Russia and Ukraine set to begin Easter truce

A temporary ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine for Orthodox Easter is set to begin on Saturday afternoon, as US-led diplomatic efforts to end the war falter. 

The Kremlin said it had ordered a temporary truce from Saturday at 4:00 pm (1300 GMT) until the end of Sunday, a 32-hour period.

Russia's Defence Minister Andrei Belousov and army chief Valery Gerasimov have been instructed to "cease hostilities in all directions during this period," the Kremlin said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Kyiv had "repeatedly stated" it was ready for a ceasefire over Easter, and was willing to reciprocate. 

The temporary ceasefire came as US-led talks on ending the four-year-old conflict have been derailed by the Middle East war.

The two sides also held a ceasefire for the Orthodox Easter last year.

Authorities in Ukraine's central region of Poltava, and Sumy, a region in the north east, reported overnight Friday that one person had been killed and around 15 others wounded in two separate attacks, just hours before the ceasefire was set to begin.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia launched 128 drones against the country overnight Thursday.

- Slowdown in Russian military operations -

Several rounds of US-led talks have failed to bring the warring sides closer to an agreement and Washington's attention is now focused on Iran. 

The negotiations have become deadlocked, with Moscow demanding territorial and political concessions that Zelensky has ruled out as tantamount to capitulation.

The Kremlin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied Russia had discussed the ceasefire with Ukraine or the United States in advance and said it was not linked to negotiations to end the war. 

The war has cost hundreds of thousands of lives and forced millions to flee their homes, making it Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II.

Over the past few years, fighting on the front has come to a near standstill. Russia has made small territorial gains at a high cost.  

But Kyiv recently managed to push back in the southeast and Russian advances have been slowing since late 2025, according to the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Apart from Ukrainian counter-attacks, analysts attributed the slowdown to Russia being banned from using SpaceX's Starlink satellites and Moscow's own efforts to block the Telegram messaging app. 

The situation is, however, unfavourable for Ukraine in the Donetsk region, towards the cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, according to the ISW. 

Moscow occupies just more than 19 percent of Ukraine, most of which was seized during the first weeks of the conflict.

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The Atlanta Hawks secured an NBA playoff berth with a 124-102 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday as the Boston Celtics locked up the Eastern Conference second seed with a lopsided win of their own.

CJ McCollum scored a game-high 29 points for the Hawks, who came into the contest at sixth in the East and still in danger of falling into the play-in tournament that will see the seventh- through 10th-placed teams battle for the last two playoff berths in each conference.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Jalen Johnson scored 18 points apiece and Dyson Daniels added a triple-double of 13 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists for the Hawks, who led 61-48 at halftime and surged away with a 16-0 scoring run late in the third quarter.

The Cavaliers, assured of the fourth seed in the East and home court advantage in the first round, rested Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen.

The Celtics, who had missed a chance to secure the second seed with a loss to the New York Knicks on Thursday, got the job done with a record-equaling 29 three-pointers in a 144-118 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

It's the second time in two seasons the Celtics have matched the record of 29 treys, first set by the Milwaukee Bucks in December 2020 and also matched this season by the Memphis Grizzlies.

All 30 teams played on the penultimate day of regular-season action, with more than a dozen of those headed for the post-season still jostling to cement their playoff or play-in positions.

The Knicks secured the third seed in the East with a 112-95 victory over the Toronto Raptors.

Toronto slipped from fifth to sixth in the East with one game remaining and the same 45-36 record as the seventh-placed Orlando Magic -- who beat the Chicago Bulls 127-103.

The short-handed Philadelphia 76ers shook off the absence of star big man Joel Embiid, who is recovering from an appendectomy, to beat the Pacers 105-94 in Indiana.

Eighth in the East, the Sixers still have a mathematical chance of overtaking both the Raptors and Magic on Sunday and avoiding the play-in.

But the Charlotte Hornets were locked into the play-in with their 118-100 loss to Eastern Conference top seeds Detroit.

- Wembanyama returns -

The playoff-bound San Antonio Spurs, fueled by 40 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and two blocked shots from superstar Victor Wembanyama, beat the Dallas Mavericks 139-120.

