‘Conclave’ triumphs at SAG Awards and Timothée Chalamet wins best actor, upending Oscar predictions

The papal thriller “Conclave” won best ensemble and Timothée Chalamet took best actor at the 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday, a pair of twists that added a few final wrinkles to an unusually unpredictable awards season. In winning the guild’s top award, Edward Berger’s Vatican-set drama triumphed just as the Catholic Church was…

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California governor asks Congress for nearly $40 billion for Los Angeles wildfire relief

Sacramento, California — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has asked Congress to approve nearly $40 billion in aid to help the Los Angeles area recover from January’s devastating wildfires, which he said could become the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. Newsom sent a letter Friday asking for support from lawmakers including House Speaker Mike Johnson and…

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Australia fines Telegram for delay in answering child abuse, terror questions

Sydney — Australia’s online safety regulator fined messaging platform Telegram about $640,000 on Monday for its delay in answering questions about measures the app took to prevent the spread of child abuse and violent extremist material. The eSafety Commission in March 2024 sought responses from social media platforms YouTube, X and Facebook to Telegram and Reddit,…

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Hegseth defends Trump’s firings of Pentagon leaders, says more may be to come

Washington — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth insists President Donald Trump ‘s abrupt firing of the nation’s senior military officer amid a wave of dismissals at the Pentagon wasn’t unusual and he suggested more firings could come. “Nothing about this is unprecedented,” Hegseth told “Fox News Sunday” about Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr. being removed Friday…

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Rich in cash, Japan automaker Toyota builds city to test futuristic mobility

SUSONO — Woven City near Mount Fuji is where Japanese automaker Toyota plans to test everyday living with robotics, artificial intelligence and autonomous zero-emissions transportation. Daisuke Toyoda, an executive in charge of the project from the automaker’s founding family, stressed it’s not “a smart city.” “We’re making a test course for mobility so that’s a little…

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Philippine village battles dengue by offering bounties for mosquitos — dead or alive

MANILA, PHILIPPINES — A village in the densely populated Philippine capital region launched a battle against dengue Wednesday by offering a token bounty to residents for captured mosquitos — dead or alive. The unusual strategy adopted by the Addition Hills village in Mandaluyong City reflects growing concern after the nearby city of Quezon declared an outbreak…

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Trump revels in mass federal firings, jeers at Biden before CPAC crowd

OXON HILL, MARYLAND — President Donald Trump said Saturday that “nobody has ever seen anything” like his administration’s sweeping effort to fire thousands of federal employees and shrink the size of government.  Addressing an adoring crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference in suburban Washington, Trump said, “We’re going to forge a new and lasting political…

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US, Uzbekistan reaffirm commitment to Central Asia security

WASHINGTON — As the Trump administration begins to engage with Central Asia, Uzbekistan has expressed eagerness to expand its strategic partnership, highlighting what it calls its “enhanced” political dialogue on bilateral and regional issues and security cooperation, including its “solid connection” with the Mississippi National Guard.    The U.S. recently got back its seven Black Hawk…

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Amid rising worldwide populism, America’s premier conservative conference goes global

WASHINGTON — This week, thousands of conservative politicians, activists and influencers convened outside Washington for the Conservative Political Action Conference, the premier annual gathering of the American right. The four-day event, hosted by the American Conservative Union since 1974, features U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, among other high-profile speakers from around the…

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