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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…

LONDON (AP) — Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon has dismissed suggestions that she misled lawmakers, saying opposition members of a legislative panel had made up their minds before they heard her evidence. Sturgeon told Sky News that she stands by the…

Garment workers in Myanmar are urging major international brands to denounce the recent military coup there and put more pressure on factories to protect workers from being fired or harassed — or worse arrested and killed for participating in protests. Major brands like H&M and Mango increasingly flocked to Myanmar in search of cheap labor as the Southeast Asian country began moving toward democracy over the past decade. Now, those brands face a conundrum: whether to stay or pull out. At stake are the livelihoods of more than 600,000 garment workers who have been at the forefront of the pro-democracy demonstrations.

Tokyo organizers and the International Olympic Committee are poised to finally make it official that most fans from abroad will be prohibited from attending the postponed Olympics. The announcement is expected to come after “five-party” talks this weekend with the IOC, local organizers, the Japanese government, the Tokyo metropolitan government and the International Paralympic Committee. A sticking point seems to be with international federations and national Olympic committees that have sponsors with tickets who wish to attend. They are expected to get some type of exemption. The Olympics open on July 23. The Paralympics follow on Aug. 24.

The scientist who won the race to deliver the first widely used coronavirus vaccine says people can rest assured the shots are safe. Ozlem Tureci, the co-founder and chief scientist at German company BioNTech, said she and her colleagues have all received the vaccine developed together with Pfizer. Tureci told The Associated Press that the mRNA technology behind the shot will be used to fight another global scourge — cancer — “within only a couple of years.” Tureci and her husband, BioNTech's chief executive Ugur Sahin will receive Germany’s highest award on Friday at a ceremony attended by Chancellor Angela Merkel. Tureci says the honor recognizes the efforts by a large team and is “a celebration of science.”

The suspension of the AstraZeneca vaccine in several European countries over the past week could fuel skepticism about the shot far beyond their shores, potentially threatening the rollout of a vaccine that is key to the global strategy to stamp out the coronavirus pandemic. As things stand, it’s either AstraZeneca or nothing for some developing countries. Most developing countries that had the vaccine on hand pushed ahead with it even as major nations in Europe suspended its use after reports of blood clots in some recipients of the shot. The EU regulator says the vaccine is not linked to an overall increase in the risk of clots.

Jahvon Quinerly used to lay awake at night wondering how things could have gone differently, though they’re going quite nicely these days. Now he is a point guard and second-leading scorer for No. 5 Alabama. He is a significant contributor in the Crimson Tide men's basketball team's rise to Southeastern Conference champions and a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The past few years hadn’t gone nearly so smoothly. His name had surfaced in a federal investigation and took a couple of years to get publicly cleared. Quinerly ended up signing with Villanova and transferring to Alabama, where he had to sit out last season.

Oklahoma State's Cade Cunningham headlines the list of top NBA prospects in the NCAA Tournament. The freshman is projected by many to be the No. 1 overall NBA draft pick if he enters the draft. USC big man Evan Mobley and fellow freshman Jalen Suggs from Gonzaga are projected top-3 picks. The list of top tournament prospects includes freshmen Moses Moody of Arkansas and Scottie Barnes of Florida State. There's also the freshman duo of Keon Johnson and Jalen Springer from Tennessee. Gonzaga's Corey Kispert has also improved his draft standing as a sharp-shooting senior.

The NCAA Tournament returned to the big stage with a small first step, proving it can still showcase tight games and generate real excitement, even in mostly empty arenas. A 710-day hiatus caused by the pandemic officially ended with the tournament's ‘First Four’ games — contests that will launch UCLA, Drake, Texas Southern and Norfolk State into the 64-team main bracket that begins play Friday. “I feel like I’m on top of the world,” said John Walker III, who led Texas Southern with 19 points. The feeling may not last long, since all ‘First Four’ winners now face higher seeds.. 

