Sporting CP striker Viktor Gykeres has set his sights on a move to Arsenal. Transfer Talk has the latest news and gossip.

A dedicated film junkie since high school, Spytek will be at the head of the war room for Las Vegas on Thursday night.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is planning to bring together data from a wide variety of other U.S. government agencies, including the Department of Labor (DOL), Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to make a centralized database to identify immigration targets, according to a document viewed by 404 Media.The news signals ICEs heavy emphasis on bringing disparate datasets together in order to carry out President Trumps mass deportation effort. The tool, called ATrac and Alien Tracker in the document, is planned to allow for the management of all enforcement priorities, and provide near real-time tracking of both targets on a local level and the broader set of immigration enforcement targets around the country.Do you work for a government agency or contractor connected to this? I would love to hear from you. Using a non-work device, you can message me securely on Signal at joseph.404 or send me an email at joseph@404media.co.The document says ATrac is an ICE tool that displays information on a geospatial interface for officials to identify potential enforcement targets, and then task that enforcement to a particular team. Once a team is sent out, they are required to report the ultimate outcome, such as the target being arrested; the target being located but not arrested; or the target not being located.The document says ATrac already includes information from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). It also includes data from law enforcement agencies such as the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), according to the document.Other agencies planned for inclusion named in the document, such as HUD, HHS, and DOL, are not ordinarily associated with immigration enforcement. Earlier this month the IRS said it would provide data to ICE for immigration enforcement efforts.Neither HUD, HHS, DOL, nor ICE responded to a request for comment.The document also says that each target in the tool includes information from TRSS, an apparent reference to Thomson Reuters Special Services. The company was previously criticized during the first Trump administration for assisting ICE with the identification and location of aliens. Thomson Reuters did not immediately respond to a request for comment.It is not clear how ATracs data collection and analysis would fit in with other reported ICE databases or tools, and whether it is distinct or related to those projects. On Thursday, U.S. Representative Gerry Connolly said in a letter to the oversight body for the Social Security Administration (SSA) that an agency whistleblower reported members of DOGE were building a master database using data from SSA, IRS, and HHS. On Friday, WIRED reported DOGE was working on a master database which includes data from SSA, voting records, and biometric data which could track immigrants. The Washington Post reported that ICE and DOGE were seeking access to Medicare data.On Wednesday, 404 Media reported ICE paid Palantir tens of millions of dollars for complete target analysis of known populations. A day later, 404 Media reported that Palantir recently engaged in a three-week sprint and is now working on a six month project with ICE concentrated on delivering prototype capabilities, according to a leak of internal Palantir Slacks and other messages. ICE published a document about that same development effort, called ImmigrationOS.Those leaked Palantir messages said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a part of ICE, developed its own in-house system called RAVEn, before coming back to Palantir in late 2024 after that project failed. In the new document obtained by 404 Media, it says officials access the ATrac tool through RAVEn. A privacy impact assessment published by the Department of Homeland Security in March says RAVEn will not replace ICEs traditional criminal investigatory case management systems. Rather, RAVEn will primarily perform large, complex analytical projects at HSI.

Arsenal overcame a 2-0 deficit to beat Real Madrid in the quarterfinals and will again have to mount a fightback when they travel to Parc Olympique Lyonnais.

Theres a scene in Andrew Ahns The Wedding Banquet where queer characters played by Bowen Yang, Kelly Marie Tran, and Lily Gladstone frantically run through their home removing objects that would give away the fact that theyre gay.We gotta de-queer the house, Yangs Chris instructs Angela (Tran) and Lee (Gladstone) upon hearing that his boyfriend Mins grandmother has flown in from Korea when she learns that her grandson plans to marry Angela. The trio hides lesbian literature, DVDs of The L Word, sapphic art, and a Lilith Fair poster as Chris explains that the Indigo Girls are surprisingly popular in Korea. Lily Gladstone and Kelly Marie Tran in The Wedding Banquet Bleecker Street / Shiv Han Pictures The Wedding Banquet is a retelling of Ang Lees seminal 1993 film of the same name for a new generation. In the new film, Angela and Lee are a couple in the throes of IVF treatments that havent worked, leaving them financially overextended and heartbroken. Meanwhile, Min (Han Gi-chan), an artist whose trust from his grandparents is reliant upon his working for the family corporation, and Chris, a perpetual student and bird enthusiast, have been together for five years. But Chris wont commit to marrying Min. The de-gaying scene ensues when Min hatches a scheme to marry Angela: Hell get his green card and pay for IVF for their friends Lee and Angela. Everybody wins.De-queering some homes is easier than others. When asked what theyd remove first if they had to hide the gayest object in their space, the cast, including out stars Gladstone, Yang, and Tran, had some hilarious queer giveaways. I got a rainbow doormat, Gladstone (Fancy Dance and Under the Bridge) says. Youre not even in the door yet.Yang says his entire nightstand has to go, including one special item that is hot political topic of the moment.I'm going to go there. I've got a nightstand drawer that's got too many suspicious things. You know what I mean? the Saturday Night Live star teases. Now its like a treasure trove. I've got all my poppers. They are going to be illegal soon, he says, referring to the Trump administrations war on poppers and other sex accessories.Sell those on eBay, Yang jokes about starting an underground poppers business. Han Gi-Chan and Bowen Yang in The Wedding Banquet Bleecker Street / Shiv Han Pictures The Last Jedi and Rise of Skywalker star Tran says the gayest thing in her home is her art.I have so much queer art in my house that I don't think is, I wouldn't be like, That's queer art. I'm just like, That's art, Tran shares. But then, when other people come over, they're like, That's really gay. And I'm like, Huh. I guess it is. There's that interpretation for sure.A star in Korea, Han says hed have to remove a poster of himself in the TV series Where Your Eyes Linger.I realized that the first gay thing in my house is me because there's a poster of a queer series I filmed in Korea, which was also my debut film ever as an actor. And my parents are proud of it. And they put it in the wall of the living room.The Wedding Banquet costars Joan Chen (The Last Emperor, Saving Face) as Angelas glamorous PFLAG-loving mother and Oscar winner for Minari, Youn Yuh-jung, as Mins grandmother.The film is in theaters on April 18. See the cast interview above and the trailer below.

Kelly Pannek scored to rally the United States past the Czech Republic 2-1 and into the final once again at the women's ice hockey world championship.

The Ducks have fired coach Greg Cronin after missing the NHL playoffs for a seventh straight season.

Campaigners take part in a rally organised by trans rights groups, trade unions, and community organisations following the Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman in equalities law, at Parliament Square, central London, Saturday April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)2025-04-19T14:49:07Z LONDON (AP) Thousands of trans rights protesters gathered in central London on Saturday, days after the U.K.'s Supreme Court ruled that a woman is someone born biologically female and that transgender women are excluded from that legal definition.With unease growing over what the ruling means for the rights of transgender people, protesters came together for what was billed as an emergency demonstration in Parliament Square. Activists demanded trans liberation and trans rights now, with some waving flags and holding banners.Trans groups are worried that Wednesdays landmark decision would undermine their rights, even though the U.K.'s highest court said transgender people remain protected from discrimination. The head of Equality and Human Rights Commission said the ruling will mean transgender women will be excluded from womens toilets, hospital wards and sports teams. Its a terrifying time to have your rights taken away from you, said 19-year-old transgender woman Sophie Gibbs. I was disappointed to think that we could live in a society that seems so progressive now but is willing to make such a dangerous and harmful ruling. The British government has said the unanimous decision by the five judges brought clarity and confidence for women and service providers.Out of some 66 million people in England, Scotland and Wales, about 116,000 identified as trans in the latest census count. About 8,500 gender recognition certificates have been issued. The ruling stemmed from a 2018 law passed by the Scottish Parliament that required at least 50% women on boards of Scottish public bodies. Transgender women with gender recognition certificates were to be included in meeting the quota.The Supreme Court said that using a certificate to interpret someones sex would clash with definitions of man and woman and, therefore, the anti-discrimination provisions of the 2010 Equality Act could only be interpreted as referring to biological sex. Scotlands First Minister John Swinney said Saturday that he understands the hurt and anguish trans people are feeling over the verdict, while accepting that the ruling must be followed.Many people at Saturdays protest worried that the ruling could be the precursor to other judgments that diminish the rights for transgender people.Its a Pandoras box situation where I just think we allow certain things and then we essentially opened up the door to allow way more than we ever thought could be accepted or pushed through, said Zuleha Oshodi, 29.

