Questlove Wins Best Documentary For ‘Summer Of Soul’ At Oscars 2022

Associated Press
IS group claims bombing in Afghanistan that killed officers involved in an anti-poppy crop campaign
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a bombing in Afghanistan’s northeast that killed police officers who were part of an anti-poppy crop campaign. A motorcycle was booby-trapped and exploded, targeting a Taliban patrol in Faizabad town in Badakhshan province, killing and wounding 12 members of the patrol as well as destroying a four-wheel drive vehicle, the group said in a statement late Wednesday. Abdul Mateen Qani, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said the officers were on their way to destroy poppy crops in the area.
AFP
Nissan annual net profit nearly doubles on-year
Nissan said Thursday it nearly doubled its full-year net profit in 2023-24 but forecast a dip of around 10 percent for the current financial year.Thursday's results struck a different tone to an announcement last month when Nissan trimmed its sales and profit outlook for 2023-24, predicting a more modest net profit of 390 billion.
AFP
Putin says nuclear forces 'always' on alert in Victory Day speech
President Vladimir Putin warned on Thursday that his nuclear forces were "always" on alert and that Russia would not tolerate any threats from the West.Our strategic forces are always on alert," Putin said, addressing the Victory Day parade.
AFP
Chinese cities lift curbs on buying homes as property crisis bites
Two of China's wealthiest cities said Thursday they would lift all restrictions on buying homes, joining a growing list of urban areas rolling back curbs as they look to prop up the faltering property market.Several of the biggest cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, have partly lifted curbs but have resisted dumping them entirely.
Associated Press
Activist in Tunisia arrested as conditions for migrants and their advocates worsen
An anti-discrimination activist in Tunisia was arrested in a money laundering investigation this week as the dangerous and dire conditions facing migrants and their advocates worsen. Saadia Mosbah, who is Black, was taken into custody and her home was searched as part of an investigation into the funding for the Mnemty association she runs. In a national security council meeting focused on irregular migration, Tunisian President Kais Saied said Tuesday that associations that receive substantial foreign funds were “traitors and agents" and shouldn't supplant the state's role in managing migration and fighting human trafficking.
Reuters
North Macedonia nationalists seek coalition partner after election win
North Macedonia's nationalist opposition began the search for a coalition partner on Thursday after voters frustrated by a lack of progress towards membership of the European Union ended seven years of rule by the Social Democrats. The VMRO-DPMNE party won more than 42% of votes with nearly all ballots counted from Wednesday's parliamentary election, giving them 58 seats in the 120-seat parliament, versus 15% for the Social Democrats (SDSM). In a run-off for the more ceremonial role of president, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, a university professor who was backed by the VMRO-DPMNE, beat the SDSM-backed incumbent Stevo Pendarovski in a landslide to become the first country's female head of state.
Associated Press
British government tries to head off the type of unrest seen on American campuses
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is calling for an end to “antisemitic abuse” at U.K. universities as protests against the war in Gaza expand and the government tries to head off the type of unrest seen on American campuses in recent weeks. The comments came as Sunak and his education secretary prepared to meet with university leaders on Thursday at the prime minister's offices in Downing Street. “A vocal minority on our campuses are disrupting the lives and studies of their fellow students and, in some cases, propagating outright harassment and antisemitic abuse,” Sunak said in a statement.
USA TODAY
Zombie colleges? These universities are living another life online, and no one can say why
USA TODAY found at least nine colleges that closed down only to be resurrected online. Their operators are a mystery but they're taking applications.
AFP
Japan's Mount Fuji barrier delayed
Tourists have a few more days to snap Mount Fuji at a popular vantage point after Japanese authorities said Thursday that the construction of a barrier has been delayed.Lawson issued a statement on Sunday to "deeply apologise to the local residents, store customers, and the many other people who have been inconvenienced and troubled" by the popularity of the vantage point.
Associated Press
The Latest | Rafah's hospitals will run out of fuel in 3 days, WHO says
The World Health Organization says it has only three days of fuel for its medical operations in southern Gaza, with shortages already forcing one of three remaining hospitals in the city of Rafah to shut down. The Rafah border crossing with Egypt has been closed since Israel's military took control of the Palestinian side early Tuesday, blocking the entry of desperately needed humanitarian aid. The U.N. says northern Gaza is already in a state of “full-blown famine.”
