The three-year-old horse has won all three of his previous races at Laurel Park. He’s also stabled there, and will be led out of his own stall to race in the 151st Preakness Stakes.

Tonight’s Preakness will be the first at the 115-year-old racetrack in Laurel, Maryland, and it will likely to be the last. The second leg of the Triple Crown is set to return to Pimlico next year, though construction at the Baltimore track will still be underway.

Laurel Park has been Taj Mahal’s trainer Brittany Russell’s home base for eight years. Her husband Sheldon is the jockey, and will compete in his fourth Preakness.

A victory tonight would make Brittany the first woman to train a Preakness winner.

Fellow trainer Cherie DeVaux similarly made history earlier this month at the Kentucky Derby.

DeVaux decided not to enter Golden Tempo in the Preakness, but three other Derby horses will be lined up at post time.

Where and when to watch: With a capacity of just 4,800 at Laurel Park, tickets are hard to come by this year.

The Preakness is set to air on NBC and Peacock, with post time scheduled for 7:01 p.m. EDT.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source

In the men’s final on Sunday, home favorite Jannik Sinner will face Casper Ruud.

Svitolina took nearly three hours to prevail 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-2 and win her first WTA 1000 title since lifting the title in Rome in 2018. The Ukrainian also won in 2017.

“It’s very hard to believe that it’s been eight years when I had this trophy here and very, very, very pleased of course with the two weeks here,” Svitolina said on court after her 20th career title.

“I told my coach that it would be nice before I finish my career to have a round number. So he told me that hopefully we’re going to get this this year. So, I’m very, very happy.”

Gauff, who was hoping to become the first American to win in Rome since 2016, lost to Jasmine Paolini last year but went on to win the French Open.

“It’s been a great two weeks … and I definitely feel the momentum going into the French Open,” she said. “A lot of lessons learned from this match.”

Gauff started brilliantly, breaking Svitolina and holding to love. She also had the chance to go 5-2 up but Svitolina fended off three break points and won four straight games to take the opener.

The third-ranked Gauff struggled on her serve throughout the second set but managed to take it to a tiebreak and level the match.

However, Svitolina dominated the decider and broke Gauff’s serve twice to leave her serving for the title. The seventh-ranked Svitolina sealed the result on her third match point with a volley at the net.

Sinner finishes off Medvedev

Sinner beat Daniil Medvedev 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 when their rain-delayed semifinal resumed on Saturday and is one victory away from becoming only the second man after Novak Djokovic to win all nine Masters 1000 titles. Djokovic has won each Masters tournament at least twice.

The top-ranked Sinner led 4-2 in the third set when the match was suspended late Friday. The Italian finished off the match in 15 minutes on Saturday, sealing it on his third match point after Medvedev fended off two on his serve.

“It was a very different challenge and a tough challenge,” Sinner said. “Usually, during the night, I don’t struggle to sleep but this time it was not easy.

“You are in the third set, nearly done, but you still have to show up again and you never know what is happening. It is like the start of the match as there are nerves again. I am very happy with how I handled this situation and that I am back in the final.”

Earlier Friday on the red clay of the Foro Italico, Ruud routed home player Luciano Darderi 6-1, 6-1.

Sinner is also attempting to become the first Italian man to raise the Rome trophy since Adriano Panatta in 1976. Panatta will present the trophy on Sunday, with Italian President Sergio Mattarella also slated to attend the men’s final.

Sinner appeared exhausted

After winning the first set easily on Friday, Sinner appeared fatigued as Medvedev stepped up his game and started running him around the court with drop shots and groundstrokes to the corners.

After several points Sinner bent over in apparent exhaustion and leaned on his racket for support. Sinner had his right thigh treated by a trainer midway through the second set.

Sinner came back from a 3-0 deficit only to be broken again in the 12th game and concede the set to Medvedev.

A bad bounce helped Sinner break Medvedev early in the third and take control for good.

Sinner 4-0 against Ruud

Sinner has won all four of his career meetings with Ruud without dropping a set — including a 6-0, 6-1 rout in the Rome quarterfinals last year.

“Jannik is chasing history,” Ruud said. “I have to be the guy to try to stop him, and it will not be easy playing here in his home country. … Last year, he really (routed me) here on the same court, so of course I’m looking for revenge. But at the same time I realize that he’s an incredible player and a unique talent.”

Sinner lost last year’s final to Carlos Alcaraz, who is sidelined due to a right wrist injury. Paolini in 2025 became the first Italian woman to raise the trophy in 40 years.

Sinner hasn’t lost since Feb. 19 in the Qatar Open quarterfinals. He has won 28 straight matches and a record five successive Masters titles. He could become the second man to win all three Masters tournaments on clay — including Monte Carlo and Madrid — in the same season after Rafael Nadal in 2010.

After Rome for Sinner is the French Open, the only Grand Slam event he hasn’t won. The titleholder, Alcaraz, will also miss it.

___

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

Source

The Spieth-Johnson and McIlroy-Koepka groupings have 16 major championships combined. But, those titles meant little after uneven opening rounds left the star twosomes off the pace and with tee times four hours before unlikely second-round leaders Alex Smalley and Maverick McNealy.

The standout pairings drew large galleries on every hole at crowded Aronimink on a warm, sunny day in the Philly suburbs.

McIlroy sped up the leaderboard after playing the front nine in 4 under and adding birdies at Nos. 11 and 13. But, he made bogey at the par-3 17th on the way to a 66 and 4-under total heading into the final round.

Koepka’s 2-under 68 left him at 1 under. Johnson got to even for the championship with a 2-under 68 and Spieth posted an even-par round and was at 1 over.

This PGA carried a different meaning and levels of importance for each of the players.

Spieth needs a PGA Championship win to complete the career Grand Slam after major victories at The Masters (2015), U.S. Open (2015) and British Open (2017).

