Top stories LIVE | Thailand's ruling party picks Prawit as PM candidate

The head of security at Azerbaijan's embassy in Tehran was killed Friday in an attack. Two guards were also injured. The man behind the attack said it was for personal reasons, the city's police chief said.

"A man armed with a Kalashnikov killed the head of the diplomatic mission's guard," an Azeri foreign ministry statement said, adding that the injured guards were in a "satisfactory" condition and an investigation had been launched.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan has evacuated the Tehran embassy, saying that Iran was responsible for the attack.

H&M has reported a big drop in profits in 2022 following an exit from Russia. The Swedish fashion retailer also witnessed a surprise loss in the fourth quarter along with soaring production costs.

H&M was among a slew of foreign companies that left Russia last year after Moscow invaded Ukraine and Western nations imposed sweeping sanctions on the country.

"Our decision to wind down the business in Russia, which was an important and profitable market, has had a significant negative impact on our results," chief executive Helena Helmersson said in a results statement.

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani Thursday evening for a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris. 

The two leaders signed a "Strategic Partnership Agreement that puts in place a roadmap that expands the horizon of co-operation between our countries in a variety of fields," al-Sudani wrote on Twitter.

"We will continue working with friends for serious partnerships that allow Iraq to make economic reform and sustainable development," wrote the Prime Minister.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Salvadoran authorities "mass due process violations" in the detention of tens of thousands of people. It further said that hundreds of children were put in over-crowded prisons, citing leaked government data.

The rights watchdog said following the introduction of a state of emergency suspending key rights to address gang violence in March last year, tens of thousands had been put into overcrowded prisons for "broadly defined crimes".

"This leaked database points to serious human rights violations committed during the state of emergency," said Tamara Taraciuk Broner, acting Americas director at HRW.

A day after the Pakistani rupee drowned to its lowest-ever level against the US dollar (PKR 255.43 = $1), Islamabad has been forced to push for unlocking the stalled $6.5 billion loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). 

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Police killings have triggered fresh protests in the Caribbean nation. The latest protests took place at Prime Minister Ariel Henry's official residence.

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Catholics in DR Congo hope that Pope Francis will urge clean and fair polls when he visits next week. Notably, the Church has long played a dominant role in the country.

Campaigning is already gearing up for a presidential vote in December, a period that is often fraught with violent protests and accusations of fraud after decades of strongman rule.

The 53-year-old award-winning TV journalist and helicopter pilot has some piloting skills herself, since she is a licensed pilot and the founder of Black Ops Aviation.

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In the Philippines, onions are becoming a luxury and are giving a close-shave competition to meat when it comes to prices.

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In a bid to revive its tourism industry, Egypt in recent years has made many major archaeological discoveries. Archaeologists on Thursday have made what they are terming a "dream discovery." This is a mummy which was lain within a chamber undisturbed for thousands of years. 

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Thailand's ruling pro-military Palang Pracharat party has chosen political veteran and former army chief Prawit Wongsuwon as its prime minister candidate, a senior official said on Friday, as parties gear up for an election that must be held by May.