Wary of news media, Silicon Valley builds its own

Oil opened higher on Monday as the war in the Middle East squeezes energy supplies, with fresh threats from both sides quashing any hope of de-escalation for now.

Many Asian markets were closed for public holidays, but stocks in Tokyo and Seoul rose, while movements on other open exchanges were mixed.

"Geopolitical risks remain the dominant driver of market sentiment," MUFG's Lloyd Chan said in a note on Monday.

US President Donald Trump had made an expletive-laced threat Sunday to destroy Iran's civilian infrastructure, demanding Tehran bow to his demands for a deal to reopen the Gulf to shipping.

Hours later, Iran's central military command warned of "much more devastating" retaliation if its adversaries hit civilian targets.

Chan said "it remains to be seen whether this escalatory rhetoric ultimately proves to be another 'TACO' moment" -- a jokey acronym for "Trump always chickens out". 

But "the persistence of threats to critical Iranian infrastructure keeps escalation risks elevated, with no credible de-escalation path in sight", Chan said.

"As a result, oil prices are likely to remain elevated."

Crude oil prices spiked at the week's market opening but pared gains in morning trade. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate was flat at $111.61 a barrel and North Sea Brent crude gained 1.2 percent to $110.35.

"Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, later telling Fox News there was a "good chance" Iran would agree to a deal.

The tumultuous developments are keeping Asian currencies under pressure while "reinforcing a bias toward USD strength", Chan wrote. Gold prices also fell Monday.

Tokyo was up 1.6 percent and Seoul gained 2.2 percent. Singapore was also up 0.4 percent, but Jakarta shed 0.6 percent.

Chinese markets were closed for the Qingming Festival while others, including Sydney and Wellington, took a break for Easter Monday.

The war, entering its sixth week since the US and Israel first attacked Iran on February 28, has engulfed the Middle East in conflict and upended the global economy.

Iran has virtually blocked the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 percent of the world's oil and gas transits, sending petroleum prices skyrocketing.

- Key figures at around 0230 GMT -

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.6 percent at 54,001.64 (break)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: CLOSED for holiday

Shanghai - Composite: CLOSED for holiday

Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1522 from $1.1535 on Friday

Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3214 from $1.3224

Dollar/yen: DOWN at 159.57 from 159.63

Euro/pound: DOWN at 87.19 pence from 87.22 pence

West Texas Intermediate: FLAT at $111.61 per barrel

Brent North Sea Crude: UP 1.2 percent at $110.35 per barrel

New York - Dow: DOWN 0.1 percent at 46,504.67 (close)

London - FTSE 100: UP 0.7 percent at 10,436.29 (close) 

bur-kaf/fox

The Artemis astronauts on Sunday were approaching a key milestone in their journey to slingshot around the Moon, a historic NASA mission that will see the first woman and first person of color perform a lunar flyby.  

The crew of three Americans and one Canadian will soon hit a tipping point of sorts when the Moon's gravity takes over the spacecraft's trajectory, whipping the Orion capsule on the first lunar loop in more than half-a-century. 

The astronauts are set to travel farther from Earth than any human before. 

That historic occasion comes alongside a constellation of firsts: Victor Glover will go down in the books as the first person of color to ever fly around the Moon, while Christina Koch will be the first woman. 

Canadian Jeremy Hansen will meanwhile become the first non-American to accomplish the feat. 

Those three along with mission commander Reid Wiseman will spend much of their lunar flyby that's expected Monday documenting the Moon.

- 'The far side of the Moon' -

The astronauts have already started seeing features of the celestial body never before viewed with a naked human eye. 

In the wee hours of Sunday, NASA published an image taken by the Artemis crew that showed a distant Moon with the Orientale basin visible. 

"This mission marks the first time the entire basin has been seen with human eyes," the US space agency said. 

The massive crater, which resembles a bullseye, had been photographed before by orbiting cameras. 

Koch, speaking to Canadian children live from space, said the crew was most excited to see the basin -- sometimes known as the Moon's "Grand Canyon." 

"It's very distinctive and no human eyes previously had seen this crater until today, really, when we were privileged enough to see it," Koch said during the question-and-answer session hosted by the Canadian Space Agency. 

