The Trump administration told researchers it was releasing them from their roles. It puts the future of the assessment, which is required by Congress, in doubt.

2025-04-28T23:55:31Z CHATHAM, Ill. (AP) Four people were killed when a car smashed through a building during an after-school program Monday afternoon in a town outside of Springfield, Illinois, police said.Officers responded at about 3:20 p.m. to calls about a vehicle hitting hit three people outside, ramming through the building and then hitting another person before exiting the other side, Chatham Police Department Deputy Chief Scott Tarter said.The driver, who was uninjured, was the sole occupant of the vehicle, and was taken to a hospital for evaluation, Tater said.Chatham is a small town of about 15,000 people just outside Springfield, Illinois.

Shaquille O'Neal has agreed to become the men's basketball general manager of Sacramento State, sources told ESPN.

Houston star Jose Altuve asked Astros manager Joe Espada to move him out of the leadoff spot and into the second hole because he'd like more time to run to the dugout from left field, where he is playing for the first time in his 14-year MLB career.

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a $254 billion state budget agreement that includes tax credits. A measure to restrict mask wearing was watered down.

Akeel Abdul Jamiel, who appears to be a fan of President Trump, voted in upstate New York despite not being a citizen, officials said.

The last three staffers in The Associated Press' Saigon bureau, reporters Matt Franjola, left, Peter Arnett, rear, and George Esper, second from right, are joined by two North Vietnamese soldiers and a member of the Viet Cong on the day the government of South Vietnam surrendered, April 30, 1975. One of the soldiers is showing Esper the route of his final advance into the city. (AP Photo/Sarah Errington)2025-04-29T01:04:09Z BANGKOK (AP) Theyd watched overnight as the bombardments grew closer, and observed through binoculars as the last U.S. Marines piled into a helicopter on the roof of the embassy to be whisked away from Saigon.So when the reporters who had stayed behind heard the telltale squeak of the rubber sandals worn by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops in the stairs outside The Associated Press office, they werent surprised, and braced themselves for possible detention or arrest. But when the two young soldiers who entered showed no signs of malice, the journalists just kept reporting. Offering the men a Coke and day-old cake, Peter Arnett, George Esper and Matt Franjola started asking about their march into Saigon. As the men detailed their route on a bureau map, photographer Sarah Errington emerged from the darkroom and snapped what would become an iconic picture, published around the world. Fifty years later, Arnett recalled the message he fed into the teletype transmitter to AP headquarters in New York after the improbable scene had played out. In my 13 years of covering the Vietnam War, I never dreamed it would end as it did today, he remembers writing. A total surrender following a few hours later with a cordial meeting in the AP bureau with an armed and battle-garbed North Vietnamese officer with his aide over warm Coke and pastries? That is how the Vietnamese war ended for me today.The message never made it: After a day of carrying alerts and stories on the fall of Saigon and the end of a 20-year war that saw more than 58,000 Americans killed and many times that number of Vietnamese, the wire had been cut. The fall of Saigon ended an eraThe fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975 was the end of an era for the AP in Vietnam. Arnett left in May, and then Franjola was expelled, followed by Esper, and the bureau wouldnt be reestablished until 1993. The AP opened its first office in Saigon in 1950 as the fight for independence from France by Viet Minh forces under communist leader Ho Chi Minh intensified.The Viet Minhs decisive victory over the U.S.-supported French at Dien Bien Phu in 1954 marked the end of French Indochina and sparked major changes in the region with the partitioning of Vietnam into Communist North Vietnam and U.S.-aligned South Vietnam. The official U.S. military engagement began in 1955 and slowly escalated.Malcolm Browne took over as AP bureau chief in Saigon in November 1961 and was joined in June 1962 by Arnett and photo chief Horst Faas. The trio soon won consecutive Pulitzer Prizes: Browne in 1964, Faas in 1965 and Arnett in 1966 the first of five the AP would receive for its coverage from Vietnam. Four AP photographers were killed covering the war, and at least 16 other AP journalists were injured, some multiple times, as they reported from the front lines, seeking to record the news as completely and accurately as possible.From the start, a lot of the reporting contradicted the official version from Washington, revealing a deeper American commitment than admitted, a lack of measurable success against the Viet Cong guerillas, and a broad dislike of the ineffective and corrupt American-backed South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem, Arnett said. That prompted managers in New York to wonder why the Saigon staffers stories were sometimes 180 degrees different from those AP reporters wrote from press conferences at the U.S. State Department, the Pentagon and the White House, he recalled.We had a strategic advantage because we were 12,000 miles away from our administration critics, with our boots on the ground, said Arnett, 90, who lives in California today. Within a year, our reporting was vindicated.At the height of the war there were roughly 30 staffers assigned to the bureau, divided between news, photos and administration, and the AP made regular use of freelancers as well, usually photographers. It was a diverse group that included people from 11 different countries, including many local Vietnamese. During upticks in the fighting, staffers would rotate in from from other bureaus to help. When the U.S. government took umbrage with APs coverage in 1966 and claimed its staffers were young and inexperienced, APs General Manager Wes Gallagher penned a salty reply, noting their combined decades as reporters.Three covered World War II and Korea. Two, Pulitzer Prize winners Peter Arnett and Horst Faas, have been in Vietnam four years each, which is longer than Ambassador (Henry Cabot) Lodge, General (William) Westmoreland and nine-tenths of the Americans over there, Gallagher wrote. In an attempt to manage the news reports out of Vietnam, the U.S. established a daily news conference in Saigon to feed information to the growing American press corps. They came to be colloquially known as the Five Oclock Follies because, as