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NEW YORK (AP) — Among sermon writers, there is fascination – and unease – over the fast-expanding abilities of artificial-intelligence chatbots. For now, the evolving consensus among clergy is this: Yes, they can write a passably competent sermon. But no, they can’t replicate the passion of actual preaching. “It lacks a soul – I don’t know how else to say it,” said Hershael York, a pastor in Kentucky who also […]

GENEVA (AP) — Mining, oil and metals giant Glencore posted record profits last year on soaring demand for energy products, saying Wednesday that it will pay out more than $7 billion to shareholders. The Baar, Switzerland-based company said business rebounded from lows during the coronavirus pandemic and rode a spike in demand for oil and natural gas after Russia invaded Ukraine. Net income soared nearly 250% to $17.32 billion last […]

LONDON (AP) — Britain and the United States committed crimes against humanity when they forced the people of the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean to leave their homes five decades ago to make way for a U.S. Navy base, a rights group charged Wednesday, calling on the two governments to let the Chagossians return. Human Rights Watch also said Britain and the U.S. should pay compensation to the Chagossians […]

Gas-powered light-duty pickups are a go-to choice for people needing to tow a trailer. But electric light-duty pickups are muscling their way into the market, too. Demand is high for the Ford F-150 Lightning and the Rivian R1T, and the Chevrolet Silverado EV is set to debut this spring. Some versions of these trucks are rated to tow around 10,000 pounds, which is enough to pull a medium-sized travel trailer […]

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The numbers of women and children migrating from the Horn of Africa to Gulf countries through Yemen has significantly increased and is a cause of concern, according to the head of the International Organization for Migration. The treacherous journey from Ethiopia, Somalia and Djibouti through Yemen, called the Eastern Migration Route, has seen a 64% increase in the past year of people seeking better livelihoods, with […]

PARIS (AP) — China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, met with French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday at the start of his trip to Europe, amid renewed tensions between China and the United States. Macron met with Wang, the Chinese foreign minister, behind closed doors at the Elysee Palace on Wednesday. French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna is expected to meet Wang in Paris later in the day. The French capital is […]

MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian journalist was convicted of disparaging the military Wednesday and received a six-year prison sentence, the latest punishment in a relentless crackdown on critics of Moscow’s actions in Ukraine. The court in the city of Barnaul in southern Siberia found Maria Ponomarenko guilty of “spreading false information about the Russian armed forces’ actions” with her posts on a messaging app. Ponomarenko, who worked for the RusNews […]

LONDON (AP) — Former U.K. opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn, who led the left-of-center Labour Party while it was stained by allegations of antisemitism, will not be allowed to run for Labour in the next national election, his successor as party leader said Wednesday. Keir Starmer said the party had changed “and we are not going back, and that is why Jeremy Corbyn will not stand as a Labour candidate at […]

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union is considering a new set of sanctions totaling 11 billion euros against Russia and some third countries providing vital goods that Moscow uses to boost its troops on the battlegrounds in Ukraine. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday that the package under consideration by the EU’s 27 member countries specifically seeks to deprive Russia of military equipment it needs and cannot […]