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Taylor Swift becomes youngest woman in Songwriters Hall of Fame at age 36

Taylor Swift became the youngest woman ever inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame Thursday night at age 36.

"It was instinctual. No one taught me how to do it," she said of songwriting through a raspy voice she attributed to screaming along to the night's performances and Wednesday night's historic NBA game between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs.

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Ukraine hits fuel supplies to Crimea, sparking fuel crisis on Russian-held peninsula

Ukrainian drone strikes on refineries, depots and pipelines. Tanker trucks attacked and left ablaze along the land corridor from Russia to Crimea. Motorists waiting in long lines at gas stations.

In a new blow to the Kremlin's narrative that Moscow is winning the 4-year-old war in Ukraine, Kyiv's forces have targeted supplies to Crimea, triggering the worst fuel crisis on the Black Sea peninsula since it was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.

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Trump-Macron tensions could be on full display at next week's G7 summit in France

The relationship between U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron started simply enough, with a handshake, nearly a decade ago.

But even then, there were signs of strain in their relationship — tensions that could be on full display during next week's G7 summit in France.

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Courthouse glimpse of prominent Gaza doctor renews calls for release

Israel's Supreme Court is weighing whether to extend the detention of a prominent Palestinian doctor who was seized by Israeli forces 17 months ago in Gaza and appeared via video conference before the judges to challenge his imprisonment.

By Thursday afternoon, the court had not yet released a decision, said Naji Abbas, director of prisoners and detainees at Physicians for Human Rights — Israel, a nonprofit group.

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Trump vows 'very hard' strikes on Iran, seizure of oil facilities

President Donald Trump on Thursday said the U.S. would hit Iran "VERY HARD TONIGHT," threatening in a social media post to "assume total control" of Iran's oil and gas industries, including the key Kharg Island, in the "not too distant future."

The post come after the U.S and Iran traded strikes for a second day, pushing the Middle East closer to the resumption of a full-scale war. The American attack, which lasted into Thursday morning in Iran, appeared more intense and wider than the day before.

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Europe's central bank raises rates to fight inflation from Iran war

The European Central Bank on Thursday became the first major central bank to raise interest rates in response to the Iran war as policymakers around the world including new U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh wrestle with how to confront the inflation fed by sharply higher oil prices.

The ECB's rate-setting council raised its benchmark rate to 2.25% from 2%, where it had been for a year. The move comes ahead of rate-setting meetings next week at the Fed, the Bank of Japan, and the Bank of England.

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Morocco loses star winger Ezzalzouli and Aguerd to injuries for World Cup

Morocco replaced two injured players in its World Cup squad ahead of an opening game against Brazil, including star winger Abde Ezzalzouli.

FIFA confirmed late Wednesday that former Barcelona player Ezzalzouli and Marseille defender Nayef Aguerd were withdrawn from the Morocco squad for the tournament.

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Saudi Arabia lifts 5-year ban on Lebanese imports, marking thaw in Gulf-Lebanon ties

Saudi Arabia announced Wednesday the end of a ban it imposed on Lebanese imports five years ago, marking a major step in attempts to rebuild relations between Lebanon and Gulf countries.

The kingdom slapped a ban on Lebanese fruits and vegetables in 2021, saying they were being used to smuggle drugs. In one notable case, Saudi Arabia announced it had seized over 5 million pills of the amphetamine drug Captagon hidden in a shipment of pomegranates coming from Lebanon.

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At US World Cup stadiums, drones are not allowed because of the threat they pose

Fans who hear the whirring sound of a drone over a stadium might see it as a nuisance but law enforcement has long viewed those aircraft as a potential weapon of mass destruction.

With the World Cup about to kick off, security is heightened and there's a zero-tolerance policy for drones over or near stadiums during the 78 matches in 11 U.S. cities.

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Infantino defends World Cup ticket prices, tells fans to 'chill' about ref denied US entry

FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended World Cup ticket prices on Wednesday, saying "if we do something wrong, then probably everyone selling tickets in North America is doing something wrong."

Infantino spoke with reporters during a rare question-and-answer session on the eve of the opening match of an expanded 48-nation, 104-game World Cup tournament. He defended record ticket prices, said FIFA was powerless to get the U.S. government to admit a Somali referee, and praised his ability to get Iran's national soccer team into the United States.

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