ratify

The UK government says the accord, which it hopes to ratify next year, will end legal uncertainty over the islands following international rulings backing Mauritian claims to sovereignty.

The agreement, which ministers have said they want to ratify next year, will see the UK retain jurisdiction of the UK-US military base on the island of Diego Garcia for an "initial period" of 99 years.

On Wednesday, Russian lawmakers will vote to ratify a mutual defence treaty with North Korea, first proposed during Russian President Vladimir Putin's lavish visit to Pyongyang in June.

Perhaps the most important step the next president could take to curb plastic pollution is to push Congress to ratify and implement the United Nations’ global plastics treaty, which is scheduled to be finalized by the end of this year.

Last week, Putin introduced a bill to ratify the pact.