Johnson, whose five-year exemptions into the event after winning the 2016 U.S. Open and 2020 Masters expired, has struggled the past two seasons after a fast start with LIV in 2022-23 and received a special invitation to Aronimink.

Koepka, a five-time major champ, is searching for his fourth PGA title to go along with consecutive U.S. Open wins in 2017-18.

McIlroy, who completed the career Grand Slam with the first of two straight Masters victories in 2025, is out to add another PGA to his 2012 and 2014 title.

___

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

Source

“Su separación del cargo por reducción de personal entrará en vigor hoy”, decía una parte del mensaje. “Gracias nuevamente por su servicio al Departamento”.

Estas reducciones de personal (RIF, por sus siglas en inglés), iniciadas el pasado mes de julio, afectaron también a más de 1.000 funcionarios del servicio civil y supusieron el despido de plantillas enteras en oficinas que, según exfuncionarios, habrían podido ofrecer orientación sobre la guerra en Irán, la cual está teniendo graves consecuencias para la economía estadounidense y mundial. El Departamento de Estado ha sostenido reiteradamente que las reducciones tienen como objetivo eliminar duplicidades y que el trabajo en cuestiones clave se mantuvo, siendo trasladado a otras oficinas.

Más allá de los despidos, decenas de experimentados funcionarios del Servicio Exterior, con décadas de trayectoria en sus espaldas, se jubilaron. Casi una decena de exfuncionarios que conversaron con CNN afirmaron que resulta evidente que el Gobierno de Trump no tiene disponibles asignaciones de ascenso ni promociones —tales como embajadas— para los diplomáticos de carrera, dejándolos sin opciones dentro de un sistema basado en la premisa de “ascender o marcharse”.

“Simplemente se trató de un número de personas sin precedentes que optaron por marcharse”, comentó David Kostelancik, quien se jubiló tras 36 años en el Servicio Exterior. La Asociación del Servicio Exterior de Estados Unidos estima que, el año pasado, cerca de 2.000 funcionarios del Servicio Exterior abandonaron el Departamento de Estado.

Mientras tanto, más de 100 puestos de embajador en todo el mundo —incluyendo los de Medio Oriente, Ucrania y Rusia— carecen de un titular confirmado por el Senado, lo que sitúa a Estados Unidos muy por detrás de adversarios como China.

Asimismo, las negociaciones diplomáticas más delicadas —relativas a temas tan espinosos como el fin de la guerra en Irán y la consecución de una solución al conflicto en Ucrania— son dirigidas por socios comerciales y familiares del presidente Donald Trump; a menudo, sin contar con equipos de diplomáticos experimentados y con conocimientos especializados en las respectivas regiones.

En su conjunto, estas acciones representan lo que, a juicio de los exdiplomáticos, constituye un desmantelamiento sistemático del Departamento de Estado: la misma institución que el secretario de Estado, Marco Rubio, prometió potenciar desde su primer día en el cargo. Aunque la agencia ha comenzado a contratar nuevos diplomáticos, la pérdida de personal experimentado —dicen los exfuncionarios— tendrá consecuencias de gran alcance para la capacidad de Estados Unidos de proyectar poder y cumplir con sus prioridades, tanto ahora como en los años venideros.

“Creo que los historiadores recordarán este periodo como uno de los grandes errores no forzados que Estados Unidos se inflige a sí mismo”, declaró a CNN el exembajador de carrera John Bass.

El portavoz del Departamento de Estado, Tommy Pigott, afirmó que la idea de que la agencia está siendo desmantelada es “falsa”, y que la aseveración de que la pérdida de cientos de diplomáticos experimentados afectará la capacidad de Estados Unidos para cumplir con sus prioridades es “infundada”.

“Nuestra reorganización eliminó puestos redundantes, optimizó los esfuerzos al reducir la burocracia innecesaria y empoderó a nuestro cuerpo diplomático”, dijo, refiriéndose a la profunda reestructuración llevada a cabo dentro del departamento.

Pigott aseguró que “los recortes de personal no están teniendo ningún impacto negativo en nuestra capacidad para responder a las operaciones, en nuestra capacidad de planificación ni en nuestra capacidad de ejecución al servicio de los estadounidenses”.

“De hecho, hemos logrado responder con mayor rapidez y eficacia, que era precisamente el objetivo de la reorganización: empoderar al personal sobre el terreno y, al mismo tiempo, permitirnos avanzar a la ‘velocidad de la relevancia’”, sostuvo.

Erik Holmgren era un funcionario de carrera del Servicio Exterior que había trabajado en diversas partes del mundo, incluyendo Rusia y México. Su última asignación en el Departamento de Estado consistió en ejercer como director de la Oficina de Diplomacia Energética para Medio Oriente y Asia, que trabajaba en temas de seguridad energética, acceso a la energía, minerales clave y colaboración con la industria privada.

La totalidad de la Oficina de Recursos Energéticos —que albergaba a la Oficina de Diplomacia Energética— fue eliminada como parte de la reorganización. Todo el personal de su oficina fue despedido, relató a CNN.

Pigott indicó que las “capacidades críticas” de la Oficina de Recursos Energéticos fueron transferidas a la Oficina de Asuntos Económicos, Energéticos y Empresariales. La Comisión de Asuntos Exteriores de la Cámara de Representantes votó la semana pasada a favor de una legislación bipartidista que restablecería una Oficina de Seguridad Energética y Diplomacia.

Holmgren señaló que la labor de dicha oficina, así como la de los expertos que allí trabajaban, habría resultado sumamente relevante para asesorar tanto a la administración como a los socios industriales con los que mantenían relaciones, en lo referente a la crisis con Irán.

Por ejemplo, afirmó que uno de los objetivos principales de su oficina era “intentar dificultar considerablemente que Irán realice entregas de crudo”, algo que reviste un interés fundamental durante el conflicto bélico.

