Fresh controversy trails INEC budget

Legend has it that in 1963, France's Vanoise National Park was created to save the last endangered Alpine ibex. With 107 peaks of over 3,000 metres or more, the park in the heart of France's Savoie region attracts thousands of hikers each year in search of fresh air and the great outdoors. In this intact nature reserve, locals have developed alternatives to the usual winter sports. From snowshoeing to discover wildlife, to dog sledding for a unique adventure and even diving into a frozen lake, there's something for everyone!

A former Iranian deputy defense minister with dual British citizenship has been executed, according to Iranian media. The death sentence had sparked international condemnation.

Warsaw has announced "unprecedented" plans to ratchet up spending on its military and security following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Poland is already among NATO's top spenders when adjusted for its GDP.

Russia has started selling its growing reserves of the Chinese currency to fill a budget deficit caused by falling oil and gas revenues and the costs of war. For how long will the yuan shore up Putin's ailing economy?

Women in low-income communities in India learn how to use energy efficiently. It’s a win-win for the climate as well as the household budget. For many it is the first time they understand the connection between fossil fuels and global warming.

Dozens of pro-democracy figures have been charged with "conspiracy to commit subversion" and are facing possible life sentences. Their trial opened two years after the initial arrests.

The government will remove regulatory hurdles to invest in new electricity infrastructure. Loadshedding has almost brought South Africa's economic growth to a standstill.

They’ve come to be known as the Hong Kong 47. A group of prominent activists, former lawmakers and student leaders went on trial this week, accused of trying to topple the pro-Beijing government. Most of them, including Benny Tai and Joshua Wong, have been detained since their arrests two years ago.

For only the third time in its history, New Zealand has declared a national emergency. It comes as Cyclone Gabrielle causes flooding and landslides across North Island.

The government's proposed changes to the pension system have partly been turned down by the country's parliament. Article 2, which would have set up a "senior employment index" to support older workers, did not get a majority. The measure was meant to accompany the raising of the legal retirement age from 62 to 64.

The Chinese Communist Party is expected to unveil its lowest economic growth target in decades amid an ongoing slump in the country's real estate market. Also on the show: Mexico plans food tariff cuts to confront high inflation, and Franco-Angolan business ties take centre stage as President Emmanuel Macron visits Luanda.

As the National People's Congress opened this year's session, China set an economic target of "around 5%" — one of the lowest in decades — and announced a 7.2% increase in its defense budget.