UR MAG

Russia's President Putin holds talks via video link with China's President Xi

The agencies quoted ​Lavrov as saying that the visit would take place in the first half of the year, while the Vedomosti newspaper cited sources as saying it would be during the week beginning May 18.

President Xi ‌Jinping met Lavrov on ⁠Wednesday, assuring Moscow of China's friendship and saying that China and Russia must trust and support each ⁠other, deepen cooperation, and defend each other's interests.

U.S. President Donald Trump is also scheduled to meet Xi during his first visit to China ​in ​eight years on May 14 and ​15.

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Lavrov told the news ‌conference that Russia was ready to help China and other countries affected by the Middle East crisis with energy supplies.

"Russia can, of course, make up for the resource shortfall facing both China and other countries that are interested in working with us on an ‌equal and mutually beneficial basis," Lavrov ​told the news conference in China.

Lavrov also ​said that Russia and ​China had all the necessary means to avoid reliance ‌on what he described as ​U.S. efforts to ​disrupt global energy markets through conflict in the Middle East.

"Thank God, China and Russia have every capability, including those already ​in use, reserve capacity, ‌and planned capacity, to avoid depending on such aggressive ​gambits, which undermine the global economy," he said.

(Writing by ​Gleb Bryanski; Editing by Mark Potter)

The drug is known as cychlorphine, but is scientifically referred to as N-propionitrile chlorphine.

Because of its extreme potency, even very small doses of cychlorphine are potentially lethal. Officials said it has been linked to a growing number of overdose deaths and is being found in other illicit drugs.

Another major concern is that it requires multiple doses of naloxone, known by the brand name Narcan, to try and reverse an overdose.

RELATED STORY |US overdose deaths fell 27% last year, the largest one-year decline ever seen

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The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) San Francisco Field Division has identified the drug in cases around Northern California, according to a local ABC-affiliate.

In eastern Tennessee, the Knox County Regional Forensic Center noted that cychlorphine had been detected in 41 deaths across its 23-county service area as of early April.

ICYMI |Walgreens launches a cheaper, generic version of over-the-counter Narcan

Citing "reports," the Knox County Regional Forensic Center claimed that officials believe cychlorphine originated in China in 2024 and quickly moved to Europe before hitting the United States in late 2024 where it possibly first appeared in Florida.

TheCenter for Forensic Science Research and Educationsaid it was first detected in mid-2024 and has been showing up in toxicology reports from at least eight states and several Canadian provinces.

Suu Kyi, 80, was serving a 27-year sentence for a litany of charges ‌her allies said were politically motivated to keep her at bay, ranging from incitement and corruption to election fraud and violating a state secrets law.

The ​sentence has been cut by one-sixth, but it remains unclear whether the Nobel Peace Prize winner will be allowed to serve the rest of her sentence under house arrest, the lawyer said.

Suu Kyi, who had dismissed the charges against her as "absurd", has not been seen in public since the end of her marathon trials, and her whereabouts have been unknown.

Earlier, state media reported that President Min ‌Aung Hlaing approved an amnesty for 4,335 prisoners, ⁠the third such move in the past six months. Amnesties typically take place in Myanmar each year to mark Independence Day in January and New Year in April.

Among the prisoners freed was ⁠Suu Kyi ally Win Myint, who served as president from 2018 until the 2021 military coup. State broadcaster MRTV said he was "granted a pardon and the reduction of his remaining sentences under specified conditions."

A spokesperson for the military-backed government did not immediately respond to ​a ​request for comment.

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The United Nations said U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "takes note" ​of the moves, while underscoring "the need for meaningful efforts ‌to ensure the swift release of all those arbitrarily detained, including State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and to create conditions conducive to a credible political process."

"A viable political solution must be founded on an immediate cessation of violence and a genuine commitment to inclusive dialogue. This requires an environment that allows the people of Myanmar to freely and peacefully exercise their political rights," Guterres' spokesperson said in response to media queries.

The United States welcomed Win Myint's release but called for ‌the military government to free all those unjustly detained, including Suu ​Kyi.

"We urge Burma’s military and other armed groups to immediately cease violence ​harming civilians, ensure unhindered humanitarian access across the country, ​and engage in meaningful dialogue to end the crisis and achieve a sustainable peace," a State ‌Department spokesperson said.

The 2021 coup against Win Myint and ​Suu Kyi's democratically elected government ​was led by Min Aung Hlaing. It plunged the Southeast Asian country into a nationwide civil war that continues to rage.

Min Aung Hlaing was elected president on April 3 following polls in December and January during which the opposition ​was stifled and largely absent. Critics and ‌Western governments dismissed the vote as a sham designed to entrench military rule behind a democratic facade.

(Reporting by ​Reuters Staff; Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom in Washington; Writing by David Stanway and Martin Petty; Editing ​by Muralikumar Anantharaman, Christian Schmollinger, John Mair and Andrew Heavens)

Pentagon US Iran

In the first three days of the military action, 14 ships have turned around rather than confront the naval blockade, according to U.S. Central Command, which oversees the Iran war.