Near the end of their flyby, the astronauts will have the privilege of witnessing a solar eclipse, when the Sun will be behind the Moon and hidden from view aside from its outermost atmosphere, the solar corona.

The four astronauts will also spend some time testing their "Orion crew survival system" spacesuits. 

The orange suits protect the crewmembers during launch and reentry, but are also available for emergency use -- they can provide up to six days of breathable air. 

The astronauts are the first to ever wear the OCSS suits in space, and will test their functions, including how quickly they can put them on and pressurize them. 

While the four astronauts will not touch down on the lunar surface, they are expected to break the record for the farthest distance from Earth during their pass around the Moon.

Over the next day, "they will be on the far side of the Moon, they will eclipse that record, and we're going to learn an awful lot about the spacecraft," said NASA administrator Jared Isaacman Sunday during a televised interview with CNN. 

The information will be "pretty paramount to set up for subsequent missions like Artemis 3 in 2027 and, of course, the lunar landing itself on Artemis 4 in 2028." 

NASA said the Artemis crew has completed a manual piloting demonstration and reviewed their lunar flyby plan, including reviewing the surface features they must analyze and photograph during their time circling the Moon. 

"We're focusing very much on the ecosystem, the life support system of the spacecraft," NASA chief Jared Isaacman said Sunday in a televised interview with CNN. 

"This is the first time astronauts have ever flown on this spacecraft before," he said. "That's what we're most interested in getting data from." 

mdo/jgc

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed regret to Pyongyang Monday over drones sent into North Korea earlier this year, actions he called "irresponsible".

Seoul initially denied any official role in the January drone incursion -- with authorities suggesting it was the work of civilians -- but Lee said a probe had revealed government officials had been involved.

The North warned in February of a "terrible response" if it detects more drones crossing the border from the South, prompting Seoul to investigate the claims.

Pyongyang said it downed a drone carrying "surveillance equipment" in early January. 

Photos released by state media showed the wreckage of a winged craft scattered across the ground alongside grey and blue components that allegedly included cameras.

"It has been confirmed that a National Intelligence Service official and an active-duty soldier were involved," Lee told a cabinet meeting.

"We express regret to the North over the unnecessary military tensions caused by the irresponsible and reckless actions of some individuals."

Lee has sought to repair ties with North Korea since taking office last year, criticising his predecessor for allegedly sending drones to scatter propaganda over Pyongyang.

kjk/fox

Hungarian leader Viktor Orban's officially declared wealth is fairly modest: some savings and a jointly owned villa in Budapest.

But voters in what Transparency International deems the EU's most corrupt country believe otherwise.

And they may make Orban pay in a general election on April 12 that could spell an end to his 16-year rule.

The wealth amassed by Orban's inner circle is fuelling the increasingly palpable frustration of a population grappling with sluggish growth, high inflation and worsening public services.

"The government's communication machine worked well as long as our economic situation remained relatively good," Zoltan Ranschburg, a political analyst at the Republikon think tank, told AFP.

But it has not been good for years, he added.

"It's our money, not theirs. But they are spending it as if they were the sole owners," Gabor Szebenyi, an 81‑year‑old retired history teacher told AFP at an opposition rally.

He denounced what he called "feudalism" that has taken root in the Central European country of nearly 10 million people.

Independent lawmaker Akos Hadhazy, one of Hungary's leading anti‑corruption crusaders, said graft has drained the equivalent of 2.84 billion euros ($3.27 billion) from state coffers every year since 2016.

- 'The frontman' -

"These are not isolated cases -- this is simply the way the system is functioning," Hadhazy told AFP.

While Orban claims to live modestly, several members of his family have grown spectacularly rich since his return to power in 2010.

His father Gyozo Orban, who is 85, owns several building material companies as well as the historic Hatvanpuszta estate he had rebuilt into a luxurious manor worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Protected by high walls, the sprawling domain close to the premier's home village has two swimming pools and its own wildlife park, as well as extensive outbuildings, according to drone footage published by independent media.

"In reality, the father is merely Viktor Orban's frontman," Hadhazy said.

Orban's son-in-law Istvan Tiborcz has become one of Hungary's most influential entrepreneurs through public lighting contracts won by his former company Elios. The deals were partly financed by the EU -- until the EU anti-fraud office OLAF found serious irregularities.

