WASHINGTON -- Five people were killed and four others injured as a result of a high-rise building fire in Minneapolis in the U.S. state of Minnesota, on Wednesday morning, authorities said.

The blaze broke out early Wednesday on the 14th floor of the 24-story building in a neighborhood near the city's downtown, a fire department official told reporters during a briefing. (U.S.-Minnesota-Fire)

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WASHINGTON -- U.S. economic growth in the third quarter expanded at an annual rate of 2.1 percent, up from its previous estimate of 1.9 percent, the U.S. Commerce Department reported Wednesday.

According to the second estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, upward revisions to private inventory investment, nonresidential fixed investment, and personal consumption expenditures were partially offset by a downward revision to state and local government spending. (U.S.-Economy-Growth)

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BISSAU -- A presidential election run-off is expected to take place on Dec. 29 in Guinea-Bissau, according to the provisional results published Wednesday by the National Election Commission of Guinea-Bissau (NEC).

Former prime ministers Domingos Simoes Pereira and Umaro Sissoco Embalo, who received 40.13 percent and 27.65 percent of the votes respectively, will compete for the presidency, according to the NEC. (Guinea-Bissau-NEC)

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STRASBOURG -- A new European Commission with Germany's Ursula von der Leyen as its first female president was approved by the European Parliament here on Wednesday.

The vote -- 461 in favor, 157 against and 89 abstentions -- was unsurprising, since she had already cleared the hurdles with European Union (EU) lawmakers in recent days. (Germany-EU-Commission)

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ATHENS -- A strong earthquake measuring 6 on the Richter scale jolted Greece's Crete island on Wednesday, according to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Center.

According to preliminary information, the tremor struck at a depth of 55 km and was felt as far away as Athens some 270 km north. (Greece-Quake) Enditem

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