Associated Press stories, Page 216
A Pentecostal church in South Africa holds mass Easter weddings for 3,000 people, some polygamous
JOHANNESBURG — A Pentecostal church in South Africa celebrated Easter Sunday with mass wedding ceremonies for around 3,000 people, with many of them entering into polygamous marriages. The International Pentecost Holiness Church said mass weddings are part of its Easter festivities and the tradition of polygamy, which is observed in...
Zelenskyy says Russia is trying to create an ‘impression of a ceasefire’ as attacks continue
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia on Sunday of creating a false appearance of honoring an Easter ceasefire, saying Moscow continued to launch attacks after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a unilateral temporary truce. “As of Easter morning, we can say that the Russian army is trying...
Pope Francis emerges from convalescence on Easter, delights crowd with popemobile tour
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis emerged from his convalescence on Easter Sunday to bless thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square and treat them to a surprise popemobile romp through the piazza, drawing wild cheers and applause as he continues his recovery from a near-fatal bout of double pneumonia. “Viva...
Lebanese authorities detain people they say were planning rocket attacks on Israel
BEIRUT — Lebanese authorities have detained several people who were allegedly planning to launch rockets into Israel and seized the weapons, the military said Sunday. The army said that the arrests were linked to other detentions announced earlier this week. It added that as military intelligence was investigating that case...
Israeli probe into the killings of 15 Palestinian medics in Gaza finds ‘professional failures’
JERUSALEM — An Israeli investigation into the killings of 15 Palestinian medics last month in Gaza by Israeli forces said Sunday it found a chain of “professional failures” and a deputy commander has been fired. The shootings outraged many in the international community, with some calling the killings a war...
Donovan Mitchell, top-seeded Cavaliers ready to face Heat
Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers go into the NBA playoffs as the top seed in the Eastern Conference, the highest-scoring offense during the regular season and one of the favorites for the championship. However, Mitchell knows this season’s accomplishments will be hollow if the Cavaliers can’t make a deep...
Celtics have tunnel vision on Magic as they begin repeat attempt
BOSTON — It’s been six months since Celtics star Jayson Tatum stood at center court in Boston’s TD Garden and addressed fans minutes after receiving his 2024 championship ring and watching the franchise’s 18th banner raised into the rafters. Tatum welled with emotion as he thanked fans for their support...
Connor’s late goal fuels Jets to 5-3 win over Blues in playoff openerVideo
WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Kyle Connor’s one-timer with 1 minute, 36 seconds remaining in the third period snapped a 3-3 tie and lifted the Winnipeg Jets to a 5-3 victory in Saturday’s opening game of the Stanley Cup playoffs against the St. Louis Blues. Connor also contributed a pair of assists,...
NBA playoff guide: Who plays when, how to watch, what the odds are
It’s go time. The race for the Larry O’Brien Trophy is finally beginning. The 2025 NBA playoffs started Saturday with four games: Indiana-Milwaukee, Denver-Los Angeles Clippers, New York-Detroit and Los Angeles Lakers-Minnesota. The other four Game 1s are Sunday: Oklahoma City-Memphis, Boston-Orlando, Cleveland-Miami and Houston-Golden State. Miami and Memphis claimed...
Final AP mock NFL Draft: Ward, Hunter, Carter go 1-2-3 and Saints trade up for Sanders
The Tennessee Titans explored all their options with the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft. They can’t pass up a shot at a potential franchise quarterback. If the Titans were going to trade the pick for more draft assets, a deal would’ve happened already. Coach Brian Callahan said “there...
Anti-Trump protesters turn out to rallies in New York, Washington and other cities across country
NEW YORK — Opponents of President Donald Trump’s administration took to the streets of communities large and small across the U.S. on Saturday, decrying what they see as threats to the nation’s democratic ideals. The disparate events ranged from a march through midtown Manhattan and a rally in front of...
Questions emerge about how a deputy’s stepson became the accused gunman in deadly FSU shooting
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Amid the abandoned chemistry notes and other debris left behind after a deadly shooting at Florida State University are lingering questions about how the stepson of a beloved sheriff’s deputy tasked with school safety at a middle school became the accused gunman. Political science student Phoenix Ikner...
