Clashes in Sirte, Sarraj Discusses with Military Commanders Unifying Army

Fayez al-Sarraj addresses a news conference at the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium February 2, 2017. Reuters
Fayez al-Sarraj addresses a news conference at the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium February 2, 2017. Reuters
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Clashes in Sirte, Sarraj Discusses with Military Commanders Unifying Army

Fayez al-Sarraj addresses a news conference at the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium February 2, 2017. Reuters
Fayez al-Sarraj addresses a news conference at the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium February 2, 2017. Reuters

Clashes erupted Tuesday between the Libyan UN-backed government forces and militants in Sirte city, and eight of the gunmen were arrested.

"Members of the security force of Sirte suffered minor injuries after besieging a site in Jaref area in Sirte and clashing with an armed group. Eight gunmen were arrested," the government forces of Sirte said in a statement on Tuesday.

The media center of the government forces, headed by Fayez al-Sarraj and part of what is known as al-Bunyan al-Marsous operation, did not specify the identity of the detained militants or reveal whether they belonged to ISIS, which controlled the city, or any other groups.

Notably, the statement said that copper stores and power cables were found in the site.

ISIS affiliates in December 2015 were defeated and expelled from Sirte, some 450 km east the capital Tripoli, by forces allied with the UN-backed government and backed by US air force. After that, the remaining ISIS militants fled to southern valleys and mountain areas.

The terrorists set up mobile security checkpoints from time to time on the road leading to southern cities and checked civilian cars passing by, in search of soldiers or security personnel to kidnap.

On the other hand, and upon the surprising visit of Malta’s Foreign Minister Carmelo Abela to Tripoli, Sarraj expressed his government's desire to develop channels of communication between the two countries to coordinate the smuggling operations and support cooperation in the political, economic and service fields.

Minister Abela expressed Malta’s desire to have a Maltese Resident Ambassador present in Tripoli once again in order to make cooperation and assistance more effective, efficient and tangible.
Malta had withdrawn its ambassador in the wake of continued violence in the Libyan capital.

Sarraj also met on Monday military officials in the presence of members of the committee, which represented his government in meetings held in Cairo recently, with a delegation of the national army led by Haftar, to discuss the unification of the military establishment in the country.

Sarraj’s office issued a statement explaining that during a meeting with the Chief of Staff and leaders of his military establishment, Sarraj stated that the course of unification of the army will be completed successfully by means of a political consensus.

He pointed out that for a unification to be successful, Libya needs to halt the actions of some political and military players that are continuously attempting to disrupt and undermine efforts to achieve this consensus.

The meeting also discussed the findings of the Presidential Council’s committee at the Cairo meeting with their counterparts from the eastern region to discuss the unification of the military establishment in Libya and its relationship with the civil authority.



Erdogan to Visit US in May, Turkish Ministers Meet US Delegation

Türkiye's President Tayyip Erdogan and Murat Kurum, mayoral candidate of his ruling AK Party (AKP), greet their supporters during a rally ahead of the local elections in Istanbul, Turkey March 24, 2024. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
Türkiye's President Tayyip Erdogan and Murat Kurum, mayoral candidate of his ruling AK Party (AKP), greet their supporters during a rally ahead of the local elections in Istanbul, Turkey March 24, 2024. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
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Erdogan to Visit US in May, Turkish Ministers Meet US Delegation

Türkiye's President Tayyip Erdogan and Murat Kurum, mayoral candidate of his ruling AK Party (AKP), greet their supporters during a rally ahead of the local elections in Istanbul, Turkey March 24, 2024. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
Türkiye's President Tayyip Erdogan and Murat Kurum, mayoral candidate of his ruling AK Party (AKP), greet their supporters during a rally ahead of the local elections in Istanbul, Turkey March 24, 2024. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

Türkiye’s President Tayyip Erdogan will visit the United States on May 9, a Turkish security official said on Friday, setting the stage for his first White House meeting during the Biden Administration.

The Washington visit would be Erdogan's first since 2019 when he met then-president Donald Trump, with whom he enjoyed good personal ties.

Since President Joe Biden's 2020 election, Ankara has sought another face-to-face meeting.

Ties between the NATO allies, long strained by differences on a range of issues, have thawed since Ankara ratified Sweden's NATO membership bid in January, following a 20-month delay that had caused frustration in Washington.

