Rugby legend McCaw hails 'spectacular' NZ stadium built after deadly quake
All Blacks legend Richie McCaw said on Friday the city of Christchurch finally had "one of the last pieces of the puzzle" in its post-quake reconstruction as new stadium Te Kaha hosted its first rugby match.
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Mideast war drives up condom, rubber glove prices: manufacturers
Prices of rubber products have shot up due to supply chain disruptions stemming from the Middle East war, the world's largest condom maker and a leading glove manufacturer, both based in Malaysia, said on Friday.
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Gulf states in limbo as US-Iran crisis drags on
After weathering unprecedented attacks from Iran, the wealthy Gulf states are now stuck between war and peace as talks stall and the vital Strait of Hormuz remains all but closed -- threatening economic recovery.
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Liverpool's Slot warns 'margins are small' in Champions League push
Arne Slot warned Friday that "margins are small" in the Premier League as Liverpool aim to strengthen their push for a place in next season's Champions League.
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Musk says Tesla has started 'robotaxi' production
Tesla's much-touted autonomous "robotaxi", called the Cybercab, has started production, CEO Elon Musk said on Friday, a day after the carmaker reported first-quarter profits that beat expectations.
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Suspected Nazi-looted Stradivarius reappears in France, says expert
Has a 300-year-old Stradivarius violin worth $10 million and stolen by the Nazis during World War II turned up in France?
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Glacier block delays route-setting on Everest
A large ice chunk is blocking the climbing route to Everest's summit, officials said Friday, risking delays in the summit season at the world's highest peak.
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China's DeepSeek releases long-awaited new AI model
Chinese startup DeepSeek released a new artificial intelligence model with "drastically reduced" costs Friday, more than a year after it stunned the world with a low-cost reasoning model that matched the capabilities of US rivals.
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Appeal board says homophobia 'commonplace' in Aussie Rules
Australian Rules Football said Friday that homophobia had no place in the game after an appeals board reduced a penalty for a player who used an anti-gay slur on the grounds such comments were "commonplace" in the sport.
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Hot pants: Tokyo government workers swap suits for shorts
Tokyo's metropolitan government is encouraging staff to wear shorts to work to cut reliance on air conditioning, an official said Friday, as concerns grow over high energy costs linked to the Middle East War.
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