Kazakhstan releases endangered saker falcons in Saudi-backed restoration drive

ALTYN-EMEL NATIONAL PARK, Kazakhstan, April 3 (Reuters) - With a loud thwack of their wings, the falcons took flight, quickly ‌soaring high above the rocky desert landscape of Altyn-Emel National ‌Park in southeastern Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan releases endangered saker falcons in Saudi-backed restoration drive

The 34 birds were on an important mission: to help restore ​Kazakhstan's population of saker falcons, which for centuries have symbolised nobility and freedom for the nomadic peoples of the Kazakh steppe, as well as serving as faithful hunting companions.

Saudi Arabia's state-run Saudi Falcons Club is ‌leading a saker falcon ⁠restoration programme in partnership with a Kazakh institute in an effort to boost the population of this ⁠endangered "Red List" species. The group will release 35 to 45 birds annually over the next three years.

A migratory bird with a wingspan of 97–126 ​cm (38–50 inches), ​the saker falcon ranges across ​a vast area from central ‌Europe to northeastern China. In Kazakhstan, its population has declined by as much as 90% in recent years, largely due to habitat loss, researchers say..

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Kazakhstan's natural environment makes it one of the most important nesting areas for falcons, and therefore an ideal location for releasing ‌groups of birds – known as casts – ​back into the wild, according to Ahmed ​Fahd Al-Hababi, executive vice president ​of the Saudi Falcons Club.

"We are returning the ‌falcons to their natural habitat so ​they can breed ​and thrive in the wild," he said.

All the released birds will be fitted with GPS trackers and microchips, allowing scientists ​to collect data on ‌their migration patterns and other behaviours.

(Reporting by Pavel Mikheev; Additional ​reporting by Mariya Gordeyeva; Writing by Lucy Papachristou; editing ​by Guy Faulconbridge and Ros Russell)

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April 03, 2026

Kazakhstan releases endangered saker falcons in Saudi-backed restoration drive

ALTYN-EMEL NATIONAL PARK, Kazakhstan, April 3 (Reuters) - With a loud thwack of their wings, the falcons took flight, qui...

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Good Friday around the world, in photos

Good Fridayis a unique — and uniquely solemn — day in the Christian calendar.

Germany Good Friday

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It commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus, ahead of what's a central tenet of faith for believers — his resurrection two days later on Easter Sunday, according to the Gospels.

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

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April 03, 2026

Good Friday around the world, in photos

Good Fridayis a unique — and uniquely solemn — day in the Christian calendar. Germany Good Friday ...

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Cuba to free more than 2,000 prisoners as economic crisis deepens under US pressure

Cuba's government will free 2,010 prisoners in the largest such release in years, it announced Thursday, asthe island bucklesunder increasing pressure from the Trump administration.

The government decided to grant its pardon based on the inmates' good conduct, their health status, and the nature of their "acts committed," according to the notice in Granma, the ruling Communist Party's official newspaper.

It added that the prisoners included young people, women, people above 60 years old, and foreigners. The list does not include prisoners who committed crimes such as murder, homicide, sexual assault or "crimes against authority."

Cuba regularly detains and targets dissidents, including activists, journalists, protesters and political opponents, according to Human Rights Watch.

Havana has previously conducted sweeping prisoner releases as part of deals with international parties – for instance, in early 2025, Cuba released 553 prisoners after negotiations with the US and the Vatican, in which the Biden administration pledged to ease sanctions on the island.

US President Donald Trump rescinded the deal after taking office – prompting Cuba totemporarily pausethe prisoner release, before completing it in March.

The Granma statement made no mention of the US in its announcement, citing the release to "the religious celebrations of Holy Week" as Christians around the world celebrate Easter. But Cuba has been slammed by the Trump administration's pressure campaign, worsening the island's already-struggling economy.

Earlier this year, through military action in Venezuela and threats of tariffs on Mexico, the Trump administrationshut off the flow of oilto Cuba – attempting to strong-arm the communist-run island into making significant political and economic reforms.

