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VW debuts restored vintage blue bus that survived California wildfire and melted hearts

A vintage blue VW bus that became an unlikely symbol of resilience after it survived a California wildfire made its public debut this week, shiny and like-new after Volkswagen spent months restoring the damaged vehicle.

The bus went viral in January when an Associated Press photographer captured it looking surprisingly unharmed by the deadly Palisades Fire, a spot of blue and white dwarfed by the charred remains of a Malibu neighborhood. Volkswagen saw the accompanying AP story and reached out to the owner, Megan Weinraub. Upon closer inspection, VW technicians discovered that while the bus had survived, it had smoke damage and blistered paint, rust and a window busted by the heat.

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Japan's exports to world rise, but Trump's tariffs dent shipments to US

Japan's global exports rose 3.7% in October from a year earlier while imports from the world edged up 0.6%, according to government data released Friday.

Exports to the U.S. dipped 3.1%, marking the seventh straight month of year-on-year declines mainly due to higher U.S. tariffs, Finance Ministry data showed.

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Google, US government battle over future of internet advertising

Google will confront the U.S. government's latest attempt to topple its internet empire in federal court on Friday as a judge considers how to prevent the abusive tactics that culminated in parts of its digital ad network being branded as an illegal monopoly.

The courtroom showdown in Alexandria, Virginia, will pit lawyers from Google and the U.S. Department of Justice against each other in closing proceedings focused on the complex technology that distributes millions of digital ads across the internet each day.

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Leaders arrive for first African G20 summit overshadowed by South Africa-US rift

World leaders arrived Friday for a historic first Group of 20 summit in Africa that aims to put the problems of poor countries at the top of the global agenda. But the talks have been undermined by a rift between host South Africa and the United States over a Trump administration boycott.

The weekend summit in Johannesburg will be attended by delegations from 18 of the world's richest and top developing economies — minus the U.S., which has branded South Africa's hosting a "disgrace " and won't participate in the talks.

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Mexico's bullied pageant contestant gets payback by capturing Miss Universe crown

Fátima Bosch Fernández of Mexico was crowned Miss Universe 2025 on Friday, a dramatic victory for a 25-year-old at the center of the turbulent 74th staging of the popular beauty pageant in Bangkok who stood up to public bullying from one of the hosts.

The issues at this year's event sprang from a sharp-tongued scolding of Bosch, which sparked a controversy marked by a walkout, feminist solidarity and a teary, melodramatic apology from the local organizer who set it all off.

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2 robbers steal dozens of ancient gold coins from Swiss museum

Swiss authorities were searching Friday for two robbers who overpowered a security guard at an ancient Rome-themed museum in Lausanne, smashed a display case and made off with dozens of gold coins that had been displayed inside.

City police said the suspects had purchased tickets and waited until other visitors had left shortly before closing time on Thursday, before assaulting and restraining the guard, and then breaking the display case.

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US futures quickly pivot to gains, but Wall Street may still suffer after rollicking week

Wall Street futures quickly reversed course and turned positive early Friday in very volatile markets, particularly when it comes to artificial intelligence.

Futures for the S&P 500 rose 0.3%, while futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.6%. Nasdaq futures edged up 0.2% after being down overnight. Yet technology-heavy Nasdaq may be on its way to its worst week since President Donald Trump rolled out his tariff policy in April.

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Drying-up Rio Grande basin threatens water security on both sides of the border

One of North America's longest rivers, the Rio Grande — or Rio Bravo as it's called in Mexico — has a history as deep as it is long. Indigenous people have tapped it for countless generations, and it was a key artery for Spanish conquistadors centuries ago.

Today, the Rio Grande-Bravo water basin is in crisis.

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Giant Amazon river turtle hatchlings in key Brazilian reserve

Environmental agents from Brazil's Chico Mendes Institute released giant Amazon River turtle hatchlings into the waters of the Abufari Biological Reserve in Tapaua, Amazonas state, as part of a long-running conservation program. The reserve, home to an egg-laying area for the species within an integral protection zone, plays a crucial role in ensuring the survival of the turtle species known as podocnemis expansa.

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Archaeologists lift lid on 1,700-year-old Roman sarcophagus hidden beneath Budapest

A remarkably well-preserved Roman sarcophagus has been unearthed in Hungary's capital, offering a rare window into the life of the young woman inside and the world she inhabited around 1,700 years ago.

Archaeologists with the Budapest History Museum discovered the limestone coffin during a large-scale excavation in Óbuda, a northern district of the city that once formed part of Aquincum, a bustling Roman settlement on the Danube frontier.

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