Esper reflected, they were such a joke. Esper said in a 2005 interview that sometimes hed show up to evening briefings the same day he had covered a battle firsthand and was left puzzled by the official version. Im thinking to myself, Is this the same battle I just witnessed? said Esper, who died in 2012. So there was some confrontation at the follies because we would question the briefers reports, and they also withheld tremendous amounts of information.Esper said it helped that Gallagher took a personal hand in Vietnam coverage, frequently calling and visiting in support of his journalists. He took a lot of heat from the Pentagon, from the White House, but he never faltered, Esper said. He always said to us: I support you 100%. You know the press is under scrutiny, just make sure youre accurate, just make sure your stories are fair and balanced, and we did. Reporting from the streets and rooftops In 1969, the American commitment in Vietnam had grown to more than a half million troops, before being drawn down to a handful after the 1973 Paris Peace Accords in which U.S. President Richard Nixon agreed to a withdrawal, leaving the South Vietnamese to fend for themselves.By 1975, the APs bureau had shrunk as well, and as the North Vietnamese Army and its allied Viet Cong guerrilla force in the south pushed toward Saigon, most staff members were evacuated. Arnett, Esper and Franjola volunteered to stay behind, anxious to see through to the end what they had committed so many years of their lives to covering and conspiring to ignore New York if any of their managers got the jitters and ordered them to leave at the last minute. I saw it from the beginning, I wanted to see the end, Esper said. I was a bit apprehensive and frightened, but I knew that if I left, the rest of my life I would have been second guessing myself. On April 30, 1975, the monsoon rains had arrived and Arnett watched in the early morning hours from the slippery roof of the APs building as helicopters evacuated Americans and selected Vietnamese from the embassy four blocks away. After catching a few hours of sleep, he awoke at 6:30 a.m. to the loud voices of looters on the streets. An hour later, from the rooftop of his hotel, he watched through binoculars as a small group of U.S. Marines that had accidentally been left behind clambered aboard a Sea Knight helicopter from the roof of the embassy the last American evacuees. He called it in to Esper in the office, and the story was in newsrooms around the world before the helicopter had cleared the coast. Franjola and Arnett then took to the streets to see what was going on, while Esper manned the desk. When they got to the U.S. Embassy, a mob of people were grinning and laughing as they looted the building a sharp contrast to the desperation of people the day before hoping to be evacuated. On a pile of wet documents and broken furniture on the back lawn, we find the heavy bronze plaque engraved with the names of the five American soldiers who died in the attack on the Embassy in the opening hours of the Tet Offensive in 1968, Arnett recalled in an email detailing the days events. Together we carry it back to the AP office.At 10:24 a.m. Arnett was writing the story of the embassy looting when Esper heard on Saigon Radio that South Vietnam had surrendered and immediately filed an alert. Esper rushes to the teleprinter and messages New York, and soon receives the satisfying news that AP is five minutes ahead of UPI with the surrender story, Arnett said, citing APs biggest rival at the time, United Press International. In war or peace, the wire services place a premium on competition. Esper then dashed outside to try and gather some reaction from South Vietnamese soldiers to the news of the capitulation, and came across a police colonel standing by a statue in a main square. He was waving his arms, fini, fini, you know, its all over, we lost, Esper remembered. And he was also fingering his holstered pistol and I figured, this guy is really crazy, he will kill me, and after 10 years here with barely a scratch, Im going to die on this final day.Suddenly, the colonel did an about-face, saluted the memorial statue, drew his pistol and shot himself in the head. Shaken, Esper ran back to the bureau, up the four flights of stairs to the office and punched out a quick story on the incident, his hands trembling as he typed. Stories flow as Saigon fallsBack on the streets, Franjola, who died in 2015, was nearly sideswiped by a Jeep packed with men brandishing Russian rifles and wearing the black Viet Cong garb. Arnett then saw a convoy of Russian trucks loaded with North Vietnamese soldiers driving down the main street and scrambled back into the office. George, I shout, Saigon has fallen. Call New York, Arnett said. I check my watch. Its 11:43 a.m.Over the next few hours, more soldiers, supported by tanks, pushed into the city, engaging in sporadic fighting while the AP reporters kept filing their copy. It was about 2:30 p.m. when they heard the rubber sandals outside the office, and the two NVA soldiers burst in, one with an AK-47 assault rifle swinging from his shoulder, the other with a Russian pistol holstered on his belt. To their shock, the soldiers were accompanied by Ky Nhan, a freelance photographer who worked for the AP, who proudly announced himself as a longtime member of the Viet Cong. I have guaranteed the safety of the AP office, Arnett recalled the normally reserved photographer saying. You have no reason to be concerned.As Arnett, Esper and Franjola pored over the map with the two NVA soldiers, they chatted through an interpreter about the attack on Saigon, which had been renamed Ho Chi Minh City as soon as it fell. The interview with the two soldiers turned to the personal, and the young men showed the reporters photos of their families and girlfriends, telling them how much they missed them and wanted to get home. I was thinking in my own mind these are North Vietnamese, there are South Vietnamese, Americans were all the same, Esper said. People have girlfriends, they miss them, they have the same fears, the same loneliness, and in my head Im tallying up the casualties, you know nearly 60,000 Americans dead, a million North Vietnamese fighters dead, 224,000 South Vietnamese military killed, and 2 million civilians killed. And thats the way the war ended for me.___Komor, the retired director of AP Corporate Archives, reported from New York. DAVID RISING Rising covers regional Asia-Pacific stories for The Associated Press. He has worked around the world, including covering the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Ukraine, and was based for nearly 20 years in Berlin before moving to Bangkok. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

