Tourists wear face masks as they visit Pai Canyon near Chiang Mai

Augusta National's firm, fast greens played havoc with some of the world's top golfers in Thursday's first round of the 90th Masters.

They are already talking about crusty conditions for the weekend and one of the hardest challenges in many years at the famed course.

"I think this could be the toughest Masters we've played in a while," said 2019 British Open winner Shane Lowry of Ireland. "Look at the forecast. They can do whatever they want with the golf course this weekend.

"Before the week is out, it's going to get very crusty around here."

There's no rain coming to soften up a layout where scores on Thursday averaged 74.648 strokes with 63 double bogeys or worse as green speeds tested veterans and rookies alike.

"It's like a Saturday firm I would say for a Thursday, which is not really normal," Australian Min Woo Lee said.

American Patrick Reed broke a tee at 17 trying to fix a ball mark in the hard putting surface.

"It definitely has the teeth in it to make it really tough," said Reed, the 2018 Masters champion.

"The greens are already getting firm, crusty, and bouncy. It's going to get fast, and it's going to take a lot of patience."

England's Justin Rose, three off the lead after an opening 70, says even fans of severe challenges might have their limits pushed this week.

"Every player would say they would like it firm and fast," he said. "But I think there's a boundary to that."

Rose, who lost a playoff to Rory McIlroy in last year's Masters, is in a wait-until-Sunday mode.

"I think the lead at this point is irrelevant," Rose said. "There's so much golf ahead that there's no point in even looking at who is doing what at this moment in time.

"It's just about executing your strategy, feeling like you can run the clock down, playing as well as you can, and then towards the end you've got to figure out if you need to change your strategy. But until the final few holes really it's just about doing as good as can you do."

World number one Scottie Scheffler was on 70 as well.

"I did a good job of staying patient and playing smart. Overall, I'm pretty proud of the effort," Scheffler said. "I feel like I'm in a good spot."

Scheffler figures Augusta National officials can make the course as difficult as they want.

"We'll see how much they want to push it in the next few days," Scheffler said. "So much of this course is wait and see, so we'll see."

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US President Donald Trump on Thursday accused Iran of doing a "very poor job" of allowing oil through the Strait of Hormuz and of breaching the terms of their two-week ceasefire agreement.

In a barrage of social media posts that sparked fresh fears for the shaky truce, Trump also warned Iran against imposing a toll for ships passing through the crucial waterway.

"Iran is doing a very poor job, dishonorable some would say, of allowing Oil to go through the Strait of Hormuz," Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

"That is not the agreement we have!"

Iran and the United States said the 167-kilometer (104-mile) strait between the Gulf and the Indian Ocean would reopen after the two-week truce was announced on Tuesday.

But just 10 vessels have passed through since the Middle East war ceasefire took effect, according to maritime tracking data.

Tensions have risen further after Iran suggested imposing a toll on ships -- though Trump has made similar suggestions and even aired joint tolls with Tehran.

"There are reports that Iran is charging fees to tankers going through the Hormuz Strait -- They better not be and, if they are, they better stop now!" Trump said in an earlier Truth Social message.

In yet another post in which he raged at a critical media editorial on the ceasefire, Trump added that "very quickly, you'll see Oil start flowing, with or without the help of Iran."

The US leader's tone appeared to darken noticeably from earlier comments to NBC News in which he said he was "very optimistic" about a peace deal with Iran after their ceasefire, and that Israel was "scaling back" strikes in Lebanon.

Trump told the US broadcaster in a telephone interview that Iran's leaders were "much more reasonable" in private but added that "if they don't make a deal, it's going to be very painful."

Vice President JD Vance is due to hold talks with Iran in Pakistan on Saturday. Special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner are also traveling to Islamabad.

"The president is optimistic that a deal can be reached that can lead to lasting peace in the Middle East," White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly told AFP in a statement on Thursday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had meanwhile agreed in a call with Trump on Wednesday to "low-key it" with Lebanon after devastating strikes, the US president said.

