GEAR MAG

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Wednesday ordered extra security at critical energy infrastructure sites after claiming Ukraine was attempting to disrupt Hungary's energy system.

Budapest has recentlyaccused Kyivof deliberately holding back Russian oil deliveries through the Druzhba pipeline, which crosses Ukraine's territory. Ukrainian officials have denied the allegations, saying the pipeline, which feeds refineries in Hungary and Slovakia, was hit in a Russian drone attack.

'An oil blockade'

In a video posted to social media, Orbán, who maintains the closest relationship with the Kremlin of any European Union leader, said the Ukrainian government was using "an oil blockade" to exert pressure on Hungary and that Hungarian national security services showed Ukraine was "preparing further actions to disrupt the operation of Hungary's energy system." He didn't provide details or evidence for his claims.

"We will deploy soldiers and the necessary equipment to repel attacks near key energy facilities," Orbán said. "The police will patrol with increased forces around designated power plants, distribution stations and control centers."

Nearly every country in Europe has significantly reduced or entirely ceased Russian energy imports since Moscow launched itswar in Ukraineon Feb. 24, 2022. Yet Hungary and Slovakia, both EU and NATO members, have maintained and even increased supplies of Russian oil and gas, and received a temporary exemption from an EU policyprohibiting imports of Russian oil.

On Sunday, Hungary threatened to block a major, 90-billion euro ($106 billion) EU loan for Kyiv, andvetoed a new round of EU sanctionsagainst Russia on Monday. Orbán has vowed to block any other EU measures to assist Ukraine until oil shipments resume.

Druzhba has been out of commission since Jan. 27. Repairs are hazardous and the pipeline can only operate reliably if Russia stops targeting energy infrastructure, according to Ukrainian officials.

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Orbán also ordered Wednesday a ban on drone operations in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County, which borders Ukraine.

A crucial election

Orban has repeatedly accused Ukraine of "blackmail" to force him to give up his anti-Ukrainian positions, and of seeking to drive up energy prices in Hungary just weeks before a pivotal election.

Orbán, who retook office in 2010,faces the strongest challengeto his power in an election set for April 12. The EU's longest-serving leader and his right-wing Fidesz party are trailing in most independent polls to an upstart center-right challenger,Péter Magyar.

Meanwhile, Orbán has launched anaggressive anti-Ukraine media campaignportraying the embattled country as an existential threat to Hungary.

His party has pushed the message that if it loses the election, the Tisza party will drag the country into the war in Ukraine, bankrupting Hungary and getting its youth killed on the front lines.

Associated Press writer Samya Kullab in Kyiv, Ukraine contributed to this report.

Indonesia freed and deported an American man Tuesday after he spent 11 years in prison for the premeditated murder of his then-girlfriend's mother on the tourist island of Bali.

Tommy Schaefer was sentenced to 18 years in prison for the 2014murder of Sheila von Wiese-Mack, the mother of Heather Mack, during a luxury vacation in a case also known as the Bali "suitcase murder."

Schafer was deported back to the United States from Bali International Airport on Tuesday evening after serving his sentence and receiving a number of remissions for good behavior, said Felucia Sengky Ratna, head of the Bali Regional Office of the Directorate General of Immigration, in a statement.

The badly battered body of the 62-year-old von Wiese-Mack, a wealthy Chicago socialite, was found inside the trunk of a taxi parked at the upscale St. Regis Bali Resort in August 2014.

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Heather Mack, who was almost 19 and a few weeks pregnant at the time of the killing, and her then-21-year-old boyfriend, Schaefer, were arrested on the island a day after the body was found.

Mack served seven years of a 10-year prison sentence in Bali for helping to kill her mother and wasdeported in October 2021.

She was also sentenced to 26 years in prison in Chicago in January 2024, after she pleaded guilty to helping kill her mother and stuffing the body in a suitcase during their vacation.

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PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — As the sun rose, a handful of women opened tattered beach umbrellas in the heart ofPort-au-Princeand scanned the horizon before opening their fruit and vegetable stands.

