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WASHINGTON, April 21 (Reuters) - A divided U.S. federal appeals court ruled on Tuesday that Texas can require public schools to display the biblical Ten Commandments in every ‌classroom, reversing a lower court judge who had blocked the law and marking a setback ‌for parents who accused the Republican-led state of trampling their rights under the U.S. Constitution.

The New Orleans-based U.S. Court of Appeals ​for the 5th Circuit voted 9-7 to uphold Texas Senate Bill 10, which was enacted last year and requires a poster of the Ten Commandments to be displayed in a visible spot in every public elementary and secondary school classroom in the state.

The majority’s ruling, written by Circuit Judge Stuart Kyle Duncan and ‌joined by Chief Judge Jennifer Walker ⁠Elrod and seven other judges, said the law does not violate the U.S. Constitution's prohibition on government establishment of religion or its protection of the free exercise ⁠of religion.

The Texas law “does not tell churches or synagogues or mosques what to believe or how to worship or whom to employ as priests, rabbis, or imams,” Duncan wrote. “It punishes no one who rejects the Ten Commandments, ​no ​matter the reason.”

In a statement, a lead attorney for ​the challengers of the Texas law said ‌they were disappointed by the ruling.

CHALLENGERS PLAN SUPREME COURT APPEAL

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"The court’s ruling goes against fundamental First Amendment principles and binding U.S. Supreme Court authority," Jon Youngwood said. "The First Amendment safeguards the separation of church and state, and the freedom of families to choose how, when and if to provide their children with religious instruction."

Youngwood said the plaintiffs "anticipate asking the Supreme Court to reverse this decision and uphold the religious-freedom ‌rights of children and parents."

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in ​a statement called the appeals court’s decision “a major victory for ​Texas and our moral values.” Paxton said ​the “Ten Commandments have had a profound impact on our nation, and it’s important ‌that students learn from them every single day.”

The ​challengers, including multifaith and nonreligious ​families, contended that they have a right under the U.S. Constitution to decide their children’s religious education.

In a dissent, 5th Circuit Judge Irma Carrillo Ramirez said the appeals court was bound ​by a 1980 U.S. Supreme ‌Court decision that struck down a nearly identical Kentucky law.

The 5th Circuit’s ruling reversed a ​preliminary injunction that had blocked the Texas law from taking effect.

(Reporting by Mike Scarcella ​in Washington; Editing by David Bario and Matthew Lewis)

The US president said he agreed with Sir Keir that he had “exercised wrong judgment” when he chose the Labour peer to be Britain’s ambassador to Washington.

Mr Trump appeared to show some support for Sir Keir after he faced MPs on Monday to apologise for the appointment and joked there was “plenty of time to recover”.

“Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom acknowledged that he “exercised wrong judgement” when he chose his Ambassador to Washington,” Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“I agree, he was a really bad pick. Plenty of time to recover, however! President DJT.”

The prime minister is facing another bruising day in parliament over the scandal, as he faces calls to resign after it emerged Lord Mandelson was granted clearance by theForeign Officedespite UK Security Vetting (UKSV)advising against doing so.

Mr Trump previously denied ever meeting Lord Mandelson at the time he was sacked from his post in September, despite being pictured with him in the Oval Office.

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Fresh revelations in the Lord Mandelson case have once again threatened to end Sir Keir’s premiership. Sackedtop civil servant Sir Olly Robbinsis in front of MPs on Tuesday, answering questions on the vetting scandal.

Sir Olly was sacked from his post as head of the Foreign Office last week, with the prime minister blaming him for deliberately keeping him in the dark over Lord Mandelson’s failure to pass the security vetting check.

On Monday, the prime minister said he challenged Sir Olly over why he went against the recommendation of UKSV.

“I did ask him and I didn’t accept his explanation,” Sir Keir told the Commons. “That’s why I sacked him.”

He also told the Commons that he would not have appointed Lord Mandelson if he had known the peer had failed the checks and insisted there was no pressure from No 10 to push through the high-profile appointment.

