The primary elections are on Aug. 18, and the Florida gubernatorial election is on Nov. 3.

Watch the TWISF episode

The primary election is on Aug. 18, and the Florida general election is on Nov. 3.

Watch the TWISF episode

There were allegations that $10 million from a $67 million Medicaid settlement with Centene Corporation were improperly diverted to the Hope Florida Foundation, a charity associated with Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis.

“I don’t think anybody cares about this topic any more than the liberal media,” Uthmeier said during a news conference.

Michael Barfield, the executive director of the Florida Center for Government Accountability, strongly disagreed.

“We think this is the most consequential issue in Florida for decades, in terms of the missing $10 million and how it was spent for political purposes,” Barfield told Local 10 News This Week In South Florida’s Glenna Milberg on Sunday.

Barfield said “sourced material” showed there was a grand jury investigation as the nonprofit organization’s investigators were “dancing in the dark” amid the alleged secrecy.

“The attorney general and the governor refuse to answer the question about whether they are attempting to block it,” Barfield told Milberg. “I would also point out that when we moved to intervene into the proceedings that have been sealed, if there were no proceedings, I doubt the judge would have allowed us to intervene in nonexistent proceedings.”

There were questions about the $10 million directed to political committees that opposed a 2024 recreational marijuana amendment.

Uthmeier served as Gov. Ron DeSantis’ chief of staff before he replaced Ashley Moody, who replaced Marco Rubio as U.S. senator.

The Florida attorney general post will be up for election on Nov. 3.

Uthmeier has been campaigning to run in the Republican primary election on Aug. 18 to run against Steven Leskovich, a longtime attorney.

Watch the TWISF episode

The 51-year-old rapper from Los Angeles was at the Tortuga Music Festival in Fort Lauderdale Beach to perform the music inspired by the 2022 law enforcement raid at his home in Ohio.

“If you look through the lens of positivity, when they kicked down my door, money kicked down my door, fame kicked down my door,” Foreman told Milberg. “It was a blessing in disguise. These were the cards I was dealt, and I played them the best I could.”

Foreman accused Adams County Sheriff’s Office deputies of taking $400 while raiding his home with a search warrant based on an informant’s lies, while his wife and kids, aged 10 and 12, were home.

“They chose not to be humane. They chose to be unapologetic, arrogant, mean,” said Foreman, best known for his hits “Because I Got High” and “Crazy Rap (Colt 45 and 2 Zig-Zags).”

The ACSO deputies did not report finding evidence of a crime, and Foreman used his surveillance videos of the raid for his comedic music release of “Lemon Pound Cake” in 2023.

“Sometimes for humorous purposes I will exaggerate, but it’s based on a true story ... it’s entertainment ... I’m singing. I’ve gotta make this song marketable for a person who doesn’t care about my story,” Foreman told Milberg.

The album’s 14 songs satirizing the raid included “The Police Raid,” “Why You Disconnecting My Video Camera” and “Will You Help Me Repair My Door.”

A group of seven deputies sued Foreman for defamation and invasion of privacy, accusing him of hurting their reputations through the unauthorized use of their likenesses and demanding $3.9 million in damages.

After a three-day trial, the jury sided with Foreman, who wore a U.S. flag-patterned suit to court and quickly went viral. As of Sunday, the video of “Lemon Pound Cake” had nearly 9 million views on YouTube.

“I am going to start my own line of lemon pound cakes, I’ve got the Freedom of Speech, God Bless America clothing line coming ... I have a new album that’s called ‘Freedom of Speech.’ It’s available right now ... The sky is the limit, ” Foreman told Milberg.

Watch the TWISF episode

Investigators do not believe the attack at about 9 p.m. Saturday was random, according to a press release issued Sunday from the Union County Prosecutor’s Office. No arrests have been made, but the office said “there is no immediate ongoing threat to the general public.”

The injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, the release said.

A ride share driver told WABC that he heard more than seven shots from close range as he approached the restaurant.

The Homicide Task Force at the county prosecutor’s office is investigating.

The teacher’s case was assigned to the Miami-Dade County State Attorney’s Sexual Crimes and Child Abuse unit, according to court records.

Infante, 53, was on house arrest after a judge ordered him to stay away from all schools and from a teenage girl, according to court records.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools released a statement about the case on Sunday, reporting that the Miami-Dade Schools Police Department investigated him.

M-DCPS also reported that the school district had initiated employment termination proceedings against Infante, of Homestead.

Miami Southridge Senior High School, at 19355 SW 114 Ave., in the South Miami Heights area, listed Infante on the faculty directory as a Fine Arts teacher.

M-DSPD officers arrested Infante on Friday, and he appeared in bond court on Saturday, according to court records.

Infante faced five charges: Four counts of battery and one count of offenses against students by authority figures. His bond was $14,000.

“This type of behavior will not be tolerated as it runs contrary to the professional conduct we expect from all employees,” a M-DCPS spokesperson wrote without providing specifics.

Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Zachary James was set to preside over the case.

Local 10 News Assignment Editors Sofia Mendez and Mariana Ortiz contributed to this report.

Read M-DCPS complete statement:

Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) is disturbed by the allegations made against this individual.

Upon learning about this suspected behavior, Miami-Dade Schools Police immediately began their investigation and subsequently made an arrest.

This type of behavior will not be tolerated as it runs contrary to the professional conduct we expect from all employees.

The District has initiated employment termination proceedings and will ensure the individual is precluded from seeking future employment with M-DCPS.

Location

Municipal authorities in the city of Cap-Haïtien said in a statement said the stampede in Milot “resulted in numerous cases of asphyxiation, trampling and loss of consciousness.” Authorities said dozens of people who attended traditional festivities at the historical site were treated at hospitals while many others were reported missing.

“According to preliminary information ... a situation of severe overcrowding, linked in particular to deficiencies in crowd management measures, triggered a stampede,” local authorities said in the statement.

Haiti’s government offered its condolences to the families of the victims of the incident at the Citadelle Laferrière.

A person familiar with the decision said Sunday that Christie will return next season for the second year of a contract that also has a team option for 2027-28. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team hadn't announced the decision, which The Athletic was first to report.

Christie was initially hired on an interim basis after Mike Brown was fired early in the 2024-25 season. Sacramento went 27-24 the rest of the season before getting knocked out in the play-in tournament.

The Kings hired Scott Perry as general manager after last season and made the decision to retain Christie. This season didn't go nearly as well, with injuries to key veterans like Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray and DeAndre Hunter derailing the campaign almost from the start.

Sacramento had a league-worst 12-46 record in mid-February following a 16-game losing streak. The team showed some life late in the season, going 10-13 headed into Sunday's season finale in a stretch that could hurt in the draft lottery. The Kings are currently tied with Utah for the fourth-worst record in the league.

The 59 losses for Sacramento headed into the final game at Portland are tied for the second most in franchise history, behind the 65 the team had in 2008-09. The Kings have gotten solid contributions from rookies Nique Clifford, Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell but are hoping for good fortune in the lottery to find a player to build around after the team traded away star De'Aaron Fox last season.

The Kings have made the playoffs just once in the past 20 seasons, losing in the first round to Golden State in 2023 in Brown’s first season as coach.

Sacramento has the fourth-worst record in the NBA since Vivek Ranadive took over as owner in 2013. The team has had five lead executives and nine head coaches — including interims — in that span.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

“Live music nourishes your soul and makes you feel truly alive,” says Chris Bro, host of the “Next” radio show in Maryland and a longtime fan of music festivals.

Making the most of the experience also means planning ahead for potential hazards like heat, dehydration and more, say regular festivalgoers and the medical pros who care for them.

The good news is music festivals are safer than ever, thanks to increased focus on on-site medical staff and equipment, says Matt Friedman, national medical director at CrowdRx, which provides medical care at over 20 major music festivals around the country each year.

Different festivals, different risks

Different types of festivals tend to have different types of medical emergencies, Friedman says. Much depends on the type of music, the length of the festival and the heat.

"Jazz music festivals tend have a low medical-usage rate, whereas a heavy metal event will have more blunt traumas from mosh pits and alcohol-related incidents,” he says.

Electronic dance music festivals tend to have friendly crowds, some of whom "occasionally overindulge or make poor decisions regarding stimulant drugs,” Friedman says. Classical music festivals, meanwhile, tend to have more cardiac events, given the older average age of attendees.

“You want to have fun, but it’s really important to stay aware,” says Armelle Gloaguen, a musician who attended classic festivals like Clearwater, founded by Pete Seeger, and Woodstock ’94.

“Be there for the music, not the drugs and alcohol, if you want to remember any of it. Don’t accept food or drinks from strangers, and be aware of your limits,” advises Gloaguen, who owns “Armelle for Kids,” which seeks to bridge cultures through music.

Know the rules, and download the app

Festivals' rules vary, so before you head out, check the parking situation and the list of what you can bring.

For instance, Coachella, the annual festival in Indio, California, doesn’t allow chairs, outside food or umbrellas. At Tanglewood, in western Massachusetts, attendees are welcome to bring chairs and picnics, and umbrellas are fine; they just can’t be over 6 feet across.

Download a festival's app and bring a portable phone charger.

Once there, scope out the terrain. Keep an eye out for the nearest cooling station and medical tent as you figure out where to sit.

Handling the heat

“First and foremost, we see a lot of heat-related illnesses, since temperatures in the desert can get pretty high and rise quickly,” says Julie Puzzo, assistant medical director of the emergency department at JFK Memorial Hospital, near Coachella.

“We see everything from heat cramps to heat stroke, which can be life threatening,” she says.

Hydrate consistently with electrolyte-containing beverages, she says.

Wear layers, a hat and other protective clothing, and avoid excessive alcohol. Opt for non-aerosol sunscreen, since many festival venues ban aerosol sprays.

Festivals where heat is an issue are sometimes equipped with mobile cold-water immersion tanks to cool people down quickly, Friedman says.

At multiday festivals, malnutrition can also be an issue, he says. “People are running on adrenaline for the first two days, but by day three they realize they are dehydrated and exhausted and haven’t eaten nutritious food since they arrived, and this exacerbates any other conditions they might have.”

His top safety tip: Stick with your friends so you can watch out for one another.

Leave sandals, heels and flip-flops at home

Both doctors urge attendees to wear comfortable, closed-toe shoes, since attending a festival can involve more walking that you might expect. And it’s easy to happen upon small stones or other sharp objects on the grounds.

“Trips and falls are common, and we see a lot of sprains and foot contusions,” says Friedman.

Glasses, ear plugs, maybe an inhaler

For anyone susceptible to respiratory problems, it’s a good idea to bring a backup inhaler, since dust-filled wind gusts can exacerbate breathing issues, Puzzo says.

Eye problems like corneal abrasions are not uncommon at festivals, says Friedman, who recommends bringing large sunglasses or even goggles if it’s likely to be dusty.

Outdoor venues can get buggy, too, so consider insect repellent.

Protect your ears by not standing too close to speakers, and bring earplugs, says Greta Stamper, an audiologist at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida.

“It is also helpful to take listening pauses during festivals to allow your ears an opportunity to take a break. Having some quieter moments during the day can help your ears recover,” she says.

If you notice that your hearing is muffled or your ears start ringing, your ears are telling you it's too loud, Stamper says.

And if you’re coming with kids, give them added protection with over-the-ear headphones, not just earplugs, Friedman says.

Pace yourself

“Musical festivals are a marathon, not a sprint, so be sensible and take care of yourself,” Friedman says.

As you kick back with friends, it’s easy to have a few drinks too many as the day wears on. Puzzo warns that drugs acquired at some big events might not contain what people think they do. This can be dangerous in any case, and is even more so if combined with extreme heat and alcohol.

Embrace the moment

Don't forget, though, to find joy in the music and the scene.

Enjoy the unexpected, and making connections.

“If you want to talk to your favorite musician, the most meaningful thing you can do is to thank them and talk about a specific song you love and why,” says Gloaguen.

Garner's family issued a statement Sunday saying Garner had died Saturday after a two-plus-year battle with pancreatic cancer.

“Phil never lost his signature spark of life,” Garner's son, Ty, said in a statement. “He was so well known for or his love for baseball, which was with him until the end.”

Nicknamed “Scrap Iron” for his blue-collar approach to the game, Garner had a 16-year playing career with the Oakland Athletics (1973-76), Pittsburgh Pirates (1977-81), Astros (1981-87), Los Angeles Dodgers (1987) and San Francisco Giants (1988).

He played 150 games and had an .800 OPS for Pittsburgh during the Pirates’ 1979 World Series championship season. He batted .417 in the NL Championship Series sweep of Cincinnati and hit .500 (12 for 24) in the World Series as the Pirates rallied from a 3-1 deficit to beat Baltimore.

Garner made All-Star teams with Oakland in 1976 and with Pittsburgh in 1980 and 1981.

“Phil Garner was a fierce competitor, a respected leader, and a cherished part of the Pirates family,” Pirates chairman Bob Nutting said in a statement. “His contributions to the 1979 World Series championship team will forever be part of Pirates history. We always appreciated welcoming Phil back to Pittsburgh, and it was evident how deeply this city, this team, his teammates, and our fans meant to him.

“He will be remembered not only for the grit, passion, and heart he brought to the game, but also for the way he carried himself as a devoted family man and respected member of the baseball community.”

Garner hit .260 with 109 homers, 738 RBIs and 225 steals in 1,860 regular-season games while being versatile enough to make over 700 starts at both second base and third base.

Garner managed in the majors for 15 years, compiling a 985-1,054 record with Milwaukee (1992-99), Detroit (2000-02) and Houston (2004-07). He held the Brewers record for managerial wins until Craig Counsell surpassed him in 2022.

“He was a very highly respected and beloved individual who was known for his caring nature, wisdom and sense of humor," the Brewers said in a statement.

Garner over the Astros midway through the 2004 season after the firing of Jimy Williams and led them to a 48-26 record the rest of the way. They finished 92-70, beat Atlanta in the NL Division Series wasted a 3-2 lead over St. Louis in the NL Championship Series.

Garner got the Astros to the World Series the following year. They went 89-73 and beat Atlanta in the NLDS and St. Louis in the NLCS before the Chicago White Sox swept them.

Garner was a Tennessee native who starred at the University of Tennessee, which retired his No. 18 in 2009.

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

Infante, de 53 años y residente de Homestead, se encontraba bajo arresto domiciliario después de que un juez le ordenara mantenerse alejado de todas las escuelas y de la menor, según registros judiciales.

Las Escuelas Públicas del Condado de Miami-Dade (M-DCPS) emitieron un comunicado sobre el caso el domingo, informando que el Departamento de Policía Escolar de Miami-Dade lo había investigado.

M-DCPS también informó que el distrito escolar había iniciado los trámites para terminar el contrato de empleo de Infante.

La Miami Southridge Senior High School, ubicada en el 19355 de SW 114 Ave., en el área de South Miami Heights, tenía a Infante en su directorio de personal como maestro de Bellas Artes.

Agentes del M-DSPD arrestaron a Infante el viernes, y compareció ante el tribunal de fianzas el sábado, según registros judiciales.

Infante enfrentó cinco cargos: cuatro por agresión sexual y uno por delitos contra estudiantes cometidos por figuras de autoridad. Su fianza fue de $14,000.

“Este tipo de comportamiento no será tolerado, ya que va en contra de la conducta profesional que esperamos de todos nuestros empleados”, escribió un portavoz de M-DCPS sin ofrecer detalles específicos.

El juez del Circuito de Miami-Dade, Zachary James, estaba programado para presidir el caso.

Los editores de asignaciones de Local 10 News, Sofia Méndez y Mariana Ortiz, contribuyeron a este informe.

Comunicado completo de M-DCPS:

Las Escuelas Públicas del Condado de Miami-Dade (M-DCPS) están perturbadas por las acusaciones formuladas contra este individuo.

Al tener conocimiento de este presunto comportamiento, la Policía Escolar de Miami-Dade inició de inmediato su investigación y procedió a realizar el arresto.

Este tipo de comportamiento no será tolerado, ya que va en contra de la conducta profesional que esperamos de todos nuestros empleados.

El distrito ha iniciado los trámites de terminación de empleo y garantizará que el individuo no pueda buscar empleo futuro en M-DCPS.

“The result is amazing,” Sinner said. “Getting back to No. 1 means a lot for me.”

Four-time Grand Slam champion Sinner met seven-time major winner Alcaraz in their ninth final in what is often called the “Sincaraz” rivalry.

Sinner trimmed Alcaraz’s head-to-head lead to 10-7 in clinching his 27th career title overall and his first Masters title on clay. The 24-year-old Italian will return to No. 1 in the ATP rankings on Monday.

Sinner rallied from 3-1 down in the second set amid blustery conditions at the Monte Carlo Country Club and served out the match, clinching it on his first match point when Alcaraz returned a forehand long.

“It was a bit windy, a bit breezy. Different conditions from what the tournament has brought," Sinner said. "I am very happy to win a big title on this surface, I haven’t done it before and it means a lot to me.”

Alcaraz had won his last 17 matches on clay but struggled Sunday with 45 unforced errors.

However, he praised Sinner.

“It is impressive what you are achieving right now,” Alcaraz said. "Congratulations for everything.”

Sinner dropped to his knees after Alcaraz's shot landed out and then jogged over to celebrate with his box.

“I felt a bit tired, so I tried to keep the right mentality,” Sinner said. "Having this trophy means a lot to me.”

It was Sinner's third title of the year after sweeping Indian Wells and Miami — also winning those finals in straight sets — to become only the fourth man to reach the final at the first three Masters of the season. Sinner joined tennis great Novak Djokovic (in 2015) as the only one to win the first three Masters tournaments.

Alcaraz’s two titles this year include the Australian Open, where the 22-year-old Spaniard became the youngest man to win all four tennis majors.

He produced a stunning comeback to beat Sinner in last year's French Open final, then lost the Wimbledon final to Sinner before beating him again in the U.S. Open final. ___

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

Los agentes de policía describieron a dos de los tres heridos como sospechosos del tiroteo, registrado a las 10:30 p.m. afuera del Checkers ubicado en el 2645 de NW 183 St., en Miami Gardens.

La tercera persona herida llegó por su cuenta a un hospital cercano después de que los agentes respondieran a la alerta de ShotSpotter, según la policía.

Rory McIlroy and Cameron Young entered the round tied atop the leaderboard, and six others were within four shots after a dramatic Saturday. Sam Burns was one shot off the lead, Shane Lowry was two, and two-time Masters winner Scottie Scheffler lurked four shots back.

Leaders tee off at the final round of the Masters

McIlroy and Young have teed off at the Masters, which means everyone is out on the course for the final round.

McIlroy blew a record 36-hole lead of six shots on Saturday with a round of 73, which allowed Young to pull into a tie with him at 11 under following his 65 — tied for the low round of the tournament. They had a one-shot lead over Sam Burns, though Scottie Scheffler and a host of other big names were ready to give chase.

Scheffler began the day at 7 under and promptly birdied the difficult par-4 first hole to start his round in style.

Scottie Scheffler begins hunt for a 3rd green jacket

The world’s No. 1 made up a lot of ground on Saturday, when his second-round 65 matched co-leader Young for the best of the day. It left Scheffler at 7 under for the tournament, four shots behind Young and McIlroy.

This would be the first time Scheffler has come from behind at Augusta National to win on Sunday. In 2022, he had a three-shot lead after the third round and won by the same margin. Two years ago, he led by one going into Sunday and won by four.

There’s reason to believe that Scheffler can make up the ground, though.

Through the first three rounds, the four-time major champion ranks first from tee-to-green and first in ballstriking. So, why isn’t he in the lead? Scheffler is nearly last in putting. If he can get a few to drop, watch out.

▶ Here’s the leaderboard

Leaders’ tee times for the final round of the Masters

Rory McIlroy lost a six-shot lead during the third round of the Masters, so it makes sense that anyone within six shots of the lead has at least a shot at the green jacket.

Those at 5 under were scheduled to go off shortly after 1 p.m. EDT, beginning with Ben Griffin and Jake Knapp. They were followed at 1:30 p.m. by Collin Morikawa (-5) and Patrick Reed (-6), with Patrick Cantlay (-6) and Russell Henley (-6) going off at 1:41 p.m.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Haotong Li, both at 7 under, were paired together at 1:52 p.m.

Justin Rose, who lost in a playoff to McIlroy last year, was at 8 under along with Jason Day. They were due off at 2:03 p.m. Sam Burns (-10) and Shane Lowry (-9) were in the penultimate group at 2:14 p.m. before McIlroy and Cameron Young strike their opening tee shots at 2:25 p.m. on Tea Olive, the 445-yard par-4 first hole at Augusta National.

Sergio didn’t need that driver anyway

Sergio Garcia, the 2017 Masters champion, will be playing the remainder of the final round without his driver after snapping off the head of it following an angry outburst on the second tee box. After sending his tee shot into a bunker, Garcia took a swipe at a table with a green cooler on it and severed the head of the driver. It was left briefly dangling from the shaft before Garcia grabbed it and ripped it off completely. Geoff Yang, the chairman of the Masters competitions committee, met up with Garcia on the fourth tee box and issued him a code of conduct warning, according to club officials.

Setting up Sunday at the Masters

The forecast for the final round of the Masters is much like it has been all week at Augusta National: hot, dry and sunny.

That’s good news for the thousands of patrons. But it could be bad news for those trying to navigate 18 holes. The weather has been such that club officials can set up the course just about anyway they want. They seemed to give players a reprieve with easier hole locations and softer conditions on Friday and Saturday, but chances are they will want it difficult on Sunday.

That means hard, fast greens that reject wayward approach shots into difficult pin placements.

“When greens are firm and targets are tight, even a light wind can add another layer of difficulty,” said John Feerick, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather. “Players who manage launch, spin and landing spot most effectively may have the clearest edge.”

Masters’ gnomes coming to an end?

The Masters gnome has grown increasingly popular — and valuable — over the last 10 years. But this year’s gnome has become especially sought after on re-sale markets amid speculation this will be the final year they’ll be produced.

Masters chairman Fred Ridley has neither confirmed nor denied the rumors.

The 13 1/2-inch gnome features the traditional old man with a white beard dressed in golf attire and holding an umbrella and Masters-themed cup. It is only available for purchase at Augusta National (not online) and is selling for $59.50.

However, some are taking the gnome home and using it to help pay for their Masters expenses. The gnome is commanding more than $600 on eBay and Marketplace. With only 1,000 gnomes available per day and regularly selling out within an hour, fans are lining up early in the morning to get one.

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

They’re not the only perennial contender to miss the playoffs, either, with the Buffalo Sabres among the roughly half dozen newcomers in the 16-team field. The Pittsburgh Penguins are back in the dance, too.

The Colorado Avalanche have been dominant since October and go in as the favorite after clinching the best regular-season record in the NHL. That has rarely been an indicator of who hoists the Cup at the end of four rounds, and it’s anyone’s guess who comes out of the Eastern Conference, as well as the West.

“Every team in the playoffs can win,” Dallas Stars defenseman Tyler Myers said. “Every series is a tough series. That’s what’s so amazing about the NHL playoffs: It brings out the best in everybody, in every team, and it creates an unbelievable battle no matter who’s playing.”

New blood in the NHL playoffs

Buffalo ended the longest postseason drought in league history at 14 seasons and did so after losing 18 of its first 29 games.

“It’s something that we strived for from Day One,” said Lindy Ruff, who is among the favorites to be coach of the year. “You’ve got to feel good about getting there. It’s hard. We’re in a division that’s been extremely hard to get there. You’ve got to look back and say that we did a lot of good things to get to this point.”

The Sabres also look as if they can do some damage in the wide-open East without Florida. They've been the best team since the Olympic break.

Also hot down the stretch was Pittsburgh, which qualified for the first time since 2022 in new coach Dan Muse's first season. The Penguins were 6-1 long shots on BetMGM Sportsbook in October to make it, but now the trio of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang gets another chance.

“A lot of people doubted us and I guess counted us out, and it just put fuel on the fire for us,” said defenseman Ryan Shea, who's set to make his NHL playoff debut at 29. “I’ve been in the playoffs in the AHL, which was fun, but this is the best league in the world.”

The Utah Mammoth made it in the franchise's second season in Salt Lake City. The Anaheim Ducks are also back with a young core coached by three-time Cup-champion Joel Quenneville.

The Central Division path is the toughest

Colorado is justifiably the best bet to win it all. Nathan MacKinnon could be the MVP, Cale Makar the top defenseman, and the reacquisition of Nazem Kadri at the trade deadline gives the Avalanche the depth to envision another parade in Denver this summer, four years since the previous one.

To do so, they'll have to go through either Dallas or the Minnesota Wild in the second round just to reach the West final.

“Confident for sure: Believe in this group. I know we have what it takes,” captain Gabriel Landeskog said. "It’s going to be a long, tough road and mentally, physically grinding. I think we’re ready for it.”

Stars versus Wild opens the playoffs with a bang, pitting two of the top seven teams in the league in a best-of-seven series that ensures one of them will be golfing by mid-May. It's the result of a division-focused format that Commissioner Gary Bettman has said leads to the best first round in sports.

"That makes for great matchups," Bettman said. “If you’re a fan of the game and you’re looking for excitement, you’re looking to be entertained, you’re looking for intriguing stories, this format does it.”

From going for gold to chasing the silver chalice

Several players who won gold with the U.S. at the Olympics have the chance to add a Stanley Cup ring to their trophy case for the year.

Colorado's Brock Nelson scored 30 goals after being a difference-maker in Milan. Carolina's Jaccob Slavin, Buffalo's Tage Thompson, Tampa Bay's Jake Guentzel, Minnesota's Matt Boldy, Quinn Hughes and Brock Faber, Ottawa's Brady Tkachuk and Jake Sanderson are all in the running, as are two goaltenders: Boston's Jeremy Swayman and Dallas' Jake Oettinger.