The Cavaliers finished off the most lopsided series in NBA history with a 138-83 win over Miami in Game 4.

Referees missed the Lakers' Luka Doncic getting fouled with 33 seconds left in Game 4 of their playoff series against the Timberwolves, the NBA said Monday.

Filipinos in Vancouver returned to a neighborhood to mourn the 11 people killed in a weekend attack.

The move comes as President Trump has tried to abolish D.E.I. programs at universities.

null

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel left his club's Game 4 loss to the Florida Panthers on Monday after a high hit from defenseman Aaron Ekblad that wasn't penalized in the second period, and he was still being evaluated well into the third period.

The police were investigating the attack in Crown Heights, where hundreds of pro-Israel demonstrators surrounded a woman and hurled slurs at her.

Jews should remember how Trump promised to protect L.G.B.T. citizens.

The Trump administration said Monday that the University of Pennsylvania violated laws guaranteeing women equal opportunities in athletics by letting a transgender swimmer compete on the school's women's team and into team facilities.

Gabriel Martinelli has suggested Arsenal need to bolster their attack this summer and welcomes the competition for places any new arrivals would bring.

Cardinal Luis Tagle of the Philippines is known as the Asian Francis. But he has been criticized for not being vocal enough about his countrys brutal drug war and clerical sex abuse.

Companies like Alibaba that built Chinas world-leading online shopping sector are now helping its sellers find markets beyond the United States.

Southampton have made contact with Minnesota United boss Eric Ramsay as they continue their search for a new manager, a source has told ESPN.

Antonio Rdiger needs to show "class" and respect for others, German national team sporting director Rudi Vller has said, after the defender appeared to throw ice toward the referee during Real Madrid's Copa del Rey loss to Barcelona.

Much of the British political class laughed at Nigel Farage in 2016. It isnt laughing now.

The planned concessions to give automakers more time to relocate production to the United States would still leave substantial tariffs on imported cars and car parts.

Villa fear Rashford could miss the rest of the season with the hamstring injury which kept him out of the FA Cup semifinal, a source has told ESPN.

Luis Enrique has hit back at what he believes is unfair negativity surrounding his Paris Saint-Germain side on the eve of their Champions League semifinal against Arsenal.

Electricity returned to nearly all of Spain almost 18 hours after a blackout there and in neighboring Portugal. The cause of the outage was unclear.

Millions on the Iberian Peninsula were left without power for hours on Monday. Much of Spains power grid was operating normally by Tuesday morning.

Golden State's Jimmy Butler, playing through an injured tailbone, returned from a one-game absence to lead his team one win away from advancing to the Western Conference semifinals.

The latest City Connect uniform is the first on-field look that combines brand elements from MLB and the NBA.

India renewed its claims after a deadly terror attack last week in Kashmir, a territory that it has long fought over with Pakistan.

The president directed his administration to compile a list of sanctuary cities that do not cooperate with federal enforcement of immigration laws.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives on stage at his campaign headquarters after the Liberal Party won the Canadian election in Ottawa on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)2025-04-29T07:38:41Z Prime Minister Mark Carneys Liberal Party has won Canadas federal election, capping a stunning turnaround in fortunes fueled by U.S. President Donald Trumps threats to Canadas economy and sovereignty. The Liberals are projected to win more of Parliaments 343 seats than the Conservatives in Mondays contest. It isnt clear yet if they will win an outright majority, at least 172, or will need to rely on one or more smaller parties to pass legislation. Trumps threats of tariffs and suggestions that Canada should become the 51st state upended the race, as polls showed Pierre Poilievre and his Conservative Party with comfortable leads only months ago.___This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

Mikel Arteta said Arsenal are feeling the weight of history, but urged his players to "live the moment" as they attempt to reach the Champions League final.