Yet strains persist, including over northern Syria, where US forces are allied with Kurdish militants that Ankara deems terrorists. Washington has also pressed Ankara to do more to halt goods transiting to Russia that it says are used in Moscow's war effort in Ukraine.

The official did not provide any further information on the visit, but said Türkiye's top intelligence official Ibrahim Kalin will meet with members of the US House of Representatives for talks on the planned visit and other bilateral issues.

On Thursday and Friday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Defense Minister Yasar Guler also met the US delegation.

There was no immediate comment from Washington or the US Embassy in Ankara on the visit.


Green Day Will Headline United Nations-Backed Global Climate Concert in San Francisco

Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day performs during the Louder Than Life Music Festival in Louisville, Ky., on Sept. 24, 2023. (AP)
Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day performs during the Louder Than Life Music Festival in Louisville, Ky., on Sept. 24, 2023. (AP)
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Green Day Will Headline United Nations-Backed Global Climate Concert in San Francisco

Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day performs during the Louder Than Life Music Festival in Louisville, Ky., on Sept. 24, 2023. (AP)
Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day performs during the Louder Than Life Music Festival in Louisville, Ky., on Sept. 24, 2023. (AP)

Green Day will headline a United Nations Human Rights-backed global climate concert on Tuesday at the famed Fillmore in San Francisco.

The intimate event, which is co-hosted by the Recording Academy, aims to bring attention to the inequalities exacerbated by climate change.

Ultra Q, an alternative rock band fronted by Green Day singer Billie Joe Armstrong’s son Jakob Danger, will open.

Proceeds from the concert will go to United Nations Human Rights climate justice initiatives and a MusiCares climate fund to benefit musicians affected by climate change.

The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance will honor Green Day for their “commitment to social justice and environmental causes,” according to a press release.

“As world renowned artists and activists, Green Day continues to leverage its major influence and platform to bring awareness to the impact of climate change on the people and the environment,” Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a statement.

“The United Nations was founded in San Francisco almost 80 years ago to safeguard human rights and dignity from crisis and tragedy. It is only fitting that we are back in San Francisco,” he said.

“Music is one of humanity’s greatest resources. It moves the world,” Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, added. “And we are grateful for Green Day’s longstanding dedication to promoting social justice.”


Japanese Patent Office Honors Manga Arabia

Dr. Issam Bukhari, General Director and Editor-in-Chief of Manga Arabia, receives the honor. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Dr. Issam Bukhari, General Director and Editor-in-Chief of Manga Arabia, receives the honor. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Japanese Patent Office Honors Manga Arabia

Dr. Issam Bukhari, General Director and Editor-in-Chief of Manga Arabia, receives the honor. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Dr. Issam Bukhari, General Director and Editor-in-Chief of Manga Arabia, receives the honor. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Manga Arabia Company, affiliated with the Saudi Research and Media Group, was honored by the Japanese Patent Office for participating in a digital awareness campaign to combat electronic piracy and protect intellectual property (IP).
The campaign was organized by the patent office and the International Intellectual Property Protection Forum (IIPPF), managed by the Japanese External Trade Organization (JETRO).
Manga Arabia participated in the campaign by translating visual materials into Arabic and sharing them on its digital platforms.
The company has a significant online presence in the Middle East, with over 1.2 billion appearances on various digital platforms and over 7.5 million application downloads across 190 countries. The extensive reach positioned Manga Arabia as an influential asset for reaching and educating young people.
Manga Arabia’s editor-in-chief, Issam Bukhari, emphasized the company’s commitment to supporting anti-piracy measures and promoting IP values. He highlighted the company’s goal of creating a safe and reliable environment for its products to inspire and empower imagination in the Arab world.


