Saudis turned down Messi stint ahead of 2026 World Cup, says official
Saudi Arabia declined an offer to sign Lionel Messi for a short-term stint in the Saudi Pro League before next year's World Cup, according to a senior sports official.
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Novo Nordisk launches bidding war with Pfizer for obesity drugmaker Metsera
Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk, maker of weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, announced Thursday an unsolicited bid to acquire obesity treatment maker Metsera, topping an offer from US rival Pfizer which called the move "reckless".
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Universal says struck first licensing deal for AI music
Recording industry giant Universal Music Group said Thursday it had struck a licensing deal with AI music generation startup Udio, in an industry-first tie-up aiming to launch an AI creation platform next year.
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France arrests five new suspects over Louvre heist: prosecutor
French police have arrested five more people, including a prime suspect, over this month's daring Louvre museum robbery, the Paris prosecutor said on Thursday.
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Stocks fall as investors eye Trump-Xi talks, earnings
Stock markets fell Thursday as traders digested a high-stakes meeting between the US and Chinese presidents, mixed company earnings and uncertainty over further US interest rate cuts.
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Record Vietnam floods kill 10, turn streets into canals
Major flooding that killed 10 people in central Vietnam this week also turned streets in Hoi An into canals on Thursday after a major river reached a 60-year high, authorities said.
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Trump orders US to start nuclear weapons testing
US President Donald Trump said Thursday he had ordered the Pentagon to start nuclear weapons testing "on an equal basis" to China and Russia -- an announcement made just minutes before he held a high-stakes summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Read moreEsports Olympics no longer to be held in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia will no longer stage the inaugural Esports Olympics scheduled to be held in 2027, the International Olympic Committee announced on Thursday.
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'Significant' Xi, Trump talks win cautious optimism in China
A rare meeting between leaders Donald Trump and Xi Jinping has succeeded in temporarily stabilising US-China relations, analysts said on Thursday, with the talks drawing cautious optimism on the streets of Beijing.
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French justice minister visits jailed former president Sarkozy
France's former president Nicolas Sarkozy has received a prison visit from the justice minister, a source close to the case said on Thursday, despite a prosecutor warning that it could undermine judicial independence.
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