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Robbie Williams: 'I've been a cheeky monkey all my life'

It was after one particularly emotional premiere of the new biopic about his life that Robbie Williams resolved he couldn't be "the crying guy" at every screening.

"Better Man," which chronicles the life of Williams, the British pop star and former Take That singer, can hit him differently at different times. Jet lag is a factor. So is who's in the building. One screening with his band, he says, was "healing." But he's self-conscious enough about all the emotion that he can be defensive about it.

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Biden, on his way out, wants to cut US greenhouse gas emissions by over 60%

President Joe Biden is pledging to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by more than 60% by 2035 as he fights to ensure his legacy on slowing global warming, even as President-elect Donald Trump vows to undo much of Biden's climate work when he takes office next month.

Biden said the new goal — which supersedes a previous plan to cut carbon emissions at least in half by 2030 — keeps the United States on track to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions economy-wide by 2050. The U.S. is making a formal submission of the new target, known as a Nationally Determined Contribution, to the United Nations under terms of the 2015 Paris climate agreement, Biden said Thursday.

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European football leagues reject latest proposal for new breakaway competition

The organization that represents European football leagues on Thursday rejected latest proposals for a breakaway super league.

Detailed plans for a new rival to the Champions League — the Unify League — were released this week by Madrid-based A22 Sports Management.

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Atletico takes 11-game winning streak to Barcelona in battle for La Liga top spot

When Atletico Madrid led the Spanish league in spending on summer transfers, Diego Simeone's club was making a bet it could challenge for its first title since 2021.

On Saturday, Atletico can move to the top of the table with a win at a Barcelona side that is struggling to reproduce its great start to the campaign. And to make matters worse for Hansi Flick, the hosts will be missing injured star Lamine Yamal for its last game before a short winter break.

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California declares emergency over bird flu

California officials have declared a state of emergency over the spread of bird flu, which is tearing through dairy cows in that state and causing sporadic illnesses in people in the U.S.

That raises new questions about the virus, which has spread for years in wild birds, commercial poultry and many mammal species.

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For some, pope's big Holy Year only aggravates Rome's housing crisis

When Pope Francis left the Vatican earlier this month for his traditional Christmastime outing downtown, he acknowledged what many Romans have been complaining about for months: That his big plans for a Holy Year had turned their city into a giant construction pit, with traffic-clogging roadworks tearing up major thoroughfares, scaffolding covering prized monuments and short-term rentals gobbling up apartment blocks.

Francis urged Romans to pray for their mayor — "He has a lot to do" — but to nevertheless welcome the upcoming Jubilee as a time of spiritual repair and renewal. "These worksites are fine, but beware: Don't forget the worksites of the soul!" Francis said.

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Trump was poised to inherit strong economy but things got rocky

The smooth economy that Donald Trump was poised to inherit suddenly looks a bit rockier — with critics saying the president-elect is contributing to the uncertainty.

The Dow Jones stock index essentially ended Thursday flat after having posted 10 days of losses. The Federal Reserve now sees inflation as staying stubbornly elevated as it has become cautious about further interest rate cuts planned for next year.

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What to know about debt ceiling debate as govt shutdown looms in Washington

A debate over the debt ceiling is at the center of a dispute over funding that is pushing Washington to the brink of a federal government shutdown.

President-elect Donald Trump has demanded that a provision raising or suspending the nation's debt limit — something that his own party routinely resists — be included in legislation to avert a government shutdown. "Anything else is a betrayal of our country," Trump said in a statement Wednesday.

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Scholz dismisses Musk's assertion that only a far-right party can 'save' Germany

Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday dismissed an assertion by Elon Musk that only a far-right party can "save Germany," but said that freedom of opinion "also goes for multibillionaires."

Germany is expected to vote in an early election on Feb. 23 after Scholz's three-party governing coalition collapsed last month in a dispute over how to revitalize the country's stagnant economy.

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Hungary's Orbán says European leaders must change strategy on Ukraine

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Friday that European leaders must acknowledge the need to change their strategy regarding Ukraine.

In comments to Hungary's state broadcaster on Friday, Orbán argued that the current strategy was not working and Russia was advancing on the frontlines. He added that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's victory "has changed the state of the war."

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