Haiti Daily Life

It was unusually quiet in Carrefour Aéroport, a famed intersection in Haiti's capital that once bustled with traffic and commerce until hundreds of gang members stormed the area in early March 2024 in anunprecedented wave of violence.

They smashed businesses, killed civilians and set fire to a police substation as officers fled.

For nearly two years after the attack, gangs drained the life out of Carrefour Aéroport.

Then in December, Haitian police officers launched a sustained attack against powerful gangs to drive them out of the area with the help of a private security firm andKenyan police officers leading a U.N.-backed missionthat is winding down.

The retaking of Carrefour Aéroport is "probably one of the very first tangible messages sent by the authorities that, 'yes, we can take back the territory of ... no man's land,'" said Romain Le Cour, head of the Haiti Observatory at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.

It's a hint of what could happen elsewhere in Port-au-Prince after a powerfulgang federation known as Viv Ansanmbegan raiding neighborhoods and targeting key government infrastructure in February 2024 in a series of attacks that forced the closure of the country's main international airport and eventually led to theresignation of former Prime Minister Ariel Henry.

"It is a sign of hope," Le Cour said. "It sends the message that this is doable."

A glimmer of life

On Feb. 7, Haitian authorities reopened a renovated police substation in Carrefour Aéroport to much fanfare in a capital that is90% controlled by gangs.

Curious onlookers watched and one of them clapped as heavily guarded police officers entered their restored building nearly two years after gangs had torched it.

"Life is timidly returning to normal," Jacques Ader, a police commissioner, told reporters.

Since the reopening, street vendors and the drivers of colorful buses, known as tap taps, have reinserted themselves in the area.

"Small businesses are recovering," said Jean-Remy Laveau, a 35-year-old motorcycle taxi driver who used to work in the area before gangs seized control.

"It will be good for me, more activities, more money more work. I'll be able to better feed my two kids and my wife," he said.

Also eager for work was Mario Volcy, a 44-year-old tap tap driver who on a recent morning pointed out the vans and big buses circulating in the area for the first time since early 2024.

He called on the government to prosecute those whounleashed the violenceand helpthose affected by it.

"All victims should receive support from the state," he said as he cut the interview short, noting with a smile that his tap tap was full. "I have to go now!"

And off he went, with a Bible on his dashboard and his tap tap emblazoned with "God is my guide" on its side.

Frustrations simmer

Not all are celebrating the revival of Carrefour Aéroport.

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Gaspar Caseus, 49, said he remains frustrated because gangs still control the main highway leading to southern Haiti. He called on authorities to retake control of other major intersections.

"I need to be able to move south," he said. "That is where I pick up coal to bring back to the city for sale."

"Things changed after the attack," he added. "It destroyed my life. It forced my family to move. I look like a beggar. I was able to eat whenever I felt like it. Now, I eat only if something comes around or a good friend remembers me."

Caseus said he heard on the radio that more help was arriving in April. That's when a so-called gang-suppression force isexpected to take the reinsof the current U.N.-backed mission that is winding down after a lack of funds and personnel.

"As long as I am alive," he said, "someday, things will change for the better."

'What's the plan?'

On a recent morning, 32-year-old Antoinette Desulmon donned a big hat to block out the sun and laid out mangoes, oranges, tomatoes and peppers in the hope that someone at Carrefour Aéroport would buy from her that day.

She noted police were on patrol in an armored vehicle and the substation had reopened, but she was afraid the peace was fleeting.

"Fear is with me every second," she said. "I am here selling, but my head is somewhere else."

Desulmon's partner went missing two years ago; she believes he was a victim of gang violence.

"I miss him a lot," she said, adding that she is also concerned about her two children who are living in a makeshift shelter with a cousin, among the 1.4 million Haitiansdisplaced by gang violence.

Desulmon said she had no other choice but to resume selling vegetables and fruit to feed her two children and cousin.

"My heart is broken," she said. "The depression is real."

Around her, nothing has been rebuilt except for the police station. Dozens of charred homes remain in ruins while businesses and schools are still shuttered.