Wembanyama returned to action after missing one game with bruised ribs and with 64 regular-season games and the NBA Cup final under his belt has met the 65-game minimum to be eligible for season honors including Defensive Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player.

Wembanyama underscored his status as an MVP contender with his fifth 40-point game of the season in just 26 minutes on the floor.

bb/aks

US President Donald Trump's administration on Friday revealed renderings for a colossal triumphal arch proposed for construction in Washington near some of the nation's most revered monuments.

At 250 feet (76.2 meters) it would pip Mexico City's Monument to the Revolution by 30 feet, making it the largest structure of its kind in the world, and knocking Pyongyang's Arch of Triumph to third place.

The gold-accented arch would also tower over the 99-foot-tall Lincoln Memorial, sitting just across the Potomac River at the other end of Arlington Memorial Bridge, and be clearly visible from Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, the final resting place for many of the nation's military heroes.

The structure "will be the GREATEST and MOST BEAUTIFUL Triumphal Arch, anywhere in the World," Trump wrote Friday on his social media platform on Friday. "This will be a wonderful addition to the Washington D.C. area for all Americans to enjoy for many decades to come!"

The arch is one of several architectural projects -- including the construction of a large White House ballroom, lambasted by critics, and renovations to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts -- that Trump has undertaken to leave a mark on Washington in his second term.

Drawings and computer-generated renderings show a large, winged Lady Liberty flanked by two eagles -- all gilded -- atop a towering white arch.

Golden inscriptions read "One Nation Under God" and "Liberty and Justice for All" on opposite sides.

The arch, resembling the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, is proposed for a traffic circle on Columbia Island, which sits in the Potomac River that hugs Washington.

Trump, who was one of America's most famous real estate developers before entering the entertainment industry and later politics, has said it would be built to mark the 250th anniversary of America's founding and 1776 declaration of independence from Britain.

The plans were submitted for review to the US Commission of Fine Arts, a federal agency charged with advising the president on design matters.

Trump fired all members of the board in October and stacked it with allies as he embarks on a series of renovation and building projects across the US capital.

Last month, the same agency gave its approval to the design of a commemorative gold coin etched in Trump's likeness to be minted for the 250th anniversary.

pnb/mlm

Columbia College baseball shined on breast cancer awareness day, securing 2-1 and 10-0 victories over Central Baptist. 

Strong pitching performances willed the Cougars to victory in both contests. Kolten Payne pitched 6⅓ innings in Game 1, striking out five and issuing zero walks. Joey Marcinkiewicz's solo shot in the fourth inning pushed Columbia over the edge to a 2-1 victory.

Parker Anderson threw a complete-game shutout in a Game 2 that was all Cougars from the start. Marcinkiewicz continued his success at the plate with  three hits and two RBI, while Dylan Carlton recorded two triples and led the team with three RBI.

CC prepares for another showdown with Central Baptist at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Stephens softball snaps seven-game skid in doubleheader split

After dropping Game 1 of the doubleheader 7-0 to Central Baptist on Friday afternoon, Stephens softball ended its seven-game losing streak with a 1-0 victory in Game 2. 

The Stars gave up five runs in the first inning of Game 1, a deficit that they never climbed out of. A Landry Bales RBI-single in the first inning proved to be the difference in Game 2, as Elise Kendrick threw a complete-game shutout and struck out six, holding the Trojans at bay. 

Stephens will look to build on the victory in a doubleheader against Mission University starting at noon Saturday. 

CC men's, women's track compete in the UCM Mule Relays

Columbia College competed in both days of the UCM Mule Relays, hosted by the University of Central Missouri. 10 men's athletes and 10 women's athletes placed in the top 10 at the meet.

Lauren Berhorst was the highest-placing Cougar at the Mule Relays, as she came in third in the 5000-meter with a time of 19 minutes, 13.81 seconds. Laik Graham finished fourth in the 5000-meter on the men's side with a time of 15:40.18.

