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Feb 16, 2026

North Korea's Kim marks completion of Pyongyang housing project as key party congress nears

23:42
North Korea's Kim marks completion of Pyongyang housing project as key party congress nears

By Joyce Lee

Reuters North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter Kim Ju Ae attend a completion ceremony for the 10,000-unit housing complex in the fourth phase of the Hwaseong District, in Pyongyang, North Korea, February 16, 2026, in this picture released February 17, 2026 by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency. KCNA via REUTERS North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter Kim Ju Ae attend a completion ceremony for the 10,000-unit housing complex in the fourth phase of the Hwaseong District, in Pyongyang, North Korea, February 16, 2026, in this picture released February 17, 2026 by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency. KCNA via REUTERS North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter Kim Ju Ae attend a completion ceremony for the 10,000-unit housing complex in the fourth phase of the Hwaseong District, in Pyongyang, North Korea, February 16, 2026, in this picture released February 17, 2026 by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency. KCNA via REUTERS

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends housing complex completion ceremony in Pyongyang

SEOUL, Feb 17 (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un marked the completion of 10,000 new houses built in ‌Pyongyang, state media KCNA said on Tuesday, as the country prepares ‌to hold a key party congress.

Kim has been touring construction sites and touting project progress ​ahead of this month's Ninth Congress of the ruling Workers' Party, the country's biggest political gathering that reviews performance, sets new policy goals and can bring leadership change.

On Monday, Kim oversaw the completion ceremony for 10,000 houses in Hwasong ‌District, Pyongyang, which achieved the ⁠goal of 50,000 new houses in the metropolitan area set during the Eighth Congress five years ago, according to ⁠state broadcaster KCNA.

"Based on the transformational achievements... during the Eighth period, the Ninth Congress of the party will set a grander goal of restoration and creation," ​Kim said, ​according to KCNA.

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Kim's daughter Ju Ae ​was shown at her father's ‌side at the completion ceremony, hugging and congratulating the residents of the new estate. There has been increasing speculation among analysts and from South Korea's spy agency that Kim is grooming the teenager to succeed him.

As part of their tour of the housing project, North Korean state TV showed Kim ‌and Ju Ae also visiting an arcade ​game centre that looked similar to an internet ​cafe, a musical instrument shop ​and an animal hospital where they petted a puppy.

Meanwhile, ‌KCNA said those participating in the ​upcoming party congress arrived ​in Pyongyang on Monday.

In the past two instances in 2016 and 2021, the Congress began three to four days after representatives arrived ​in Pyongyang, according to ‌Hong Min, an analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification ​in Seoul.

(Reporting by Joyce Lee and Sebin Choi; Editing by Lisa ​Shumaker, Ed Davies and Kate Mayberry)

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India eyes $200B in data center investments as it ramps up its AI hub ambitions

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India eyes $200B in data center investments as it ramps up its AI hub ambitions

NEW DELHI (AP) — India is hoping to garner as much as $200 billion in investments for data centers over the next few years as it scales up its ambitions to become a hub forartificial intelligence, the country's minister for electronics and information technology said Tuesday.

Associated Press

The investments underscore the reliance of tech titans on India as a key technology and talent base in the global race for AI dominance. For New Delhi, they bring in high-value infrastructure and foreign capital at a scale that can accelerate its digital transformation ambitions.

The push comes as governments worldwide race to harness AI's economic potential while grappling with job disruption, regulation and the growing concentration of computing power in a few rich countries and companies.

"Today, India is being seen as a trusted AI partner to the Global South nations seeking open, affordable and development-focused solutions," Ashwini Vaishnaw told The Associated Press in an email interview, asNew Delhi hosts a major AI Impact Summitthis week drawing participation from at least 20 global leaders and a who's who of the tech industry.

In October,Google announced a $15 billion investment planin India over the next five years to establish its firstartificial intelligencehub in the South Asian country.Microsoftfollowed two months later with itsbiggest-ever Asia investment announcement of $17.5 billionto advance India's cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure over the next four years.

Amazon too has committed $35 billion investment in India by 2030 to expand its business, specifically targeting AI-driven digitization. The cumulative investments are part of $200 billion in investments that are in the pipeline and New Delhi hopes would flow in.

