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The Lead Crystal Palace and Shakhtar Donetsk prepare to face off in the first leg of the Europa Conference League semi-final, with both teams having compelling stories to tell in this European competition. The match takes place in Krakow with kickoff scheduled for 8pm BST. The Teams' European Journeys Crystal Palace, who took 120 years to win their first major trophy, are seeking to make it "two in two" under Oliver Glasner in his final weeks at the club. They advanced to the semi-finals with a 3-0 win at home against Fiorentina in the first quarter-final leg, followed by a 2-1 loss in the second. Shakhtar Donetsk, led by former Atlético Madrid and Turkey midfielder Arda Turan, are on course for a league title in their manager's first season. The Ukrainian club is eyeing their second European trophy, having won the Uefa Cup in 2009 before the Europa League rebrand. They reached the last four with a 5-2 aggregate victory over AZ Alkmaar. The Ukrainian Club's Resilience Shakhtar's European campaign has been remarkable given the circumstances. All of their "home" Conference League matches this season have been played at the Henryk Reyman Municipal Stadium in Poland due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The club has shown remarkable resilience, having lost most foreign players after special FIFA regulations allowed them to leave for free following Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. "There is war in Ukraine and yet people live their lives," said Turan. "Every day shows that this nation never gives up." The Road to the Final The winner of this tie will face either Nottingham Forest or Aston Villa in the Europa Conference League final. Shakhtar reached the last four of the Europa League in 2016 and 2020 before the 2022 invasion changed everything for the club.

Blockx’s Historic Run in the Spanish CapitalBelgian rising star Alexander Blockx has delivered a performance of a lifetime at the Madrid Open, defeating defending champion Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-4 to secure a spot in the semi-finals. The 21-year-old, ranked 69th, has defied all odds to reach the last four, marking his best result on clay to date.Scoreline: Blockx defeated Ruud in straight sets (6-4, 6-4).Ranking Milestone: He is the fourth lowest-ranked player to reach the men's semi-finals in Madrid.Performance: He is 4-2 against top 20 opponents this month, with all four wins coming in the last three weeks.“To be honest, I’m just happy with being here,” Blockx said. “Semi-finals is something I wouldn’t have even dreamed of to begin with.” The conditions in Madrid, characterized by slow clay and high altitude, have seemingly suited Blockx’s aggressive style, allowing him time to settle and dictate points.Ruud’s Historic Fall from GraceCasper Ruud’s loss marks a significant downturn in the Norwegian’s career trajectory. The defeat sees Ruud exit the top 20 for the first time since May 2021, signaling a potential shift in the hierarchy of men's clay-court tennis. Ruud, who had been the defending champion, struggled to find rhythm against the relentless pressure of Blockx’s game.The WTA Final and Alcaraz’s AbsenceOn the women's side, 19-year-old Mirra Andreeva battled nerves to defeat Hailey Baptiste 6-4, 7-6 (8), securing her place in the Madrid final. Andreeva, who turned 19 on Wednesday, boasts an impressive 12-1 record on clay this season. Her victory comes after a dramatic second set tie-break where she saved three set points to overcome the American.Simultaneously, the tournament was dealt a blow with the withdrawal of world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz. The Spanish superstar is sidelined due to a right wrist injury, a setback that will prevent him from defending his French Open title in three weeks. Alcaraz was present in the stands, however, cheering on his younger brother Jaime in an under-16 tournament.Future Outlook: A New Era DawningThe Madrid Open is rapidly becoming a proving ground for the next generation of tennis talent. With Blockx and Andreeva reaching deep stages, the sport is witnessing a generational transition. For Blockx, a semi-final appearance at a Masters 1000 event is a statement of intent, suggesting he could be a major force to be reckoned with on clay in the coming years. For Ruud, the focus will shift to recovery and recalibrating his game to reclaim his position among the elite.

The Road to a Fourth Term The Confederation of African Football (CAF) says it is backing FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s bid for a fourth term as head of football’s global governing body. In a statement after a meeting before the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, CAF said it had “unanimously agreed” to support Infantino when the FIFA chief stands for re-election in 2027. Infantino's Background and Previous Terms Infantino took over as head of FIFA in 2016 in the wake of the corruption scandal that led to the downfall of his predecessor Sepp Blatter. He was re-elected to the post in 2019 and 2023. The Exception to FIFA's Term Limit Although FIFA statutes limit FIFA presidents to three terms in office, Infantino is allowed to run for re-election next year after the body ruled that his first, partial term from 2016 to 2019 after Blatter’s ouster did not count towards the total. International Support for Infantino CAF’s decision to support Infantino comes after South American football’s governing body, CONMEBOL, also pledged to support the Swiss-Italian official earlier in April.

