Pope Leo XIV celebrates first Easter vigil, calls for harmony and peace in a world torn by war

VATICAN CITY (AP) —Pope Leo XIV, carrying a tall, lit candle through a darkened and silent St. Peter's Basilica, ushered in Christianity's most joyous celebration with his first Easter vigil service as pontiff Saturday night,urging that Easterwould bring harmony and peace to a world torn by wars.

Vatican Pope Easter Vigil

Easter for Christians commemorates Christ's triumph over death with his resurrection following his crucifixion. Lighting the candle before he entered the basilica, the pope intoned: "The light of Christ who rises in glory."

Candle bearers stopped to light candles of the congregants as they walked down the central aisle, spreading flickers of light through the dark basilica before the lights went up as the pope arrived at the baroque main altar, followed by cardinals dressed in white.

In his homily, Leo called sin "a heavy barrier that closes us off and separates us from God, seeking to kill his words of hope within us,'' and likened it to the stone that had covered Jesus' tomb — but which was found overturned, revealing Jesus' resurrection.

Leo said that there are stones representing sins to be overturned today, some "so heavy and so closely guarded that they seem to be immovable."

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"Some weigh heavily on the human heart, such as mistrust, fear, selfishness and resentment; others stemming from these inner struggles, sever the bonds between us through war, injustice and the isolation of peoples and nations.

"Let us not allow ourselves to be paralyzed by them!" the pope said, calling on the faithful to make a commitment "so that the Easter gifts of harmony and peace may grow and flourish everywhere and always throughout the world.''

With theU.S.-Israeli waron Iran in its second month and Russia's ongoingcampaign in Ukraine, Leo has repeatedly called for a halt in hostilities. On Palm Sunday,he said that Goddoesn't listen to the prayers of those who make war or cite God to justify their violence,

As is tradition, Leo baptized 10 adults from all over the world during the Mass.

During Leo's first Holy Week, which is notoriously demanding, thepontiff carried the crossfor the entire 14 stations during the Way of the Cross on Good Friday, the first time a pope has done so for decades. On Holy Thursday, he washed thefeet of 12 priestsin the traditional Holy Thursday ritual, restoring a traditionhis predecessorPope Francis had broken by including laypeople and non-Christians.

On Sunday morning, Leo will celebrate an open-air Mass in St. Peter's Square before delivering his Easter message and offer the traditional "Urbi et Orbi" message "to the city (of Rome) and the world," which acts as a summary of the world's woes.

byCosmopolite

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April 04, 2026

Pope Leo XIV celebrates first Easter vigil, calls for harmony and peace in a world torn by war

VATICAN CITY (AP) —Pope Leo XIV, carrying a tall, lit candle through a darkened and silent St. Peter's Basilica, ushe...

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Several people injured after car crashes into La. parade, driver in custody: Sheriff

Several people were hurt, including some seriously, after a car crashed into a Lao New Year parade in Broussard, Louisiana, Saturday afternoon, authorities said.

The unidentified driver of the vehicle was in custody, however, investigators said as of now it does not appear that the crash was intentional, according to the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office.

A local ambulance company company Acadian Ambulance said initially at least 13 were taken to the hospital after incident, including two who were airlifted.

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The incident occurred at the corner of Savannakhet Street and Melancon Road.

Organizers of the Louisiana Lao New Year Festival said in a statement that they were cancelling the rest of the events scheduled for the day.

"All security resources have been redirected to the scene, and we currently do not have security personnel available due to the circumstances," they said in a statement.

"We are praying for the victims and for their families during this difficult time," the organizers added.

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April 04, 2026

Several people injured after car crashes into La. parade, driver in custody: Sheriff

Several people were hurt, including some seriously, after a car crashed into a Lao New Year parade in Broussard, Louis...

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Russia again claims to have taken an eastern Ukrainian region. The real picture is very different

This week, for the third time since its full-scale invasion ofUkraine,Russiaclaimed it fully occupied Ukraine's Luhansk region.

TheRussian militaryhas held almost all of Luhansk – one of four eastern regions that Moscow has illegally sought to annex - since the first year of the conflict.

It's unclear why Russia felt the need to announce -again - that its forces had "completed the liberationof the entire territory of the Luhansk People's Republic," as it calls the region.

Analysts note that the Russia Defense ministry has a habit of exaggerating advances when the frontlines are scarcely changing.

Russian gains in Ukraine slowed in the first three months of this year to about five km (three miles) a day, compared to 11 kilometers in the first quarter of 2025, war monitors, including the Washington-basedInstitute for the Study of War(ISW),report. And in some parts of the battlefield, the Ukrainians have made gains.

Ukraine scoffed at the claim that all of Luhansk was now under Russian control.