Ryan Kelley speaks at the Jackson County Republican headquarters, Thursday, April 10, 2025, in Jackson, Mich. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)2025-04-19T12:55:38Z JACKSON, Mich. (AP) Ryan Kelley thought he had a good shot at becoming Michigans governor in 2022. That is, until he was charged with misdemeanors for participating in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. His campaign sputtered and he finished fourth out of five candidates in the Republican primary.Three years later, Kelley says, people ask him all the time to run for governor again. In todays America, where President Donald Trump returned to the White House and within hours pardoned some 1,500 Jan. 6 rioters, Kelleys two-month prison sentence for his actions that winter day in 2021 isnt the obstacle to public life that it might once have been. It may even be a ticket to political prominence.Far from being sidelined, those who rioted, assaulted police officers or broke into congressional offices during the violent attack are now being spotlighted as honored guest speakers at local Republican events around the country. They are getting a platform to tell their version of events and being hailed as heroes and martyrs. Some are considering runs for office, recognizing that at least among a certain segment of the pro-Trump base, they are seen not as criminals but as patriots. Kelley, a 43-year-old commercial real estate developer, is among those fielding new opportunities in the political arena. At a recent county Republican committee event in Jackson, Michigan, Kelley was met with hugs and handshakes. Dozens of attendees hollered and clapped when he introduced himself as your favorite J6er. They gasped and shook their heads as Kelley recalled how his young son thought he was dead while he was in federal prison. They urged him to run for governor again in 2026. It is something he said he is debating. After Kelley finished speaking, attendees said they were touched by his story.Ive done much worse and did no jail time, said 58-year-old Todd Gillman, a woodworker and Republican chairman for the local congressional district. Thank God people like Ryan Kelley are not intimidated by the lawfare that was used against them. Rioters become symbols of government overreachIt makes sense that Republicans are seizing the chance to showcase Jan. 6 rioters, said Matt Dallek, a historian at George Washington University who studies the conservative movement. Trump has likened those rioters to political prisoners and warriors for defending him and his false claims that the 2020 election won by Democrat Joe Biden was stolen. There is no credible evidence the 2020 election was tainted or that Trump was the winner facts backed up by federal and state election officials and Trumps own attorney general. Trumps allegations of fraud were also roundly rejected by courts, including by judges appointed by Trump. Those who are pardoned can testify, like no one else can, to the horrific power of the federal government to destroy their lives, Dallek said. Its a potent rallying cry, and also probably a potent fundraising tool.But there also is a danger to elevating them, he said. Many of those pardoned by the Republican president used violence to stop the peaceful transfer of power, and juries determined their actions to be criminal. It is, I think, a mainstreaming, a growing acceptance on the right of political violence, as long as its done in the service of Trump and his ongoing election lie, Dallek said.Kelley, who did not commit violence or enter the Capitol, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor trespassing charge. He said he saw some things at the Capitol people breaking windows, for example that he did not like. But he also flatly denied an audience members use of the term insurrection.It was a protest that turned into a little bit of a scuffle later in the day for a couple of minutes, right? he told the nodding crowd in Jackson, a midsize city west of Detroit that residents say hosted the first official meeting of the Republican Party in 1854.Extensive video footage and testimony from the events inside the Capitol on Jan. 6 show more than a scuffle as a mob of Trump supporters some armed with poles, bats and bear spray overwhelmed law enforcement, shattered windows and sent lawmakers and aides running into hiding. More than 100 police officers were injured, with some dragged into the crowd and beaten or attacked with makeshift weapons. Kelley said the reason he pleaded guilty was to avoid more serious charges. That differed from his tone in his sentencing hearing in 2023, when he told the judge that his actions outside the Capitol, from crossing the police line to riling up other rioters and ripping a tarp, were wrong. The judge told Kelley: I think you misused the platform that you had as a candidate for elected office to minimize and, frankly, to lie about what happened.As he gazed out at an American flag banner while addressing the crowd in Jackson, Kelley said he was a political prisoner for standing up for what I believe was right. That resonated with attendee Marilyn Acton, a 68-year-old mental health counselor. She hopes pardoned Jan. 6 rioters such as Kelley become more involved in Republican politics.I would like them to totally get involved, because I think people need to know the truth, she said.Pardoned, platformed and protestedBy The Associated Press count, at least two dozen local Republican groups nationwide in recent months have invited Jan. 6 rioters to speak at regular meetings or special fundraisers, some with titles such as Insurrection Hoax and Patriots Vindicated. They include people who only trespassed at the Capitol but also rioters who were convicted and pardoned for more serious crimes such as carrying a firearm on Capitol grounds or violently attacking law enforcement.The Western Wake Republican Club in North Carolina in March featured remarks from James Grant, a pardoned rioter who was among the first to assault police officers and breach a security perimeter during the attack on the Capitol.Grant, who later climbed into the Capitol through a broken window and entered a senators office, used the stage to reiterate his belief that the 2020 election was stolen and suggest that the actions on the front line of the riots were led by undercovers and federal agents. In a video recording of the event, he also decried the conditions in prison and said the experience was traumatic for him.A Republican womens club in Lawrence County, Tennessee, earlier this month hosted an event for Ronald Colton McAbee. He was employed as a sheriffs deputy in Tennessee when he went to Capitol, dragging an officer away from a police line and punching another officer who tried to stop him.McAbee told the crowd the jury that convicted him of five felonies was biased and said he had been trying to help the officer in the melee. He encouraged those listening to get involved in politics and said he had considered running for office himself.It has been a thought, and well see what happens, he said in a video recording of the event. Some of the local GOP groups welcoming Jan. 6 rioters have faced pushback from their communities, prompting them to relocate or even cancel scheduled events.In California, the Association of Monterey Bay Conservatives event featuring six pardoned rioters faced so much public backlash that three potential venues canceled, according to TV station KSBW. When the event was ultimately held at the fourth venue in Salinas, protesters gathered outside the building.The Monterey Peace and Justice Center, a local nonprofit that condemned the event, said in an emailed statement that rebranding these rioters as heroes is a dangerous distortion of history.Event organizer Karen Weissman told the AP in an email the group believed that it was important for our community to hear their stories and hear a different perspective.David Becker, a former Justice Department lawyer and co-author of The Big Truth, a book about Trumps 2020 election falsehoods, said he is troubled by anyone who would reward or celebrate what happened on Jan. 6.We have to agree as a constitutional republic, as a democracy, that elections and the rule of law have meaning, he said. And if we lose that meaning, if we attack our own institutions, we are going down a path where something even worse could happen in the future.From conviction to candidacySome pardoned rioters are taking things a step beyond speaking at political events and setting their sights on local, state or even federal office.Jake Lang, who was charged with assaulting an officer, civil disorder and other crimes before he was pardoned by Trump, recently announced he is running for Secretary of State Marco Rubios vacant U.S. Senate seat in Florida.Enrique Tarrio, the former Proud Boys leader who was sentenced to 22 years in prison after being convicted of seditious conspiracy and other crimes before his full pardon, said in an interview with Newsmax that he will take a serious look at running for office in 2026 or 2028 and believes his future is in politics.In Texas, pardoned rioter Ryan Nichols announced a run for Congress but withdrew days later. Kelley, who has been asked to attend various political events around Michigan in recent months, said he is debating another run for governor in 2026, but is not sure he can commit his young family to the grind of the campaign. He said he wants Michigan to win, whether or not he is the one in office.Still, he recognizes that Trumps pardons have opened a window of opportunity that may not last forever.Now is kind of the time that I could catapult with that, right? he said in an interview. We get a lot of hate, but Im also going to get a lot of support.___Associated Press writer Christina A. Cassidy in Atlanta contributed to this report.___The Associated Press receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about the APs democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content. ALI SWENSON Swenson covers politics and the information landscape for The Associated Press. She is based in New York. twitter

