YANGON, Myanmar – A U.N. human rights envoy said Sunday that Myanmar is considering letting foreign observers monitor April elections that are viewed as crucial for gauging the nation’s much-heralded democratic reforms.

Tomas Ojea Quintana, praised the “continuing wave of reforms in Myanmar, the speed and breadth of which has surprised” Myanmar watchers around the world. Quintana ended a six-day visit to the country on Sunday. He met with senior government ministers, political prisoners and Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, the longtime political prisoner whose bid for a parliamentary seat has drawn intense international interest.

Creditors’ demands irk Greek politician

The leader of Greece’s No. 2 party said rescue creditors were demanding measures that would deepen the country’s recession, and he promised to oppose them “with all means.”

Conservative leader Antonis Samaras met officials of other parties backing the government coalition Sunday to review austerity measures needed for a new $171 billion bailout deal, without which the country would face bankruptcy in late March. The coalition backers failed to conclude talks after a five-hour meeting and said they would resume talks today.

Conservative gets rare win in Finland

A former finance minister won Finland’s presidential election Sunday and will become the country’s first conservative head of state in five decades.

Sauli Niinisto took 63 percent of the votes, compared to 37 percent for his rival, Greens candidate Pekka Haavisto, official results showed with 100 percent of ballots counted.