Vaishnaw said India's pitch is that artificial intelligence must deliver measurable impacts at scale rather than remain an elite technology.

"A trusted AI ecosystem will attract investment and accelerate adoption," he said, adding that a central pillar of India's strategy to capitalize on the use of AI is building infrastructure.

The government recently announced a long-term tax holiday for data centers as it hopes to provide policy certainty and attract global capital.

Vaishnaw said the government has already operationalized a shared computing facility with more than 38,000 graphics processing units, or GPUs, allowing startups, researchers and public institutions to access high-end computing without heavy upfront costs.

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"AI must not become exclusive. It must remain widely accessible," he said.

Alongside the infrastructure drive, India is backing the development of sovereign foundational AI models trained on Indian languages and local contexts. Some of these models meet global benchmarks and in certain tasks rival widely used large language models, Vaishnaw said.

India is also seeking a larger role in shaping how AI is built and deployed globally as the country doesn't see itself strictly as a "rule maker or rule taker," according to Vaishnaw, but an active participant in setting practical, workable norms while expanding its AI services footprint worldwide.

"India will become a major provider of AI services in the near future," he said, describing a strategy that is "self-reliant yet globally integrated" across applications, models, chips, infrastructure and energy.

Investor confidence is another focus area for New Delhi as global tech funding becomes more cautious.

Vaishnaw said the technology's push is backed by execution, pointing to the Indian government's AI Mission program which emphasizes sector specific solutions through public-private partnerships.

The government is also betting on reskilling its workforce as global concerns grow that AI could disrupt white collar and technology jobs. New Delhi is scaling AI education across universities, skilling programs and online platforms to build a large AI-ready talent pool, the minister said.

Widespread 5G connectivity across the country and a young, tech-savvy population are expected to help with the adoption of AI at a faster pace, he added.

Balancing innovation with safeguards remains a challenge though, as AI expands into sensitive sectors such as governance, health care and finance.

Vaishnaw outlined a fourfold strategy that includes implementable global frameworks, trusted AI infrastructure, regulation of harmfulmisinformationand stronger human and technical capacity to hedge the impact.

"The future of AI should be inclusive, distributed and development-focused," he said.

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To afficionados, fungi are freaky, mystical and overlooked. They're helping scientists learn more

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To afficionados, fungi are freaky, mystical and overlooked. They're helping scientists learn more

ANGWIN, Calif. (AP) — Jessica Allen crunched through fallen leaves among Manzanita trees hunting for something few have spotted before: the Manzanita butter clump — a rare and little-known yellow mushroom found, so far, only along North America's Western coastlines.

Associated Press Gina Min, a member of the California Lichen Society, looks closely at lichen on a large rock during a CALS field trip at the University of California, Davis' McLaughlin Reserve in Lower Lake, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) Jessica Allen, of the California Lichen Society, holds up a firedot lichen found during a CALS field trip at the University of California, Davis' McLaughlin Reserve in Lower Lake, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) A group of California Lichen Society members and guests take part in a field trip at the University of California, Davis' McLaughlin Reserve in Lower Lake, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) Valerie McFarlane, top, and Edward Smyth, a member of the California Lichen Society, look toward lichen on a large rock during a field trip at the University of California, Davis' McLaughlin Reserve in Lower Lake, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) Jesse Miller, President of the California Lichen Society, walks near cedar trees while leading a group of CALS members and guests on a field trip at the University of California, Davis' McLaughlin Reserve in Lower Lake, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) University of California, Berkeley students Daniel Clarke, left, Natalia Rovira and Sarah Campbell take part in a California Lichen Society field trip at the University of California, Davis' McLaughlin Reserve in Lower Lake, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) Laura Moreno-Baker, an ecologist with the Bureau of Land Management's Ukiah Field Office, looks at lichen through a hand lens loupe during a California Lichen Society field trip at the University of California, Davis' McLaughlin Reserve in Lower Lake, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) Rock shield and rock tripe lichen are visible on a large rock during a California Lichen Society field trip at the University of California, Davis' McLaughlin Reserve in Lower Lake, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) Jessica Allen, of the California Lichen Society, arrange lichen found during a CALS field trip at the University of California, Davis' McLaughlin Reserve in Lower Lake, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) Jessica Allen, of the California Lichen Society, arrange lichen found during a CALS field trip at the University of California, Davis' McLaughlin Reserve in Lower Lake, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) Lise Peterson, left, and Dan Antonaccio walk down a path while taking part in a California Lichen Society field trip at the University of California, Davis' McLaughlin Reserve in Lower Lake, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Climate Fungi Conservation