Le Cour, the Haiti expert, said it will likely take time before Carrefour Aéroport is restored to its bustling glory of street vendors, stores selling car parts and restaurants offering coffee to morning commuters and a local soup known as bouillon for lunch.

He said he was hopeful that theincoming gang-suppression forcewould retake control of even more territory.

But even if it does, big concerns remain.

"We're missing the other side of the equation, which is, what do you do with gang members? What's the plan for the day after you retake the territory?" Le Cour questioned. "Are you able to rebuild the territory? Are you able to bring people back in?"

Coto reported from San José, Costa Rica.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka won the toss and elected to bowl in cricket's T20 World Cup Super 8s match against New Zealand on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka New Zealand T20 WCup Cricket

The game is a must-win for co-host Sri Lanka to have any hope of reaching the semifinals after losing to England in its Group 2 opener.

England, on 4 points, is the only team already through to the semifinalsafter defeating Pakistan on Tuesdayto make it two wins from two games in Group 2.

New Zealand and Pakistan each has a point after their match was abandoned because of rain.

Sri Lanka dropped opener Kamil Mishara and recalled the experienced Charith Asalanka. New Zealand left out Jimmy Neesham and brought in Cole McConchie.

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Sri Lanka: Dasun Shanaka (captain), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Pavan Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis, Dunith Wellalage, Dushan Hemantha, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Dilshan Madushanka.

New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (captain), Tim Seifert, Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Cole McConchie, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson.

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

Team USA's men's hockey team attended President Donald Trump's State of the Union address on Tuesday, Feb. 24

NEED TO KNOW

• Trump began by praising the Team USA men's hockey team for beating a "fantastic Canadian team in overtime" at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Sunday, Feb. 22

• He then announced that the next recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom will be Team USA Goalie Connor Hellebuyck

PresidentDonald Trumphas announced that the next recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom will be Team USA Goalie Connor Hellebuyck.

The president, 79, made the announcement duringhis State of the Union addresson Tuesday, Feb. 22. Hellebuyck and other members of Team USA's men's hockey team attended the speech.

Trump began by praising the Team USA men's hockey team for beating a "fantastic Canadian team in overtime" at the2026 Winter Olympicson Sunday, Feb. 22.

The gold medal game sawTeam USA beat Canada 2-1, 46 years after the 1980 Miracle on Ice team won gold during the Lake Placid Games. The U.S defense dominated throughout the game, helping score the victory.

"They were in the Oval Office before, and I just want to say a second, very big congratulations to Team USA," said Trump.

"I have to say that, and I told them this, and we took a vote of the team," he continued. "I said, 'Anybody votes no, I'm not doing it.' So they stood there, and they weren't about to say no, because I'd never seen a goaltender play as well as goalie Connor Hellebuyck."

According toCongress.gov, "there is no formal procedure for nominating and selecting recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom."

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"The President has wide latitude under Executive Order 11515 (March 13, 1970) to award the medal to any person recommended to the President for award of the Medal or any person selected by the President upon his own initiative," the website states. "Selections often reflect the President's political and personal interests."

The crowd seemed to support Trump's decision, as many in attendance stood, clapped and cheered.

"Think of it, 46 shots on goal, and I asked him, 'That one shot, the one where you put your stick in the back, and it hit the neck of your stick and bounced off, you practiced that it was that little lucky?' " said Trump, noting that he "refused" to answer that question.

He then said that the members of the "great hockey squad will be very happy to hear, based on their vote and my vote," that he would "soon be presenting Conor with our highest civilian honor, which will be given and which has been given to many athletes over the years."

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After more cheers, Trump said that Hellebuyck "deserved it."

Read the original article onPeople

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A.J. Brown and Maxx Crosby are two of the best NFL players who could be on the move this offseason.

Their teams just aren't saying they're on the trade block.

Brown, the Philadelphia Eagles' star wide receiver, wasn't happy with the offense or his role in it last season after helping the team win the Super Bowl in 2024. But the Eagles will have a new system with offensive coordinator Sean Mannion.