Marcos Lara and Ryan Brown finished fourth and fifth in the 1500-meter with times of 3:55.05 and 3:56.66, respectively. Brenin Howell represented Columbia in the field, finishing fourth in discus with a throw of 171 feet, seven inches and sixth in shot put with a throw of 53-04.

Both teams will compete in the Dewey Allgood Invite on April 18.

Mizzou tennis falls to No. 4 Auburn

The Mizzou tennis team failed to score a point as it lost 4-0 to the Auburn Tigers on Friday night in Auburn, Alabama.

Auburn secured the doubles point quickly, besting the duo of freshman Lara Quaglia and sophomore Gian Octa 6-2, as well as another pair of underclassmen, freshman Alex Ackman and sophomore Zoe Lazar, 6-1.

Over on singles, the three Tigers who completed their matches failed to win a set. A three-headed Auburn monster of No. 37 DJ Bennett, No. 49 Ekaterina Khairutdinova and No. 55 Ava Esposito diced up Mizzou, securing the win in straight sets.

Mizzou will be back in action when it takes on Florida at noon Sunday in Gainesville.

(The Center Square) – During an annual gathering of conservatives in the suburbs of Harrisburg on Friday, U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon urged Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro to opt the state into a federal school choice program. 

“It couldn't be more of a win-win for students in all states,” McMahon said of the federal Education Freedom Tax Credit.

This program, enacted as a result of the President Donald Trump-backed Working Families Tax Cuts Act, established a new federal tax credit of up to $1,700 for contributions made to a Scholarship Granting Organization, or SGO. The Department of Education describes SGOs as “nonprofits that accept qualified contributions from individuals and use the funds to provide scholarships for education-related services at private or public schools, including tuition, fees, academic tutoring, and classroom supplies.”

States can decide whether to opt in to become a “covered state” under this program. 

According to the Commonwealth Foundation, a conservative think-tank that supports school choice, 29 states have decided to participate. 

A majority of the states that have opted in to the federal school choice program are led by Republican governors, although McMahon said that “a couple Democratic governors” have come on board with it.

Prior to her appearance at the Pennsylvania Leadership Conference, she joined Republican lawmakers for a rally on the steps of the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg. 

McMahon said that Shapiro has done “some good things” in Pennsylvania with regard to school choice, saying that there is a “very similar state tax provision” in place in the commonwealth.

That provision, the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Scholarship, uses personal and business donations to give financial aid to students at private schools. A second program, the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit, further targets the donations to students living in low-performing districts.

In the most recent budget, the programs will provide up to $590 million in assistance.

“So, I’m surprised, actually, that he hasn’t opted in, and so we were there to encourage him to do just that,” McMahon said.

States that opt in must provide a list of SGOs that meet the statutory requirements by January 1 of each calendar year, according to the Department of Education. Students eligible to enroll in a public elementary or secondary school and from a household with income not greater than 300% of the area’s median gross income qualify for a scholarship through the Education Freedom Tax Credit.

The topic of school choice has become an issue of intense debate during Shapiro’s tenure in office, particularly during his first budget negotiations. 

In August 2023, Shapiro signed a state budget that was set to include a state-funded school choice program, titled “Pennsylvania Award for Student Success Scholarship Program,” or PASS, but instead decided to deliver a line-item veto of the statewide $100 million voucher program.

The decision fractured negotiations between Senate Republicans, who back the program as an option for children living in under-resourced districts, and House Democrats, who believe PASS and other credits like it siphon taxpayer money to private schools.

Shapiro hasn’t ruled out support for expanded school choice programs in Pennsylvania, but has said it's up to the legislature to figure out and send a bill to his desk.

Outside the halls of the Capitol in Harrisburg and on the campaign trail in 2024, Republican Dave McCormick said he supported a national school choice program during his bid for U.S. Senate.

After winning the seat, he became a co-sponsor of the federal proposal.

McCormick, also in attendance for the annual conservative gathering at the Penn Harris Hotel on Friday, described school choice as an example of “giving people the opportunity to live the American dream.”

“It gives parents and kids an opportunity to pick a school that’s best for them,” he said. 

McCormick said he’s talked to Shapiro about it and has encouraged him to opt-in. He also penned an op-ed in the Philadelphia Inquirer on the matter. 

