World News at a Glance

At Labour Party Conference, Renewed Pressure on New Brexit Vote

As the annual meeting of Britain’s opposition Labour Party began Sunday, one big question was reverberating: Should Britons be allowed to weigh in again on the country’s withdrawal from the European Union? Since the 2016 referendum to leave the bloc, a process known as Brexit, Labour has repeatedly said it would respect the outcome of that vote. But with the British government’s negotiations on the terms of its departure in turmoil, and the threat of an economically damaging exit rising, some trade union leaders and Labour representatives are warming to the idea of a second referendum on the issue.

Welcome to College. Your Parents Are in the Tents Next Door.

Since 2012, Tianjin University, southeast of Beijing, has offered “tents of love” for free to parents of incoming college students, making it easier for poor families to take part in the move-in tradition. But the phenomenon has prompted debate about whether parents are undermining their independence. Older generations say the parents are raising children unaccustomed to hardship. Many young people in China today are the first in their families to go to college. The government has opened hundreds of universities in recent years, and enrollment has surged, reaching 37.8 million students last year, up more than 20 percent since 2010.

Hong Kong Bridges (And Tunnels) a Divide

After months of debate, passengers started boarding high-speed trains at a new station in Hong Kong on Sunday, the formal launch of a multibillion-dollar transportation link that will tie the former British colony more closely to the rest of China. Another project, the world’s longest sea bridge, is expected to open later this year. Hong Kong officials say the projects are critical to economic development and will speed the movement of goods and people through the region. But many residents are concerned about what a Greater Bay Area, as China calls its vision, will mean for the city’s unique identity.

An Undiplomatic Trump? At This U.N. Meeting, His Aides Fear the Opposite

When President Donald Trump made his first visit to the United Nations in 2017, he ridiculed North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un. He also vowed to rip up the Iran nuclear deal. For Trump’s advisers, the biggest risk at the U.N. General Assembly this year is the reverse of what it was last year: that he will be overly enthusiastic about engagement with wily adversaries. Trump's senior aides are engaged in a quiet effort to avoid a direct encounter with Iran’s leader or concessions they fear could undermine their effort to keep pressure on North Korea.

Maldives Opposition Declares Election Victory

The Maldives were thrust into uncertainty Sunday when voters appeared to have ousted the country’s autocratic president. Local news organizations reported that Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, the opposition candidate, had beaten President Abdulla Yameen. Solih won 58 percent of the vote with about 97 percent of ballots counted. As Solih's supporters danced in the street, observers held their breath as they waited to see what Yameen would do next. His campaign had yet to concede by early Monday morning, and a spokesman for the Maldives’ Election Commission said official results would not be announced for a week, according to Reuters.