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CESKE BUDEJOVICE, Czech Republic (AP) — A revival of an old Easter tradition has gone ahead in southern Czech Republic amid tight coronavirus restrictions. After the pandemic prevented it from happening a year ago, a procession of participants in black…

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — After months of nationwide anti-government protests over corruption, stalled reforms and a stagnating economy in the European Union’s poorest member state, Bulgarians are gearing up for a parliamentary election overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic. The election…

The Nationals and Mets are waiting until at least Saturday to start their season as Washington deals with a COVID-19 outbreak. Three Nats players have tested positive and a fourth is considered a “likely positive,” according to GM Mike Rizzo. Thursday’s opener was postponed and wasn’t immediately rescheduled, even though Friday already had been set up as a day off that could accommodate a game pushed back if there were a rainout, for example. Mets manager Luis Rojas said he was hopeful the teams would play Saturday. Meanwhile, Baltimore and Boston will again try to start the 2021 season at Fenway Park after Thursday’s scheduled opener was postponed by bad weather.

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union is struggling to show complete coronavirus vaccination solidarity among member nations, after a week of negotiations over the distribution of extra doses exposed fissures on Friday. Five EU nations that struggled most to get…

Victor Oladipo got swept out of the first round of the playoffs last season by Miami, and when that series concluded he had no doubt the Heat would end up in the NBA Finals. He was right. And now, he’s got a chance to help them make this season’s playoff push. Oladipo has been an offseason Miami resident, and now, he’s finally an in-season one as well. He started in his Heat debut Thursday night, helping Miami get over the .500 mark with a 116-109 win over the Golden State Warriors.

The NFL could finally see its first 2,000-yard receiver. The 5,000-yard passing club might be ready to induct a few more members with Peyton Manning’s single-season record of 5,477 yards possibly in jeopardy. The accomplishment of 1,000-yard seasons rushing or receiving will become more common and a little more devalued. With the NFL increasing its season to 17 games for the first change in length of the season since going from 14 to 16 games in 1978, some records and milestones could soon be threatened by even more players.

Christians in the Holy Land are marking Good Friday this year amid signs the coronavirus crisis is winding down. Many religious sites are open to limited numbers of faithful but there will be none of the mass pilgrimages usually seen in the Holy Week leading up to Easter. Last year, Jerusalem was under a strict lockdown, a stark departure from past years, when tens of thousands of pilgrims would descend on the city’s holy sites. This year, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built on the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, died and rose from the dead, is open to visitors but only expecting a few dozen.

March 25, 2021 – April 1, 2021 This photo gallery highlights some of the most compelling images made or published by Associated Press photographers in Latin America and Caribbean. The gallery was curated by AP Photojournalist Esteban Felix in Santiago,…

Opening day in Major League Baseball saw All-Stars on the field and fans back in the stands. A year after no fans were allowed during the regular season because of coronavirus concerns, crowds were permitted as Miguel Cabrera, Mookie Betts and Nolan Arenado took the field. But there was a stark reminder of what baseball went through last season as the opener in Washington between the Nationals and New York Mets was postponed because of COVID-19 protocols. Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo later said three players had tested positive for the virus and a fourth was considered a “likely positive.” Also, there was snow in Detroit and Cincinnati, and the game at Fenway Park was called off because of inclement weather.

Even in the freezing cold, it was hard to dim the joy for fans across Major League Baseball. Several stadiums welcomed back fans for opening day on Thursday, including Wrigley Field and Yankee Stadium and snowy Comerica Park in Detroit. Baseball was played without fans during the 2020 regular season. Now teams are bringing back crowds, mostly in limited capacities. There were still some reminders of the struggle of playing during a pandemic. The New York Mets-Washington Nationals game was postponed on Thursday because of coronavirus concerns after a Nationals player tested positive for COVID-19.

Luka Garza of Iowa is The Associated Press men’s college basketball player of the year. The 6-foot-11, 265-pound senior received 50 of 63 votes from a national media panel. Ayo Dosunmu of Illinois was second with six votes. Garza was the runner-up for last year's award behind Dayton's Obi Toppin. He ranked second nationally as a senior by averaging 24.1 points while also improving his shooting percentages. He finished his career as Iowa's all-time leading scorer. Garza credits much of his success to meditation. He says it helped him handle the pressure that came with high expectations this season.

