UR MAG

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Wednesday ordered extra security at critical energy infrastructure sites after claiming Ukraine was attempting to disrupt Hungary's energy system.

Budapest has recentlyaccused Kyivof deliberately holding back Russian oil deliveries through the Druzhba pipeline, which crosses Ukraine's territory. Ukrainian officials have denied the allegations, saying the pipeline, which feeds refineries in Hungary and Slovakia, was hit in a Russian drone attack.

'An oil blockade'

In a video posted to social media, Orbán, who maintains the closest relationship with the Kremlin of any European Union leader, said the Ukrainian government was using "an oil blockade" to exert pressure on Hungary and that Hungarian national security services showed Ukraine was "preparing further actions to disrupt the operation of Hungary's energy system." He didn't provide details or evidence for his claims.

"We will deploy soldiers and the necessary equipment to repel attacks near key energy facilities," Orbán said. "The police will patrol with increased forces around designated power plants, distribution stations and control centers."

Nearly every country in Europe has significantly reduced or entirely ceased Russian energy imports since Moscow launched itswar in Ukraineon Feb. 24, 2022. Yet Hungary and Slovakia, both EU and NATO members, have maintained and even increased supplies of Russian oil and gas, and received a temporary exemption from an EU policyprohibiting imports of Russian oil.

On Sunday, Hungary threatened to block a major, 90-billion euro ($106 billion) EU loan for Kyiv, andvetoed a new round of EU sanctionsagainst Russia on Monday. Orbán has vowed to block any other EU measures to assist Ukraine until oil shipments resume.

Druzhba has been out of commission since Jan. 27. Repairs are hazardous and the pipeline can only operate reliably if Russia stops targeting energy infrastructure, according to Ukrainian officials.

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Orbán also ordered Wednesday a ban on drone operations in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County, which borders Ukraine.

A crucial election

Orban has repeatedly accused Ukraine of "blackmail" to force him to give up his anti-Ukrainian positions, and of seeking to drive up energy prices in Hungary just weeks before a pivotal election.

Orbán, who retook office in 2010,faces the strongest challengeto his power in an election set for April 12. The EU's longest-serving leader and his right-wing Fidesz party are trailing in most independent polls to an upstart center-right challenger,Péter Magyar.

Meanwhile, Orbán has launched anaggressive anti-Ukraine media campaignportraying the embattled country as an existential threat to Hungary.

His party has pushed the message that if it loses the election, the Tisza party will drag the country into the war in Ukraine, bankrupting Hungary and getting its youth killed on the front lines.

Associated Press writer Samya Kullab in Kyiv, Ukraine contributed to this report.

Indonesia freed and deported an American man Tuesday after he spent 11 years in prison for the premeditated murder of his then-girlfriend's mother on the tourist island of Bali.

Tommy Schaefer was sentenced to 18 years in prison for the 2014murder of Sheila von Wiese-Mack, the mother of Heather Mack, during a luxury vacation in a case also known as the Bali "suitcase murder."

Schafer was deported back to the United States from Bali International Airport on Tuesday evening after serving his sentence and receiving a number of remissions for good behavior, said Felucia Sengky Ratna, head of the Bali Regional Office of the Directorate General of Immigration, in a statement.

The badly battered body of the 62-year-old von Wiese-Mack, a wealthy Chicago socialite, was found inside the trunk of a taxi parked at the upscale St. Regis Bali Resort in August 2014.

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Heather Mack, who was almost 19 and a few weeks pregnant at the time of the killing, and her then-21-year-old boyfriend, Schaefer, were arrested on the island a day after the body was found.

Mack served seven years of a 10-year prison sentence in Bali for helping to kill her mother and wasdeported in October 2021.

She was also sentenced to 26 years in prison in Chicago in January 2024, after she pleaded guilty to helping kill her mother and stuffing the body in a suitcase during their vacation.

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PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — As the sun rose, a handful of women opened tattered beach umbrellas in the heart ofPort-au-Princeand scanned the horizon before opening their fruit and vegetable stands.

Haiti Daily Life

It was unusually quiet in Carrefour Aéroport, a famed intersection in Haiti's capital that once bustled with traffic and commerce until hundreds of gang members stormed the area in early March 2024 in anunprecedented wave of violence.

They smashed businesses, killed civilians and set fire to a police substation as officers fled.

For nearly two years after the attack, gangs drained the life out of Carrefour Aéroport.

Then in December, Haitian police officers launched a sustained attack against powerful gangs to drive them out of the area with the help of a private security firm andKenyan police officers leading a U.N.-backed missionthat is winding down.

The retaking of Carrefour Aéroport is "probably one of the very first tangible messages sent by the authorities that, 'yes, we can take back the territory of ... no man's land,'" said Romain Le Cour, head of the Haiti Observatory at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.

It's a hint of what could happen elsewhere in Port-au-Prince after a powerfulgang federation known as Viv Ansanmbegan raiding neighborhoods and targeting key government infrastructure in February 2024 in a series of attacks that forced the closure of the country's main international airport and eventually led to theresignation of former Prime Minister Ariel Henry.