The same goes for some Canadian stars who see their silver medals as a symbol of losing and get an opportunity to make up for it. That includes Edmonton's Connor McDavid following two consecutive losses in the final, and Crosby after an injury kept him from playing in the gold medal game and is chasing a fourth NHL title.

"That’s the best time of year," Crosby said. “That’s why you play.”

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AP Sports Writer Pat Graham in Denver contributed to this report.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

El tiroteo ocurrió alrededor de la 1:30 a.m. del domingo afuera del Five Stars Banquet Hall en Sunrise. Un sospechoso fue arrestado, según el Departamento de Policía de Sunrise.

Testigos dijeron que alrededor de 150 invitados celebraban adentro del salón de banquetes en el 6072 de West Oakland Park Boulevard cuando una persona que usaba silla de ruedas fue baleada afuera.

Eril Jerome, quien celebraba el cumpleaños de su suegro con familiares en el salón, dijo que escucharon aproximadamente cuatro disparos.

Por un tiempo, Jerome y otros invitados no pudieron salir porque sus autos estaban estacionados dentro de la escena del crimen. La plaza comercial reabrió posteriormente.

Esta es una historia en desarrollo.

Swire Properties, una empresa desarrolladora de bienes raíces, trabajó junto con personal de BG Group y agentes de la policía de Miami para cerrar el puente de Brickell Key, que conecta la isla artificial de forma triangular con Brickell.

El puente reabrirá a la 1:30 p.m. El plazo para que los residentes abandonaran Brickell Key era las 7 a.m. El personal de BG Group pidió a los residentes mantener las ventanas cerradas y apagar los aires acondicionados durante la implosión.

Los vehículos de emergencia estuvieron apostados desde las 6:30 a.m. cerca de 500 Brickell Key Drive. Los monitores de vibración fueron instalados a las 6 a.m.

La instalación final de barricadas y señalización para asegurar la “zona de exclusión” en tierra y agua fue a las 4 a.m.

La implosión abrirá paso a The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, un desarrollo de dos torres que Swire Properties espera completar en 2030.

Jackson was the No. 4 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft and averaged 14.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists last season.

“It’s thrilling to acquire one of the great young talents in this league in Jackson,” Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca said. “Rickea is only going to continue to ascend, and the organization is excited to witness that growth firsthand.”

It was a difficult offseason for Jackson when her ex-boyfriend, Atlanta Falcons player James Pearce, was arrested and charged in a domestic dispute incident in February.

The Sky had given Atkins the franchise tag earlier this week. Chicago originally acquired her last February and she averaged 13.1 points in 34 games last season.

“Ariel is a proven winner and one of the most respected two-way guards in this league,” Sparks GM Raegan Pebley said. “She’s a champion, an elite defender and someone who understands what it takes to win in big moments. Her professionalism, competitiveness and versatility make her a perfect fit for our franchise and a key piece in our pursuit of a championship.”

It's been a busy week for the Sky. The team signed Skylar Diggins on Saturday, the first day a team could officially add free agents. Chicago also brought back forward Azura Stevens, who helped the franchise win a title in 2021.

The Sky re-signed center Elizabeth Williams, who has been with the team since 2023. She averaged 8.5 points and 5.2 rebounds last season, appearing in 43 games with 15 starts.

Chicago also re-signed guard Courtney Vandersloot to a multiyear deal. Vandersloot tore her ACL last year in June.

Chicago traded Angel Reese on Monday to Atlanta, moving on from the talented young star.

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Amnesty International cited survivors as saying that at least 100 people were killed in the airstrike on Saturday on a village in Yobe state, near the border with Borno state, which is the epicenter of the jihadi insurgency that has ravaged the region for over a decade.

“We have their pictures and they include children,” Isa Sanusi, Amnesty International's Nigeria director, told The Associated Press, referring to the casualties.

“We are in touch with people that are there, we spoke with the hospital,” he said. “We spoke with the person in charge of casualties, and we spoke with the victims.”

A worker at the Geidam General hospital, in Yobe, said at least 23 people injured in the incident were receiving treatment. The worker spoke anonymously as he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Such misfires are common in Nigeria, where the military often conducts air raids to battle armed groups who control vast forest enclaves. At least 500 civilians have died since 2017 in such misfires, according to an AP tally of reported deaths. Security analysts point to loopholes in intelligence gathering as well as insufficient coordination between ground troops, air assets and stakeholders.

The large, remote market located near the Borno-Yobe border is known to be often used by Boko Haram jihadis to buy food supplies.

Abdulmumin Bulama, a member of a civilian security group working with the Nigerian military in the northeast, said there was intelligence that Boko Haram terrorists had gathered very close to the market and were planning an attack on nearby communities.

“The intel was shared and the Air Force jet acted based on the credible information,” Bulama said.

The Yobe State Government confirmed in a statement that a Nigerian military strike was targeting a stronghold of the Boko Haram jihadi group in the area and that “some people … who went to the Jilli weekly market were affected.”

The Yobe State Emergency Management Agency also acknowledged that an incident had occurred resulting in “casualties affecting some marketers” and said it had dispatched response teams to the area.

Nigeria's military issued a statement saying it conducted a successful strike on a “terrorist enclave and logistics hub” belonging to jihadis in the area, killing scores of them as they rode on motorcycles. It did not provide any detail about a possible misfire, but noted that motorcycles remain prohibited in conflict hot spots and “any such movements in restricted areas are therefore treated with the utmost seriousness.”

Amnesty International has called for an independent investigation into the incident, adding that the military is “fond of” labeling civilian casualties as bandits

Nigeria, which is Africa’s most populous country, is battling a complex security crisis, especially in the north, where there is a decade-long insurgency and several armed groups that kidnap for ransom.

Among the most prominent Islamic militant groups are Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, which is affiliated with the Islamic State group and known as Islamic State West Africa Province. There is also the IS-linked Lakurawa group operating in communities in the northwestern part of the country that borders Niger Republic.

——

Shibayan reported from Abuja, Nigeria.

Williams averaged a career-high 11.6 points and 4.2 assists and led the league in steals with 2.3 per game for Seattle last season. That effort earned the 29-year-old an All-Star appearance for the first time in her career. She also was a member of the league's All-Defensive First Team.

“For a player of Gabby’s caliber to choose us in just our second year ... means everything,” Valkyries general manager Ohemaa Nyanin said in a statement. “She is world-class. One of the best defenders in the world, a WNBA All-Star, and someone who makes everyone around her better.”

The Valkyries had a stellar season in their first year, making the playoffs — the first time an expansion team had done that. Williams was drafted fourth by Chicago in 2018 and traded to Los Angeles in 2021. She didn't play any games for the Sparks before being traded to Seattle in 2022.

Other moves on Sunday included Sophie Cunningham re-signing with the Indiana Fever. Cunningham averaged 8.6 points and 3.5 rebounds in 30 games before suffering a season-ending MCL tear in her right knee in August.

She joins Kelsey Mitchell and Lexie Hull, who announced on Saturday they were returning to the team. Indiana also added Monique Billings in the first day of free agency.

The Toronto Tempo added forward Isabelle Harrison, whom Sandy Brondello coached in New York before making the move to Canada.

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Pep Guardiola's team moved to within six points of leader Arsenal ahead of next weekend's top of the table clash between the two teams. City also has a game in hand.

Nico O'Reilly, Marc Guehi and Jeremy Doku all scored in a blistering second-half performance at Stamford Bridge as City took full advantage of Arsenal's shock defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday.

Tottenham's survival fight took another blow after a 1-0 loss to Sunderland left it rooted in the relegation zone.

In coach Roberto De Zerbi's first game in charge, Spurs fell to a 16th league loss of the season. Its 14-game winless run in the league dates back to Jan. 1.

Nordi Mukiele's deflected shot sealed the game at the Stadium of Light and plunged Tottenham’s campaign deeper into crisis.

Tottenham is two points adrift of safety with six games to go. Its plight wasn't helped by relegation-fighting Nottingham Forest drawing 1-1 with Aston Villa.

Crystal Palace came back from 1-0 down to beat Newcastle 2-1 at Selhurst Park.

City's title charge gathers pace

While Arsenal's form has hit a slump at the worst possible time, City made it three statement wins in a row after rolling over Chelsea.

Victory followed triumph against Arsenal in the English League Cup final and the 4-0 rout of Liverpool in the FA Cup last week.

While those three results all came in different competitions, City's charge has an ominous feel about it after twice chasing down Arsenal's lead to win the title in 2023 and '24.

Second-placed City has the chance to cut the gap at the top to three points with victory against Arsenal at the Etihad.

Rayan Cherki was the inspiration at Stamford Bridge — setting up goals for O'Reilly six minutes after halftime and Guehi in the 57th.

Doku rounded off the win in the 68th.

The result didn't help Chelsea's bid to qualify for the Champions League, leaving it four points behind fifth-placed Liverpool.

Liam Rosenior's team has won just one of its last seven league games.

Spurs' crisis deepens

The numbers just keep on getting worse for Tottenham.

Now on its third coach of the season, it’s more than three months since its last league win and just one point from a possible 24. This was a seventh defeat in eight games.

If the hope was that De Zerbi would provide an immediate bounce in form after replacing Igor Tudor, it didn't come in a typically toothless display at Sunderland.

While the new coach could point to bad luck, given the nature of Mukiele's 61st-minute winner, which took a wicked deflection off Micky van de Ven, his team rarely looked like finding a way back into the match — even during 11 minutes of added time at the end.

An injury to Cristian Romero made a bad day worse for Spurs, which next faces Brighton, one of De Zerbi's former clubs.

Forest moved three points clear of Spurs after a draw at the City Ground. Neco Williams' long-range shot leveled the game after a Murillo own-goal gave Villa the lead.

Mateta double for Palace

Jean-Philippe Mateta saw a January move to AC Milan fall through on deadline day and is now having a big say in Palace's bid to end the season on a high.

The France forward scored in Thursday's Conference League win against Fiorentina and hit a double as Palace came back against Newcastle.

Two late goals turned the game at Selhurst Park after William Osula had given Newcastle a halftime lead.

Mateta leveled in the 80th and then fired a winner from the penalty spot in the fourth minute of added time.

Palace leapfrogged Newcastle on goal difference to move up to 13th.

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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

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

The Universal and Illumination sequel added $69 million from 4,284 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates Sunday. That brings its running domestic total to $308.1 million and its global total to $629 million.

That's a 48% drop from the film's first weekend in theaters, a fairly modest decline for a blockbuster. But the chasm between this movie and the first continues to grow. By its second weekend in 2023, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” — which was much better reviewed than its follow-up — had earned over $353 million domestically. Still, the sequel is an unabashed hit by any measure, having cost only $110 million to produce.

Paul Dergarabedian, the head of marketplace trends for Comscore, said “it’s a very respectable” hold.

“For the film to already be over $300 million is just astonishing,” Dergarabedian said, noting that the majority of tickets were likely sold at lower prices for children. “To get to these box office milestones is all the more impressive.”

The movie is also helping power up box office momentum before the summer movie season begins in May.

The weekend’s big new opener was also a Universal release: The travelogue romantic comedy “You, Me & Tuscany,” starring Halle Bailey and Regé-Jean Page of “Bridgerton” fame. It debuted in fourth place with an estimated $8 million from 3,151 screens against a reported production budget of $18 million. Women made up an overwhelming 80% of the audience.

Directed by Kat Coiro, the movie arrived in theaters with mixed to positive reviews. According to a review by The Associated Press, it’s “a movie as frothy and insubstantial as the foam on a nice cappuccino.” It currently holds a 68% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Audiences seemed to enjoy it a bit more. According to PostTrak exit polls, 77% of ticket buyers said they would “definitely recommend” it to friends. It also got an A- on CinemaScore.

Jim Orr, Universal’s head of domestic distribution, said the audience reaction scores, “point to a very nice run at the box office.”

Second place at the box office this week went to Amazon MGM Studios’ “Project Hail Mary,” which is still drawing double-digit ticket sales in its fourth weekend. It added an estimated $24.6 million from Friday to Sunday, bringing its domestic total to $256.7 million. Worldwide, it has earned $510.6 million.

“The Drama” took third place in its second weekend, with $8.7 million. The buzzy A24 movie about an engaged couple played by Robert Pattinson and Zendaya fell only 38%, bringing its domestic total to $30.8 million and its worldwide total to $65 million.

Disney and Pixar's “Hoppers” rounded out the top five in its sixth weekend with $4.1 million. The animated movie has made $354.4 million globally to date.

Another bright spot was the Japanese video game adaptation “Exit 8," which made $1.4 million from only 490 theaters and landed in seventh place. Directed by Genki Kawamura, the Neon-distributed film is sitting at 95% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Top 10 movies by domestic box office

With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:

1. “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” $69 million.

2. “Project Hail Mary,” $24.6 million.

3. “The Drama,” $8.7 million.

4. “You, Me & Tuscany,” $8 million.

5. “Hoppers,” $4.1 million.

6. “Faces of Death,” $1.7 million.

7. “Exit 8,” $1.4 million.

8. “A Great Awakening,” $1.3 million.

9. “Reminders of Him,” $1 million.

10. “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come,” $867,000.

With NASA’s lunar comeback a galactic-sized smash thanks to Artemis II, the world is wondering: What’s next? And how do you top that?

“To people all around the world who look up and dream about what is possible, the long wait is over,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said as he introduced Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen at Saturday’s jubilant homecoming celebration.

Now that the first lunar travelers in more than a half-century are safely back in Houston with their families, NASA has Artemis III in its sights.

“The next mission’s right around the corner,” entry flight director Rick Henfling observed following the crew’s Pacific splashdown on Friday.

In a mission recently added to the docket for next year, Artemis III’s yet-to-be -named astronauts will practice docking their Orion capsule with a lunar lander or two in orbit around Earth. Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin are racing to have their company’s lander ready first.

Musk’s Starship and Bezos’ Blue Moon are vying for the all-important Artemis IV moon landing in 2028. Two astronauts will aim for the south polar region, the preferred location for Isaacman’s envisioned $20 billion to $30 billion moon base. Vast amounts of ice are almost certainly hidden in permanently shadowed craters there — ice that could provide water and rocket fuel.

The docking mechanism for Artemis III’s close-to-home trial run is already at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. The latest model Starship is close to launching on a test flight from South Texas, and a scaled-down version of Blue Moon will attempt a lunar landing later this year.

NASA promises to announce the Artemis III crew “soon.” Like 1969’s Apollo 9, Artemis III aims to reduce risk for the moon landings that follow.

Apollo 9 astronaut Rusty Schweickart loved flying the lunar module in low-Earth orbit — “a test pilot’s dream.” But there’s no question, he noted, that “the real astronauts” at least in the public’s mind were the ones who walked on the moon.

Wiseman and his crew put their passion and feelings on full display as they flew around the moon and back, choking up over lost loved ones as well as those left behind on Earth.

During the their nearly 10-day journey, they tearfully requested that a fresh, bright lunar crater be named after Wiseman’s late wife, Carroll, who died of cancer in 2020. They also openly shared their love for one another and Planet Earth, an exquisite yet delicate oasis in the black void that they said needs better care.

Artemis II included the first woman, the first person of color and the first non-U.S. citizen to fly to the moon.

“Wonderful communicators, almost poets,” Isaacman said from the recovery ship while awaiting their return.

Apollo’s manly, all-business moon crews of the 1960s and 1970s certainly did not do group hugs.

For those old enough to remember Apollo, Artemis — Apollo’s twin sister in Greek mythology — couldn’t come fast enough.

Author Andy Chaikin said he felt like Rip Van Winkle awakening from a nearly 54-year nap. His 1994 biography “A Man on the Moon” led to the HBO miniseries “From the Earth to the Moon.”

“It’s amazing how far we’ve come and how different this experience is from back then,” Chaikin said from Johnson Space Center late last week.

The hardest part, according to NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya, is becoming so close to the crews and their families and then blasting them to the moon. He anxiously monitored Friday’s reentry alongside the astronauts’ spouses and children.

“You know what’s at stake,” Kshatriya confided afterward. “It’s going to take risk to explore, but you have to make sure you find the right line between being paralyzed by it and being able to manage it.”

Calling it “mission complete” only after being reunited with his two daughters, Wiseman issued a rallying cry to the rows of blue-flight-suited astronauts at Saturday’s celebration.

“It is time to go and be ready,” he said, pointing at them, “because it takes courage. It takes determination, and you all are freaking going and we are going to be standing there supporting you every single step of the way in every possible way possible.”

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

The tour includes the U.S. Air Force Reserve Command WC-130J “Hurricane Hunter” aircraft and a chance to meet the brave men and women who fly it, and members of the National Hurricane Center and National Weather Service staff.

NHC director Michael Brennan, NHC warning coordination meteorologist Robbie Berg, NOAA Weather Prediction Center meteorologist Jose Alamo, and NHC meteorologist Sandy Delgado are expected to be in attendance.

NOAA’s Aircraft Operations Center flight director Kerri Englert, and NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations aircraft acquisition deputy director LCDR David Keith are also involved in the tour.

The public tours are from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Florida Keys Marathon International Airport at 9400 Overseas Highway in Marathon.

The next stops are on Wednesday at the Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport in Roatan, Honduras; on Thursday at the Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport in Belize City, Belize; and on Friday at the Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport in Isla Grande, Puerto Rico.

There will be more stops on May 4 in Sarasota, Fla.; on May 5 in Mobile, Ala.; and on May 6 at Lake Charles, La. The hurricane season begins June 1.

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• Complete coverage

The fiery Garcia then created a lighter moment on the same hole when he carried fellow Spaniard Jon Rahm's clubs for a bit.

The Garcia-Rahm group, which paired two countrymen and former champions both on LIV Golf, was always going to create some buzz, even with both out of contention. Then, Garcia quickly brought the drama up another notch.

The 2017 Masters champ looked frustrated on his follow-through when his first shot of the day went well to the right, leading to an opening bogey. Garcia hit another drive headed to the bunker on the par-5 second and lost his temper.

He slammed his club into the turf twice, then took a swipe at a table with a green cooler on it. That left the head of his driver dangling from the shaft, and Garcia reached over and yanked it off completely.

According to club officials, Geoff Yang in his role as chairman of the competitions committee spoke to Garcia on the fourth tee and issued the code-of-conduct warning.

Garcia declined to discuss what was said, saying: “I'm not going to tell you.”

The PGA Tour has been developing a code-of-conduct policy for competition, and the Masters is the first to use it, according to a person involved in the process. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity out of respect to Augusta National running the tournament.

The PGA Championship also plans to use the policy, and likely the other two majors. The person said the second violation would be a two-shot penalty, and the third violation leads to disqualification.

“Just obviously not super proud of it,” Garcia said, “but sometimes it happens.”

Garcia was disqualified in 2019 at the Saudi International for damaging greens in frustration. His antics over the years include angrily kicking off his shoe when he slipped during a tee shot at the World Match Play in 2001, and the shoe nearly struck an official.

He also spit into a cup during a World Golf Championship at Doral after three-putting.

Garcia played the rest of the final round at Augusta National without a driver and appeared to have calmed down.

“It makes it very easy,” he said. “I just have to hit 3-wood all the time. I didn’t have to choose another club.”

Shortly after damaging the tee box on No. 2, the situation turned comical when Garcia started carrying Rahm's bag while Rahm's caddie was raking the bunker. The crowd applauded when Rahm took the bag from Garcia and started carrying it himself as Rahm's caddie Adam Hayes hustled to catch up to the players.

“There was nothing,” Garcia said. “Adam stopped to rake my bunker, and Benji (Thompson), my caddie, was carrying both bags, so I told him, ‘Just put it down, I’ll get it so you can go and get a yardage.’ Just as simple as that.”

Garcia did manage to make par on No. 2 before bogeying the third and fourth holes. He wound up shooting 75.

“If you don’t hit good shots,” he said, “you’re not going to score well here. It’s very simple.”

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AP Golf Writer Doug Ferguson and AP Sports Writer Dave Skretta contributed to this report.

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

Police officers described two of the three injured as suspects of the shooting at 10:30 p.m. outside of Checkers at 2645 NW 183 St., in Miami Gardens.

The third person wounded showed up at a nearby hospital after police officers responded to the ShotSpotter alert, according to police.

Location

The shooting was at about 1:30 a.m. on Sunday outside the Five Stars Banquet Hall in Sunrise. A suspect was arrested, according to the Sunrise Police Department.

Witnesses said about 150 guests were celebrating inside the banquet hall at 6072 West Oakland Park Boulevard when a person who was using a wheelchair was shot outside.

Eril Jerome, who was celebrating his father-in-law’s birthday with family at the banquet hall, said they heard about four shots fired.

For a while, Jerome and other party guests couldn’t leave because their cars were parked within the crime scene. The shopping plaza reopened.

This is a developing story.

Location

Swire Properties, a real estate developer, worked with BG Group personnel and Miami police officers to close the Brickell Key Bridge, which connects the man-made, triangular-shaped island to Brickell.

The bridge will reopen at 1:30 p.m. The deadline for residents to leave Brickell Key was 7 a.m. The BG Group personnel asked residents to keep windows closed and turn off their air conditioning units during the implosion.

Emergency vehicles were staged at 6:30 a.m. near 500 Brickell Key Drive. The vibration monitors were installed at 6 a.m.

The final setup of barricades and signage to secure the “exclusion zone” on both land and water was at 4 a.m.

The implosion will make way for the two-story The Residences at Mandarin Oriental that Swire Properties expects to complete in 2030.

Rubble remains where hotel once stood

Crowd gets last pictures of building

Location

High pressure near the Carolinas will flex its muscles again, kicking up strong east to northeast winds along the beaches, so the rip current risk remains dangerously high, and a small craft advisory remains in effect for the boaters.

Otherwise, the weather looks great for all outdoor activities today, and it looks like an extended period of dry, sunny weather is settling in through at least the next 5 days.

Highs in the lower 80s today will climb into the middle 80s later this week.

One man, Malcolm Wright, was beaten to death in front of his family in 1949. His offense? “Hogging the road.” Further research revealed that his mule-drawn wagon was, to his killers, moving too slowly.

The panels are among thousands of exhibits and artifacts inside the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and the adjoining Museum of Mississippi History. Called the Two Mississippi Museums, the massive complex in sight of the state Capitol is a central part of the state’s America 250 celebration.

“That’s just the people that we know about," Kiama Johnson, who was visiting from Monroe, Louisiana, said of the victim panels as she sat beyond the display and fought back tears. "Just imagine the ones that we don’t. Imagine the ones that’s never going to be written in history books.”

Mississippi’s warts-and-all approach to reflecting its history as part of the state’s official commemoration of the nation’s 250th anniversary is a stark contrast with what has taken place at the national level since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.

Easing the discomfort of a sometimes brutal American history has been a central theme of Trump’s administration. He signed an executive order his first day back in office eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the federal government. That, along with a March 2025 executive order, ” Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” have led to signs being changed at federal parks, exhibits being altered or in some cases removed, and military bases being renamed.

Part of the Republican administration's preparations to celebrate the 250th anniversary have included putting pressure on federal institutions, including the Smithsonian, to tell a version of history that is less focused on discrimination and episodes of racial violence.

In Mississippi, a temporary exhibit created specifically for the commemoration — Mississippi Made -- fills a space that is routinely changed to entice visitors to return. But it is housed in a space where achievement is intertwined with the state’s dark past involving Native Americans, enslaved people and the Civil Rights era.

Nan Prince, director of collections for the Mississippi Department of Archives & History, said the instructions were simple from scholars, politicians, staff members, and civic and civil rights groups when the museums were being conceived and built.

“Don’t brush over anything, don’t whitewash anything," she said. "Just tell the absolute truth.”

‘We weren’t going to hide anything'

Jackson Mayor John Horhn was a state senator when he began pushing for the Civil Rights Museum in 1999. His efforts finally got a boost when Haley Barbour, a former Republican National Committee chairman, became governor.

Plans for the museum eventually were combined with a parallel effort to move the state history museum from the Capitol grounds, with the complex opening in 2017.

The approach to creating a state history museum was the same — tell the full story, beginning with how Native Americans were removed from the land.

“We said at the beginning we weren’t going to hide anything," Barbour said in an interview, noting that he grew up in an era of segregation. "We weren’t gonna try to justify what was done. That’s what the people wanted — to say, ‘Look, we’re not proud of this, but we’re not going to deny it.’”

Other states have made sure to highlight their diversity in their presentations for the 250th anniversary. The America 250 description for neighboring Alabama includes milestones in the Civil Rights Movement.

Mississippi takes its history head-on. Its “America 250 MS” platform says the state’s history mirrors the American story, with the removal of Native Americans making way for slavery and slavery leading to the Civil War, followed by Reconstruction and the Jim Crow era.

Horhn praised the willingness of Mississippi leaders to use the museums to tell the state's full story.

“We still have issues, we still have a lot of challenges," he said. "But it’s a demonstration that progress has been made.”

‘It just made me want to weep’

The History Museum opens into a gallery that explores Mississippi’s first people, the Native Americans. The entrance is dominated by a 500-year-old canoe, a vivid reminder that Native Americans were here thousands of years before settlers arrived and forced them out, taking the land to begin growing cotton, which was tended by enslaved people.

Across the lobby sits the Civil Rights Museum. The first audio exhibit is abrupt: “We don’t serve your kind,” a menacing voice tells visitors, triggered when they cross the museum threshold.

It is one of several phrases once commonplace in the nation’s segregated past that bombard visitors at the opening to the gallery.

The museum also does not shy away from presenting one of the state's most infamous racial killings, that of Emmett Till. The 14-year-old was kidnapped, tortured and killed in 1955 after being accused of whistling at a white woman in a rural Mississippi grocery store.

Till’s murder was a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement. Thousands came to his funeral in Chicago, and his mother, Mamie Till Mobley, insisted on an open casket so the country could see the gruesome state of her son’s body.

At the end of the narrative, by Oprah Winfrey, visitors can see the .45-caliber pistol used to kill the teenager.

