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Airbnb is being asked to drop its sponsorship connections to next year's Beijing's Winter Olympics by a coalition of 150 human rights campaigners. The coalition is headed by groups that oppose rights violations in China. Airbnb is one of the International Olympic Committee's leading 15 sponsors. An open letter asking Airbnb to withdraw its connection to Beijing was sent to CEO Brian Chesky. The top 15 IOC sponsors paid about $1 billion in the last full Olympic cycle to be associated with the games. Rights groups are pressuring IOC sponsors and planning diplomatic boycotts of the games to call attention to alleged abuses against Uyghurs, Tibetans and and others in China.

BEIJING (AP) — China looked to Europe as an amicable partner as the continent's leaders resisted being drawn into President Donald Trump’s conflicts with Beijing over trade, technology and human rights. On Monday, that image shattered when the European Union…

A day after upsets were all the rage at the NCAA Tournament, the second round wrapped up with just one mild surprise and the rest all blowouts. Led by overall No. 1 Gonzaga, the rest of the higher seeds in action Monday clobbered their opponents by an average of 18 points. Bulldogs big man Drew Timme said, “You gotta bring that fire. Because all it takes is one good game and you can be out.” But right now, even very good might not be enough to knock a calm, confident and comfortable Gonzaga team off its perch.   

The U.K. has a lot to reflect on a year after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson first announced that the country would go into lockdown to slow the fast-spreading coronavirus. A national day of reflection taking place on Tuesday will remember more than 126,000 people who died after contracting the virus. The U.K. has the highest pandemic death toll in Europe and the fifth-highest worldwide. Few foresaw that scale of death and grief when Johnson made a prime-time televised address instructing the British people to stay at home. The prime minister nonetheless has faced criticism for delaying the first lockdown, as well as the current one that remains in effect.

Among the economic victims of the coronavirus pandemic in Spain are newly homeless residents who saw their jobs dry up or their marriages collapse and now have nowhere to live but their cars. One 65-year-old man who has spent three months sleeping in his Renault Clio says that before was evicted from his apartment he wouldn't have been able to fathom ending up homeless after five decades of manual labor. The pandemic has been particularly hard on Spain’s economy due to its reliance on tourism and the service sector. The country’s left-wing government has maintained a furlough program to reduce the impact, but over a million jobs have been wiped out.  

By at least one measure, this is the most chaotic Sweet 16 field to date. The seed numbers of the 16 remaining teams add up to 94, the highest total since the NCAA Tournament expanded in 1985. The previous record of 89 was set in 1986. This year’s regional semifinals include 15th-seeded Oral Roberts, 12th-seeded Oregon State, 11th-seeded Syracuse, 11th-seeded UCLA and eighth-seeded Loyola Chicago. Three No. 1 seeds did make it through — Gonzaga, Michigan and Baylor. It’s the sixth straight Sweet 16 appearance for Gonzaga and the fourth for Michigan, the nation’s longest two active streaks.

There is no definition for what makes someone the Most Valuable Player in the NBA. If it’s the best player, LeBron James should have way more than four trophies. If it’s the best player on the best regular-season team, then Giannis Antetokounmpo has been the correct pick in each of the last two seasons. Of late, it’s often been the leading scorer; Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook and James Harden recently won MVPs in scoring-title seasons. If it’s the player most valuable to a contending team, it might be time to make a case for Chris Paul.

The women's NCAA Tournament became a lot less predictable with double-digit seeds pulling off a trifecta of upsets. BYU, Belmont and Wright State advanced to the second round Monday with surprising victories. The upsets came a day after the better seeds opened play by winning all 16 game. But on Monday, No. 11 seed BYU held off sixth-seeded Rutgers to get things started. Wright State became the first 13th seed in nine years to win, ousting No. 4 seed Arkansas. And Belmont won its first-ever NCAA game beating No. 5 seed Gonzaga. 

Oral Roberts will avoid some of the distractions Florida Gulf Coast had to deal with during its NCAA Sweet 16 run in 2013. The team known as Dunk City was the first No. 15 seed to make it past the first weekend of the tournament. Oral Roberts is the second. Oral Roberts is in the tournament bubble in Indianapolis as a precaution against COVID-19. There will be limited access to players and coaches before Saturday's game against Arkansas. Michael Fly was an assistant on the 2013 FGCU team. He says the media frenzy took a toll.

Memories from the height of the coronavirus pandemic in Wuhan are etched in the mind of artist Yang Qian, those of fear and desperation, but also unity and resilience. She is channeling those memories into artwork to preserve the memory of the central Chinese city’s 76-day lockdown that upturned the lives of some 11 million people. In a way, that’s an extension of her work as a volunteer delivering vital supplies to hospitals and residents during the traumatic period, as well as a reflection of the pride many residents take in having weathered the outbreak and the draconian measures taken to bring it under control.

