Ingested Articles

Florida will have to contend with Virginia Tech without sophomore forward Omar Payne. The 6-foot-10 Payne is being held out of the seventh-seeded Gators’ first-round matchup with the 10th-seeded Hokies. The school says the decision was made by head coach Mike White. Payne is averaging 3.7 points and 3.2 rebounds in about 16 minutes a game this season for Florida. The Gators had issues with Virginia Tech’s size in the first half. The Hokies dominated in the paint for stretches while building a 33-27 lead.

The Minneapolis police department is reviewing use of force by its officers after their attempt to clear out a homeless encampment led to a violent clash between officers and civilians who tried to stop them. Police say five people were arrested and five officers sustained minor injuries Thursday. A fight broke out between officers and civilians who shoved back and forth. The group MNUprising shared a video on Twitter that appeared to show an officer trying to restrain a person by kneeling on that person’s neck or upper back. The clash came as a jury is being seated for the murder trial of a former Minneapolis police officer who pressed his knee against George Floyd's neck for about nine minutes last May.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra hasn't played live for fans since the coronavirus pandemic hit a year ago, but it's returning to the stage in July for the outdoor Tanglewood festival. The event, one of the nation's premier summer music festivals, was canceled in 2020 for the first time since World War II. The acclaimed orchestra says it will perform a six-week run at the outdoor venue in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts — about half as long as the usual festival. Symphony music director Andris Nelsons says he hopes Tanglewood's revival will help spread the healing power of music.

HAMDAYET, Sudan (AP) — Ethiopia’s prime minister issued a “final notice” Friday to the fugitive leaders of the country’s embattled Tigray region, saying they should surrender peacefully to avoid “severe punishment” and prevent the “misery of their people.” At the…

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — AstraZeneca's vaccine against COVID-19 was cleared Friday for use in Indonesia after the drug regulator declared it safe and clerics in the world’s most populous Muslim nation approved it for emergency use. Southeast Asia’s biggest economy…

Maine-based retailer L.L. Bean saw the best sales in nearly a decade during pandemic. Officials say the Freeport-based retailer started its fiscal year with store closings and worries about survival but the company weathered the turbulent times to revenue growth of 5%. That’s the best showing since 2011. Analyst say L.L. benefited from two of the hottest retail segments during the pandemic — comfort items like slippers, pajamas and loungewear, and outdoor gear like hiking boots, fishing gear and canoes. CEO Steve Smith said the company’s board awarded a cash bonus of 10% of workers’ salary and an additional 401(k) contribution equal to 8% of salary.

The two big, busy federal courthouses in Manhattan took the adage that justice delayed is justice denied to heart when the coronavirus hit. Now, over 100 jury trials are scheduled, all protected by a safety system so extensive that no document will change hands without being sprayed with disinfectant. Everyone wears double masks, except for witnesses who sit with their faces exposed in a plexiglass booth mere feet from a judge and jury. Four jury trials are going on now simultaneously in specially fitted courtrooms. A court official says there has been no traceable spread of the coronavirus in two courthouses during 16 jury trials since the fall.

BRAZZAVILLE, Republic of Congo (AP) — After 36 years in power, Republic of Congo's President Denis Sassou N’Guesso appears poised to extend his tenure as one of Africa's longest-serving leaders in the elections to be held Sunday amid opposition complaints…

An annual report on happiness around the world suggests the coronavirus pandemic has not crushed people’s optimism about the future after a year of loneliness, anxiety, lockdowns, illness and death. The editors of the 2021 World Happiness Report found that while emotions shifted as the pandemic set in, longer-term satisfaction didn't change much. Rankings released Friday showed European countries occupying nine of the top 10 spots on the list of the word’s happiest places, with New Zealand rounding out the group. Finland placed first for the fourth consecutive year. The United States slipped from 18th to 19th place, while China rose from 94th to 84th.

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Heavy rainfall in southern Greece has led to the discovery of a bronze bull figurine believed to have been a votive offering made to the god Zeus in Ancient Olympia as early as 3,000 years ago.…

NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian health experts and activists on Friday said it was hypocritical for Britain to blame vaccine delays on India’s Serum Institute, amid a debate over equitable access stirred by comments from top officials in London. Activists…

A Georgia sheriff’s office captain has been replaced as the spokesman in the investigation into the recent massage business slayings after the spokesman drew widespread outrage for saying the suspect in the killings had had a “really bad day.” Cherokee County Communications Director Erika Neldner announced in a statement Thursday that she will be handling media inquiries related to Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office’s investigation into Tuesday’s slayings. The statement did not give details about the status of Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Capt. Jay Baker. Baker was criticized for saying during a news conference Wednesday that the 21-year-old suspect had had “a really bad day” and “this is what he did.”

A new mother and an Army veteran who installed security systems are among eight people killed by a gunman who opened fire at three massage businesses in the Atlanta area. Family members say 33-year-old Delaina Yaun went to Youngs Asian Massage Parlor on Tuesday to get a rare break from caring for her 8-month-old daughter. A brother of 54-year-old Paul Michels says he was considering a change of careers after doing electrical work for more than 25 years. John Michels says his brother was considering opening a spa of his own. Police have not released the names of all the victims.

Preston Spradlin didn’t fret when Morehead State stumbled out of the gate, and he’s making sure the Eagles aren’t comfortable despite their red-hot roll. After all, there’s so much to achieve in their long-awaited return to the NCAA Tournament, as Kentucky’s lone representative yet. This week marks 10 years since Morehead State’s first-round upset of No. 4 seed Louisville in its last NCAA appearance. A chance to repeat history looms when the No. 13 seed Eagles face No. 4 West Virginia at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Eagles enter the tournament on a 19-1 roll including winning the OVC championship.

JERUSALEM (AP) — A final batch of polls by Israeli media outlets on Friday showed a razor-thin election, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's fate likely turning on the performance of small parties and a former ally who has criticized him…