Tiborcz has since switched to real estate and tourism.

Orban's childhood friend Lorinc Meszaros, a former plumber, has become Hungary's wealthiest man worth $4.8 billion according to Forbes magazine, with an empire of construction, energy, banking and media firms thriving on public contracts.

– Frozen EU funds –

"On paper there is competition (for public contracts), but in fact the winner is always known in advance," a construction contractor told AFP on condition of anonymity at a site near Budapest.

Working in the sector for three decades, the man said public tenders are often decided in advance.

"Those at the bottom of the chain do the work and get paid last -- sometimes months later," he said, adding he was ready to throw in the towel and sell his machinery.

"I'm so angry," he said, adding that while those in power lead "luxurious lives" and travel by private jets, small businesses "are struggling to survive".

The anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International has labelled Hungary as the EU's most corrupt country alongside Bulgaria in its Corruption Perceptions Index.

It highlighted systemic risks in public procurement and limited competition for the largest contracts which make up five percent of Hungary's GDP.

The government rejected the ranking and insists Hungarian procurement rules comply with EU standards.

But the EU has frozen 19 billion euros ($22 billion) in funds destined for Hungary over persistent concerns about corruption and respect for the rule of law.

Opposition leader Peter Magyar, Orban's top rival in the upcoming vote, has pledged to recover the funds if elected and to investigate how the current leaders and their families have grown so rich.

bur-oaa-frj/fg/ach 

For the first time in more than half a century, astronauts will fly around the Moon on Monday, marking the high point of the Artemis 2's lunar mission. 

Here's what you need to know about the event: 

- Live broadcast -

The flyby will last around seven hours, starting Monday around 2:45 p.m. eastern US time (1845 GMT) and ending around 9:20 p.m. (0120 GMT). 

NASA will broadcast the flyby live on its website, as well as on YouTube, Amazon and Netflix, with commentary from both the astronauts aboard the mission and experts at the Mission Control center in Houston, Texas. 

Given the lengthy distance -- further than any humans have ever traveled from Earth -- NASA has cautioned that the livestream video quality may be poor at times.

- Radio silence - 

There will be a period of around 40 minutes during the flyby where all communication with Artemis 2 will be cut off as the astronauts pass behind the Moon. 

"It'll be exciting, you know, in a slightly scary way, when they go behind the moon," Derek Buzasi, a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of Chicago, told AFP. 

The academic recalled during the Apollo missions to the Moon, "we all held our breaths a little bit."

- History-making milestones -

The Artemis 2 mission represents several first, as it will be the first time a woman, Christina Koch, a Black person, Victor Glover, and a non-American, Jeremy Hansen, will reach the Moon. 

Until now, only the Apollo-era astronauts, all of whom were white American men, reached the Moon, between 1968 and 1972. 

Shortly before the start of the flyby, the Artemis 2 crew will also reach the furthest distance humans have ever traveled from Earth. 

The spacecraft is expected to surpass the Apollo 13 distance record by 4,102 miles (6,600 kilometers) and will reach a maximum distance from the planet of 252,757 miles (406,772 kilometers).

- Moon the size of a basketball -

Apollo flights flew some 70 miles (110 kilometers) above the lunar surface, but the Artemis 2 crew will be over 4,000 miles (6,500 kilometers) away at their closest approach. 

The spaceship will actually swing around the Moon without entering its orbit by following a carefully planned trajectory. 

The distance from the Moon will allow astronauts on board to see the complete, circular surface of the Moon, including regions near both poles.  

The Moon will appear to the astronauts "about the size of a basketball held at arm's length," Noah Petro, head of NASA's planetary geology lab, told AFP.

- Far side of the Moon -

The flyby will see the Artemis 2 crew pass behind the far side of the Moon, which is not visible to Earth. 

The astronauts of the Apollo mission also flew behind the Moon, but they were too close to witness it in entirety. 

The Artemis 2 crew will therefore be able to see regions of the Moon that had previously only been captured by robotic imagers. 

The four astronauts have gone through years of training to observe and describe the geological formations they observe as accurately as possible. 

NASA scientists hope the observations recorded by the crew will provide information about the composition of the Moon and its history, as well as the wider solar system by extension.