Saudi PIF Announces End of Funding After the 2026 SeasonThe Public Investment Fund (PIF) confirmed that its financial support for the breakaway LIV Golf league will stop at the close of the 2026 season. In a statement, PIF said the “substantial investment required over a longer term is no longer consistent with the current phase of PIF’s investment strategy.”New LIV Golf Board Targets a Multi‑Partner Investment ModelGene Davis of Pirinate Consulting Group and Jon Zinman of JZ Advisors have been appointed to a newly created board, with Davis serving as chair. Their mandate is to secure long‑term financial partners to replace Saudi capital, while a committee of independent directors will explore strategic alternatives beyond the PIF horizon.Financial Footprint: $5.3 bn Spent Since Launch$1 bn allocated to marquee contracts for players such as Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Cameron Smith and Jon Rahm.$5.3 bn spent by LIV Golf from its 2022 launch; projected to reach $6 bn by year‑end.$30 m prize fund per tournament.Goal for 10 of 13 teams to be profitable this year.Implications for the Global Golf LandscapeThe funding withdrawal reshapes the power balance between LIV Golf and the established PGA Tour. Without PIF backing, LIV must prove its franchise‑team model can attract alternative capital, a challenge that could affect player retention, especially for top signings like DeChambeau and Rahm. The PGA Tour, meanwhile, continues to negotiate pathways for former LIV players, offering limited‑time returns but with strict conditions.Outlook: Funding Strategies and Player RetentionAnalysts expect LIV Golf to pursue a consortium of private investors, media rights deals, and possibly a public‑stock component to sustain operations beyond 2026. Success will hinge on delivering consistent profitability across its teams and maintaining the allure of its $30 m prize pools. If alternative financing falls short, the league may face a talent exodus as contracts expire, potentially accelerating a convergence with the PGA Tour’s ecosystem.

The Interception of the Gaza Aid Flotilla Israel has intercepted 22 out of the 58 aid ships traveling through international waters and bound for the besieged Gaza Strip. The ships were part of a second Global Sumud Flotilla aimed at breaking the Israeli blockade by carrying humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza. International Reactions The international community has reacted strongly to Israel's interception of the aid flotilla. Italy, Spain, and Turkey have all condemned the action, with Turkey's Foreign Ministry calling it 'an act of piracy'. Italy's Response Italy has called for the immediate release of Italian nationals on board the flotilla, condemning the seizure of the vessels and urging Israel to respect international law. Spain's Condemnation Spain's Foreign Ministry has 'energetically condemned' Israel's seizure of the flotilla, summoning Israel's charge d'affaires to convey its protest over the detention of the vessels. Turkey's Strong Words Turkey's Foreign Ministry has condemned Israel's seizure of the boats in the flotilla as 'an act of piracy', stating that Israel has violated humanitarian principles and international law. Hamas' Response The Palestinian group Hamas has condemned the interception, accusing Israel of committing a crime without accountability and calling for the release of those detained. Israel's Justification Israel's Foreign Ministry has called the flotilla organizers 'professional provocateurs', stating that its forces acted lawfully to prevent the breach of a lawful blockade.

The Lead A new social enterprise called Build, launched by EnviroCentre in Ottawa, aims to train immigrants in retrofitting homes to combat the climate crisis. The program provides training in insulation installation, air sealing, and other retrofitting skills to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Immigrants Learning to Retrofit Homes John Mava, an immigrant from Nigeria, and Allan Kanobana, an immigrant from Rwanda, are among the first mentees of Build. They are learning the fundamentals of health and safety, PPE use, and other theories, while also getting their warehouse ready for opening. The warehouse is where mentees will learn practical skills, such as insulation and drywall installation and conducting pre- and post-retrofit home assessments. The Data Analysis Buildings are one of the top-five greenhouse gas emitters in Canada, according to the federal government’s most recent overview of Canada’s GHG emissions. To achieve its goal of net zero emissions by 2050, Canada needs to retrofit about 600,000 homes each year. The construction industry is facing a shortage of skilled workers, with more than 245,100 construction workers projected to retire by 2032, leading to a shortage of more than 61,400 workers. The Impact Analysis The program aims to create a positive and welcoming space for mentees, particularly in an industry that has historically been male-dominated and lacking in diversity. Build also plans to provide a toolkit for employers to help them remove toxic behaviors in the construction environment. The program expects to take on two more mentees by the end of the year and retrofit the homes of hundreds of clients in the Ottawa area. The Prediction The success of Build's program could have a significant impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Canada. With the right training and support, immigrants can play a crucial role in addressing the climate crisis. As Mava said, 'We’ll reduce the emissions and then the kids will be happy in the future.'

