Millions of British voters were heading to the polls in mid-term' local, mayoral and parliamentary elections in England, Scotland and Wales.

The political terrain remains forbidding, but the president's crumbling approval ratings and the Iran war's weight on the economy offer the party an opening.

President Trump and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who have had a rocky relationship, will meet on Thursday for talks on security, trade and critical minerals.

An oil-pumping station deep inside Russia could be on fire again just days after being hit by Ukrainian drones.

Russia told foreign governments and organizations to evacuate diplomatic staff and citizens from Kyiv, saying a retaliatory strike would be inevitable if Ukraine tried to attack Moscow during World War II Victory Day celebrations on May 9.

Japan stocks rose more than 4% on Thursday, with the benchmark Nikkei 225 hitting 62,000 for the first time as Asia-Pacific markets rallied despite renewed tensions in the Middle East. The broader regional advance came after President Donald Trump warned Iran would be bombed "at a much higher level" if it failed to agree to a peace deal.

The airstrike on the Haret Hreik neighborhood targeted the leader of the Radwan forces, Hezbollah’s elite and battle-hardened fighting unit, Israeli authorities said.

Former Chinese defence ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu were both sentenced to death with ​a two-year reprieve over graft charges, state news agency Xinhua ‌reported on Thursday, underscoring the severity of the purge in the military.