Bucks star Damian Lillard is expected to return for Game 2 or Game 3 of Milwaukee's first-round playoff series against the Pacers, sources told ESPN.

LaLiga leaders Barcelona fought back from 3-1 down to beat Celta Vigo 4-3 in a rollercoaster encounter on Saturday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks with Russian Chief of General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)2025-04-19T10:30:02Z Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a temporary Easter ceasefire in Ukraine starting Saturday, citing humanitarian reasons, as Russia and Ukraine swapped hundreds of captured soldiers in the largest exchange since Moscows full-scale invasion started over three years ago.According to the Kremlin, the ceasefire will last from 6 p.m. Moscow time (1500 GMT) on Saturday to midnight (2100 GMT) following Easter Sunday.We assume that the Ukrainian side will follow our example. At the same time, our troops must be ready to repel possible violations of the truce and provocations from the enemy, any of its aggressive actions, Putin said at a meeting with Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, in a video shared by the Kremlins Press Service.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the ceasefire another attempt by Putin to play with human lives. He wrote on X that air raid alerts are spreading across Ukraine, and Shahed drones in our skies reveal Putins true attitude toward Easter and toward human life. In response to the ceasefire announcement, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that Kyiv had in March agreed unconditionally to the U.S. proposal of a full interim ceasefire for 30 days, which Russia rejected.Putin has now made statements about his alleged readiness for a ceasefire. 30 hours instead of 30 days, Sybiha continued, writing on X. Unfortunately, we have had a long history of his statements not matching his actions. Largest POW exchange so far The two sides meanwhile exchanged hundreds of POWs on Saturday. Russias Ministry of Defense said that 246 Russian service members were returned from territory controlled by Kyiv, and that as a gesture of goodwill 31 wounded Ukrainian POWs were transferred in exchange for 15 wounded Russian soldiers in need of urgent medical care.Zelenskyy said that 277 Ukrainian warriors have returned home from Russian captivity.Both sides thanked the United Arab Emirates for their mediation.Putins ceasefire announcement came after U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are coming to a head and insisted that neither side is playing him in his push to end the grinding three-year war.Trump spoke shortly after Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that the U.S. may move on from trying to secure a Russia-Ukraine peace deal if there is no progress in the coming days, after months of efforts have failed to bring an end to the fighting.In January 2023, Putin had ordered his forces in Ukraine to observe a unilateral, 36-hour cease-fire for Orthodox Christmas. Zelenskyy had dismissed it as playing for time to prepare additional attacks. Russia says its forces have retaken nearly all of Kursk Russias Defense Ministry said Saturday its forces pushed Ukrainian troops from the village of Oleshnya, one of their last remaining footholds in Russias Kursk region where the Ukrainians staged a surprise incursion last year. Gerasimov said Saturday in a report to Putin, quoted by Russian state media, that Russia had retaken nearly all of the territory from Ukrainian forces. The main part of the regions territory, where the invasion took place, has now been liberated. This is 1,260 square kilometers, 99.5%, Gerasimov said.Zelenskyy wrote on X that Ukrainian forces continued their activity on the territory of the Kursk region and are holding their positions.The Associated Press was unable to immediately verify the claim by Russia. Russian and North Korean soldiers have nearly deprived Kyiv of a key bargaining chip by retaking most of the region. According to Russian state news agency Tass, Russia is still fighting to push Ukrainian forces out of the village of Gornal, some 7 miles (11 kilometers) south of Oleshnya. The Russian military has yet to push the Ukrainian armed forces out of Gornal ... in order to completely liberate the Kursk region. Fierce fighting is underway in the settlement, the agency reported, citing Russia security agencies.In other developments, the Ukrainian air force reported that Russia fired 87 exploding drones and decoys in the latest wave of attacks overnight into Saturday. It said 33 of them were intercepted and another 36 were lost, likely having been electronically jammed. Russian attacks damaged farms in the Odesa region and sparked fires in the Sumy region overnight, Ukraines State Emergency Service said Saturday. Fires were contained, and no casualties were reported.Russias Ministry of Defense, meanwhile, said its air defense systems shot down two Ukrainian drones overnight into Saturday.___Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

The Rangers have fired coach Peter Laviolette after a disappointing season that saw the team fail to reach the postseason.

Lightning forward Oliver Bjorkstrand (lower-body injury) will not play in the team's first-round playoff series against the Panthers.

Kenny Atkinson has been named the National Basketball Coaches Association's Coach of the Year in his first season as Cavaliers coach.

USWNT star Trinity Rodman has been ruled out indefinitely by the Washington Spirit as she continues to manage an ongoing back injury, the NWSL team confirmed to ESPN.

A selection of books featuring LGBTQ characters that are part of a Supreme Court case are pictured, Tuesday, April, 15, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)2025-04-19T12:10:04Z WASHINGTON (AP) A prince lassos a dragon, saving a knight in shining armor from certain death. But the prince slips and as he falls, the knight and his steed race to return the favor.Then the two men fall in love.That story, Prince and Knight, is one of five childrens books featuring LGBTQ characters and aimed at kindergarten through the fifth grade that have roiled a diverse suburban Maryland school district and led to a Supreme Court case that the justices will hear on Tuesday.Parents in Montgomery County who object for religious reasons want to pull their children from elementary school classes that use the books. AP AUDIO: A prince and knight fall in love and the Supreme Court is asked to intervene AP correspondent Julie Walker reports on a fight over LGBTQ books going to the Supreme Court. The county school system has refused and lower courts have so far agreed.But the outcome could be different at a high court dominated by conservative justices who have repeatedly endorsed claims of religious discrimination in recent years. The parents argue that public schools cannot force kids to participate in instruction that violates their faith. They point to opt-out provisions in sex education and note that the district originally allowed parents to pull their children when the storybooks were being taught before abruptly reversing course. Its labeled as a language arts, you know, reading and writing program, but the content of the material is very sexual, said Billy Moges, a board member of the parents group Kids First that formed in response to the addition of the books to the curriculum. It is teaching human sexuality and is confusing kids, and parents are not comfortable having their children exposed to these things at such an early age. Dozens of parents testified at school board hearings about their religious obligations to keep their impressionable young children from lessons on gender and sexuality that conflicted with their beliefs. Moges said she pulled her three daughters, now 10, 8 and 6, from their public schools as a result. They were initially homeschooled and now attend a private Christian school, she said. The school system declined to comment, citing the ongoing lawsuit. But in court papers, lawyers for the schools wrote that the handful of storybooks are not sex-education materials but rather tell everyday tales of characters who experience adventure, confront new emotions, and struggle to make themselves heard. The books touch on the same themes found in classic stories that include Snow White, Cinderella and Peter Pan, the lawyers wrote.In Uncle Bobbys Wedding, a niece worries that her uncle will not have as much time for her after he gets married. His partner is a man. Love, Violet deals with a girls anxiety about giving a valentine to another girl. Born Ready is the story of a transgender boys decision to share his gender identity with his family and the world. Intersection Allies describes nine characters of varying backgrounds, including one who is gender-fluid.The books were chosen in order to better represent all Montgomery County families and teachers may not use them to pressure students to change or to change or disavow religious views, the schools lawyers said. The school system abandoned the option of letting parents take their kids out of the lessons because doing so became unworkably disruptive, the lawyers told the court.The writers group Pen America, which reported more than 10,000 books banned in the last school year, said in a court filing what the parents want is a constitutionally suspect book ban by another name.The difficulty of providing alternative lessons for some children anytime the books are used probably would force the county to pull the books from the curriculum, said Tasslyn Magnusson, senior adviser with the Freedom to Read program at PEN America.I really hope people read these books. Theyre just lovely examples of experiences that kids have in school and theyre perfectly fine storybooks to have as part of an educational curriculum, Magnusson said.One book that was originally part of the curriculum and then pulled for unexplained reasons is My Rainbow, co-written by Delaware state Rep. DeShanna Neal and daughter Trinity. The story tells of Trinitys desire for long hair as a transgender girl and her mothers solution, knitting a rainbow wig.Neal has grown used to having the book taken out of circulation at libraries, including in Florida, Ohio and Texas.School is a place to learn about why the world is different and how its different, Neal said. What I had hoped would come out of this book was, listen to your children. They know their own bodies.