- Solar eclipse -

Toward the end of the flyby, the astronauts will experience a rare phenomenon: a solar eclipse. 

For about 53 minutes, their spacecraft will perfectly align with the Moon and the Sun, causing the star to disappear from view. 

The astronauts will then have the chance to study the solar corona, the outermost layer of the Sun's atmosphere, which will become visible as a sort of glowing halo. 

They will also be on the lookout for possible flashes of light caused by meteorites crashing into the surface of the Moon.

- 'Earthrise' redux -

The Artemis 2 astronauts will also see the Earth disappear and reappear behind the Moon. 

Their position will potentially allow them to recreate the famous "Earthrise" photograph from the Apollo 8 mission in 1968.

The iconic photograph taken by astronaut William Anders captured the bright blue Earth against the vast darkness of space, with the Moon's cratered surface in the foreground. 

cha/jgc/gw

The Masters green jacket, the symbol of supremacy at Augusta National, is among the most coveted items of clothing in sport -- and one of the hardest to obtain.

Rory McIlroy became the most recent recipient of the iconic blazer last year when he ended a 10-year major drought with a career-defining victory at Augusta National in a sudden-death playoff.

Unless he successfully defends his title, McIlroy will return next Sunday to take part in one of golf's most closely observed rituals: helping slip the jacket onto the shoulders of the new champion. 

For McIlroy, the past year has underscored both the rarity of the garment and the responsibility that comes with it.

"The overwhelming feeling of having this jacket for a year is just how honored and grateful I am I was able to do it, and how grateful I am I've had so much great support along the way," McIlroy said.

"As time goes on, it becomes normal and it has been normal for me to go into my closet and see the green jacket hanging there. Hopefully it's not the last time I get to bring (it) off property."

McIlroy has worn the green jacket to India and Australia as well as his homeland of Northern Ireland among other global stops.

Only the reigning champion is allowed to take his green jacket off the club property, and then only until he returns to defend it the following year.

An exception to the rule was Gary Player, who took his first jacket home to South Africa but didn't bring it back.

Player recalled telling then-Masters chairman Clifford Roberts, "Why don't you come and fetch it? He did see the funny side of it. He said to me, 'Don't ever wear it in public.'"

Tom Watson won in 1977 and was presented an oversized 44 long-sized jacket.

"It came down below my fingertips," Watson said. "Did I care? Not in the least. I'd wear a tent, as long as it's the green jacket."

Players are asked their jacket sizes each year now when they register at Augusta National.

Jack Nicklaus wore a loaned 46 long after the first of his record six Masters wins, then a right-sized loaner for his other triumphs.

He told then-chairman Jack Stevens in 1998 that he didn't have his own jacket and soon received a note saying, "You will go to the pro shop and you will be fit for your green jacket."

Billy Casper, the 1970 Masters winner, and Gay Brewer, the 1967 champion, were both buried wearing their green jackets.

Sam Snead, the 1949 winner, was the first champion to receive a green jacket and one was then presented to all prior winners retroactively.

When Nicklaus won the Masters for the second year in a row, he put the green jacket on himself.

When Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods won back-to-back Masters titles, the current Masters chairman helped the winner into his jacket.

By 1937, Augusta National club members wore the green jackets so patrons with questions knew who could help them.

According to the Masters website, the jacket is a classic three-button, notch lapel design with a single vent in the color Masters Green. The cloth is a tropical wool, and they are manufactured in the United States.

Each jacket features gold buttons embossed with the Augusta National logo and an embroidered patch with the club logo on the left breast pocket.

American Zach Johnson, the 2007 winner, called donning the green jacket "the highest privilege in golf" and wore his at the Empire State Building, using a garbage bag to cover it.

"We don't have a garment bag," wife Kim Johnson said. "We didn't plan on winning the Masters."

- Hugging the jacket -

Canada's Mike Weir, the 2003 champion, and 2022 champion Scottie Scheffler wore green jackets to throw out the first pitch at Major League Baseball games for the Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers, respectively.

Tiger Woods clung to his green jacket after winning the first of his five Masters titles in 1997 at age 21.

"I fell asleep fully clothed and hugging the green jacket like a blanket," Woods said.