Su oficina, según declaró a CNN, estaba “empleando todas las herramientas políticas a su alcance para tratar de gestionar la situación con Irán y debilitar al régimen”. Asimismo, podrían haber emitido advertencias adicionales sobre la necesidad de gestionar el “punto de estrangulamiento en Ormuz”. Dicho punto crítico ha provocado un colapso en el tráfico a través de este estrecho vital, disparando los precios de los combustibles y amenazando con una catástrofe humanitaria, dado que muchas regiones del mundo han quedado aisladas de suministros clave de fertilizantes.

Holmgren señaló que su oficina también trabajaba en la diversificación del suministro energético de Iraq —país que depende en gran medida de Irán— y que contaban con un equipo completo dentro del departamento dedicado a colaborar con el sector privado; esta labor incluía la gestión de “contratos por valor de US$ 12.000 millones, adjudicados a empresas estadounidenses para… ayudar a Iraq a desarrollar sus propios recursos energéticos”.

Pigott declaró a CNN que los “equipos de política energética” del Departamento de Estado están “desempeñándose mejor que nunca”, y que la Oficina de Asuntos Económicos, Energéticos y Empresariales se encuentra “coordinando la liberación de reservas estratégicas, en colaboración con aliados y socios, como respuesta a los ataques perpetrados por Irán”.

Exfuncionarios sostienen que, mientras Estados Unidos se afanaba en evacuar a los ciudadanos estadounidenses varados en Medio Oriente y en sortear los peligros inherentes a las primeras semanas del conflicto con Irán, podría haber recurrido a la pericia y al conocimiento institucional de su personal de carrera, incluidos aquellos empleados que habían sido objeto de reducciones de plantilla (RIF) o que ya se habían jubilado.

En marzo, el Departamento de Estado desmintió la afirmación de que dichas reducciones de plantilla hubieran repercutido negativamente en la asistencia prestada a los ciudadanos estadounidenses varados en Medio Oriente o en las operaciones consulares del Departamento; en su lugar, aseguró que “cientos de miembros del personal con amplia experiencia” se encontraban integrados en un grupo de trabajo dedicado a prestar ayuda a los ciudadanos estadounidenses.

En toda la región —y en el resto del mundo— se observa una notable ausencia de embajadores estadounidenses confirmados en sus cargos. Según datos de la Asociación del Servicio Exterior de Estados Unidos, a fecha del martes, 115 de los 195 puestos de embajador se encuentran vacantes.

Tal como explicaron a CNN varios exfuncionarios, en muchos países, si la persona que encabeza una embajada no ostenta el cargo de embajador confirmado, es posible que no tenga acceso a los funcionarios de alto nivel del gobierno anfitrión. Al ser consultado sobre el gran número de puestos de embajador vacantes, Pigott declaró: “El presidente tiene el derecho de determinar quién representa al pueblo y a los intereses estadounidenses en todo el mundo”.

“La transición para reemplazar a los embajadores de la era Biden no es ninguna novedad, ni debería resultar sorprendente”, afirmó. En diciembre, el Departamento de Estado llamó a consultas a al menos dos docenas de embajadores de carrera que habían sido designados para sus cargos durante el gobierno de Biden.

“El Departamento confía en nuestra capacidad para comunicarnos con nuestros homólogos en todo el mundo y promover el interés nacional”, señaló. “En aquellas embajadas que no cuentan con un embajador confirmado por el Senado, son experimentados encargados de negocios quienes dirigen las misiones”.

Muchos exfuncionarios han señalado que la administración ha prescindido en gran medida de la inclusión de personal de carrera en la gestión de crisis diplomáticas clave, optando en su lugar por apoyarse en un reducido círculo de asesores de confianza.

Según estos exfuncionarios, la falta de valoración de la experiencia —y la preferencia por la “lealtad”, en palabras de Bass— ha generado un entorno diseñado para empujar al personal de carrera a abandonar sus puestos, o bien para infundir temor en aquellos que deciden permanecer.

Varios funcionarios revelaron a CNN que el sistema anual de evaluación —utilizado para los ascensos de los diplomáticos en activo— ha sido modificado para incorporar un criterio de “fidelidad” a las políticas del Gobierno. Además, múltiples funcionarios indicaron que ahora se aplica una “curva de campana” a las evaluaciones, lo cual previsiblemente obstaculizará aún más los ascensos, dado que limita el número de personas que pueden obtener una calificación destacada.

“Habrá mucha gente que, pese a realizar un trabajo verdaderamente fantástico, terminará obteniendo una calificación intermedia, simplemente porque se les está imponiendo esta limitación estadística basada en la curva de campana”, comentó otro exdiplomático de carrera.

Pigott afirmó que “la recalibración del sistema de evaluación del desempeño de los empleados ha sido objeto de debate durante años y era una medida largamente postergada”.

“Bajo el liderazgo del secretario Rubio, este cambio se llevó a cabo de manera meditada, siguiendo las mejores prácticas observadas en el resto de la administración pública y logrando que las evaluaciones resulten verdaderamente significativas a la hora de medir el desempeño”, explicó. “Este proceso de evaluación garantizará que los empleados del Servicio Exterior —a través de estas valoraciones basadas en datos— puedan identificar con mayor acierto aquellos roles que mejor se ajusten a sus fortalezas, contribuyendo así al servicio del Departamento”.

“Tenemos un objetivo fundamental: implementar la política exterior de ‘Estados Unidos Primero’ (America First) impulsada por el presidente Trump, con el fin de hacer de nuestra nación un país más seguro, más fuerte y más próspero”, concluyó. Incluso para los diplomáticos de carrera de alto rango que desean permanecer en el servicio, no hay puestos disponibles. En virtud de la Ley del Servicio Exterior de 1980, los embajadores destinados en el extranjero disponen de 90 días para encontrar una nueva asignación o jubilarse.