Lindsay Ward, 49, cried in the lobby after touring the Civil Rights Museum. Raised in what she described as a sheltered world in Salt Lake City, she said she had not had any exposure to the topics she encountered during her visit — "this heaviness," as she put it.

Ward, now living in Denver, said she was troubled by how recent some events were.

“We’re not talking about hundreds and hundreds of years ago. We’re talking 60 years. It just made me want to weep," she said. "It doesn’t feel great, but it’s important we understand what happened in the past.”

Connor Lynch, a history teacher and social justice advocate from Chicago, said deciding how history will be told has always been a struggle.

“All we have is human narrative” and that comes with bias, he said. "I do believe that no matter what sort of erasure the country might be doing, we know the stories. We know the truth."

‘A very difficult history,’ on full display

For the America 250 celebration, the museums created ”Mississippi Made," which highlights the state's products and achievements.

There is the common household cleaner Pine-Sol, a Nissan Frontier and a Toyota Corolla, a section citing the state's involvement in the U.S. space program and medical advances such as the first human lung transplant.

There is something else — a display by renowned Mississippi quilter Hystercine Rankin. It is a quilt telling the story of her father being killed in 1939.

Jessica Walzer, the exhibit curator, said she included it because it is one of the few story quilts in the museums’ collection and because it tells part of Mississippi's history.

“I think it’s important to have something kind of striking like that to kind of remind us that Mississippi also has this very difficult history that a lot of people have been through,” she said.

Prince, the state director of collections, said such truth had long been denied. Visitors to antebellum homes, for instance, heard about the families who lived there, but “they would never once tell you about the people that lived behind the house or the people that built the house or the people that worked the fields,” she said.

“For so long," she said, "we just tried to gloss over that because it was uncomfortable.”

She couldn't hear what her dance partner was saying from across the studio. She was late for her entrances because the music sounded too soft.

Without telling anyone, she finally made an appointment to get her hearing checked.

Mearns learned that she had hearing loss. After years of isolation, she got the tools to make sense of a world that had gotten muffled.

Now, she's one of the first dancers with the New York City Ballet to wear hearing aids during performances.

“I feel like it's a whole new chapter of my life,” Mearns, 40, said in an interview with the AP.

While hearing loss is common in older adults, it can happen at any age and can be caused by things like nerve damage, infection or head trauma. For Mearns, it may have been a blend of factors including genetics, medical conditions and exposure to loud noise.

Signs and symptoms of hearing loss

According to the National Institutes of Health, less than a fifth of American adults aged 20 to 69 who could benefit from wearing hearing aids have ever used them. That's due to lack of access, shame or embarrassment and just not knowing the symptoms.

“Hearing loss is often not detected by the person because what they can't hear, they don't know,” said Dr. Anil Lalwani, a hearing expert with Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

Still, “there are a lot of symptoms of hearing loss that are not hearing less,” said Dr. Maura Cosetti with Mount Sinai’s New York Eye and Ear Infirmary.

One thing to look out for is saying “what” more often, and not being able to hear friends and family in noisy settings like restaurants. Other symptoms include ringing, a sensation like something is stuck in the ears or conversations sounding muffled.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mearns couldn't hear conversations when people were wearing masks.

“I realized that I was reading everybody’s lips to understand what they were saying,” she said.

If experiencing hearing loss, you have options

Experts say to let a doctor know if you think you may be experiencing symptoms of hearing loss. They can help you connect with an audiologist or an ear, nose and throat specialist to get a hearing test.

Cosetti with Mount Sinai said the Mimi Hearing Test app can be useful resource to get a sense of your hearing. Seeing a professional is the best way to figure out what's actually going on — like whether your ears are just plugged up with wax or fluid.

Hearing aids fine-tune the sound signal that enters the brain, enhancing speech while lowering background noise. They can be expensive, but many are now available over the counter. Some Apple AirPods also can be used as hearing aids.

For more severe forms of hearing loss, doctors may recommend a device called a cochlear implant, which converts sounds into electrical signals that are sent to the brain. These include a surgically inserted component and can take months to get used to.

Hearing aids are an adjustment, but can be worth it

Mearns initially felt embarrassed to step into the booth for her hearing test, knowing she wouldn't be able to hear all the words. Her audiologist, Marta Gielarowiec, helped her understand what she was missing and guided her to appropriate hearing aids.

“It's definitely not a one size fits all. There is a lot of adjustment, tuning and calibration involved,” said Gielarowiec, who runs a practice in New York. “Overall, the goal is to maximize the hearing that’s left.”

Addressing hearing loss can help boost mental health, improve communication and slow cognitive decline for people at high risk of dementia.

When Mearns walked out of her audiologist's office wearing her aids for the first time, she felt overwhelmed. She could hear the pattering of shoes on the ground, the chirping of birds across the street and the billowing of a flag a block behind her. Returning to her dressing room, she cried.

She can now hear the full might of the orchestra when she performs — and take phone calls in her ears.

The life she was living before, she said, was exhausting. At the end of every day she was spent from the strain of asking people to repeat themselves and missing out on conversations and the punch lines of jokes.

“I don’t want people to feel what I felt, where I was embarrassed and I was quiet about it,” she said. “Because now that I’m on the other side, I’m so happy.”

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

U.S. officials said the talks collapsed over what they described as Iran’s refusal to commit to abandoning its nuclear program. Iranian officials blamed the U.S. for failing to reach a deal, without specifying the sticking points.

The failure of the high-stakes talks in Pakistan after 21 hours casts doubt over the future of a fragile two-week ceasefire, due to expire on April 22.

While the fragile ceasefire seems to hold, the war is not over and uncertainty remains on the streets of Tehran where some residents were reluctant to speak to the media.

Iranians have been living in digital blackout for over a month after the internet was blocked shortly after the war started on Feb. 28. Since then, the population has been relying on state-controlled media, with a limited number of people having access to overseas satellite TV channels for access to information.

Standing outside a newsstand in the capital, Tehran, Farhad Simia told The Associated Press he had hoped for successful negotiations and an end to the fighting, but stood with Iran despite the failure of the talks.

“I’m against war. I think negotiation is the better path,” Simia, 43, said. He blamed “inappropriate demands” by the U.S. for the failure to reach a deal.

Mehdi Hosseini, also 43, agreed: “Considering the advantage Iran seemed to have on the battlefield, there was a real concern that we might lose all those gains in the negotiations.

“Whether the talks succeed or not is one matter, but the fact that the Iranian negotiating team managed to preserve what it achieved in the war, while refusing to back down and surrender, gives reason for hope.”

The streets of Tehran were lined up with large Iranian flags and giant billboards glorifying the country's leaders and military achievements. One large illustration depicted Iranian men in uniform lifting a fishing net out of the sea with a catch of miniature-sized U.S. military aircraft and warships. “The Strait Remains Closed,” the billboard read.

Hamid Haghi, 55, said “America's overreach” was the reason for the talks' failure. The U.S. wants “to come to the Strait of Hormuz, which is a legacy from our fathers,” he said. “We can oversee (it) ourselves.”

Like many Iranians, 60-year-old Mohammad Bagher believes Iran should continue to stand strong against the U.S. in what he sees as a war of their own making.

“We are a nation of dialogue and negotiation as long as our interests are respected. We have never sought war,” he said. “We will stand firm to the end, we are ready to sacrifice our lives, and will not give them one inch of our land.”

Since the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28, it has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, 2,020 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states, and caused lasting damage to infrastructure in half a dozen Middle Eastern countries.

Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz has largely cut off the Persian Gulf and its oil and gas exports from the global economy, sending energy prices soaring.

Martin said the package amounting to 505 million euros ($592 million) will ease some of the cost of living pressures that have grown since the U.S.-Israel war on Iran led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital channel for the world's oil. The relief measure, which needs parliamentary approval, would come on top of a 250 million euro tax break approved nearly three weeks ago.

It was not immediately clear if the proposal will quell the uprisings, though protests diminished Sunday amid a police crackdown.

Over six days the actions caused chaos as blockades at Ireland’s refinery, a major port and several vital depots prevented tanker trucks from delivering fuel to service stations and many gas pumps ran dry. Slow-moving convoys of vehicles also caused traffic jams on major highways.

Martin said Ireland had been on the brink of having oil tankers redirected to other countries and its refinery shut down.

“It made absolutely no sense what was going on,” he said. “Higher fuel scarcity and higher fuel prices would actually have been the inevitable outcome of these blockades.”

Police had warned of arrests and began breaking up protests Saturday, using pepper spray to help clear people from the Whitegate refinery in County Cork and vowing to remove others who were endangering critical infrastructure and public safety because gas shortages could prevent response by emergency services.

Officers ordered trucks and tractors blocking O’Connell Street, the main thoroughfare in the capital of Dublin, to clear out early Sunday. On the other side of the country, police clashed with demonstrators to reopen the Galway docks after a military vehicle was used to knock down a makeshift barrier.

Protesters at a fuel depot in County Limerick voted to end their action Sunday and demonstrators at Rosslare Europort in Wexford agreed to begin letting trucks leave the port that is jammed with cargo that couldn’t be moved.

“It’s just a pity that we had to escalate a protest to this level to bring our government to the table to get fairness for every working person around this country,” Neilus O’Connor, an agricultural contractor, told national broadcaster RTE, outside the Foynes depot.

Protests began Tuesday and grew as word spread on social media, with truckers, farmers, and taxi and bus operators taking part and calling for help — such as price caps or tax cuts — to bring down fuel costs they say will drive people out of business.

Government officials, who had already introduced measures to ease the burden of price rises a few weeks ago, were baffled over the rationale behind the protests because the global price spike is due to the Middle East conflict that restricted oil exports.

More than a third of gas pumps had run dry by Saturday, but the reopening of the refinery and removal of roadblocks at fuel depots was expected to begin reversing the shortage, though it could take up to 10 days to fully recover, Fuels for Ireland chief executive Kevin McPartlan said.

The rare Sunday Cabinet meeting to finalize the relief measures came as the coalition government faces new political pressures from rivals critical of their handling of the crisis.

Sinn Fein, the largest opposition party, said it would call for a no-confidence vote in the coalition government. Holly Cairns of the Social Democrats said her party would support the vote.

“They have lost the confidence of the public," Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said. "It is clear that they still are not listening and do not accept the scale of this fuel and cost-of-living crisis.”

Unas 27 millones de personas están llamadas a las urnas para elegir mandatario, dos vicepresidentes, los 130 miembros de la Cámara de Diputados y los 60 del Senado en el regreso a la bicameralidad luego de 30 años.

Mientras que varios centros de votación abrieron sus puertas en horario, otros lo hicieron con retraso porque no había llegado el material electoral mientras los electores hacían largas filas para entrar y se quejaban del tiempo de espera.

Unas horas después, las autoridades electorales anunciaron que ampliarán una hora más el horario de votación y que los centros electorales cerrarán a las 18 hora local debido a “problemas logísticos” en la distribución de la papeletas con los candidatos.

Distintos sondeos privados coinciden en que ninguno de los postulantes a la presidencia tiene alta intención de voto ni ha logrado establecer una distancia significativa sobre sus rivales.

Preocupaciones: inseguridad, alto costo de vida, corrupción

Perú atraviesa una crisis política que ha provocado el desfile de ocho presidentes y tres Congresos en una década y un incremento de la delincuencia que los ciudadanos identifican como su mayor preocupación.

Los electores se quejan además del aumento del costo de vida y de la persistente corrupción.

La enfermera Heidy Justiniano, de 33 años y madre de una niña, dudaba a quién votar frente a la escuela pública Santa Rosa de Lima.

“Mucha delincuencia, mucho asalto en cada esquina; a un chofer (de un medio de transporte) lo mataron, lo que ahorita más nos importa es la seguridad, la vida de cada persona”, dijo Justiniano a The Associated Press.

La mujer dijo que "no todo lo que dicen (los políticos) lo cumplen; esta vez hay que elegir bien a nuestro presidente para que pueda mejorar al Perú”.

Sandy Muñoz, que vende comida en la calle, señaló por su lado que “hoy en día ir al mercado sale muy caro”, además de que “está el problema de la seguridad, la corrupción y los trabajadores del transporte, que están constantemente en huelga” por la delincuencia.

En el último quinquenio las denuncias por extorsión —un delito que ha provocado protestas y paralizaciones frecuentes del transporte público— se han quintuplicado, mientras los asesinatos se han duplicado, de acuerdo con datos oficiales. El costo de la criminalidad consume 1,7% del PBI, el equivalente a unos 5.000 millones de dólares anuales, lo que actúa como un impuesto que asfixia el consumo y la inversión privada, según cálculos del Ministerio de Economía.

Fujimori, la preferida por ahora

En un contexto de gran incertidumbre, varios sondeos coinciden en que la derechista Keiko Fujimori —hija del fallecido expresidente Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000)— encabeza la intención de voto con 15% con su promesa de combatir la delincuencia con las Fuerzas Armadas y construir nuevas cárceles. Sin embargo, la suma del voto nulo, en blanco e indeciso lidera las proyecciones.

Durante la jornada electoral la candidata presidencial visitó en un cementerio las tumbas de su madre, Susana Higuchi, y de su padre.

La representante de Fuerza Popular salió de su casa en una zona residencial de Lima y se dirigió en un automóvil al cementerio junto a su hermana menor Sachi. “En los procesos electorales anteriores ellos estaban con vida y es la manera de decirles que los tenemos presentes”, dijo a los periodistas la dirigente política, que ha competido varias veces por la presidencia.

Detrás de Fujimori se ubican sólo cinco postulantes separados por pocos puntos porcentuales entre sí. Entre ellos están dos exalcaldes de Lima: Ricardo Belmont (1989-1995) del Partido Cívico Obras, un nacionalista que asegura que renegociará los contratos de explotación de recursos naturales, y Rafael López-Aliaga (2021-2025), de Renovación Popular, un millonario que promete créditos a los pequeños empresarios a través del banco estatal.

Fujimori, López Aliaga y el humorista Carlos Álvarez, de País para Todos, son algunos de los candidatos que ya depositaron su voto.

Voto obligatorio

Se contemplan multas de hasta 32 dólares para quienes no voten. Los mayores de 70 años no están obligados a hacerlo.

Alrededor de 1,1 millones de votantes sufragarán desde 75 países del extranjero, en su mayoría en Estados Unidos y Argentina.

Las autoridades electorales anticiparon que poco antes de finalizar el domingo esperan alcanzar el 60% del conteo de los votos para presidente, pero el resultado final podría demorar hasta el jueves 16 de abril.

On a recent morning, Alexandre Joseph, 35, fretted about his family’s future in a loud voice, attracting the attention of passersby in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital.

“The government raised the prices of gasoline, diesel and kerosene, hitting my family. I now am unable to feed my two children on the salary I have,” he said.

The conflict in Iran has caused oil prices in Haiti to surge, disrupting critical supply chains, doubling transportation costs and forcing millions of undernourished people to cut back on already scarce meals.

Haiti, the most impoverished country in the Western Hemisphere, has been hit the hardest by rising oil prices that experts warn will deepen a spiraling humanitarian crisis.

‘One of the most fragile countries in the world’

On April 2, Haiti’s government announced a 37% increase in the cost of diesel and a 29% increase in the cost of gasoline.

“The consequences are huge,” said Erwan Rumen, deputy country director for the United Nations World Food Program in Haiti. “It’s one of the most fragile countries in the world.”

Almost half of Haiti’s nearly 12 million inhabitants already face high levels of acute food insecurity. In recent months, Rumen noted, about 200,000 people dropped from the emergency phase to the acute one, a significant milestone.

“What is a bit frightening is to see that so many efforts could be basically wiped out by things that are completely out of our control,” he said. “This part of the population is extremely fragile. They’re on the verge of collapsing completely.”

Gang violence has exacerbated hunger, with armed men controlling key roads and disrupting the transportation of goods. An increase in food prices will only worsen hunger in a country where gangs easily recruit children whose families need food and money.

Emmline Toussaint, main coordinator of Mary’s Meals’ BND school-feeding program in Haiti, said that gas stations in some regions are selling fuel 25% to 30% higher than even what the government stipulated because of gang violence and difficulties with trucks trying to access certain areas.

She said the U.S.-based nonprofit is forced to use boats and take longer and multiple roads to feed the 196,000 children they serve across Haiti to avoid armed groups.

“The humanitarian crisis that we’re facing right now is at its worst,” she said. “So far, we are doing our best not to step back. Now, more than ever, the kids need us. … Most of them, it’s the only meal they receive.”

‘Everything will go up’

Fedline Jean-Pierre, a soft-spoken mother of a 7-year-old boy, sat under the shade of a tattered beach umbrella as she mulled increasing the prices of carrots, tomatoes and other produce she sells at an outdoor market in Port-au-Prince.

“People are not buying now because they don’t have money,” she said, noting she likely won’t have a choice but to increase prices to survive. “I have a child to feed.”

The 35-year-old mother said she and her son have lived for two years in a cramped and unsanitary shelter, among the record 1.4 million Haitians displaced by gang violence in recent years.

“The government doesn’t do anything for me,” she said. “Gas is up now, meaning everything will go up.”

Street vendor Maxime Poulard buys charcoal from suppliers to resell at a higher price. Occasionally he sells two bags of charcoal a day, but he thinks he soon will only be able to afford to buy half a bag to resell.

“Traveling is expensive; eating is expensive; everything is expensive,” he said. “I’m not sure if I will be able to hold on much more.”

Nearly 40% of Haitians are surviving on less than $2.15 a day, according to the World Bank. Meanwhile, Haiti’s economy contracted for the seventh consecutive year, with inflation reaching 32% at the end of fiscal year 2025.

Joseph, the factory worker, said he plans to sell soft drinks at night out of his home to try and earn more money, but even then, that won’t be enough: “We’re also going to reduce the way we normally eat.”

‘Impossible tradeoffs’

On April 6, Haitians dragged burning tires and other debris to block streets and protest the increase in fuel prices in Port-au-Prince, of which an estimated 90% is controlled by gangs.

Local media reported gunfire as some Haitians forced the drivers of small colorful buses known as tap-taps to disembark their passengers.

Marc Jean-Louis, a 29-year-old tap-tap driver, said passengers are increasingly bartering fares, but he can’t afford to offer discounts.

“All the money is going toward gas,” he said as he called on the government to reduced prices “so that everyone can breathe.”

Haitians fear more violence as the country’s poverty and hunger deepens.

Rumen, with the U.N.’s World Food Program, said they’ve been unable to reach 60,000 people in Haiti’s central region who are awaiting aid. A powerful gang recently attacked the area, killing more than 70 people, according to the U.N.

“We’re going to have more needs and less resources,” he warned.

Allen Joseph, program manager for Mercy Corps in Haiti, said rising oil prices are crushing the country’s fragile economy: “The families already spending most of their income on food will face impossible tradeoffs.”

He warned the increase will affect access to basic services, including potable water.

“This is not an abstract inflation,” he warned. “It will directly impact survival.”

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Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Neighbors are preparing for street closures and a cloud of dust as crews get ready for the controlled implosion.

“It’s never easy saying goodbye to an old friend,” said Michael Ragan, who lives nearby. “The Mandarin Oriental has been a significant part of Brickell Key. They’ve always treated us really well here.”

After 26 years, engineers will implode the hotel to make way for a larger redevelopment project.

Residents say they’ve been kept informed ahead of time.

“They’ve been pretty organized,” said Alex Boulder. “The bridge has been cleaned and everything. They gave us a lot of notice.”

On Saturday, people gathered to take photos of the waterfront property one last time, capturing what many call an iconic part of the Miami skyline.

Officials say the implosion will last about 20 seconds, with the building collapsing inward.

No evacuations are required, but those in the immediate area are being asked to stay indoors, keep windows shut and turn off air conditioning units during the demolition.

Few residents expressed concern. Police and fire crews will be on standby in case of emergencies.

Miami Police Department said the entrance to Brickell Key will be closed from 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday.

The controlled implosion is scheduled for 8:30 a.m.

The legendary singer across genres died Sunday of multiple organ failure at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai, Pratit Samdani, a physician at the hospital said. Her son, Anand Bhosle, told reporters that her last rites will be performed on Monday.

Asha was admitted at the hospital on late Saturday with a chest infection and exhaustion, her granddaughter Zanai Bhosle said in a social media post.

Asha’s timeless voice resonated across a film-obsessed India for nearly eight decades, recorded on about 12,000 songs. She boldly embraced cabaret and Western-influenced melodies to forge a distinct musical identity that stood uniquely apart from her sister, Lata Mangeshkar, herself a legendary voice revered as the “Melody Queen.”

Asha’s death was widely condoled.

“I am deeply saddened” by her passing, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a social media post.

“Her unique musical journey spanning decades has enriched our cultural heritage and touched the hearts of countless people around the world,” Modi said. “From soulful melodies to spirited compositions, her voice carried a timeless brilliance.”

Born on Sept. 8, 1933, Asha Bhosle was initiated into music by her father Dinanath Mangeshkar, who was also a trained singer. All her four siblings became accomplished singers and musicians.

Asha's first marriage, in 1949, ended in separation in 1960. Her second marriage was to iconic music composer R.D. Burman in 1980. She is survived by a son and grandchildren.

Demise ran the 42.195 kilometers (26.2 miles) through the French capital in a personal-best time of 2 hours, 18 minutes and 34 seconds, shaving more than a minute off the previous women’s fastest time in Paris.

The 30-year-old Demise reached the finish on Avenue Foch opposite the Arc de Triomphe ahead of compatriot Misgane Alemayehu (2:19:08) and Kenya’s Magdalyne Masai (2:19:17).

The Ethiopian-born Crippa finished in 2:05:18, five seconds ahead of Bayelign Teshager of Ethiopia and 10 ahead of Sila Kiptoo of Ethiopia.

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

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday declared a 32-hour ceasefire over the Easter weekend, ordering Russian forces to halt hostilities from 4 p.m. on Saturday until the end of Sunday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy promised to abide by the ceasefire, but warned there would be a swift military response to any violations.

The General Staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said in a statement Sunday that it had recorded 2,299 ceasefire violations by 7 a.m., including assaults, shelling and small drone launches. It said that the use of long-range drones, missiles or guided bombs had not been reported.

A Ukrainian military officer told The Associated Press on Saturday that Russian forces had continued to attack their positions.

Russia’s Defense Ministry also said Sunday it had recorded 1,971 ceasefire violations by Ukrainian forces, including drone strikes. The head of Russia's Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said Sunday that rescuers uncovered the bodies of two civilians who were killed in a Ukrainian attack on Saturday afternoon.

Ceasefire skepticism

Outside Kyiv, thousands gathered at an open-air national heritage park to celebrate Easter despite skepticism that a truce would hold.

Worshippers clustered outside wooden churches to take part in the annual blessing of baskets for the holiday table. Families carried dyed eggs and paska cakes baked the night before, while many women wore colorful scarves. Some waited for the blessing as others picnicked on the grass.

Irena Bulhakova expressed her doubts over prospects for peace, especially as previous attempts to secure ceasefires have had little or no impact. “Every time a ceasefire is announced for a holiday, the shelling continues regardless,” she said.

But she still reflected on the holiday’s meaning: “Good triumphs over darkness, and we hope for that very much.”

Father Roman, a Ukrainian army chaplain who led the blessing ceremonies, described Easter as a moment of faith shared by Ukrainians in their identity and future.

“We are defending our borders. We are defending our identity,” he said. “We are a free people who live on this territory. We have faith, deep traditions and historical heritage. It’s all about the identity of Ukrainians.”

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife Olena spent Sunday visiting children who has lost parents fighting in the war.

“They greeted us with smiles that are priceless. We must do everything so that the children of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for Ukraine never lose faith in the world,” Zelenskyy wrote in an online post.

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Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Donaldson died in Hobart, a royal statement said, without giving further details. It said that his health had been declining over the past few years, and that the queen last visited him at the end of March.

John Dalgleish Donaldson, born in Scotland on Sept. 5, 1941, was a professor of applied mathematics.

Mary became Denmark's queen in January 2024 after two decades as crown princess when her husband became the Scandinavian country's monarch. He was proclaimed King Frederik X following the abdication of his mother, Queen Margrethe II.

Frederik and Mary met during the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. They married in 2004.

Sunday's statement quoted Mary as saying that “my heart is heavy.”

“But I know that when the grief settles, the memories will brighten my day, and what will remain strongest is love and gratitude for everything he gave me and taught me,” she added.

Mary's mother, Henrietta Clark Donaldson, died in 1997. Her father married Susan Moody in 2001.

The statement said the family will hold a private memorial service for Donaldson “at a later date.”

Alexandre Joseph, de 35 años, se angustió en voz alta por el futuro de su familia una mañana reciente, atrayendo la atención de transeúntes en Puerto Príncipe, la capital de Haití.

“El gobierno subió los precios de la gasolina, el diésel y el queroseno, afectando a mi familia. Ahora no puedo alimentar a mis dos hijos con el salario que tengo”, manifestó.

El conflicto en Irán ha provocado que los precios del petróleo se disparen en Haití, alterando cadenas de suministro críticas, duplicando los costos de transporte y obligando a millones de personas desnutridas a recortar comidas ya de por sí escasas.

Haití, el país más empobrecido del hemisferio occidental, ha sido el más golpeado por el aumento de los precios del petróleo, que según advierten expertos agravará una crisis humanitaria creciente.

"Uno de los países más frágiles del mundo"

El gobierno de Haití anunció el 2 de abril un aumento del 37% en el costo del diésel y del 29% en el costo de la gasolina.

“Las consecuencias son enormes”, afirmó Erwan Rumen, subdirector de país del Programa Mundial de Alimentos de las Naciones Unidas en Haití. “Es uno de los países más frágiles del mundo”.

Casi la mitad de los cerca de 12 millones de habitantes de Haití ya enfrenta altos niveles de inseguridad alimentaria aguda. En los últimos meses, señaló Rumen, unas 200.000 personas pasaron de la fase de emergencia a la fase aguda, un hito significativo.