It was last seen here in California's Napa County two years ago, and Allen, a fungi scientist, was keen to find it. But within minutes, something caught her attention. She knelt, pulled a hand lens to her eye, and peered nose-close into a rock: lichens — a type of fungi — bursting with dazzling shapes, textures and colors.

"It's so easy to get distracted, but there's so many lichen!" she said excitedly.

"That was a good rock," said ecologist Jesse Miller, president of the California Lichen Society.

"Ok, let's go find some mushrooms," she exclaimed.

Allen and Miller are enchanted by what they describe as the wondrous and mystical world of fungi, and they're part of a growing community of people working to protect them. Nearly all life forms depend on theestimated 2.5 millionfungi species on Earth, and they contribute an estimated $54 trillion to the global economy as food, medicine and more, according to a study published inSpringer Nature. Despite their essential role, they've been largely neglected by conservation efforts even as they face increasing threats from pollution, habitat loss and climate change. That'sbeen changingin the last decade thanks in part to citizen scientists and a greater understanding of fungi diversity.

"It's a pretty exciting time in fungal conservation," said Allen, mycologist for NatureServe, a hub for biodiversity data throughout North America. In that role, Allen is helping accelerate and support fungal conservation in the U.S. and Canada.

Amateur researchers play a key role in conservation

Fungi are neither plants nor animals. They're an enormous kingdom of life forms that include yeasts (essential for breads, cheeses and alcohol), molds (the fuzzy stuff on forgotten fruit), lichens (a symbiosis of fungus and algae or cyanobacteria) and mushrooms (which range from edible to psychedelic todeadly). They're among the planet's great connectors and decomposers. Forests need them, and many animals rely on them for food and nesting.

People have derived medicines like penicillin from fungi. Some are used asbuilding materialor can store planet-warming carbon. But scientists have only documented about 155,000 species, 6% of the millions they believe are out there.

Conservation starts with knowing what species exist, where they are, how they're doing and their threats, which requires boots on the ground. This allows conservationists to assess imperiled species and where to put resources.

That's where groups like the California Lichen Society come in.

"They tend to be the people that often make the most important discoveries, and they're the ones who are going to be keeping an eye on those rare species over time," said Allen.

On a chilly recent day, dozens of lichenologists and amateur lichen lovers fanned out across a reserve to get close to rocks and trees. These annual forays are part treasure hunt, part data collection excursion and part nature hike, except its explorers often don't make it far.

Every powdery, leafy and branchy lichen was an invitation into a miniature world where "Wows!", "What the hecks!" and "Oh my gods!" abound. As chemist Larry Cool put it: "Lichenologists make terrible hiking partners" because they keep stopping.

Cool's interest in lichens stretches back 53 years to the day he learned they can be used as natural dyes. "Lichen are more than the sum of its parts and are mysteriously unpredictable," he said. "I get a lot of pleasure seeing the incredible variety of creation."

Ken Kellman is also an amateur lichenologist, but you wouldn't know that from his immense knowledge. A retired air conditioning and heating mechanic, he's geeked out over them the last 10 years or so, learning on his own and from friends. That obsession has helped scientists discover the biodiversity in his hometown of Santa Cruz, Calif.

"It just keeps your brain in that place where you're saying 'Wow!' all the time. 'That's cool!' And that's my favorite place for my brain to be," he said.

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Fungi conservation in US 'is still far behind' but changing

Gregory Mueller has spent much of his career in fungi conservation. As co-chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature's fungal conservation committee, he coordinates all fungal protection activity across their global network.

According to the group's Red List of Threatened Species, 411 of 1,300 evaluated fungi acrossthe world are at risk of extinction. Parts of Europe and elsewhere have focused on fungal conservation for decades, but the U.S. "is still far behind," Mueller said. Only two fungi species — both lichen — are protected by the federalEndangered SpeciesAct, while some states like California have legal protections, while others like New Jersey have added them to conservation plans.