However, MPs will later subject the prime minister’s latest efforts to lay out the facts of the issue to further scrutiny on Tuesday, as MPs hold an emergency debate on the appointment.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch applied for the emergency Commons debate about the scandal, telling MPs it was “a matter of national security because the prime minister has admitted appointing a known serious security risk to our most sensitive diplomatic post”.

WWEwrapped up its two-day extravaganza in Las Vegas, as 13 matches took place over Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19. Its the ultimate goal to be able to compete in the show, but winning in it is the ultimate prize. The win gets immortalized in wrestling history and proves star power every wrestler hopes to have.

While every match has a winner, there actually are more losers that leave the event empty-handed. So who got the honor inside Allegiant Stadium? Here is the full list of winners from WrestleMania 42:

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WrestleMania showcases a mix of high‑profile matchups and crowd‑driven moments across its biggest stages.

See scenes from WrestleMania as competition unfolds and post‑match celebrations follow.

Above, LA Knight celebrates alongside The Usos following their pinfall victory over The Vision and IShowSpeed on Night One of WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on April 18, 2026.

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WrestleMania 42 delivers the biggest WWE moments, wins and emotion

WrestleManiashowcases a mix of high‑profile matchups and crowd‑driven moments across its biggest stages.See scenes from WrestleMania as competition unfolds and post‑match celebrations follow.Above, LA Knight celebrates alongside The Usos following their pinfall victory over The Vision and IShowSpeed on Night One of WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on April 18, 2026.

WrestleMania 42 winners list

• Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso and LA Knight

• Jacob Fatu

• Brie Bella and Paige

• Becky Lynch

• Gunther

• Liv Morgan

• Cody Rhodes

• Oba Femi

• Penta

• Trick Williams

• Finn Balor

• Rhea Ripley

• Roman Reigns

WrestleMania 42 full results

• Undisputed WWE Championship match: Cody Rhodes def. Randy Orton

• Women's World Championship match: Liv Morgan def. Stephanie Vaquer

• Gunther def. Seth Rollins

• Women's Intercontinental Championship match: Becky Lynch def. AJ Lee

• WWE Women's Tag Team Championship fatal four-way match: Brie Bella and Paige def. Nia Jax and Lash Legend, Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair, Lyra Valkyria and Bayley

• Unsanctioned match: Jacob Fatu def. Drew McIntyre

• LA Knight, Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso def. IShowSpeed, Logan Paul and Austin Theory

• World Heavyweight Championship match: Roman Reigns def. CM Punk

• WWE Women's Championship match: Rhea Ripley def. Jade Cargill

• Demon Finn Bálor def. Dominik Mysterio

• United States Championship match: Trick Williams def. Sami Zayn

• Intercontinental Championship ladder match: Penta def. Je'Von Evans, JD McDonagh, Dragon Lee, Rusev and Rey Mysterio

• Oba Femi def. Brock Lesnar

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Who won at WWE WrestleMania 42? Full winners list

The 78-year-old woman, who lived in Redwood Valley, was walking on a rural property on April 8 when she was bitten three times, Quincy Cromer, a spokesperson for the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, toldSFGate. Family members transported her to a hospital, but she later died from her injuries. An autopsy on April 15 determined the cause of death was envenomation from the bites, and officials ruled the incident accidental. The snake species involved has not been identified.

Her death marks the third snakebite-related fatality in California in 2026, which is well above the state’s typical average of no more than one a year,SFGatereports. A25-year-old mountain bikerdied in Orange County in February, followed by a46-year-old hikerin Ventura County in March, both after rattlesnake bites.

The California Poison Control System has already recorded about 70 rattlesnake bites in the first three months of the year, compared to a typical annual total of 300 to 350 cases, Rais Vohra, medical director of the system’s Fresno-Madera Division, toldSFGate.

“More research and information will help us figure out if this trend is a real uptick in the number of bites from rattlesnakes in California, and why that is happening,” Vohra told the outlet.