“Lo que da un poco de miedo es ver que tantos esfuerzos podrían, básicamente, quedar borrados por cosas que están completamente fuera de nuestro control”, expresó. “Esta parte de la población es extremadamente frágil. Está al borde de colapsar por completo”.

La violencia de las pandillas ha agravado el hambre, ya que hombres armados controlan carreteras clave y alteran el transporte de mercancías. Un aumento en los precios de los alimentos sólo empeorará el hambre en un país donde las pandillas reclutan con facilidad a niños cuyas familias necesitan comida y dinero.

Emmline Toussaint, coordinadora principal del programa de alimentación escolar BND de Mary’s Meals en Haití, dijo que las gasolineras en algunas regiones están vendiendo combustible incluso entre un 25% y un 30% por encima de lo que estipuló el gobierno debido a la violencia de las pandillas y a las dificultades de los camiones para acceder a ciertas zonas.

Indicó que la organización sin fines de lucro con sede en Estados Unidos se ve obligada a usar embarcaciones y a tomar rutas más largas y múltiples caminos para alimentar a los 196.000 niños a los que atienden en todo Haití, con el fin de evitar a los grupos armados.

“La crisis humanitaria que estamos enfrentando ahora mismo está en su peor momento”, sostuvo. “Hasta ahora, estamos haciendo todo lo posible por no retroceder. Ahora, más que nunca, los niños nos necesitan. … Para la mayoría de ellos, es la única comida que reciben”.

"Todo va a subir"

Fedline Jean-Pierre, un mujer amable con un hijo de 7 años, se sentó a la sombra de una sombrilla de playa raída mientras consideraba aumentar los precios de las zanahorias, los tomates y otros productos que vende en un mercado al aire libre en Puerto Príncipe.

“Ahora la gente no compra porque no tiene dinero”, comentó, y señaló que probablemente no tendrá otra opción que subir los precios para sobrevivir. “Tengo un hijo al que alimentar”.

La mujer, de 35 años, contó que ella y su hijo han vivido durante dos años en un refugio estrecho e insalubre, dentro de la cifra récord de 1,4 millones de haitianos desplazados por la violencia de las pandillas en los últimos años.

“El gobierno no hace nada por mí”, afirmó. “Ahora subió la gasolina, lo que significa que todo va a subir”.

El vendedor ambulante Maxime Poulard compra carbón a proveedores para revenderlo a un precio más alto. En ocasiones vende dos sacos de carbón al día, pero cree que pronto solo podrá permitirse comprar medio saco para revender.

“Viajar es caro; comer es caro; todo es caro”, dijo. “No estoy seguro de que pueda aguantar mucho más”.

Casi el 40% de los haitianos sobrevive con menos de 2,15 dólares al día, según el Banco Mundial. Mientras tanto, la economía de Haití se contrajo por séptimo año consecutivo, con una inflación que alcanzó el 32% al final del año fiscal 2025.

Joseph, el obrero de fábrica, dijo que planea vender refrescos por la noche desde su casa para intentar ganar más dinero, pero aun así no será suficiente: “También vamos a reducir la forma en que normalmente comemos”.

"Decisiones imposibles"

El 6 de abril, los haitianos arrastraron neumáticos en llamas y otros escombros para bloquear calles y protestar por el aumento de los precios del combustible en Puerto Príncipe, donde se estima que las pandillas controlan el 90% de la ciudad.

Medios locales informaron de disparos mientras algunos haitianos obligaban a los conductores de pequeños autobuses coloridos conocidos como tap-taps a bajar a sus pasajeros.

Marc Jean-Louis, un conductor de tap-tap de 29 años, dijo que los pasajeros están regateando cada vez más las tarifas, pero él no puede permitirse ofrecer descuentos.

“Todo el dinero se va en gasolina”, dijo, al tiempo que pidió al gobierno que reduzca los precios “para que todos puedan respirar”.

Los haitianos temen más violencia a medida que se profundizan la pobreza y el hambre en el país.

Rumen, del Programa Mundial de Alimentos de la ONU, dijo que no han podido llegar a 60.000 personas en la región central de Haití que están esperando ayuda. Una poderosa pandilla atacó recientemente la zona y mató a más de 70 personas, según la ONU.

“Vamos a tener más necesidades y menos recursos”, advirtió.

Allen Joseph, gerente de programas de Mercy Corps en Haití, dijo que el aumento de los precios del petróleo está aplastando la frágil economía del país: “Las familias que ya gastan la mayor parte de sus ingresos en alimentos se enfrentarán a decisiones imposibles”.

Advirtió que el aumento afectará el acceso a servicios básicos, incluido el agua potable.

“Esta no es una inflación abstracta”, alertó. “Impactará directamente en la supervivencia”.

___

Coto informó desde San Juan, Puerto Rico.

___

Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.

Romuald Wadagni, the 49-year-old finance minister and governing coalition standard-bearer, is considered Talon’s anointed successor for the seven-year term. Wadagni is being challenged by Paul Hounkpè, the sole opposition candidate.

Nearly 8 million are registered to vote across more than 17,000 polling stations in the West African nation. Benin had over 15 million people in 2024, and like many sub-Saharan African countries, its population is overwhelmingly young.

Vote counting began Sunday afternoon after the polls closed, with results expected within 48 hours.

Turnout has been low in recent years, and polling stations in Cotonou, the largest city, were sparsely attended throughout the morning. The city was quiet as the election began, with public demonstrations banned on election day, but stores and streets remain open.

Analysts widely expect Wadagni to win after a parliamentary election in January, during which the opposition failed to cross the 20% threshold required to win seats, leaving Talon’s two allied parties in control of all 109 seats in the National Assembly.

Hounkpè said that he would accept the result depending on the transparency and fairness of the electoral process. “As for transparency and fairness, it is normal that, if it is done properly, we will accept the results,” he said after the polls had closed.

Renaud Agbodjo, leader of the Democrats, was barred from competing after failing to secure a sufficient number of parliamentary endorsements — a threshold critics say was engineered to keep rivals out.

Wadagni has touted the country's economic growth during his decade as finance minister as his key strength. Benin’s economy grew 7% last year, making it one of West Africa’s steadiest performers.

“Ten years at the Finance Ministry have given him something rare in African politics: a quantified record — verifiable and difficult to dismantle in a serious debate,” said Fiacre Vidjingninou, political analyst at the Lagos-based Béhanzin Institute.

Talon said Sunday he was “leaving office with the feeling of having given my best, of having led the country to take some steps forward in all areas.” He added: “Whatever the outcome of the vote, Benin has reached a milestone in its history.”

While Benin has historically been among the most stable democracies in Africa, opposition leaders and human rights organizations have accused Talon of using the justice system as a tool to sideline his political opponents.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have denounced a sustained crackdown on dissent under Talon, citing arbitrary detentions, tighter restrictions on public demonstrations, and mounting pressure on independent media outlets.

Protests over the rising cost of living sprang up in recent years, but the government and security forces clamped down on any dissent.

Beverly Ochieng, an analyst at the Control Risks Group consulting firm, told The Associated Press that, in the event of a Wadagni victory, the new government will likely continue Talon's policies aimed at positioning Benin as a stable investment environment, while facing a largely constrained opposition.

“Wadagni may want to avert a crisis in confidence by first consolidating power then engaging in dialogue with opponents to demonstrate goodwill,” Ochieng said.

In December, a group of military officers attempted to topple Talon’s government in a failed coup, the latest in a series of recent military takeover attempts across Africa. Most attempted coups follow a similar pattern of disputed elections, constitutional upheaval, security crises, and youth discontent.

Among the coup leaders’ key complaints was the deterioration of security in northern Benin.

For years, Benin has faced spillover violence in its north from neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger in their battle against the al-Qaida-affiliated extremist group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM.

The tri-border area has long been a hotbed for extremist violence, a trend worsened by the lack of security cooperation with Niger and Burkina Faso, both now led by military juntas.

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McMakin Contributed from Dakar

The Taiwan Work Office under China’s Communist Party issued a statement saying it would explore setting up a longstanding communication mechanism between the Communist Party and Taiwan’s Kuomingtang Party. It said it will facilitate the import of Taiwan’s aquaculture products that it had previously banned.

Cheng Li-wun, the head of the Kuomingtang, and China’s President Xi Jinping held a high-profile meeting Friday during which they called for peace, without offering specifics. China claims the island as part of its territory and hasn't ruled out the use of force to annex it.

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, which oversees the relationship with China, said the measures that were announced, such as promoting a communication mechanism, were “political transactions" between the two parties that circumvented the government of Taiwan.

“The government’s position is clear: to ensure the interests of the nation and its people, all Cross-Strait affairs involving public power must be negotiated by both governments on an equal and dignified basis to be effective and truly protect the rights and well-being of the people,” the Mainland Affairs Council said in response to the Chinese announcement.

Relations between China and Taiwan, which remain split since 1949, have been tense since the election of pro-independence President Tsai Ing-wen from the Democratic Progressive Party in 2016. Beijing cut off most of its official dialogue with Taiwan's government, and has started sending warships and fighter jets closer toward the island on a daily basis.

In the statement, China said it plans to resume direct flights between Taiwan and mainland cities like Xi'an or Urumqi, although it remained unclear how the measures will be implemented without the approval of the Taiwanese government.

China banned its citizens from individual trips to Taiwan in 2019. Taiwan's rules now require Chinese visitors to hold a valid resident visa from another country, like the U.S. or the European Union, to apply for a visitor visa.

China also said it would work toward construction of a bridge that would connect the mainland to Matsu and Kinmen, Taiwanese islands that are closer geographically to China. The project is a longstanding proposal that Beijing has previously announced.

China banned the import of Taiwanese pineapples in 2021, and since then has extended it to other fruits and products including the grouper fish, squid and tuna.

After the initial ban on grouper, Taiwan’s Ministry of Agriculture said it approached China about making adjustments to ensure it met import requirements. China replied with a limited list of individual companies that were allowed to sell to China, but without explanation.

In his first public comments after the 21-hour talks, Trump sought to eliminate Iran’s key source of leverage in the war by exerting strategic control over the waterway that was responsible for 20% of global oil shipping before fighting began.

A U.S. blockade could further rattle global energy markets. Trump told Fox News the goal was to ensure all ships could transit: “It’s going to be all or none, and that’s the way it is.”

Trump on social media said he has “instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran. No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas.” Other nations would be involved in the blockade, he said, but did not name them.

Freedom of peaceful navigation is a basic principle of international maritime trade.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard later said the strait remained under Iran’s “full control” and was open for non-military vessels, but military ones would get a “forceful response,” two semi-official Iranian news agencies reported.

During the talks, the U.S. military said two destroyers had transited the strait ahead of mine-clearing work, a first since the war began. Iran denied it.

Trump said Tehran’s nuclear ambitions were at the core of the talks' failure. In comments to Fox News, he again threatened to strike civilian infrastructure.

Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who led Iran’s side, addressed Trump in a new statement on his return to Iran: “If you fight, we will fight.”

No word on what happens after ceasefire expires

The face-to-face talks that ended early Sunday were the highest-level negotiations between the longtime rivals since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Both delegations later left Islamabad.

Neither indicated what will happen after the ceasefire expires on April 22.

“We need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon,” said Vice President JD Vance, leading the U.S. side.

Iranian negotiators could not agree to all U.S. “red lines,” said a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to describe positions on the record. These included Iran never obtaining a nuclear weapon, ending uranium enrichment, dismantling major enrichment facilities and allowing retrieval of its highly enriched uranium, along with opening the Strait of Hormuz and ending funding for Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthi rebels.

Iranian officials said talks fell apart over two or three key issues, blaming what they called U.S. overreach. Qalibaf, who noted progress in the negotiations, said it was time for the United States “to decide whether it can gain our trust or not.”

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said his country will try to facilitate a new dialogue in the coming days. Iran said it was open to continuing dialogue, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.

The European Union urged further diplomatic efforts. The foreign minister of Oman, located on the Strait of Hormuz's southern coast, called for parties to “make painful concessions." The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin “emphasized his readiness” to help bring about a diplomatic settlement in a call with Iran's president.

Iran's nuclear program is a key sticking point

Iran’s nuclear program was at the center of tensions long before the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28. The fighting has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, 2,055 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states, and caused lasting damage to infrastructure in half a dozen countries.

Tehran has long denied seeking nuclear weapons but insists on its right to a civilian nuclear program. The landmark 2015 nuclear deal, which Trump later pulled the U.S. out of, took well over a year of negotiations. Experts say Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium, though not weapons-grade, is only a short technical step away.

An Iranian diplomatic official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of closed-door talks, denied that negotiations had failed over Iran's nuclear ambitions. “Iran is not seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, but it has the right to nuclear energy for peaceful purposes,” the official said.

Inside Iran, there was new exhaustion and anger after months of unrest that began with nationwide protests against economic issues and then political ones, followed by weeks of sheltering from U.S. and Israeli bombardment.

“We have never sought war. But if they try to win what they failed to win on the battlefield through talks, that’s absolutely unacceptable,” Mohammad Bagher Karami said in Tehran.

Elsewhere in the region, airstrikes calmed over the past day except in Lebanon.

More questions as Israel presses ahead in Lebanon

Iran’s 10-point proposal for the talks called for a halt to Israeli strikes on the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel has said the ceasefire did not apply in Lebanon, but Iran and Pakistan said it did.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited parts of southern Lebanon under Israeli control on Sunday, for the first time since the current fighting.

Negotiations between Israel and Lebanon are expected to begin Tuesday in Washington after Israel’s surprise announcement authorizing talks despite their lack of official relations. Israel wants Lebanon to assume responsibility for disarming Hezbollah, but the militant group has survived efforts to curb its strength for decades.

The day the Iran ceasefire deal was announced, Israel pounded Beirut with airstrikes, killing more than 300 people in the deadliest day in Lebanon since the war began, according to the Health Ministry.

Israel’s strikes have calmed in Beirut but attacks on southern Lebanon have intensified alongside the ground invasion renewed after Hezbollah launched rockets toward Israel in the war's opening days.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported six people were killed Sunday in Maaroub village near the coastal city of Tyre.

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Metz reported from Ramallah, West Bank, Boak from Miami and Magdy from Cairo. E. Eduardo Castillo in Beijing, Collin Binkley and Ben Finley in Washington, Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut and Ghaya Ben MBarek in Tunis contributed.

The prizes celebrating achievements in theater, opera and dance are Britain’s equivalent of Broadway’s Tony Awards.

Based on Michael Bond’s stories about a duffel-coated bear seeking a new home in London, “Paddington The Musical” was written by playwright Jessica Swale and songwriter Tom Fletcher of the band McFly.

Bond’s books have been much-loved since the 1950s¸and in recent years Paddington has become a British icon through three successful movies and an on-screen appearance with Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, just weeks before her death.

The musical has proved a major success since it opened in November, with audiences embracing the cuddly central character, brought to life through a blend of live acting and puppetry.

Its Olivier wins included a joint best actor in a musical award for James Hameed and Arti Shah, who together play the role. Hameed provides the voice and remote puppetry, while Shah — the first woman to win a best-actor Olivier — inhabits the bear costume onstage.

Hameed urged people to embrace the Paddington stories' message of welcoming immigrants and strangers. “Paddington reminds us to be welcoming, inquisitive and most importantly, kind,” he said.

Cast members Tom Edden and Victoria Hamilton-Barritt won the supporting performer prizes, and the show also took trophies for director Luke Sheppard and for both set and costume design.

Sheppard hinted that this “love letter to London” could one day be Broadway-bound. “It would be a dream for Paddington to pack his suitcase and visit some other cities around the world,” the director said backstage. “So watch this space.”

‘Exhilarating risk’

Rachel Zegler was named best actress in a musical for her starring role in “Evita.” Playing Argentine first lady Eva Peron, Zegler performed the song “Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina” on an exterior balcony, attracting large crowds to the street every night while theatergoers inside watched on screens.

A much-praised production of Stephen Sondheim’s twisted fairy tale journey “Into the Woods” won the prize for best musical revival, and a second award for lighting.

In the nonmusical categories, Rosamund Pike was named best actress for playing a judge forced to question the justice system and her own ethics in “Inter Alia.” She said doing the one-woman show, her first stage play in 14 years, was an “exhilarating risk.”

Jack Holden took the best actor prize for playing multiple roles in small-town murder mystery “Kenrex.”

“All My Sons” was named best revival, with Paapa Essiedu winning the best supporting actor trophy for Arthur Miller’s classic drama.

Julie Hesmondhalgh took home the best supporting actress prize for “Punch.” The true-life crime and redemption story, which had a Broadway run last year, was also named best new play

Playwright James Graham said it had been “one of the honors of my life” to dramatize the story of Jacob Dunne, who killed another man with a single punch in a fight but went on to reconciliation with the victim’s family. Graham was joined onstage by Dunne and the victim’s mother, Joan Scourfield.

Two significant anniversaries

The Olivier Awards were founded in 1976 and named after the late actor-director Laurence Olivier. The winners are chosen by voting groups of stage professionals and theatergoers.

“Ted Lasso” star Nick Mohammed hosted the 50th anniversary edition of the awards at a star-studded ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall, where Ian McKellen, Helen Mirren, Vanessa Williams and Andrew Lloyd Webber were among the trophy presenters.

The ceremony included performances from nominated musicals and numbers marking two significant anniversaries: 40 years of Lloyd Webber’s “Phantom of the Opera,” and 20 years of “Wicked” in the West End.

Elaine Paige, star of hit musicals including “Cats,” “Evita,” “Sunset Boulevard” and “Piaf,” received this year’s Special Award.

The upbeat ceremony reflected the mood of London theater, which is celebrating a strong post-pandemic return. The Society of London Theatre, an industry umbrella group, says ticket sales have surpassed the levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic. Shows in the West End — the collective name for London’s theaterland — attracted 17.6 million visitors in 2025, 3 million more than Broadway.

But there are concerns about rising ticket prices and soaring production budgets, fueled by higher costs for labor, materials and energy.

“Theaters are busier than ever, but many are operating with far less financial headroom,” the society said in a report published last month.

And perhaps his wayward driver.

McIlroy finally left an opening and several other players charged back into contention in the third round, setting up a potentially pulsating Sunday finish at Augusta National, where McIlroy and Cameron Young share the lead but six other players are now within four shots.

“The course was obviously gettable,” McIlroy said after his third-round 73 cost him what was a six-stroke lead through 36 holes. “There was a lot of good scores out there, and obviously the quality of the chasing pack is obvious. There was a lot of guys that shot good scores.”

Saturday's average score of 70.63 was the lowest in Masters history in a third round. But McIlroy ranks dead last in driving accuracy among the post-cut field, and that made it hard for him to continue the run of birdies that built his big lead Friday. He also hit the ball into the water on No. 11 and made a damaging double bogey.

Now McIlroy, trying to become the fourth player to win twice in a row at this tournament, will play in the final group with Young, who is seeking his first major championship.

“I’ll probably give myself some time to think about it right now for the next 30 minutes or so. After that, it’s kind of a battle of managing how you want to react to those things,” Young said. “To me, it’s just a matter of going right back to how am I going to run my day tomorrow, what time am I going to get here, so I can eat, so I can go see the physio? It’s just going to be back to my routine, and that’s what I’m going to lean on.”

McIlroy is No. 2 in the world rankings, one spot ahead of Young. The last time two of the top three players in the rankings were in the final group at the Masters was 2001, when Tiger Woods was No. 1 and Phil Mickelson was No. 2. Woods ended up winning by two strokes over David Duval.

Scottie Scheffler, the current No. 1, shot 65 on Saturday to move within striking distance, but he's four shots behind Young, who also shot 65, and McIlroy. The two leaders are at 11 under par. Sam Burns is at 10 under, followed by Shane Lowry another stroke back.

Jason Day and Justin Rose are at 8 under.

Rose shot 66 in the final round last year to force a playoff, but ultimately lost to McIlroy.

“The whole field is not going to help you out, put it that way,” Rose said. “It’s going to take a special round tomorrow, so there’s a chance, which is great. I’m going to try to channel a bit of last year and see what happens.”

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

Iran has demanded the right to collect tolls from vessels traveling through the strait, but Trump said no one who pays them will “have safe passage on the high seas.”

Earlier in the day, the United States and Iran ended 21 hours of face-to-face talks in Islamabad without reaching a deal, leaving the fate of the fragile, two-week ceasefire still unclear.

“The simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon,” Vice President JD Vance told reporters.

The war that has killed thousands of people and shaken global markets has entered its seventh week.

The U.S. delegation led by Vance and the Iranian delegation led by parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf had discussed how to advance a ceasefire already threatened by deep disagreements and Israel’s continued attacks against the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Here is the latest:

Energy expert says oil price could jump by $10 on Trump’s threatened blockade of the Strait of Hormuz

Brent crude oil, the international standard, has gone from roughly $70 per barrel before the war in late February to more than $119 at times. Brent for June delivery fell 0.8% to $95.20 per barrel Friday.

Michael Lynch, distinguished fellow at Energy Policy Research Foundation, estimates Trump’s threatened blockade could boost oil prices $5 to $10 when the market opens on Monday.

The blockade would take an estimated 2 million barrels of oil per day off the market, and the Iran war has already taken roughly 10 million barrels per day out of supply, Lynch said.

“This is a pretty big insult to a pretty big injury, I guess, is the way to put it,” he said.

But Lynch said the blockade might be short lived as Trump will be pressured to walk it back.

“I wouldn’t be surprised to see him to give it up by midweek, especially if oil prices keep going up,” he said.

Iran’s chief negotiator says Trump’s threats ‘have no effect on Iranian people’

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf told reporters Sunday that Iran has shown it doesn’t surrender to threats, hours after Trump said the U.S. would impose a blockade to stop ships from entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz.

“If you fight, we will fight.” Qalibaf said in a social media post addressing Trump.

Qalibaf said the talks in Pakistan were “intensive, serious and challenging,” and that Iran’s negotiators “designed strong initiatives to demonstrate Iran’s goodwill, which led to progress.”

He did not describe the progress made during the talks nor Iran’s strong initiatives.

Lebanon’s prime minister says his government is committed to ending the war through negotiations

Nawaf Salam made his remarks on the eve of the 51st anniversary of the start of Lebanon’s 15-year civil war.

Lebanon and Israel will hold direct talks in Washington starting Tuesday in a bid to end Israel’s conflict with Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group in Lebanon.

Hezbollah supporters and critics of the decision to negotiate have protested in Beirut, saying the government is too weak to end the war.

The government has set a truce as a prerequisite for talks, and plans to demand an Israeli withdrawal, the release of Lebanese prisoners, and the return of over one million displaced Lebanese.

Lebanese authorities have criticized Israel’s airstrikes and ground invasion, but have also decried Hezbollah for launching rockets on March 2nd in solidarity with Iran, sparking the latest escalation.

The Lebanese government came to power just over a year ago promising to disarm all non-state groups.

“I feel the pain of the mother who lost her son combatting on the frontlines as I feel the pain of the mother who lost her child who did not choose this war and only wanted to live,” said Salam.

Experts say blockade could lead to higher oil prices but more details are needed on implementation

Kevin Book, the managing director of research at research firm ClearView Energy Partners, said Sunday that leaner volumes generally mean tighter markets and higher prices, but “much depends on the scope and implementation of the blockade.”

“How Tehran responds matters, too. Iranian and/or Houthi reprisals against Gulf producers’ alternative routes could drive prices still higher,” Book said.

Jonathan Elkind, senior research scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University said Trump’s statement on Fox News that implementing the blockade will take some time also adds uncertainty.

“Is this a climb down because of concerns about how sharply oil markets were set to rise in tomorrow’s trading? No one knows,” he said.

US official says Iran could not agree to America’s red lines for ending the war

U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s goal in the talks with Iran was to outline America’s red lines and where there was room to negotiate. But Iran’s delegates could not agree to all of the stated red lines.

That’s according to a U.S. official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to describe negotiating positions on the record.

The core objective for U.S. negotiators was that Iran never obtain a nuclear weapon. But there were additional red lines set by the U.S. that Iran objected to, the official said.

The red lines include Iran ending uranium enrichment, dismantling its major enrichment facilities, allowing retrieval of its highly enriched uranium, ending funding for Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, creating a broader framework for peace and security in the region, and opening the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. believes that blockading the strait will show Iran the limits of its leverage as it considers the offer, the official said.

__ By Josh Boak

Netanyahu visits parts of southern Lebanon under Israeli military control

Israel’s prime minister was making his first visit since the start of the current round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

“One of the things we see here is that we have essentially changed the face of the Middle East,” Netanyahu said Sunday. “Our enemies — Iran and the Axis of Evil — they came to destroy us, and now they are simply fighting for their own survival.”

Netanyahu said Saturday that Israel was working to control an 8 to 10 km (5 to 6 mile) buffer zone inside Lebanon to ensure Hezbollah does not fire close-range rockets and anti-tank missiles over the border.

Iran says it has ‘full control’ of the Strait of Hormuz and that the waterway remains open for non-military vessels

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Navy said Sunday that military vessels approaching the Strait of Hormuz “will be met with a firm and forceful response,” according to two semi-official Iranian news agencies.

Earlier Sunday, Trump said the U.S. Navy would begin a blockade on the critical waterway to stop ships from entering or leaving.

The talks in Pakistan between Iran and the U.S. ended Sunday without an agreement to end the fighting.

UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon says Israeli tanks rammed into their vehicles

The mission, known as UNIFIL, said Israeli ground troops twice rammed their vehicles with a Merkava tank on Sunday.

The soldiers were blocking a road in Bayada that peacekeepers have been using to access their positions, UNIFIL said in a statement.

UNIFIL has decried attacks on its personnel and damage to its facilities since

the latest war between Israel and Hezbollah militants started on March 2. Three peacekeepers have been killed in the past month.

“Israeli soldiers have continually blocked peacekeepers’ movements on this road in recent days, in addition to denials of freedom of movement recorded in other areas,” UNIFIL said. “They hinder peacekeepers’ ability to report violations by both sides on the ground.”

