CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych is out of the Milan Cortina Games after he refused to stop wearing a banned tribute helmet. This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

South Korea’s spy agency says it believes the teenage daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is close to being designated as the country’s future leader. The assessment comes as Kim moves to extend the family dynasty to a fourth generation. The assessment by the National Intelligence Service was delivered to lawmakers in a closed-door meeting on Thursday. It comes as North Korea is preparing to hold its biggest political conference later this month, where Kim is expected to outline his major policy goals for the next five years and take steps to tighten his authoritarian grip.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog is close to ending a four-day visit to Australia that brought comfort to Sydney’s Jewish community following a recent antisemitic mass shooting. Herzog visited Sydney, the national capital Canberra and Melbourne in the first Australian visit by an Israeli head of state in six years. He is due to leave Australia on Thursday. Herzog's visit has attracted large-scale demonstrations protesting the civilian toll of the Gaza war. He has been dogged by protesters who label him a war criminal. Herzog was invited to support a community reeling from an attack on a Jewish festival at Bondi Beach in December that left 15 people dead.

Bangladesh is holding its first election since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government collapsed in 2024 following mass protests. The voting started slow but crowds were gathering at polling stations in the capital, Dhaka, and elsewhere by midmorning Thursday. Balloting will continue through the day with results expected Friday. More than 127 million people are eligible to vote in the election to choose members of parliament. Tarique Rahman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party is a contender to form the next government. Strong support is also expected for an 11-party alliance led by the country’s largest Islamist party.

European Union leaders are gathering in Belgium as the bloc argues over how to stand up to pressure from the United States, China and Russia. They are meeting Thursday in a session meant to shape another summit in late March. German and Italian leaders are pushing deregulation, rebooted ties with Washington and more trade deals. France is pushing “European preference” to protect key industries and to steer defense spending toward EU arms makers. Leaders will also debate new finance tools to shield trade and investment. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says economic strength drives global influence.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is leading a large U.S. delegation to the Munich Security Conference this week. Increasingly nervous European leaders are hoping for at least a brief reprieve from President Donald Trump’s often inconsistent policies and threats that have roiled transatlantic relations and the post-World War II international order. A year after Vice President JD Vance stunned assembled dignitaries at the same venue with a verbal assault on many of America’s closest allies in Europe, Rubio plans to take a less contentious but philosophically similar approach when he addresses the annual conference on Saturday. That's according to U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Taiwan's economy is thriving thanks to the boom in artificial intelligence, driven by strong demand for computer chips and other products made by companies like TSMC and Foxconn. The island's economy grew at an 8.6% annual pace last year and a recent trade deal with Washington may give it a further boost. But Taiwan's heavy reliance on computer chip makers and other technology companies also carries the risk of the AI craze turning out to be a bubble. Beijing claims the self-governed island as its own territory, a persisting threat for Taiwan despite its vital role in Chinese and global supply chains.

The chairman of the federal Religious Liberty Commission ousted a member after a hearing that featured tense exchanges on the definition of antisemitism. The ousted member, Carrie Prejean Boller, had defended prominent commentator Candace Owens, who routinely shares antisemitic conspiracy theories. Prejean Boller, a model turned conservative activist, quoted a Bible verse that attributed the death of Jesus to Jews and pushed back on the idea that some people mask antisemitism in their criticism of Israel. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, chair of the commission, says, “No member of the commission has the right to hijack a hearing for their own personal and political agenda on any issue.”

Activists have planned protests at more than two dozen Target stores around the United States to pressure the discount retailer into taking a public stand against the 5-week-old immigration crackdown in its home state of Minnesota. A coalition of community groups, religious leaders, labor unions and other critics of the federal operation, called for coordinated demonstrations to start on Wednesday and to continue for a full week. Target’s headquarters are located in Minneapolis, where federal officers last month killed two residents who had participated in anti-ICE protests, and its name adorns the city’s major league baseball stadium and an arena where its basketball teams plays.

The House has voted to slap back President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada. The tally offered a rare rebuke of the White House agenda, though it wouldn’t actually undo the tariffs without support from Trump himself, which is highly unlikely. Almost instantly, Trump issued his own rebuke with a political warning to those who would dare cross him. He believes in the power of tariffs to force U.S. trade partners to the negotiating table. But lawmakers are facing unrest back home from businesses caught in the trade wars and constituents navigating high prices. House Speaker Mike Johnson tried to prevent a vote, but his strategy collapsed. Several Republicans joined with Democrats in favor of the resolution. It next goes to the Senate.

Detroit center Isaiah Stewart was suspended seven games by the NBA on Wednesday, while three other players were also penalized for their roles in a fight during a game between the Pistons and Charlotte Hornets. Hornets forwards Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabaté were each suspended four games for fighting and escalating the altercation, while Pistons center Jalen Duren got two games for initiating the altercation and fighting, the league announced. But the heaviest penalty went to Stewart, with the league saying it was based in part on his “repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts.” The league said he left the bench area, aggressively entered an on-court altercation, and fought during Monday night’s game.

The IRS has erroneously shared the taxpayer information of thousands of people with the Department of Homeland Security, according to a new court filing. It was part of the agencies’ controversial agreement to share information on immigrants for the purpose of identifying and deporting people illegally in the U.S. A declaration filed Wednesday by IRS Chief Risk and Control Officer Dottie Romo stated that the IRS was only able to verify roughly 47,000 of the 1.28 million names requested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. For less than 5% of those individuals, the IRS gave ICE additional address information, potentially violating privacy rules created to protect taxpayer data.

Kraft Heinz said Wednesday it’s pausing its plans to split into two companies. Steve Cahillane, a former Kellogg Co. chief who became CEO of Kraft Heinz on Jan. 1, said he wants to ensure that all of the company’s resources are focused on profitable growth. Cahillane said he thinks many of Kraft Heinz's challenges are “fixable and within our control.” Kraft Heinz announced in September it was splitting into two companies a decade after a merger of the brands created one of the biggest food manufacturers on the planet. The transaction was expected to occur in the second half of this year.

Investigators are still searching for Nancy Guthrie as the case reaches it's 11th day. Police briefly detained a man for questioning but released him Tuesday. Investigators say the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie was taken against her will from her home in Tucson, Arizona. The FBI released porch video of a masked person with a backpack, but they haven't identified a suspect as pressure and questions mount. Former FBI profiler Mary Ellen O’Toole says it's not uncommon for investigations to move slowly. She says public tips can break cases open.