WORLD

A huge fire on Tuesday devastated Copenhagen's 17th-century former stock exchange, toppling the historic building's landmark spire in front of horrified witnesses.

South Korea on Tuesday marked the 10th anniversary of the country's worst maritime disaster, when hundreds of schoolchildren died after the overloaded Sewol ferry capsized and sank.

The US ambassador to the United Nations visited the heavily-fortified border between North and South Korea Tuesday, urging Pyongyang to return to talks as global enforcement of UN sanctions stumbles.

Day two of Donald Trump's unprecedented criminal trial opens in New York on Tuesday the same way the first ended -- with the defendant and US presidential hopeful being forced to watch in silence as lawyers work through the tortuous process of picking a jury.

The spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are due to open Tuesday, with two clear objectives: help countries combat climate change, and assist the most indebted nations.

Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel with hundreds of drones and missiles marked the culmination of a tense two weeks in which Washington engaged in whirlwind efforts to prepare for the expected violence.

Israel struck war-battered Gaza overnight, Hamas and witnesses said Monday, as world leaders urged de-escalation awaiting Israel's reaction to Iran's unprecedented attack that heightened fears of wider conflict.

Ten years ago Tuesday, an overloaded South Korean ferry capsized and sank, killing hundreds of schoolchildren who had been ordered to stay in their cabins even as the captain evacuated.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos said Monday he would not hand his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court, which is investigating his deadly drug war.

Azerbaijan and Armenia again crossed swords before the UN's top court on Monday, with Baku accusing Yerevan of using the high profile hearings to wage a "public media campaign" against its bitter Caucasus rival.

Donald Trump goes to court Monday as the first US ex-president ever to be criminally prosecuted, a seismic moment for the United States as the presumptive Republican nominee campaigns to re-take the White House.

Australian police said Monday they are investigating why a 40-year-old man with mental illness appeared to target women as he roamed a Sydney shopping mall with a large knife, killing six people and wounding a dozen more.

In a statement issued Sunday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) expressed its "deep concern over the developments that the region has witnessed over the past few days," and called for a "halt to the escalation and to avoid exacerbating tensions and instability in the region."

Pope Francis will visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore in September, the Vatican announced Friday, an ambitious trip that could test the 87-year-old's increasingly fragile health.

South Africa's electoral commission said Friday that it had appealed to the country's highest court to rule on whether ex-president Jacob Zuma can stand in a general election in May.

As air raid sirens rang out on the morning of October 7, Bilha Inon and her husband Yakovi sheltered in the safe room of their home in Netiv Haasara in southern Israel.

Beijing on Friday criticised the United States, Japan and the Philippines and defended its actions in the South China Sea as "lawful" after US President Joe Biden hosted a trilateral meeting in Washington.

Israel was on alert Thursday after its arch foe Iran threatened reprisals over a strike in Syria this month that killed two Iranian generals, and as the war against Hamas ground on in Gaza.

Russia said on Thursday that unprecedented flooding had created "difficult" conditions and another major river had burst its banks, submerging roads and villages in the Siberian region of Tomsk.

Ukrainian lawmakers approved Thursday an army mobilization bill that will keep more long-serving soldiers fighting Russia's offensive, as Moscow pounded energy facilities in another "massive" air raid across the country.

A top Vietnamese property tycoon was sentenced to death on Thursday in one of the biggest corruption cases in history, with an estimated $27 billion in damages.

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh insisted that the death of three of his sons in an Israeli air strike would not influence truce talks in Gaza, as bombardments on Thursday rocked the Palestinian territory.

President Joe Biden on Wednesday urged the US House of Representatives to vote immediately on billions of dollars in Ukraine aid, as the chamber's Republican speaker hesitates in the face of pressure from Donald Trump and his allies.

The Taliban's hyper-reclusive supreme leader made a rare public appearance Wednesday, an Afghan government spokesman said, berating the international community in a speech for criticising his rule.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Wednesday that "external interference" would not stop Beijing from unifying with Taiwan, as he met the self-ruled island's former leader in a rare display of cross-strait dialogue.

Israeli strikes hit Gaza on Wednesday as Muslims marked the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan and after US President Joe Biden labelled Israel's approach to the war a "mistake".

US President Joe Biden hosts a lavish state visit for Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the White House on Wednesday, featuring a major upgrade in defense ties against China -- and music by Paul Simon.

China and Russia's top diplomats said Tuesday they would strengthen strategic cooperation as they met in Beijing, further deepening ties as Moscow's war in Ukraine grinds on.

Israel bombed targets in Gaza on Tuesday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted the army will destroy Hamas despite ongoing Cairo talks towards a ceasefire and hostage deal.