Supreme Court Decision Reshapes Voting Rights LandscapeThe United States Supreme Court has voided a key provision of a landmark civil rights law by ruling that the electoral map of Louisiana had been drawn up unconstitutionally to create two Black-majority districts. The decision represents a major reinterpretation of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965 – in particular, its provision designed to protect minority voters from having their political power diluted.Wednesday's Supreme Court ruling is seen as a major win for Louisiana Republicans and President Donald Trump's administration and is expected to make it harder for minorities to challenge electoral maps as racially discriminatory under the 1965 law. It is unclear how much of that provision – Section 2 of the act – remains in force following this decision.The Louisiana Redistricting RulingThe court held that a map that created two Black-majority congressional districts in Louisiana was unconstitutional. The 6-3 ruling by justices blocks an electoral map that had given Louisiana a second Black-majority US congressional district.The court's conservative majority found that the Louisiana district represented by Democrat Cleo Fields relied too heavily on race. Chief Justice John Roberts described the 6th Congressional District as a "snake" that stretches more than 320km (200 miles) to link parts of Shreveport, Alexandria, Lafayette and Baton Rouge.The ruling was authored by Justice Samuel Alito and joined by his five fellow conservative justices. The dissenting justices are liberals."That map is an unconstitutional gerrymander," Alito wrote on behalf of the six conservatives.Understanding the Voting Rights ActThe Voting Rights Act was a piece of follow-up legislation to the Civil Rights Act, signed into law by President Lyndon B Johnson in 1964. It bans discrimination on the basis of race, colour, religion, sex or national origin.The 1965 law primarily ended common discriminatory practices against Black voters that were prevalent in many states, including literacy tests, that were designed to prevent them from voting.Section 2 of the act prohibits voting practices or procedures that discriminate on the basis of race, colour or membership of a language-minority group. The section has long been understood to bar electoral maps that dilute the voting strength of minority communities, even when there is no direct evidence of racist intent.How the Court Weakened the Voting Rights ActSection 2 of the act was amended by Congress in 1982 to prohibit electoral maps that would result in undermining the clout of minority voters, even without direct proof of racist intent.For more than four decades, plaintiffs could win a Section 2 claim by showing that a voting map had a racially discriminatory impact under this legal standard, known as the "results test".The Supreme Court's ruling on Wednesday, however, has in effect applied an "intent test" to Section 2, experts said. In the ruling, Alito wrote that the focus of Section 2 must now be to enforce the US Constitution's prohibition on intentional racial discrimination under its 15th Amendment.Interpreting Section 2 to "outlaw a map solely because it fails to provide a sufficient number of majority-minority districts would create a right that the amendment does not protect", Alito concluded.Political Power Shifts in CongressThe effect of the ruling may be felt more strongly in 2028 because most filing deadlines for this year's congressional races have already passed. Louisiana, though, may have to redraw its congressional districts now to comply with the decision.Republicans currently hold 217 seats in the House while Democrats hold 212. There is one independent and five vacancies in the House. In the Senate, Republicans hold 53 seats and Democrats hold 45. Two independents caucus with the Democrats.The state has primary elections set for May 16. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry told Republican candidates for the House of Representatives that he planned to suspend next month's primary elections to allow state lawmakers time to approve a new congressional map.Erosion of Civil Rights ProtectionsReactions to the ruling have been sharply divided along political lines."I love it," Trump told reporters after hearing of the decision, adding that he believes Republican-led states will now want to reconfigure their voting maps. In a social media post, Trump praised Alito as "brilliant" and called the ruling "a BIG WIN for Equal Protection under the Law, as it returns the Voting Rights Act to its Original Intent, which was to protect against intentional Racial Discrimination".Former President Barack Obama, a Democrat, warned that the ruling will free state legislatures to reconfigure electoral districts to "systematically dilute and weaken the voting power of racial minorities – so long as they do it under the guise of 'partisanship' rather than explicit 'racial bias'"."This is a devastating and profound step backwards for American Democracy," Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock wrote on social media.Justice Elena Kagan, in a dissent joined by the two other liberal justices on the Supreme Court, said the ruling rendered the Voting Rights Act "all but a dead letter" and predicted "grave" consequences.Redistricting Battles Ahead of 2026 MidtermsWith November's congressional elections looming, the court's decision could prompt Republican-led states to seek to redraw electoral maps to weaken US House seats considered safely Democratic.The ruling comes during a wider battle over congressional redistricting before midterm elections in November. The Congressional Black Caucus, a group of African American US lawmakers, condemned the ruling."Without the protections of the VRA [Voting Rights Act], Republicans now have the ability to move forward with a nationwide scheme to rig congressional maps in their favor – to manufacture more districts for themselves by eliminating majority-Black districts, while stripping away the ability to challenge those racist, anti-Black maps in court," it said in a statement.Warnock, a member of the caucus, said the ruling gutted the protections that civil rights champion Martin Luther King Jr "marched for [and] the protections made possible by civil rights protesters who spilled blood in pursuit of a more perfect union".

