Briefly

SYRIA

List of presidential hopefuls finalized

Syria's lawmakers on Wednesday completed voting for their preferred presidential candidate as nominations closed ahead of next month's polls, which are expected to return Bashar al-Assad for a fourth term. Fifty-one Syrians, including seven women, submitted their names before a constitutional deadline expired, the official SANA news agency said. The May 26 election will be the second since the start of a decadelong conflict that has killed over 388,000 people. Western members of the UN Security Council, led by the United States, France and the United Kingdom, on Wednesday rejected the outcome of the election in advance, a position denounced by Russia as "unacceptable".

UNITED KINGDOM

William, Kate celebrate 10 years of marriage

Prince William and his wife Kate marked their 10th wedding anniversary on Thursday by releasing photographs showing the couple snuggling in happy embrace, a contrast to the tensions that have gripped Britain's royal family in recent weeks. Second-in-line to the throne William, 38, and Kate, 39, married on April 29, 2011. They now have three children and their family represents several generations destined to head the centuries-old institution for years to come. After 10 years carrying out solo and joint royal duties as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as they have been formally known since tying the knot, the couple are among the most popular monarchy members.

UNITED STATES

Giuliani's apartment raided by federal agents

Federal agents raided Rudy Giuliani's Manhattan home and office on Wednesday, seizing computers and cellphones in a major escalation of the Justice Department's investigation into the business dealings of former president Donald Trump's personal lawyer. Giuliani, the 76-year-old former New York City mayor, has been under federal scrutiny for several years over his ties to Ukraine. The dual searches sent the strongest signal yet he could eventually face federal charges. Trump, his aides and many prominent backers were silent on the action on Wednesday, with no widespread denunciations or "witch hunt" claims.

Agencies - Xinhua