Trump says the UK is sending minesweepers to the Strait of Hormuz

Britain’s Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment about Trump’s assertion Sunday on Fox News.

In an April 2 meeting of top diplomats from 40 nations, British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper discussed mustering their collective powers to remove mines from strait once the conflict diminished.

Cooper convened a meeting with about 30 of those nations last week to discuss restoring free movement in the shipping channel and a follow-up is scheduled this week.

In March, James Cartlidge, the opposition Conservative Party’s defense secretary, said the British Navy removed its last minesweeper from the Persian Gulf a week before the war began.

Saudi Arabia summons Iraqi ambassador over drone attacks

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry submitted a “protest note” Sunday to the Iraqi ambassador following what it called ongoing drone attacks launched from Iraqi territories against Saudi Arabia and neighboring Gulf States.

It was not immediately clear if the Iraqi drone attacks are still taking place.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed Iraqi militias, said last week that it would halt its operations in Iraq and the region for two weeks, hours after the U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire.

Iran-backed militias in Iraq have claimed responsibility for dozens of attacks on U.S. bases and other facilities in the country in solidarity with Tehran since the war began.

Iran’s president says his country is prepared to reach ‘balanced and fair’ agreement

President Masoud Pezeshkian told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday that his country is prepared to reach a deal that would ensure “lasting regional peace.”

Pezeshkian added that Iran’s national interests are a red line, according to a readout of the call carried by Iran’s state-media.

He criticized the U.S. use of bases in Gulf countries to carry out strikes against Iran, while maintaining that Gulf countries are “brothers” and that Tehran is willing to cooperate with them to achieve regional security “without outside powers”

Iran has said it has repeatedly struck U.S. facilities in neighboring Gulf countries since the war started in late February. Gulf countries say Iran has also targeted civilian infrastructure and facilities.

Egypt’s foreign minister speaks with a senior Pakistani diplomat and a US envoy

In the call with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty affirmed “the importance of adhering to the diplomatic path and prioritizing dialogue and peaceful solutions” to settle all disputes.

Abdelatty and his Pakistani counterpart, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, affirmed that they will continue their efforts to de-escalate and bridge the gaps between the U.S. and Iran.

Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey have been mediating between the U.S. and Iran since the start of the war.

Iran war has cost Israel at least $11.5 billion, Finance Ministry says

Israel’s Ministry of Finance released its initial estimate of the cost of the Iran war on Sunday.

Some NIS 22 billion ($7.25 billion) has been spent on defense and military costs, including equipment and mobilizing more than 100,000 reserve soldiers, the ministry said.

Another NIS 12 billion ($4 billion) accounts for damages incurred by businesses and individuals from missiles or other related war losses, including missed days of work.

The ministry noted that some of the costs — including economic losses stemming from the war’s 40-day closure of the airports and many businesses — will only become apparent in the future.

At the height of its war with Gaza, Israel spent an estimated NIS 14 billion ($4.7 billion) per month on its military, more than double its monthly budget before the Oct. 7, 2023, attack.

2,055 people in Lebanon have been killed in Israeli strikes since the start of the latest war between Israel and Hezbollah

Among the dead are 252 women, 165 children, and 87 medical workers, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said in its daily casualty count.

6,588 others have been wounded.

Trump doubts China is providing ‘shoulder missiles’ to Iran, but he would tariff Chinese goods if they did

The U.S. president said his threat to impose 50% tariffs on goods from countries that sold weapons to Iran was aimed at China.

Trump told Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” that has heard reports of China giving anti-aircraft “shoulder missiles” to Iran. He played down the possibility of China supplying weapons to Iran, but said their goods would be taxed if they did.

“I doubt they would do that, because I have a relationship, and I think they wouldn’t do that, but maybe they did a little bit at the beginning,” Trump said. “But if we catch them doing that, they get a 50% tariff.”

It’s seen as Europe’s most consequential election this year, and could result in Magyar unseating far-right icon Orbán, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, after 16 years in power.

The final result remains unclear. With 37% of the vote counted, Magyar’s Tisza party had 51% support to 40% for Orbán's governing Fidesz party. That proportion will change as more votes are counted.

The count showed Tisza ahead in 95 of Hungary’s 106 constituencies. The vote count is generally slowest in the capital of Budapest, which is expected to favor Magyar’s party.

It marks a key moment for Orbán, the European Union’s longest-serving leader and one of its biggest antagonists, who has traveled a long road from his early days as a liberal, anti-Soviet firebrand to the Russia-friendly nationalist admired today by the global far-right.

The parties of both Orbán and Magyar said they had received reports of electoral violations, suggesting some results could be disputed by both sides.

Orbán, 62, said the campaign had been “a great national moment on our side” and thanked activists and supporters for their work. “I’m here to win,” he said.

Voters showed up in droves

Turnout by 6:30 p.m. was over 77%, according to the National Election Office, a record number in any election in Hungary’s post-Communist history.

Magyar said he and his Tisza party were “cautiously confident.” He warned against any violence and called on supporters to “keep our cool.”

“I’m asking our supporters and all Hungarians: Let’s stay peaceful, cheerful, and if the results confirm our expectations, let’s throw a big, Hungarian carnival,” he said.

Thousands of Tisza supporters crowded the promenade along the right bank of the Danube River as the sun set, waving Hungarian flags and cheering. Orban’s party held a closed event, with only party members and elites and some journalists allowed.

Orbán’s chief of staff, Gergely Gulyás, said the record high turnout showed that “Hungarian democracy is extremely strong.” Gulyás said the ruling party had made numerous reports of electoral violations, but said he was “confident” Fidesz would receive the necessary 100 parliamentary seats for a majority.

‘Choice between East or West’

Orbán has repeatedly frustrated EU efforts to support Ukraine in its war against Russia’s full-scale invasion, while cultivating close ties to President Vladimir Putin and refusing to end Hungary’s dependence on Russian fossil fuel imports.

Recent revelations have shown a top member of his government frequently shared the contents of EU discussions with Moscow, raising accusations that Hungary was acting on Russia’s behalf within the bloc.

The election was closely watched in countries around Europe and beyond, which is a testament to the outsize role Orbán occupies in far-right populist politics worldwide.

Members of Trump's “Make America Great Again” movement are among those who see Orbán's government and his Fidesz political party as shining examples of conservative, anti-globalist politics in action, while he is reviled by advocates of liberal democracy and the rule of law.

After casting his vote, Magyar told reporters that the election was “a choice between East or West, propaganda or honest public discourse, corruption or clean public life.”

“I urge all Hungarian citizens to exercise their right to vote,” he said.

Casting his ballot in Budapest, Marcell Mehringer, 21, said he was voting “primarily so that Hungary will finally be a so-called European country, and so that young people, and really everyone, will do their fundamental civic duty to unite this nation a bit and to break down these boundaries borne of hatred.”

Strained relationship with the EU

During his 16 years as prime minister, Orbán has launched harsh crackdowns on minority rights and media freedoms, subverted many of Hungary's institutions and been accused of siphoning large sums of money into the coffers of his allied business elite, an allegation he denies.

He also has heavily strained Hungary's relationship with the EU. Although Hungary is one of the smaller EU countries, with a population of 9.5 million, Orbán has repeatedly used his veto to block decisions that require unanimity.

Most recently, he blocked a 90-billion euro ($104 billion) EU loan to Ukraine, prompting his partners to accuse him of hijacking the critical aid.

Serious challenger on the rise

Magyar has rapidly risen to become Orbán's most serious challenger. The 45-year-old leader of the center-right Tisza party, which is leading in independent polls, campaigned on issues affecting ordinary voters including Hungary’s faltering public health care and transportation sectors and what he describes as rampant government corruption.

A former insider within Orbán's Fidesz, Magyar broke with the party in 2024 and quickly formed Tisza. Since then, he has toured Hungary relentlessly, holding rallies in settlements big and small in a campaign blitz that recently had him visiting up to six towns daily.

In an interview with The Associated Press earlier this month, Magyar said the election will be a “referendum” on whether Hungary continues on its drift toward Russia under Orbán, or can retake its place among the democratic societies of Europe.

Tisza won 30% of the vote in European Parliament elections in 2024, and Magyar took a seat as an EU lawmaker. Tisza is a member of the European People's Party, the mainstream, center-right political family with leaders governing 12 of the EU's 27 nations.

Uphill election battle

Magyar and Tisza face a tough fight. Orbán's control of Hungary's public media, which he has transformed into a mouthpiece for his party, and vast swaths of the private media market give him an advantage in spreading his message.

The unilateral transformation of Hungary's electoral system and gerrymandering of its 106 voting districts by Fidesz also will require Tisza to gain an estimated 5% more votes than Orbán’s party to achieve a simple majority.

Additionally, hundreds of thousands of ethnic Hungarians in neighboring countries had the right to vote in Hungarian elections and traditionally have voted overwhelmingly for Orbán's party.

Fidesz and Tisza both have launched platforms for reporting irregularities, accusing their opponents of planning to commit election abuses.

Russian secret services have plotted to interfere and tip the election in Orbán's favor, according to numerous media reports including by The Washington Post. The prime minister, however, has accused neighboring Ukraine, as well as Hungary's allies in the EU, of seeking to interfere in the vote to install a “pro-Ukraine” government.

Such accusations are part of why many in the EU see Orbán as a danger to the bloc's future.

But across the Atlantic, Trump and his MAGA movement are all-in for another Orbán term. Trump has repeatedly endorsed the Hungarian leader and U.S. Vice President JD Vance made a two-day visit to Hungary last week meant to help push Orbán over the finish line.

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Associated Press journalists Béla Szandelszky, Marko Drobnjakovic and Florent Bajrami contributed to this report.

Demolition experts completed the controlled implosion of the former Mandarin Oriental, Miami on Brickell Key, a human-made island at the mouth of the Miami River, across from downtown. It marked the largest implosion for Miami in more than a decade, officials said.

The 23-story building, which opened 25 years ago, collapsed in less than 20 seconds following blasts that occurred around 8:30 a.m.

People watching the implosion safely from afar cheered and recorded phone videos as the building's framework collapsed following a series of rapid charges. Dust soon filled the air as building material crashed down. Some watchers wore face masks as they left the area.

Residents within 800 feet (244 meters) of the building were asked to stay inside their apartments during the blast with windows and doors closed.

According to Swire Properties, the demolition will make way for the groundbreaking of The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Miami, a two-tower ultraluxury hotel and residential development scheduled for completion in 2030.

The operation follows nearly two years of planning and coordination with specialized contractors and the city, developers said. Implosion was selected as the safest and most efficient method to maintain the project timeline while minimizing disruption and ensuring the safety of the Brickell Key community.

The implosion happened a couple of minutes after what looked and sounded like blue- and pink-tinted fireworks were set off near the top of the building.

But this season, major cruise lines are skipping it. A massive landslide last summer sent parts of a glacier crashing into the water, generated a tsunami and pushed a wave high up the opposite mountain wall. Several companies opting out cited safety concerns with the still-hazardous slopes.

“Tracy Arm is the majestic princess, you know, she is the queen of fjords,” said travel agent Nate Vallier.

The destination cruise and tour companies have chosen as an alternative — nearby Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier — is “still beautiful by any means, but it’s just not the same,” he said.

Tracy Arm, southeast of Juneau, is a roughly 30-mile (50-kilometer) fjord that features two tidewater glaciers — the North and South Sawyer — and wildlife, including seals and bears.

Early on Aug. 10, 2025, a landslide originating high on a slope above the toe of the South Sawyer, near the head of the fjord, sent water surging more than a quarter mile (more than half a kilometer) up the mountain wall opposite the slide and out Tracy Arm.

No ships were in the fjord, officials said, and no deaths or injuries were reported. But kayakers camped on an island near where Tracy and Endicott arms meet had much of their gear swept away by the rushing water.

Southeast Alaska, largely encompassed by a temperate rainforest, is no stranger to landslides. And while it's long been known the fjord network in the Tracy Arm region has been susceptible, the slope that failed had not been identified as an active hazard before last summer's collapse, said Gabriel Wolken, manager of the state’s climate and ice hazards program.

Scientists are working to understand not only what caused the slope to collapse but to understand what other hazards might exist in the fjord, he said.

The area remains unstable, said Steven Sobieszczyk, a U.S. Geological Survey spokesperson. Steep landslide areas continue to change for years after an initial slide, he said by email.

“Continued rockfall and small-scale sliding from the exposed landslide scar are expected and could impact the water, potentially causing a future localized tsunami,” he said.

Major cruise companies, including Holland America, Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean said in response to inquiries from The Associated Press that they are replacing a Tracy Arm visit with Endicott Arm. MSC Cruises, Virgin Voyages and regional tour company Allen Marine also are doing Endicott and Dawes Glacier instead. Norwegian Cruise Line said it does not have voyages sailing by Tracy Arm.

Endicott already has been a stop for some ships previously and an alternative when conditions in Tracy Arm, such as excess ice, have been unsafe.

Vallier, who owns the Alaska Travel Desk, said he would have liked cruise companies to give travelers more advance notice about itinerary changes.

After leaving Seattle, the first ships of the season are due April 21 in Ketchikan and in Juneau the following week.

Seeing a glacier — particularly a dynamic, calving glacier — is a bucket-list item for many tourists, and that's what has made Tracy Arm so popular, he said. While the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau is a major attraction for the capital city and cruise port, many visitors view it from across a large lake, and it has diminished or entirely retreated from view from some hiking overlooks.

Kimberly Lebeda of Wichita, Kansas, was excited when she booked tickets for a Tracy Arm excursion for her family last year. Lebeda, who researches areas she visits, said she was sold on the scenery.

But the night before the stop, they were told that due to ice in Tracy Arm, they would go up Endicott instead. Her family and others who'd booked the excursion got off the ship and onto a smaller boat with glass windows, abundant seating and snacks. They saw seals on ice floes, waterfalls and “a wall of ice” calve from Dawes Glacier, she said.

She called it “an amazing thing to witness.”

“Was it worth it? Yes, because I don’t know if I'll ever get to do that trip again,” she said. “Again, I haven’t ever been to Tracy Arm so I can’t really compare. But to me, was it worth it and was it exciting? Absolutely.”

The demands of the Iran war also caused President Donald Trump to delay by several weeks his highly anticipated trip to China, deepening worries that the U.S. is once again getting distracted at the cost of its strategic interests in Asia, where Beijing seeks to unseat the U.S. as the regional leader.

Those skeptical of the U.S. involvement in the Middle East say the war is preventing Trump from adequately preparing for his summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping next month, when economic interests are on the line, and they warn that a failure to focus on Asia and maintain strong deterrence could lead to greater instability, if China should believe the time is ripe to seize the self-governed island of Taiwan.

“This is precisely the wrong time for the United States to turn away and be sucked into another intractable Middle East conflict,” said Danny Russel, a distinguished fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute. “Rebalancing to Asia is highly relevant to America’s national interests, but it has been undercut by many bad decisions.”

Others defend the president's approach, arguing that the forceful steps he is taking elsewhere, including in Venezuela and Iran, serve to counter China globally.

“Beijing is the chief sponsor for the adversaries that President Trump is dealing with sequentially, and it’s wise to do this sequentially,” Matt Pottinger, who served as a deputy national security adviser in the first Trump administration, said in a recent podcast.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also said conflicts may not be confined to a single theater, suggesting that China could call upon its “junior partners” elsewhere to divert U.S. attention if it should move against Taiwan.

“Most likely it will not be limited, something in the Indo-Pacific to the Indo-Pacific,” Rutte said, speaking Thursday at the Ronald Reagan Institute in Washington. “It will be a multi-theater issue.”

Repercussions in Asia of the Iran war

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, recently led a bipartisan group of senators to Taiwan, Japan and South Korea, where they heard concerns about the impact of the war on energy costs and about the departure of U.S. military assets, including missile defense systems from South Korea and a rapid-response Marine unit from Japan.

She sought to reassure them of the U.S. commitment to deterring conflicts in Asia and shoring up regional stability.

“Failure is not an option,” Shaheen told The Associated Press after returning from Asia. “We know China has already said they intend to take Taiwan by force if they need to, and they’re on an expedited time schedule. And we also know that what happened in Europe, in the war in Ukraine, in the Middle East is affecting those calculations.”

Kurt Campbell, who served as deputy secretary of state in the Biden administration, said he’s worried that the military capabilities that the U.S. had patiently accumulated in the Indo-Pacific region might not return in full even after the Iran war ends.

The longer the conflict goes on, the more it will pull resources and focus away from Asia, said Zack Cooper, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute who studies the U.S. strategy in Asia. He added that future arms sales to the region also will be negatively affected.

“The United States has expended substantial numbers of munitions in the Middle East and will have to keep an increased force presence there, some of which has been redirected from Asia,” Cooper said. “Meanwhile, Xi Jinping’s wisdom in preparing a ‘war time’ economy by stockpiling and adding alternate energy sources has shown itself to be beneficial.”

Shaheen said the U.S. defense industry will struggle to meet the demand to replenish the weapons stockpile. “We’re working on a number of strategies to improve that, but at this point, timelines for weapons delivery are slipping,” she said.

The senator from New Hampshire said she's encouraged that Taiwan, Japan and South Korea are stepping up their own defense.

After 15 years and 3 presidents, pivot to Asia remains elusive

Obama's strategic rebalance to Asia reflected his understanding that the U.S. must be a player in the Pacific to harness the region’s growth and ensure continued U.S. leadership in the face of China's rising influence.

“After a decade in which we fought two wars that cost us dearly, in blood and treasure, the United States is turning our attention to the vast potential of the Asia-Pacific region,” Obama said in a speech to the Australian Parliament. “So make no mistake, the tide of war is receding, and America is looking ahead to the future that we must build.”

But the strategy was set back when a proposed trade agreement known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership with key U.S. regional partners failed to get through the U.S. Senate. After Trump first took office in 2017, he withdrew the U.S. from the partnership and launched a tariff war with China.

His Democratic successor, Joe Biden, kept Trump's tariffs on China and tightened export controls on advanced technology, while strengthening regional alliances to counter China.

Middle East again grabs US attention

By the time Trump rolled out his national security strategy in late 2025, the U.S. strategy in Asia had been narrowed to military deterrence in the Taiwan Strait and the First Island Chain, a string of U.S.-aligned islands off China's coast that restrict its access to the Western Pacific.

The national security document says it's in the economic interest of the U.S. to secure access to advanced chips, which are sourced primarily from Taiwan and are needed to power everything from computers to missiles, and to protect shipping lanes in the South China Sea.

“Hence deterring a conflict over Taiwan, ideally by preserving military overmatch, is a priority,” the document says. “We will build a military capable of denying aggression anywhere in the First Island Chain.”

The Middle East, it says, should be getting less attention: “As this administration rescinds or eases restrictive energy policies and American energy production ramps up, America’s historic reason for focusing on the Middle East will recede."

Then came the Iran war.

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AP writer Stephen Groves contributed to this report.

If you met 18-year-old Arianna Crockett, you might think she has lived a normal life. But her story is anything but.

At just 8 years old, Arianna lost her right kidney after it was severely damaged and she underwent a nephrectomy.

Years later, after her family moved from Jamaica to South Florida in 2023, she was diagnosed with STAR syndrome, a condition that affects multiple parts of the body.

For years, she managed the condition, but in January, everything changed.

“I was actually at school when mom got the call from Dr. Marshall saying you need to pick her up from school right now and bring her into the ER,” Arianna said.

Doctors soon determined she was in complete kidney failure and needed a transplant quickly. Complicating matters, she learned she has a rare blood type.

“We found out that I had a very rare blood type, which is B positive,” she said. “So they said that it would be kind of harder to find me a match.”

That’s where Dr. Chen comes in. She is the director of the living donor transplant program at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital and Memorial Healthcare System.

“She had several lovely family members come forward, but for various reasons they were either incompatible or not medically suitable,” Dr. Chen said.

Eventually, a match was found -- a distant family member’s wife.

“She is my second cousin’s wife and she is a universal blood type,” Arianna said. “She’s a very sweet person. I’m very grateful for her, because she gave me the kidney.”

This week, surgeons in Colorado removed the healthy kidney from the donor, placed it on a plane to South Florida, and then transported it by helicopter in the pouring rain to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, where surgeons completed the transplant.

In about 12 hours, Arianna’s long medical battle became easier.

“I feel so refreshed, you know, after a long day and tracking across country and a long surgery, that we have a good outcome,” Dr. Chen said.

Doctors say it marks a milestone procedure.

“She’s the first remote donor living unrelated kidney transplant in South Florida,” Dr. Chen said.

Now, Arianna is entering a new normal. She will still need regular lab work and check-ins for months and will take medication for the rest of her life. She hopes to go home Sunday and still plans to walk across the stage at her high school graduation.

When asked about returning to school, she said, “No more physical school.”

Doctors say living donor kidneys typically last longer than deceased donor organs -- about 15 to 25 years -- and begin working immediately.

Doctors at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital say they hope to discharge Arianna on Monday.

Trump was seen shaking hands with fans and later embracing UFC CEO and President Dana White during the event.

Earlier in the day, the president was seen coming down the stairs of Air Force One after landing at Miami International Airport.

Outside the arena, security was tight with Secret Service agents, police dogs and a SWAT team stationed ahead of his arrival.

“DJT? In the crib? Oh yessir bro. Yessir,” one fan said when asked about the president being there. Another responded, “Oh Trump? Yeah yeah yeah.”

Fans said they were excited to see the major fight night in Miami.

“We had to come because Miami’s the best city in America,” one attendee said.

Fans also took photos in front of the UFC logo with the Miami skyline in the background.

The event marked the UFC’s fifth visit to Miami so far and the first since last April. Many fans said they hope more events continue to return.

“I’ve always loved when the opportunity comes when they can come closer,” one fan said.

The event celebrated Grammy Award-winning musician, producer and philanthropist Wyclef Jean, who was recognized for his work and influence.

Acclaimed photographer and humanitarian Nigel Barker received the foundation’s inaugural Visual Impact Award.

A wide mix of entertainment figures attended the event, including supermodel Karolina Kurkova, who has long supported the foundation’s mission.

Performances also included singer Taylor Dayne, joining a lineup of artists and supporters gathered for the evening.

Organizers said the foundation continues to focus on making an impact across communities worldwide through music and creative outreach.

Only 17 years later, they both had a say in the outcome for their teams on Saturday night.

Messi helped set up Germán Berterame for a second-half goal that gave Inter Miami its first lead in its new stadium, and Mehmeti’s first MLS goal in the 77th minute pulled the New York Red Bulls into a 2-2 tie with Messi and the defending MLS Cup champions on Saturday night.

Mateo Silvetti also scored for Inter Miami (3-1-3), which is now unbeaten in its last six MLS matches. Jorge Ruvalcaba scored for the Red Bulls (3-2-2), who have one win in their last five matches but rallied to get a point out of this one after wasting an early 1-0 lead.

Berterame’s goal looked like it would give Inter Miami some control.

There were no fewer than four defenders within a couple of yards of Messi — two of them squarely between him and the net — as he brought the ball toward the box in the 55th minute, and with all those eyeballs on him nobody seemed to be marking Berterame just to his left.

No shot, no problem. In fact, it was a bit of a bad break for the Red Bulls.

Messi had the ball knocked away but it simply rolled toward Berterame, who one-timed it with his right foot for a 2-1 lead — with the greatest player ever being the first to wrap him in a celebratory headlock after the goal. It gave Inter Miami its first lead in about 150 minutes of play over two matches in its new stadium, which opened last weekend with a draw against Austin FC.

But a pair of kids made sure the lead didn’t last.

Julian Hall, 18, set up Mehmeti for the equalizer, finding space near the goal line and putting the ball into the perfect spot.

Messi had a chance in the 49th minute from about 12 yards out. He got the ball near the top of the box, stopped on a dime as Red Bulls defender Matthew Dos Santos went sliding past, flicked the ball to his left foot and tried a shot to the near post. It went just wide as he fell to the turf.

Both teams had goals waved off by offside calls — New York’s following a review — in the second half. Messi also had a 25-yard free kick stopped by Red Bulls goalie Ethan Horvath in the 94th minute.

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

Year after year, for more than a decade, the Northern Irishman threw away chances at completing the career grand slam. And when he finally accomplished the feat last year, McIlroy did it only after recovering from a ball put in the water on the back nine and a bogey at the 18th hole in regulation, and beating Justin Rose in a playoff for the green jacket.

In other words, that record 36-hole lead of six that McIlroy carried into the third round Saturday? It meant nothing.

And nothing is exactly what it was shortly after he made the turn.

McIlroy's roller coaster round included three bogeys, four birdies and a double-bogey for a 73, which dropped him to 11 under for the tournament. More importantly, hot rounds by just about everyone else on the leaderboard put the pressure on, and Cameron Young's third-round 65 put him at 11 under as well, leaving McIlroy paired with him for the final round on Sunday.

“You know, there’s a lot of guys in with a chance tomorrow,” McIlory said. “I’m still tied for the best score going into tomorrow, so I can’t forget that, but I do know I’m going to have to be better if I want to have a chance to win.”

Indeed, McIlroy and Young will have to worry about a lot more than just each other.

Sam Burns is one shot back, while Shane Lowry rode his second career Masters ace to a 68 that left him at 9 under. Rose and Jason Day are another shot back, while Scottie Scheffler's round of 65 put him at 7 under and in the hunt for a third green jacket.

“There’s certainly no lead that’s safe out here,” Young said, "but at the same time, Rory loves it here, and he’s obviously playing some great golf. I don’t think anybody would have been surprised if he went out there and shot 65 today. It’s one of those things where if he does open the door, you have to take advantage of it.”

McIlroy tried to take all of the drama out of this edition of the Masters when he paired an opening 67 with a 65 on Friday.

But drama is exactly what he brings to Augusta National every year.