Ten years after their first title, Curry and Green know Butler is the key to their pursuit of a fifth ring.

A joint agreement appeared to avert a threat by President Trump of tariffs and sanctions in a long-running dispute over water rights in the border region.

The departure of Israels domestic intelligence chief appeared to end his unusually public clash with the prime minister.

Mons. Angelo Becciu presides over an eucharistic liturgy, at the St. John in Latheran Basilica, in Rome, Feb. 9, 2017. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, File )2025-04-29T08:01:27Z VATICAN CITY (AP) The Italian cardinal at the heart of the Vaticans trial of the century announced Tuesday he was withdrawing from participating in the upcoming conclave to elect a new pope for the good of the church.Cardinal Angelo Becciu s status has dominated discussions in the days after Pope Francis death amid questions about whether he would participate in the conclave to elect his successor.After his 2020 downfall, Becciu had said he would not participate in any future conclave. But in recent days he had asserted he had a right to enter the Sistine Chapel with other cardinals on May 7.On Tuesday, the 76-year-old Italian issued a statement through his lawyers that said: Having at heart the good of the church, which I have served and will continue to serve with fidelity and love, as well as to contribute to the communion and serenity of the conclave, I have decided to obey as I have always done the will of Pope Francis not to enter the conclave while remaining convinced of my innocence. Becciu was once an influential Vatican chief of staff who was a leading papal contender himself. But he fell from grace in 2020 when Francis forced him to resign his job as head of the Vaticans saint-making office and his rights as a cardinal because of allegations of financial misconduct. Becciu denied wrongdoing but was put on trial in the Vatican criminal court and convicted of finance-related charges in December 2023. He is appealing the conviction and 5 1/2-year prison sentence and had participated in the pre-conclave meetings, including on Monday. Becciu rose to prominence and power under conservative Pope Benedict XVI and is very much affiliated with the conservative Vatican old guard. While he initially became a close adviser to Pope Francis, Beccius subsequent downfall at the hands of Francis might suggest he would vote for someone keen to undo some of Francis reforms. At 76, Becciu is under the age limit of 80 and technically eligible to vote, but the Vaticans official statistics list him as a non-elector. The Vatican document regulating a conclave, known by its Latin name Universi Dominici Gregis, lays out the criteria for electors, making clear that 80 cardinals under 80 have the right to elect the pope, except those who have been canonically deposed or who with the consent of the Roman Pontiff have renounced the cardinalate. It adds that after a pope has died, the College of Cardinals cannot readmit or rehabilitate them.There has never been any clarity on what exactly Becciu renounced or how: The one-line statement issued by the Vatican press office on Sept. 24, 2020, said merely that Francis had accepted Beccius resignation as prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and his rights connected to the cardinalate. There is no indication he has been sanctioned canonically.After he forced Beccius resignation, Francis visited Becciu on occasions and allowed him to participate in the life of the Vatican. But Francis also changed Vatican law to allow the city states criminal tribunal to prosecute him. Italian daily Domani reported last week that during the initial pre-conclave discussions, Becciu was presented with two letters signed by Francis before he died indicating he should not participate in the conclave. Beccius reference of Francis will in his statement Tuesday suggests that the letters were the tipping point that convinced him to withdraw from the vote.Questions, meanwhile, have continued to swirl about the integrity of the trial that convicted Becciu and eight others. During the proceedings, the court heard that Francis intervened on several occasions on behalf of the prosecutors and that the prosecutions prime witness against Becciu was coached and manipulated by outsiders.The appeal is scheduled to begin in September.___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. NICOLE WINFIELD Winfield has been on the Vatican beat since 2001, covering the papacies of St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and the Francis pontificate and traveling the world with them.