“Están intentando recurrir a ello de nuevo para forzar la jubilación de las personas, ya que aquellos que aún están en condiciones de trabajar —o que todavía desean hacerlo— no encuentran puestos”, afirmó el exdiplomático de carrera.

Dentro del Departamento de Estado, se han eliminado puestos que normalmente se asignaban a diplomáticos de alto rango, tales como las plazas de docencia en residencia. En la sede central, muchos cargos de subsecretario han quedado vacantes o han sido ocupados por altos funcionarios de las oficinas que aún no han sido confirmados; varios de ellos son becarios del Ben Franklin Fellowship, una organización comprometida con “promover la diplomacia estadounidense tradicional basada en los intereses nacionales, la soberanía de EE.UU. y fronteras seguras”.

El Gobierno “desea contar con un grupo de profesionales sobre el terreno que se limiten a hacer lo que se les ordena, que no cuestionen las decisiones y que no aporten puntos de vista alternativos”, afirmó Bass, quien se desempeñó como embajador de EE.UU. en Afganistán, Turquía y Georgia.

Sin embargo, “es precisamente ese tipo de pericia la que nos ha evitado cometer errores aún mayores”, declaró a CNN.

Y esa pericia no resulta fácil de reemplazar. Kostelancik, quien prestó servicio en diversas partes del mundo y fungió como asesor de política exterior del presidente del Estado Mayor Conjunto, señaló que los retiros y las reducciones de personal representan un “despilfarro de la inversión que el Gobierno de EE.UU. —y los contribuyentes— han realizado en nosotros a lo largo de décadas, tanto en formación como en experiencia laboral en el extranjero”.

“El Servicio Exterior es una profesión que se aprende mediante la práctica. No es posible simplemente incorporar a alguien desde fuera. La diplomacia exige habilidades que se forjan a lo largo de los años, sobre el terreno”, comentó Ryan Gliha, quien pasó la mayor parte de sus 23 años de carrera en el Servicio Exterior trabajando en Medio Oriente antes de ser despedido.

También señaló que, más allá de la ciudad de Washington, este vaciamiento institucional podría terminar afectando a los ciudadanos estadounidenses de a pie.

“La mayoría de los estadounidenses no tiene una opinión firme sobre el Servicio Exterior, ya que rara vez interactúan directamente con nosotros; en gran medida, somos invisibles en su vida cotidiana”, afirmó Gliha. “No obstante, ejercemos una influencia profunda en la prosperidad de este país: a través de los acuerdos comerciales que negociamos, las empresas estadounidenses que promovemos en el extranjero, las crisis que desactivamos antes de que escalen y la asistencia que brindamos a los ciudadanos que se encuentran en dificultades fuera de nuestras fronteras”.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

Source

His club was boosted to a win Friday night by a group of college ball players in the right-field seats who took off and waved their shirts as they sang, chanted and drew others into the fray.

Marmol wants the good times to continue.

“Last night’s atmosphere was electric. Let’s run it back this weekend,” Marmol said in a social media post. “I’ll buy tickets for fans who want to sit in the right field Loge and bring the energy.”

It all began when the Stephen F. Austin club baseball team called the Lumberjacks were in nearby Alton, Illinois, for the National Club Baseball Division II World Series. The Cardinals offered tickets to the team, and 17 players attended.

By the time Yohel Pozo drove in the game-winning run with a walk-off single in the 11th inning, the Lumberjacks had other fans — and even the mascot Fredbird — joining in on the shirtless ruckus.

“Whoever started that in right field, I’ll do whatever I need to do to make sure they come every game,” Marmol said Friday night. “Because that was awesome. Not only them, but everybody that showed up today. That was a fun environment.”

The “tarps off” trend — celebrating by taking your shirt off and waving it — is not new to sports, but it was to Busch Stadium.

Who knows, Friday night’s fans may have accidentally created a new tradition.

The club players sang soccer chants and shouted Cardinals players’ names. The stadium organist, Dwayne Hilton, played accompanying music and got everyone involved in the spirit.

The party had grown to multiple sections by the 11th inning.

“It creates an environment where, it’s not only filling this place up, it’s making it a tough place for other teams to come in and play,” Marmol said Friday. “That was pretty damn cool. I’ll sign up for that, any day.”

The Cardinals said Marmol purchased right-field tickets for both games this weekend, and all of them were snapped up by Saturday afternoon.

Game 2 of the three-game series against the Kansas City Royals began Saturday after about a 45-minute rain delay.

___

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

Source

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — An Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed the leader of Hamas’ military wing who was one of the last surviving architects of the attacks that triggered the war in late 2023, the Israeli military said Saturday. Hamas confirmed the death.

Izz al-Din al-Haddad was killed on Friday, Israel’s army said, describing him as one of the senior Hamas military commanders who directed the planning and execution of the Hamas-led attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed around 1,200 people in southern Israel and saw more than 250 taken hostage.

A Hamas spokesperson, Hazem Qassem, confirmed the killing on social media.

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas remains fragile, and the top diplomat overseeing it says it has stalled because of the deadlock over disarming Hamas. Both sides have traded accusations of violations. Gaza has seen near-daily Israeli fire with more than 850 people killed in the Palestinian territory since the ceasefire went into effect in October, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

The ministry is part of Gaza’s Hamas-run government, but staffed by medical professionals who maintain and publish detailed records viewed as generally reliable by the international community. The ministry overall says Israel’s retaliatory strikes in the war have devastated the Palestinian enclave and killed more than 72,700 people.

Israel said that al-Haddad had assumed the role of Hamas commander after his predecessor, Mohammed Sinwar, was killed. The army said that al-Haddad had surrounded himself with Israeli hostages during the war as a shield against an attack.