Some Iran-linked or sanctioned vessels that have left the Persian Gulf throughthe Strait of Hormuz, the crucial waterway for energy shipments, have appeared to halt their movements, turn off their radio transponders or head back toward Iran's coast, shipping data firms say.

Vessels that approach the blockade, which is being enforced in Iran’s territorial seas and international waters and not in the Strait of Hormuz, are given a warning, Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters at the Pentagon.

“Any ship that would cross the blockade would result in our sailors executing pre-planned tactics designed to bring the force to that ship — if need be, board the ship and take her over,” he said.

U.S. Central Command released a recording of a radio broadcast sent to vessels in the region that said the military was ready to use force if needed to compel compliance with the blockade.

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“Vessels will be boarded for interdiction and seizure transiting to or from Iranian port,” the message said.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters that “less than 10% of America’s naval power” is being used to enforce the blockade. The Navy has 16 warships — 11 destroyers, three amphibious assault ships, an aircraft carrier, and a littoral combat ship — in the Middle East out of a battle force of roughly 300 total warships.

Also supporting the blockade is a series of different aircraft as well as surveillance, reconnaissance and intelligence operations designed to give the Navy the latest information on the vessels it is encountering.

Restricting Iran's sea access is a global effort, Caine said, and U.S. military assets in other parts of the world, including in the Pacific, would pursue vessels illegally shipping Iranian oil or trying to provide material support to Tehran.

Caine noted the congestion of the area around the blockade, likening it to a crowded parking lot and U.S. destroyers to high-powered sports cars.

“There is a lot out there," Caine said. "It is like driving a sports car through a supermarket parking lot on a payday weekend, with thousands of kids in that parking lot, as you attempt to maneuver through there to get to that ship that would attempt to run that blockade.”

Everyone is different, but there is clearly a market for the fortune teller profession. If there weren't, we wouldn't have random genies at arcades attempting to signal what is coming next. Fortune cookies wouldn't exist. The psychic industry would cease to exist, and don't even get us started on the Magic 8-Ball.

The modern world has gifted us plenty of conveniences and luxuries, things that would've been unimaginable previously. One of them is the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), which often replaces organic intelligence in the name of convenience.

Whatever the reason, USA TODAY Sports has enjoyed peeling back the curtain behind the technology to test its skills as it relates to the NFL. After plenty ofmock drafts, including one that is probably theworst of all-time, we decided to take it to a new level.

PredictingFernando Mendoza'scareer ahead of the2026 NFL Draft.

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We askedMicrosoft Copilotto "predict Fernando Mendoza's career path, including record, awards, Super Bowl wins, teams and other key stats," to see what happened.The chatbot gave us a modern-day time capsule, which we can look back on and track its success.

2. New York Jets – David Bailey, OLB/DE, Texas Tech

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 3. Arizona Cardinals – Arvell Reese, LB/DE, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 4. Tennessee Titans – Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 5. New York Giants – Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 6. Cleveland Browns – Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 7. Washington Commanders – Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 8. New Orleans Saints – Makai Lemon, WR, USC

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 9. Kansas City Chiefs – Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 10. Cincinnati Bengals – Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 11. Miami Dolphins – Francis Mauigoa, OT/G, Miami (Fla.)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 12. Dallas Cowboys – Rueben Bain Jr., DE, Miami (Fla.)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 13. Los Angeles Rams (from Atlanta Falcons) – Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 14. Baltimore Ravens – Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Keldric Faulk, DE, Auburn

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 16. New York Jets (from Indianapolis Colts) – Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 17. Detroit Lions – Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 18. Minnesota Vikings – Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 19. Carolina Panthers – Spencer Fano, OT, Utah

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 20. Dallas Cowboys (from Green Bay Packers) – Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 21. Pittsburgh Steelers – Olaivavega Ioane, G, Penn State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 22. Los Angeles Chargers – Akheem Mesidor, DE, Miami (Fla.)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 24. Cleveland Browns (from Jacksonville Jaguars) – Blake Miller, OT, Clemson

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 26. Buffalo Bills – Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 29. Kansas City Chiefs (from Rams) – Malachi Lawrence, DE, UCF

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 32. Seattle Seahawks – Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

NFL mock draft: Big-name prospect drops in latest first-round projection

Fernando Mendoza career stats projected by AI

Copilot projects that Mendoza will play 14 NFL seasons and suit up for the Raiders, Vikings and Jets. It believes he will make a playoff appearance in 50% of those seasons and hoist one Lombardi Trophy.

The chatbot summed up Mendoza's career like this:

"A high‑accuracy, timing‑based franchise quarterback who peaks as an MVP and Super Bowl champion, with a long, stable, productive career," Copilot said. "Not a generational GOAT, but absolutely a franchise cornerstone and a champion."

