In the second century, as the canonical Gospels were being copied and circulated throughout the Roman Empire, another text about the life of Jesus was simultaneously spreading. Although the Infancy Gospel of Thomas didn't make it into the New Testament, it remained popular among Christians for centuries.

When filmmaker Lotfy Nathan was introduced to the apocryphal text about Jesus' childhood by his history-loving father, he immediately began poring over it as a springboard for what would eventually become "The Carpenter's Son," the supernatural thriller starring Nicolas Cage and opening in theaters Friday.

FIFA approved two soccer players to change national eligibility to Congo from Belgium ahead of 2026 World Cup qualifying playoffs for Africa starting Thursday.

Celtic forward Michel-Ange Balikwisha and Standard Liege goalkeeper Matthieu Epolo are now available to play for Congo against Cameroon in a playoffs semifinal.

Dynamic ticket pricing will not be used for the 2028 European Championship, organizers say.

The controversial ticketing strategy — where prices depend on demand — was in operation at the Club World Cup in the United States this year and fluctuated wildly. Dynamic pricing will also be deployed at the men's World Cup next year with tickets ranging from $60 for group-stage matches to $6,730 for the final.

One of the most spectacular examples of Renaissance illuminated manuscripts, the 15th-century Borso D'Este Bible, is going on rare public display as part of the Vatican's Holy Year celebrations.

The two-volume masterpiece, known for its miniature paintings in gold and Afghan lapis lazuli, was unveiled Thursday in the Italian Senate, where it will remain on display until Jan. 16.

Pakistan's interior minister said Thursday that Afghan nationals carried out two fatal suicide attacks this week — one targeting a cadet college near the Afghan border and the other outside a court in the capital, Islamabad.

"In both of the suicide bombings, Afghan citizens were involved, and they carried out the attacks," Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said.

Turkey's football federation temporarily banned 102 players on Thursday in a betting scandal.

The players were referred to the Turkish Football Federation's Professional Football Disciplinary Board in the ongoing investigation.

European Union regulators said Thursday they're investigating whether Google is unfairly demoting some content from media publishers in search results under a policy the company says is aimed at combating scammers.

Brussels moved forward despite the risk of incurring the wrath of President Donald Trump, who has lashed out at the 27-nation bloc's digital regulations and vowed to retaliate if American tech companies are penalized.

The British government said Thursday that a memorial wall in London created by those who lost loved ones during the coronavirus pandemic will be preserved.

In a statement, it said that the 8-foot-high (2½-meter-high) Portland stone wall on the south side of the River Thames, directly opposite the Houses of Parliament, will remain to commemorate the 240,000 or so virus-related deaths in the U.K., as well as honor the sacrifice of key workers, particularly in the health and care sectors.

More heavy rain fell in parts of Taiwan on Thursday from a tropical depression that caused flooding and brought a continued risk of landslides.

A total of 95 people were injured around the island due to the storm that made landfall in southern Pingtung County on Wednesday evening. Authorities had evacuated more than 8,500 people from coastal and mountainous areas as Fung-wong approached.

Israeli settlers torched and defaced a mosque in a Palestinian village in the central West Bank overnight, scribbling hateful messages in a show of defiance a day after some Israeli leaders condemned a recent attack by settlers against Palestinians.

One wall and at least three copies of the Quran and some of the carpeting at the mosque in the Palestinian town of Deir Istiya had been torched when an AP reporter visited Thursday.