“But this is an example of an opportunity where Pennsylvania needs to lead. Our governor needs to lead,” McCormick said. “The federal government and President Trump already led to create this opportunity.”

“But if we really care about kids having opportunity and prospering, and being able to compete in this world, that’s changing so quickly, this is the best way to do it, and I'm excited about it,” he added. “But man, what a disgrace if all of us donate money or people donate money and Pennsylvania kids don’t get to take advantage of it. So it's a real opportunity moment, but we haven't seized it yet.”

Shapiro hasn’t ruled out opting in, according to WGAL, with a spokesperson saying that the administration is waiting for federal guidance to address key questions about the program, including student eligibility, how the initiative will interact with existing programs, and other details.

There was only one way Mizzou baseball could have scored fewer runs than it did in its series opener against South Carolina.

The Tigers accomplished that by getting shut out 1-0 in Game 2 on Friday. After a loss in the opener, this game brought Mizzou to a series loss to the Gamecocks.

It was Mizzou starting pitcher Brady Kehlenbrink versus South Carolina starter Amp Phillips for most of the game. The two pitchers each pitched into the eighth and ninth innings, respectively, and severely limited the number of runners that reached.

Kehlenbrink notched 7⅓ innings. He struck out 10 and did not hit or walk a batter. The lone run that crossed came from one of the two hits that he gave up. South Carolina’s Tyler Bak ripped a triple to put himself in scoring position. He then came home on a throwing error to first base that was committed by Kam Durnin, making it so Kehlenbrink left the mound with no earned runs in the game.

"My changeup hasn't been good in a while, and it was really working today," Kehlenbrink said. "My curveball, same thing, hasn't been really working. I haven't had command (of) it. I really honed those in today."

After back-to-back rough starts in which he gave up nine runs against Texas A&M and eight runs against Kentucky, Kehlenbrink rebounded strongly for a career-high in innings pitched. The length and lack of runs allowed make this game a strong candidate for his best start during his time at Mizzou.

"Brady comes out there and just pitches his tail off," Missouri coach Kerrick Jackson said. "Offensively, we didn't even come close to matching the competitive spirit that he had. I feel bad for him."

At the plate, Mizzou did not fare well. The Tigers scattered a few hits, but they were unable to string much together. One of their few scoring opportunities came in the fifth after singles from Kaden Peer and Mateo Serna put runners at the corners, but the next two batters popped up and lined out to strand them.

"We just didn't make any adjustments," Jackson said. "(Phillips) just kept doing the same thing over and over again."

The Tigers put the tying run on second base in the ninth, but Jase Woita, a South Carolina transfer, hit a fly ball to the center fielder for the final out. 

For the final 1⅔ innings on the mound, Mizzou went to righty Trey Lawrence. The sophomore's scoreless outing to close the game helped to keep the deficit small. He struck out three and gave up just one hit.

In a battle for the bottom of the Southeastern Conference, Mizzou finds itself in last place with a 3-11 record. The Tigers will have a chance to even it back up and tie for the final spot with the Gamecocks in the last game of the series.

Game 3 of the series will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday at Taylor Stadium.

From false claims that a historic lunar fly-by was staged in a movie studio to unfounded narratives that footage of the crew was AI-generated, the Artemis II mission has been clouded by a blizzard of misinformation.

The falsehoods -- circulating across tech platforms including X, TikTok and Facebook -- have also added fresh fuel to a longstanding conspiracy theory that NASA's 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing was faked.

Hashtags such as "fake space" and "fake NASA" have gained traction online since NASA's lunar fly-by sent astronauts farther from Earth than any human before.

Among the falsehoods was an image, viewed over a million times on X, purporting to show the Artemis II crew floating before a green screen and facing film cameras -- suggesting their mission was staged in a studio, but in reality bore the hallmarks of AI manipulation.

Some users also shared a video showing text appearing through the mission's official mascot as purported proof the flight was staged.

But a digital forensics expert told AFP's fact-checkers that the anomaly was the result of a failed text overlay by a news station that had syndicated the official feed.