There was 2011, when McIlroy led by three making the turn, pulled his tee shot left of No. 10 into the cabins, made triple bogey and went on to shoot 80. There was 2016, when he played in the final round with Jordan Spieth but shot 77 and finished tied for 10th. And there was 2018, when he was in the final pairing with Patrick Reed and wound up finishing six shots back.

Last year, it seemed that McIlroy had finally buried his Masters demons with his playoff victory.

They surfaced yet again on Saturday.

It started with an inauspicious bogey at the first, but McIlroy recovered from that with a couple of birdies to reach 13 under. The real trouble began at the 11th, when he was standing in the middle of the fairway with momentum on his side. His approach shot bounced in front of the green, took a left turn and plopped into the pond, leaving quiet ripples across the water.

McIlroy's eventual bogey putt did a 90-degree lip-out, and the double bogey sent him falling back to the field.

“Yeah,” he said later, “this golf course has a way of — you know, when you’re not quite feeling it, you struggle.”

McIlroy followed with another bogey at the par-3 12th, when he pulled his tee shot left of the green and was unable to save par. And when it looked as if he'd regained his composure with back-to-back birdies at Nos. 14 and 15, he proceeded to pull his tee shot at the 17th into a stand of pine trees, leading to another bogey and dropping him into a tie with Young at 11 under.

“I thought if Rory could shoot a 68 today he might run away with the tournament,” said Lowry, his good buddy. “But the thing is, it’s not easy to go out and go after it when you’re at the top of the leaderboard.”

McIlroy was still at the top of the leaderboard, though, after a wild third round Saturday at Augusta National.

It's where he'll start the final round on Sunday, too.

“I have to look at the positives, even though there isn't that many to take today,” McIlroy said. “You know, I did bounce back. I hit some good shots coming in. But yeah, I'm in great position. I just know I need to be better tomorrow to have a chance.”

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

Strong winds out of the northeast will continue to persist with gusts up to 25 to 30 mph on Sunday. The gusts will continue to turn up our local beaches. A very high rip current risk will remain in place. It is important to stay out of the water, if you do venture in, swim in front of a lifeguard.

Sunday will feature a few stay showers in the morning with mostly dry conditions by the afternoon. Look for high temperatures in the lower 80s.

Flight DL555 landed without incident, and video obtained by Local 10 News captured the plane arriving back at FLL.

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“Plane is still circling and dumping fuel. Incident involved a mechanical issue with the aircraft’s landing gear. No other information is available at this time,” the Broward Sheriff’s Office wrote in a statement to Local 10 News.

According to FlightAware, the plane was in the air for 1 hour and 13 minutes before landing back at FLL.

Flight tracking data shows the aircraft was scheduled to depart at 7:05 a.m. for Boston but was delayed until 11:58 a.m. before taking off, when it experienced the mechanical issue.

Airport officials cancelled the flight Saturday afternoon.

Passengers were frustrated after the announcement.

“Really frustrating,” said Kelly Gardner from New Hampshire. “We’re hoping the airline in some way gives us a voucher because just putting us up for the night doesn’t make me warm and fuzzy. I got to be honest -- we always fly Delta but I’m not sure about anymore.”

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The certificate comes before Saturday’s game between Inter Miami CF and the New York Red Bulls.

The stadium previously operated under a “limited-event permit” during its inaugural match, a measure that allowed the event to proceed with specific restrictions and additional safety precautions.

City officials said last week they were working to issue the temporary certificate in time for the stadium’s debut, noting the limited-event permit would serve as a backup if approvals were not finalized. They added that the procedure is “a recourse often used in these situations.”

“It’s part of the experience,” said Inter Miami fan Sordo. “It’s cool to see afterwards that we were here for day one. This is how it looks today. That means two to three years from now it might be a different experience all around us.”

Nu Stadium officially opened after years of anticipation as Inter Miami hosted Austin FC, drawing more than 20,000 fans. Despite the milestone, construction remains ongoing around the site.

Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas acknowledged ahead of the opener that work outside the stadium was still in progress.

“Outside of the stadium it’s a construction site as we prepare construction, but I think it’ll be a beautiful walk up,” he said.

He added that the overall fan experience is expected to improve in the coming weeks as construction continues and operations are further refined.

Inter Miami is seeking its first win at Nu Stadium after a 2-2 draw against Austin FC. The match against the New York Red Bulls is set for 7:30 p.m.

La Casa Blanca confirmó el encuentro de alto nivel.

Mientras tanto, el ejército de Estados Unidos dijo que dos destructores transitaron el estrecho de Ormuz, controlado por Irán, antes de realizar trabajos de despeje de minas, lo que sería una primicia desde que comenzó la guerra hace seis semanas. Sin embargo, medios estatales iraníes dijeron que el mando militar conjunto lo negó.

“Estamos despejando el estrecho. Si llegamos a un acuerdo o no no marca ninguna diferencia para mí”, dijo el presidente estadounidense Donald Trump a periodistas mientras continuaban las conversaciones cerca de las 2 de la madrugada en Islamabad. La televisora estatal iraní señaló lo que calificó como diferencias “serias”.

La delegación de Estados Unidos, encabezada por el vicepresidente JD Vance, y la delegación iraní, con el presidente del Parlamento, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, al frente, analizaban con Pakistán cómo impulsar un alto el fuego ya amenazado por las profundas discrepancias y los continuos ataques de Israel contra Líbano, cuyo ministerio de Salud dijo que el número de muertos por los ataques israelíes ha superado los 2,000.

Desde la Revolución Islámica de Irán en 1979, el contacto más directo de Estados Unidos ocurrió en 2013, cuando el presidente Barack Obama llamó al recién elegido presidente Hassan Rouhani para hablar sobre el programa nuclear iraní. Las reuniones más recientes del más alto nivel fueron entre el secretario de Estado John Kerry y su homólogo Mohammad Javad Zarif durante las negociaciones sobre el programa.

Ahora están en marcha conversaciones entre Vance, un defensor reticente de la guerra que tiene poca experiencia diplomática, y Qalibaf, un excomandante de la Guardia Revolucionaria de Irán.

Irán fija “líneas rojas”, incluida compensación por los ataques

La agencia estatal de noticias de Irán dijo que las conversaciones tripartitas comenzaron después de que se cumplieron las condiciones previas iraníes, incluida una reducción de los ataques israelíes en el sur de Líbano.

La delegación de Irán dijo a la televisión estatal iraní que presentó algunas “líneas rojas” en las reuniones con el primer ministro paquistaní Shehbaz Sharif. Entre ellas figuraban una compensación por los daños causados por los ataques estadounidense-israelíes que iniciaron la guerra el 28 de febrero y la liberación de los activos congelados de Irán.

La guerra se ha cobrado la vida de al menos 3,000 personas en Irán, 1,953 en Líbano, 23 en Israel y más de una docena en los Estados árabes del golfo Pérsico. El control asfixiante de Irán sobre el vital estrecho de Ormuz ha aislado en gran medida al golfo Pérsico y sus exportaciones de petróleo y gas de la economía mundial, disparando el precio de la energía.

Los ataques han causado daños duraderos a la infraestructura en media docena de países de Oriente Medio. El control asfixiante de Irán sobre el vital estrecho de Ormuz ha aislado en gran medida al golfo Pérsico y sus exportaciones de petróleo y gas de la economía mundial, disparando el precio de la energía.

Como un reflejo de lo mucho que está en juego, funcionarios de la región dijeron que autoridades chinas, egipcias, saudíes y qataríes estaban en Islamabad para facilitar indirectamente las conversaciones. Los funcionarios declararon bajo condición de anonimato para hablar sobre el delicado asunto.

En Teherán, residentes contaron a The Associated Press que eran escépticos, aunque tenían algo de esperanza en las conversaciones tras semanas de ataques aéreos que han dejado destrucción en su país, de unos 93 millones de habitantes.

“La paz por sí sola no es suficiente para nuestro país, porque hemos sido golpeados muy duro, ha habido enormes costos”, señaló Amir Razzai Far, de 62 años.

Y en sus palabras más contundentes hasta ahora, el papa León XIV denunció la “ilusión de omnipotencia” que alimenta la guerra.

“La paz por sí sola no es suficiente para nuestro país, porque hemos sido golpeados muy duro, ha habido enormes costos”, señaló Amir Razzai Far, de 62 años.

Y en sus palabras más contundentes hasta ahora, el papa León XIV denunció la “ilusión de omnipotencia” que alimenta la guerra.

Estados Unidos envía fuerzas para despejar minas en el estrecho de Ormuz

Antes de las conversaciones, el presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, acusó a Irán de usar el estrecho de Ormuz para extorsionar, y dijo a los reporteros el viernes que se abrirá “con o sin ellos”.

El cierre por parte de Irán del estrecho de Ormuz ha demostrado ser su mayor ventaja estratégica en la guerra. Antes del conflicto, alrededor de una quinta parte del petróleo comercializado en el mundo solía pasar por el estrecho en más de 100 barcos al día. Desde el inicio del alto el fuego, solo se ha registrado el paso de 12.

El sábado, Trump dijo en redes sociales que Estados Unidos había comenzado a “despejar” el estrecho.

“Hoy comenzamos el proceso de establecer un nuevo paso y compartiremos pronto esta vía segura con la industria marítima”, dijo después el comandante del Comando Central de Estados Unidos, el almirante Brad Cooper, en la declaración estadounidense sobre los destructores. En el documento se agrega que “Fuerzas adicionales de Estados Unidos, incluidos drones submarinos, se unirán al esfuerzo de despeje en los próximos días”.

El ministro de Relaciones Exteriores de Irán, Abbas Araghchi, apuntó que Teherán llegaba a las negociaciones con una “profunda desconfianza” derivada de ataques previos contra la República Islámica durante rondas de conversaciones anteriores. Araghchi, que forma parte de la delegación iraní que viajó a Pakistán, dijo el sábado que su país está listo para tomar represalias si es atacado de nuevo.

En su propuesta de 10 puntos, Irán pedía un final garantizado de la guerra y buscaba el control sobre el estrecho de Ormuz. Incluía poner fin a los combates contra los “aliados regionales” de Irán, pidiendo explícitamente una pausa de los ataques israelíes contra Hezbollah.

La propuesta de 15 puntos de Estados Unidos incluye restringir el programa nuclear de Irán y reabrir el estrecho.

Israel y Líbano tendrán negociaciones directas

Mientras tanto, Israel seguía atacando Líbano tras decir que no hay un cese el fuego en ese país. Irán y Pakistán discreparon. La agencia estatal libanesa de noticias informó que al menos tres personas murieron.

Se espera que las negociaciones entre Israel y Líbano comiencen el martes en Washington, informó el viernes la oficina del presidente libanés Joseph Aoun, tras el sorpresivo anuncio de que Israel autorizaba las conversaciones pese a la falta de relaciones oficiales entre los países.

Pero mientras miles de personas protestaban en Líbano contra tales negociaciones, el primer ministro Nawaf Salam dijo que había pospuesto un viaje planeado a Washington “a la luz de las circunstancias internas actuales”. Su ausencia no debería afectar las conversaciones, ya que se espera que la primera ronda sea a nivel de embajadores.

Israel quiere que el gobierno libanés asuma la responsabilidad de desarmar a Hezbollah tal como se contemplaba en un alto el fuego de noviembre de 2024. Pero no está claro si el ejército libanés puede confiscarle las armas al grupo político-paramilitar, que durante décadas ha resistido los intentos de limitar su fuerza.

Hezbollah se sumó a la guerra en apoyo de Irán en los primeros días. Israel continuó con bombardeos y una invasión terrestre contra Líbano.

El día en que se anunció el acuerdo de alto el fuego con Irán, Israel bombardeó Beirut y mató a más de 300 personas, en el día más letal en el país desde el inicio de la guerra, de acuerdo con el Ministerio de Salud libanés.

The crew of four arrived at Ellington Field near NASA's Johnson Space Center and Mission Control, flying in from San Diego, where they splashed down just offshore the evening before.

After a quick reunion with their spouses and children, commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canada's Jeremy Hansen took the hangar stage, surrounded by space center workers and other invited guests. They were introduced by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, among the first to greet them aboard the recovery ship Friday.

“Ladies and gentlemen, your Artemis II crew,” Isaacman said to a standing ovation.

The jubilant crowd included flight directors and the launch director, Orion capsule and exploration system managers, high-ranking military officers, members of Congress, the space agency’s entire blue-suited astronaut corps and even retired ones, and more.

Their homecoming was poignant: They returned to NASA's Houston base on the 56th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 13, whose “Houston, we’ve had a problem” refrain turned a near-disaster into triumph.

“This was not easy.” an emotional Wiseman said. “Before you launch, it feels like it’s the greatest dream on Earth. And when you’re out there, you just want to get back to your families and your friends. It’s a special thing to be a human, and it’s a special thing to be on planet Earth.”

Added Glover: “I have not processed what we just did and I’m afraid to start even trying."

Hansen said the four of them embodied love “and extracting joy out of that” as the four joined together to stand in a row, embracing one another. “When you look up here, you’re not looking at us. We are a mirror reflecting you. And if you like what you see, then just look a little deeper. This is you.”

During Artemis II's nearly 10-day mission, the astronauts voyaged deeper into space than the moon explorers of decades past and captured views of the lunar far side never witnessed before by human eyes. A total solar eclipse added to the cosmic wonder.

On their record-breaking flyby, the astronauts reached a maximum 252,756 miles (406,771 kilometers) from Earth before hanging a U-turn behind the moon, eclipsing Apollo's 13 distance record.

The mission also revealed a new side of our planet with an Earthset photo, showing our Blue Marble setting behind the gray, pockmarked moon. The image echoed the famous Earthrise shot from 1968 taken by the world’s first lunar visitors, Apollo 8.

“Honestly, what struck me wasn’t necessarily just Earth, it was all the blackness around it. Earth was just this lifeboat hanging undisturbedly in the universe,” Koch said. “Planet Earth you are a crew.”

Despite the accomplishments, Artemis II astronauts had to contend with a more mundane problem — a malfunctioning space toilet. NASA promised a design fix before longer moon-landing missions.

Wiseman, Glover, Koch and Hansen were the first humans to fly to the moon since Apollo 17 closed out NASA's first exploration era in 1972. Twenty-four astronauts flew to the moon during Apollo, including 12 moonwalkers.

Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell — who also flew on Apollo 8 — cheered the Artemis II crew on in a wake-up message recorded before he died last summer.

It was crucial for NASA that Artemis II go well. The space agency is already preparing for next year's Artemis III, which will see a new crew practice docking its capsule with a lunar lander in orbit around Earth. That will set the stage for the all-important Artemis IV moon landing in 2028, when two astronauts attempt a touchdown near the lunar south pole.

“The long wait is over. After a brief 53-year intermission, the show goes on,” Isaacman said.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

More importantly, his ace at the par-3 sixth put him in contention for his first green jacket.

Playing with Tommy Fleetwood and trying to chase down good buddy Rory McIlroy, Lowry hit a 7-iron from 190 yards and watched the ball hop three times before disappearing into the cup. He reared back and shook his arms in celebration, almost exactly like he did a decade ago, when Lowry aced the par-3 16th during the final round of the Masters.

“You don't ever expect to make a hole-in-one. I just couldn't believe it,” he said. “Obviously, you know, you're out here, and you're in the hunt at the Masters, and you're making a hole-in-one — it's pretty cool.”

Even cooler: Lowry ended up shooting 68, leaving him 9 under for the tournament and two back of McIlroy and Cameron Young.

“We all know it’s all about tomorrow. You know what I mean?” asked Lowry, whose only major victory came at the 2019 British Open. “Obviously it matters, today, but when we get to tomorrow, that’s when, you know, we’ll see what everyone is made of.”

Perhaps more incredible than his second ace in the Masters was the fact that it was Lowry's second ace in as many events. He had a hole-in-one on the second hole at Memorial Park during the Houston Open, using the same 7-iron he used on Saturday.

As for the Masters, it was the first hole-in-one since Stewart Cink's on the 16th in 2022. And it was just the seventh ace to happen on the difficult, downhill sixth hole; Corey Conners had the last one during the 2021 tournament.

Anyone who makes a hole-in-one during the Masters is rewarded with a crystal bowl. Now, Lowry's the first with two of them.

He has a rapidly growing list of aces at some of golf's iconic venues, too. Along with his two at Augusta National, and his recent one in Houston, the Irishman has aced the 17th at TPC Sawgrass — the famed island green — and the seventh at Pebble Beach.

“Maybe I'm just good. I don't know,” Lowry said, laughing. “I don't know.”

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

A three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said it did not have enough information to decide how much of the project can be suspended without jeopardizing the safety of the president, his family or the White House staff.

The case was returned to the trial judge who, in a March 31 ruling, barred work from proceeding without congressional approval, but suspended enforcement of that order for 14 days. The appeals court extended that for three days, to April 17, to allow the Trump administration to seek Supreme Court review.

The panel instructed U.S. District Judge Richard Leon to clarify whether — and how — his injunction interferes with the administration’s plans for safety and security.

Government lawyers had argued that the project includes critical security features to guard against a range of possible threats, such as drones, ballistic missiles and biohazards and that holding up construction “would imperil the President and others who live and work in the White House,.”

Leon, in issuing the temporary pause, concluded that the preservationist group behind the legal challenge was likely to succeed because the president lacks the authority to build the ballroom without approval from Congress.

Leon exempted any construction work necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House, but said he reviewed material the government privately submitted before determining that a halt would not jeopardize national security.

The Republican administration's appeal cited materials that would be installed to make a “heavily fortified” facility and said construction included bomb shelters, military installations and a medical facility underneath the ballroom.

The appeals panel noted that much of the government's concerns focused on that below-ground security work, which the White House argued was "distinct from construction of the ballroom itself and could proceed independently.”

Now, however, the White House seems to suggest those security upgrades are “inseparable” from the project as whole, the appeals court said, making it unclear “whether and to what extent” moving forward with certain aspects of the ballroom is necessary for the safety and security of those upgrades.

Carol Quillen, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said in a statement that the organization awaited further clarification from the district court. She said the group was committed “to honoring the historic significance of the White House, advocating for our collective role as stewards, and demonstrating how broad consultation, including with the American people, results in a better overall outcome.”

The organization sued in December, a week after the White House finished demolishing the East Wing for a 90,000-square-foot (8,400-square-meter) ballroom that Trump said would fit 999 people. The administration said aboveground construction on the ballroom would begin in April.

Leon concluded last month that the lawsuit was likely to succeed because “no statute comes close to giving the President the authority he claims to have.”

“The President of the United States is the steward of the White House for future generations of First Families. He is not, however, the owner!” wrote Leon, who was nominated by President George W. Bush, a Republican.

Two days after Leon’s ruling, the ballroom project won final approval from a key agency that Trump had stocked with allies. Another oversight entity constituted with Trump loyalists had approved the project earlier this year. But the president had proceeded with the biggest structural change to the White House in more than 70 years before seeking input from the commissions.

Trump says the project is funded by private donations, although public money is paying for construction of underground bunkers and security upgrades.

The three-judge appeals court panel was made up of Patricia Millett, Neomi Rao and Bradley Garcia. Millett was nominated by President Barack Obama, a Democrat. Rao was nominated by Trump. Garcia was nominated by President Joe Biden, a Democrat.

Rao wrote a dissenting opinion, which cited a statute that allows the president to undertake improvements to the White House.

“Importantly, the government has presented credible evidence of ongoing security vulnerabilities at the White House that would be prolonged by halting construction,” Rao wrote, adding that such concerns outweigh the “generalized aesthetic harms” presented in the lawsuit.

—-

Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is facing the biggest political test of his career as his challenger Péter Magyar 's center-right Tisza party has charted a meteoric rise and is leading by double digits in most independent polls.

If Tisza wins, it will bring Orbán's 16-year grip on power to a dramatic end.

Yet many observers expect the result to be closer than polls are predicting, and that Orbán's Fidesz party can successfully mobilize its significant base of support in the countryside.

Magyar, a 45-year-old lawyer and former member of Fidesz's political elite, has toured Hungary relentlessly for two years, visiting hundreds of cities, towns and villages in an effort to win over some of Orbán's rural support.

He appeared before thousands of supporters on Saturday on University Square in Debrecen, Hungary's second-largest city and traditionally a Fidesz stronghold.

Magyar struck a confident tone, saying the election would “enter Hungarian history books as the day of resurrection, the renewal of the Hungarian nation, and of the real change of regime.”

He also gestured toward supporters of Orbán, saying his camp would begin the “reunification” of Hungary after election day, something he called a “national reconciliation.”

“As the winner of the election, we will have to extend a hand to our fellow countrymen,” he said.

Orbán, who ended his campaign on Budapest's opulent Castle Hill, has campaigned primarily by sounding the alarm on myriad external dangers he says are threatening Hungarians — particularly the war in neighboring Ukraine.

Orbán doubled down on that message, telling thousands of supporters that “we are in an age of danger.”

“Hungary is facing serious challenges,” he said. “We need to say no to major power groups in the world in order to defend ourselves, and this requires knowledge, experience and routine.”

He added: “Now is not the time to take risks, to change, to renew and to adventure. Now we need to protect and secure what we have.”

Orbán’s campaign has been plagued by Hungary’s poor economic performance, revelations of the government’s increasingly close connections to Russia and corruption allegations.

He has sought to boost his appeal with voters by emphasizing his close relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly endorsed the Hungarian leader. Vice President JD Vance made a two-day visit to Budapest earlier this week to push for Orbán’s reelection, even appearing at a taxpayer-funded campaign rally alongside the prime minister.

Meanwhile, Magyar has focused his campaign on issues that affect ordinary Hungarians like inflation, costs of living and the deteriorating state of public health care and transportation.

He has also spoken forcefully about what he describes as endemic governmental corruption that enriches a narrow segment of political elites — charges Orbán denies — and promised to reverse the prime minister's drift away from the European Union in favor of ever closer ties with Moscow.

As his supporters waved national flags and chanted “Európa! Európa!” in University Square, Magyar said that “many millions” of voters would show on Sunday that “Hungary’s place was, is, and will be in Europe.”

Magyar earlier visited several smaller communities in eastern Hungary including Balmazújváros, a town of around 17,000 residents.

One local Tisza activist, farmer Annamária Matkovics, said she had joined Magyar's party when it was first launched in 2024. While her region has historically been a Fidesz stronghold, Matkovics, 50, said she believes that Tisza has given people the courage to express their dissent, even if could come with consequences.

“When we’re campaigning on the street, people tell us that they’re worried that they’ll lose their jobs if they don’t vote for Fidesz, and they’re still planning to vote for Tisza,” she said. “They've had enough of the division.”

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Iván L. Nagy contributed.

Anfernee Watts, quien también tiene una hija de 2 años, compareció el jueves ante la corte de fianza de Broward, donde un juez le negó la fianza.

Watts “admitió haber fabricado una historia para presentar a las autoridades, colocando al bebé fallecido de nuevo en el corral con la intención de hacer parecer que murió mientras dormía”, escribió un agente, según la orden de arresto.

Crystal Garcia tenía 20 años cuando dio a luz a su hijo el 11 de julio en el Memorial Regional Hospital, según la policía.

Un pediatra reportó que el bebé estaba en buen estado de salud el 28 de julio, según la orden. La tragedia ocurrió pocos días después.

“Ella restringió intencionalmente al bebé envolviéndolo firmemente en una manta, asegurando un chupón en su boca y sujetándolo en un asiento de auto antes de colocarlo dentro de una bañera y aislarlo detrás de una puerta cerrada mientras sonaba música a alto volumen”, y “ignoró deliberadamente su angustia y no lo revisó durante varias horas”, escribió un detective, según la orden.

Personal de Hollywood Fire Rescue declaró muerto al bebé a la 1:50 p.m. del 1 de agosto en una vivienda ubicada en 6660 Thomas St., según los registros.

Los oficiales notaron una “almohadilla desechable para cambiar pañales que parecía tener manchas de sangre”, y el bebé “tenía espuma visible en la boca y labios agrietados que parecían tener sangre seca”, según la orden de arresto.

Watts dijo a los agentes que había asistido a una entrevista de trabajo cuando ocurrió la muerte, pero el supuesto entrevistador indicó que eso era falso, según la orden.

La Oficina del Médico Forense de Broward determinó que la causa de la muerte fue asfixia y la clasificó como homicidio. La evidencia también incluye un video de una cámara de vigilancia Ring que muestra a Garcia con una bolsa de basura antes de llamar al 911.

La madre de Watts contactó a la policía para reportar que Garcia, de 21 años, le dijo que el bebé murió atrapado entre el marco de la cama y el colchón, según la orden.

Garcia dejó mensajes de voz a la policía desde el 4 de agosto hasta el miércoles y admitió haber mentido y haber “asfixiado” al bebé, según la orden.

“Crystal admitió que mintió a la policía por miedo a ser arrestada”, escribió un agente, según la orden.

El Grupo de Trabajo de Fugitivos de los U.S. Marshals arrestó a la pareja el miércoles.

Registros carcelarios indican que Garcia permanecía detenida sin derecho a fianza el viernes en el North Broward Bureau, un centro de detención en Pompano Beach.

Garcia y Watts enfrentan cada uno cinco cargos: obstrucción de una investigación criminal, homicidio agravado de un menor, negligencia infantil con gran daño corporal, manipulación de evidencia y alterar o manipular un cadáver, su vestimenta o elementos circundantes sin autorización.

La madre de Watts tiene la custodia de la hija de 2 años desde que tenía aproximadamente 5 meses, luego de que Garcia y la bebé dieran positivo a THC al nacer, según la orden de arresto.

Lea una parte de la orden de arresto

Historia relacionada: pareja comparece en corte de Broward acusada por la muerte de su hijo de tres semanas y encubrimiento

Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota and Washington were granted major disaster declarations, which can unlock federal support and funding for recovery needs such as public infrastructure repairs and aid for survivors.

The announcement, in a FEMA daily briefing document, comes weeks into Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s tenure overseeing the disaster relief agency and is the latest signal that the former Republican senator from Oklahoma could ease some of the turmoil from the leadership of his predecessor, Kristi Noem, who was fired by President Donald Trump in March.