That's slowly changing, in part because of increasing community science initiatives in the U.S. and abroad.

"There's a lot of amateur mycologists ... documenting (fungi) with photographs, putting their images on iNaturalist and our Mushroom Observer, and we've been able to use those data to better document fungal diversity," he said. We're "starting to get some idea of what species might be in trouble."

Scientists are still learning about fungi and threats to them

Most fungi are out of sight, spending most of their lives hidden as a vast, threadlike network called mycelium and producing mushrooms — called the fruiting body — only when conditions are just right.

That's a big reason we know so little about them, said Nora Dunkirk, a botanist and mycologist at Portland State University's Institute for Natural Resources working to document vulnerable plant and fungi species to help with conservation efforts.

Among their biggest threats includes climate change. Shifts in rainfall patterns, hotter temperatures and worsening wildfires can wipe them out ordisturb the delicate relationshipsbetween forests and good fungi. Prolonged periods of flooding can starve them of the oxygen they need. Logging, development, invasive insects and pollution also threaten species.

Then there's overharvesting. The grapefruit-sized and long-lived quinine conk, for example, has been listed as an endangered mushroom species in Europe since the 1980s in part because people have picked too many for their medicinal properties.

"This is an organism that grows on larches all across Europe, and so people see this as a valuable resource and they use it," said Dunkirk. "But this species specifically has been harvested to its detriment."

Perhaps the U.S.'s most well-known conservation story indirectly involving fungi happened in the 1990s. The Northern spotted owl was in danger, and officials realized that to save them, they had to manage the entire old-growth forest ecosystems they depended on — including fungi.

With the 1994 Northwest Forest Plan, the federal government established rules to protect about 400 rare and little-known species across three states.

Back in California, Allen and her fellow fungi-loving friends continued their quest for the elusive Manzanita butter clump. They searched up steep slopes and down by a creek, looking closely by their feet.

They never found it.

But that's how it goes when you're searching for something as ephemeral and unpredictable as mushrooms.

"How many of my days have ended this way? So many," said Allen. "It was still a great day."

The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP's environmental coverage, visithttps://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment.

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What's next for Tyreek Hill after his release from the Dolphins? Keep an eye on Chiefs and Bills

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What's next for Tyreek Hill after his release from the Dolphins? Keep an eye on Chiefs and Bills

Tyreek Hill is officially a free agent, putting him in an unfamiliar position for the first time in his career.

So, what's next for the star wide receiver?

TheMiami Dolphins officially released Hill on Monday, ending a four-season run in which the franchise bet big on him being a key piece to pair with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.Ultimately, that didn't work out. The Dolphins failed to win a single playoff game during his time in South Florida, continuing a drought that dates back to the 2000 season.

Hill went down with a devastating knee injury early this past season, too, including a dislocated knee. Hill's agent said Monday that he's "progressing well" in his rehab and will be ready to play at some point next season, and Hill vowed to return.

But who is in play for Hill next season?Yahoo Sports' "Inside Coverage" podcastdiscussed a couple of possibilities Monday.

"He still has that speed. Even if he's 80% of what he was, he's still going to be one of the faster players in the NFL," Yahoo Sports senior betting analyst Ben Fawkes said. "So I think he can be a useful piece for a contender, but also at what price is the big question too."

Kansas City Chiefs

The first landing spot is obvious. The Chiefs are the easiest match for Hill because his career began in Kansas City, and he won a Super Bowl ring there. He appeared to give a nod of approval on social media of the Chiefs' recent re-hiring of Eric Bieniemy as offensive coordinator.

But Hill's usage in Kansas City may not be what he's used to.

"Is [Hill] willing to accept a lesser role if that's what he is right now? Let's say the Chiefs, right? Well, is he their No. 1 [wideout]? No, that's probably Rasheed Rice, who has his own set of baggage," Yahoo Sports NFL senior reporter Frank Schwab said. "And is he their speed guy? Well, no, that's probably Xavier Worthy. What role is he willing to accept? How much money is he willing to accept?"