‘Adopt a Penguin Egg’ Easter Campaign Helps Endangered African Birds

A penguin carer feeds a chick at South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds rehabilitation center, where the center has been incubating over 200 eggs of the endangered African penguin that were rescued from two penguin colonies, since the start of the year and they are soliciting donations by inviting people to "adopt an egg", in Cape Town, South Africa, March 27, 2024. (Reuters)
A penguin carer feeds a chick at South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds rehabilitation center, where the center has been incubating over 200 eggs of the endangered African penguin that were rescued from two penguin colonies, since the start of the year and they are soliciting donations by inviting people to "adopt an egg", in Cape Town, South Africa, March 27, 2024. (Reuters)
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‘Adopt a Penguin Egg’ Easter Campaign Helps Endangered African Birds

A penguin carer feeds a chick at South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds rehabilitation center, where the center has been incubating over 200 eggs of the endangered African penguin that were rescued from two penguin colonies, since the start of the year and they are soliciting donations by inviting people to "adopt an egg", in Cape Town, South Africa, March 27, 2024. (Reuters)
A penguin carer feeds a chick at South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds rehabilitation center, where the center has been incubating over 200 eggs of the endangered African penguin that were rescued from two penguin colonies, since the start of the year and they are soliciting donations by inviting people to "adopt an egg", in Cape Town, South Africa, March 27, 2024. (Reuters)

Bored of buying eggs made of chocolate and wrapped in foil with predictable bunny motifs? This Easter in South Africa you could instead spend your cash an egg that will hatch a live penguin.

But these ones are not for taking home.

Since the start of the year, a South African conservation group has been incubating over 200 eggs of the endangered African penguin that were previously rescued from two colonies.

The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) is soliciting donations to meet the cost of incubating them by inviting people to "adopt an egg."

The African penguin -- the only species that breeds on the continent, and which is also found in Namibia -- was once South Africa's most abundant seabird.

No longer. The population has plunged to less than 10,000 breeding pairs in 2024, according to SANCCOB resources manager, Ronnis Daniels, meaning there is only 1% left of the 1 million that were in existence a century earlier.

"At the current trajectory, which is an 8% loss every year, we are looking at extinction by 2035," she told Reuters. "There won't be enough (for) the wild population to save itself."

Threats to the birds are legion, but the main culprit is commercial fishing, which has ravaged stocks of sardines and anchovies that the penguins depend on to live.

"That would be the top of the list," Daniels said. "The sad part is that fish is exported mostly as fishmeal."

Other threats include all the noise and pollution from the shipping routes around South Africa, especially when the ships stop to refuel in Algoa bay, she said.

On one day, volunteer Nicky Shadbolt was walking along an enclosure for the downy baby penguins.

"Over this time, when everybody is also thinking about chocolates and fluffy bunnies, we would like you ... to adopt a penguin egg," she said, punctuated by baby penguin squeaks.

"It is really expensive for us to raise that little penguin from egg or all the way to maturity," she added, a process that takes four months until they are released back into the wild.


OPEC Secretary General: World’s Need for Oil Will Continue for Years, Decades

Al-Ghais said that the door is still open for Angola to return to the OPEC family (Reuters)
Al-Ghais said that the door is still open for Angola to return to the OPEC family (Reuters)
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OPEC Secretary General: World’s Need for Oil Will Continue for Years, Decades

Al-Ghais said that the door is still open for Angola to return to the OPEC family (Reuters)
Al-Ghais said that the door is still open for Angola to return to the OPEC family (Reuters)

Secretary-General of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Haitham Al-Ghais stressed the importance of the decisions taken by the organization in stabilizing the global oil industry, reiterating that the world’s need for oil will continue for many years and decades.

In an interview with Independent Arabia, Al-Ghais said many official and international agencies, in addition to a large number of specialized advisory bodies in the energy and oil industries, recently praised OPEC’s constructive role, through its proactive, objective and effective decisions aimed at supporting the balance and stability of oil markets and stimulating the growth of the global economy.

He pointed out that in its recent report, OPEC expected that economic growth rates would maintain the better-than-expected improvement witnessed by the world in the second half of 2023, as the organization believes that economic growth for this year will reach the level of 2.8 percent, and 2.9 percent in 2025.

The secretary-general reminded of the success of the organization and its allies in adopting the Joint Cooperation Declaration agreement, in the wake of the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and its repercussions on travel, transportation, and other activities, which led to a sharp decline in demand for global energy and oil.

He said that in order to confront these deteriorating conditions, this group of countries cooperated and reached a unique, historic agreement aimed at curbing oil production to a record level of approximately ten percent of global oil supplies. This agreement was followed by regular routine meetings with the aim of studying market conditions and gradually resume production, he remarked.