Japan's Hideki Matsuyama carried his through the Atlanta airport and said he never dry cleaned it after his 2021 triumph.

"I just was so worried that something might happen to it," Matsuyama said. "I didn't want to let it out of my sight."

js/rcw/bb

Wearing white uniforms, their heads shaved, rows of bewildered-looking men are beamed by video link from prisons across El Salvador into a courtroom conducting a mass trial of alleged gang members.

Four years after President Nayib Bukele declared war against gangs in the Central American nation, the fates of thousands of prisoners are being decided en masse with the single swing of a judge's gavel.

Williams Diaz, a 35-year-old air conditioning technician, is one of more than 91,000 people rounded up under a state of emergency -- in place since 2022 -- who will be judged with scores of others in a faceless court by an anonymous judge.

He was arrested by soldiers over three years ago while on his way to work and taken to Bukele's showpiece Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), a brutal prison where over 10,000 suspected gang members are crammed into overcrowded cells.

His mother Gladis Villatoro fears that her Williams, the father of a six-year-old boy, will be tainted when he goes on trial for alleged membership of one of the gangs that terrorized El Salvador before Bukele's crackdown.

"If they convict one, they convict the whole lot...the innocent will pay for the guilty," Villatoro, who sells tortillas for a living, said at her modest home 20 kilometers (12 miles) east of the capital San Salvador.

A short drive away, Reynaldo Santos, a soft-spoken 58-year-old baker, fears his son Jonathan could also be sent to prison for years without getting a chance to defend himself.

- 'Like Russian roulette' -

Jonathan, a 24-year-old factory worker, was arrested at home while playing the wildly popular video game Fortnite, which police said denoted a penchant for gang activities.

He was released pending trial, but he could be rearrested at any time.

"It's like Russian roulette, it's a nightmare," his father said.

Bukele's mass incarceration policy has seen around 1.4 percent of El Salvador's population locked up without due process, creating a logistical headache for the country's courts.

In an attempt to clear the backlog, the Attorney General's Office vowed to accelerate the mass trials begun in 2024, cloaked in secrecy, by finalizing 3,000 indictments in the first three months of 2026.

Human rights groups have expressed outrage over the trials, arguing that collective justice violates the defendants' rights to a fair trial.

Vice President Felix Ulloa has touted the approach as "innovative."

But the stakes for the accused, mostly from low-income families, couldn't be higher.

Last week, El Salvador's Legislative Assembly increased the maximum sentence for "terrorists" -- which the government labels gang members -- from 60 years to life imprisonment, including for minors.

Ulloa said sentences would vary, according to the defendant's rank within an alleged gang cell. 

Criminal lawyer Roxana Cardona warned that the trials would turn El Salvador's prisons into "human pits."

AFP has reached out to the prosecutor's office and Salvadoran government for comment on the trials, but has yet to receive a response. 

- Conviction conveyor belt -

Information about the trials is difficult to access. 

The cases are kept under seal, meaning the details are not available to the public. 

Prosecutors have grouped the detainees by alleged gang cell, according to their purported areas of operation.

Jonathan and around 80 other prisoners are accused of being part of Mara Salvatrucha, one of Central America's most feared crime syndicates.

Williams meanwhile is accused of being a member of the rival Barrio 18 gang. 

According to documents seen by AFP, neither have any prior convictions. 

"There is a presumption of guilt, not innocence," a lawyer defending 45 prisoners, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, told AFP.

The mass trials were made possible by reforms to El Salvador's law on organized crime, which banished the individualization of criminal responsibility and eliminated the preliminary court hearings used to determine whether there is enough evidence to bring a case to trial.

The resulting proceedings "are a mere formality...a massive conviction factory," said one lawyer who represented a produce vendor sentenced in February to 30 years in prison, alongside 163 others.

Before each trial, an imprisoned gang member, his face concealed, testifies about the accused in order -- and receives a reduced sentence in return, several defense lawyers said.

The lawyers added that informants often fail to provide any evidence of their claims -- but their testimony guarantees a conviction regardless.

In some cases, the defense attorneys are not summoned to the mass hearings or made aware of the charges against their clients.

The produce vendor's lawyer saw him for barely a minute before the trial. 

"I only managed to ask him how he was and tell him, 'Your family loves you and knows you're innocent,'" the lawyer recalled.