A locked garden gate is seen in Srinagar after it was closed by authorities as a precautionary safety measure following last week's deadly attack on tourists near the resort town of Pahalgam, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)2025-04-29T07:48:41Z SRINAGAR, India (AP) Authorities in Indian-controlled Kashmir have temporarily shuttered more than half of the tourist resorts in the scenic Himalayan region after last weeks deadly attack on tourists raised tensions between India and Pakistan and led to an intensifying security crackdown in Kashmir.At least two police officers and three administrative officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with departmental policy, said Tuesday that the decision to shut 48 of the 87 government-authorized resorts was a precautionary safety measure. They did not specify for how long these places would be out of bounds for visitors.The decision comes a week after gunmen killed 26 people, most of them Indian tourists, near the resort town of Pahalgam.The massacre set off tit-for-tat diplomatic measures between India and Pakistan that included cancellation of visas and a recall of diplomats. New Delhi also suspended a crucial water sharing treaty with Islamabad and ordered its border shut with Pakistan. In response, Pakistan has closed its airspace to Indian airlines. India accuses Pakistan of backing the attackIndia has described the massacre as a terror attack and accused Pakistan of backing it. Pakistan has denied any connection to the attack, and it was claimed by a previously unknown militant group calling itself the Kashmir Resistance.Some tourists who survived the massacre have told Indian media that the gunmen singled out Hindu men and shot them from close range. The dead included a Nepalese citizen and a local Muslim pony ride operator.The region is split between India and Pakistan and claimed by both in its entirety. New Delhi describes all militancy in Indian-controlled Kashmir as Pakistan-backed terrorism. Pakistan denies this, and many Muslim Kashmiris consider the militants to be part of a home-grown freedom struggle. Tensions spike between India and PakistanAs tensions escalate, cross-border firing between soldiers of India and Pakistan has also increased along the Line of Control, the de facto frontier that separates Kashmiri territory between the two rivals. On Tuesday, the Indian army in a statement said it had responded to unprovoked small arms fire from multiple Pakistan army posts for a fifth consecutive night.There was no comment from Pakistan, and the incidents could not be independently verified. In the past, each side has accused the other of starting border skirmishes in the Himalayan region.Pakistani troops shot down a small Indian spy drone that flew hundreds of meters into Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, three Pakistani security officials told The Associated Press on Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity as they werent allowed to speak to the media. The drone was shot down on Monday in the border town of Bhimber, they said.Meanwhile, government forces in the region have detained and questioned nearly 2,000 people, officials and residents said. Many of the detained are former rebels fighting against Indian rule and others who officials describe as over ground workers of militants, a term authorities use for civilians suspected of associating with insurgents. Indian soldiers have demolished the family homes of at least nine suspected militants across Kashmir, using explosives.The regions top pro-India leaders have supported action against suspected militants but also questioned the demolitions.Omar Abdullah, the regions chief minister, said Monday that any heavy-handed tactics against civilians should be avoided. We should not take any step that will alienate people, Abdullah told the regions lawmakers during a legislative session.Ruhullah Mehdi, a lawmaker from the region in Indias national parliament, termed the demolitions of homes as collective punishment.Cancellations overwhelm Kashmir tourism industry Indian tourism has flourished in Kashmir after Prime Minister Narendra Modis government promoted visits to the region with the hope of showing rising tourism numbers as a sign of renewed stability there.Millions of visitors arrive in Kashmir to see its Himalayan foothills and exquisitely decorated houseboats, despite regular skirmishes between insurgents and government forces. According to official data, close to 3 million tourists visited the region in 2024, a rise from 2.71 million visitors in 2023 and 2.67 million in 2022. But last weeks attack has left many tourists scared and some have left the region. Widespread cancellations are also being reported by tour operators, with some estimates putting the number at more than 1 million.___Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this report. AIJAZ HUSSAIN Hussain is a senior reporter for The Associated Press covering the Kashmir conflict, Indian politics and strategic affairs, and climate. He has worked for the AP for nearly two decades. twitter mailto 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

Here are the latest top-25 rankings.

After a sluggish start, the Portland Timbers are closing in on the elite teams in ESPN's MLS Power Rankings.