UCLA forced overtime with Jaime Jaquez Jr.‘s three-point play with 3.3 seconds to go against Michigan State, then pulled away in the extra session for an 86-80 victory at Mackey Arena in their First Four game at the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins’ Cody Riley hit a foul shot with 26 seconds left and, after the Spartans’ Joshua Langford missed at the other end, Jaylen Clark added two more to send UCLA into a first-round game against No. 6 seed BYU on Saturday night. Aaron Henry led the Spartans with 18 points, five rebounds and seven assists.

March 11, 2021 – March 18, 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 Jorge Saenz in Asuncion,…

John Walker III scored a season-high 19 points and Jordan Gilliam had 12 to help Texas Southern erase a 10-point halftime deficit and beat Mount St. Mary's 60-52 in the first NCAA Tournament game in nearly two years. It's the second straight First Four victory for the Tigers, who also won in 2018. They will face top-seeded Michigan on Saturday. Damian Chong Qui scored 14 points and Mezie Offurum had 10 points and 16 rebounds for the Mountaineers, who fell to 1-9 in tourney play.

Now that the muzzles have been removed for NFL team executives and the players they either re-signed or added in free agency, Thursday was a time for explanations and reflections. Yes, there were more transactions: Las Vegas getting running back Kenyan Drake while Denver bid adieu to RB Phillip Lindsay. New England bringing back Kyle Van Noy, Buffalo grabbing Mitchell Trubisky, and Tennessee getting All-Pro long snapper Morgan Cox. There also were plenty of words from guys switching teams (Carson Wentz, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Joe Thuney, A.J. Green), players staying put (Leonard Williams, Derek Wolfe) and even a player coming out of retirement (Kyle Long).

South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley is fiery and animated on the sidelines. But when her sister, Tracey Underwood, was diagnosed with leukemia last year it wasn’t about a game, it was life and death. Staley dove into the fight against the disease, calling doctors and medical centers across the country. She spoke with ex-North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell, who took a year away to fight leukemia. Staley even spoke with Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski about getting Underwood into Duke Cancer Institute. Staley galvanized her family in battling Underwood’s condition. Underwood received a life-saving bone marrow transplant from her brother Lawrence. Staley’s now is using her platform to raise awareness for the need for more Black donors and allay fears about becoming donors.

Joseph Yesufu scored 21 points and Drake beat Wichita State 53-52 in the First Four. It was Bulldogs’ first NCAA Tournament win in a half-century. Drake’s last tournament victory had been 50 years ago to the day —- March 18, 1971, against Notre Dame. The Bulldogs came in with 25 wins, second most in the tournament. Their tense matchup with a longtime Missouri Valley Conference rival brought some early drama to the pandemic-affected tourney. Wichita State had a chance to win at the buzzer but Alterique Gilbert settled for a long 3-pointer that hit the front rim.

A social media effort to raise awareness about inequities in college sports by some prominent basketball players came with calls for rules changes and requests for meetings with the NCAA president and lawmakers. The players who got #NotNCAAProperty trending on social made no threats of protests at tournament games. The tournament opened Thursday night and will have millions of viewers all weekend. The NCAA's vice president of basketball says he is not aware of any player protest that could disrupt the games.

DANDONG, China (AP) — China was expected to open the first trial Friday for one of two Canadians who have been held for more than two years in apparent retaliation for Canada’s arrest of a senior Chinese telecom executive. Canada…

Matt Jones tied the course record at PGA National in the first round of the Honda Classic on Thursday with a 9-under 61. Brian Harman shot a 61 at PGA National in the second round of the 2012 Honda. Tiger Woods shot a 62 in the final round that same year. Until Thursday, they were the only rounds of 8 under or better since the event moved to PGA National 15 years ago. Jones, an Australian ranked No. 83 in the world, was flawless with nine birdies and no bogeys. 

Santa Anita will reopen to the public at limited capacity next month in time for the Santa Anita Derby, the West Coast’s major prep for the Kentucky Derby. The track in Arcadia, California, will reopen April 2, a day before the $750,000 race. Fans must purchase tickets for an assigned seat in advance. Walk-up or general admission tickets cannot be sold, though that could change as COVID-19 numbers improve in Los Angeles County. Fans will be required to wear masks and maintain social distancing. The county has dropped into the red tier for COVID-19, and the state is allowing limited capacity for large sporting event venues.