On whether OPEC was affected by Angola’s withdrawal and Brazil’s joining the OPEC+ alliance, Al-Ghais noted that since its founding in 1960 by five oil-producing countries (Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela), OPEC has sought to attract many oil-producing countries that share the same vision and its most prominent goal, which is coordinating efforts and policies to support the stability of global oil markets.

“OPEC is an ideal role model characterized by cohesion, constructive dialogue, cooperation and mutual respect among member states regardless of the geographical locations, languages and different cultures of these countries... There are also countries that withdrew from the organization and then returned to it. As for Angola, the door is still open for its return to the OPEC family,” he remarked.

Al-Ghais also said that OPEC believes that the oil industry needs about $14 trillion by 2045, according to the organization’s annual report.


French Soccer Federation Limits Support for Players’ Ramadan Observance, Critics See Discrimination

The match is paused so Muslim players can break their fast due to Ramadan during the English Premier League soccer match between Everton and Tottenham Hotspur at the Goodison Park stadium in Liverpool, England, on April 3, 2023. (AP)
The match is paused so Muslim players can break their fast due to Ramadan during the English Premier League soccer match between Everton and Tottenham Hotspur at the Goodison Park stadium in Liverpool, England, on April 3, 2023. (AP)
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French Soccer Federation Limits Support for Players’ Ramadan Observance, Critics See Discrimination

The match is paused so Muslim players can break their fast due to Ramadan during the English Premier League soccer match between Everton and Tottenham Hotspur at the Goodison Park stadium in Liverpool, England, on April 3, 2023. (AP)
The match is paused so Muslim players can break their fast due to Ramadan during the English Premier League soccer match between Everton and Tottenham Hotspur at the Goodison Park stadium in Liverpool, England, on April 3, 2023. (AP)

For Muslim soccer players in deeply secular France, observing Ramadan is a tall order, and this is not about to change.

Wielding the principle of religious neutrality enshrined in the French constitution, the country’s soccer federation does not make things easy for international players who want to refrain from drinking or eating from dawn to sunset during the Islamic holy month.

Ahead of training camps which took place in March, the federation made clear it would not change the schedule for meals and practices to accommodate players who want to fully observe the religious ritual.

Some left-wing politicians, coaches and former players were outraged; the federation denied accusations of religious discrimination.

The secular outlook in France also prevents league referees from authorizing pauses in games to allow Muslim players to break their fast with a quick bite and drink on the sidelines during evening matches. Such breaks have been authorized in nearby countries such as Germany, England and the Netherlands.

French secularism, while affirming religious freedom, provides that the state does not favor any religion and remains neutral. The French soccer federation (FFF) says part of its mission is to defend the country’s strict adherence to secularism in public life.

Critics say this leads to anti-Muslim rules.

“You want to forbid them to be Muslim. Whether we like it or not, it’s part of their identity that we’re trying to erase,” said Demba Ba, the former Senegal international player who was born in France and is Muslim.

He says he fasted for Ramadan throughout his professional career, even on match days. He has described particularly hard days when he played in the English Premier League with Newcastle, with matches sometimes scheduled at 1 p.m. in the summer, when the sun sets late in this part of England.

While Catholicism remains the leading religion, Islam is France’s second-largest faith, encompassing an estimated 10% of the population.

FRANCE’S LACK OF RAMADAN ACCOMMODATIONS GOES AGAINST TREND In Muslim countries, clubs shift their training schedule to make it easier for players who fast during Ramadan. In recent years, Western countries have followed suit and France’s approach seems increasingly isolated.

In the English Premier League, captains of clubs with Muslim players can arrange with match officials to create a pause at sundown to allow players to break their fast. Soccer officials in Australia have adopted the same approach, introducing breaks for players observing Ramadan for the first time this season. In the US, Major League Soccer introduced drink breaks last year.

In addition, some Premier League teams have signed a Muslim athletes’ charter, pledging to create a more inclusive environment.

In France, meanwhile, Nantes coach Antoine Kombouare said last year he helped his players adapt their schedule to Ramadan’s requirements, but fasting on game day was not an option.

Kombouare would let the players fast during the week, but on match day he would not select those who do.

“I respect that a player fasts. But on the other hand, he has to respect the rules I’ve put in place, and that goes for everyone,” Kombouare said.

Philippe Diallo, the FFF president, denies accusations the federation is effectively banning Ramadan observance due to its stringent rules.