People wait outside a closed train station, during a major power outage in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, April 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)2025-04-29T04:12:50Z MADRID (AP) Power had almost fully returned to Spain early Tuesday morning as many questions remained about what caused one of Europes most severe blackouts that grounded flights, paralyzed metro systems, disrupted mobile communications and shut down ATMs across Spain and Portugal.By 7:00 a.m. local time, more than 99% of energy demand in Spain had been restored, the countrys electricity operator Red Elctrica said. Portuguese grid operator REN said Tuesday morning all of the 89 power substations were back online since late last night after an absolutely unusual blackout and power was restored to all 6.4 million customers.On Tuesday morning, as life slowly returned to normal on the Iberian Peninsula, outside Atocha station, one of the busiest in the Spanish capital, people were once again crossing the street while looking at their cell phones, despite the internet connection being intermittent at times. Inside, hundreds of people waited to board trains or rebook those that had been canceled the previous day. Large groups of people milled around the screens, waiting for updates. Still, several people slept on the floor with blankets provided by the Red Cross for those who waited overnight at the station. The same scenes were replicated at Sants station in Barcelona. Classes were suspended in several regions. The Madrid Open, the tennis tournament being held this week, was still affected by the power outage after its cancellation the previous day and delayed the opening of its doors. Power had gradually returned to several regions across Spain and Portugal as the nations reeled from the still-unexplained widespread blackout that had turned airports and train stations into campgrounds for stranded travelers. Monday night, many city residents, including in Spains capital of Madrid, went to sleep in total darkness. The normally illuminated cathedral spires of Barcelonas Sagrada Familia Basilica became indistinguishable from the night sky. Streets remained deserted even in neighborhoods where lights flickered back on, as people stayed home after a day of chaos. We have a long night ahead, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Snchez said when he addressed the European nation late Monday. We are working with the goal of having power restored to the entire country.In Madrid, cheers erupted from balconies where the electricity had returned. Subway service returning on Tuesday morningOn Tuesday morning, Madrids metro system was restored on all but one line, meaning that 80% of trains operated during rush hour.In Barcelona, the metro was also operating normally, but commuter trains were suspended due to electrical instability, the company that runs the service, Rodalies Catalunya, said on X. In other parts of the country, commuter and mid-distance services were also suspended or running at reduced capacity. As metro service stopped on Monday, train stations cleared out and shops and offices closed, and thousands of people spilled onto the streets of Madrid. Emergency workers in Spain said they rescued some 35,000 passengers stranded along railways and underground. The blackout turned sports centers, train stations and airports into makeshift refuges late Monday. We were in the north of Portugal and did get any notifications until we got here because of internet outage, said Ian Cannons, a British tourist trying to get home who was forced to spend the night in Lisbons airport. We cant book any hotels. Nothing.The Barcelona municipality distributed 1,200 cots to indoor recreation centers to host residents with no way to get home and international travelers left in limbo. All over Barcelona and Madrid, people were sleeping on train station benches and floors. Cash and radios in high demandAs internet and mobile phone services blinkered offline across Spain and Portugal, battery-powered radios flew off the shelves. Those fortunate enough to find service shared whatever news updates they could with strangers on the street.Lines snaked out of the few supermarkets running on backup generators in Barcelona and Lisbon as people stocked up on dried goods, water and battery-powered flashlights and candles. Clerks counted euros by hand, since many cash registers had stopped working.Hector Emperador, picking his kids up from school in Barcelona, said he resorted to raiding his sons piggybank to ensure he had cash on hand after ATMs and some online-banking services shut down. The coronavirus pandemic will be nothing compared to this, he said. Few gas stations were operating, sending the drivers who dared navigate without traffic lights scrambling for fuel. Residents with electric door keys found themselves locked out of their homes. The many inconveniences became a threat to survival for those with medical needs like refrigeration for insulin or power for dialysis machines and oxygen concentrators. Some hospitals but not all stayed open with the help of generators. Cause remains a mysteryOfficials did not say what caused the blackout, the second such serious European power outage in as many months after a fire at Heathrow Airport shut down Britains busiest travel hub on March 20. They said there was little precedent for this kind of widespread electric failure across all of the Iberian Peninsula, with a combined population of some 60 million. Across the Mediterranean Sea, Spains Balearic Islands and the territories of Ceuta and Melilla were spared. The Canary Islands off the northwest coast of Africa were also spared.We have never had a complete collapse of the system, Snchez said, explaining how Spains power grid lost 15 gigawatts, the equivalent of 60% of its national demand, in just five seconds.In his televised address late Monday, Snchez said that authorities were still investigating what happened. Portugals National Cybersecurity Center threw cold water on feverish speculation about foul play, saying there was no sign that the outage resulted from a cyber attack. Speaking to reporters in Brussels, Teresa Ribera, an executive vice president of the European Commission, also ruled out sabotage. Nonetheless, the outage is one of the most serious episodes recorded in Europe in recent times, she said.___Associated Press video journalist Helena Alves in Lisbon, Portugal, contributed to this report. SUMAN NAISHADHAM Naishadham is an Associated Press reporter covering Spain and Portugal. She is based in Madrid. twitter mailto

Elections Canada signage is seen as voters arrive at a polling station on Election Day in Halifax, Canada, Monday, April 28, 2025. (Darren Calabrese/The Canadian Press via AP)2025-04-29T06:56:06Z TORONTO (AP) The Liberal Party has won the federal election in Canada, culminating a process marked by U.S. President Donald Trump threats on a trade war and of making the country the 51st American state. With this result, the Liberal Partys leader and current prime minister, Mark Carney, will remain in the job, and will form a new government with a new cabinet.Its still unclear if the liberals will have a majority in the Parliament or whether they will need to look for alliances with other parties.Heres what to know and what comes next:Who did Canadians vote for?Canadians voted for all 343 member of the House of Commons, one for each constituency. The winning candidates were those who finished first, whether or not they won a majority of the votes.A party needs 172 seats in Parliament for a majority.When will Canada have a new prime minister? The prime minister is chosen by parliament rather than elected directly by the voters. Historically, the party that assembles a majority in the House of Commons either alone or with the support of another party forms a government. Thats expected to happen in coming days.The leader of the party forming the government will be the new primer minister, who then has to pick a cabinet. The current liberal leader is Carney, who was sworn in on March 14 as prime minister after Justin Trudeau resigned. Now, he won a full term as the head of the government. What challenges will the new government face? The next primer minister and his government will have to address both external and internal challenges.Externally, the main one will be to manage a recently tense relationship with the United States, after President Donald Trump has been threatening Canada with steep tariffs and demands that Canada should become the 51st state. Internally, the new government will still have to deal with issues like rising food and housing prices and a surge in immigration.What is Carneys experience? Carney, a 60-years-old economist educated in the U.S. and England, had no experience in politics until he succeeded Trudeau as prime minister in March.He was a Goldman Sachs executive for more than a decade, until he started working in the Central Bank of Canada in 2003, as deputy governor.He was then the head of the Bank of Canada from 2008 to 2013 and headed the Bank of England from 2013 to 2020. Now, after voters gave liberals the victory, Carney will be guiding Canada. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Nature, Published online: 29 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01327-1The use of AI in peer review could undermine science

