INTERNATIONAL

At least 23 people have died in a fire at a mental health clinic in the Voronezh region of western Russia, the emergency ministry says. At least 20 people are being treated in hospital, the ministry says. The building was completely destroyed by the fire that began late on Saturday, reports say. The blaze is the latest in a series ...

At least 21 people have died in a fire at a mental health clinic in western Russia, the emergency ministry says. Another two people are still reportedly missing after the blaze in the Voronezh region. More than 20 people are being treated in hospital, and there are fears the death toll will rise further. The building was completely destroyed by ...

The climate deal reached in Paris is “the best chance we have to save the one planet we have”, US President Barack Obama has said. He said it could be a “turning point” for the world to take on the challenge of a low-carbon future. China, the world’s biggest polluter, also hailed the deal. But some campaigners said it did ...

Saudi Arabia is going to the polls in unprecedented municipal elections in which women can cast a ballot for the first time. Women are also standing as candidates, another first, despite the conservative kingdom being the only nation where women are not allowed to drive. A total of 978 women have registered as candidates, alongside 5,938 men. Female candidates have ...

Organisers of the climate talks in Paris say a final draft text has been agreed after nearly two weeks of intensive negotiations. An official in the office of French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told the AFP news agency the draft would be presented to ministers at 10:30 GMT. No details of the proposed agreement have been released so far. The ...

One of China’s richest men, Guo Guangchang, has been detained by police. His company, Fosun International, confirmed on Friday that he was assisting authorities with an investigation. The confirmation followed reports that he had gone missing. Financial magazine Caixin said that staff at Fosun had been unable to contact Mr Guo since Thursday afternoon. Fosun, one of China’s biggest private ...

Heavily armed attackers have launched co-ordinated assaults on several army barracks in Burundi. An army spokesman said in a statement that 12 insurgents had been killed and another 20 arrested. Witnesses described hearing gunfire and explosions for several hours, in Musaga in the south and Ngagara in the north. The incident is the worst violence since an attempted coup in ...

Negotiators at the Paris climate summit have been working through the night to try to reach a global agreement, with talks in their final day. There is a widespread expectation that the deal will be signed on Friday, though the timings are uncertain. Delegates worked through Thursday night on a draft version to iron out the key barriers to an ...

Mauricio Macri has been sworn in as president of Argentina, in a ceremony boycotted by his predecessor, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. Mr Macri took the oath of office in Congress and is giving his inaugural speech, where he said he would work for all Argentines. But he will receive the sash and baton of office at the presidential palace. Ms ...

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has appeared to suggest his country possesses a hydrogen bomb, in comments published on state media. The country was “ready to detonate a self-reliant A-bomb and H-bomb”, KCNA quoted him as saying. If true, the development would mark a significant advancement in North Korean nuclear capabilities. But the claim has not been independently verified and ...