“No one at the federation, starting with me, has forbidden anyone to fast,” Diallo told France Info media. “I can’t accept people saying that the FFF discriminates on religious grounds.”

The FFF says fasting players are allowed to skip meals and offered medical advice. It also contends that Muslim players who choose to postpone their fasting days will have a valid excuse in the eyes of religious authorities.

The controversy — spotlighted last year when France Under-23 players reportedly threatened to go on strike for the right to fast — grew after Habib Beye, the coach of Paris-based Red Star, criticized the federation’s framework related to religious fasting.

“I truly respect my players’ faith of any kind,” Beye said last week. “I also have players practicing Lent. One only sees the downsides, but I only see the benefits. It creates cohesion, discussions, a solidarity that people may not see on a football pitch.”

Beye, who says he’s the son of a Muslim and a Catholic, believes the strict rules are imposed only on Muslim players.

“I call it religious discrimination,” he said.

Water and dates are the traditional Muslim way to break the fast during Ramadan. Last year, Paris Saint-Germain fans mocked the federation rules by deploying during a match a banner that read: “A date, a glass of water: the FFF’s nightmare.”

SOCCER LIMITS REFUEL SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE DEBATE The polemics are refueling the lingering debate on secularism — still volatile more than a century after the 1905 law on separation of church and state that established it as a principle of the French Republic. The country’s constitution states, “France is an indivisible, secular, democratic and social Republic. It ensures the equality of all citizens before the law, without distinction of origin, race or religion.”

Razika Adnani, a secular philosopher who studies how people relate to Islam, welcomed the FFF decision to maintain its ban on breaking the fast during matches. By refusing such pauses, she said the federation protects Muslims who do not fast — but might pretend they fast, and refrain from drinking water, to avoid reprisals from Muslim fans.

“Originally, breaking the fast was a private matter,” she wrote in an op-ed piece for the newspaper Le Figaro. “It was done at home with the family or in restaurants. Interrupting matches to allow players to break their Ramadan fast, which is more than just a ’refreshing break,’ is tantamount to establishing this Ramadan atmosphere on the soccer pitch and imposing it on all players, all supporters, all viewers, in a form of fait accompli.”

There were no Ramadan-linked incidents reported during the latest gathering of senior French international players. But there were reports in French media last week that Lyon midfielder Mahamadou Diawara declined to join the France Under-19s training camp when he found out about the rules relating to religious fasting. Asked for comments, Lyon and the French federation did not give a reason for Diawara’s refusal to attend.

To guarantee a neutral approach, Diallo said there can’t be any changes to timetables and common practices at training camps purely on religious grounds.

“I respect everyone’s convictions,” he said. “When players are selected for the French national team, I don’t ask them about their religion.”

The FFF insists the rules are not anti-Islam and that players who might want to observe Lent-related fasting, for instance, would also have to observe the federation’s framework and would not be accommodated.

The polemics are reminiscent of the heated debate that emerged when France’s highest administrative court ruled last year that the French soccer federation was entitled to ban headscarves in competitions, even though the measure could limit freedom of expression.

The Council of State issued its ruling after a group of headscarf-wearing soccer players called “Les Hijabeuses” — the word hijab refers to the headscarf — campaigned against the ban and launched legal action.


Musk's xAI to Launch Improved Version of Chatbot

Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, attends the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, June 16, 2023. (Reuters)
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, attends the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, June 16, 2023. (Reuters)
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Musk's xAI to Launch Improved Version of Chatbot

Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, attends the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, June 16, 2023. (Reuters)
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, attends the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, June 16, 2023. (Reuters)

Elon Musk's artificial intelligence startup xAI said on Thursday it will launch an enhanced version of its chatbot Grok.

The new version, called Grok-1.5, will be made available to early testers and existing Grok users on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, in the coming days, xAI said in a statement.

The startup said one of the most notable improvements in the new version is its performance in coding and math-related tasks.

Seeking an alternative to Microsoft-backed OpenAI and Alphabet's Google, Musk launched xAI last year to create what he said would be a "maximum truth-seeking AI".

In December, the startup rolled out Grok for Premium+ subscribers of X.

Earlier this month, Musk said xAI would open-source Grok, days after the billionaire had sued OpenAI for allegedly abandoning its original mission in favor of a for-profit model.


