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April 28 (Reuters) - The United States has placed specific conditions on releasing billions of dollars it owes to the United Nations, including further cost-cutting, and moves to counter ‌China's influence at the world body, a development news wire reported on Tuesday.

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty at U.N. headquarters in New York City

The report ‌by Devex, an independent news organization covering global development, said two diplomatic notes circulated by the U.S. called for nine "quick-hit" ​reforms as a condition for releasing more funds.

It said these included:

- Overhauling the U.N. pension system

- Ending long-distance business-class travel for some senior and all mid-level professionals

- Imposing additional cuts to the U.N.'s senior ranks

- A "10% reduction in long-standing, ineffective peacekeeping missions.”

- Blocking China from channeling tens of millions of ‌dollars each year to a discretionary ⁠fund housed in the office of the U.N. secretary-general, a move aimed countering Chinese influence at the U.N.

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"These reforms will be an indication that the UN ⁠is serious about reform," Devex quoted one of the documents saying.

The U.S. mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The U.S. has said repeatedly that it will ​keep pressuring ​the United Nations to reform after announcing its withdrawals ​from dozens of U.N. bodies this ‌year and cutting millions of dollars in funding last year.

China's U.N. mission did not immediately respond when asked to comment.

U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said assessed contributions by the United States and every other U.N. member state were "a treaty obligation" and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was already "leading a pretty heavy reform" of the organization.

"It involves decisions that member states must take if we want to have ‌a U.N. that is more effective, that uses its resources ​in the best way possible," Dujarric told a news ​briefing. "The secretary-general is doing everything he can ​in that direction."

Guterres warned in January that the U.N. faced "imminent financial collapse" due ‌to unpaid fees, most of which are ​owed by the United ​States. The U.N. said in February the United States had paid about $160 million of the more than $4 billion it owes.

The U.S. owed $2.19 billion to the regular U.N. budget as of ​the start of February, more ‌than 95% of the total then owed by countries globally. The U.S. owed another $2.4 ​billion for current and past peacekeeping missions and $43.6 million for U.N. tribunals.

(Reporting by David ​Brunnstrom, Editing by Don Durfee and Chizu Nomiyama)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Nolan Gorman homered and drove in three runs and Alec Burleson and Jordan Walker drove in three runs apiece to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to an 11-7 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night.

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JJ Wetherholt and Ivan Herrera, the top two hitters in the Cardinals’ batting order, scored three runs each. Burleson, Walker and Masyn Winn each finished with two hits.

Gorman opened the scoring with a homer leading off the second, his fourth of the season. Victor Scott II started a two-run second with his first home run of the season before Wetherholt doubled and scored a single by Walker.

The Cardinals extended their lead to 6-0 in the fifth when Burleson doubled in a run and Walker and Gorman followed with consecutive sacrifice fly balls.

Kyle Leahy (3-3) allowed three runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts. The Pirates scored all three runs in the sixth on homers by Oneil Cruz and a two-run shot by Ryan O’Hearn, cutting their deficit to 6-3.

The Cardinals broke the game open with three runs in the seventh inning and two in the eighth.

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The Cardinals have won the first two games of the four-game series after entering on a four-game losing streak. The Pirates have lost three in a row for the first time this season.

Braxton Ashcraft (1-2) was rocked for six runs in 4 1/3 innings after being activated from the bereavement/family medical emergency list before the game. He allowed six hits, struck out seven and walked three.

Pirates rookie Konnor Griffin hit a solo homer in the ninth inning. O’Hearn had two hits and three RBIs and Nick Gonzales had two hits and knocked in two runs.

Up next

Cardinals RHP Andre Pallante (2-2, 4.26 ERA) starts on Wednesday night against rookie RHP Bubba Chandler (1-2, 4.88).

AP MLB:https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The post-position draw for the Kentucky Derby is one of the few times in thoroughbred racing when getting first is not something to celebrate.

Last Saturday, during the draw for this Saturday's 152nd running of the race at Churchill Downs, that distinction went to Renegade.

Despite the ominous spot for Renegade, Churchill Downs' morning-line oddsmaker Nick Tammaro still set the 3-year-old colt as his early 4-1 favorite for the 1-1/4-mile race that serves as the start of racing's Triple Crown.

Drawing the inside post means Renegade will be the horse closest to the rail. While he would have the shortest path to the finish line, he will also have to avoid getting pinched along the rail as up to 19 competitors try to move in at the start.

The last horse to win from the No. 1 post position was Ferdinand in 1986, the last Derby win for legendary jockey Bill Shoemaker.

As for Renegade, the horse trained by Todd Pletcher has never finished out of the money in five starts. After placing twice and showing once in his 2-year-old campaign, Renegade has won both starts this year, including the Arkansas Derby a month ago.

Another horse seeking to buck a trend is Emerging Market. Trainer Chad Brown's horse, who has morning-line odds of 15-1, won the Louisiana Derby in just his second start. However, the last horse to win the Kentucky Derby in just a third start was Leonatus in 1883.