Experts say the spike in snake encounters might be driven byunseasonably warm weather in the region, including anearly March heatwave, which pushed rattlesnakes out of hibernation earlier than normal as they searched for food and mates. At the same time, warmer temperatures encouraged more people to spend time outdoors, increasing the likelihood of accidental encounters.

“We had good rains early in the winter followed by unusually warm weather,” Greg Pauly, curator of herpetology at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, told theLos Angeles Timesearlier this month. “With good plant growth, rodent populations are doing well, so the snakes have good food sources and warm temperatures that are triggering more surface activity.”

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Rattlesnakes are most active in warm temperatures, typically in the high 70s to low 80s. With cooler nighttime conditions recently, their activity has shifted mainly to daytime hours, Pauly said.

Later in the season, in lower-elevation areas, midday temperatures can become too hot for snakes to be active, causing them to adjust their behavior and become more active in the morning, evening and even at night to avoid extreme heat, he explained.

“We want to stress prevention and safety when people are enjoying the outdoors on hikes and exploring the wilderness and rural areas,” Vohra sid. “Wear protective shoes and long pants, stay on well-marked trails, carry a phone and water with you, and do not touch or approach wild animals, including snakes, when you see them.”

Experts emphasize that anyone bitten by a snake should seek immediate medical care, as venom can quickly lead to serious, potentially life-threatening complications. Dr. William Woo of Kaiser Permanente toldKTLAlast month that rattlesnake venom places intense stress on the body and can lead to organ failure and other severe health issues. Antivenom is the most effective treatment, he said, and outcomes improve significantly the sooner it is administered.

Woo cautioned that people bitten by a rattlesnake should avoid outdated or unsafe first-aid methods, such as trying to suck out the venom or using a tourniquet, as they can actually make the injury worse.

“Try to stay calm, keep the heart rate nice and slow, and keep the area of the bite in a neutral, relaxed position is the best thing you can do,” he offered instead. “Do not delay that hospital care. That is of the utmost importance.”

The Independenthas contacted the CPCS for comment.

Ukraine Chernobyl Witnessing Disaster Photo Essay

It began with whispers at work.

There was no official announcement about the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant when it happened in 1986 — only fragments of information passed quietly among colleagues.

I was in my late 20s at the time and was a specialized underwater welder for a Kyiv institute that sent me to offshore platforms and classified military bases across the Soviet Union.

No one spoke openly about what happened at Chernobyl — which is transliterated as “Chornobyl” in Ukraine — but unease was growing. There was a metallic taste in my mouth and a dryness in my throat. Others had it, but no one understood why.

The first official, brief acknowledgment came two days later — that an accident had occurred. Nothing more. People spoke in hushed tones about plant firefighters being flown to hospitals in Moscow.

Officially, life continued as normal.

At night, we tuned in to Western broadcasts — still considered subversive in those days — for news the state would not provide. We learned the accident had spread a plume of radiation beyond the USSR’s borders. Experts urged people to seal windows, wear masks and give iodine to children. I followed their advice, placing an iodine drop each day on a sugar cube to protect my thyroid gland from absorbing contamination.

Warnings from friends

My family home was in Kyiv, where a neighbor warned me about radioactive dust. Later, I saw her husband, a policeman, strip off his clothes in the stairwell and seal them in a bag before going inside.

A friend, a nuclear physicist, called and urged me to leave Kyiv for good, and some residents sent their children to other regions. I didn’t go. My parents were here and it was my home.

I found an old military radiation meter and checked everything — my apartment, my clothes, the streets. The readings were unsettling. At a playground, they climbed far above normal. At home, they were even higher. I used tape to lift the dust off my clothes.

Five days after the explosion, the annual May Day parade went ahead in Kyiv as planned. Thousands filled the streets, many of them children. I marched too, past a monument to Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin, and was handed a banner praising the leadership.

Days later, the city hosted a cycling race, and spectators lined the streets as if nothing had happened. The state said nothing was wrong, but we already knew otherwise.

Evacuees arrive

After the accident, long columns of buses moved slowly into Kyiv, carrying thousands of evacuees from Pripyat, the city adjacent to Chernobyl where most of its workers lived.