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Trump has insisted the Cuban government needs to finally open the island's centralized economy before it collapses. He hasfrequently talkedabout wanting to "take Cuba."

Many of Trump's political allies, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are Cuba hawks who have long called for the overhaul of its communist leadership.

The island is now quickly running out of whatever oil it has left, which it uses to power vehicles and generate electricity – exacerbating along-running energy crisis.

The island was already prone to prolonged power outages, but those have gotten worse, with power plants lacking sufficient fuel to operate. In March, Cuba sufferedtwo nationwide blackoutsin just one week – leaving its more than 10 million people without power.

Life has ground to a halt, with classes suspended at many schools, workers furloughed to save energy, and flights from some places canceled because Cuba doesn't have enough jet fuel for long-haul flights.

Earlier this week, Trump allowed a Russian-flagged oil tanker into Cuban waters, breaking thefuel blockade,saying: "They have to survive." The White House afterward said this was "not a policy change."

Since Cuban revolutionaries led by Fidel Castro overthrew the US-backed regime of Fulgencio Batista in 1959, the country has been under a strict economic embargo from the US, blocking most commercial activity on the island involving Americans and creating significant legal barriers to any new investment.

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April 03, 2026

Cuba to free more than 2,000 prisoners as economic crisis deepens under US pressure

Cuba's government will free 2,010 prisoners in the largest such release in years, it announced Thursday, asthe island...

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Ben Stiller Explains Why Bowling Has a ‘Warm Place in My Heart’ as He Produces New Doc About the Sport (Exclusive)

Ben Stiller executive-produced the new HBO Original Documentary Series Born to Bowl, which follows five bowlers on the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour

NEED TO KNOW

• Although he admits he's not the best bowler, Stiller tells PEOPLE the sport has a special place in his heart

• The series airs weekly on HBO, with its final episode dropping April 13 at 9 p.m. ET

Ben Stilleris a successful actor, producer and director, but when it comes to bowling, he could use a little more practice.

"I've had to bowl in public a couple times, the last time being at the premiere for this show [Born to Bowl] where the guys asked me if I would do the ceremonial first ball and I gutterballed it... of course," Stiller tells PEOPLE of the HBO Original Documentary SeriesBorn to Bowl, which he executive-produced.

Still, the sport, which is the subject of the five-part series that premiered on March 16, served as an important part of the multi-hyphenate's career.

"The first short film I made that I ended up getting onSaturday Night Livewhen I was starting out was a takeoff onThe Color of Money, the Martin Scorsese and Tom Cruise movie about pool that was a sequel toThe Hustlerthat I made with my friends about bowling," he says. "So, I have a real warm place in my heart for bowling."

Stiller sold his filmThe Hustler of MoneytoSNLbefore joining the cast for afour-episode-long stint in 1989.

More than three decades later, Stiller revisits the sport with the docuseries that follows five bowlers on the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour, revealing the realities of life on the road.

"These guys who are the best in the world — the best in the U.S. — and what the reality of their lives is, which is pretty much 180 degrees from the reality of these other people who are at the top of their sport," Stiller says of the players, who win $100,000 at the PBA Championship versus the more than $4 million purse at professional golf's Masters Tournament. "It was a little bit shocking to me that these guys have to do what they have to do just to survive on the bowling tour."

Kyle Troup, a 12-time PBA Champion, says he hopes the series helps bring more attention to the sport.

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"I've been grinding for a long time. We have our monthly salaries from our sponsors and stuff that can make a nice living. But at the end of the day, we're bowling week-in and week-out for $30,000 or $100,000 for a major," Troup tells PEOPLE.  "So, I think that's going to help the documentary and just the show itself to show what we're going through for what we can win and then the people that we are and the hearts that we have. And I think that's just going to make people fall in love with the documentary and bowling even more."

