World News

NEW YORK — The task facing playwright Tito Livas was intense: Write a new play in a few days that could be read alone or aloud with friends. Don't worry if it's too crazy. Oh, and make it 10 minutes or less.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.

CONAKRY, Guinea — Guinean singer Mory Kante, an influential figure in African and world music, has died, his family said Friday. He was 70. Kante brought Guinean, and Mandingo, culture to the world. He was called an ambassador of Afro-Pop music.

BEIJING — China’s No. 2 leader on Friday promised higher spending to revive its pandemic-stricken economy and curb surging job losses but avoided launching a massive stimulus on the scale of the United States or Japan.

LOS ANGELES — ABC is bringing back the lion’s share of its series for next season, including “black-ish,” “A Million Little Things” and “The Rookie.

ACCOKEEK, Md. — A high school football player designated as a star recruit for colleges by ESPN is accused of trying to kill his ex-girlfriend's boyfriend.

NASHVILLE — The Recording Academy has released a new recording of John Prine's “Angel From Montgomery" with proceeds going to support the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.

SOAVE, Italy — Riccardo Muti will conduct a youth orchestra in an open-air concert launching the annual Ravenna Festival next month in what organizers billed Friday as Italy’s first live classical music performance since its strict lockdown to stop t

BEIJING — China will increase its defence spending by 6.6% in 2020, the lowest rate in years as it battles an economic crisis brought on by the coronavirus outbreak, the government said Friday.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday that Russian violations make it untenable for the U.S. to stay in a treaty that permits 30-plus nations to conduct observation flights over each other's territory, but he hinted it's possible the U.S.