Israel and Lebanon will hold talks in Washington next week, a State Department official said Thursday.

Israel's heaviest strikes on Lebanon since Hezbollah entered the Middle East war in early March killed hundreds on Wednesday, rattling the uneasy truce between Washington and Tehran less than 48 hours after it came into force.

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Missouri softball is set for a three-game road series against No. 14 Georgia starting Friday. With just four weeks left until the Southeastern Conference Tournament, the series marks a pivotal moment in the season as the Tigers fight to remain in postseason contention.

The Tigers enter the series at 21-20 (5-7 SEC), coming off a 2-1 series loss to LSU. Missouri avoided the sweep with a 1-0 win behind Cierra Harrison's shutout performance in Game 3. Harrison has emerged as a key piece in conference play for the Tigers, pitching a 1.52 ERA with two shutouts while holding SEC batters to a .208 batting average.

Outside of Harrison, Missouri’s pitching staff against LSU, allowing 25 runs in the first two games.

That stretch was a departure for much of Missouri’s SEC play this season, in which it stayed competitive against some of the top teams in the conference. The Tigers lost two one-run games in a sweep to No. 8 Florida before stealing a game against No. 6 Alabama in a tight series loss.

“When I look at the body of work over our entire season, we've been very, very competitive,” Missouri coach Larissa Anderson said after the Game 3 win against LSU. “The last two games, we were not. So we have to be more competitive. Regardless of the win or the loss today, we did what we were supposed to do. The win just makes it feel that much better ... . We can carry that win into this next series against Georgia.”

Georgia sits comfortably at 29-10 (7-5 SEC), coming off a gritty series loss to Texas A&M in College Station, Texas. The Bulldogs sole win came courtesy of a 10-6 offensive explosion in game two, but Texas A&M won the other two showdowns to take the series. Despite the road setback, Georgia is 19-5 at home and has beaten quality opponents including Northwestern, UCF and NC State — all teams Missouri lost to early in the season.

A consistent and versatile offense has paved the way for the Bulldogs, as the team is 16th in the nation with a .354 batting average. They are averaging more than seven runs per game and consistently find ways to get on base. Georgia currently rosters six athletes that have played 35-plus games this season with an OPS above 1.000.

The Bulldogs also have seven athletes with batting averages above .300. For comparison, Missouri has three. Infielder Keirstin Roose (.339 batting average) leads the team with 12 home runs, while Sarah Gordon (.442) and Tyler Ellison (.430) anchor the lineup as consistent hitters.

The offense exploded in Game 2 against Texas A&M with back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning from Bailey Lindemuth and Roose giving the Bulldogs a lead they would never relinquish.

Georgia is led by pitchers Addisen Fisher and Randi Roelling in the circle. Fisher transferred to Georgia after a strong freshman season at UCLA. She continued her sharp play, currently leading the team with a 2.07 ERA. She appeared in all three games against Texas A&M.

Roelling serves as the primary option for the Bulldogs, leading the team with 80⅓ innings pitched plus a 3.05 ERA. Her 80 strikeouts rank 12th in the SEC. Presley Harrison, who started a game against Texas A&M, is another pitcher the Tigers could face this weekend. The freshman currently sits at a 3.71 ERA with 34 innings pitched.

Missouri’s ability to compete against Georgia will likely depend on how the Tigers limit Georgia’s offense. Missouri has shown an ability to compete against some of the best in the nation, and will need to capitalize on opportunities if the Tigers want another series win. Missouri has improved significantly since the start of the season and will look to continue the trend against the Bulldogs.

“What is so fun about this team is their youth, because they want to get better every single day, and I see growth in little things,” Anderson said.

After Georgia, the Tigers will have a tough stretch of their schedule, including series’ against No. 7 Arkansas and No. 10 Tennessee. The Tigers will also take on No. 23 Kansas on Tuesday, who upset Arizona State last weekend in a 2-1 series win.