Any of the four teams remaining could win the title. Follow it all live here.

The Red Sox have activated Liam Hendriks from the 15-day injured list, marking the right-hander's return to the majors for the first time in nearly two years.

McDonald's All American Darius Adams, a top-30 recruit in the 2025 class, has decommitted from UConn, sources told ESPN.

Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood showed both growing pains and flashes of the promise that made him the nation's top-rated high school football recruit in the Wolverines' spring game Saturday.

This is a locator map for Yemen with its capital, Sanaa. (AP Photo)2025-04-19T19:19:02Z CAIRO (AP) Yemens Houthi rebels said Saturday that the U.S. military launched a series of airstrikes on the capital, Sanaa, and the Houthi-held coastal city of Hodeida, less than two days after a U.S. strike wrecked a Red Sea port and killed more than 70 people.The Houthis media office said 13 U.S. airstrikes hit an airport and a port in Hodeida, on the Red Sea. The office also reported U.S strikes in the capital, Sanaa.There were no immediate reports of casualties.The U.S. militarys Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, said it continues to conduct strikes against the Houthis in Yemen.Thursdays strike hit the port of Ras Isa, also in Hodeida province, killing 74 people and wounding 171 others, according to the Houthi-run health ministry. It was the deadliest strike in the U.S. ongoing bombing campaign on the Iranian-backed rebels. United Nations Secretary-General Antnio Guterres on Saturday said he was gravely concerned about the attack on Ras Isa, as well as the Houthis missile and drone attacks on Israel and the shipping routes, his spokesman Stphane Dujarric said Saturday. The secretary-general recalls that international law, including international humanitarian law as applicable, must be respected at all times, and he appeals to all to respect and protect civilians as well as civilian infrastructure, Dujarric said. U.S. Central Command declined to answer any questions about possible civilian casualties. It referred to a statement in which it said this strike was not intended to harm the people of Yemen.The strikes on Hodeida have been part of a month-long U.S. bombing campaign, which the Trump administration said came about because of the Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, a crucial global trade route, and on its close ally, Israel.About 200 people have been killed in the U.S. campaign since March 16, according to the Houthis health ministry. SAMY MAGDY Magdy is a Middle East reporter for The Associated Press, based in Cairo. He focuses on conflict, migration and human rights abuses. twitter facebook mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Bournemouth had to settle for a 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace in the Premier League at Selhurst Park on Saturday, with the hosts having been reduced to 10 men late in the first half after defender Chris Richards was sent off for a second yellow card.

Kadi Diani and Melchie Dumornay handed Arsenal a rare defeat at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday as Lyon opened the Women's Champions League semifinal tie with a 2-1 win.

Todric McGee, a 21-year-old safety at Missouri State, died Saturday from a possible accidental gun wound.

Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, announced the birth of their first child on Saturday.

Here's what has stood out from the Eastern Conference first round, including Pacers-Bucks Game 1.

What's standing out from each of the Western Conference first-round series, including Clippers-Nuggets and Wolves-Lakers on Saturday.

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Fueled by last season's stunning early exit, Oklahoma reclaimed its place atop the college gymnastics world by winning the NCAA women's title Saturday.

Si Woo Kim walks to the 16th green during the third round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament, Saturday, April 19, 2025, in Hilton Head Island, S.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)2025-04-19T22:49:12Z HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) The vibe at Hilton Head Island is all about ease and relaxation. It felt like anything but that to Justin Thomas on Saturday in the RBC Heritage.His two-shot lead was gone in two holes, partly because he of a one-shot penalty on the par-5 second hole when he informed the rules official his golf ball might have moved a little more than a dimple (it did).His worst swing of the day on the 11th hole put him in shallow water inside a red hazard line. He tried to play the shot and barely moved it 15 yards, but not before the mud and muck splashed into his face and led his caddie to tell him he smelled like a wet dog (he did).That didnt seem worth it, Thomas said, loud enough for the gallery to hear and to laugh.Thomas at least ended the day on a high note, rolling in a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th to make up ground on Si Woo Kim, who played bogey-free until the final hole at Harbour Town. By then, Kim had done enough to still post a 5-under 66 and take a one-shot lead over Thomas (69) and Andrew Novak (66).When you win golf tournaments, you need to salvage under-par rounds when you dont have your best stuff, Thomas said. I just fought and tried to stay patient and then was able to salvage a score to where Im right there tomorrow. Kim didnt exactly have that peaceful feeling when he headed to the first tee, two behind Thomas and without a win in two years. Its been a while to play in the final group, so it feels weird. Then a little bit of maybe pressure, Kim said. Not the pressure, a little bit like feel weird at the start.He started birdie-birdie to catch Thomas. He took the lead when Thomas had his mud-filled adventures on the 11th and made bogey. Kim stretched the lead to as many as three shots until it suddenly got tight again.Novak birdied the par-3 17th to complete his bogey-free round. And there was a two-shot swing from the final group when Kim came up short of the 18th green and just into the hazard, from here we chopped out of mangled grass and missed the par putt. I played great only missed the last hole, so thats not a big deal, Kim said. So I play pretty much 35 holes really decent. So Im not going to worry about the last hole for tomorrow. Im in good position. Ive been playing good.And Thomas made his birdie.It was huge, he said. I played really well today, really solid. Just didnt have much to show. The course is getting very difficult, very firm and fast. ... Yeah, it was nice to see an iron shot get up there pin-high and roll that putt in there. Its nice to finish off like that and ride that momentum into tomorrow.Kim was at 15-under 198.Maverick McNealy shot 64 and was alone in fourth, two shots behind. He was followed by former British Open champion Brian Harman (66) and Tommy Fleetwood, who had three birdies over his last six holes for a 68.Defending champion Scottie Scheffler had a rough stretch early on the back nine that derailed his momentum, though he still managed a 68 and was very much in the game at only four shots out of the lead. Scheffler hit a brilliant escape from the trees, the ball never gaining more than 10 feet of altitude from 160 yards away, but it was too strong and rolled against the lip of a bunker, leaving him no shot. He had to make an 8-foot putt to salvage bogey.He went long of the green on No. 12 and left himself a fast pitch (bogey) and then hit a demanding lob wedge over the bunker to 3 feet on No. 13 and missed the putt.The weather has been getting warmer and windier by the day, enough to make the course fast and crispy and enough movement in the trees to cause some second-guessing. There are low scores available. It doesnt take much for players to lose momentum.This is a signature event with no cut and the scoring average has been roughly the same all three days. Its a matter of gets on a roll, who holes putts and who limits mistakes.For so much of Saturday, that was Kim.He opened with a pair of 6-foot birdie putts. He handled the par 5s. His longest birdie putt was on the par-5 15th when he got out of position and had to make an 18-footer. Thomas says he is capable of ending his three-year drought and simply needs the tournament to unfold instead of forcing the issue. This was only a 69 but important to him because he managed a round under par when it felt like nothing was going right, except at the end.___AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf DOUG FERGUSON Doug Ferguson has been the APs golf writer since 1998. He is a recipient of the PGA Lifetime Achievement in Journalism award. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Who will emerge victorious in the Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins triple threat match at Night 1 of WrestleMania 41? Follow along for live updates.