"The front line hasn't moved much at all over the past six months. It's like some kind of April Fools' Day prank on their part," said a Ukrainian military spokesman, Victor Tregubov.

Ukraine's Third Army Corps, tasked with defending Luhansk, said the Russians had unsuccessfully launched 144 assault attempts on two villages in its attempts to complete the capture of the region.

On the same day as the defense ministry's claim, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky should have already ordered Ukrainian forces out of the entire Donbas region, calling the withdrawal necessary to end the "hot phase" of the war.

TheDonbasincludes Luhansk and Donetsk, about 20% of which Ukraine still holds.

"Kremlin claims in 2025 and 2026 about seizing [Luhansk] are aggrandizing miniscule changes on the front… in order to create the false impression that Russian forces are rapidly advancing on various sectors of the battlefield," the ISW said after the latest Russian declaration.

Russia's announcement was "aimed at portraying Ukrainian defenses as on the verge of collapse to drive the United States and Ukraine's other partners into forcing Ukraine to unnecessarily cede territory that Russian forces are very unlikely to seize militarily in the medium term, if at all," ISW concluded.

The "liberation" of Luhansk was previously claimed in2022and again last June, when the Kremlin-appointed governor of Luhansk, Leonid Pasechnik said "100%" of the region was now under the control of Russian forces.

In October, Russian President VladimirPutinsaid Russia had only 0.13% of the region left to capture.

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Over the past week, Ukrainian drones have struck Russian fuel tanks and ammunition depots some 100 kilometers (65 miles) from the front lines in Luhansk, as well as a Russian air defense system more than 130 kilometers from the region's border, according to geolocated video.

The broader picture shows that Ukrainian forces made their most significant gains over the winter since an incursion into Russia's Kursk region in 2024. Their greatest progress has been in the south, where they have taken some 400 sq km in Zaporizhzhia – another region claimed by Russia.

Ukrainian forces also retook at least 180 sq km in and around Kupyansk in the north in December and have largely held the gains, according to ISW.

Ukraine's commander-in-chief Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi said last week that Ukrainian forces are prioritizing counterattacks in areas where Russian forces are weakest.

"The enemy is currently playing by our rules. It is forced to adjust and concentrate its efforts where we are advancing," Syrskyi said.

The goal is to force the Russian military to reallocate troops to different areas to respond to attacks, just as the Russians have tried to pull Ukrainian defenses in different directions.

Late last month, a well-known pro-Kremlinmilitary blogger,Yuri Podolyaka - who has nearly three million subscribers on Telegram - expressed doubt over whether Russian forces can reverse an unfavorable battlefield situation in coming months and complained about "rather successful" Ukrainian counterattacks.

Ukrainian forces were "surpassing" Russian forces in their ability to adapt, Podolyaka said, and the military leadership in Moscow had failed to adapt to better Ukrainian interceptor drones.

Ukraine is also trying to take advantage of the scale of Russian losses.

"Russian losses this March have reached their highest level since the start of the war,"Zelenskyclaimed Friday.

"Our drone strikes alone resulted in 33,988 Russian servicemembers killed or seriously wounded, while artillery and other strikes eliminated another 1,363 Russian occupiers."

"That means more than 35,000 Russian losses in just one month," Zelensky said.

"Russian advances have significantly slowed as Russian forces continue to suffer personnel losses and increasingly rely on poorly trained and underequipped infantry to make gains," ISW noted last week.

However, Ukraine is also facing deep personnel shortages along many parts of the frontline, and Zelensky hasexpressed concernthat the war in the Middle East may lead to there being less US weaponry available, especially air defense missiles – hundreds of which have been sentto defend Gulf countries.

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byCosmopolite

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April 04, 2026

Russia again claims to have taken an eastern Ukrainian region. The real picture is very different

This week, for the third time since its full-scale invasion ofUkraine,Russiaclaimed it fully occupied Ukraine's Luhan...

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Shaqir O'Neal, son of Shaq, wins college slam dunk contest: Highlights

Sacramento State forward Shaqir O'Neal– yes, the son of Shaq – won theCollege Slam Dunk Championshipon Friday, April 3, at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis before the Men's Final Four.

Shaqir O'Neal, wearing his dad's "Shaq" shoe brand, elbow-dunked over two fellow players and threw down a reverse on his final attempt to secure the win over Central Connecticut's Nico Ashley. He finished with two 50-point scores, the highest total possible on a single dunk.

REQUIRED READING:Shaqir O'Neal discusses NBA goals, HBCU hoops and choosing Sac State

"Dad, I know you're watching this," Shaqir O'Neal said after his win. "You said you have ($10,000) for me if I win this. So, hey, I'm expecting my money. Shoutout to my pops."