There are, naturally, a lot of questions to be answered there. But Hill would be a solid weapon for the Chiefs, who just missed the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade.

Buffalo Bills

Buffalo appears hellbent on doing just about anything possible to help lift quarterback Josh Allen over the postseason hump and to a Super Bowl. That included jettisoning a successful head coach in Sean McDermott in favor of offensive coordinator Joe Brady earlier this offseason.

Hill could be an easy add for a team needing an extra option. Khalil Shakir was their leading receiver last year with just 719 receiving yards, while tight ends Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox were second and third.

"They need that veteran piece," podcast host Andrew Siciliano. "They need that deep threat. They need a guy who down the field — I'm sorry, Brandin Cooks — can attack that football or just run away from the guy closest to him. So he doesn't have to have a contested catch there to win a playoff game in Denver."

Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers could be a great fit for Hill for multiple reasons. He'd get to pair up with Justin Herbert, who has statistically been a top tier quarterback during his first six seasons in the league even if the team has struggled at times. The Chargers have plenty of money to pay Hill, too, as they're sitting with the third-most salary cap space in the league this offseason.

Oh, and Mike McDaniel is now the Chargers' offensive coordinator after he was fired by the Dolphins earlier this offseason. Reuniting with his former head coach on the other side of the country feels like it would make things even easier for Hill coming off of his injury.

New England Patriots

Sure, the Patriots reached Super Bowl LX this past season. But something was missing, and that was very evident in the final game as the Seahawks cruised to the dominant win in the Bay Area.

Hill could easily step into New England and help young quarterback Drake Maye as he enters his third season in the league. Pairing Hill with fellow star Stefon Diggs, who racked up 1,013 receiving yards last season, and tight end Hunter Henry, might just be the boost the team needs to get over the hump.

Las Vegas Raiders

Now this may not be Hill's first choice, considering the state of the Raiders in recent years. But there are plenty of reasons why it would work.

The Raiders are under new leadership once again this season with Klint Kubiak coming in as their head coach. The franchise has the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, too, which they will presumably use on Indiana quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza. Getting Mendoza a veteran like Hill right away in his career, along with young running back Ashton Jeanty and tight end Brock Bowers, would be huge early on in his career.

Oh, and the Raiders have money to spend. That'd be nice for Hill, too.

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'Dodgy burger' rules Santner out against Canada as New Zealand targets T20 World Cup Super 8s

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'Dodgy burger' rules Santner out against Canada as New Zealand targets T20 World Cup Super 8s

CHENNAI, India (AP) — Canada won the toss Tuesday and elected to bat against a New Zealand lineup targeting a spot in the Super 8s at theT20 World Cup.

Stand-in captain Daryl Mitchell said regular skipper Mitchell Santner is sick and will miss the game because he "had a dodgy burger last night."

Cole McConchie replaced Santner as a like-for-like replacement in the XI.

New Zealand was forced into another change with Kyle Jamieson coming in for pace bowler Lockie Ferguson, who returned home for the birth of his first child. Ferguson is scheduled to rejoin the team during the Super 8s.

A third win in Group D would seal New Zealand's place in the next round alongside South Africa, England, West Indies, India and Sri Lanka. New Zealand started the tournament with victories againstAfghanistanandUnited Arab Emiratesbefore losing toSouth Africa.

Canada has never played a T20 international against New Zealand. But in the one-day international format, the Black Cups have won all three previous matches against Canada.

Canada is last in the group following losses to United Arab Emirates and South Africa and will be knocked out of the tournament if it loses to New Zealand.

Later Tuesday, Zimbabwe is aiming for a win over Ireland that would also knock2021 champion Australiaout in the first round of the tournament for the first time since 2009. Nepal, which has lost all its three group games, is rounding out its T20 World Cup campaign against Scotland.

Canada: Yuvraj Samra, Dilpreet Bajwa (captain), Navneet Dhaliwal, Harsh Thaker, Nicholas Kirton, Shreyas Movva, Saad Bin Zafar, Shivam Sharma, Dilon Heyliger, Jaskaran Singh, Ansh Patel.

New Zealand: Tim Seifert, Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell (captain), Cole McConchie, James Neesham, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy.