Kyle Connor's one-timer with 1:36 remaining in the third period snapped a 3-3 tie, and the No. 1 seed Winnipeg Jets survived a Game 1 scare to post a 5-3 victory over the St. Louis Blues Saturday in the opening contest of this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Jose Berrios, Saturday's starter for the Toronto Blue Jays, suspected Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh was relaying pitch information to his teammates and wanted him to know what he thought of it, exchanging words with him after the fourth inning.

Former Colorado players Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter had their jerseys retired Saturday before Colorado's spring game.

With the Clippers practically daring him to beat them, Russell Westbrook came up big at the end of regulation and again in overtime for the Nuggets, who roared back from a 15-point deficit to beat the Clippers 112-110 in overtime in Game 1.

The Knicks, down as much as eight in the fourth quarter, went on a 21-0 run to take control of Game 1 vs. the Pistons.

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick lauded Barcelona's "unbelievable" comeback against Celta Vigo as the "best feeling" after Raphinha's stoppage time penalty sealed a vital 4-3 win for the LaLiga leaders.

Union Berlin and VfB Stuttgart made history on Saturday as the first Bundesliga game to feature eight goals before halftime.

Suleiman Khalil, 21, who lost his leg in a landmine explosion while harvesting olives with his friends in a field, is reflected in a mirror at his home in the village of Qaminas, east of Idlib, Syria, Wednesday April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)2025-04-20T05:02:02Z IDLIB, Syria (AP) Suleiman Khalil was harvesting olives in a Syrian orchard with two friends four months ago, unaware the soil beneath them still hid deadly remnants of war.The trio suddenly noticed a visible mine lying on the ground. Panicked, Khalil and his friends tried to leave, but he stepped on a land mine and it exploded. His friends, terrified, ran to find an ambulance, but Khalil, 21, thought they had abandoned him.I started crawling, then the second land mine exploded, Khalil told The Associated Press. At first, I thought Id died. I didnt think I would survive this.Khalils left leg was badly wounded in the first explosion, while his right leg was blown off from above the knee in the second. He used his shirt to tourniquet the stump and screamed for help until a soldier nearby heard him and rushed for his aid. There were days I didnt want to live anymore, Khalil said, sitting on a thin mattress, his amputated leg still wrapped in a white cloth four months after the incident. Khalil, who is from the village of Qaminas, in the southern part of Syrias Idlib province, is engaged and dreams of a prosthetic limb so he can return to work and support his family again. While the nearly 14-year Syrian civil war came to an end with the fall of Bashar Assad on Dec. 8, war remnants continue to kill and maim. Contamination from land mines and explosive remnants has killed at least 249 people, including 60 children, and injured another 379 since Dec. 8, according to INSO, an international organization which coordinates safety for aid workers. Mines and explosive remnants widely used since 2011 by Syrian government forces, its allies, and armed opposition groups have contaminated vast areas, many of which only became accessible after the Assad governments collapse, leading to a surge in the number of land mine casualties, according to a recent Human Rights Watch (HRW) report. It will take ages to clear them allPrior to Dec. 8, land mines and explosive remnants of war also frequently injured or killed civilians returning home and accessing agricultural land.Without urgent, nationwide clearance efforts, more civilians returning home to reclaim critical rights, lives, livelihoods, and land will be injured and killed, said Richard Weir, a senior crisis and conflict researcher at HRW.Experts estimate that tens of thousands of land mines remain buried across Syria, particularly in former front-line regions like rural Idlib. We dont even have an exact number, said Ahmad Jomaa, a member of a demining unit under Syrias defense ministry. It will take ages to clear them all.Jomaa spoke while scanning farmland in a rural area east of Maarrat al-Numan with a handheld detector, pointing at a visible anti-personnel mine nestled in dry soil. This one can take off a leg, he said. We have to detonate it manually. Psychological trauma and broader harmFarming remains the main source of income for residents in rural Idlib, making the presence of mines a daily hazard. Days earlier a tractor exploded nearby, severely injuring several farm workers, Jomaa said. Most of the mines here are meant for individuals and light vehicles, like the ones used by farmers, he said. Jomaas demining team began dismantling the mines immediately after the previous government was ousted. But their work comes at a steep cost.Weve had 15 to 20 (deminers) lose limbs, and around a dozen of our brothers were killed doing this job, he said. Advanced scanners, needed to detect buried or improvised devices, are in short supply, he said. Many land mines are still visible to the naked eye, but others are more sophisticated and harder to detect.Land mines not only kill and maim but also cause long-term psychological trauma and broader harm, such as displacement, loss of property, and reduced access to essential services, HRW says. The rights group has urged the transitional government to establish a civilian-led mine action authority in coordination with the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) to streamline and expand demining efforts.Syrias military under the Assad government laid explosives years ago to deter opposition fighters. Even after the government seized nearby territories, it made little effort to clear the mines it left behind. Every day someone is dyingStanding before his brothers grave, Salah Sweid holds up a photo on his phone of Mohammad, smiling behind a pile of dismantled mines. My mother, like any other mother would do, warned him against going, Salah said. But he told them, If I dont go and others dont go, who will? Every day someone is dying.Mohammad was 39 when he died on Jan. 12 while demining in a village in Idlib. A former Syrian Republican Guard member trained in planting and dismantling mines, he later joined the opposition during the uprising, scavenging weapon debris to make arms. He worked with Turkish units in Azaz, a city in northwest Syria, using advanced equipment, but on the day he died, he was on his own. As he defused one mine, another hidden beneath it detonated. After Assads ouster, mines littered his village in rural Idlib. He had begun volunteering to clear them often without proper equipment responding to residents pleas for help, even on holidays when his demining team was off duty, his brother said. For every mine cleared by people like Mohammad, many more remain. In a nearby village, Jalal al-Maarouf, 22, was tending to his goats three days after the Assad governments collapse when he stepped on a mine. Fellow shepherds rushed him to a hospital, where doctors amputated his left leg.He has added his name to a waiting list for a prosthetic, but theres nothing so far, he said from his home, gently running a hand over the smooth edge of his stump. As you can see, I cant walk. The cost of a prosthetic limb is in excess of $3,000 and far beyond his means.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, right, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attend a bilateral meeting at the residence of the U.S. Ambassador on the sidelines of the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris, Feb. 11, 2025. (Leah Millis/Pool Photo via AP, File)2025-04-20T04:26:09Z NEW DELHI (AP) U.S. Vice President JD Vance will embark on a four-day visit to India on Monday as the two countries seek to unlock economic opportunities and negotiate a bilateral trade deal.Vance will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi for talks on the economy, trade and geopolitical ties. Vances visit is seen as an important diplomatic mission by President Donald Trumps administration, and it coincides with a rapidly intensifying trade war between Washington and Beijing, which is New Delhis main rival in the region.A trade deal between India and the U.S. could significantly enhance economic ties between the two countries and potentially strengthen diplomatic ties.The U.S. is also Indias largest trading partner, with bilateral trade valued at $190 billion until recently.Indias foreign ministry has said the visit will provide an opportunity for both sides to review the progress in bilateral relations and two leaders will exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest.Heres what to know more about Vances visit: Bilateral trade agreement Vances arrival in India comes weeks after Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was in India for a geopolitical conference and two months after Modi met Trump in Washington.Modi was among the first leaders to visit the U.S. and hold talks with Trump after he returned to the White House. During his visit, Modi hailed a mega partnership with the U.S. and kickstarted a negotiation process to minimise the possible fallout of Trumps tariffs after it had already cut tariffs on a range of U.S. goods. Regardless, Trump targeted India with a 26% levy as part of his now-paused tariff programme, which has provided temporary relief for Indian exporters.During his visit, Modi sought to soften impending trade barriers by saying he was open to reducing more tariffs on U.S. goods, repatriating undocumented Indian nationals and buying military gear. The two countries also agreed to start talks towards clinching the bilateral trade agreement.Modi on Friday said he spoke with Elon Musk and said he and the SpaceX CEO discussed the immense potential for collaboration in the areas of technology and innovation, saying India remains committed to advancing our partnerships with the U.S. in these domains. Indias deep ties to US businessIndia is a close partner of the U.S. for bilateral trade, foreign direct investments, defence cooperation, and an important strategic ally in combating the rising influence of China in the Indo-Pacific region. It is also part of the Quad, which is made up of the United States plus India, Japan and Australia and seen as a counter-balance to Chinas expansion in the region.Leading U.S companies such as Apple Inc. and Google have expanded operations in India in recent years. Last month, Musks Starlink entered into agreements with two of Indias top telecom operators to provide satellite-based internet services.To further boost trade ties, the U.S. and India have set an ambitious target of more than doubling their bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030 under the expected trade deal agreement. The negotiations are especially urgent for New Delhi as it could be hit hard by Trumps reciprocal tariffs, particularly in sectors of agriculture, processed food, auto components, high-end machinery, medical equipment and jewelry. This poses a significant challenge for Modi government as it hopes to spruce up the countrys economy and generate jobs with an export-led recovery.Modi and Trump already share rapport Modi established a good working relationship with Trump during his first term in office. It now appears that the two leaders are likely to further boost cooperation between their countries, particularly in trade as Chinese President Xi Jinping is aiming to position Beijing as a reliable trade partner in the Asia-Pacific region amid rising tensions with Washington.India has also already taken a number of steps to win over Trump. It will purchase more oil, energy and defence equipment, including the fifth-generation stealth fighter jets, from the U.S. The U.S, however, wants greater market access for its agricultural and dairy products in India, but New Delhi has been reluctant so far as the farm sector employs bulk of the countrys workforce. Family trip for VanceVances visit to India marks his first official trip to the country, which has added significance for the second family. His wife Usha Vance a practising Hindu is the daughter of immigrants from South India.In his memoir Hillbilly Elegy, Vance described his wife a supersmart daughter of Indian immigrants whom he met at Yale Law School. Ushas parents moved to the U.S. in the late 1970s.Vance will be accompanied by Usha, their children and other senior members of the U.S. administration, and the couple will visit Indian cities of Jaipur and Agra and participate in engagements at cultural sites, a readout from the White House said. SHEIKH SAALIQ Saaliq covers news across India and the South Asia region for The Associated Press, often focusing on politics, democracy, conflict and religion. He is based in New Delhi. twitter mailto