The tough stretch makes this weekend’s series against the Bulldogs a critical opportunity for Missouri to remain in postseason contention. The Tigers need to stay above .500, which is a threshold required for postseason play.

A strong showing against a top-15 team will boost Missouri’s resume as it fights for a postseason push after missing the NCAA Tournament in 2025.

The series between the two SEC squads begins at 5 p.m. Friday, continues at 1 p.m. Saturday and concludes at 1 p.m. Sunday in Athens, Georgia. All games will be available to watch on SEC Network+.

Detroit Tigers center fielder Parker Meadows was hospitalized for observation on Thursday after a scary collision with left fielder Riley Greene in a 3-1 Major League Baseball loss to the Minnesota Twins.

Meadows and Greene were both tracking an eighth-inning line drive from Twins batter Josh Bell when they smacked into each other at full speed.

Greene remained on his feet with the ball in his hand as Meadows crumpled to the ground with blood trickling out of his mouth after the head-to-head clash.

"It was a terrible feeling," said Greene, who went over to offer support before Tigers medical staff arrived to tend to Meadows and, eventually, help him onto a cart.

The Tigers said he would stay in hospital overnight.

"That was an ugly, scary one," Tigers manager A.J Hinch said. "When we got out there, it looked like he had bit his lip or inside his mouth, so there was some blood, and he was pretty out of it.

"Those are scary collisions. You don't know what you're going to get when you get there," Hinch added. "Obviously we're going to get him checked out for everything, but this one worries me."

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Venezuela on Thursday threw open the country's vast mineral reserves to private investment, less than three months after rolling back state control over the oil sector, in line with US demands.

The South American country, which is undergoing a profound transformation following the US overthrow of leftist leader Nicolas Maduro, has the world's largest proven oil reserves.

But it is also rich in gold and diamonds as well as bauxite and coltan, a mineral that contains a metal used in mobile phones, laptops and other electronics.

The unicameral National Assembly unanimously backed the mining law on its second reading, assembly chief Jorge Rodriguez announced.

Rodriguez, a former member of Maduro's inner circle who is now championing liberal reforms, hailed the law as "a vehicle for building future prosperity."

Maduro was captured by US forces during a January 3 bombing raid on Caracas.

He was replaced by his former deputy Delcy Rodriguez (a sister of Jorge Rodriguez) who has shown herself amenable to US demands on tapping Venezuela's oil and other key resources.

- Security concerns -

The law's adoption comes a month after US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum visited the Caribbean nation to push for a liberalization of the mining code.

Burgum was accompanied by more than two dozen mining company executives, who he said were "eager to get started" once the "red tape" had been cut.

He described the opportunities for collaboration between Caracas and Washington as "unlimited."

The law is part of a series of reforms aimed at ending more than two decades of state control over the economy.

Mining activity is concentrated in an area known as the Orinoco Mining Arc.

Gangs and armed groups, including guerrillas from neighboring Colombia, control much of the area and extort businesses, according to numerous witnesses.

Lisseth Boon, author of the book "Oro malandro" ("Bandit Gold"), told AFP that Venezuela's security forces were complicit in the criminal activity.

Burgum said during his visit to Venezuela that Caracas had promised safe conditions for foreign mining companies keen to invest in the country.

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Senior forward Mark Mitchell received an invitation to play in the 2026 Portsmouth Invitational on Thursday, making it the fourth consecutive season an MU senior was asked to participate.

The Portsmouth Invitational is an annual seniors-only predraft camp. Last season, Tamar Bates was invited following the conclusion of his senior campaign with the Tigers. Following his participation in the tournament, Bates signed a two-way contract with the Denver Nuggets before being released in March of 2026.

Before that, Sean East took part in 2024 and D’Moi Hodge in 2023.

For Mitchell the invitation represents another accolade in what was a successful individual senior season. He became the first Mizzou player since Albert White in the 1998-99 season to lead the team in points, rebounds and assists. Mitchell was also named to the All-SEC second team.

The tournament will take place across four days from Wednesday-April 18 at Churchland High School in Portsmouth, Virginia.