"It is a sign of hope," Le Cour said. "It sends the message that this is doable."

A glimmer of life

On Feb. 7, Haitian authorities reopened a renovated police substation in Carrefour Aéroport to much fanfare in a capital that is90% controlled by gangs.

Curious onlookers watched and one of them clapped as heavily guarded police officers entered their restored building nearly two years after gangs had torched it.

"Life is timidly returning to normal," Jacques Ader, a police commissioner, told reporters.

Since the reopening, street vendors and the drivers of colorful buses, known as tap taps, have reinserted themselves in the area.

"Small businesses are recovering," said Jean-Remy Laveau, a 35-year-old motorcycle taxi driver who used to work in the area before gangs seized control.

"It will be good for me, more activities, more money more work. I'll be able to better feed my two kids and my wife," he said.

Also eager for work was Mario Volcy, a 44-year-old tap tap driver who on a recent morning pointed out the vans and big buses circulating in the area for the first time since early 2024.

He called on the government to prosecute those whounleashed the violenceand helpthose affected by it.

"All victims should receive support from the state," he said as he cut the interview short, noting with a smile that his tap tap was full. "I have to go now!"

And off he went, with a Bible on his dashboard and his tap tap emblazoned with "God is my guide" on its side.

Frustrations simmer

Not all are celebrating the revival of Carrefour Aéroport.

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Gaspar Caseus, 49, said he remains frustrated because gangs still control the main highway leading to southern Haiti. He called on authorities to retake control of other major intersections.

"I need to be able to move south," he said. "That is where I pick up coal to bring back to the city for sale."

"Things changed after the attack," he added. "It destroyed my life. It forced my family to move. I look like a beggar. I was able to eat whenever I felt like it. Now, I eat only if something comes around or a good friend remembers me."

Caseus said he heard on the radio that more help was arriving in April. That's when a so-called gang-suppression force isexpected to take the reinsof the current U.N.-backed mission that is winding down after a lack of funds and personnel.

"As long as I am alive," he said, "someday, things will change for the better."

'What's the plan?'

On a recent morning, 32-year-old Antoinette Desulmon donned a big hat to block out the sun and laid out mangoes, oranges, tomatoes and peppers in the hope that someone at Carrefour Aéroport would buy from her that day.

She noted police were on patrol in an armored vehicle and the substation had reopened, but she was afraid the peace was fleeting.

"Fear is with me every second," she said. "I am here selling, but my head is somewhere else."

Desulmon's partner went missing two years ago; she believes he was a victim of gang violence.

"I miss him a lot," she said, adding that she is also concerned about her two children who are living in a makeshift shelter with a cousin, among the 1.4 million Haitiansdisplaced by gang violence.

Desulmon said she had no other choice but to resume selling vegetables and fruit to feed her two children and cousin.

"My heart is broken," she said. "The depression is real."

Around her, nothing has been rebuilt except for the police station. Dozens of charred homes remain in ruins while businesses and schools are still shuttered.

Le Cour, the Haiti expert, said it will likely take time before Carrefour Aéroport is restored to its bustling glory of street vendors, stores selling car parts and restaurants offering coffee to morning commuters and a local soup known as bouillon for lunch.

He said he was hopeful that theincoming gang-suppression forcewould retake control of even more territory.

But even if it does, big concerns remain.

"We're missing the other side of the equation, which is, what do you do with gang members? What's the plan for the day after you retake the territory?" Le Cour questioned. "Are you able to rebuild the territory? Are you able to bring people back in?"

Coto reported from San José, Costa Rica.

ATLANTA (AP) — The surroundings were a little strange for Trae Young, who spent the last eight years hanging out in the more spacious home locker room at State Farm Arena.

"I've only been in the visiting locker room for concerts and stuff," Young said with a chuckle. "It is weird. It's something I'll have to get used to coming back here."

Young returned to Atlanta on Tuesday night, his first appearance in his longtime home since he was dealt to the Washington Wizards ina blockbuster tradelast month.

He didn't get a chance to go against his former Hawks teammates on the court as he continues his arduous recovery from a sprained right knee and quadriceps contusion. The point guard hasn't played in nearly two months, and the Wizards seem in no rush to get him back in uniform when the main objective would appear to be landing a high draft pick for next season.

While Young seemed optimistic that he's nearing full health, he also dodged the question when asked bluntly if he expected to play again this season.

"I'm leaving it up to the doctors," Young said. "Just following the plan. The plan is going good so far. You never know."

Young was the face of the franchise in Atlanta, earning four trip to the All-Star Game and leading the Hawks on a memorable run to the Eastern Conference final in 2021.

But the team never approached that level of success again, failing to advance past the opening round of the playoffs. When a season that began with high hopes headed toward another mediocre finish, the Hawks decided it was time to move on from their biggest star. He was dealt to the Wizards in early January for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert.

But Young insisted there are no hard feelings. He cherished his time in Atlanta, even as he looks forward to a bright future with a Wizards franchise that alsolanded big man Anthony Davisis another huge trade ahead of the deadline.