- Swamped public defenders -

Bukele, a staunch ally of US President Donald Trump, has become a folk hero at home and across much of Latin America for dramatically curbing gang violence.

He has shrugged off criticism from legal experts who say his crackdown may have led to crimes against humanity, arguing that the ends justified the means.

New York-based watchdog Human Rights Watch (HRW) has documented arrests in El Salvador based on anonymous phone calls, neighborhood disputes, or over-zealous police officers aiming to meet arrest quotas, for which they receive bonuses. 

For Juan Pappier, HRW's deputy director for the Americas, the ensuing trials "lack the basic guarantees of due process, which increases the risk of convicting innocent people." 

Villatoro and Santos have gone into debt to pay for private legal aid for their children rather than rely on court-appointed attorneys, who are swamped with cases.

Villatoro's anguish has grown since she learned that her son is in kidney failure. 

"It's been a year since then, and I don't know how he is," she said, whispering so her 6-year-old grandson would not hear.

She recalled Bukele's ominous prediction that suspects who enter his flagship Terrorism Confinement Center will "never" leave, but is still praying for "a miracle."

Santos said Jonathan, who suffers from anxiety and depression, merely wanted a chance to prove his innocence. 

"We want this nightmare to end," he said.

mis/axm/lbc/cb/jgc

Mizzou gymnastics fell short of qualifying to the NCAA Championships on Sunday in Lexington, Kentucky, ending its season in the Sweet 16.

The Tigers fought through routine after routine. This year's appearance in the Sweet 16 marked their sixth straight in a NCAA Regional Final.

“I think we've set a certain standard,” coach Shannon Welker said. “When we fall short on something that's really hard to do. It feels like disappointment, but it actually is just a new standard, just a young team just trying to figure it out a little bit. I did think they left their best out there today.”

Missouri’s Hannah Horton will compete in at the NCAA National Championships on April 16 in Fort Worth, Texas, as an individual on uneven bars. Horton has been a star for the Tigers in 2026. She captured a share of the NCAA Lexington Regional Floor Championship with a 9.925 during Friday’s competition, marking her second-career regional title after winning the uneven bar title at the 2025 Seattle Regional.

Mizzou has a senior class filled with athletes that transferred to Missouri toward the end of their careers, including Amy Wier, Lauren Macpherson, Makayla Green and Elise Tisler. These Tigers have embraced being at Mizzou and have enjoyed every moment.

“You wouldn't even know that they transferred,” Welker said. “They just love it that much. So I'm sure that when they go back for alumni nights, they're coming back to Missouri.”

Mizzou brought the party on floor exercise in the third rotation but was not rewarded with high scores compared to its competitors, despite strong routines.

Railey Jackson opened Mizzou’s dynamic floor rotation with a 9.850. Tisler earned a 9.800 in the second spot — a low score for a routine with controlled landings and well-executed leaps.

Despite extremely strong routines, Missouri struggled to break the 9.900 mark. Kennedy Griffin took to the floor and had the Tiger fans in the arena screaming for a perfect score. She showcased perfect control on both landings and earned 9.950. Horton earned a 9.925, another Missouri floor routine that many fans felt could have been higher due to the strength in her tumbling and engaging choreography.

Missouri began its Nationals semifinal campaign on bars. Macpherson has been a steady bars competitor throughout 2026. Sunday, she executed a sharp routine with a stuck dismount for a 9.850. Olivia Kelly followed with a solid routine that included a difficult Church release move, earning her 12th score of 9.800 or better with a 9.825.

Maiya Terry also earned a 9.850 after a step on her dismount. After multiple scores in the 9.800 range the Tiger needed big numbers in the final two spots. Horton delivered with a near flawless routine, capped with a stuck double layout dismount and a 9.925. Freshman Kimarra Echols was solid in the anchor position earning 9.850 and 49.300 overall for Mizzou.

While Missouri was on bars, Oklahoma was sticking multiple vaults. Mackenzie Estep earned a 9.950, while Addison Fatta and Elle Mueller brought in 9.925s for a 49.525 overall.

Arkansas brought the flare on floor. Morgan Price earned a 9.900, and Joscelyn Roberson earned a 9.950 for a 49.400 overall.