Potential portal movement

With the transfer portal opening Tuesday, Mizzou continues to be linked with several players.

There has been continued chatter on X surrounding rising sophomore Jamier Jones from Providence. The Florida native continues to be linked with the Tigers because of his relationship with Mizzou general manager Tim Fuller. Fuller helped Mizzou alum and then-Providence coach Kim English recruit Jones to Providence.

Alabama power forward Aiden Sherrell is another name that has been linked to Mizzou. Sherrell entered the portal with a “Do Not Contact” tag.

The Tigers are also linked to freshman forward Bryson Tiller from rival Kansas. Tiller has drawn interest from Mizzou, Michigan, Arizona and Miami. Michigan acquired sophomore forward J.P. Estrella from Tennessee on Tuesday, potentially increasing Mizzou’s odds of landing the big man.

If Tiller were to transfer to Mizzou, it would be the first time a Jayhawk moves east in the history of the rivalry.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday angrily lashed out at multiple well-known conservative commentators who have criticized his war against Iran, slamming his onetime allies as attention-seeking "NUT JOBS."

"They're stupid people, they know it, their families know it, and everyone else knows it, too!" Trump wrote in a nearly 500-word social media post.

In the president's crosshairs were Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly -- two former Fox News hosts turned independent podcasters -- as well as Candace Owens and Alex Jones, also podcasters and prominent conspiracy theorists.

All four have vocally criticized Trump over the war, slamming him for abandoning his anti-war campaign promises and -- to varying degrees -- accusing him of bowing to pressure from Israel to launch the conflict.

Their criticism has highlighted a divide among American conservatives over the war, a potential major political risk for Trump's Republican Party heading into the November midterm elections.

"They don't have what it takes, and they never did! They've all been thrown off Television, lost their Shows, and aren't even invited on TV because nobody cares about them, they're NUT JOBS, TROUBLEMAKERS, and will say anything necessary for some 'free' and cheap publicity," he complained.

While all four have been backers of the president's "Make America Great Again" movement, several have previous feuds with the president.

During Trump's first presidential campaign, Kelly -- then a Fox News host -- asked the billionaire businessman and reality TV star about disparaging remarks he had made against women.

Trump retorted with a joke about comedian Rosie O'Donnell, his longtime nemesis, and later prompted controversy by seeming to suggest that Kelly had asked the tough question because she was menstruating.

"You can see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever," Trump said at the time.

Trump referred to the saga on Thursday, saying Kelly "nastily asked me the now famous" question.

He also personally attacked the other three, slamming Carlson for not obtaining a college degree, saying he hoped French First Lady Brigitte Macron wins her defamation suit against Owens, and that Jones deserved to go bankrupt after calling a mass school shooting a hoax.

Owens has accused France's first lady of being a man.

"Actually, to me, the First Lady of France is a far more beautiful woman than Candace, in fact, it's not even close!" Trump wrote Thursday.

"These so-called 'pundits' are LOSERS, and they always will be!" he added.

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(The Center Square) – California Attorney General Rob Bonta has announced the results of a massive hospice fraud bust in Los Angeles County.

Known as Operation Skip Trace, the bust ended a hospice fraud scheme that defrauded Medi-Cal of $267 million, Bonta said.

“These are funds that are paid for by Californian taxpayers, funds that are meant to provide care to Californians in need,” said Bonta at a press conference Thursday in Los Angeles. “It is unacceptable, it is illegal, and we will not stand for it.”

Medi-Cal is California's version of Medicaid.

On April 2, the Office of the Attorney General filed felony criminal charges against 21 suspects. Charges include health care fraud, money laundering and identity theft. OAG followed that on Wednesday by executing search and arrest warrants at 10 locations. Five suspects have been arrested so far throughout Southern California.

“This is our case, a California case, from beginning to end,” said Bonta. “While health care fraud might be President Trump's shiny new political talking point, California DOJ has been going after health care fraud since 1979.”