AP cricket:https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

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No. 8 Kansas' Darryn Peterson, after early exit, faces Oklahoma State

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No. 8 Kansas' Darryn Peterson, after early exit, faces Oklahoma State

Kansas coach Bill Self made a lineup decision with his sights set on the No. 8 Jayhawks' game against Oklahoma State on Wednesday in Stillwater, Okla.

In a 74-56 loss on Saturday at then-No. 5 Iowa State, the veteran coach pulled leading scorer Darryn Peterson (19.8 points per game) from the lineup with the Jayhawks (19-6, 9-3 Big 12) chasing a big deficit.

The decision adds to the saga of Peterson, the enigmatic star freshman guard who has battled myriad leg and ankle issues. Kansas handed then-No. 1 Arizona its first loss of the season, 82-78 on Feb. 9, while Peterson was out due to flu-like symptoms. It was the 11th game he missed this season.

Peterson returned for 24 relatively listless minutes against Iowa State, making 3 of 10 field-goal attempts, 2 of 6 3-point attempts and scoring 10 points. With a win in the contest seemingly out of reach, Self made a decision to save Peterson for the game at Oklahoma State, where Kansas will look to improve upon its 4-4 road mark.

"It was probably game flow and conditioning because he was sick," Self said. "When he came out at the end it was probably me thinking, 'What can we do to give us the best chance to have success on Wednesday?' That was me making that decision. I didn't think he was great, but he hadn't practiced much. He wasn't bad, but he hadn't practiced much."

As for the Iowa State game, in which Melvin Council Jr. paced the Jayhawks with 15 points, it was a result that was almost the complete reverse of a Jan. 13 game that saw Kansas cruise to an 84-63 home win over the Cyclones.

In Big 12 road games, Self said teams have to have "toughness, take away (3-point shots), take care of the basketball" and avoid "live-ball turnovers."

"This league is good, especially away from home," Self said. "When you play conference games away from home, there's a good chance that even the best teams leave unhappy. We can't let one (loss) become two."

Because they are 13-3 at home, the Cowboys (16-9, 4-8) will hope some home cooking helps them snap their three-game losing streak.

For a team that is No. 72 in the NCAA NET rankings and is listed by several outlets in the "Next Four Out" category regarding the NCAA Tournament, it's been too long between wins. The last time Oklahoma State won was on Feb. 4 in a 99-92 upset of then-No. 16 BYU.

Oklahoma State went 0-2 on an Arizona road trip, falling 84-47 at then-No. 1 Arizona and losing 85-76 to Arizona State, before dropping a 95-92 overtime decision to fellow NCAA Tournament bubble squad TCU on Saturday in Stillwater, Okla.

Parsa Fallah racked up a game-high 27 points against the Horned Frogs to lead five Oklahoma State players who scored in double figures. Even with the clock ticking on the Cowboys' postseason dreams, Fallah said he has faith in the team's ability to bounce back.

"It's hard to lose games like (the one against TCU) that we really need to win," Fallah said. "But I refuse to give up on this team and all the coaches, all the players. We cannot give up now. We understand some fans might be mad and they have the right to be mad. But we have a game Wednesday, we have (six) more games and the Big 12 tournament.

"We've got a good team. We are right there. We are just a step short. We are not going to give up, but it's tough."

--Field Level Media

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US and Iran to hold a second round of nuclear talks in Geneva

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US and Iran to hold a second round of nuclear talks in Geneva

GENEVA (AP) — The U.S. and Iran are expected to hold their second round of talks about Iran's nuclear program Tuesday in Geneva as the United States ramps up its military presence in the Middle East and Iran holds large-scale maritime exercises.

Associated Press In this photo released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, right, and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi, left, hold a meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (Iranian Foreign Ministry via AP) In this photo released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, left, shakes hands with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi during their meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (Iranian Foreign Ministry via AP) FILE - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi looks on during a meeting with Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi, and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, at Tahrir Palace in Cairo, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Khaled Elfiqi, File) FILE - In this photo released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, center, heads to the venue for talks between Iran and the U.S., in Muscat, Oman, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (Iranian Foreign Ministry via AP, File) FILE - In this photo released by the Oman's Foreign Ministry, Steve Witkoff, White House special envoy, center, shakes hands with Oman's Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, accompanied by Jared Kushner, left, during a meeting prior to Iran and U.S. negotiations in Muscat, Oman, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (Oman Foreign Ministry via AP, File)

EU Iran Talks

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to use force to compel Iran to agreeto constrain its nuclear program. Iran has said it would respond with an attack of its own. Trump has also threatened Iran over itsdeadly crackdown on recent nationwide protests.