North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar reacts after losing to the VCU Rams in overtime of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> McNeese Cowboys guard Tyshawn Archie (8) walks off the court after losing to the Vanderbilt Commodores during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Centeron March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Wisconsin Badgers guard Braeden Carrington (0) and guard John Blackwell (25) react during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the High Point Panthers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Thomas Dowd of the Troy Trojans reacts after coming out of the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second half in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Okla.

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March Sadness hits hard in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar reacts after losing to the VCU Rams in overtime of a first round game of the men's2026 NCAA Tournamentat Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.

DePaul's CJ Gunn won the men's 3-point contest and Kansas' Elle Evans won the women's 3-point contest. Evans also took home two more awards, winning the team shooting competition alongside Purdue's Fletcher Loyer and Portland State's Jaylin Henderson before defeating Gunn in the 3-point shootout between champions.

Shaqir O'Neal averaged 5.3 points with 3.2 rebounds per game this season at Sacramento State. The 6-foot-8 forward started his career at Texas Southern, where he held a small role off the bench for two seasons before transferring to Florida A&M in 2024-25.

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Shaqir O'Neal plays for his dad's former Sacramento Kings foe Mike Bibby, who served his first year as Sacramento State head coach this season.

"It's been an unreal experience," Shaqir O'Neal told USA TODAY Sports. "Coach Bibby and his staff, they really care about the players, just on and off the court. They made sure they built that relationship with us early in the summer. It's really been a movie with all the press and all this stuff. And haters and this and that. And the ups and downs. Us losing players to injuries, like it's been real, it's been crazy, but it's been a great learning experience."

Four of Shaquille O'Neal's children played Division I college basketball, including sons Shaqir O'Neal and Shareef O'Neal (UCLA, LSU), and daughters Amirah O'Neal, a former preferred walk-on at LSU and Me'Arah O'Neal, who averaged over 13 points per game at Florida this season.

None of Shaq's children turned out to be nearly as good as their Hall of Fame dad that won four NBA championships. But Shaqir O'Neal sure can dunk like his dad could, although no backboards were shattered.

Shaqir O'Neal college dunk contest highlights

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Shaqir O'Neal, son of Shaquille, wins college slam dunk contest

byCosmopolite

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April 04, 2026

Shaqir O'Neal, son of Shaq, wins college slam dunk contest: Highlights

Sacramento State forward Shaqir O'Neal– yes, the son of Shaq – won theCollege Slam Dunk Championshipon Friday, April ...

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Brewers inherit 'rally tortoise' after manager Pat Murphy is told no pocket pancakes in TV interview

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — First, the Milwaukee Brewers had "pocket pancakes." Now, they have pocket turtles.

Ahem, tortoise.

This all probably needs an explanation.

During a game last August, Brewers manager Pat Murphy was caught taking a pancake from the pocket of his hoodie for a midgame bite, right in the middle of a dugout interview during a game against the Nationals. It wasn't necessarily new for Murphy, who's been known to have everything from waffles to eggs rolls close at hand should he get the munchies.

But given the game was nationally televised,the moment immediately went viral. And theBrewers even latched onto the momentum, introducing "Murph's Pocket Pancakes" as concession items for Sunday home games at American Family Field.

Back to the turtle — er, tortoise.

The Brewers were supposed to play the Royals on Friday night on Apple TV, though thegame was called 90 minutes before first pitchbecause of the rain. During a pregame interview with Apple's reporter, Tricia Whitaker, Murphy said he was informed "under no uncertain circumstances, no pocket pancakes" during their talk, so he pulled out what was supposed to be a pocket turtle.

"This is Bobby Jr.," Murphy said in presenting it to her, having named the creature after his longtime friend, Bobby Witt, and his son, Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. "I didn't want to pull out pancakes so here we are."

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Whitaker postedthe moment on social media, and fans immediately informed her that the reptile was not, in fact, a pocket turtle — or any turtle. It was a tortoise, or more specifically a Sulcata tortoise, which can live 70 years and grow to 100 pounds.

"How am I supposed to fly this home?" Whitaker asked.

Good question.

Turns out, as Whitaker laterposted on social media,American Airlines has "a strict no reptiles policy," so Bobby Jr. had to stay behind in Kansas City. The agreement, she wrote, is that the club would keep the tortoise for the time being.

Indeed, the reptile was happily living under a heat lamp in the visiting clubhouse at Kauffman Stadium on Saturday, though the plan is to find Bobby Jr. a good home soon. He won't be traveling with the club all season.

"It was suggested by one player," Whitaker said, "that they get to keep the 'rally turtle' if they win today. If they lose, I am hoping, consideration will be given to send me the tortoise."