"There's a lot of conversations in the offseason about players on your team, on other teams," Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said Tuesday at the NFL scouting combine. "That's really the job. That's the fun part about the offseason is the opportunities to improve your team, the opportunities to make trades but at the end of the day, again, we're trying to get better. It's hard to do that if you're just subtracting great players.

"We'll do whatever is in the best interest of our team to be better for this year and going forward. Anything that puts us in position that we think to potentially win another championship so every decision will be made with that no matter who the player is."

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Crosby, the five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher for the Las Vegas Raiders, finished last season on injured reserve after being shut down for the final two weeks due to a knee injury, despite his desire to play. He's said he wants to play for a contender.

Raiders GM John Spytek said he anticipates Crosby being on the team and added he had a "great conversation" with him. He also pointed to the New England Patriots going from 4-13 in 2024 to playing in the Super Bowl in 2025 as an example of a team that can dramatically improve from one season to the next.

However, when asked if Crosby is an "untradeable player," Spytek said: "We're always listening, man."

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

DALLAS (AP) — Federal prosecutors told jurors Tuesday that a shootingoutside a Texas immigration detention centerlast year was carried out by members of antifa, opening a closely watched trial that lawyers for the accused say seeks to wrongly punish a group of political demonstrators.

Immigration Detention Center Shooting

Nine people have pleaded not guilty over their alleged involvement in what prosecutors called an attack on the Prairieland Detention Center near Dallas last July, when a police officer was shot in the neck and wounded.

Eight of the nine face a charge of providing material support to terrorists, which follows President Donald Trump's order to designate the decentralized movement known as antifaas a domestic terrorist organization. Most of the defendants also face multiple charges, includingattempted murder of a law officer.

Lawyers for the defendants say the accused were not members of antifa and were instead taking part in a "noise demonstration" that included fireworks on July 4, 2025, to show support for immigrants inside the center.

"Make no mistake, there's nothing peaceful about what happened on July Fourth," prosecutor Shawn Smith told jurors.

The trial is expected to last upward of three weeks. Several defendants face up to live in prison if convicted.

According to the indictment, a group of people clad in black and wearing masks, some carrying firearms and wearing body armor, shot fireworks toward the center and vandalized vehicles and a guard shed. Then, as local officers responded, one person yelled, "get to the rifles" and opened fire, striking the officer, the indictment said.

Smith said that while it was defendant Benjamin Song who opened fire, several other defendants are also charged with attempted murder of a law officer and discharging a firearm because it was foreseeable from the group's planning that that could happen. Song's attorney did not give an opening statement Tuesday.

The officer who was shot, Alvarado police Lt. Thomas Gross, was the first witness to testify Tuesday. He said he was responding at about 11 p.m. to a call from the detention center when he saw that there was graffiti on a guard shed and a stop sign and noticed a guard chasing a person clad in black with their face covered.

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Gross said he got out of his vehicle and saw another person, also clad in black with their face covered and carrying a rifle.

"At this point the scene is becoming extremely chaotic," he said.

He told jurors he was shot with a round that went into his shoulder and out of his neck.

Defense attorneys told jurors that their clients could only be judged for their own individual actions. "It's a trial within a trial," said attorney Chris Tolbert, who is representing Savanna Batten.

He said his client didn't bring a firearm, spray paint or fireworks to the center. He said that while the government claims that her book club — named for the anarchist Emma Goldman — is a recruiting ground for antifa, it's just a book club.

"She's not a member of antifa, she's not providing material support to terrorists," Tolbert said.

Short for "anti-fascists," antifa is not a single organization but rather an umbrella term for far-left-leaning militant groups that confront or resist neo-Nazis and white supremacists at demonstrations. FBI Director Kash Patel has said the charges in Texas are the first time a material support to terrorism charge has targeted people he said were antifa members.

James Luster, the attorney for defendant Autumn Hill, said Hill has a deep conviction for people she feels are marginalized, including immigrants. Luster said that after watching fireworks being shot into the sky, Hill left before the police arrived.

"It was never supposed to come to this," Luster said.

Several people have alreadypleaded guiltyto providing material support to terrorists after being accused of supporting antifa related to the July 4 shooting. They face up to 15 years in prison at sentencing.