Operation Skip Trace was initiated after a tip from the California Department of Healthcare Services of alleged hospice fraud at 14 companies. California DOJ’s Division of Medi-Cal Fraud & Elder Abuse investigated those companies, as well as a billing company and eight individuals suspected of money laundering. 

According to Bonta, those involved in this scheme would purchase personal identifying information for people who live outside of California on the dark web and then enroll them into Covered California, posing as California residents.

Participants in the alleged fraud then bought hospice companies and began billing Medi-Cal for nonexistent services for those stolen identities, Bonta said.

“They used fake records, nonexistent offices and fake diagnoses to justify these claims,” Bonta told reporters. “Meanwhile, the so-called patients were healthy, out of state and completely unaware that they had been enrolled in hospice care.”

After the money was paid out, Bonta said it was funneled through a “complex web of over 130 shell companies” hidden across bank accounts, payment apps and cryptocurrency.

Bonta explained the alleged fraud was a “brazen, calculated, criminal scheme" to exploit the Medi-Cal system.

“They stole from the state of California and Medicaid and prevented services and care from going to sick individuals who actually need it,” said Bonta. “Let this be a lesson to anyone targeting Medi-Cal and hospice care in California. We are on the case, and we are coming for you.”

California Health and Human Services Secretary Kim Johnson agreed.

“When the state identifies a problem, we take action,” Johnson told reporters at Bonta’s press conference. “Today's announcement is an example that demonstrates our commitment and effectiveness to act decisively when we see evidence of fraud in the programs we administer.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said in 2025 that he will consider running for president, congratulated his fellow California officials and agencies for their “swift work” in bringing the charges.

“Since these are state charges, Donald Trump cannot pardon these individuals in exchange for campaign donations,” the Democratic governor said.

The Center Square on Thursday sought comment from the White House, which referred the news outlet to Vice President JD Vance’s office.

Vance – who in March 2026 was put in charge of a federal task force to eliminate fraud – did not respond by press time.

Susan Shelley of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association said California officials did not take meaningful steps to investigate and stop hospice fraud after the state auditor warned of it in a report titled, "The State’s Weak Oversight of Hospice Agencies Has Created Opportunities for Large-Scale Fraud and Abuse."

The report was released in 2022.

“Taxpayers can be grateful that the federal government has taken strong action against fraudsters and schemes that have stolen hard-earned tax dollars,” said Shelley, the association's vice president of communications.

“It's good news that the state attorney general has now decided to help," Shelley told The Center Square.

The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association has offices in Los Angeles and Sacramento.

Assembly Minority Leader Heath Flora told The Center Square that this is tax season - a good time to remember that more needs to be done to ensure tax dollars are wisely spent.

“This is not even a debate about which vulnerable population should be prioritized for government services,” said Flora, a Republican who serves Amador, Calaveras, Sacramento, San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties. “This is an acknowledgment, at both the state and federal levels, that there is a massive, organized criminal effort to defraud California’s social safety net programs that taxpayers are footing the bill for.”

Tim Anaya, vice president of Pasadena-based Pacific Research Institute, said this is something that taxpayers of every state should care about and pay attention to at this time.

Anaya explained taxpayers have a right to expect that programs are going to spend tax dollars properly. He added governments at every level should do better at oversight.

“We should take this example of today to demand that elected officials and law enforcement at every level of government all across the country, they have their watchdog hats on,” Anaya told The Center Square. “We do it in our private lives when we are balancing our checkbooks every month. Why don't we have the same expectations for government officials spending the people's checkbook? Why aren't they doing this every day? And why aren't they doing a better job of it? So absolutely, these are important.”

Rory McIlroy only found five of 14 fairways in Thursday's first round of the Masters but still managed to grab a share of the lead with his best Augusta start since 2011.

The 36-year-old from Northern Ireland fired a five-under par 67 to match American Sam Burns atop the leaderboard by relaxing and counting on skill to rescue him no matter where tee shots land.