Bowling has been a part of Troup's life since he was a kid. Known as the "Pro with the Fro" due to his signature hairstyle, Troup grew up watching his father Guppy Troup bowl in competitions around the country. In 2026, Guppy became a member of the PBA Hall of Fame.

"It's fun," Troup says of the sport. "Heck, I mean, you get to have some pizza, have some good bowling alley food, go bowl, get competitive with your family and obviously for my family, it was more than competitive, it was my dad's job…. but I feel like it's just such an easy, accessible sport."

Stiller acknowledges that the accessibility of bowling might be why some Americans take the sport "for granted a little."

"So it's nice to see these guys getting the attention that they deserve and the respect that they deserve," he says.

"We all are trying to do our thing in life and you're not always going to get the attention or the respect or maybe how you might think that people should react to something you're doing," Stiller adds.  "But these guys, they do it because they love the sport, they're dedicated to it, and they want to be the best…. I support giving them their flowers, as they say."

Born to Bowlairs weekly on HBO, with the final two episodes airing April 6 and April 13 at 9 p.m. ET.

Read the original article onPeople

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April 03, 2026

Ben Stiller Explains Why Bowling Has a ‘Warm Place in My Heart’ as He Produces New Doc About the Sport (Exclusive)

Ben Stiller executive-produced the new HBO Original Documentary Series Born to Bowl , which follows five bowlers on the P...

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Lauren Coughlin, Nasa Hataoka, Miyu Yamashita tied for Aramco lead

Lauren Coughlin and Japan's Nasa Hataoka and Miyu Yamashita formed a three-way tie atop the leaderboard after one round of the inaugural Aramco Championship on Thursday in Las Vegas.

The leaders posted rounds of 5-under-par 67 at Shadow Creek Golf Course. Three more are on their tails at 4-under 68: World No. 2 Nelly Korda, Jing Yan and South Korea's Hyo Joo Kim, who has won two straight LPGA Tour events entering the week.

The Aramco Championship, co-sanctioned by the LPGA and Ladies European Tour, features a purse of $4 million and replaces the T-Mobile Match Play on the schedule.

Coughlin, 33, is trying to get back in contention for an LPGA victory after winning her first two titles in 2024 and being shut out in 2025.

She could have been the outright first-round leader after collecting six birdies through 17 holes, but she made her only misstep of the day with a bogey at her final hole, the par-4 ninth.

"I feel like I know this place really well," said Coughlin, who lost in the final of the Match Play last year. "Been in a lot of the places (on the course) that you don't want to be, so I feel like I've been able to ... I just know the spots that I need to land it to a lot of the pins, where to miss if you have to."

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Hataoka's round was the inverse of Coughlin's. She bogeyed the first hole, immediately bounced back at the second and went on to total six birdies.

"Before tournament get (started) we talk about my goal is 5-under total for four days," Hataoka said. "It was (not a) windier condition. That's why I made so many good birdies today."

Yamashita stood at 1 over through her first eight holes but turned it around thanks to an eagle 3 at the 18th hole and four birdies on her second nine, the front side.

"The course is tough, but it's fun to figure it out," Yamashita said through a translator. "So there is always a chance of making bogey, but I want to play patience in golf."

Korda played her first round with her sister Jessica Korda, who recently returned to competition after giving birth to her first child.

"I'm super rusty obviously but I had such a fun time," said Jessica Korda, who posted 3-over 75. "Her and Charley (Hull) are just such great players. I've been on the commentating side and the spectating side, and being inside (the ropes) is so much fun."

--Field Level Media

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April 03, 2026

Lauren Coughlin, Nasa Hataoka, Miyu Yamashita tied for Aramco lead

Lauren Coughlin and Japan's Nasa Hataoka and Miyu Yamashita formed a three-way tie atop the leaderboard after one ...

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Tiger Woods said he talked to Trump after wreck: 'I was just talking with the president'

In the minutes after his vehicle overturned on a narrow Jupiter Island, Florida, road, Tiger Woods said he was on the phone with President Donald Trump, according tonewly released body camera video.