The Lakers acknowledged after Saturday's 117-95 loss in Game 1 that they were wholly unready for the raw, bruising physicality of the Wolves.

Nathan MacKinnon scored two goals and assisted on another as the Colorado Avalanche opened their NHL playoffs with a 5-1 win over the Dallas Stars.

Ksenia Lutskina, a Belarusian journalist who was imprisoned in Belarus for several years and left the country after her release, poses for a photo in Berlin, Germany, on April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)2025-04-20T04:05:34Z TALLINN, Estonia (AP) Journalist Ksenia Lutskina served only half of her eight-year prison sentence in Belarus after being convicted of conspiracy to overthrow the government. She was pardoned after she kept fainting in her cell from a brain tumor diagnosed during pretrial detention.I was literally brought to the penal colony in a wheelchair, and I realized that journalism has really turned into a life-threatening profession in Belarus, she told The Associated Press in Vilnius, Lithuania, where she lives.Lutskina was one of dozens of journalists imprisoned in Belarus, where many face beatings, poor medical care and the inability to contact lawyers or relatives, according to activists and former inmates. She compared the prisons to those from the Soviet era.The group Reporters Without Borders says Belarus is Europes leading jailer of journalists. At least 40 are serving long prison sentences, according to the Belarusian Association of Journalists. Lutskina had quit her job making documentaries for Belarus state broadcaster in 2020 when mass protests broke out after an election widely denounced as fraudulent kept authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko in power. Trying to set up an alternative TV channel to fact-check government officials, she was arrested that year, put on trial and later convicted. Other journalists fled the country of 9.5 million and operate from abroad. But many have had to curtail their work after U.S. President Donald Trumps administration cut off foreign aid, a vital source of funding for many independent media.Journalists are forced to face not only repressions within the country, but also the sudden withdrawal of U.S. aid, which puts many editorial offices on the brink of survival, BAJ chair Andrei Bastunets told AP. The 2020 crackdownLukashenkos brutal crackdown after the disputed election led to over 65,000 arrests between 2020-25. Thousands told of being beaten by police, opposition figures were jailed or forced into exile, and hundreds of thousands fled abroad in fear. More than 1,200 people behind bars in the nation of 9.5 million are recognized as political prisoners by Belarus leading rights group, Viasna. Its founder, Nobel Prize Peace laureate Ales Bialiatski, is among them.Independent journalists have been swept up too, with outlets closed or outlawed. Lukashenko, in power for over three decades, routinely calls them enemies of our state, and vows that those who fled wont be allowed to return.The raids, arrests and abuse of journalists have been unceasing for five years, but now they have reached the point of absurdity, Bastunets said, noting that families of journalists are being threatened. Families of some targeted journalists have asked rights groups not to talk publicly about their cases for fear of further reprisal.Every month brings new arrests and searches, with almost all independent media leaving Belarus. The crackdown even hits those who switch their focus to nonpolitical content.In December, authorities arrested the entire editorial staff of the popular regional publication Intex-press, which covers local news in the city of Baranavichy. Seven journalists were charged with assisting extremist activity. Extremism is the most common charge used to detain, fine and jail critically minded citizens. Even reading independent media thats been declared extremist can result in short-term arrest. Working with or subscribing to banned media is seen as assisting extremism, punishable by up to seven years in prison. Websites of such outlets are blocked.According to Reporters Without Borders, 397 Belarusian journalists have been victims of what the group deems unjust arrests since 2020, with some detained multiple times. At least 600 moved abroad, the group said. Even then, many still face pressure from authorities who can open cases against them in absentia, put them on international wanted lists, seize their property inside Belarus and target relatives in raids. Reporters Without Borders filed a lawsuit with the International Criminal Court in January, accusing Belarusian authorities of crimes against humanity, citing torture, beatings, imprisonment, persecution and forced displacement of journalists. Beatings and isolation behind barsKatsiaryna Bakhvalava, a journalist for Belsat, a Polish-Belarusian independent TV channel, was arrested while covering the 2020 protests. Initially convicted of disrupting public order and sentenced to two years. she was put on trial for treason while in a penal colony and convicted, with her sentence extended to eight years and three months.Her husband, political analyst Ihar Iliyash, was arrested in October 2024 on charges of discrediting Belarus and is jailed while awaiting trial.Now 31, Bakhvalava, has been placed in a punishment isolation cell several times and in 2022 was beaten, according to a former inmate.Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk, a former political prisoner who fled to Lithuania, told reporters she heard that four prison guards had beaten Bakhvalava, who was crying and asking for a doctor.Andrzej Poczobut, a correspondent for the influential Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza and a prominent figure in the Union of Poles in Belarus, was convicted of harming Belarus national security and sentenced to eight years, which he is serving in the Novopolotsk penal colony.Poczobut, 52, suffers from a serious heart condition and was placed in solitary confinement several times, sometimes for stretches of up to six months, human rights activists said.At the end of March, his stay in a punitive cell unit the harshest form of incarceration was extended for six months. Attempts by Warsaw to intervene have failed and Poczobut has refused to ask Lukashenko for a pardon.Also imprisoned is Maryna Zolatava, editor of Tut.By once the most popular online news outlet in Belarus but shut down by authorities in 2021. Zolatava was convicted in 2023 of incitement and distributing materials urging actions aimed at harming national security, and sentenced to 12 years.Parallels with 1984 Lukashenko extended his rule for a seventh term in a January election that the opposition called a farce. Since July, he has pardoned over 250 people, seeking to improve ties with the West.Belarusian analyst Valery Karbalevich said Lukashenko views political prisoners as a commodity. He is cynically willing to sell journalists and activists to Europe and the United States in exchange for easing economic sanctions and thawing relations. And this process has already begun.Shortly after Trump began his second term, Lukashenko released two U.S. citizens and a journalist from the Belarusian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, a U.S. government-funded news outlet. Two more RFE/RL journalists, Ihar Losik and Ihar Karnei, remain imprisoned and were forced to record repentant videos. Freed journalist Andrey Kuznechyk, who spent three years in prison, left Belarus for Lithuania.The first day after my release, I looked at the list of journalists behind bars and I was shocked by how much it had grown during my imprisonment, he told AP.Lutskina, the journalist who also fled to Lithuania, brought her 14-year-old son with her, saying he must learn to distinguish truth from lies. They both have read George Orwells dystopian novel 1984, which was banned in Belarus, and are finding surprising parallels with her homeland.Belarus has turned into a gray country under a gray sky, where people are afraid of everything and speak in whispers, she said.Lutskina, who is being treated for the tumor that caused her fainting spells, said she actually felt less fear in prison than her fellow Belarusians outside it.They walk around with their heads down, she said, afraid to raise their eyes and see the nightmare happening around them, she added. YURAS KARMANAU Karmanau is an Associated Press journalist covering Belarus and the CIS countries. He has worked in Belarus and Ukraine, as well as other countries in the region, for more than 20 years. He is part of the team that covers the Russia-Ukraine war. mailto