The Arizona Diamondbacks might be missing their best pitcher on opening day. Starter Zac Gallen is being evaluated for soreness in his right forearm and his status is uncertain to begin the season on April 1. The 25-year-old Gallen said he first felt the injury when he was jammed during batting practice about 10 days ago. Gallen went 3-2 with a 2.75 ERA during the pandemic-shortened season, striking out 82 in 72 innings. Elsewhere around spring training, Houston star José Altuve lined into a triple play and Angels slugger Mike Trout drove in three runs during a 10-run inning.

Police say 10 people have been killed in a shooting at a Colorado supermarket, including a police officer. Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold said Monday night that a lone suspect is in custody and is getting medical treatment. Police refuse to speculate on a motive, saying the investigation has just begun. Herold identified the slain officer as 51-year-old Eric Talley, a member of the Boulder police department since 2010. The identities of the other nine victims were not immediately disclosed as police were still notifying their family members. The attack in Boulder stunned a state that has seen several mass shootings, including the 1999 Columbine High School massacre and the 2012 Aurora movie theater shooting.

Isaiah Mobley scored 17 points, younger brother Evan had 10 points and 13 rebounds, and No. 6 seed Southern California routed Kansas 85-51 to reach the Sweet 16. It was the worst loss in 49 trips to the NCAA Tournament for the No. 3 seed Jayhawks. USC ended the first half on an 11-0 run to take a 40-21 lead and never looked back. Marcus Garrett scored 15 points to lead Kansas, which was out-rebounded 43-27.

A conservative firebrand and staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump who came under fire for remarks preceding the attack on the U.S. Capitol has joined the Alabama GOP primary field to replace Sen. Richard Shelby. Rep. Mo Brooks announced his entry into the race Monday night. Brooks joins former Trump ambassador Lynda Blanchard in the Republican primary, which is expected to attract a number of other hopefuls. Shelby announced earlier this year that he wouldn’t seek reelection in 2022. Brooks has been criticized for his fiery speech at the pro-Trump rally that preceded the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Brooks has said his remarks were only intended as a pep talk for the next election cycle.

Germany is extending its lockdown measures by another month and imposing several new restrictions in an effort to drive down the rate of coronavirus infections. Chancellor Angela Merkel announced early Tuesday that the measures include largely shutting down public life for several days over Easter. Speaking after a lengthy video call with the country’s 16 state governors, Merkel stressed that regions with high rates of infection would need to pull an “emergency brake” agreed at a previous meeting three weeks ago. Amid concern over the rise in Germans traveling abroad on holidays, authorities also agreed on a blanket requirement for air travelers to be tested for COVID-19 before boarding a flight to Germany.

Top-seeded Michigan salvaged the Big Ten’s best hope for NCAA Tournament glory Monday with an 86-78 win over talent-rich LSU.  Chaundee Brown and Eli Brooks scored 21 points each for the roller-coaster ride of a victory. The Wolverines used a 14-1 run over the decisive stretch midway through the second half to pull away and preserve. It's a glimmer of hope for a conference that has mostly tanked these four days in Indianapolis. After the win, Michigan and Maryland were the only teams left for the Big Ten, which placed a nation-leading nine in the bracket. 

Marcus Zegarowski scored 20 points to help Creighton beat Ohio 72-58 in the NCAA Tournament. That secured the program’s first trip to the round of 16 in 47 years. Damien Jefferson added 15 points for the Bluejays, the fifth seed in the West Region. They'll next face No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga in the the Sweet 16. Creighton hadn't reached a regional semifinal since 1974. Dwight Wilson III scored 12 points to lead Ohio. The 13th-seeded Bobcats shot 32% and made 7 of 30 3-pointers after their upset of 2019 champion Virginia in the first round.

Fox News senior meteorologist Janice Dean has turned into one of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's fiercest critics after both of her in-laws died of the coronavirus last spring in elderly care facilities. Dean is frequently in the media suggesting Cuomo should be investigated or even jailed for his policies. She is credited for helping keep the spotlight on New York's brief policy of transferring COVID-19 patients to nursing homes. Some people — including her friend Meghan McCain — suggest Dean has a future in politics. But she's also made some dubious claims about the policy, and her advocacy raises ethical issues for Fox News.

Undefeated Gonzaga continued to roll behind a career-high 30 points and 13 rebounds from Drew Timme as the top-seeded Bulldogs beat No. 8 seed Oklahoma 87-71 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Gonzaga won its 32nd straight game dating to last season. The Sooners were the first power conference opponent for Gonzaga since its victory over Virginia in late December. It didn’t matter all that much. Oklahoma became the 25th straight team beaten by double digits by the Bulldogs. The Zags advanced to their sixth straight Sweet 16 and will next face either Creighton or Ohio in the West Region. Austin Reaves scored 27 points for Oklahoma.