Nonetheless, FEMA’s work could be undermined by the ongoing DHS shutdown, now eight weeks long. While disaster response and recovery can continue through a shutdown because FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund does not lapse, that money is running low as the funding impasse drags on. The DHS appropriations bill would replenish the fund with more than $26 billion.

Mullin said Tuesday that he planned to brief Trump that day on the pending declaration requests, affirming his intention to speed up work on past disasters in the run-up to Atlantic hurricane season, which begins June 1.

“We’re trying to push this stuff forward as fast as possible,” Mullin said after surveying Hurricane Helene recovery work in North Carolina on his first official visit as DHS secretary, acknowledging that “disasters are happening constantly.”

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said Saturday that Trump responds to such requests “with great care and consideration, ensuring American tax dollars are used appropriately and efficiently by the states to supplement — not substitute — their obligation to respond to and recover from disasters.” She said an administration goal is having state and local governments "invest in their own resilience before disaster strikes, making response less urgent and recovery less prolonged.”

While Mullin assured fellow senators during his confirmation hearing that he believed in FEMA's mission, the agency's future is uncertain. Trump has expressed a desire to push more responsibility for disasters down to states. The FEMA Review Council he appointed last year has not released a recommendation report expected to include sweeping changes to how the federal government supports disaster resilience, response and recovery.

It was not immediately clear whether other states or tribes had also been told of approvals or denials that were not yet announced publicly. Hawaii Governor Josh Green, a Democrat, said Wednesday said his state had received a disaster declaration for devastating March flooding.

Trump also amended past disaster declarations for Tennessee and Mississippi, adding more counties for individual assistance after a severe winter storm in January.

Some communities have experienced unprecedented long waits for answers on their disaster requests during Trump's second term. An analysis by The Associated Press in September found approvals were taking more than a month on average.

It took less than two weeks on average for a governor’s disaster declaration request to be granted by presidents in the 1990s and early 2000s. That rose to about three weeks during the past decade under presidents from both major parties.

Arizona has been waiting nearly three months for an answer to its appeal after being denied support for severe storms and flooding that occurred in September.

Some Democrat-led states have complained about being denied disaster declarations despite proving need. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore called Trump's decision “deeply frustrating” after the president twice denied the state's request for support for May 2025 flooding despite a FEMA assessment showing over $33 million in damages.

While FEMA assesses damage and uses a specific formula to analyze the possible impact on states and local jurisdictions, disaster declarations are ultimately at the president’s discretion.

None of the approvals made this week includes hazard mitigation funding, a once-typical add on to disaster declaration support that helped communities build back with more resilience. Trump has not approved a hazard mitigation request for more than a year.

The uneasiness begins to peel away during initial conversations, then dissipates more during the 1-mile walk to the start of the race.

By the time the Tillman Scholars reach the Pat's Run start line, there's an ease, a comfortable feeling that they're among peers, like-minded people who uphold the values of the race's namesake, NFL player-turned-Army Ranger Pat Tillman.

“I had major imposter syndrome after getting selected to this program,” said Jason Williams, a Tillman Scholar and doctorate candidate at UCLA working on reimagining raw materials for the health and wellness industry. “I looked at a lot of their profiles and it just seemed like every person was like a superhero, but when you actually get there, not only are they amazing on paper, they’re amazing people. I don’t know what they do in their selection process to find these people.”

Pat's Run began in 2004 as a way to honor the legacy of Tillman, who walked away from a multimillion-dollar NFL career to serve his country in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. The run, which started as a gathering of friends following his death in Afghanistan by friendly fire, has blossomed into 4.2-mile run/walk — Tillman's number was 42 — that draws 30,000 people to the desert every year.

The Tillman Scholars program was created in 2009 to support active-duty service members, veterans and military spouses in their academic pursuits. The race serves as a fundraiser for the scholars, a 1,000-member tribe of uber-achievers who embody the leadership and selflessness Tillman exhibited.

The two connected worlds mesh in person every year at Arizona State University, where 50 Tillman Scholars serve as corral leaders and help urge runners across the final 50 yards of turf to the finish line inside the football stadium where Tillman once played.

“It’s this almost kind of a coming home right to where it all started,” said Katherine Steele, Pat Tillman Foundation CEO and a Tillman Scholar. “We’re here as Tillman Scholars because Pat lived, so to be able to be a part of it and be embedded with 30,000 people, in those corrals is special.”

Tillman had a passion for excellence, leadership, humility, belief that everyone should strive for something bigger than themselves.

The Tillman Scholars reflect those values with their achievements and connections to their communities — 23% have master's degrees, 21% medical degrees, 19% Masters of Business Administration and 15% doctorates.

They are doctors, CEOs, lawyers, scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs. Some dedicate their lives to helping veterans, tackling public health issues at home and abroad, and affecting policy change.

All give back in some aspect: serving on national or local boards, volunteer work, providing support for issues like homelessness and hunger. Tillman Scholar Jhay Edwards even served as a volunteer firefighter in Maryland.

“Every time I go there, it's just so energizing,” said Amber Manke, Tillman Scholar and chief of staff to the CEO of Care Delivery Markets (NY/NJ) at Optum. “That organization gave me something 11 years ago and it wasn’t just the scholarship. It was the community and the people that I’ve met along the way, the lives that have changed.”

Serving as Pat's Run corral leaders provides the Tillman Scholars a tangible proof of the impact Tillman had on people's lives — even those born after he died.

Every year, the run draws from all walks of life; people who have never run a race in their lives, parents pushing their children in strollers, firefighters completing the course in full gear, disabled veterans willing themselves across the finish line.

The interactions at the corrals is a chance for the Tillman Scholars to hear their stories, understand why they're running, how the run fits into the bigger picture of worlds beyond their own.

“You meet service members and veterans, but other than just saying thank you for your support, you get to learn about the stories of some of the members that have served and their family have served,” said Edwards, who works at pharmaceutical company GSK to provide spaces for veteran and disabled small business owners to be a part of the supply chain. “You see how important it is for you to be there and just to represent them and their family, and the work that Pat did. It really connects.”

Tillman connected through the life he lived. He continues to even after death, through the race and the scholars who bear his name.

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This story has been corrected to show that the first name of the chief of staff to the CEO of Care Delivery Markets (NY/NJ) at Optum is Amber, not Amanda, Manke.

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

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According to the Hollywood Police Department, officers responded around 2 a.m. to the 2400 block of Sheridan Street following reports of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle.

Police said a preliminary investigation revealed that the victim was hit by an unknown vehicle, which fled the scene in an unknown direction.

They said Hollywood Fire Rescue transported the victim to Memorial Regional Hospital, where he remains in critical condition.

The crash occurred along Sheridan Street near the Interstate 95 southbound off-ramp. By early morning, the scene had cleared, but witnesses described a chaotic and disturbing scene in the immediate aftermath.

Several bystanders called 911 and rushed to help after spotting the man lying in the roadway. Witnesses said they had to swerve to avoid hitting him.

Two men told Local 10 that they pulled the victim out of the street and onto the sidewalk, fearing he would be struck again. Video from the scene shows multiple people surrounding the victim and trying to assist him while waiting for emergency responders to arrive.

A trail of blood and crime scene markers remained in the area where the man was found. Personal items, including black sneakers and a hat, were also seen scattered in the roadway.

“At first, we thought it was a dead body,” one witness said. “He tried to drag him out of the road so nobody else would hit him, and we got him to the sidewalk.”

Another witness said the victim was conscious and speaking.

“I didn’t want anyone else to run him over more than he already had been,” he said. “He told me he was still alive, so that was a good sign, and I hope he survives.”

Police temporarily shut down eastbound lanes of Sheridan Street for several blocks as they investigated.

Authorities said the case is being handled by HPD’s traffic homicide detectives.

No other details were immediately released.

Anyone with information on the case is urged to call Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.

El vuelo DL555 aterrizó sin incidentes, y un video obtenido por Local 10 News captó la llegada del avión de vuelta a FLL.

“El avión aún está dando vueltas y descargando combustible. El incidente involucró un problema mecánico en el tren de aterrizaje de la aeronave. No hay más información disponible en este momento”, escribió la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward en un comunicado enviado a Local 10 News.

FlightAware reportó que el avión estuvo en el aire durante 1 hora y 13 minutos antes de aterrizar nuevamente en FLL.

Según datos de seguimiento de vuelos, la aeronave estaba programada para despegar a las 7:05 a.m. con destino a Boston, pero sufrió un retraso hasta las 11:58 a.m. antes de despegar, cuando presentó un problema mecánico.

Las autoridades aeroportuarias no han dicho cuándo será reprogramado el vuelo.

Se espera que los pasajeros permanezcan en la zona segura del aeropuerto, ya que el vuelo figura como retrasado y no cancelado hasta la tarde del sábado.

Según el Departamento de Policía de Hollywood, los agentes respondieron alrededor de las 2 a.m. a la cuadra 2400 de Sheridan Street tras reportes de un peatón atropellado por un vehículo.

La Policía indicó que una investigación preliminar reveló que la víctima fue impactada por un vehículo desconocido, que huyó de la escena en dirección no determinada.

Señalaron que Hollywood Fire Rescue trasladó a la víctima al Memorial Regional Hospital, donde permanece en condición crítica.

El accidente ocurrió en Sheridan Street, cerca de la salida hacia el sur de la Interestatal 95. Para la mañana temprano, la escena había sido despejada, pero testigos describieron una situación caótica y perturbadora tras el impacto.

Varios transeúntes llamaron al 911 y se apresuraron a ayudar al ver al hombre tendido en la vía. Testigos dijeron que tuvieron que esquivarlo para no atropellarlo.

Dos hombres dijeron a Local 10 que sacaron a la víctima de la calle hacia la acera, por temor a que fuera golpeado nuevamente. Un video de la escena muestra a varias personas rodeando al hombre e intentando ayudarlo mientras esperaban la llegada de los equipos de emergencia.

Un rastro de sangre y marcadores de la escena del crimen permanecían en el área donde fue encontrado el hombre. Objetos personales, incluidos unos tenis negros y una gorra, también estaban esparcidos en la vía.

“Al principio pensamos que era un cuerpo sin vida”, dijo un testigo. “Intentó sacarlo de la carretera para que nadie más lo golpeara y lo llevamos a la acera”.

Otro testigo dijo que la víctima estaba consciente y hablando.

“No quería que nadie más lo atropellara más de lo que ya había sido”, dijo. “Me dijo que seguía vivo, así que eso fue una buena señal, y espero que sobreviva”.

La Policía cerró los carriles hacia el este de Sheridan Street por varias cuadras mientras realizaban la investigación.

Las autoridades indicaron que el caso está siendo manejado por detectives de homicidios de tránsito de la Policía de Hollywood.

No se dieron a conocer de inmediato más detalles.

Cualquier persona con información sobre el caso debe llamar a Broward Crime Stoppers al 954-493-8477.

— None.

There are 10 teams that are locked into specific seeds in the Eastern and Western Conferences, there are 10 other teams that know their seasons will end on Sunday and 10 more still have some level of uncertainty going into the final day of the six-month grind that precedes the NBA postseason.

By the end of Sunday, four first-round series matchups — those starting next weekend — will be known, as will the first four play-in tournament matchups that will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday.

“We're just excited to be in this situation,” said Atlanta coach Quin Snyder, whose Hawks are playoff-bound — but don't know if they'll be the No. 5 or No. 6 seed in the East, so they obviously don't know their first-round matchup either.

“Whoever we play is going to be really good," Snyder said. “It's hard to even try to figure that out. It's possible that certain teams want to play us. ... We don't know what's going to happen. It's hard to predict all these games that are going on. Wherever it falls is how it falls.”

No team needs to win on Sunday to extend its season. There are 10 teams eliminated from postseason contention who all know Game 82 is the end of the road. But for the other 20 teams, there will be an 83rd game, either in the play-in this coming week or in the playoffs that start next weekend.

That doesn't mean those 20 teams all have nothing to play for Sunday. There are seeds to grab, and in some cases, a team could essentially manipulate how their side of the bracket sorts itself out. If San Antonio beats Denver, for example, the Spurs would assure themselves of not having to face Oklahoma City or the Nuggets until the Western Conference finals.

A Nuggets loss would mean LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers — provided they beat Utah on Sunday — would finish as the West's No. 3 seed.

“I’m sure everybody wants to play us," Lakers coach JJ Redick said. "Let’s get that out there — everybody wants to play us. There are probably teams that are in a position where they can start looking forward to potential second-round matchups as well.”

The breakdown

— Seeds clinched: Detroit (East 1), Oklahoma City (West 1), Boston (East 2), San Antonio (West 2), New York (East 3), Cleveland (East 4), Houston (West 5), Minnesota (West 6), Phoenix (West 7 for play-in), Golden State (West 10 for play-in).

— Playoff-bound, seed still TBA: Denver (3 or 4 in West), Los Angeles Lakers (3 or 4 in West), Atlanta (5 or 6 in East).

— Playoff or play-in bound: Toronto, Orlando, Philadelphia.

— Play-in bound, seed still TBA: Los Angeles Clippers, Portland, Charlotte, Miami.

— Season ends Sunday: Milwaukee, Chicago, New Orleans, Memphis, Dallas, Sacramento, Utah, Brooklyn, Indiana, Washington.

Stat races

All the major statistical titles have been decided, barring the most mathematically improbable events of all-time happening on Sunday.

— Scoring: Luka Doncic of the Lakers (33.5 per game) will win, unless something happens like Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 194 points on Sunday. Gilgeous-Alexander isn't playing.

— Rebounding: Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets (12.9 per game) will win, unless something happens like New York's Karl-Anthony Towns grabbing at least 95 rebounds on Sunday.

— Assists: Jokic (10.9 per game) will win, unless something happens like Detroit's Cade Cunningham getting at least 77 assists on Sunday.

— Blocked shots: Victor Wembanyama of the Spurs (3.1 per game) will win, unless something happens like Oklahoma City's Chet Holmgren blocking at least 85 shots on Sunday.

(So, yes, it's safe to assume those races have been decided.)

Doncic won't play Sunday for the Lakers, meaning he'll fall short of the 65-game rule for award eligibility, and Jokic needs to play Sunday to hit that number. That means it's actually possible the NBA scoring, rebound and assist champions will all be ineligible to appear on the ballots that will decide the All-NBA teams, MVP and other major awards.

For the record, Jokic is officially 50-50 to play. The Nuggets listed him as questionable on the injury report that was released Saturday, while announcing that many of their other top players — like Jamal Murray — are being held out for various reasons.

Lots of players out

There were no fewer than 168 players officially ruled out of Friday's games, and it'll likely be a similar number ruled out of Sunday's games.

Among the highlights (or lowlights, depending on perspective):

— Oklahoma City, with nothing to play for, is sitting its starters for a second straight game.

— New York is sitting Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and more, and probably won't play Mikal Bridges for too long after he extends his every-game-of-his-career playing streak.

— Giannis Antetokounmpo has been ruled out by Milwaukee for its finale, and an eventful offseason awaits for the Bucks.

— Boston, with No. 2 in the East secured, is resting most of its regular rotation. Same goes for Cleveland, which has No. 4 secured.

— Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson are among the players who Houston will rest Sunday. The Rockets are locked into No. 5 in the West. Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle are out for No. 6 Minnesota, and Devin Booker is among those ruled out by West No. 7 Phoenix.

Draft odds update

The teams with the three worst records are set: Washington will be worst, with Indiana and Brooklyn second- and third-worst in some order. That means those three teams will have the best odds — 14% each — of winning the No. 1 pick in next month's draft lottery.

And Washington can't finish lower than fifth in the lottery.

Utah and Sacramento would both see draft-lottery benefits from losses on Sunday — especially the Jazz, who could assure themselves of keeping a pick that would be guaranteed to be in the top eight.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

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The officers, who are part of the department’s homeless outreach team, was responding to a situation at a shopping center when one of them noticed a man recording.

“Hi … you good?” an officer is heard saying on the video.

Moments later, the tone escalates.

“You want to get arrested,” the officer says.

“Why am I being arrested?” the bystander responds.

“You’re interfering with my investigation,” the officer says.

“No, I’m not,” the bystander replied.

Video shows the man standing more than 25 feet away as officers ordered a woman, who officers described as someone frequently seen at the shopping center, to leave the property.

The situation intensifies when a bystander asks, “What did she do?”

“You don’t know the law,” the officer is heard saying repeatedly.“You’re gonna be trespassed from this property. If you return, you’re gonna be placed under arrest.”

Plantation Mayor Nick Sortal and the city’s police chief said from the outset that recording from that distance is within a person’s rights.

“You can’t come up to people and put your finger in their face and say stop videoing,” Sortal said. “I wish that whole part hadn’t happened.”

Officials noted that the officer had a point after referencing that the bystander was obstructing traffic, but that observation came after the initial confrontation.

Police supervisors have since counseled the officer involved, and city leaders say they are taking accountability.

“If we messed up, we’re going to tell you to your face, we messed up,” Sortal said. “We’re going to try to do better.”

Los agentes, que forman parte del equipo de alcance para personas sin hogar, respondían a una situación en un centro comercial cuando uno de ellos notó a un hombre grabando.

“Hola… ¿todo bien?”, se escucha decir a un agente en el video.

Momentos después, el tono se intensifica.

“¿Quieres que te arresten?”, dice el agente.

“¿Por qué me van a arrestar?”, responde el testigo.

“Estás interfiriendo con mi investigación”, dice el agente.

“No, no lo estoy”, replica el hombre.

El video muestra al hombre a más de 25 pies de distancia mientras los agentes ordenaban a una mujer —a quien describieron como alguien vista con frecuencia en el lugar— que abandonara la propiedad.

La situación se intensifica cuando un testigo pregunta: “¿Qué hizo ella?”.

“No conoces la ley”, se escucha decir repetidamente al agente. “Vas a ser expulsado de esta propiedad. Si regresas, serás arrestado”.

El alcalde de Plantation, Nick Sortal, y el jefe de Policía de la ciudad señalaron desde el inicio que grabar desde esa distancia está dentro de los derechos de una persona.

“No puedes acercarte a alguien y ponerle el dedo en la cara para decirle que deje de grabar”, dijo Sortal. “Ojalá esa parte no hubiera ocurrido”.

Funcionarios indicaron que el agente tenía un punto al mencionar que el testigo estaba obstruyendo el tráfico, aunque esa observación surgió después del enfrentamiento inicial.

Supervisores policiales ya han orientado al agente involucrado, y líderes de la ciudad dicen que están asumiendo responsabilidad.

“Si nos equivocamos, se lo vamos a decir de frente: nos equivocamos”, dijo Sortal. “Vamos a tratar de hacerlo mejor”.

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Plantation police said officers responded around 7:05 a.m. to a report of a carjacking at a home near the 1100 block of North University Drive.

They said Anthony Torres Torrero allegedly battered his girlfriend and took her vehicle shortly after.

Fort Lauderdale police later located the car and attempted a traffic stop, but said Torres Torrero sped away.

The pursuit ended when he crashed into a fence and struck a parked car in the 600 block of Long Island Avenue, according to Casey Liening, a spokeswoman for the Fort Lauderdale Police Department.

Investigators said Torres Torrero tried to run again after the crash but was quickly found with the help of a police K-9.

Jail records show he is facing charges of carjacking without a weapon, assault, fleeing and eluding, and driving without a valid license. Records show he also had outstanding warrants out of Osceola County for false imprisonment and dating violence.

As of Saturday, he was being held without bond at the Broward County Main Jail.

La Policía de Plantation informó que agentes respondieron alrededor de las 7:05 a.m. a un reporte de robo de auto en una vivienda cerca de la cuadra 1100 de North University Drive.

Indicaron que Anthony Torres Torrero presuntamente agredió a su novia y luego le quitó el vehículo.

Posteriormente, la Policía de Fort Lauderdale localizó el auto e intentó detenerlo, pero señaló que Torres Torrero huyó a alta velocidad.

La persecución terminó cuando chocó contra una cerca e impactó un vehículo estacionado en la cuadra 600 de Long Island Avenue, según Casey Liening, portavoz del Departamento de Policía de Fort Lauderdale.

Investigadores dijeron que Torres Torrero intentó huir nuevamente tras el choque, pero fue localizado rápidamente con ayuda de un perro K-9.

Registros carcelarios muestran que enfrenta cargos por robo de auto sin arma, agresión, huir y evadir a la Policía y conducir sin una licencia válida. También tenía órdenes de arresto pendientes en el condado Osceola por encarcelamiento falso y violencia en una relación.

Hasta el sábado, permanecía detenido sin derecho a fianza en la cárcel principal del condado Broward.

Leo presided over an evening prayer service in St. Peter’s Basilica on the same day the United States and Iran began face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan and as a fragile ceasefire held.

History’s first U.S.-born pope didn’t mention the United States or President Donald Trump in his prayer, which was planned before the talks were announced. But Leo’s tone and message appeared directed at Trump and U.S. officials, who have boasted of U.S. military superiority and justified the war in religious terms.

“Enough of the idolatry of self and money!” Leo said. “Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!”

In the basilica pews was the archbishop of Tehran, Belgian Cardinal Dominique Joseph Mathieu. The U.S. was represented in the diplomatic corps by its deputy chief of mission, Laura Hochla, the U.S. Embassy said.

In the first weeks of the war, the Chicago-born Leo was initially reluctant to publicly condemn the violence and limited his comments to muted appeals for peace and dialogue. But Leo stepped up his criticism starting on Palm Sunday. And this week, he said Trump’s threat to annihilate Iranian civilization was “truly unacceptable” and called for dialogue to prevail.

On Saturday, Leo called for all people of good will to pray for peace and demand an end to war from their political leaders. The evening vigil in Rome, which featured Scripture readings and meditative recitation of the Rosary prayers, was taking place as simultaneous local prayer services were being held in the U.S. and beyond.

Praying for peace, Leo said, was a way to “break the demonic cycle of evil” to build instead the Kingdom of God where there are no swords, drones or “unjust profit.”

“It is here that we find a bulwark against that delusion of omnipotence that surrounds us and is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive,” he said. “Even the holy Name of God, the God of life, is being dragged into discourses of death.”

Leaders have used religion to justify their actions in the war. U.S. officials and especially Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have invoked their Christian faith to cast the U.S. as a Christian nation trying to vanquish its foes.

Leo has said God doesn’t bless any war, and certainly not those who drop bombs.

Leo presided over the service sitting off to the side of the altar on a white throne, wearing his formal red cape and liturgical stole and praying with a Rosary in his hands. Many of the priests and nuns in the pews fingered Rosary beads as the “Our Father” and “Hail Mary” prayers were recited.

The Vatican is particularly concerned about the spillover of Israel’s war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, given the plight of Christian communities in the south.

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Los agentes indicaron que ocurrió poco antes de las 4:40 p.m. cerca de la cuadra 16500 de Golf Club Road, en las inmediaciones del Bonaventure Golf Club.

Las autoridades dijeron que el video muestra “a un hombre de tez clara, vestido con una sudadera con capucha color caqui y pantalones distintivos rojos y negros, exponiéndose y tocándose en un estacionamiento cercano”, y luego “acercándose lentamente a la víctima, observando a su alrededor y quitándose los zapatos antes de sujetarla por detrás”.

“Ella forcejeó con el atacante antes de que él se levantara, se pusiera los zapatos y corriera hacia un scooter cercano, que utilizó para huir de la escena”, señala un comunicado de BSO.

Cualquier persona con información sobre el sospechoso debe llamar al detective de BSO Michael Kravecz al 954-626-4006 o a Broward Crime Stoppers al 954-493-8477.

Según BSO, las pistas que conduzcan a un arresto “pueden ser elegibles para una recompensa de hasta $5,000 USD”.

That’s up from the $4.2 million he won last year.

The Masters on Saturday announced its prize purse for this year’s championship at $22.5 million overall — the highest payout of golf’s four majors. The Masters’ prize payout was $21 million last year.

The other three major tournaments have not announced prize funds for this year. In 2025, the PGA Championship's was $19 million, the British Open's was $17 million and the U.S. Open's was $21.5 million.

Last month Cameron Young won $4.5 for capturing the Players Championship, which featured a $25 million overall prize purse.

McIlroy entered the third round of the Masters on Saturday with a six-stroke lead over Patrick Reed and Sam Burns. He is seeking to become only the fourth player to win back-to-back championships at Augusta National and the first since Tiger Woods nearly 25 years ago (2001-02).

The top four finishers at the Masters will each make at least $1 million.

The runner-up is set to take home $2.43 million, while the third-place finisher will receive $1.53 million and fourth place gets $1.08 million.

All professionals who did not make the cut at the Masters will get $25,000.

___

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

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Surveillance video shows Carey, 22, was driving a black 2016 Nissan Maxima northbound on Northwest Ninth Avenue early Wednesday morning with a broken light and damage, according to deputies.

Crime scene technicians found Carey’s Nissan Maxima’s headlight assembly, a driver’s side view mirror, and exterior black trim pieces where the woman died, according to Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies.

“Carey stated he was driving home last night and as he passed under the bridge, something hit his vehicle ... he looked around and did not see anyone or anything, so he continued driving home ... he saw the damage to his vehicle and covered it with a tarp to hide it from his parents,” a deputy wrote, according to an arrest report.

At about 12:20 a.m. on Wednesday, the woman was crossing Ninth Avenue’s northbound lanes at the 4400 block, and after the Nissan struck her, she “came to a final rest in the southbound lanes,” according to deputies.

BSO deputies pronounced the woman dead at 12:24 a.m. and found Carey and his damaged Nissan Maxima hours later in North Lauderdale, according to deputies.

Deputies arrested Carey at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, and corrections booked him at the Broward County Main Jail.

Carey faced charges of failure to stop and remain at the scene of an accident, a first-degree felony, and tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony.

During a hearing, a bond court judge ordered Carey to avoid driving, surrender his passport, stay in Broward, and remain on house arrest with a GPS.