Unfounded claims that the Artemis II mission detected a mysterious moving object on the moon's surface also racked up millions of views across platforms.

The misinformation spread as four astronauts -- preparing on Friday for a high-stakes re-entry and splashdown -- captivated the world with stunning visuals from their fly-by of the Earth's natural satellite from aboard the Orion spacecraft.

-  Internet Wild-West -

Once confined to the internet's fringes, conspiracy theories have moved squarely into the mainstream amid growing mistrust of public institutions and traditional media.

Scientific achievements such as the lunar mission present "very easy content for conspiracy influencers," said disinformation researcher Mike Rothschild.

"There are some people whose reflexive reaction to any kind of major event is to claim it's fake and staged, no matter what it is," Rothschild told AFP.

Many of them "pass themselves off as experts in science and physics because it's somehow more believable to their followers than just going with 'the official story.'"

The trend underscores a Wild West internet landscape that is largely bereft of guardrails as false narratives erode digital trust. Several tech platforms have gutted trust and safety teams and scaled back moderation, making them what researchers call a hotbed for misinformation.

Further sowing online confusion were claims that the entire Artemis II mission was a hoax powered by artificial intelligence tools.

The assertion underscores how the rise of cheap and widely available AI tools has given misinformation peddlers a handy incentive to cast doubt on authentic content -- a tactic researchers have dubbed as the "liar's dividend."

- 'Secret knowledge' -

The swirl of falsehoods has also bolstered one of the longest enduring conspiracy theories -- that NASA faked the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing, broadcasting visuals shot in a Hollywood studio. 

The conspiratorial discourse has seeped into pop culture, becoming a plotline in movies like romantic comedy "Fly Me to the Moon" -- with Scarlett Johansson's character tasked with faking a moon landing -- and some celebrities also amplifying the claim.

"The moon landing is an example of a conspiracy that will not die," Timothy Caulfield, a misinformation expert from the University of Alberta in Canada, told AFP.

"These conspiracies are attractive for a host of reasons including that they are linked to the allure of having 'secret knowledge' or being aware of things others don't know."

Though easy to debunk, such theories persist as Artemis II comes decades after the previous lunar missions, events today's internet-savvy generation has little recollection of.

"In many ways, it is a testament to how hard it is for humans to travel to the moon -- after all, we did it from 1968 to 1972, and it has taken until 2026 to do it again. It makes many people wonder if it ever happened," space exploration expert Francis French told AFP.

"Right now we are seeing remarkable photographs and video of the Earth and the moon...These photos alone should remove doubt and show once again the amazing things humans are capable of."

burs-mja-ac/sla

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberal Party is poised to secure a majority in parliament in by-elections Monday, but a year into his tenure, hints of vulnerability may be emerging.

A string of recent polls put the Liberals more than 10 points ahead of the opposition Conservatives.

But on a bright chilly morning in a Toronto area -- one of three districts holding special elections next week to fill parliamentary seats -- some said Carney's sparkling credentials had not delivered tangible results.

"He talks a good game but nothing ever changes," said David Gilhooly, 52, who had a long, thick beard and wore a heavy coat as the Canadian winter dragged into April.

Carney led the central banks of Canada and Britain before replacing Justin Trudeau as prime minister in March 2025. 

Voters had soured on the Liberals after Trudeau's decade in power and the party was headed for an electoral wipeout. 

But Carney transformed the race, persuading Canadians he was the ideal leader to confront the trade conflicts and geopolitical turmoil triggered by US President Donald Trump. 

Carney's Liberals won elections last April but fell just short of a majority. 

He has since delivered a series of speeches warning that Canada needs to dramatically reduce its economic and security dependence on the United States, arguing Trump's presidency had caused a "rupture" in the world order.  

The prime minister has announced massive military spending increases and sought new trade deals in Europe and Asia. 

The Liberals have also poached five opposition lawmakers to join their caucus.

The stunning defections mean if the Liberals win in two of the three districts holding by-elections Monday, they will take full control of parliament. 

Two of those districts, both in Toronto, are seen as safe Liberal seats. 

