China has ordered banks and other financial institutions to encourage more consumer financing and use of credit cards as part of a campaign to get people to spend more.
The order Friday from the country's financial regulator is part of the ruling Communist Party's latest push to build more confidence among consumers who are opting to save rather than spend, worried over jobs and the outlook for the economy.
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Pep Guardiola offered a warning then a "big hug" to Fabio Capello in response to the Italian's comments that the Manchester City manager is arrogant and "ruined" the game in Italy because of his era-defining style of play.
In an interview with Spanish newspaper El Mundo last week, Capello — the former AC Milan, Real Madrid and England coach — said Guardiola's "arrogance has cost him several Champions League titles" with Bayern Munich and City because "he always wanted to be the protagonist" with his tactics in big games.
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Spain has called up Real Madrid defender Raúl Asencio for the first time ahead of the Nations League quarterfinals against the Netherlands.
The 22-year-old Asencio has proven to be a quick and physical center back for Madrid this season after he was given playing time to fill in for the injured Éder Militão.
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Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi scored as Inter Miami beat Cavalier SC of Jamaica 2-0 on Thursday and moved into the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
Suarez, the 38-year-old Uruguayan striker, converted on a penalty kick in the 37th minute and Messi went on early in the second half and scored in stoppage time to help the MLS club progress to the next round 4-0 on aggregate.
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Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes scored a hat trick in a 4-1 win over 10-man Real Sociedad, and Tottenham overcame AZ Alkmaar 3-1 as both Premier League clubs advanced to the Europa League quarterfinals Thursday.
The second-tier tournament offers both teams a chance for a trophy amid lackluster domestic campaigns and get a welcome bonus of a spot in the Champions League next season.
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Dozens of clerics and others from Syria's minority Druze community crossed into the Israeli-controlled side of the Golan Heights Friday for the first time in decades.
The nearly 100 Syrian Druze crossed the heavily-fortified border area in three buses, escorted by members of the Israeli military. They are expected to visit a religious shrine on the Israeli side of the border.
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Hamas said on Friday it has accepted a proposal from mediators to release one living American-Israeli hostage and the bodies of four dual-nationals who had died in captivity. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office cast doubt on the offer, accusing Hamas of trying to manipulate talks underway in Qatar on the next stage of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire.
The militant group in the Gaza Strip did not immediately specify when the release of soldier Edan Alexander and the four bodies would occur — or what it expected to get in return.
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Qatar will provide natural gas supplies to Syria with the aim of generating 400 megawatts of electricity a day, in a measure to help address the war-battered country's severe electricity shortages, Syrian state-run news agency SANA reported Friday.
Syria's interim Minister of Electricity Omar Shaqrouq said the Qatari supplies are expected to increase the daily state-provided electricity supply from two to four hours per day.
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More than 50 universities are being investigated for alleged racial discrimination as part of President Donald Trump's campaign to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs that his officials say exclude white and Asian American students.
The Education Department announced the new investigations Friday, one month after issuing a memo warning America's schools and colleges that they could lose federal money over "race-based preferences" in admissions, scholarships or any aspect of student life.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin met with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss details of the American proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in the war with Ukraine, asking him to convey Moscow's thoughts to Washington, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday.
Putin asked Witkoff late Thursday to give additional messages to U.S. President Donald Trump, Peskov told reporters, after the Russian leader said at a news conference that he supported a truce in principle but set out a host of details that need to be clarified before it is agreed.
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