Wallace Mkanka holds his winning sculpture that will be part of an upcoming exhibition at Oxford University aiming to contextualize the legacy of British imperialist Cecil John Rhodes, at the Chitungwiza Arts Centre near Harare, Zimbabwe, on March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Ufumeli)2025-04-20T04:04:34Z CHITUNGWIZA, Zimbabwe (AP) A pair of white hands blinding a Black face. A smiling colonizer with a Bible, crushing the skull of a screaming native with his boot. Chained men in gold mines, and a pregnant woman.These stone sculptures from Zimbabwe will take center stage at an upcoming exhibition at Oxford University in Britain, aiming to contextualize the legacy of British imperialist Cecil John Rhodes with depictions of religious deception, forced labor and sexual abuse.Rhodes conquered large parts of southern Africa in the late 19th century. He made a fortune in gold and diamond mining and grabbed land from the local population. His grave lies under a slab of stone atop a hill in Zimbabwe.Oxfords Oriel College, where the exhibition will be held in September, is a symbolic setting. A statue of Rhodes stands there despite protests against it since 2015. Rhodes, who died in 1902, was an Oriel student who left 100,000 pounds (now valued at about 10.5 million pounds, or $13.5 million) to the school. His influence endures through a scholarship for students from southern African countries. For Zimbabwean stone carvers at Chitungwiza Arts Center near the capital, Harare, the exhibition is more than an opportunity for Western audiences to glimpse a dark history. It is also a chance to revive an ancient but struggling art form.Stone sculpture, once a thriving local industry, has suffered due to vast economic challenges and declining tourism. This will boost business. Buyers abroad will now see our work and buy directly from the artists, said sculptor Wallace Mkanka. His piece, depicting the blinded Black face, was selected as the best of 110 entries and will be one of four winning sculptures on display at Oxford.Zimbabwe, meaning House of Stone, derives its identity from the Great Zimbabwe ruins, a 1,800-acre Iron Age city built with precision-cut stones delicately stacked without mortar. It is a UNESCO World heritage site. The southern African country has long used stone sculpture as a form of storytelling to immortalize history. The craft survived close to a century of colonial rule that sought to erase local traditions, religion and art forms.It thrived internationally instead. Thousands of pieces were plundered from Africa. Some later became subjects of repatriation campaigns. Others became prized by tourists and collectors. A permanent collection of 20 Zimbabwean stone sculptures is displayed in a pedestrian tunnel at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, one of the worlds busiest.At its peak following independence, Zimbabwes stone sculpture industry thrived, with local white farmers purchasing pieces for their homes and facilitating international sales.Customers were everywhere. They would pay up front, and I always had a queue of clients, recalled Tafadzwa Tandi, a 45-year-old sculptor whose work will feature in the Oxford exhibition.However, the industry has struggled over the past two decades.Zimbabwes global image suffered after controversial land reforms more than two decades ago displaced over 4,000 white farmers to redistribute land to about 300,000 Black families, according to government figures. Late ruler Robert Mugabe defended the reforms as necessary to address colonial-era inequities, but they had unintended economic consequences. Many of our customers were friends of the farmers. That is where the problem originated from, said Tendai Gwaravaza, chairman of Chitungwiza Arts Center.At the center, the sound of grinders filled the air as sculptors carved. Hundreds of finished pieces, ranging from small carvings to life-sized sculptures, waited for buyers.The only solution now is to get out there to the markets ourselves. If we dont, no one will, Gwaravaza said.The Oxford exhibition represents such an opportunity for exposure, he said.It is the brainchild of the Oxford Zimbabwe Arts Partnership, formed in response to the Rhodes Must Fall campaign during the Black Lives Matter protests in the U.S. The group, consisting of Zimbabwean artists, an Oxford alumnus and a professor of African history, initially envisioned a larger project titled Oxford and Rhodes: Past, Present, and Future. It included enclosing Rhodes statue in glass, installing 100 life-size bronze statues of African liberation fighters and creating a collaborative sculpture using recycled materials to represent the future.However, the project required an estimated 200,000 pounds, far beyond available resources. Eventually, Oriel College provided 10,000 pounds for a scaled-down exhibition.Its still my hope that one day it could happen, but for now we have just accepted something very small to make a start and to do something, said Richard Pantlin, the Oxford alumnus and OZAP co-founder.___For more on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse___The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Recalled Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins took out his anger on Newcastle United on Saturday with a dazzling display in his side's 4-1 victory in the Premier League.

Celta Vigo midfielder Ilaix Moriba was targeted by racist insults from Barcelona fans after their La Liga game on Saturday, his coach said.