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Protesters in Myanmar on Thursday marked two months since the military seized power by again defying the threat of lethal violence and demonstrating against its toppling of the country's democratically elected government. Security forces have escalated…

Astros shortstop Carlos Correa says he hasn’t seriously discussed a long-term deal with Houston and plans to seek a big payday in free agency next offseason. Correa says “there were not really any negotiations" and that Houston intimated it would not consider a long-term commitment. Correa says he turned down an offer of $125 million over five years, paltry compared to the $341 million, 10-year deal shortstop and friend Francisco Lindor agreed to with the New York Mets on Wednesday night. Correa will earn $11.3 million this season.

Show dogs will have their day in Madison Square Garden again when the Westminster Kennel Club show returns in January after coronavirus precautions prompted a shift to the suburbs this spring. The club announced Thursday that next year’s final rounds will be held as usual at the famous arena. But they'll be earlier than normal, on Jan. 25-26. Preliminary rounds will be at a venue to be announced and start Jan. 24, after an agility championship there on Jan. 22. Meanwhile, Westminster is preparing for a very different show this year. It will be outdoors at a riverfront estate about 25 miles (40 km) north of Manhattan in Tarrytown, without any spectators.

Guns have fallen silent along the Line of Control, a de facto border that divides the Himalayan region of Kashmir between India and Pakistan after the rivals last month reaffirmed their 2003 cease-fire accord. The somewhat surprising decision has prompted a thaw in the otherwise turbulent relations between the nuclear-armed South Asian neighbors, raising questions about how long the fragile peace will last. Experts say the cease-fire could be a good beginning to stabilize the lingering conflict. They point to a climbdown by both India and Pakistan from their earlier positions following a decision by India to strip Kashmir of its semi-autonomy and take direct control over the region in 2019, and its monthslong bitter border standoff with China.  

A top Biden administration official says the government is undertaking a new effort to help electric utilities, water districts and other critical industries protect against potentially damaging cyberattacks. Anne Neuberger, deputy national security adviser, says in an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday that the goal is to ensure that control systems serving 50,000 or more Americans have the core technology to detect and block malicious cyber activity. The threat to those systems was laid bare in February after a hacker’s botched attempt to poison the water supply of a small Florida city raised alarms about how vulnerable the nation’s utilities may be to attacks by more sophisticated intruders.  

Colorado lawmakers are considering a proposal to ban Native American mascots in public schools and colleges. The measure cleared the state Senate Education Committee on Thursday. It would impose a $25,000 monthly fine on public schools, colleges and universities that use American Indian-themed mascots after June 1, 2022. A database by the National Congress of American Indians says more than 1,900 schools across the U.S. have Native American-themed mascots. Tribal members testified in support of the bill. The Southern Ute tribal chairman said the “inaccurate and cruel portrayals” of Native Americans as mascots have been used as “strategic tools to marginalize Indigenous communities.”

Francisco Lindor and the New York Mets agreed to a $341 million, 10-year pact on the eve of opening day, terms that could keep the four-time All-Star in Queens for the rest of his career. The deal kicks in for the 2022 season, meaning Lindor will be 38 when the contract expires. Lindor pledged Thursday to make New Yorkers proud, saying he had “341 million reasons" to play the game the right way. The payday will be the largest ever for a shortstop, passing Fernando Tatis Jr.'s recent deal with San Diego by $1 million. Lindor said he'll be rooting for friends Carlos Correa and Javier Báez to beat that next offseason.

The opening day game between the Washington Nationals and New York Mets was postponed hours before it was scheduled to begin because of coronavirus concerns after at least three of the 2019 World Series champions’ players tested positive for COVID-19. Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said his team also has a fourth player considered a “likely positive.” He did not identify any of the players involved. He said it was not known when the season-opening game will be made up, other than that it would not be played Friday, which was originally scheduled as an off day.

The Nationals and Mets are waiting until at least Saturday to start their season as Washington deals with a COVID-19 outbreak. Three Nats players have tested positive and a fourth is considered a “likely positive,” according to GM Mike Rizzo. Thursday’s opener was postponed and wasn’t immediately rescheduled, even though Friday already had been set up as a day off that could accommodate a game pushed back if there were a rainout, for example. Mets manager Luis Rojas said he was hopeful the teams would play Saturday. Meanwhile, Baltimore and Boston will again try to start the 2021 season at Fenway Park after Thursday’s scheduled opener was postponed by bad weather.