According to court records, Broward County Circuit Judge Peter Holden was set to preside over the case.

Local 10 News Assignment Editor Carson Merlo contributed to this report.

Un video de vigilancia muestra que Carey, de 22 años, conducía un Nissan Maxima negro 2016 hacia el norte por Northwest Ninth Avenue la madrugada del miércoles con una luz rota y daños visibles, según los agentes.

Técnicos de la escena encontraron el ensamblaje del faro del Nissan Maxima de Carey, un espejo lateral del conductor y piezas de moldura exterior negra en el lugar donde murió la mujer, según la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward.

“Carey declaró que conducía a su casa la noche anterior y que al pasar por debajo del puente algo golpeó su vehículo, miró alrededor y no vio a nadie ni nada, por lo que continuó conduciendo hasta su casa, vio los daños en su vehículo y los cubrió con una lona para ocultarlos de sus padres”, escribió un agente, según el informe de arresto.

Alrededor de las 12:20 a.m. del miércoles, la mujer cruzaba los carriles hacia el norte de la Novena Avenida en la cuadra 4400, y tras ser impactada por el Nissan, “quedó en reposo final en los carriles hacia el sur”, según los agentes.

Agentes de la BSO declararon a la mujer muerta a las 12:24 a.m. y encontraron a Carey y su Nissan Maxima dañado horas después en North Lauderdale, según las autoridades.

Los agentes arrestaron a Carey a las 7 p.m. del miércoles y fue ingresado en la cárcel principal del condado Broward.

Carey enfrenta cargos por no detenerse y permanecer en la escena de un accidente, un delito grave de primer grado, y manipulación de evidencia, un delito grave de tercer grado.

Durante una audiencia, un juez de fianzas ordenó que Carey no conduzca, entregue su pasaporte, permanezca en Broward y continúe bajo arresto domiciliario con GPS.

Según registros judiciales, el juez de circuito del condado Broward, Peter Holden, presidiría el caso.

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Frejya, who weighs just over 40 pounds, is described as playful and lively, making her a good fit for a family that can keep her entertained with exercise and proper chew toys. Shelter staff say she may be a mix of several breeds, possibly including husky, Shiba Inu and shepherd.

Because of her energetic personality, Frejya would likely benefit from an active household and could do well with another dog following a meet-and-greet. However, staff note she may be inclined to chase smaller animals like cats.

The shelter encourages prospective adopters to complete a pre-adoption application online before visiting. Adoption kennels are open daily at 11 a.m.

According to HSBC’s Cherie Wachter, Frejya’s spirited nature makes her an ideal companion for someone looking for a fun and active pet.

Click here for more information on how you can adopt a pet.

Frejya, que pesa poco más de 40 libras, es descrita como juguetona y vivaz, lo que la hace ideal para una familia que pueda mantenerla activa con ejercicio y juguetes adecuados para morder. El personal del refugio señala que podría ser una mezcla de varias razas, posiblemente incluyendo husky, Shiba Inu y pastor.

Debido a su personalidad enérgica, Frejya probablemente se beneficiaría de un hogar activo y podría llevarse bien con otro perro tras un encuentro previo. Sin embargo, el personal indica que podría tender a perseguir animales más pequeños como gatos.

El refugio recomienda a los interesados completar una solicitud de preadopción en línea antes de visitar. Las perreras de adopción abren todos los días a las 11 a.m.

Según Cherie Wachter, de la organización, la naturaleza enérgica de Frejya la convierte en una compañera ideal para alguien que busca una mascota divertida y activa.

Haga clic aquí para más información sobre cómo adoptar una mascota.

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Fornash, a 28-year veteran of Oakland Park Fire Rescue, was known for his dedication and service to the community.

City officials confirmed that Fornash, 59, died Thursday after a “courageous” battle with cancer.

Details about his memorial service will be announced once arrangements are finalized.

Fornash, con 28 años de servicio en Oakland Park Fire Rescue, era conocido por su dedicación y servicio a la comunidad.

Funcionarios de la ciudad confirmaron que Fornash, de 59 años, falleció el jueves tras una “valiente” batalla contra el cáncer.

Los detalles sobre su servicio conmemorativo serán anunciados una vez se finalicen los arreglos.

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Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and the Department of Environmental Resources Management said the event is expected to mobilize about 5,000 volunteers at 33 locations across all 13 County Commission districts.

“From Miami Gardens to Homestead, and from Miami Beach to Hialeah, we all depend on Biscayne Bay,” DERM Director Loren Parra wrote in a news release. “This makes Baynanza the perfect opportunity to show our love for our Bay by protecting its beauty and helping restore it.”

County officials said Baynanza is Miami-Dade’s largest community cleanup and has grown into a monthslong series of more than 60 events aimed at restoring Biscayne Bay, which officials describe as central to the region’s environment and economy.

Last year, event organizers said volunteers collected 35,000 pounds of trash, and this year they expect to collect even more.

“In Miami-Dade County, our environment is our economy, our well-being and our future,” Levine Cava wrote. “Our Bay is not only the Blue Heart of our community. It’s also vital to our economy, generating $64 billion locally each year.”

The cleanup day, which ran from 9 a.m. to noon, capped this year’s Baynanza programming, which has been held annually for more than four decades.

“We of course are protecting all of our marine life but more than that we are protecting our economy that really relies on a safe bay,” said Loren Parra, director of environmental resources management. “We really want to make sure that we have a safe bay to protect fishing industry the cruising industry and anyone who relies on a safe and healthy bay.”

Event organizers said participants received cleanup supplies, water and commemorative T-shirts, and students could earn community service hours.

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Tsvia Kol, 37, of Hallandale Beach, and Jimmy Sanchez, 38, of Spring Valley, California, both pleaded guilty to using a firearm to cause death and conspiring to distribute at least 500 grams of methamphetamine.

Investigators said the two were among those responsible for shooting and killing Julio Gonzalez, 46, of Hialeah Gardens, at the Aladdin Hotel, located at 901 S. Royal Poinciana Blvd. in Miami Springs — about a block away from the airport — on Nov. 29, 2022.

Investigators said the killing was linked to a “missing package containing about 11 pounds of methamphetamine, the street value of which totaled approximately $90,000,” which the duo mistakenly believed that Gonzalez stole. Instead, law enforcement officials had seized the meth.

They said Kol and Sanchez, the latter of whom had flown in from San Diego to MIA the night of the killing, arranged a 12-hour room rental to confront, and later kill, Gonzalez.

Kol had been described in a Miami-Dade arrest warrant as “a known high-ranking Sinaloa cartel member with a history of international organized crime syndicate that specializes in illegal drug trafficking and money laundering” and the ex-wife of Wilfredo Nunes Gallardo, another high-ranking member of the Sinaloa cartel.

The criminal organization was once run by the infamous Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.

The case was originally investigated by what was then the Miami-Dade Police Department before turning federal.

“This started as a drug deal gone wrong and ended in an execution,” U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones said in a statement. “The defendants armed themselves, set up the victim, and carried out a killing over a missing drug package that had already been seized by law enforcement.”

Prosecutors said Kol received a nearly 20-year sentence while Sanchez received a sentence totaling more than 27 years.

Reding Quiñones said that the sentences “reflect the seriousness of that violence.”

Tsvia Kol, de 37 años y residente de Hallandale Beach, y Jimmy Sanchez, de 38 años y de Spring Valley, California, se declararon culpables de usar un arma de fuego para causar una muerte y de conspirar para distribuir al menos 500 gramos de metanfetamina.

Investigadores dijeron que ambos estuvieron entre los responsables de disparar y matar a Julio Gonzalez, de 46 años y residente de Hialeah Gardens, en el hotel Aladdin, ubicado en 901 S. Royal Poinciana Blvd., en Miami Springs — a aproximadamente una cuadra del aeropuerto — el 29 de noviembre de 2022.

Según los investigadores, el asesinato estuvo vinculado a un “paquete desaparecido que contenía alrededor de 11 libras de metanfetamina, con un valor en la calle de aproximadamente $90,000 USD”, que el dúo creía erróneamente que Gonzalez había robado. En realidad, las autoridades ya habían confiscado la droga.

Indicaron que Kol y Sanchez —este último viajó desde San Diego al Aeropuerto Internacional de Miami la noche del crimen— coordinaron el alquiler de una habitación por 12 horas para confrontar y posteriormente matar a Gonzalez.

Kol fue descrita en una orden de arresto de Miami-Dade como “una conocida miembro de alto rango del cartel de Sinaloa, con historial en una organización criminal internacional dedicada al narcotráfico y lavado de dinero”, y ex esposa de Wilfredo Nunes Gallardo, otro alto miembro del cartel.

La organización criminal fue liderada en su momento por el infame Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.

El caso fue investigado inicialmente por lo que entonces era el Departamento de Policía de Miami-Dade antes de pasar a jurisdicción federal.

“Esto comenzó como un negocio de drogas que salió mal y terminó en una ejecución”, dijo el fiscal federal Jason A. Reding Quiñones en un comunicado. “Los acusados se armaron, tendieron una trampa a la víctima y llevaron a cabo el asesinato por un paquete de droga desaparecido que ya había sido confiscado por las autoridades”.

Los fiscales indicaron que Kol recibió una condena de casi 20 años, mientras que Sanchez fue sentenciado a más de 27 años de prisión.

Reding Quiñones señaló que las sentencias “reflejan la gravedad de esa violencia”.

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The heated infighting has been deepening over the Iran war and the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

In a post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump referred to his conservative opponents as “low IQ,” “NUT JOBS,” and “losers.”

The list of defections includes Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Stewart Rhodes, Joe Rogan, Joe Kent, Candace Owens, and Alex Jones.

The Trumpian coalition also has divides over the nature of U.S.-Israel relations, immigration law enforcement, healthcare subsidies, and affordability.

Overseas, Europe’s right wing seems to be shifting too. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and France’s National Rally leader Marine Le Pen are among the leaders who oppose the war in Iran.

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CALL TO ACTION:

Tell President Trump, your Congressional Rep, & your Senators that you don't support American boots on the ground in Iran.

White House Comment Line:
(202) 456-1111

Congress Switchboard:
(202) 224-3121

This is how We the People make our voices heard. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/PO2nIxKRQt

— Joe Kent (@joekent16jan19) March 30, 2026

Desecrating Easter was the first step toward nuclear war. Christians need to understand where Trump is taking us.

0:00 Monologue
43:23 Paula White’s Strange Easter Sunday Service
51:17 Who Really Is Paula White?
57:24 How Did Paula Become Trump’s Spiritual Advisor?
1:00:03 The… pic.twitter.com/LurDKGg8WS

— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) April 6, 2026

Everyone can thank Netanyahu, Lindsey Graham, Mark Levin, and Larry Loomer.
And Donald Trump for listening to these war obsessed maniacal murderers.
Also, special mention goes to weak Republicans in Congress.
Biggest opportunity in American history thrown away or bombed away. https://t.co/olhtLzg5b5

— Former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@FmrRepMTG) April 7, 2026

Las disputas internas se han intensificado por la guerra con Irán y el escándalo de Jeffrey Epstein.

En una publicación en Truth Social el jueves, Trump calificó a sus opositores conservadores como “bajo coeficiente intelectual”, “NUT JOBS” y “perdedores”.

La lista de deserciones incluye a Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, la ex representante Marjorie Taylor Greene, Stewart Rhodes, Joe Rogan, Joe Kent, Candace Owens y Alex Jones.

La coalición afín a Trump también presenta divisiones sobre la naturaleza de la relación entre Estados Unidos e Israel, la aplicación de las leyes migratorias, los subsidios de salud y el costo de vida.

En el extranjero, la derecha europea también parece estar cambiando. La primera ministra de Italia, Giorgia Meloni, y la líder de la Agrupación Nacional de Francia, Marine Le Pen, están entre los líderes que se oponen a la guerra con Irán.

Redes sociales relacionadas

CALL TO ACTION:

Tell President Trump, your Congressional Rep, & your Senators that you don't support American boots on the ground in Iran.

White House Comment Line:
(202) 456-1111

Congress Switchboard:
(202) 224-3121

This is how We the People make our voices heard. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/PO2nIxKRQt

— Joe Kent (@joekent16jan19) March 30, 2026

Desecrating Easter was the first step toward nuclear war. Christians need to understand where Trump is taking us.

0:00 Monologue
43:23 Paula White’s Strange Easter Sunday Service
51:17 Who Really Is Paula White?
57:24 How Did Paula Become Trump’s Spiritual Advisor?
1:00:03 The… pic.twitter.com/LurDKGg8WS

— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) April 6, 2026

Everyone can thank Netanyahu, Lindsey Graham, Mark Levin, and Larry Loomer.
And Donald Trump for listening to these war obsessed maniacal murderers.
Also, special mention goes to weak Republicans in Congress.
Biggest opportunity in American history thrown away or bombed away. https://t.co/olhtLzg5b5

— Former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@FmrRepMTG) April 7, 2026

Officers responding to a 9:40 a.m. report of stabbings at the 42nd Street-Grand Central station encountered the man. He was behaving erratically, claiming he was “Lucifer,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at an afternoon news conference. Tisch said he was ordered to drop his weapon at least 20 times but refused to comply.

She said ultimately an officer shot him twice when he advanced toward the officers with the knife extended.

“Our officers were confronted with an armed individual who had already injured multiple people and was continuing to pose a threat,” Tisch said. “They gave clear commands. They attempted to de-escalate. And when that threat did not stop, they took decisive action to stop it and to protect New Yorkers on one of the busiest train platforms in the city.”

Tisch identified the suspect as Anthony Griffin, 44, and said he had three prior unsealed arrests. He was pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital.

The three stabbing victims — an 84 year-old male, 65-year-old male and 70-year-old female — sustained injuries that were not thought to be life-threatening, Tisch said. One man sustained “significant lacerations to the head and face,” the other man had similar injuries and an open skull fracture and the third victim had a laceration to the shoulder.

Tisch said the suspect slashed one person on a platform at the Grand Central station before going upstairs and slashing the other victims on another platform.

Chief of Transit Joseph Gulotta said the attacks appear to be random acts.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said on social media that she was “grateful to our brave officers who acted quickly to stop the suspect. We’re working closely with the NYPD as the investigation unfolds.”

The police department, posting on the social platform X, advised travelers in the morning to avoid the area due to a police investigation and to expect delays and heavy traffic. Subway trains resumed stopping at the station in the afternoon after bypassing it for hours, according to the Metropolitan Transit Authority's website.

Beau Lardner said he was just swiping in at Grand Central when bangs rang out “loud enough to hear through headphones,” he told the AP in a message. The 34-year-old moved from Manhattan to Long Island a few weeks ago, but he’s been taking the same train from Grand Central for years.

“I know that platform like the back of my hand,” he said.

Lardner described a “wall of people” rushing toward him to get through the turnstiles, and he sprinted back up the stairs. He said he had “never seen a crowd move like that.”

___

Robertson reported from Raleigh, North Carolina. Associated Press writer Hannah Fingerhut in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed.

La alcaldesa del condado Miami-Dade, Daniella Levine Cava, y el Departamento de Manejo de Recursos Ambientales (DERM) informaron que se esperaba movilizar a unos 5,000 voluntarios en 33 ubicaciones a lo largo de los 13 distritos de la Comisión del condado.

“Desde Miami Gardens hasta Homestead, y desde Miami Beach hasta Hialeah, todos dependemos de la Bahía de Biscayne”, escribió el director de DERM, Loren Parra, en un comunicado. “Esto convierte a Baynanza en la oportunidad perfecta para demostrar nuestro amor por la bahía protegiendo su belleza y ayudando a restaurarla”.

Funcionarios del condado dijeron que Baynanza es la mayor limpieza comunitaria de Miami-Dade y que ha crecido hasta convertirse en una serie de más de 60 eventos a lo largo de un mes, enfocados en restaurar la Bahía de Biscayne, que describen como clave para el medio ambiente y la economía de la región.

El año pasado, los organizadores indicaron que los voluntarios recolectaron 35,000 libras de basura, y este año esperan recoger aún más.

“En el condado Miami-Dade, nuestro medio ambiente es nuestra economía, nuestro bienestar y nuestro futuro”, escribió Levine Cava. “Nuestra bahía no solo es el corazón azul de nuestra comunidad, también es vital para nuestra economía, generando 64 billones de dólares anuales a nivel local”.

La jornada de limpieza, que se llevó a cabo de 9 a.m. a mediodía, marcó el cierre de la programación de Baynanza de este año, que se realiza anualmente desde hace más de cuatro décadas.

Los organizadores informaron que los participantes recibieron suministros de limpieza, agua y camisetas conmemorativas, y que los estudiantes podían obtener horas de servicio comunitario.

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Rainy weather often quiets outdoor activity, replacing traffic noise and lawn equipment with steady rainfall.

For some, it creates a calm, cozy atmosphere ideal for reading or resting. For others, overcast skies and disrupted plans can bring frustration and a dip in productivity.

The discussion centers on a simple question: are you a “pluviophile,” someone who enjoys rainy weather, or do you prefer the sunshine?

Let us know in the poll or comment section below.

El clima lluvioso suele reducir la actividad al aire libre, reemplazando el ruido del tráfico y de equipos de jardinería por una lluvia constante.

Para algunos, crea un ambiente tranquilo y acogedor, ideal para leer o descansar. Para otros, los cielos nublados y los planes interrumpidos generan frustración y una baja en la productividad.

La discusión se centra en una pregunta sencilla: ¿eres un “pluviófilo”, alguien que disfruta la lluvia, o prefieres el sol?

Déjanos saber en la encuesta o en la sección de comentarios abajo.

The unveiling of Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki’s statue had an unforced error on Friday — a broken bat.

As broadcaster Rick Rizzs declared “we’re going to count down from 51!” — a nod to Suzuki’s jersey number, which was retired by the Seattle Mariners — the curtain covering the bronze statue was pulled down, and so, too, went the bat.

A snapping noise could be heard as the bronze bat flopped down and confetti sprouted up.

“Here it is! The statue of one of the greatest players in the history of the game!” Rizzs declared as the curtain was pulled and a celebratory tune played outside of T-Mobile Park.

The statue depicts Suzuki in his batting stance. He appeared to find the mishap to be hilarious, and joked through an interpreter that New York Yankees Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera got the best of him again.

“I didn’t think Mariano would come out here,” Suzuki said with a smile, “and break the bat.”

It did not take long for the Mariners to fix the statue; Suzuki’s bat was soon turned upright and reconnected at the handle. The statue was sculpted by Chicago-based Lou Cella, who also produced statues of Mariners greats Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martinez, University of Washington football coach Don James, Seattle Storm legend Sue Bird, and former Seattle SuperSonics player and coach Lenny Wilkens.

Suzuki said he wore a jersey from the 2001 season, when he won both AL MVP and Rookie of the Year, for a photo shoot with Cella.

“I can say I was happy that I was still able to fit into that uniform, and probably could say Junior and Edgar probably couldn’t do that,” Suzuki said. “So, I was happy about that.”

Suzuki was inducted into the Hall of Fame last summer and last year became only the third Mariners player to have his jersey retired by the franchise, joining Griffey (No. 24) and Martinez (No. 11).

Griffey and Martinez joined Suzuki for the ceremony and helped him pull the curtain off the statue.

“To have this moment with them, I look back at how it all started,” Suzuki said. “And it’s just been an unbelievable experience.”

Suzuki made history as the first Japanese-born player inducted into the Hall of Fame, earning a near-unanimous 99.7% of the vote from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

The way the jovial Suzuki saw it, his statue having an imperfection was only fitting.

“In the Hall of Fame, I was short one vote,” Suzuki said. “Today, the bat was broke. It kind of lets me know that I’m still not there, that I still need to keep going. So, this is a good example of that.”

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

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The incident occurred around 11 a.m. near Northwest Sixth Street and Northwest Seventh Avenue, when authorities say the victim drove to the police station with a gunshot wound to the arm.

Investigators said preliminary information indicates the victim was not the intended target.

They said the suspect was firing at a house when the victim, who was driving in the area, was struck.

The victim suffered a graze wound to the arm and was transported to a hospital in stable condition, according to police.

No information about a possible suspect or suspects has been released at this time.

Anyone with information on the case is urged to call Florida City police at 305-247-8223 or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.

El incidente ocurrió alrededor de las 11 a.m. cerca de Northwest Sixth Street y Northwest Seventh Avenue, cuando, según las autoridades, la víctima condujo hasta una estación de Policía con una herida de bala en el brazo.

Investigadores dijeron que información preliminar indica que la víctima no era el objetivo previsto.

Indicaron que el sospechoso disparaba contra una casa cuando la víctima, que conducía por el área, fue alcanzada.

La víctima sufrió una herida superficial en el brazo y fue trasladada a un hospital en condición estable, según la Policía.

No se ha divulgado información sobre un posible sospechoso o sospechosos.

Cualquier persona con información sobre el caso debe llamar a la Policía de Florida City al 305-247-8223 o a Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers al 305-471-8477.

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Joachin, 40, who was born in Haiti, was behind bars on Friday after killing Nilufa Easmin, who was born in Bangladesh, on April 3 in Florida’s Lee County, according to the Fort Myers Police Department.

Easmin, 51, a mother of two, was working as a clerk at a gas station’s convenience store. Fort Myers detectives arrested Joachin hours later, and Lee County correctional deputies booked him.

“Surveillance footage showed that Joachin smashed the victim’s car windshield, approached her, and repeatedly hit her in the head with a hammer—violently killing her in broad daylight," a spokesperson from Homeland Security wrote in a statement on Tuesday.

Joachin had received a final order of removal in 2022, but former President Joe Biden’s administration allowed him to stay, according to DHS.

“This animal was allowed to stay here because the Biden Administration granted him, and all Haitians, Temporary Protective Status, a massively abused and fraudulent program which my Administration is working to terminate,” President Donald Trump wrote Thursday night on Truth Social.

The Trump administration announced on Friday that Joachin’s TPS was no longer valid, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had issued a detainer on Thursday.

“Deranged Liberal District Court Judges are standing in our way. This one killing should be enough for these Radical Judges to STOP impeding my Administration’s Immigration Policies, and allow us to END THIS SCAM ONCE AND FOR ALL,” Trump wrote Thursday night.

Attorney Fritznie Jarbath, whose parents were born in Haiti, is based in Miami-Dade County. She said the association is unfair.

“It’s not uncommon for this particular administration to identify one particular person from one group and try and push a narrative,” Jarbath said, adding that this reminded her of Trump’s assertion that Haitian migrants were eating dogs.

“While that was particularly debunked,” Jarbath said. “People kept looking at Haitians, thinking, ‘Is this true? Could this be true?’”

Joachin, de 40 años y nacido en Haití, permanecía detenido el viernes tras matar a Nilufa Easmin el 3 de abril en el condado Lee, Florida, según el Departamento de Policía de Fort Myers.

Easmin, de 51 años y madre de dos hijos, trabajaba como empleada en la tienda de conveniencia de una gasolinera. Detectives de Fort Myers arrestaron a Joachin horas después, y agentes correccionales del condado Lee lo ingresaron en la cárcel.

“Las cámaras de vigilancia mostraron que Joachin rompió el parabrisas del vehículo de la víctima, se le acercó y la golpeó repetidamente en la cabeza con un martillo, causándole la muerte a plena luz del día”, escribió un portavoz del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS) en un comunicado el martes.

Joachin había recibido una orden final de deportación en 2022, pero la administración del ex presidente Joe Biden le permitió permanecer en el país, según el DHS.

“Este individuo fue autorizado a quedarse aquí porque la administración Biden le otorgó, a él y a todos los haitianos, el Estatus de Protección Temporal, un programa ampliamente cuestionado que mi administración busca terminar”, escribió el presidente Donald Trump el jueves por la noche en Truth Social.

La administración Trump anunció el viernes que el TPS de Joachin ya no era válido y que el Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE) emitió una orden de detención el jueves.

“Jueces liberales de tribunales de distrito están obstaculizando nuestro trabajo. Este caso debería ser suficiente para que dejen de interferir con nuestras políticas migratorias y nos permitan terminar con este programa de una vez por todas”, escribió Trump el jueves por la noche.

La abogada Fritznie Jarbath, con sede en el condado Miami-Dade y de padres nacidos en Haití, dijo que esa asociación es injusta.

“No es raro que esta administración identifique a una persona de un grupo y trate de impulsar una narrativa”, dijo Jarbath, agregando que esto le recordó a afirmaciones previas de Trump sobre migrantes haitianos.

“Aunque eso fue desmentido, muchas personas seguían mirando a los haitianos preguntándose si era cierto”, dijo.

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Miami Beach police arrested Corey Hutterli, 37, of Parkland, on a second-degree murder charge on Wednesday.

He’s accused of killing Zelin, 35, by throwing him off the balcony of his own 25th-floor unit at the Akoya Condominium, located at 6365 Collins Ave. on Mid-Beach.

Police said Zelin could be heard in a struggle with Hutterli in a 911 call moments before his death. The connection between the two remains a mystery.

“It’s one of those things where the more answers you get, the more questions you have,” Zelin’s friend Amit Jolly said.

Jolly, speaking to Local 10 News in Hollywood on Friday, said he wants Zelin to “be memorialized for so much more than just the final moments of his life.”

“He was yet a big presence in the Jewish community, a big presence in the biotech community,” Jolly said. “What he has done in terms of his line of work has saved many lives.”

Jolly said the killing left Zelin’s family heartbroken.

“On the night of the funeral the rabbi asked the father to write some words about his son and he said, ‘I don’t have the words for my son, because I don’t believe my son is dead,’” Jolly said.

Jolly shared photos of Zelin with Local 10 News.

“These final moments were very painful,” Jolly said. “I think it’s very important to have Justin be remembered for something so much more than just those final moments, just as (with) anyone when they pass away.”

Hutterli, meanwhile, remained held without bond at Miami-Dade County’s Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on Friday.

His attorney argued during a court appearance Thursday morning that the case against Hutterli is purely circumstantial.