World News Roundup: Duterte's pick for top cop causes stir over drugs deaths, lockdown party; Italy's national unity splinters in face of COVID-19 second wave and more

China, Russia hold off on congratulating Biden; U.S. allies rally round China and Russia held off congratulating U.S. President-elect Joe Biden on Monday, with Bejing saying it would follow usual custom in its response and the Kremlin noting incumbent Donald Trump's vow to pursue legal challenges.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Explainer: Suu Kyi, the army, insurgency - Myanmar's 2020 election explained

Myanmar's ruling party led by Aung San Suu Kyi claimed victory on Monday after a general election seen as a referendum on the first democratic government to lead the country since the end of decades of military rule. The spokesman for her National League for Democracy Party (NLD) said its unofficial count showed it had won the 322 seats needed to form a new government, though results from the election commission had not been released.

Duterte's pick for top cop causes stir over drugs deaths, lockdown party

Philippine activists voiced concern on Monday about President Rodrigo Duterte's choice of a new police chief, warning of unchecked human rights abuses ahead and a crackdown on dissent under his watch. Debold Sinas's appointment also caused a stir on social media, where users recalled how as Manila police chief he had celebrated his birthday in May with dozens of senior officers at a party that defied strict coronavirus lockdown rules.

Fighting rages around strategic city in Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia says

Armenia reported heavy fighting around a strategic city in Nagorno-Karabakh on Monday, a day after Azerbaijan said it had captured it in a major breakthrough after six weeks of bloodshed. People celebrated in the streets of Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, on Sunday when President Ilham Aliyev announced his country's forces had taken Shusha, which sits on a mountain top overlooking Nagorno-Karabakh's main city, Stepanakert.

China, Russia hold off on congratulating Biden; U.S. allies rally round

China and Russia held off congratulating U.S. President-elect Joe Biden on Monday, with Bejing saying it would follow usual custom in its response and the Kremlin noting incumbent Donald Trump's vow to pursue legal challenges. Democrat Biden clinched enough states to win the presidency on Saturday and has begun making plans for when he takes office on Jan. 20. Trump has not conceded defeat and plans rallies to build support for legal challenges.

Islamist meeting underscores Austrian intelligence failure over attack

The scale of Austria's intelligence failure before last week's deadly jihadist attack in Vienna became clearer on Monday as the Interior Ministry confirmed the attacker had taken part in a large meeting in the summer that included Islamists from abroad. Austria has acknowledged that "intolerable mistakes were made" in the handling of intelligence on the attacker, a convicted jihadist, who killed four people in a shooting rampage in the city centre last Monday.

UK sees goodwill for Brexit trade deal, open to 'sensible' fishing compromise

Britain said on Monday it was open to a "sensible" compromise on fishing and that there was goodwill on both sides to progress towards a Brexit trade deal, with the European Union saying it was redoubling its efforts for an accord. The United Kingdom left the EU in January but the sides are trying to clinch a deal that would govern nearly 1 trillion dollars in annual trade before transitional arrangements end on Dec. 31.

WHO chief looks forward to working 'very closely' with Biden team

The World Health Organization chief welcomed efforts on Monday to strengthen the Geneva-based body through reform and said that it was looking forward to working closely with the administration of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden. WHO's funding must become more flexible and predictable to end a "major misalignment" between expectations and available resources, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, citing reform efforts by France, Germany and the European Union.

Hong Kong pro-democracy legislators threaten mass resignations

Hong Kong pro-democracy legislators threatened mass resignations on Monday amid reports Beijing plans to disqualify four opposition lawmakers who had been accused by the ruling camp of potentially unlawful filibustering in the legislature. Earlier on Monday, local news site HK01 reported, citing unnamed sources, that Beijing might make the move later this week in the latest squeeze on opposition politicians in the former British colony.

Italy's national unity splinters in face of COVID-19 second wave

Italy won plaudits for its discipline and unity in fighting the Western world's first coronavirus outbreak in the spring, but that sense of common purpose is unravelling in the face of the second wave. Despite a surge in infections and deaths, Italians who stoically accepted a blanket national lockdown in March are now less willing to respect far less rigid restrictions, egged on by local politicians at odds with the government in Rome.

Analysis: Russia and Turkey keep powder dry in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

Sensitive to the threat of wider confrontation, Russia and Turkey are for now limiting involvement in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to providing humanitarian assistance and some military aid. Ankara sees its strong backing for Azerbaijan over the fighting with ethnic Armenians in the mountain enclave as part of efforts to boost Turkey's international clout. Moscow is determined to defend its own interests in the South Caucasus.