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

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April 04, 2026

Brewers inherit 'rally tortoise' after manager Pat Murphy is told no pocket pancakes in TV interview

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — First, the Milwaukee Brewers had "pocket pancakes." Now, they have pocket turtles. ...

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Buffalo Sabres' record NHL playoff drought ends: Here's how they did it

TheBuffalo Sabresare back in the NHL playoffs, ending a league-record postseason drought of 14 seasons.

All they had to do was change the messenger.

The Sabres clinched their first playoff berth since 2010-11 with the Detroit Red Wings' loss in the afternoon on Saturday, April 4.

It was looking like the streak could hit 15 when Buffalo sat in last place in the Eastern Conference on Dec. 8. The Sabres won three in a row to get back to .500, thenfired general manager Kevyn Adamson Dec. 15 and promoted Jarmo Kekalainen to the position.

The team took off, extending its winning streak to 10 games. Entering Saturday, Buffalo has gone 32-8-4 under the former Columbus Blue Jackets GM. The Sabres have their first 100-point season since 2009-10 and are looking for their first division title since that season.

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (8) greets fans on the blue carpet before opening night against the New York Islanders.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Calgary Flames mascot Harvey the Hound before a game against the Winnipeg Jets.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

NHL fans and mascots cheer on their teams in 2025-26 season

Kevyn Adams' tenure

Adams, the general manager since 2020-21, brought in some of the players on this team, such as Alex Tuch, Josh Norris, Jason Zucker, Bowen Byram, Ryan McLeod and Josh Doan. He also traded away Jack Eichel (after a dispute over what type of neck surgery he should have), Sam Reinhart, Dylan Cozens and J.J. Peterka. Eichel and Reinhart won Stanley Cup titles after their trades.

Adams drew some criticism last season when he explained the difficulty of drawing free agents to Buffalo and why players often include the city on their no-trade lists.

"We don't have palm trees," he told reporters. "We have taxes in New York."

Adams last season brought back coach Lindy Ruff, who had been coach of the 2010-11 playoff team. But the Sabres continued their pattern of early-season swoons — 0-10-3 this time — and finished 12 points out of a playoff spot.

Buffalo traded No. 2 scorer Peterka to Utah in the offseason and opened the season 0-3. Fans began chanting for Adams' firing and it finally happened in December.

Jarmo Kekalainen's tenure

Teams often get a bump from a coaching change, but a front office change can also have an impact because a general manager can decide a player's future.

Kekalainen noted that his focus was going to be on work ethic, saying the team had lost some games by being outworked.

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"You've got to work, you've got to compete and you've got to be relentless," he said after being named general manager. "That's what I want the identity of the Buffalo Sabres to be."

He added that he "firmly" believed that Sabres could be a playoff team.

Kekalainen had been hired as a senior adviser in May. He had been aggressive in Columbus, hanging on to pending free agents Sergei Bobrovsky and Artemi Panarin and adding to a team that shockingly swept the No. 1 overall Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round in 2019.

After he was promoted in Buffalo, he revamped the front office and held on to Ruff. He gave a contract extension to Doan, who was acquired in the Peterka trade. But with the team surging, there was little need to change the players.

The general manager made moves at the deadline to beef up the team's depth. He traded for Colton Parayko, but it fell through when the defensemandeclined to waive his no-trade clause. He pivoted to add big, rugged defensemen Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn. He also added Sam Carrick, who's strong on faceoffs, and depth forward Tanner Pearson.

A sign that the Sabres were for real was when they defeated the Lightning 8-7 in a game thatfeatured tons of goals and penalty minutes.

What's next for the Sabres?

They will try to win the Atlantic Division title and still have a chance to be the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

There isn't a lot of playoff experience in this core because of the long drought. However, Schenn and Pearson are former Stanley Cup winners and McLeod has been to the Final. Tuch has played 66 postseason games and Zucker has played 52.

And Ruff has coached 101 playoff games, winning 57. He took the Sabres to the 1999 Final.

Who has the longest playoff drought?

The Detroit Red Wings are at nine seasons, the Anaheim Ducks are at seven and the San Jose Sharks are at six. But heading into Saturday's game, the Ducks are second in the Pacific Division, the Sharks hold the second wild-card spot in the West and the Red Wings sit one spot below the playoff line in the East.

The Chicago Blackhawks have been eliminated, and their playoff drought is at six seasons.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Sabres back in NHL playoffs after 14 seasons; how they ended drought

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April 04, 2026

Buffalo Sabres' record NHL playoff drought ends: Here's how they did it

TheBuffalo Sabresare back in the NHL playoffs, ending a league-record postseason drought of 14 seasons. All the...

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