The most interesting part of " The Mother," a decent if forgettable action pic starring Jennifer Lopez, is the one that is left largely unexplored. The movie is a high-concept thriller that boils down to just a few words: She's a mother and an assassin. OK, you're probably thinking, fine.

Misha Green's script was a hot commodity in 2017, around the time "Wonder Woman" opened, which had left some studios scrambling for action movies fronted by women. There were condescending headlines propping it up as a "female empowerment" script. And, eventually, with Niki Caro signed on to direct and a movie star like Lopez on board to star and produce, it was enough for greenlight and a Netflix budget. The final film also credits Peter Craig and Andrea Berloff for the script.

The Spanish government announced 2.2 billion euros ($2.4 billion) worth of drought response measures, including funding for urban water reuse and further aid for struggling farmers.

Currently, 27% of Spanish territory is in a drought "emergency" or "alert." Spain recorded its hottest and driest April ever last month.

Attorneys for young people suing Montana over damages caused by climate change said officials repealed the state's energy policy in a last-minute bid to avoid a trial sought by the plaintiffs to highlight the dangers of fossil fuels.

The two sides are due in court Friday for arguments before state District Judge Kathy Seeley. A two-week trial is scheduled to begin June 12.

From a royal grump to bumping off your husband.... Your weekly roundup of offbeat stories from around the world.

- 'This is boring' -

Alexandre Lacazette's goals have papered over Lyon's defensive frailties and are helping the club's late push for a European place next season.

That was glaringly evident last Sunday when the striker's remarkable four-goal performance helped Lyon beat Montpellier 5-4 after trailing 4-1. The whole bench mobbed him after his stoppage-time penalty as he roared to the home crowd.

Erling Haaland was voted "Footballer of the Year" in England for his prolific debut season with Manchester City, and Chelsea striker Sam Kerr became the first back-to-back winner of the women's award on Friday.

The Football Writers' Association said Haaland took 82% of the vote, ahead of Arsenal teammates Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard.

UEFA insisted Friday that the Champions League final will be played in Istanbul, hitting back at a newspaper report that claims the European soccer body has explored Lisbon as a standby option if there is turmoil in Turkey after this weekend's elections.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is in a close race to extend his 20-year grip on power. He is seeking a third term in Sunday's election.

The U.K. economy grew sluggishly during the first three months of the year as double-digit inflation curbed consumer spending and labor unrest curtailed output in industries ranging from transportation to healthcare and education.

Gross domestic product, the broadest measure of economic activity, increased 0.1% in the first quarter compared with the previous three months, the Office for National Statistics said Friday. The figure matched the growth rate during the fourth quarter of last year and was in line with economic forecasts.

A labor union representing more than 200,000 railway workers said Friday that it was going ahead with a planned strike next week after its demands for better pay were rejected by employers.

The EVG union said its members will walk out for 50 hours from late Sunday until late Tuesday. Rail company Deutsche Bahn has canceled all long-distance travel during that period and warned that most regional trains also won't run.

Pope Francis joined Italy's conservative premier on Friday in encouraging Italians to have more children, denouncing the financial precariousness facing young couples and "selfish, egotistical" choices that have led to a record low birth rate that is threatening the country's economic future.

Francis urged concrete political action to invert the "demographic winter," which in population terms resulted in the disappearance of a city the size of Bari last year. Blasting couples who have pets instead of children, Francis called for resources to be dedicated to helping couples grow their families, saying it was necessary to "plant the future" with hope.