In this photo provided by Ukraine's 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Separate Mechanized Brigade press service, a ruined city center in Kostyantynivka, the site of heavy battles with Russian troops, in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (Iryna Rybakova/Ukraine's 93rd Mechanized Brigade via AP)2025-04-20T06:56:19Z KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia on Sunday of creating a false appearance of honoring an Easter ceasefire, saying Moscow continued to launch attacks overnight after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a unilateral temporary truce in Ukraine.As of Easter morning, we can say that the Russian army is trying to create a general impression of a ceasefire, but in some places, it does not abandon individual attempts to advance and inflict losses on Ukraine, Zelenskyy said in a post on X.Despite Putins declaration of an Easter ceasefire on Saturday, Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces had recorded 59 instances of Russian shelling and five assaults by units across various areas along the front line, as well as dozens of drone strikes. Zelenskyy emphasized that Russia must fully adhere to the ceasefire conditions and reiterated Ukraines offer to extend the truce for 30 days, starting Sunday midnight. He said the proposal remains on the table and that we will act in accordance with the actual situation on the ground.Late on Saturday, Russia-installed officials in the partially occupied Ukrainian region of Kherson said Ukrainian forces continued their attacks. Ukrainian troops continue to strike peaceful cities in the Kherson region, violating the Easter truce, Moscow-appointed governor Vladimir Saldo wrote on his Telegram channel. Just hours after the Russian president announced the ceasefire, he attended an Easter service late Saturday at Moscows Cathedral of Christ the Saviour led by Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church and a vocal supporter of Putin and the war in Ukraine.Putin announced the temporary ceasefire, citing humanitarian reasons. According to the Kremlin, the ceasefire will last from 6 p.m. Moscow time (1500 GMT) on Saturday to midnight (2100 GMT) following Easter Sunday. Putin offered no details on how the ceasefire would be monitored or whether it would cover airstrikes or ongoing ground battles that rage around the clock.His ceasefire announcement came after U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are coming to a head and insisted that neither side is playing him in his push to end the grinding three-year war. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

A guest takes a puff from a marijuana cigarette at the Sensi Magazine party celebrating the 420 holiday in the Bel Air section of Los Angeles, April 20, 2019. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)2025-04-20T04:42:07Z Marijuana cultures high holiday, known as 4/20, falls this year on Easter Sunday, as well as the last day of Passover, meaning cannabis fans can celebrate in some unusual ways, including an Easter nug hunt in Los Angeles, kosher-style THC gummies in New York and a blaze and praise drag brunch in Portland, Oregon.It seemed appropriate with egg prices today that wed be searching for something else, said Brett Davis, who runs the marijuana tour company Weed Bus Los Angeles and organized the Easter nug hunt.Heres a look at 4/20s history and how its being celebrated this year: Why 4/20?The origins of the date, and the term 420 generally, were long murky. Some claimed it referred to a police code for marijuana possession or was derived from Bob Dylans Rainy Day Women No. 12 & 35, with its refrain of Everybody must get stoned, 420 being the product of 12 times 35.But the prevailing explanation is that it started in the 1970s with a group of bell-bottomed buddies from San Rafael High School, in Californias Marin County north of San Francisco, who called themselves the Waldos. A friends brother was afraid of getting busted for a patch of cannabis he was growing in the woods at nearby Point Reyes, so he drew a map and gave the teens permission to harvest the crop, the story goes. During fall 1971, at 4:20 p.m., just after classes and football practice, the group would meet up at the schools statue of chemist Louis Pasteur, smoke a joint and head out to search for the weed patch. They never did find it, but their private lexicon 420 Louie and later just 420 would take on a life of its own. The Waldos saved postmarked letters and other artifacts from the 1970s referencing 420, which they now keep in a bank vault, and when the Oxford English Dictionary added the term in 2017, it cited some of those documents as the earliest recorded uses. How did 4/20 spread?A brother of one of the Waldos was a close friend of Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh, as Lesh once confirmed in an interview with the Huffington Post, now HuffPost. The Waldos began hanging out in the bands circle, and the slang term spread. Fast-forward to the early 1990s: Steve Bloom, a reporter for the cannabis magazine High Times, was at a Dead show when he was handed a flyer urging people to meet at 4:20 on 4/20 for 420-ing in Marin County at the Bolinas Ridge sunset spot on Mt. Tamalpais. High Times published it. Its a phenomenon, one of the Waldos, Steve Capper, now 69, once told The Associated Press. Most things die within a couple years, but this just goes on and on. Its not like someday somebodys going to say, OK, Cannabis New Years is on June 23rd now. While the Waldos came up with the term, the people who made the flier that was distributed at the Dead show effectively turning 4/20 into a holiday remain unknown. How is it celebrated?With weed, naturally. In New York City, the cannabis brand Tokin Jew is advertising a kosher-style THC gummy line, Tokin Chews, designed to meet dietary restrictions for Passover.Davis said he expected 300 people to partake in the West Hollywood Easter nug scavenger hunt this weekend, aided by a mobile app leading them through participating dispensaries, trivia challenges and stoner activities. There is a $500 cash prize.In Portland, Bar Carlo is hosting the blaze and praise drag brunch. Cannabis consumption isnt allowed onsite Please blaze before you arrive or go for a walk in the neighborhood in between performances, the event listing reads but there will be a door-prize gift basket from a local dispensary.Bar owner Melinda Archuleta said the brunch is a dry run for hosting Pride month events in June. She herself doesnt care much for marijuana, but as a Mexican American who has been influenced by Catholicism, she is interested in seeing the two cultures melded in a cheeky way.Im really looking forward to seeing how the queens do it, Archuleta said. Weve obviously given them carte blanche to do whatever they want its 21 and up so it doesnt matter if its sacrilegious or borderline offensive. There are bigger celebrations, too, including the Mile High 420 Festival in Denver and one put on by SweetWater Brewing in Atlanta. Hippie Hill in San Franciscos Golden Gate Park historically has attracted massive crowds, but the gathering was canceled for a second straight year, with organizers citing a lack of financial sponsorship and city budget cuts. Just north of the Bay Area, Lagunitas Brewing in Petaluma, California, releases its Waldos Special Ale every year on 4/20 in partnership with the terms coiners.4/20 also has become a big industry event, with vendors gathering to try each others wares. What about the politics?There are 24 states that allow recreational marijuana and 14 others allowing it for medical purposes. But the movement recently has suffered some setbacks, with voters in Florida, North Dakota and South Dakota deciding not to adopt legalization measures last November. Several states also have cracked down on intoxicating products derived from hemp, which have been widely sold even in prohibition states thanks to a loophole in the federal Farm Bill.Marijuana remains illegal under federal law. As a candidate, President Donald Trump said he would vote for Floridas amendment and signaled support for reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug, a process started by the Biden administration.But his administration has not indicated cannabis policy is a priority. A fact sheet released by the White House last month complained that marijuana decriminalization in Washington, D.C., was an example of failed policies that opened the door to disorder.A bipartisan group of senators last week reintroduced legislation that would ensure states can adopt their own cannabis policies and remove certain financial hurdles for the industry, such as letting entities deduct business expenses on their taxes.Charles Alovisetti, a lawyer with the cannabis industry law firm Vicente LLP, said he hopes the administration will push forward with marijuana reform at the federal level, saying it does align with some of their policy objectives namely reducing criminal activity, or cartel activity.He also encouraged advocates to keep pushing, noting some measures such as improving banking access for marijuana businesses might pass as part of larger legislative packages.You continue speaking up, even if the political momentum isnt there, Alovisetti said. Its only possible if you stay in everyones ear.

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