After a 48.950 on beam in the regional second round, the Tigers were looking for a sharper routine. Jackson led with a 9.825, while Wier continued with a 9.850 after fighting for the stick on her dismount.

Macpherson executed a difficult triple series and a strong dismount delivering a 9.875. Addison Lawrence anchored the rotation with a 9.875, marking a big moment for the senior after falling at Kentucky during the regular season and during Day 1 of the Regional tournament.

Oklahoma continued to excel during the competition earning a 49.475 on bars. Arkansas kept its momentum going by scoring a 49.275 on vault, led by a 9.950 from Lauren Williams.

Mizzou entered the final rotation in third place (148.000) behind Arkansas (148.025).

Griffin opened with a strong Yurchenko full for a 9.850 after a small hop back. Acevedo took a step back for a 9.800. Jackson earned a 9.825 after a hop back on her Yurchenko 11/2, while Tisler anchored the rotation with a massive Yurchenko 1.5 for a 9.850.

Welker wants to honor his current senior class by returning to the Elite 8 in 2027.

“How we honor them is making sure that they take a trip to come cheer us on at the NCAA Championships next year," Welker said. "That's how we honor those seniors."

Missouri entered 2026 after a historic 2025 season where it finished third at the NCAA Championship Final. The Tigers have set a strong standard that has been displayed throughout the year.

Next season, strong recruits in Kendall Morgan and Imani White will be introduced as Mizzou also looks to maintain a large amount of their current roster.

World champion Tadej Pogacar won a record-equalling third Tour of Flanders on Sunday after dropping his main rival Mathieu van der Poel with 18km to ride.

Van der Poel was himself aiming for a new record fourth victory in the second Monument of the season, but instead, Pogacar made it two from two in the prestigious one-day classics having won Milan-San Remo last month.

Four-time Tour de France winner Pogacar, 27, now has 12 Monument victories, putting him clear in second on the all-time list behind only the great Eddy Merckx with 19.

He has raced three times this year, winning all three and if he wins Paris-Roubaix next weekend, he will join an elite band as just the fourth man to win all five Monuments after Merckx and fellow Belgians Rik Van Looy and Roger De Vlaeminck.

"It was a really crazy race today, I don't know what to say: super-hard from I don't know which kilometre," Pogacar told Belgian TV.

"I don't race too much, so when I race there is pressure to win.

"So far everything went perfect for me, so I can be more than happy.

"Coming next week to Roubaix, I can go motivated, but I try to enjoy the cobbles."

On his Roubaix debut last year, he finished second to Van der Poel, who won for the third year in a row.

Double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel, on his Flanders debut, held on for an impressive third place ahead of fellow Belgian Wout van Aert after 278km and more than six hours riding around Flanders, over punchy climbs and numerous cobbled sections.

- Pogacar a cut above -

In what was billed as a battle between four of the biggest stars in cycling, Pogacar once again proved he is a cut above the others, although Van der Poel -- one of the greatest cobbled classics specialists of all time -- pushed him all the way.

Pogacar had dropped all his rivals bar Van der Poel and Evenepoel with an acceleration on the second of three ascents up the Oude Kwaremont climb with 57km to race.

Evenepoel was left behind on the very next climb, the Paterberg, and although he kept within a handful of seconds at first, he would gradually drift backwards, finishing more than a minute after Pogacar.

Pogacar and Van der Poel rode together for the better part of 40km, before the Slovenian put in his race-winning move on the final ride up the Oude Kwaremont.

He crested that with a six-second advantage, but Dutchman Van der Poel's resistance was broken and he would only lose more time before the finish.

A 13-man break, including Mongolian Sainbayaryn Jambaljamts, escaped in the first 40km and built up a maximum lead of about five-and-a-half minutes, thanks in part to the peloton being held up at a level crossing.

That lead stayed fairly stable for more than 100km before the peloton upped its pace.

With just over 100km left, Pogacar's teammates put the hammer down on the Molenberg climb and caused a split that saw a group of about 15 riders containing the favourites form a chase group.

The favourites caught the breakaway group with just under 80km left to ride, by which time their lead over the peloton had risen over one minute.

From then on, it was a question of whether anyone would be able to stay with Pogacar over the remaining climbs to the finish -- and no one could.