Al-Haddad’s family confirmed his death in Friday’s strike to The Associated Press. Six other people, including his wife and daughter, were also killed. His two sons were killed earlier in the war.

His body was wrapped in Hamas and Palestinian flags as it was carried by mourners at Saturday’s funeral in Gaza City.

Al-Haddad joined Hamas when it was established in the 1980s, and was a member of the Qassam Brigades’ Majd section tasked to go after collaborators with Israel. He was also a member of Hamas’ Military Council, the highest group of commanders that played a key role in the attacks that sparked the war.

Israel’s army chief of staff called his killing a significant operation, and said that Israel would continue pursuing its enemies to hold them accountable.

Palestinian man killed in West Bank

Violence flared Saturday in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli troops shot and killed a 34-year-old Palestinian in the Jenin refugee camp, according to the Palestinian Health ministry.

Hassan Fayyad was fatally shot in a thigh, the Palestinian Red Crescent said. Israel’s military said that troops first fired warning shots at a person trying to infiltrate the camp and shot him when he didn’t comply. They provided him with medical treatment as he was transferred to a hospital, it said.

Israeli troops on Thursday shot and killed a 15-year-old boy in Eastern Lubban town in Nablus, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Israel’s military said that it identified three people hurling rocks toward Israeli vehicles and “endangering lives,” and troops fired at them, killing one.

On Friday, settlers set fire to a mosque and vehicles in the village of Jibiya, northwest of Ramallah, Palestinian religious authorities said. Security camera footage showed people pouring flammable material on the mosque and at least two vehicles, said Sabir Shalash, the head of Jibiya’s municipal council. Spray-painted Hebrew slogans were found on the mosque’s walls, he said.

The Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs described the attack as “a cowardly terrorist act” and criticized the international community’s inaction over mounting Jewish settler attacks against Muslim and Christian sites in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The Israeli military and police said that they were deployed to the area and didn’t locate any suspects, but were investigating. The army said that it “strongly condemns” attacks on religious institutions.

___

Samy Magdy reported from Cairo.

___

Find more of AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

Source

After a week’s buildup, acts from 25 countries took the stage at the Wiener Stadthalle arena in Vienna to battle for the continent’s pop crown. Millions of viewers around the world will cast judgment on a fiery Finnish violinist, a Moldovan folk rapper, a Serbian metal band and many more at Eurovision’s 70th anniversary event.

The contest has been clouded for a third year by calls for Israel to be excluded over its conflicts in Gaza and elsewhere, with five longtime participants — Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia — boycotting in protest.

Here is the latest:

First performers take the stage

Denmark’s all-Danish-language Eurovision entry was first with Søren Torpegaard’s “Før Vi Går Hjem,” which he delivered with the specific skillset of someone who has starred as Tony in “West Side Story,” Angel in “Kinky Boots” and Romeo in “Romeo & Juliet.”

Sarah Engels followed, representing her home country of Germany with “Fire.” As the second performer of the night, she took the opportunity to bring pyrotechnics to the stage.

Then came Noam Bettan’s “Michelle” — Israel’s inclusion in Eurovision, which has drawn criticisms. Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland withdrew from the competition this year, choosing not to participate to protest Israel’s inclusion.

Most recently, Bettan’s performance was disrupted by protesters during the first semi-final on Tuesday; chants of “Stop the genocide!” were heard in the crowd. At the final, it wasn’t immediately clear if that continued.

Belgium’s Essyla took the stage with “Dancing on the Ice” — a cool ride with its chilly vocal performance and Billie Eilish-informed production, followed by Albania’s Alis.

Protesters call for Israel’s exit from Eurovision ahead of the show

Protesters called for Israel to be excluded from Eurovision demonstrated near the contest arena ahead of the final. Several hundred marched, with chants of “all of Vienna hates the ESC,” a reference to the Eurovision Song Contest.

They were kept well away from the venue which lies behind a police security cordon.

Demonstrator Echo Vinasha Lex said it was “important to protest against that idea that the song contest is not political. The song contest is a very political event.”

A tribute to the host as the Eurovision final kicks off

At the start, a filmed opening montage showcased Austria’s majestic scenery as a paper boat made its way to Vienna — a reference to 2025 Eurovision winner JJ’s storm-tossed performance of “Wasted Love.”

The show opened with a performance by last year’s winner, the operatically trained Austrian singer JJ, and an Olympics-style flag parade of the 25 finalists. Then it was on to performances by the musicians, who have just 3 minutes to win over millions of viewers who, along with national juries of music professionals, pick the winner.

The hosts for the extravaganza on Saturday are Michael Ostrowski, an Austrian actor best known for German-language comedy films, and Victoria Swarovski, a model, singer, TV presenter and heir to the Swarovski crystal and luxury goods business.

Eurovision director hails ‘brilliant’ show amid protests

The head of the Eurovision Song Contest has urged viewers to put politics aside and enjoy the “brilliant, wonderful, heartfelt show” that is the competition’s grand final.

As the contest turns 70 with calls for Israel to be kicked out over the conduct of its war in Gaza and a five-country boycott, Eurovision director Martin Green said the contest is a chance for a few hours to “close the curtains to the outside world and dream that something else is possible.”

He told a news conference that for 70 years Eurovision has given “voice to the voiceless” and celebrated marginalized communities.

“Here’s to the next 70 years,” he said.

Source

The killings of Rogers Devia and his staffer Eder Cardona was the latest incident of political violence in a region under dispute by two groups labeled as terrorists by the U.S. government and a third group — a splinter of the once dominant guerrilla Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.

Devia died in an attack by gunmen in the rural area of Cubarral, a city he governed between 2020-2023 lying 170 kilometers (105 miles) south of the capital Bogota, said the Public Defender’s Office of the department of Meta in a posting on X.

De La Espriella represents the National Salvation Movement.