- 'Slick guy' -  

Gilhooly volunteers at a center that supports people struggling with addiction and homelessness, in a central Toronto area that has for decades been home to waves of immigrant groups. 

The district was previously represented by former deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland, who left Canadian politics to work for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. 

Gilhooly sees Carney as a "slick guy" comfortable in "nice suits." 

But "what are you actually offering on the ground level?" he asked. "I don't think things are getting better."

Public surveys support his critique.  

The Angus Reid Institute found last month that while the Liberals maintain an eight-point lead over Conservatives (44 to 36 percent), "concerns over the high cost of living are higher than they have been in recent memory for lower-income Canadians."

Grocery prices are up more than 20 percent since 2022 and unemployment is at 6.7 percent, an elevated number caused partly by Trump's tariffs. 

More than 40 percent of Canadians told Angus Reid they were feeling medium or high levels of financial pressure over issues like food prices and personal debt. That group of voters is far less likely to vote Liberal, the poll found.

- 'Critical disconnect' -

The Conservatives are hammering Carney over what they say is his failure to turn rhetoric about economic transformation into relief. 

Serena Purdy is the by-election candidate for the left-wing New Democrats in the central Toronto district. 

The Liberals have comfortably won the seat in three straight votes and should hold it on Monday.

But Purdy, sitting in a park flanked by row houses, shops and cafes in a historic market area, told AFP that after weeks of knocking on doors she eyes an opportunity. 

"I see a critical disconnect between the day-to-day lives of people" and federal policy, she said. 

"We're building momentum."

But the Liberals remain a political juggernaut for now. 

A Nanos poll from last week shows them leading the Conservatives by 15 points. In head-to-head leadership surveys, Carney trounces Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. 

"I don't recall any period in the past where the popularity of the incumbent prime minister has shot up so quickly and so profoundly a year after an election," said Nelson Wiseman, an emeritus politics professor at the University of Toronto.

bs/mlm

Rory McIlroy spent nine days over his three-week PGA Tour break making visits to Augusta National, practice that has helped him seize the greatest 36-hole lead in Masters history.

The defending champion birdied six of the last seven holes in Friday's second round to grab a Masters record six-stroke edge after 36 holes.

And the secret, it turns out, was coming to Augusta National to use the champions' locker room and enjoy the famed course.

"I think just spending so much time up here has been a big part of it," McIlroy said. "I spent a lot of time up here the last three weeks.

"Felt like I was part of the furniture at some point, but I think all those rounds I played, and chipping and putting, it has definitely paid off.

"My short game the first two days has been amazing."

With birdies on nine of 18 holes against two bogeys, McIlroy fired a seven-under par 67 to stand on 12-under 132 midway into the year's first major, Americans Sam Burns and Patrick Reed six adrift in second.

"I've built up a nice cushion," McIlroy said. "I guess my mindset is just trying to keep playing well and keeping my foot on the gas."

McIlroy's lead ties the third-largest 36-hole edge in major golf history, three off Henry Cotton's 1934 British Open record and one back of Brooks Koepka at the 2019 PGA Championship.

"Even though I haven't played tournament golf, I feel like being up here a lot and playing, I've prepared as well for this Masters as any other I've played.

"All that work around the greens over the last three weeks has certainly paid off over the last two days."

McIlroy didn't mind missing the PGA Tour events leading up to the Masters.

"I honestly just don't like the three tournaments leading up to this event," McIlroy said. "I'd rather come up here."

World number two McIlroy chipped in from 29 yards at the 17th before sinking a six-foot birdie at 18 for the record.

McIlroy, trying to become only the fourth player to win back-to-back Masters titles, found himself in a rarely reached zone during his incredible finish.

"I've certainly had times where I felt in the zone," he said. "I definitely found a sense of flow those last few holes.

"The only way I can describe it is everything you see or any situation you come across, you can find a positive in it. And then you see birdies and you can see ways to make birdies."

McIlroy said the event is far from over despite his huge margin.

"I just want to go out and play two good rounds again," McIlroy said. "Guys can get on runs, guys can make eagles, you hear roars all over the golf course.

"I think the next two days for me is really about focusing on myself and staying in my own little world out there."