Woods' SUVcollided with a slower pickup truck's trailer on Fridayand overturned onto its driver's side. Woods himself climbed out of the vehicle through the passenger side, and spoke with arriving officers at the scene for some time afterward. The officers observed Woods acting in an impaired fashion and placed him under arrest.

At one point, Woods walked down a nearby lane and was called back to the scene. He could be heard saying "Thank you so much. All right. You got it. Bye," and later tells the officer, "I was just talking with the president."

It's not clear who called whom.

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"I feel so badly He's got some difficulty. There was an accident, and that's all I know," Trump said shortly after Woods' incident. "A very close friend of mine, he's an amazing person, an amazing man. But some difficulty."

Woods told an officer at the scene that "he was very apologetic about what he did last night" — apparently a reference to Trump saying that Woods would not be playing in the Masters this year.

Trump and Woods have a long history, having played golf together for many years. Trump awarded Woods the Congressional Medal of Freedom in 2019. Woods is now dating Vanessa Trump, the ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr.

Woods was arrested on charges of DUI and refusing to submit to a lawful test, and was later released. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and his attorney has sought permission for Woods to leave the country for treatment.

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April 03, 2026

Tiger Woods said he talked to Trump after wreck: 'I was just talking with the president'

In the minutes after his vehicle overturned on a narrow Jupiter Island, Florida, road, Tiger Woods said he was on the pho...

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Worker and Dad of 3 Dies After Falling 60 Feet at Construction Site

David Rodriguez, a 45-year-old construction worker and father of three, died after a 60-foot fall in Kansas

NEED TO KNOW

• A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to support his family

• Midwest Drywall and OSHA are investigating the incident, and work at the site has been temporarily suspended

A 45-year-old construction worker and father of three has died after falling approximately 60 feet at a job site in Wichita, Kan., according to local reports.

David Rodriguez was working at the Bio-Med building near English Street and Topeka Avenue, a few blocks west of INTRUST Bank Arena, when the incident occurred around 11 a.m. local time on March 30,12 Newsreported.

The first responding crew began patient care upon arrival, and Rodriguez was considered in critical condition because of how far he fell, Wichita Fire Department Battalion Chief Jose Ocadiz toldKAKE.

Rodriguez later died from his injuries.

Midwest Drywall confirmed in a statement to KAKE, 12 News andThe Wichita Eaglethat one of its employees had died following the incident.

"Midwest Drywall is heartbroken to confirm that a member of our team passed away following an incident today at a construction site in downtown Wichita," Midwest Drywall's statement read. "Our prayers and deepest sympathies are with the individual's family, friends, and teammates during this difficult time. The site has been secured, and work has been temporarily suspended while the incident is reviewed."

Rodriguez is survived by his wife, Rosemary, and their three children, ages 9, 8 and 6. In a postshared to Facebook, the nonprofit League 42 described him as a "hard worker and devoted family man," noting that all three of his children play baseball for the organization.

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"We offer our deepest condolences to David's family and friends," the group said in part.

AGoFundMe campaigncreated on behalf of Rodriguez's family describes him as "one of the hardest workers" who "lived to serve his friends and family."

"I will always remember David as genuine, kind, and funny, he always was making his friends laugh and was definitely the life of the party, he always lit up every room he walked into," the fundraiser reads.

The campaign has raised over $27,000 of its $40,000 goal so far. It aims to help cover funeral and living expenses for his family as they grieve.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating Rodriguez's death, 12 News reported.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

PEOPLE reached out to OSHA, Midwest Drywall and the Wichita fire and police departments.

Read the original article onPeople

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April 03, 2026

Worker and Dad of 3 Dies After Falling 60 Feet at Construction Site

David Rodriguez, a 45-year-old construction worker and father of three, died after a 60-foot fall in Kansas NEE...

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