"I couldn't have got a lot more out of my round. I feel like I leaned heavily on my experience out there to do that," he said.

"My hope was to get off to a solid start. I feel like, the way I played, five-under exceeded where I thought I would be."

Defending champion McIlroy reached 13 of 18 greens in regulation despite his woes off the tee with his only better Masters start a 65 in 2011.

Not since Hideki Matsuyama in 2021's third round had anyone found only five Masters fairways and scored so well, with the Japanese star shooting 67 and winning the green jacket the next day.

"Winning a Masters makes it easier to win your second one," McIlroy said. "There's still shots out there that you feel a little bit tight with, and you just have to stand up and commit to making a good swing and not worry about really where it goes.

"It's easier for me to make those swings and not worry about where it goes when I know I can go to the Champions locker room and put my green jacket on and have a Coke Zero at the end of the day."

McIlroy said he measures success not in scores but in how he plays the game.

"I still have high expectations of myself, but my expectations are more did I make good decisions today? Was I committed? Was I trusting?" McIlroy said.

"It wasn't my expectations of I'm going to go out and shoot 65 and did I do it?"

Trusting the process did not come quickly or easily.

"It took me a while to get to that point where, if I focus on the process and the little mini goals of not compounding errors like hitting it in trees and trying to be a hero, making good decisions, thinking my way around the golf course, those are the expectations I have for myself," McIlroy said.

"And if I can live up to those expectations, then the scores and the results should take care of itself."

- Fairways a good thing -

Still, after finding himself under the Georgia pines all too often in round one, McIlroy is aiming to land the ball in the short grass much more often on Friday, when he has a late start.

"Getting the ball in the fairway a little bit more I think would be a good thing," he said. "I'm going to be playing later in the day when the greens are at their fastest and firmest.

"Just being very aware of hole locations and making sure I'm trying to put the ball in the right spots on the greens."

McIlroy's 67 was lower than any of the first-round scores by any of the reigning champions who successfully defended their Masters crowns -- Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Nick Faldo.

"Felt like I got a lot out of my round," McIlroy said. "It started pretty scrappy. I was hitting out of the trees a little bit the first seven holes.

"I was trying to just get it up around the green and rely on my short game to get it up-and-down and move on. That's a big part of what you have to do around this golf course. Stayed really patient when I needed to."

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Ukraine and Russia will cease fire for the Orthodox Easter holidays, the warring countries' leaders said on Thursday, announcing a rare 32-hour halt in fighting. 

The four-year war previously saw limited and short truces, but Moscow and Kyiv were quick to trade accusations of violations. 

With talks on ending the four-year-old conflict derailed by the Middle East war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this week that he had made a holiday truce proposal through the United States.

In a statement late on Thursday, the Kremlin said that "a ceasefire is declared from 16:00 (13:00 GMT) on April 11 until the end of the day on 12 April 2026" by Russian President Vladimir Putin, "in connection with the approaching Orthodox feast of Easter." 

The Kremlin's statement made no mention of Kyiv's initial proposal.

Hours later, Zelensky responded that "Ukraine has repeatedly stated that we are prepared to take reciprocal measures. We proposed a ceasefire this year during the Easter holidays and will act accordingly."

"People need an Easter free from threats and real progress toward peace, and Russia has a chance to avoid returning to hostilities after Easter," he added. 

Putin have instructed the Russian General Staff "to cease combat operations in all directions for this period," the Kremlin said, adding that troops were ready to "counter any possible provocations by the enemy".

"We assume that the Ukrainian side will follow the example of the Russian Federation." 

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.

- Slow advances -

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 satellite and the messaging app were widely used by troops for communications, especially for coordinating drone attacks that have come to dominate the war.

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

Moscow wants Ukraine to pull troops from both cities without a fight as part of any peace accord. 

Ukraine has in recent days stepped up assaults on Russian energy targets, especially oil-exporting ports after prices spiked on the back of the Middle East war. 

Several rounds of US-led talks have failed to bring the warring sides closer to an agreement and US 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.

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

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