Transgender religious order gets rare approval at India Hindu festival
Stuck in eternal drought, UAE turns to AI to make it rain
Trump's chip tariff threats raise stakes for Taiwan
Galatasaray accuse Mourinho of 'racist statements' after derby
Fears of US public health crises grow amid falling vaccination rates
Latin American classics get the streaming treatment
Fires, strikes, pandemic and AI: Hollywood workers can't catch a break
Their dreams dashed by Trump, migrants make return journey home
Judge declines to immediately grant AP access to White House events
Confusion reigns as US federal workers face Musk job deadline
Kendrick Lamar promises 'storytelling' at Super Bowl show
New York (AFP) – Rapper Kendrick Lamar, one of the big success stories of the Grammys last week, said Thursday his fans should expect “storytelling” at the Super Bowl halftime show this weekend.
Ecuador presidential candidates sprint to campaign finish
Quito (AFP) – Ecuador’s dueling presidential hopefuls made a last-ditch pitch to late-deciding voters Thursday, wrapping a bitter campaign dominated by surging cartel violence and economic crisis.
England to play Afghanistan in Champions Trophy despite boycott calls
London (AFP) – England will play Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy later this month despite calls from British politicians to boycott the match over the Taliban regime’s curtailment of women’s rights.
OpenAI says to host some customers' data in Europe
Paris (AFP) – ChatGPT developer OpenAI said Thursday that it would allow some European customers to store and process data from conversations with its chatbots within the European Union, rather than on its infrastructure in the United States or elsewhere.
Spain's Fernandez won't return as Canada basketball coach
Montreal (AFP) – Spaniard Jordi Fernandez, head coach of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets, will not return as coach of Canada’s men’s national team, Canada Basketball announced on Thursday.
'Intolerable' US claim sparks new row over Panama Canal
Panama City (AFP) – Panama on Thursday rejected the United States’ claim of securing free passage for its government vessels through the Panama Canal, while bowing to US pressure to quit a key Chinese project.
Cavs add Hunter, Nurkic to Hornets at NBA trade deadline
New York (AFP) – Cleveland added forward De’Andre Hunter and Phoenix traded Bosnian big man Jusuf Nurkic to Charlotte, according to multiple reports, as Thursday’s NBA trade deadline passed.
Tsitsipas battles past valiant Griekspoor in Rotterdam
Rotterdam (Netherlands) (AFP) – Stefanos Tsitsipas saved a match point and battled from a set down to advance into the quarter-finals of the Rotterdam Open Thursday with a gruelling win over local hope Tallon Griekspoor.
L'Oreal bullish after net profits rise
Paris (AFP) – French cosmetics giant L’Oreal said Thursday its profits rose last year despite the declining Chinese market and it made bullish statements about its hopes for 2025.
Vonn bombs out of world championships super
Saalbach (Austria) (AFP) – Returning US star Lindsey Vonn fell short in her bid for a ninth world medal at her ninth world championships after bombing out of Thursday’s super-G in Saalbach won by Austria’s Stephanie Venier.