- 'Keep swinging' -

After birdies on three of the first four holes, McIlroy said to himself 10-under would be an amazing score. Then he beat that.

"I knew I had some chances coming in when I was standing on the 12th tee, but I didn't think I'd birdie six of the last seven," McIlroy said. "It just shows what you can do around here, even if you might hit it in the trees."

Despite ending a 10-year major win drought to complete a career Grand Slam last year, five-time major winner McIlroy still fights to stay aggressive at Augusta.

"My little mantra to myself today was keep swinging hard at it even if you're not hitting fairways, just keep swinging," McIlroy said.

"The experience I've accrued over the years and obviously with what happened last year, it makes it a bit easier out there to keep swinging."

McIlroy's 10th major round of 65 or lower equals the record shared by Tiger Woods and Dustin Johnson.

js/bb

From undercover police to panic buttons, bus drivers in Peru's capital Lima are pulling out all the stops to protect themselves from attack by extortion gangs, a key theme in Sunday's presidential election.

Racketeering has taken on epic proportions in Peru in recent years, with bus companies among the most common targets of gangs who demand huge sums of money in return for protection from attack.

Failure to pay can spell mortal danger for the vehicle operators.

At least 75 bus drivers were murdered in 2025 in the South American nation, primarily in Lima, according to police data.

Some were gunned down in front of their passengers.

In the low-income Lima district of San Juan de Lurigancho, one of the areas hardest hit by the crime wave, 58-year-old Zacarias Lopez slid nervously behind the wheel to start his work day.

He spent the next 15 hours crisscrossing the dusty avenues of eastern Lima, passing walls plastered with campaign posters.

Most of the record 35 candidates vying to become president have promised a crackdown on crime.

"They promise and never deliver. They play with our feelings, and we keep getting shot," said Lopez, who said he fears "not returning home alive." 

Extortionists also shake down private schools and small businesses of all kinds, from hairdressers to grocery stores.

Peru is experiencing its worst security crisis since a bloody conflict between 1980 and 2000 that pitted the state against Maoist guerrillas. 

From 2018 to 2025, the number of reported murders rose from 1,000 to 2,600 a year, while reported extortion cases jumped more than eightfold to 26,500.

The surge in crime has coincided with the arrival of transnational criminal syndicates who compete with local gangs for control of cocaine trafficking routes, illegal gold mines and extortion rings, among other rackets.

- Broken promises -

The situation has forced bus companies like Lopez's employer Santa Catalina transport company to boost their defenses.

A video surveillance center was inaugurated on Wednesday at Santa Catalina's depot to monitor buses in real time using closed circuit TV cameras.

The drivers now also have panic buttons at their fingertips and sometimes backup from police officers, who come aboard, either in uniform or plainclothes, for the most dangerous stretches of the journey.

But some drivers and passengers say the measures fall short.

A banner with black ribbons erected in the Santa Catalina terminal in memory of a murdered driver serves as a reminder of the dangers.

"If the criminal comes up behind me... I won't even have time to press the button," said Lopez as he collected fares from passengers.

"There's no security anywhere," said 70-year-old Maruja Castillo, who took the bus to go to the doctor.

Many of Santa Catalina's drivers have quit out of fear of attack from any one of the six extortion gangs that have targeted the business in recent months.

Posters on the vehicles advertise for new drivers.

"We've seen promises that have never been kept, but we haven't lost hope that an incoming government will improve" the situation, said Eiffel Calla, 38, the company's head of security. 

The violence has led to a race to the right on the campaign trial, with candidates vying to outdo each other with hardline proposals to crack down on crime.

Former Lima mayor Rafael "Porky" Lopez Aliaga has vowed to build prison colonies in the jungle, ringed by deadly snakes.

TV comedian Carlos Alvarez said he would bring back the death penalty for hitmen.

"All the candidates are going to say what the people want to hear, but whether they'll actually deliver on their promises is another story," said passenger Victoria Perez, 49.

On the eve of the election, she was among the 16 percent of Peruvians still undecided about which way to vote, according to an Ipsos poll.

cm-sf/gta/cb/mjf/mlm