"I just want Hawks fans to know how much love and appreciation I had for them from day one," Young said. "I came in and found a way to make a name for myself, make a name for my team. I tried to put this city on the map, where people talked about us."

But he conceded it was time to move on, to get a new start in the nation's capital.

"When you've been there for so long, it kind of feels like your stay is not welcomed as much anymore," Young said. "That's OK, you know what I'm saying? That's life, no matter what we do. We play a sport that's not necessarily fair."

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He noted the optimism at the beginning of the season after the Hawks traded for Kristaps Porzingis, seemingly addressing one of their biggest weaknesses. But Porzingis dealt with injuries and illness, playing only 17 games in Atlanta before he was traded to the Golden State Warriors.

"I wasn't healthy this year. KP was not healthy this year," Young said. "There's a lot of things we could've done. But that's neither here nor there. That's in the past. Everything happens for a reason."

Young is excited to see what he can build in Washington, especially looking ahead to next season with a healthy Davis, a promising group of youngsters and one of the top picks in a loaded draft.

The Hawks wished Young nothing but the best.

"Speaking on everyone's behalf, we're very appreciative of what Trae has done for our team and our franchise over the year," coach Quin Snyder said. "We're grateful to him and his family for that. We just wish him well in this next phase of his career."

When he glanced ahead at the schedule, Young had hoped to lead his new team against his former team. It didn't work out, and Young is unlikely to play Thursday when the teams meet against in Atlanta.

"When I was doing the rehab, obviously I was hoping I could come back and play," Young said. "I'm in a great spot right now. I wish I could play tonight, my first night here, but it wasn't in God's plans. But I'm going to be back playing here a lot in the future."

When his new teammates headed to the court for the opening tip, Young remained in a nook under the stands, pulling on an elastic band as part of his rehab.

But he joined the bench — at the visiting end of the court — in time for a tribute video early in the second quarter. As the crowd rose in a standing ovation, Young formed his hands in the sign of a heart and mouthed "thank you" over and over again.

"That is probably the one plus of playing right now," he said before the game. "I can maybe get some emotions out of the way the first time and not be so emotional every time.'

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Team USA goalkeeper Connor Hellebuyck will be receiving one more medal, President Donald Trump announced Tuesday during his State of the Union address.

Two days afterthe Americans' victory over Canada in the men's hockey gold-medal game of the 2026 Winter Olympics,Trump welcomed the team to the White House then brought them onto the floor during his address to Congress.

Trump then singled out Hellebuyck, who stopped 41 of 42 shots from the favored Canadians and delivered an iconic moment with his stick save to preserve a 1-1 tie early in the third period. The U.S. went on to win 2-1 in overtime for the first gold medal in men's hockey since the Miracle on Ice in 1980.

Trump praised Hellebuyck's performance and said he had decided to give Hellebuyck the Presidential Medal of Freedom after asking the goalkeeper's teammates:

"We took a vote of the team and I said, 'Anybody votes no, I'm not doing it.' So they stood there and they weren't about to say no, because I had never seen a goaltender play as well as goalie Connor Hellebuyck ... 46 shots on goal and I asked him, 'The one shot, the one where you put your stick in the back and it hit the neck of your stick and bounced off, you practice that or was that a little lucky?' He refused to answer that question.

I just want to tell you that the members of this great hockey squad will be very happy to hear, based on their vote and my vote, and in this case my vote was more important, that I will soon be presenting Connor with our highest civilian honor, which will be given, and which has been given to many athletes over the years — but when I say 'many,' not too many, like 12 — it's called the highest civilian honor in our country, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Great athletes have gotten that, the best."

Of the 24 Medals of Freedom Trump awarded in his first term as president, 14 of them were athletes or affiliated with sports in some way: Alan Page, Babe Ruth, Roger Staubach, Bob Cousy, Roger Penske, Mariano Rivera, Jerry West, Tiger Woods, Dan Gable, Lou Holtz, Jim Ryun, Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Gary Player and Annika Sorenstam.

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By comparison, six of former president Joe Biden's 57 Medals of Freedom were awarded to athletes: Simone Biles, Megan Rapinoe, Katie Ledecky, Jim Thorpe, Magic Johnson and Lionel Messi.

So far in this term, Hellebuyck is one of four people to be announced as a Medal of Freedom winner, alongside Charlie Kirk, Rudy Giuliani and Ben Carson.

The 32-year-old Hellebuyck, who plays for the Winnipeg Jets, is already one of the NHL's most decorated goaltenders, with three Vezina Trophies and last year's Hart Trophy for MVP of the league.

Team USA's embrace of Trump and vice versa has proven a controversial development in some areas, most notably when the president joked he would have to invite the women's team or get impeached, which was received with laughter by the men's team.The historically dominant Team USA women's hockey team declined the invite, citing "previously scheduled academic and professional commitments."

Trump, however, claimed during the State of the Union the women's team "will soon" visit the White House.

FBI director Kash Patel has also faced a backlash for raucously celebrating in the Team USA locker room after the gold medal game, after traveling to Italy at the taxpayers' expense.