• NFL Career: 2026–2039 (14 seasons)

• Teams:

  • Las Vegas Raiders (2026–2033)

  • Minnesota Vikings (2034–2037)

  • New York Jets (2038–2039)

• Career Record as Starter: 108–83

• Playoff Appearances: 7

• Super Bowl Appearances: 1

• Super Bowl Wins: 1

• MVP Awards: 1

• Pro Bowls: 4

• All‑Pro Selections: 1 (Second Team)

• Career Stats:

  • Completion %: 66.8%

  • Passing Yards: 47,900

  • TD–INT: 324–142

  • Passer Rating: 96.4

Fernando Mendoza career path prediction

2026 — Rookie Season (Raiders)

• Record: 6–11

• Stats: 3,420 yards, 20 TD, 14 INT, 63%

• Shows accuracy and poise but struggles behind a shaky line.

• Finishes 2nd in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting.

2027 — Breakout Year

• Record: 9–8 (Wild Card berth)

• Stats: 4,080 yards, 27 TD, 10 INT

• Raiders lose in wild-card round.

• Mendoza earns his first Pro Bowl.

2028 — Ascending

• Record: 10–7

• Stats: 4,300 yards, 31 TD, 12 INT

• Raiders win a playoff game for the first time in years.

• Mendoza is now viewed as a top‑12 QB.

2029 — MVP Season

• Record: 12–5

• Stats: 4,650 yards, 38 TD, 8 INT, 70%

• Wins NFL MVP.

• Raiders reach AFC Championship Game but lose to a veteran powerhouse.

2030 — Regression but Still Strong

• Record: 9–8

• Stats: 4,100 yards, 26 TD, 13 INT

• Offensive line injuries derail the season.

2031 — Peak Efficiency

• Record: 11–6

• Stats: 4,350 yards, 33 TD, 9 INT

• Named second‑team All‑Pro.

• Raiders lose in divisional round.

2032 — The Decline Begins

• Record: 7–10

• Stats: 3,900 yards, 22 TD, 15 INT

• Coaching turnover hurts development.

2033 — Final Raiders Season

• Record: 8–9

• Stats: 3,750 yards, 21 TD, 12 INT

• Raiders draft a QB; Mendoza hits free agency.

2034 — Minnesota Vikings era begins

A fresh start revitalizes him.

• Record: 10–7

• Stats: 4,200 yards, 29 TD, 11 INT

• Vikings lose in wild-card round.

2035 — Super Bowl Run

• Record: 12–5

• Stats: 4,450 yards, 34 TD, 9 INT

• Vikings reach Super Bowl LXX, defeating the Ravens.

• Mendoza wins Super Bowl MVP.

2036

• Record: 9–8

• Stats: 3,980 yards, 24 TD, 13 INT

2037

• Record: 8–9

• Stats: 3,600 yards, 20 TD, 14 INT

• Vikings move on to a younger QB.

2038 — New York Jets era begins (Final stop)

• Record: 7–10

• Stats: 3,200 yards, 17 TD, 12 INT

2039 — Retirement Year

• Record: 5–12

• Stats: 2,450 yards, 12 TD, 9 INT

• Announces retirement at age 36.

2. New York Jets – David Bailey, OLB/DE, Texas Tech

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 3. Arizona Cardinals – Arvell Reese, LB/DE, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 4. Tennessee Titans – Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 5. New York Giants – Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 6. Cleveland Browns – Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 7. Washington Commanders – Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 8. New Orleans Saints – Makai Lemon, WR, USC

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 9. Kansas City Chiefs – Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 10. Cincinnati Bengals – Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 11. Miami Dolphins – Francis Mauigoa, OT/G, Miami (Fla.)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 12. Dallas Cowboys – Rueben Bain Jr., DE, Miami (Fla.)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 13. Los Angeles Rams (from Atlanta Falcons) – Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 14. Baltimore Ravens – Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Keldric Faulk, DE, Auburn

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 16. New York Jets (from Indianapolis Colts) – Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 17. Detroit Lions – Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 18. Minnesota Vikings – Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 19. Carolina Panthers – Spencer Fano, OT, Utah

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 20. Dallas Cowboys (from Green Bay Packers) – Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 21. Pittsburgh Steelers – Olaivavega Ioane, G, Penn State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 22. Los Angeles Chargers – Akheem Mesidor, DE, Miami (Fla.)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 24. Cleveland Browns (from Jacksonville Jaguars) – Blake Miller, OT, Clemson

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 26. Buffalo Bills – Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 29. Kansas City Chiefs (from Rams) – Malachi Lawrence, DE, UCF

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 32. Seattle Seahawks – Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

NFL mock draft: Big-name prospect drops in latest first-round projection

Fernando Mendoza career achievements projected by AI

• 1× NFL MVP

• 1× Super Bowl Champion

• 1× Super Bowl MVP

• 4× Pro Bowler

• 1× All‑Pro (Second Team)

• Top‑25 all‑time in passing yards and TDs

• Franchise records for Raiders and Vikings in multiple categories

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Fernando Mendoza NFL draft: AI predicts QB's career stats, awards, more