Former President Bill Clinton returns to Oklahoma City 30 years after the bombing
OKLAHOMA CITY — Thirty years after the deadliest homegrown attack in U.S. history, former President Bill Clinton returned to Oklahoma City on Saturday to remember the people who were killed and comfort those affected by the bombing. Clinton was president on April 19, 1995, when a truck bomb exploded, destroying...
Netanyahu says Israel has ‘no choice’ but to continue fighting in Gaza
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced again Saturday that Israel has “no choice” but to continue fighting in Gaza and will not end the war before destroying Hamas, freeing the hostages and ensuring that the territory won’t present a threat to Israel. The prime minister...
Supreme Court blocks, for now, new deportations under 18th century wartime law
The Supreme Court on Saturday blocked, for now, the deportations of any Venezuelans held in northern Texas under an 18th century wartime law. In a brief order, the court directed the Trump administration not to remove Venezuelans held in the Bluebonnet Detention Center “until further order of this court.” Justices...
Spring allergies are back. Here’s how to check pollen levels and keep from sneezing
ATLANTA — Allergy season can be miserable for tens of millions of Americans when trees, grass, and other pollens cause runny noses, itchy eyes, coughing and sneezing. Where you live, what you’re allergic to and your lifestyle can make a big difference when it comes to the severity of your...
Boston Marathon and city insist all are welcome. But some runners say politics will keep them home
BOSTON — The Boston Marathon and Mayor Michelle Wu insisted on Friday that international runners and other foreign visitors remain welcome in the city and said there is no evidence that travel for this year’s race has fallen off in the face of increased border scrutiny. “Regardless of what’s happening...
Putin announces an Easter ceasefire as Russia and Ukraine swap hundreds of POWs
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a temporary Easter ceasefire in Ukraine starting Saturday, citing humanitarian reasons, as Russia and Ukraine swapped hundreds of captured soldiers in the largest exchange since Moscow’s full-scale invasion started over three years ago. According to the Kremlin, the ceasefire will last from 6 p.m. Moscow...
DEI rollbacks hit campus support systems for students of color
WASHINGTON — Campus mentors. Move-in events. Scholarships. Diversity offices that made them feel welcome on predominantly white campuses. As U.S. colleges pull back on diversity, equity and inclusion practices, students of color say they are starting to lose all of these things and more. The full scope of campus DEI...
250 years after America went to war for independence, a divided nation battles over its legacy
LEXINGTON, Mass. — Thousands of people came to this Massachusetts town Saturday just before dawn to witness a reenactment of how the American Revolution began 250 years ago, with the blast of gunshot and a trail of colonial spin. Starting with Saturday’s anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord,...
Some Jan. 6 rioters pardoned by Trump are now embraced as heroes and candidates for office
JACKSON, Mich. — Ryan Kelley thought he had a good shot at becoming Michigan’s governor in 2022. That is, until he was charged with misdemeanors for participating in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. His campaign sputtered and he finished fourth out of five candidates in the Republican...
Shooting rampage at Florida State that left 2 dead lasted less than 5 minutes, police say
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Several thousand students, staff and faculty packed a plaza at Florida State University for a vigil Friday evening, bowing their heads in a moment of silence honoring the two people who were killed and six others who were wounded in a shooting rampage the previous day. The...
Judge orders Trump administration to tell fired workers they were not let go for poor performance
SAN FRANCISCO — A U.S. district judge in San Francisco on Friday ordered the Trump administration to provide probationary workers fired en masse a written statement saying they were not terminated for performance reasons, but as part of a government-wide termination. Judge William Alsup is overseeing a lawsuit brought by...
Justin Thomas makes two late birdies to restore his lead at Hilton HeadVideo
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Justin Thomas made a pair of birdies on the crusty, breezy back nine at Harbour Town to salvage a 2-under-par 69 for a two-shot lead Friday at the RBC Heritage, his first 36-hole lead in more than four years. Thomas is winless since the 2022...
Current and former Golden Knights goalies helped lead 3 teams to NHL playoffsVideo
LAS VEGAS — Marc-Andre Fleury was on the bench the last time the Wild visited Vegas, but when he appeared on the video board late in that Jan. 12 game, the crowd cheered and chanted his name as if he had just made a save to help put the Golden...