In the women's race, European champion Demi Vollering made an identical move to Pogacar, dropping her rivals and cresting the Oude Kwaremont with a 19-second lead over Pauline Ferrand-Prevot and Puck Pieterse.

The Dutch rider would not be caught, coming home at the end of the 164km race with a 45-second gap to Ferrand-Prevot, who easily pipped Pietrse in the sprint for second.

It was the 2023 Tour de France Femmes winner's third Monument victory having won Liege-Bastogne-Liege twice.

Record three-time winner Lotte Kopecky had to settle for fourth.

bc/jc/pb

Leeds reached the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 39 years as they survived a dramatic penalty shoot-out after squandering a two-goal lead in a thrilling clash with West Ham on Sunday.

Daniel Farke's side were moments away from victory at the London Stadium after Ao Tanaka's first-half goal and Dominic Calvert-Lewin's second-half penalty put them in control.

But West Ham staged a stoppage-time rally as Mateus Fernandes reduced the deficit before Axel Disasi's equaliser forced extra time.

With the score still level at 2-2 after the additional period, Leeds keeper Lucas Perri emerged as their shoot-out hero.

Joel Piroe missed Leeds' first penalty but Calvert-Lewin, Brenden Aaronson, Wilfried Gnonto and Pascal Struijk all converted their kicks.

Perri saved Jarrod Bowen's opening effort for West Ham and also denied Pablo as Leeds won 4-2 on penalties.

It was their second shoot-out victory in the competition this season following their fourth-round success at Birmingham.

Leeds will face Chelsea in the semi-finals at Wembley later in April.

"We always do it the tough way, never the easy way. We could have made our lives easier," Farke said. 

"We had a late sucker punch when the whole stadium was buzzing. To keep the nerves and win the penalty shoot-out shows great mentality and character. 

"A chapter of Leeds history. It will be a big night for us at Wembley. It's a great step for this club and a great reward for everyone."

The Yorkshire club are in the semi-finals for the first time since 1987, when they lost to eventual winners Coventry at Hillsborough.

Leeds have lost on their past three trips to Wembley, in the 2024 Championship play-off final, the 2008 League One play-off final and the 1996 League Cup final.

FA Cup winners for the only time in 1972, Leeds' last victory at Wembley was a 4-3 success against Liverpool in the 1992 Charity Shield.

Their win over West Ham was a welcome lift in the midst of a Premier League relegation battle for both clubs.

Third-bottom West Ham are one point behind fourth-bottom Tottenham with seven games left.

Leeds, four points above the Hammers, face a return trip to West Ham for a potentially decisive clash on the last day of the season.

- Penalty drama -

West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo made five changes as he prioritised Friday's vital showdown with bottom-of-the-table Wolves.

Leeds grabbed the opener in the 26th minute thanks to an eye-catching effort from Japan midfielder Tanaka, who cleverly twisted to find space inside the penalty area for a shot that deflected off Disasi and bounced in off the crossbar.

Leeds struck again in the 75th minute after Max Kilman chopped down Aaronson in the area, with referee Craig Pawson changing his decision to a penalty after consulting the pitch-side monitor.

Calvert-Lewin confidently stroked his spot-kick past Alphonse Areola before sprinting to celebrate with 9,000 raucous Leeds supporters crammed behind the goal.

Leeds lost focus in the closing stages, allowing West Ham to stage their remarkable comeback.

Fernandes tapped in the rebound after Bowen hit the post in the third minute of stoppage time.

Stunned by the decision to play 11 minutes of additional time, Leeds were unable to hold their nerve.

Three minutes after Fernandes' goal, Adama Traore whipped an inswinging cross into the six-yard box and former Chelsea defender Disasi volleyed home with his outstretched foot.

Thousands of West Ham fans had already left before Disasi's equaliser and hundreds flooded back in after the goal, although some found the gates shut, leaving them stuck outside for the rest of the match.

With Areola forced off injured late in extra time, West Ham had to give a debut to reserve keeper Finlay Herrick.

The 20-year-old, who was on loan at non-league side Boreham Wood earlier this season, saved Piroe's penalty.

But there was no fairytale ending for Herrick as Leeds celebrated a semi-final berth almost four decades in the making.

smg/mw