Nature, Published online: 29 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01299-2Acceptable image-editing practices are partly a matter of common sense. But researchers say journals and funders could help scientists by standardizing policies.

Dustin Poirier will take on ex-featherweight champion Max Holloway one last time for the BMF title at UFC 318.

by Corey G. Johnson ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as theyre published. A group representing firearms owners has asked three federal agencies to investigate how the gun industrys main lobbying group secretly used the intimate details of weapons buyers for political purposes.In making the request, Gun Owners for Safety cited a ProPublica investigation that detailed how the National Shooting Sports Foundation turned over sensitive personal information on gun buyers to political operatives while presenting itself as a fierce advocate for the privacy of firearms owners. The letter sent last week to the FBI, the Federal Trade Commission and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives called the NSSFs secret program that spanned nearly two decades "underhanded.Gun owners privacy is not a partisan or ideological issue, wrote Malcolm Smith, a Gun Owners for Safety member. No matter the industry, exploiting customers private data like their underwear size and childrens ages in a secret scheme is reprehensible and cannot be permitted. Gun Owners for Safety has been operated since 2019 by the gun violence prevention organization Giffords, which was co-founded by Gabby Giffords, the Arizona lawmaker who survived an attempted assassination in 2011. It has chapters in nine states and consists of gun owners and Second Amendment supporters who believe in what they call common sense measures to reduce gun-related deaths like safety locks and improved background checks on firearm purchases.The ATF acknowledged receiving the letter but had no other comment. The FBI, FTC and NSSF didnt respond to ProPublicas questions and requests for comment.The NSSF previously defended its data collection, saying its activities are, and always have been, entirely legal and within the terms and conditions of any individual manufacturer, company, data broker, or other entity. The organization represents thousands of firearms and ammunition manufacturers, distributors and retailers, along with publishers and shooting ranges. While not as well known as the chief lobbyist for gun owners, the National Rifle Association, the NSSF is respected and influential in business, political and gun-rights communities.Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., told ProPublica he agreed with Smiths call for an investigation. Last November, Blumenthal, then chair of a Senate subcommittee on privacy, asked the NSSF for details on the companies that contributed information to the trade groups database, the type of customer details that were shared and whether the data is still being used. The trade group did not answer the senators questions.The NSSFs disturbing, covert data collection raises serious safety and privacy concerns, Blumenthal said. And the American people deserve answers.Its unclear how successful any request for an investigation will be under the Trump administration, especially given the NSSFs past political support for the president.ProPublicas investigation identified at least 10 gun industry businesses, including Glock, Smith & Wesson and Remington, that handed over hundreds of thousands of names, addresses and other private data without customer knowledge or consent to the NSSF, which then entered the details into what would become a massive database. The database was used to rally gun owners electoral support for the industrys preferred candidates running for the White House and Congress.Privacy experts told ProPublica that companies that shared information with the NSSF may have violated federal and state prohibitions against deceptive and unfair business practices. Under federal law, companies must comply with their own privacy policies and be clear about how they will use consumers information, privacy experts said.A ProPublica review of dozens of warranty cards from those gun-makers found that none of them informed buyers that their details would be used for political purposes. (Most of the companies named in the NSSF documents declined to comment or did not respond to ProPublica. One denied sharing customer data, and the new parent company of another said it had no evidence of data sharing with the NSSF under prior ownership.)In 2016, as part of a push to get Donald Trump elected president for the first time and to help Republicans keep the Senate, the NSSF worked with the consultancy Cambridge Analytica to turbocharge the information it had on potential voters. Cambridge matched up the people in the database with 5,000 additional facts about them that it drew from other sources. The details were far-ranging. Along with the potential voters income, debts and religious affiliation, analysts learned whether they liked the work of the painter Thomas Kinkade and whether the underwear women had purchased was plus size or petite.ProPublica obtained a portion of the NSSF database that contains the names, addresses and other information of thousands of people. ProPublica reached out to 6,000 people on the list. Almost all of those who responded, including gun owners, expressed outrage, surprise or disappointment over learning they were in the database.In his letter seeking an investigation, Smith noted that the FBIs new director, Kash Patel, has spoken out in favor of protecting gun owners privacy rights.Surely, then, Smith wrote, the FBI understands the importance of ensuring no organization or government agency maintains a secret database of firearm customers and gun owners. As many high-profile hacks and data leaks have shown, private data can easily be mishandled and exploited for nefarious purposes.Smith, a 69-year-old retired executive of J.P. Morgan bank and registered Republican, told ProPublica his love of guns started as a teen when his father bought him a Remington rifle for bird hunting. The passion intensified over the years, and Smith started collecting guns heavily in response to political efforts to restrict gun access.Anytime I heard Nancy Pelosi not like something, I felt like I had to have it, Smith said.But he joined Giffords in 2020 after growing uncomfortable with extremism in gun rights circles. More recently, he said, the Department of Government Efficiencys attempt to grab large amounts of confidential citizen data from the Social Security Administration and IRS inspired his request for government action. (DOGE officials did not respond to a request for comment.)The initial disclosures about the National Shooting Sports Foundation was an alarm bell. But now this is a four-alarm fire, Smith said. Were supposed to have some sort of privacy in our lives, and apparently the NSSF decided I didnt have to have it. And DOGE really thinks Im not entitled to it.