Associated Press
Stock market today: Asian shares mixed after Wall Street's lull stretches to a 2nd day
Automaker Mitsubishi Motors Corp.'s shares dropped 4.9% after the company forecasted a 7% lower net profit in the fiscal year that will end in March 2025. Toyota Motor slipped 0.4% after it reported Wednesday that it doubled its net profit in the fiscal year that ended in March. The U.S. dollar rose to 155.72 Japanese yen from 155.52 yen, as reports in Tokyo speculated on the likelihood of further intervention by the Finance Ministry to curb the yen's slide.
Reuters
Vessel carrying aid to U.S.-built pier off Gaza leaves Cyprus
A vessel carrying aid to a pier built by the U.S. off Gaza set sail from Cyprus on Thursday, marine tracking websites showed. The U.S. flagged Sagamore left the port of Larnaca on Thursday morning. U.S. officials have said the vessel will be used to offload supplies onto a floating pier built to expedite aid into the besieged enclave.
AFP
Markets' rally stutters as traders eye rate cut outlook
Equity traders struggled to get a recent rally back on course Thursday following a tepid lead from Wall Street, but record performance in Europe highlighted optimism that central banks were on course to cut interest rates.After London's record, and gains in Paris and Frankfurt were followed by a mixed performance in New York, Asia struggled.
AFP
Spanish bank BBVA goes hostile in Sabadell takeover bid
Spain's second-largest bank BBVA announced Thursday a hostile takeover bid for Banco Sabadell, three days after its smaller rival rejected an offer that would create a European banking giant.BBVA president Carlos Torres Vila is scheduled to take part in a press conference on Thursday at noon (1000 GMT) to discuss its hostile takeover bid for Sabadell.
CNN
As officials assess damage from deadly storms in Tennessee, the Southeast is bracing for a severe weather threat Thursday
As officials in the central and southern US assess the damage from reported tornadoes and powerful storms that killed at least two people Wednesday, residents from East Texas to South Carolina are bracing themselves for a severe weather threat Thursday that could bring large hail, damaging winds and flooding.
Associated Press
Yoon rejects South Korean opposition's calls for special investigation of his wife and top officials
South Korea’s president on Thursday dismissed calls for independent investigations into allegations involving his wife and top officials, drawing quick, strong rebukes from his political rivals. After his conservative ruling party suffered a heavy loss in the recent April 10 parliamentary elections, President Yoon Suk Yeol faces what appears to be his biggest political challenge yet as opposition parties would extend their control of the National Assembly to 2028. The opposition has recently stepped up its demand for an independent investigation into first lady Kim Keon Hee over various scandals, such as her alleged involvement in a stock price manipulation scheme and the release of spy camera footage showing her receiving a luxury bag from a Korean American pastor.
Reuters
Vietnam delays meeting with EU sanctions chief ahead of possible Putin visit, sources say
Vietnam's foreign affairs ministry told the European Union it was not available for a meeting next week with the bloc's top official on Russian sanctions, diplomats said, as Hanoi prepares for a possible visit from Russia's President Vladimir Putin. Vietnam has been striving to pursue a neutral foreign policy in its relations with major world powers. It has abstained from condemning Russia's attack on Ukraine, a position that Western countries see as too close to the Kremlin.
NBC News
1 dead, multiple injured as powerful storms, possible tornadoes barrel across the country
One person was killed and others were injured after a suspected tornado struck the Columbia, Tennessee, area south of Nashville on Wednesday, authorities said.
Reuters
Myanmar junta reiterates election plan after ex-Cambodia PM seeks Suu Kyi access
The military government has promised repeatedly to return Myanmar to democracy but has given no timeframe for when an election will happen. Hun Sen, who stepped down as Cambodia's prime minister last year after nearly four decades in charge, on Tuesday said he had asked junta leader Min Aung Hlaing if he could speak to detained Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, whose elected government the military deposed in a 2021 coup.
Associated Press
Fiji's ex-leader, Frank Bainimarama, sentenced to prison for interfering in police investigation
Former Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama was sentenced Thursday to a year in prison for interfering in a criminal investigation while he headed the government of his South Pacific island nation. Acting High Court of Fiji Chief Justice Salesi Temo sentenced the 70-year-old in the capital Suva on a conviction for attempting to pervert the course of justice. Suspended Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho received a 2-year prison sentence on a conviction for abuse of office, The Fiji Times newspaper reported.

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