I remember their faces — uncertain but calm. They were told they’d be gone only a few days. They left behind homes, belongings and pets who died waiting for owners who never returned.

Three weeks after the disaster,Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachevaddressed the nation, giving no explanation for the delay or reporting fully what had happened.

A first visit

In autumn 1986, I first visited what became known asChernobyl’s “exclusion zone,”a 2,600-square-kilometer (1,000-square-mile) area, having been sent there as part of a team from my scientific institute, and later as a stringer photographer for the Soviet magazine, Ogonyok.

Silent apartment blocks stood beside schools, swimming pools and businesses that looked as if their occupants had just stepped out.

But what stayed with me most were those sent to contain the disaster. Firefighters, we learned, had dragged hoses across wreckage, trying to extinguish a blaze that water couldn’t quench. Tens of thousands of cleanup crews, or “liquidators,” were sent in to remove contaminated soil or seal the damaged reactor in concrete. Soldiers scraped radioactive debris from the plant’s roof, risking lethal exposure in minutes.

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Then there were the coal miners. To prevent the plant’s radioactive fuel from reaching the groundwater, they dug tunnels beneath it through darkness and heat, often stripped to their shirts.

We had little protection — suits, boots and masks — that felt inadequate. Before leaving, we were inspected and washed down, as if that could undo any exposure. After each trip, I sealed my clothes in bags and discarded shoes and coats.

Information remained tightly controlled. Photographers had to hand over film after each assignment.

Shifting ground

But the truth already was spreading. People spoke more openly in Kyiv. The first protests were small and tentative but soon grew into larger demonstrations demanding answers — rallies that in turn formed the nucleus of Ukraine’s independence movement.

That was when my career as a journalist began. My photos were shown at an amateur exhibition, then published abroad. I thought I might be arrested.

By then, however, the Soviet system itself was under strain.

After the USSR collapsed in 1991 and Ukraine gained independence, I returned to the exclusion zone many times, often with scientists, police and firefighters. I was hired by the AP in 1989.

Another lasting image was seeing people awaiting medical checks. I photographed them — the very old and the very young — standing quietly for examinations for signs of illness.

Immediately after the accident, 30 plant workers and firefighters died from acute radiation sickness. Later, thousands of people died from radiation-related illnesses. Six photographers and cameramen sent there in the first days all died of illness later.

Inside the control room

Pripyat was frozen in time. At a hospital where the first victims were treated, radiation levels remained dangerously high.

Nearby was a vast machinery graveyard: Ambulances, buses, trucks, armored vehicles and helicopters used in the cleanup were abandoned as too contaminated. To photograph them, we moved quickly to minimize exposure.

Inside the power plant, dust hung thick in the air, catching the light. We moved quickly but carefully to the control room, where a routine test for Reactor No. 4 had gone wrong at 1:23 a.m. on April 26, 1986, triggering two explosions. Many buttons from the panels were missing — taken as souvenirs.

As we moved deeper into the plant, radiation levels rose, and we turned back. Some limits you do not cross.

Trying to contain radiation

As years passed, the original shelter over the reactor deteriorated, opening gaps where radiation leaked out. In 2019, the entire building was covered by an enormous arch-shaped shelter, designed to last generations. It seemed the situation finally was under control.

ButRussia invaded Ukrainein 2022, andMoscow’s forces entered the exclusion zone,pushing toward Kyiv. The troops dug positions in contaminated soil, disturbing what had long been buried. Three years later,a Russian drone strikedamaged the protective structure. There was no radiation leak, but it was a reminder that the danger persisted.

Without people, the still-contaminated exclusion zone has recovered in unexpected ways. Forests have spread. Wildlife has multiplied. Rare species now move through places once defined by disaster.

Pripyat remains frozen, but it’s no longer entirely empty, as animals roam through it.

After 40 years, that could be the clearest truth: Lives were upended, and for a long time, reality was kept hidden. But left alone, nature endures — even at Chernobyl.

This is a documentary photo story curated by AP photo editors.