Russian forces launched 100 attack drones across Ukraine overnight, hours after President Vladimir V. Putin ordered a unilateral three-day cease-fire starting on May 8.

Plus, lets hear your best sea gull.

2025-04-29T09:30:46Z TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) Chinese authorities say 22 people have been killed and 3 injured in a fire at restaurant in the northern city of Liaoyang. No word was given on the cause of the fire, which broke out shortly after noon, but images from the scene showed huge flames spurting from the windows and doors of the two- or three-story building. A slightly longer report released several hours later through the provincial radio and television bureau said the fire had been extinguished and the search for survivors ended. As is usual in China, no additional information was given about the possible cause of the fire. However, a long list of responding regional politicians from the governor down was provided, along with a pledge to get to the bottom of the disaster and severely punish those responsible. Industrial accidents occur frequently in China, usually due to staff ignoring safety features due to a lack of training or pressure from their superiors. Poorly maintained infrastructure, illegally stored chemicals and a lack of fire exits and fire retardant, often abetted by corruption, are often factors in such disasters. If the fire began in the kitchen, it may be related to the traditional use of large open fires over which iron woks are used to braise dishes. Diners across China also enjoy a dish known simply as hot pot in which meat and vegetables are stewed over open flames. Liaoyang, in Liaoning province, is part of Chinas rust belt, a former industrial powerhouse that has fallen on hard times with considerable population outflow. This story has been corrected to say that the fire occurred in the city of Liaoyang, which is in Liaoning province.

This is a locator map for Syria with its capital, Damascus. (AP Photo)2025-04-29T08:29:14Z DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) Clashes broke out in a suburb of the Syrian capital early Tuesday between local gunmen belonging to the minority Druze sect and pro-government fighters, leaving at least four people dead, a war monitor and an activist group said.The fighting in the southern Damascus suburb of Jaramana broke out after an audio clip circulated on social media of a man attacking Islams Prophet Muhammad. The audio was attributed to a Druze cleric, who later denied being involved.Druze cleric Marwan Kiwan said in a video posted on social media that he was not responsible for the audio, which angered many Sunni Muslims and led to the fighting in Druze neighborhoods in Jaramana.I categorically deny that the audio was made by me, Kiwan said in the video. I did not say that and whoever made it is an evil man who wants to incite strife between components of the Syrian people. The Interior Ministry said in a statement it was investigating the audio clip, adding that its initial probe showed the cleric was not responsible. The ministry urged people to abide by the law and not to act in a way that undermines security. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least four people were killed in the clashes while the activist media collective Suwayda 24 said five people were killed and 12 were wounded.Syrian Druze gunmen have clashed in recent weeks with government security forces in Jaramana. On March 1, Israels Defense Ministry said the military was instructed to prepare to defend Jaramana, asserting that the minority it has vowed to protect was under attack by Syrian forces.The Druze religious sect is a minority group that began as a 10th-century offshoot of Ismailism, a branch of Shiite Islam. Over half of the roughly 1 million Druze worldwide live in Syria. Most of the other Druze live in Lebanon and Israel, including in the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Mideast War and annexed in 1981. The worst internal clashes in Syria since the fall of President Bashar Assad in early December occurred last month in the countrys coastal region and involved members of the minority Alawite sect that the former president belonged to.The clashes between Assad loyalists and government forces were accompanied by revenge killings that left more than 1,000 people dead, including hundreds of civilians, according to a war monitor. The Associated Press has not been able to independently verify the figures.