its 1990s inter-ethnic war.The early vote in the Republika Srpska (RS) — one of Bosnia's two semi-autonomous entities alongside a Bosniak-Croat federation — means the winner will serve for less than a year before general elections in October 2026. It is seen as a crucial test of support for Dodik's nationalist party, which has been in power for nearly two decades.Around 1.2mn eligible voters can choose between six candidates, but there are two main favourites. Sinisa Karan, a 63-year-old former interior minister, is a close ally and personal choice of Dodik, who remains head of his party, the Union of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD).The main opposition group, the Serb Democratic Party (SDS), selected the relatively unknown Branko Blanusa, a 56-year-old electrical engineering professor who has repeatedly levelled corruption allegations against Dodik and his party.The poll comes after years of clashes between Bosnia's high representative, Christian Schmidt, and Dodik, which many analysts said pushed the country to the brink of its worst political crisis since the 1992-1995 war ended.Earlier this year, Dodik was convicted and banned from public office for six years for flouting Schmidt's decisions. After months of defying the ruling, the 66-year-old leader, who has close ties to the Kremlin, suddenly accepted his removal in October.Within days, the US dropped sanctions against Dodik and several of his associates, including Karan, that had been in place since 2017. On the campaign trail, Karan has been openly promoted as a continuation of Dodik's legacy.The presidential hopeful watched on during a final rally on Thursday, as Dodik, who during the campaign labelled Bosnia an "impossible country", promised the push for RS statehood would continue. "Our vision is freedom, and there is no freedom without a state," Dodik told a crowd in the Bosnian Serb administrative capital, Banja Luka. Meanwhile, Blanusa has blamed Dodik's policies for threatening the entity's future, and accused him of corruption. "He has humiliated RS institutions for his own interests and wealth," Blanusa said during a campaign event earlier this week.But historian and diplomat Slobodan Soja said there was no clear "ideological" difference between the two leading contenders, whom he labelled "unpopular, selfish, and irresponsible". Soja said that despite Dodik's decision to step aside under pressure from Washington, his political sway remained."His power remains intact and will only grow over time, as he is simply all-powerful as long as he leads the party." On the eve of the vote, Banja Luka residents showed little interest in political debates voicing resignation toward their leaders.Single mother Milica Djuric said she would vote but without much hope for change. "I earn 1,000 convertible marks ($589) monthly, I have a child to put through school, and I pay the bills. "I would like to put them (politicians) in our shoes and give them this salary, so they can see how we live," the 51-year-old told AFP.Retail worker Dragan Savic echoed her. "I will vote but expect nothing," the 49-year-old father of two said. "My generation could still get ahead through hard work, but I worry for my children. Today, everything depends on connections."

The longest-ever US government shutdown appeared headed Monday to an eventual resolution, after several Democratic senators broke ranks to join Republicans in advancing a compromise deal -- sparking intra-party backlash.Since October 1, the first day of the shutdown, more than a million federal workers have been unpaid, while government benefits and services have been increasingly disrupted.Severe impacts on air traffic have begun to mount in recent days, with hundreds of flights canceled daily, raising the political pressure to end the stalemate.After clearing a key procedural hurdle late Sunday, the Senate was expected to pass the compromise budget late Monday or overnight.The bill will then move to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, which could vote on it as early as Wednesday to send it to President Donald Trump's desk."It appears to us this morning that our long national nightmare is finally coming to an end, and we're grateful for that," House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters Monday morning."At least some Democrats now finally appear ready to do what Republicans and President Trump and millions of hardworking American people have been asking them to do for weeks."The House -- which Johnson has kept out of session throughout the standoff -- would be called back this week, he said.At the heart of the budgetary impasse is Democrats' demand to extend health insurance subsidies expiring at the end of the year. Republicans insist any negotiation occur after the government is re-opened.Millions of Americans who have purchased health insurance through the "Obamacare" programme would see their costs double if the subsidies are not extended.Sunday's breakthrough agreement would re-open the government through January, with some programmes funded for the full fiscal year, and reverse some of the Trump administration's firings of federal workers.The bill notably would restore funding for the SNAP food aid programme, which helps more than 42mn lower-income Americans pay for groceries.While Republican leadership has agreed to hold an eventual vote on healthcare, it does not ensure the insurance subsidies will be extended."After 40 days of uncertainty, I'm profoundly glad to be able to announce that nutrition programmes, our veterans, and other critical priorities will have their full-year funding," Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Sunday night.While leaders were rushing to move the bill through Congress, it could still take days to make its way to Trump's desk. Tuesday is a national holiday in the United States.Senator Jeanne Shaheen, one of eight Democratic Caucus members who backed the measure, said the Senate "took a big step forward towards protecting the health care of tens of millions of Americans."She said the agreement would grant Democrats, despite being in the minority, the power to call a vote on healthcare legislation.However, with the extension of the subsidies not guaranteed, the move has angered party members who preferred to keep holding out."Pathetic," wrote California Governor Gavin Newsom on X in reaction to the announced agreement.Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer voted against the measure, saying he could "not in good faith" support a measure "that fails to address the health care crisis.""This fight will and must continue," he vowed.Some lawmakers criticised Schumer himself for failing to keep the Democrats united."Tonight is another example of why we need new leadership," Massachusetts Representative Seth Moulton said Sunday in a post on X.

The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Congo River Alliance (M23 Movement) signed in Doha Tuesday an agreement to establish a ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism, facilitated by Qatar, in line with the Doha Declaration of Principles signed on July 19, 2025.The mechanism will oversee the implementation of the permanent ceasefire, investigate and verify reported violations, and communicate with relevant parties to prevent a resumption of hostilities.Qatar, the US, and the African Union will participate in this mechanism as observers, enhancing transparency and supporting regional and international efforts aimed at ensuring the success of the peace process in the Great Lakes region.The establishment of the mechanism represents a pivotal step toward enhancing confidence-building and moving forward toward a comprehensive peace agreement between the two parties to the conflict.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs voiced Qatar's gratitude and appreciation to the African Union, the US of America, and the Togolese Republic for their constructive contributions to supporting this process.Qatar has been hosting direct peace talks between Congo and the M23 movement. The agreement is a sign of progress in Qatar-mediated talks.The ceasefire monitoring agreement was a key step to complete before talks towards a comprehensive peace agreement could begin, a source said.The deal follows a ceasefire agreement that both parties inked in Doha in July aimed at leading to a permanent end to the fighting that has devastated the DRC's mineral-rich east.Qatar described the move as a "pivotal step toward enhancing confidence-building and moving forward toward a comprehensive peace agreement".