Brown, though, thinks his colt can end that 143-year streak.

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"He has such a wonderful mind and is so calm and collected," said Brown, whose entry got the 15th gate.

Based on Tammaro's projected odds, Renegade is considered one of four horses that stand out in the field. The co-second choices are Further Ado and Commandment at 6-1. Both are trained by Brad Cox, a Louisville native. Commandment has won four straight, including the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park on March 28, while Further Ado impressed many with his 11-length win in the Blue Grass Stakes a week later at Keeneland.

Commandment drew the sixth post, and Further Ado will break from the 17th. Further Ado moved into that spot after Silent Tactic was scratched on Wednesday.

The fourth choice at 8-1 is Chief Wallabee, who will break from the 12th gate. He finished second to Commandment in the Fountain of Youth Stakes in February and third in the Florida Derby. Trained by Bill Mott, who won the Kentucky Derby last year with Sovereignty, is adding blinkers to the colt in hopes it will improve his performance.

"He seemed to be maybe just a little more straight and maybe a little more true," Mott said after the draw.

Another horse drawing interest is The Puma, who won the Tampa Bay Derby on March 7 and followed that up by finishing second in the Florida Derby three weeks later. Trained by Gustavo Delgado, the colt will break ninth and has odds of 10-1.

Trainer Bob Baffert has a pair of longshots in the field as he seeks a record seventh Derby win. Litmus Test is 30-1 coming off a seventh-place finish in the Arkansas Derby, while Potente, at 20-1, finished second in the Santa Anita Derby to So Happy (15-1). Litmus Test is starting fourth, Potente 14th.

There are currently 20 horses entered, with three also-eligibles. Great White joined the field Wednesday after Silent Tactic was scratched. An also-eligible can enter the race, based on the points they acquired in prep races, if another starter is scratched before 9 a.m. ET Friday.

--Steve Bittenbender, Field Level Media

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military has boarded another commercial vessel duringblockade of Iran's ports, but unlike in previous cases, the ship was ultimately allowed to carry on its way.

U.S. Central Command said on social media that Marines boarded the Blue Star III on Tuesday but “released the vessel after conducting a search and confirming its voyage would not include an Iranian port call.” An accompanying video showed American forces fast-roping from a helicopter onto the vessel.

The Blue Star is at least the fourth merchant ship to be boarded since the Trump administrationbegan the blockade of Iranian shippingmore than two weeks ago, but it is the first to not betaken into U.S. custody. The U.S. blockadeaims to squeeze Iranamid a ceasefire in the war asTehran's cutoff of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for energy shipments,ripples across the global economy.

Data from ship tracking websites shows that the Blue Star departed the Pakistani port of Qasim and was en route to the port of Sohar, Oman.

The military offered no information about what prompted it to suspect the ship. U.S. Central Command has become more aggressive in making the case that the blockade works amid skepticism from outside experts.

The military command that oversees the Middle East has not only provided regular updates on the number of merchant ships it says the blockade has turned around but also claimed Tuesday that “U.S. forces cut off economic trade going into and coming out of Iran.”

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Shortly after the blockade began, Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said theenforcement actions would extend beyond Iranian watersand the area under control of U.S. Central Command.

The military also detailed an expansive list of goods that it considers contraband, declaring that it will board, search and seize them from merchant vessels “regardless of location.”

A noticesays any “goods that are destined for an enemy and that may be susceptible to use in armed conflict” are “subject to capture at any place beyond neutral territory.”

However, shipping experts like Salvatore Mercogliano, a professor at Campbell University, have said Iranian ships have several ways to sneak through the blockade, including spoofing their location tracking data or traveling through Pakistani territorial waters.

Mercogliano also noted that the sheer volume of shipping traffic that the military needs to screen is a challenging task.

Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, said the boarding of the Blue Star on Tuesday “demonstrates our thorough enforcement of the blockade.”

Cam York scored at 17:32 of overtime, propelling the Philadelphia Flyers into the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 6 on Wednesday.

After winning the first three games of the best-of-seven series, the Flyers lost Games 4 and 5 and struggled to find their offensive footing for much of Game 6. However, York's first career playoff goal came at the perfect time, sending Philadelphia into a second-round matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Following a faceoff win in the offensive zone, York unleashed a wrist shot from the right point that got through traffic, hit off the right post, and skipped past Arturs Silovs.

"The way that the game was going, we knew it was going to be a greasy (goal)," York said. "Just wanted to get it to the net, and it found a hole."

The Pittsburgh goalie finished with 31 saves, while Dan Vladar turned aside 42 shots for his second shutout of the series.

"Both goalies played unbelievable," Penguins coach Dan Muse said. "Right now, it's raw. At no point did I expect for our season to be over. ... I loved this group. They were awesome, from start to finish."

Silovs had big stops on Owen Tippett and Porter Martone in the first period. Both teams had one power play in the session, but neither team was able to dent the scoreboard.

Pittsburgh had another man advantage in the early portion of the second period, but Vladar and the Flyers held firm.