The Public Defender’s Office saidthe killings could hurt “the exercise of political rights and democratic participation” ahead of Colombia’s presidential elections, which take place May 31.

There will be at least half a dozen candidates competing in the election, including two members of smaller left-wing parties. If none of them gets 50% of the votes a run off will take place in June between the top two contenders.

Colombia’s Interior Minister Armando Benedetti said on his social media channels that investigators do not know why Devia was attacked. The minister added that police had recently stopped an attack against a staffer of another presidential candidate, Paloma Valencia, in the same city.

___

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Source

After a week’s buildup, acts from 25 countries are taking to the stage at the Wiener Stadthalle arena in Vienna to battle for the continent’s pop crown. Millions of viewers around the world will cast judgment on a fiery Finnish violinist, a Moldovan folk rapper, a Serbian metal band and many more at Eurovision’s 70th anniversary event.

The campy, colorful contest has been likened to the World Cup with songs instead of soccer. And like global sports, it often becomes entangled in politics. The contest has been clouded for a third year by calls for Israel to be excluded over its conflicts in Gaza and elsewhere, with five longtime participants — Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia — boycotting in protest.

Finnish favorites fan the flames

The show opened with a performance by last year’s winner, the operatically trained Austrian singer JJ, and an Olympics-style flag parade of the 25 finalists. Then it was on to performances by the musicians, who have just 3 minutes to win over millions of viewers who, along with national juries of music professionals, pick the winner.

First up was Denmark’s Søren Torpegaard Lund, among the contest favorites for the sultry “Før Vi Går Hjem” (“Before We Go Home”), followed by Germany’s Sarah Engels with the power ballad “Fire,” the first of doubtless several performances to make liberal use of jets of flame.

Israeli competitor Noam Bettan was cheered as he performed “Michelle,” a rock ballad in Hebrew, French and English. Earlier in the week, four people were ejected for trying to disrupt his semifinal performance. Then came “Dancing on the Ice,” a techno-ballad by Belgium’s Essyla.

Newcomers looking to grasp the essence of Eurovision and its interplay of pop and politics should look no further than two of the fan favorites to emerge during a week that saw two semifinals ahead of the grand finale.

Rapper Satoshi’s “Viva, Moldova” combines “a stunning high energy performance with a subtle pro-European political message,” from a country moving toward the European Union after decades in Moscow’s orbit, said Eurovision historian Dean Vuletic. Greek artist Akylas’ song “Ferto,” or “Bring It,” provides a playful take on conspicuous consumption in a country still scarred by the economic wounds of the 2008 financial crisis.

Both are likely to score highly with viewers, though national juries, which tend to be more impressed by technical excellence, may be less impressed. Winners are chosen by a mix of votes from the two, translated into points by a system confusing even to Eurovision fans. The act with the most points wins, and their country gets to host the competition next year.

Finland is the favorite in betting odds with “Liekinheitin,” or “Flamethrower,” a fiery duet between the singing of pop star Pete Parkkonen and the fiddling of classical violinist Linda Lampenius.

But Eurovision often produces surprises.

“Eurovision has never really been a contest for big stars. It’s largely been a contest for underdogs,” Vuletic said. “People like to see the underdog on stage. They like to the artist-in-the-making on stage or an artist from a smaller, poorer country on stage.”

A wild card would be a win by Australia, a Eurovision participant since 2015, which has sent established star Delta Goodrem. Her slick midtempo ballad “Eclipse” — and a bravura performance that sees her raised into the air above a glittery piano — has been rising up the betting odds. A European country would likely host for Australia next year if she wins.

Protests express opposition to Israel

Street protests opposing Israel’s inclusion over the conduct of its war against Hamas in Gaza have been smaller in Vienna than at the 2024 contest in Malmo, Sweden and last year’s event in Basel, Switzerland.

Hundreds marched near the contest arena before Saturday’s final, some holding placards saying “Block Eurovision.” Pro-Palestinian groups also staged an outdoor concert on Friday under the banner “No stage for genocide.”

“Inviting Israel on such a beautiful stage as the Eurovision Song Contest stage is an affront to all the people who believe in humanity, who believe in love and togetherness,” said Congolese-Austrian artist Patrick Bongola, one of the organizers.

The five-nation boycott is a revenue and viewership blow to an event that organizers say was watched by 166 million people around the world last year. This year’s field of 35 contestants is the smallest since 2003.

Still, Eurovision is eyeing expansion, with a spinoff Eurovision Song Contest Asia due to take place in Bangkok in November.

Eurovision director Martin Green urged viewers to put politics aside and enjoy the “brilliant, wonderful, heartfelt show” that is the competition’s grand final.

Vuletic says political controversy is nothing new. The first Eurovision boycott was in 1969 — ironically, by Austria, which refused to send a delegation to Spain under dictator Francisco Franco.

“We’ve seen very politicized editions of the contest in the recent past,” Vuletic said, including the 2009 contest in Russia, Azerbaijan’s turn as host in 2012 and the 2024 competition in Sweden, marred by protests and the expulsion of a competitor after a backstage altercation

“All of them were very much mired in political controversy, yet Eurovision continues,” he said.

How to watch and vote

Eurovision is airing on national broadcasters in participating countries, on Peacock in the United States and on the Eurovision YouTube channel in many territories.

Viewers in participating countries can vote up to 10 times by phone or text message during and for a short time after the show, but aren’t allowed to vote for their own country’s act. Viewers in the U.S. and other nonparticipating countries can vote online at www.esc.vote.

___

Associated Press writers Hilary Fox and Philipp Jenne in Vienna contributed to this report.

Source

Consumer inflation in the United States increased to 3.8% annually in April, higher than what he inherited as the Iran war and the Republican president’s own tariffs have pushed up prices. Inflation is now outpacing wage gains and effectively making workers poorer. The Cleveland Federal Reserve estimates that annual inflation could reach 4.2% in May as the war has kept oil and gasoline prices high.