Grigor Dimitrov Ousts Top-Seeded Carlos Alcaraz in Miami Open Quarterfinals

 Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria celebrates after defeating Carlos Alcaraz of Spain during the Miami Open tennis tournament, Thursday, March 28, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP)
Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria celebrates after defeating Carlos Alcaraz of Spain during the Miami Open tennis tournament, Thursday, March 28, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP)
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Grigor Dimitrov Ousts Top-Seeded Carlos Alcaraz in Miami Open Quarterfinals

 Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria celebrates after defeating Carlos Alcaraz of Spain during the Miami Open tennis tournament, Thursday, March 28, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP)
Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria celebrates after defeating Carlos Alcaraz of Spain during the Miami Open tennis tournament, Thursday, March 28, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP)

Eleventh-seeded Grigor Dimitrov came out strong against top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz on Thursday night and went on to win 6-2, 6-4 in the Miami Open quarterfinals, his first victory over a top-five player in nearly five years.

Fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev, who beat unseeded Fabian Marozsan 6-3, 7-5, will play Dimitrov in the semifinals Friday. Second-seeded Jannik Sinner will face No. 3 Daniil Medvedev in the other semifinal, a rematch of last year’s final that Medvedev won.

Dimitrov said he didn't want to evaluate the quality of his play against Alcaraz “since I have to play again tomorrow. I’m trying to stay on point. This is how our sport is. You appreciate it, of course. You’re very happy with the current win. Then you have to quickly move on and start focusing on the next match.”

Alcaraz, the 2022 champion, entered this tournament off a victory over Medvedev at Indian Wells. But the world's second-ranked player had trouble finding his game against Dimitrov and became visibly frustrated numerous times in the first set.

But Alcaraz didn't go away even after falling behind a break at 4-2 in the second set. He broke Dimitrov at love and then held serve to even the set at 4-4. Dimitrov, though, won the final two games, breaking Alcaraz in the clincher.

Alacaraz said Dimitrov played “almost perfect.”

“I have a lot of frustrations right now because he made me feel like I’m 13 years old,” the 20-year-old Alcaraz said. “It was crazy. I was talking to my team saying that I don’t know what I have to do. I don’t know his weakness. I don’t know anything.”

This was Dimitrov's first victory over a top-five player since he beat then-No. 3 Roger Federer in the quarterfinals of the 2019 US Open.

On the women's side, fourth-seeded Elena Rybakina once again had to go three sets, pushed to the edge before beating No. 27 Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 0-6, 7-6 (2) in the semifinals.

Rybakina, ranked fourth on the WTA Tour, will on Saturday face unseeded Danielle Collins, who defeated No. 14 Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 6-2. Rybakina also made last year's final, losing in straight sets to Petra Kvitová.

“This year, it’s much different,” Rybakina said. “I was not expecting, honestly, to be in the final because I was not prepared that well for this tournament, but really happy that I managed to battle through all these matches and be in the final again.”

A day off will likely be welcome for Rybakina, who has been pushed to three sets in all but one match this tournament. Thursday’s match lasted 2 hours, 33 minutes, and she told the Tennis Channel that for the first time in her career, she has rested on the days between matches during a tournament.

“In the beginning, these long matches were helping me to get back in shape,” Rybakina said. “Now I’m not in shape just because I’m tired of all these long matches, but overall, it was really successful tournament no matter how I do in the final.”

Rybakina appeared to take control when she broke Azarenka's serve to take a 3-2 lead in the third set. Azarenka fought off four break points before hitting a two-handed backhand into the net to give Rybakina the game.

It was quite a response from the second set when Azarenka lost only two points on her serve, and one came on a double fault.

But Azarenka wasn't done. With Rybakina serving for the match, Azarenka broke back to even the final set at 5-5. Both players then held serve to send the match to a tiebreaker, which belonged to Rybakina, who went up 6-1. She wrapped up the victory with a cross-court forehand.

Rybakina is seeking her third title this year. She is 4-0 in her career against Azarenka, including two victories this year.

Azarenka, 34, was attempting to become the tournament's oldest winner. She became the second-oldest semifinalist; 36-year-old Venus Williams made the semis in 2017.