The Lead: A New Maritime Flashpoint EmergesThe Panama Canal has emerged as the latest maritime flashpoint, with the United States and China exchanging barbs in recent weeks over influence in what is one of the world's most important shipping routes. This dispute comes amid broader tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, raising concerns about disruptions to global trade and the potential erosion of international maritime laws.The Event Details: Accusations and Denials Over Canal ControlIn a joint statement with Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, the US condemned what it called "China's targeted economic pressure" and actions that have "affected Panama-flagged vessels." The countries accused China of detaining Panama-flagged ships in its own ports, claiming these actions are "a blatant attempt to politicise maritime trade and infringe on the sovereignty of the nations of our hemisphere."China strongly denied the allegations, calling them "hypocritical" and accusing the US of politicizing global commerce and undermining sovereignty. Lin Jian, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, asked rhetorically: "Who occupied the Panama Canal for a long time, invaded Panama with its military, and arbitrarily trampled on its sovereignty and dignity?"The crisis stems from Panama's Supreme Court scrapping in January a longstanding concession held by a Hong Kong-linked company to operate the Balboa and Cristobal ports. This decision came amid sustained US pressure on Panama to curb Chinese influence around the canal.The Data Analysis: Global Trade at RiskAnalysts have warned that any disruption to the canal, even temporarily, could "disrupt global trade significantly." According to Ferdinand Rauch, a professor of economics at the University of St Gallen in Switzerland, "It would lead to temporary supply bottlenecks, stock market volatility, inflationary upward pressure and could dampen global GDP measurably if prolonged."The Panama Canal accounts for about six percent of global trade, while the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies are shipped during peacetime, has been effectively closed since the US and Israel started bombing Iran on February 28. Currently, some 2,000 vessels are stranded at either end of the strait, while others have been rerouted, come under fire or even been seized.The Impact Analysis: Erosion of Maritime NormsThese frictions point to a broader shift in international shipping, demonstrating that major powers are increasingly willing to contest control of global shipping lanes. Abdul Khalique, a professor at Liverpool John Moores University in the UK, said "rising geopolitical rivalry" is increasingly "spilling into maritime chokepoints, from the Panama Canal to the Strait of Hormuz."The situation has raised questions over whether longstanding international laws governing the world's seas are beginning to unravel. James Kraska, Charles H Stockton Chair of International Law at the US Naval War College, noted that while the ongoing maritime crisis between the US and Iran is unlikely to become a permanent feature, strong international opposition to the unilateral closure of major sea lanes will be a key factor driving a resolution.The Prediction: Adapting to a Volatile Maritime FutureWhile experts disagree on whether this represents a "new normal" for global shipping, there are signs that governments and firms are "already adapting pragmatically: diversifying supply chains, revising risk premiums, increasing naval coordination, and investing in alternative routes," according to Khalique.UPF Barcelona School of Management professor Stephan Maurer warned that the consequences of disruption to or even closure of the Panama Canal for global trade "could be very grave, depending on the degree of disruption." Trade would adapt, but alternatives would greatly increase distances to be covered, with South American countries being most impacted, while the US and Canada would also be "severely affected."

Heartbreaking Announcement: Ted the Fishing Companion Passes AwayBBC announced that Ted, the four‑legged star of Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing, has died at 13 years old, prompting an outpouring of grief from fans and co‑hosts alike.Ted’s Journey from Surrey Rescue to Television StarRescued from a dog’s home in Surrey in 2013 when he was just six months old, Ted quickly became a regular on the river‑based adventures of Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse. Over six seasons he turned from a family pet into a beloved on‑screen companion, known for stealing Jammie Dodgers and bait.Book Success: “A Pawtobiography” Becomes a Sunday Times BestsellerIn 2024, Ted released A Pawtobiography, which climbed the Sunday Times bestseller list, cementing his cultural impact beyond television.What Ted’s Loss Means for ‘Gone Fishing’ and Its AudienceThe canine’s departure leaves a noticeable gap in the show’s dynamic. Both Mortimer and Whitehouse paid heartfelt tributes, highlighting how Ted was more than a pet – he was a “species all of his own.” Viewers are expected to feel a deeper emotional connection to the upcoming episodes.Looking Ahead: The Ninth Series and Ted’s Enduring LegacyAlthough Ted will appear for the final time in the forthcoming ninth series slated for later this year, his legacy will likely influence future storytelling, merchandise, and perhaps a commemorative segment honoring his contribution to the show’s charm.