Trump’s time with Chinese leader Xi Jinping appears unlikely to help the U.S. economy much, despite Trump’s claims of coming trade deals. The trip occurred as many people are voting in primaries leading into the November general election while having to absorb the rising costs of gasoline, groceries, utility bills, jewelry, women’s clothing, airplane tickets and delivery services. Democrats see the moment as a political opportunity.

“He’s returning to a dumpster fire,” said Lindsay Owens, executive director of Groundwork Collaborative, a liberal think tank focused on economic issues. “The president will not have the faith and confidence of the American people — the economy is their top issue and the president is saying, ‘You’re on your own.’”

The president’s trip to Beijing and his recent comments that indicated a tone-deafness to voters’ concerns about rising prices have suggested his focus is not on the American public and have undermined Republicans who had intended to campaign on last year’s tax cuts as helping families.

Trump described the trip as a victory, saying on social media that Xi “congratulated me on so many tremendous successes,” as the U.S. president has praised their relationship.

Trump told reporters that Boeing would be selling 200 aircraft — and maybe even 750 “if they do a good job” — to the Chinese. He said American farmers would be “very happy” because China would be “buying billions of dollars of soybeans.”

“We had an amazing time,” Trump said as he flew home on Air Force One, and told Fox News’ Bret Baier in an interview that gasoline prices were just some “short-term pain” and would “drop like a rock” once the war ends.

Inflationary pain is not a factor in how T

rump handles Iran

Trump departed from the White House for China by saying the negotiations over the Iran war depended on stopping Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody. I think about one thing: We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.

That remark prompted blowback because it suggested to some that Trump cared more about challenging Iran than fighting inflation at home. Trump defended his words, telling Fox News: “That’s a perfect statement. I’d make it again.”

The White House has since stressed that Trump is focused on inflation.

Asked later about the president’s words, Vice President JD Vance said there had been a “misrepresentation” of the remarks. White House spokesman Kush Desai said the “administration remains laser-focused on delivering growth and affordability on the homefront” while indicating actions would be taken on grocery prices.

But as Trump appeared alongside Xi, new reports back home showed inflation rising for businesses and interest rates climbing on U.S. government debt.

His comments that Boeing would sell 200 jets to China caused the company’s stock price to fall because investors had expected a larger number. There was little concrete information offered about any trade agreements reached during the summit, including Chinese purchases of U.S. exports such as liquefied natural gas and beef.

“Foreign policy wins can matter politically, but only if voters feel stability and affordability in their daily lives,” said Brittany Martinez, a former Republican congressional aide who is the executive director of Principles First, a center-right advocacy group focused on democracy issues.

“Midterms are almost always a referendum on cost of living and public frustration, and Republicans are not immune from the same inflation and affordability pressures that hurt Democrats in recent cycles,” she added.

Democrats see Trump as vulnerable

Democratic lawmakers are seizing on Trump’s comments before his trip as proof of his indifference to lowering costs. There is potential staying power of his remarks as Americans head into Memorial Day weekend facing rising prices for the hamburgers and hot dogs to be grilled.

“What Americans do not see is any sympathy, any support, or any plan from Trump and congressional Republicans to lower costs – in fact, they see the opposite,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Thursday.

Vance faulted the Biden administration for the inflation problem even though the inflation rate is now higher than it was when Trump returned to the White House in January 2025 with a specific mandate to fix it.

“The inflation number last month was not great,” Vance said Wednesday, but he then stressed, “We’re not seeing anything like what we saw under the Biden administration.”

Inflation peaked at 9.1% in June 2022 under Biden, a Democrat. By the time Trump took the oath of office, it was a far more modest 3%.

Trump’s inflation challenge could get harder

The data tells a different story as higher inflation is spreading into the cost of servicing the national debt.

Over the past week, the interest rate charged on 10-year U.S. government debt jumped from 4.36% to 4.6%, an increase that implies higher costs for auto loans and mortgages.

“My fear is that the layers of supply shocks that are affecting the U.S. economy will only further feed into inflationary pressures,” said Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY-Parthenon.

Daco noted that last year’s tariff increases were now translating into higher clothing prices. With the Supreme Court ruling against Trump’s ability to impose tariffs by declaring an economic emergency, his administration is preparing a new set of import taxes for this summer.

Daco stressed that there have been a series of supply shocks. First, tariffs cut into the supply of imports. In addition, Trump’s immigration crackdown cut into the supply of foreign-born workers. Now, the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has cut off the vital waterway used to ship 20% of global oil supplies.

“We’re seeing an erosion of growth,” Daco said.

Source

In what it described as a “significant public order policing operation,” London’s Metropolitan Police deployed at least 4,000 officers, armored vehicles, horses, dogs, drones and helicopters.

Most of the concerns centered on central London where police sought to ensure there was no crossover between a march organized by far-right agitator Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, better known by his pseudonym Tommy Robinson, and the annual demonstration to commemorate Nakba, the Arabic term for “catastrophe” that marks the exodus of some 700,000 Palestinians from what is now Israel in 1948.

Police remain on guard now that the marches for any splinter groups coming in contact, and for any trouble following the conclusion of the FA Cup final, which was attended by more than 83,000 fans at Wembley Stadium in the north of the U.K.’s capital city.

So far, there’s not been much trouble

As of 7:30 p.m., police said 43 people were arrested for a variety of offenses. It said a further 22 were arrested at the FA Cup final, which saw Manchester City beat Chelsea.

In total, it added that four officers were assaulted, none seriously, while a further six were subjected to hate crime offenses.

The marches took place at a particularly radicalized time in British politics, with the extremes on the right and the left advancing across the U.K. in elections last week.

