WORLD

A fire that ripped through a small apartment block in central Hanoi early Friday has killed at least 14 people and injured three others, state media said.

In the rural Mexican town where opposition presidential candidate Xochitl Galvez grew up, the smiling face of her ruling party rival looks out from posters plastered around the streets.

Record eight-time winners Lyon face holders Barcelona in a tantalising Champions League final on Saturday in Bilbao, pitting the established elite against the new women's football powerhouse.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag hopes to bolster his chances of avoiding the sack by ruining Manchester City's history bid in the FA Cup final on Saturday.

Beijing on Friday said ongoing drills encircling Taiwan were testing the military's ability to seize power over the self-ruled island, days after a new president was sworn in.

Countries trying to thrash out a global agreement on handling future pandemics are hoping to seal the deal Friday after weeks of creeping progress in exhausting talks.

The US Department of Justice filed a major antitrust lawsuit Thursday seeking to break up an alleged monopoly in the live music industry between concert promoter Live Nation Entertainment and its subsidiary, bookings website Ticketmaster.

In a tie and leather jacket, Argentina's President Javier Milei rocked out in front of thousands of fans during the launch of his latest economics book in Buenos Aires Wednesday night.

Russia has arrested a number of generals and military leaders in recent weeks, seeking to overhaul an army hierarchy seen as corrupt and inefficient in an reinvigorated push for victory in Ukraine.

The UN's top court Thursday rejected a request by Mexico for emergency measures over a raid on its embassy in Quito last month, ruling that Ecuador had given sufficient assurances that the diplomatic mission will be protected.

The European Court of Human Rights on Thursday rejected appeals of criminal convictions by Georgia's former president Mikheil Saakashvili, finding the trials in his home country had been fair.

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and far-right party leader Jordan Bardella will lock horns Thursday in a TV debate ahead of European elections, as the ruling party of President Emmanuel Macron seeks to stave off disaster at the ballot box.

Russian strikes on Ukraine's second-largest city Kharkiv killed at least seven people, authorities said Thursday, as Moscow claimed fresh advances on the front line.

Global pressure for a ceasefire has mounted on Israel and its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as three European countries said Wednesday they would recognize a Palestinian state.

At least 50 other people were injured in the accident, some seriously, according to Nuevo Leon Governor Samuel Garcia.

Republican former president Donald Trump once dubbed himself a "Tariff Man" seeking to boost government coffers.

South Korea is home to the world's top memory chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK hynix and last year pledged to build the world's largest chip center using $456 billion of private investment as it seeks an edge in the global industry.

Colombia on Wednesday declared a "protected archeological area" around the spot where a Spanish galleon sank off its Caribbean coast more than three centuries ago laden with gold, silver and emeralds.

Ecuador declared a state of emergency in nearly a third of its provinces Wednesday after a surge in violence amid the government's ongoing "war" on drug gangs.

Iran's president Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed in a helicopter crash, will be buried Thursday in his hometown after two days of funeral processions attended by thousands of mourners.

When Barcelona take on Lyon in the women's Champions League final on Saturday, the Catalans will be out not only for revenge but also to cement their place as Europe's most dominant force.

China on Thursday launched two days of military drills to surround self-ruled Taiwan in what it said was "strong punishment" for the island's "separatist acts".

UK political parties began jostling for position on Thursday, setting out their electoral battle plans after embattled Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a general election for July 4.

Former presidential hopeful Nikki Haley said Wednesday she will vote for Donald Trump in November's US election, ending months of silence after quitting the contest to choose a Republican to face Joe Biden.

Guinean prosecutors on Wednesday demanded life sentences for former dictator Moussa Dadis Camara and six other military or government officials over a 2009 massacre, saying they were guilty of crimes against humanity.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday voiced doubt for the near-term prospects of a global pandemic agreement under negotiation that has drawn a backlash in several Western countries.

British actor Gary Oldman, who plays a washed-up alcoholic writer in new Cannes film "Parthenope", said Wednesday he is celebrating 27 years sober.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak emerged from 10 Downing Street into the grey English drizzle late on Wednesday afternoon and finally announced what Britons have long wanted to know.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has called a general election for July 4, teeing up a battle between his ruling Conservatives and the main opposition Labour party.