The first round of talks Feb. 6 were held inOman, a sultanate on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, and were indirect, with SUVs flying the American flag entering the palace venue only after it appeared the Iranian officials had left. The arrangements for Tuesday's round of negotiations were not clear.

Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were traveling for the new round of talks. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, visiting Budapest, Hungary, said Monday that the U.S. hopes to achieve a deal with Iran, despite the difficulties. "I'm not going to prejudge these talks," Rubio said. "The president always prefers peaceful outcomes and negotiated outcomes to things."

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who is leading the talks for Iran, met withthe head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agencyMonday in Geneva.

"I am in Geneva with real ideas to achieve a fair and equitable deal," Araghchi wrote on X. "What is not on the table: submission before threats."

Last week, a top Iranian security official traveled to Oman and met with Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, the chief intermediary in the talks, in a meeting likely focused on updates from the first round and next steps.

"Regional peace and security is our priority, and we urge restraint and wise compromise," al-Busaidi wrote on X after his meeting with Ali Larijani, a former Iranian parliament speaker who now serves as the secretary to the country's Supreme National Security Council.

Iran has in the past communicated its positions in writing when dealing with the Americans. Famously, Japan's then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe tried to hand Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei a letter from Trump in 2019 that he refused to take.

Iran holds naval drills against the US military buildup

Iran announced that its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard started a drill early Monday morning in the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, waterways that arecrucial international trade routesthrough which20% of the world's oil passes.

Separately, EOS Risk Group said sailors passing through the region received a radio warning that the northern lane of the Strait of Hormuz, in Iranian territorial waters, likely would see a live-fire drill Tuesday. Iranian state TV did not mention the live-fire drill.

It was Iran's second warning in recent weeks about a live-fire drill.

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Last week, Trump said the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, was being sent from the Caribbean Sea to the Mideast to join other warships and military assets theU.S. has built upin the region.

The Ford, whose new deployment was first reported by The New York Times, will join the USS Abraham Lincoln and its accompanying guided-missile destroyers, which havebeen in the regionfor over two weeks. U.S. forces already haveshot down an Iranian dronethat approached the Lincoln on the same day last week that Iran tried to stop a U.S.-flagged ship in the Strait of Hormuz.

Gulf Arab nations have warned any attack could spiral into another regional conflict in a Mideast still reeling from theIsrael-Hamas warin the Gaza Strip.

Iran says any deal must include easing of punishing sanctions

The Trump administration is seeking a deal to limit Iran's nuclear program and ensure it does not develop nuclear weapons. Iran says it is not pursuing weapons and has so far resisted demands that it halt uranium enrichment or hand over its supply of uranium.

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi signaled that Tehran could be open to compromise on the nuclear issue, but is looking for an easing of international sanctions led by the United States.

"The ball is in America's court. They have to prove they want to have a deal with us," Takht-Ravanchi told the BBC on Sunday. "If we see a sincerity on their part, I am sure that we will be on a road to have an agreement."

"We are ready to discuss this and other issues related to our program provided that they are also ready to talk about the sanctions," he added.

The U.S. and Iran were in the middle of months of meetings when Israel's launch ofa 12-day war against Iranback in June instantly halted the talks.The U.S. bombed Iranian nuclear sitesduring that war, likely destroying many of the centrifuges that spun uranium to near weapons-grade purity. Israel's attacks decimated Iran's air defenses andtargeted its ballistic missile arsenalas well.

Iran has insisted its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. Before the June war, Iran had beenenriching uranium up to 60% purity,a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels.

Associated Press writer Melanie Lidman contributed from Tel Aviv, Israel.

The Associated Press receives support for nuclear security coverage fromthe Carnegie Corporation of New YorkandOutrider Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. ___ Additional AP coverage of the nuclear landscape:https://apnews.com/projects/the-new-nuclear-landscape/

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