Those protesting are motivated by a variety of issues, including anger at the number of would-be asylum-seekers making the dangerous crossing across the English Channel from the French coast to the U.K. in small boats, to Israel’s actions in Gaza that have devastated the Palestinian enclave and killed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 72,700 people,

As the marches progressed through the afternoon, police said they will be mindful of splinter groups coming in contact.

Some foreigners were barred from entering UK

Prosecutors have been told to consider whether protest placards, banners and chants viewed on social media may amount to offenses of stirring up hatred during the rallies.

“This is not about restricting free speech,” said the Crown Prosecution Service’s director, Stephen Parkinson. “It is about preventing hate crime and protecting the public, particularly at a time of heightened tensions.”

The British government also blocked 11 foreign nationals from entering the country for the “Unite the Kingdom” rally. Right-wing figures claiming to have been barred include Polish politician Dominik Tarczynski, Belgian politician Filip Dewinter, anti-Islam commentator Valentina Gomez and Dutch activist Eva Vlaardingerbroek.

“We will block those coming into the U.K. who seek to incite hatred and violence,” said Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is fighting for his political life following those disastrous election results earlier this month. “For anyone who sets out to wreak havoc on our streets, to intimidate or threaten anyone, you can expect to face the full force of the law.”

On Friday, Starmer visited the Met’s command center to discuss policing arrangements for the rallies alongside Met Commissioner Mark Rowley and London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

Live facial recognition will be used for the first time in a protest policing operation, with cameras set up in the north London neighborhood of Camden that is not on the route of the “Unite the Kingdom” march, but which is expected to be used by a lot of people attending the event.

Source

Kane’s fourth hat trick this season lifted his tally to 36 goals — five shy of Robert Lewandowski’s league record from 2020-21 — in Bayern’s 5-1 rout of Cologne in the last round.

Tom Bischof and Nicolas Jackson also scored.

Bayern finished with 122 goals, easily surpassing the previous Bundesliga record haul of 101 by the 1971-72 Bayern team with the likes of Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller.

Leon Goretzka, who’s leaving the club after eight seasons, scored the goal that broke the record with five rounds still to play.

“We have a great group, a great togetherness, and to celebrate success with that is awesome,” Bayern board member for sport Max Eberl said after his second league title with the club.

With the exception of Bayer Leverkusen’s remarkable unbeaten domestic season in 2024, Bayern has won every Bundesliga since Borussia Dortmund won back-to-back titles in 2012.

French winger Michael Olise, who chipped in 15 goals and set up 22 more over 32 appearances, was named Bundesliga player of the season on Saturday, which turned into a day of celebration for the Bavarian powerhouse.

Vincent Kompany’s team wrapped up the title with four rounds to spare but the players had to wait until Saturday before getting their hands on the “salad bowl” trophy.

Manuel Neuer, the captain who extended his contract with the club for another year on Friday, gave the trophy to Goretzka to hoist skyward, prompting an explosion of confetti and the ubiquitous Queen hit “We Are The Champions” to be blared as the celebrations got underway.

The traditional beer showers quickly followed as giant pitchers full of beer were brought to the field and anyone unfortunate enough to be dry became a target. Bayern defender Dayot Upamecano doused Kompany before the soaked coach managed to join his family members on the sideline.

“I’d say today it’s OK to celebrate a little,” Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich said. “Then we have a week and then we’ll be fully focused on the cup final.”

Bayern plays defending champion Stuttgart in the German Cup final in Berlin’s Olympiastadion next Saturday.

___

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

Source

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the appointment has not been publicly announced.

Alonso talked with Chelsea in the past week and is expected to sign a four-year contract.

It would be the Spaniard’s first job since lasting less than eight months at Real Madrid. Alonso left Madrid by mutual consent in January after poor results and widespread media reports that he lost control of the locker room.

Despite the short tenure at the Bernabeu Stadium, Alonso’s reputation remained high across Europe after leading Bayer Leverkusen to a German league and cup double and breaking Bayern Munich’s dominance of the Bundesliga.

Chelsea has been searching for a new coach since firing Liam Rosenior last month.

Rosenior was the second coach to be fired since the turn of the year following the departure of Club World Cup winner Enzo Maresca in January.

Alonso would become the fifth permanent coach appointed by Chelsea’s American owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital since they bought the club in 2022.

After firing Champions League winner Thomas Tuchel, Chelsea brought in Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino, Maresca and Rosenior in the search for a coach who could bring sustained success.

Club icon Frank Lampard was given an interim role and current interim Calum McFarlane is in his second spell in charge of the first team this season.

Despite spending more than $1 billion on new signings, Chelsea has yet to challenge for the Premier League title under its U.S. owners. It did, however, win the Club World Cup last year as well as the UEFA Conference League.

This season it looks likely to miss out on qualifying for the Champions League for the third time in four seasons. It is also going to end the season trophyless after losing to Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday.

___

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

___

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

Source

A 25-year-old from Edmund, Oklahoma, Dike scored 10 goals in 64 league matches. The team announced his departure Friday.

Dike joined the club in January 2022 from Orlando in Major League Soccer. He injured a hamstring in his second appearance and missed the rest of the season, then tore a thigh muscle in training after the club’s 2022-23 opener

Dike returned that November and scored seven goals in 23 league matches before he tore his right Achilles tendon against Stoke on April 15, 2023.

He returned the following Jan. 7 when he played the first half in an FA Cup match against Aldershot, then in his fifth game back tore his left Achilles tendon on Feb. 10, 2024, against Ipswich.

Dike came back from that injury on Feb. 15, 2025, against Millwall and played 11 league matches that season. He injured his thigh ahead of the 2025-26 season, delaying his first match to Oct. 22. He scored two goals in 24 league matches this season.

He has three goals in 10 appearances with the U.S. national team from 2021-23.

___

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

Source

___

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

Source