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Young Kabuki actor's debut breaks Japanese theater traditions

Ten-year-old Maholo Terajima Ghnassia loves watching anime and playing baseball. He likes making beats and whisper ASMR. And he's breaking conventions in Japan's 420-year-old Kabuki theater tradition.

In Kabuki, all the roles are played by men, including beautiful princesses — a role Maholo accomplishes stunningly in his official stage debut as Maholo Onoe at the Kabuki Theater in downtown Tokyo. In the performance, which ran May 2 through 27 to full audiences, he starts out disguised as a woman, dancing gracefully, before transforming into sword-wielding warrior Iwami Jutaro. He then makes a quick costume change right there on the stage, all while delivering singsong lines in a clear resonating voice unaided by a microphone.

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IMF says Sri Lanka's economic recovery shows signs of improvement but challenges remain

Debt-stricken Sri Lanka, which declared bankruptcy last year, is showing signs of economic improvement but its recovery still faces challenges, the International Monetary Fund said Friday.

The Indian Ocean island nation declared bankruptcy in April 2022 and said it was suspending repayment of its foreign debt. It reached an agreement with the IMF in March on a nearly $3 billion bailout program over four years.

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UN warns of aid shortage, food crisis cyclone-hit Myanmar

The United Nations warned Friday that far too little aid is reaching cyclone-hit areas of Myanmar and the country could face a major food crisis soon if farmers are unable to plant crops.

Cyclone Mocha struck the western state of Rakhine and nearby regions last month, killing hundreds of people and damaging thousands of dwellings.

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Newly discovered stone tools drag dawn of Greek archaeology back by a quarter-million years

Deep in an open coal mine in southern Greece, researchers have discovered the antiquities-rich country's oldest archaeological site, which dates to 700,000 years ago and is associated with modern humans' hominin ancestors.

The find announced would drag the dawn of Greek archaeology back by as much as a quarter of a million years, although older hominin sites have been discovered elsewhere in Europe. The oldest, in Spain, dates to more than a million years ago.

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Debt ceiling advances pipeline, tweaks environmental rules. But more work remains.

Despite weeks of negotiations, the White House and House Republicans were unable to reach a comprehensive agreement to overhaul environmental regulations and streamline federal permitting as part of their debt ceiling deal, instead settling for limited changes that could simplify and expedite some project reviews.

The legislation, approved late Wednesday by the House, includes provisions to speed up infrastructure projects under the landmark National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA. However, it does not clear the way to build large-scale electricity transmission lines, instead ordering a two-year study of the issue.

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Drought, water overuse prompt Arizona to limit construction in Phoenix

Arizona will not approve new housing construction on the fast-growing edges of metro Phoenix that rely on groundwater thanks to years of overuse and a multi-decade drought that is sapping its water supply.

In a news conference Thursday, Gov. Katie Hobbs announced the restrictions that could affect some of the fastest-growing suburbs of the nation's fifth-largest city.

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Nuggets dominate Heat 104-93 in NBA Finals game one

The highlight of Game 1 for Jamal Murray came when he dribbled into the middle, planted his surgically repaired left knee in the paint, made a full clockwise turn, then faded away and swished a mid-range jumper.

His most important contribution to Denver's first win in the franchise's first appearance in the NBA Finals — well, take your pick.

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American Fritz shushes booing French Open crowd after he beats French player

The French Open crowd was not happy with American player Taylor Fritz after he beat one of their own — indeed, their last man in the bracket — so they booed and whistle relentlessly. Fritz's response? He told them to shush. Over and over again.

Fritz, a 25-year-old from California who is seeded No. 9 at Roland Garros, got into a back-and-forth with the fans at Court Suzanne Lenglen after his 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 comeback victory over 78th-ranked Arthur Rinderknech in the second round on Thursday night.

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Coco Gauff wins after waiting out marathon; Alcaraz, Djokovic on court Friday

Coco Gauff thought she was about to head out on the court to play her second-round match at the French Open.

"I was probably about 70% done with my warmup," last year's runner-up at Roland Garros would say later.

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Navas returns to Spain squad for Nations League final four

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente recalled veteran Jesús Navas while inviting French-born newcomer Robin Le Normand to his squad for the Nations League final four on Friday.

The 37-year-old Navas is the sole remaining member of Spain's 2010 World Cup-winning team. He helped Sevilla win its seventh Europa League title by beating AS Roma on penalties this week. Navas made his 46th and most recent appearance for Spain in October 2020.

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