RUSSIA: President Vladimir Putin’s ruling party has retained its supermajority in parliament, further cementing his grip on power in elections that were marred by numerous reports of violations.

Yesterday’s results from nearly 99 per cent of polling stations gave the ruling United Russia party 49.8 per cent of the vote for the 225 seats apportioned by parties. The main opposition Communist Party bettered its 2016 vote considerably, taking almost 20 per cent.

GERMANY: The German Journalists Association has condemned attacks by police on reporters covering an anti-fascist protest in the eastern city of Leipzig on Saturday.

At least three journalists were physically assaulted by officers, while several other reporters said they were hindered from doing their work by police despite showing their press credentials.

Leipzig police said seven officers were injured after barricades were put up and set on fire in the Connewitz district after the “We are all LinX” demonstration.

LA PALMA: Rivers of lava crept relentlessly toward the sea yesterday, destroying everything in their path, after Sunday’s volcanic eruption on the Spanish island of Palma in the Canary Islands.

Scientists had been monitoring the area in recent days amid a surge in mostly small earthquakes, and authorities evacuated about 5,000 people.

CHINA: Many parents have welcomed new government restrictions that limit children to just three hours weekly of online gaming time.

The restrictions, which took effect earlier this month, are a tightening of 2019 rules that banned kids from gaming overnight and limited them to 90 minutes most weekdays.

The new rules are part of a campaign to prevent kids from spending too much time on “unhealthy” entertainment.