King Charles Hopes to Visit The Bahamas Next Year, Prime Minister’s Office Says

Britain's King Charles reads cards and messages, sent by well-wishers following his cancer diagnosis, in the 18th Century Room of the Belgian Suite in Buckingham Palace, London, Britain, February 21, 2024. (Reuters)
Britain's King Charles reads cards and messages, sent by well-wishers following his cancer diagnosis, in the 18th Century Room of the Belgian Suite in Buckingham Palace, London, Britain, February 21, 2024. (Reuters)
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King Charles Hopes to Visit The Bahamas Next Year, Prime Minister’s Office Says

Britain's King Charles reads cards and messages, sent by well-wishers following his cancer diagnosis, in the 18th Century Room of the Belgian Suite in Buckingham Palace, London, Britain, February 21, 2024. (Reuters)
Britain's King Charles reads cards and messages, sent by well-wishers following his cancer diagnosis, in the 18th Century Room of the Belgian Suite in Buckingham Palace, London, Britain, February 21, 2024. (Reuters)

King Charles, who is undergoing treatment for cancer, told Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis on Thursday that he hopes to visit the Commonwealth nation next year, the prime minister's office said in a statement.

The visit would possibly coincide with The Bahamas' independence celebration in July 2025, the statement said.

Charles, who serves as monarch of The Bahamas, called the Bahamian prime minister to tell him of the possible visit, the prime minister's office said, and Davis wished "good health" to Charles and Kate, the Princess of Wales, who is also undergoing treatment for cancer.

"After offering wishes for a Happy and Blessed Easter, the King offered profuse apologies for not being able to attend the 50th Anniversary Independence celebrations," the statement said, referring to last year's marking of The Bahamas gaining independence from Britain in 1973.

Both of Charles' sons have made royal visits to The Bahamas in recent years. Prince Henry visited in 2012 during a tour to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee, and Prince William visited in 2022 for the then monarch's Platinum Jubilee.

A visit by Charles would mark the first visit by a reigning monarch since Queen Elizabeth visited in 1994 for the eighth Conference of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth.

Queen Elizabeth visited The Bahamas five times during her reign.


Dogs Can Associate Words with Objects, Study Finds

Owner Franciska Furik puts electroencephalography (EEG) electrodes on Cuki, a 12-year-old Fox Terrier, during a test that found dogs can associate words with objects, at the Ethology Department of the Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary, March 27, 2024. (Reuters)
Owner Franciska Furik puts electroencephalography (EEG) electrodes on Cuki, a 12-year-old Fox Terrier, during a test that found dogs can associate words with objects, at the Ethology Department of the Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary, March 27, 2024. (Reuters)
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Dogs Can Associate Words with Objects, Study Finds

Owner Franciska Furik puts electroencephalography (EEG) electrodes on Cuki, a 12-year-old Fox Terrier, during a test that found dogs can associate words with objects, at the Ethology Department of the Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary, March 27, 2024. (Reuters)
Owner Franciska Furik puts electroencephalography (EEG) electrodes on Cuki, a 12-year-old Fox Terrier, during a test that found dogs can associate words with objects, at the Ethology Department of the Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary, March 27, 2024. (Reuters)

Dogs are able to understand that some words refer to objects in a way that is similar to humans, a small study of canine brain waves has found, offering insight into the way the minds of man's best friends work.

That our four-legged companions are able to recognize words that prompt actions will come as no surprise to dog owners who tell their pets to "sit" or "fetch".

However, the study, which analyzed brain activity in 18 dogs, provided evidence that they can activate a memory of an object when they hear its name. The study was carried out at the Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest and published in the journal Current Biology.

"There has been a long debate on a non-human animal's ability to understand words referentially," said Marianna Boros who co-authored the study.

"While there have been behavioral reports, these were always exceptional cases. Our study is the first where we claim that this is a species-wide capacity."

During the study, dog owners said words for objects their pets knew. Then in some cases they would present the dog with an object that matched the word, while in other cases the object didn't match.

The results found that the patterns in the dogs' brains when the words matched the objects were different compared to when they didn't. This is similar to what can be observed in humans.

"Dogs can understand that words stand for things... So they activate mental representations and they link the meaning of the word to a mental representation and not just the context," said Boros.

The researchers plan to examine if this ability to understand referential language is specific to dogs or might be present in other mammals as well.