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Shortly thereafter, Matvei Michkov skated in on a breakaway, only to have his wrister denied by Silovs. Michkov nearly scored again on the same shift, but Silovs beat him to the post.

Philadelphia opened the third period with a power play after Kris Letang punched Travis Konecny at the end of the second period. But the Flyers' man advantage was uneventful and the game remained scoreless.

With about 12 minutes left in regulation, Vladar made a confident stop against Egor Chinakhov on an offensive rush. A couple of minutes later, Silovs made a flashy glove save on Michkov.

Pittsburgh pressured late in the third period. Tommy Novak hit the post with a shot from distance, and then Vladar denied Bryan Rust from close range.

"(Vladar) was unbelievable for us tonight," York said. "Just so many grade-A chances they had that he stood tall for us. I can't say enough about him."

The Penguins had the advantage early in overtime with Evgeni Malkin getting a great scoring opportunity from the slot. Shortly thereafter, a wild scrum in front of the Philadelphia net created some tense moments before the play was blown dead.

Late in overtime, Martone's shot into an open net was somehow stopped by Silovs' stick that was lying on the ice. However, the Flyers won the game less than a minute later.

--Field Level Media

ATLANTA (AP) — Martín Pérez threw five scoreless innings and the Atlanta Braves beat Detroit 5-2 on Tuesday night for their 11th win in their last 13 games as the Tigers lost starter Casey Mize to an injury in the third inning.

Tigers Braves Baseball

Ozzie Albies hit a two-run homer and Ronald Acuña Jr. was 2 for 3 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored. Mike Yastrzemski was 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored.

Pérez (2-1), who was designated for assignment by the Braves earlier this season but then re-signed, gave up two hits and four walks while striking out five. He lowered his ERA to 2.22.

Mize (2-2) was removed after straining his groin covering first base on a ground ball to first baseman Spencer Torkelson. He lasted 2 1/3 innings during which he gave up two runs, three hits and a walk while striking out three.

Atlanta's Didier Fuentes pitched two scoreless innings, Tyler Kinley stranded two runners in a scoreless eighth and Aaron Bummer gave up a two-run home run to Wenceel Pérez in the ninth.

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The Braves took a 2-0 lead in the third inning. Yastrzemski led off with a double that landed on the right field foul line. Acuña plated him with a double to left field and Matt Olson knocked in Acuña with a line drive to center field. Albies added a two-run home run in the eighth inning.

Tigers center fielder Javier Báez left on a cart after injuring his right foot on a play at first base in the fifth inning. He hit the base awkwardly with his left foot and his right foot folded under his leg while he fell.

Up next

Two-time American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal (3-2, 2.72) faces Braves rookie RHP JR Ritchie (1-0, 2.57) in the second game of a three-game set Wednesday.

AP MLB:https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Alex Fitzpatrick is still adjusting to a major life change that "doesn't feel real" after the Englishman officially joined the PGA Tour coming off an emotional victory alongside his brother, Matt, in last week's Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

"I sat down with my caddie on Monday morning, we had breakfast together, and we looked at some of the events and it was like, wow, this is crazy, this doesn't feel real," Fitzpatrick told reporters at Tuesday's press conference for this week's 2026 Cadillac Championship. "And even walking on to the range yesterday morning was, yesterday afternoon, was like, it feels weird to be here. This is something I'm not used to."

Fitzpatrick turned professional in 2022 after his collegiate career at Wake Forest, he secured his first major individual professional victory at the 2023 British Challenge.

Currently ranked 140th in the Official World Golf Ranking, the 27-year-old won his maiden DP World Tour title at the Hero Indian Open in March.

His win at Zurich in the two-man team event with his brother earned him full status as a PGA Tour member through the 2028 season, including entry into the remaining 2026 Signature Events, the 2026 PGA Championship and the 2027 The Players Championship, bringing a sense of security Fitzpatrick acknowledged Tuesday.

"There's a lot of stress with this game, it can really bring you down to earth at any time," he said. "So being able to kind of plan my schedule and figure out where I'm going to be is amazing and, yeah, it definitely takes a lot off your plate, that's for sure."

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Despite the stability his PGA Tour membership offers, Fitzpatrick said he's still awed by some of the changes it involves.

"I don't have a clue what's going on, I'm not going to lie to you," he said, "... playing against the best players of the world all of a sudden and even like the purses are obviously much bigger."

But Fitzpatrick expressed confidence that his game is ready even if his mindset is still adjusting.

"I feel like my game is in a good shape. I feel like I played really nicely last week and over the past couple months my game's improved a lot. So hopefully I can kind of continue the form and see where that takes me this week," Fitzpatrick said.

"But, yeah, I have no expectations. Especially this week I think it's going to be a whirlwind and my head's going to be everywhere, but hopefully that calms down after this week and I kind of settle in, hopefully settle in nicely."

The 2026 Cadillac Championship, the fifth of eight Signature Events this season, kicks off Thursday at the Trump National Doral (Blue Monster) in Miami, Fla.

--Field Level Media