PYN MAG

JERUSALEM (AP) —Israel's security cabinet on Sunday approved measures that aim to deepen Israeli control over theoccupied West Bankand weaken the already limited powers of thePalestinian Authority.

The office of far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in a statement announced the decisions that would make it easier forJewish settlersto force Palestinians to give up land, adding that "we will continue to bury the idea of a Palestinian state."

Yonatan Mizrachi, a researcher with the Israeli anti-settlement watchdog group Peace Now, called the decision "very significant." He said the decision still requires approval by Israel's top commander for the West Bank.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbasin a statement called the decision "dangerous" and an "open Israeli attempt to legalize settlement expansion" and land confiscation. He called for the United States and U.N. Security Council to intervene immediately.

Jordan's foreign ministry condemned the decision, which it said was "aimed at imposing illegal Israeli sovereignty" and entrenching settlements. TheHamasmilitant group called on Palestinians in the West Bank to "intensify the confrontation with the occupation and its settlers."

The decision was announced a few days before Israeli Prime Minister BenjaminNetanyahu is expected to meetwith U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington about Iran and other matters.

The measures announced Sunday include canceling a prohibition on sales of West Bank land to Israeli Jews, declassifying West Bank land registry records to ease land acquisition, transferring construction planning at religious and other sensitive sites in the volatile city of Hebron to Israeli authorities, and allowing Israeli enforcement of environmental and archaeological matters in Palestinian-administered areas.

The measures also would revive a committee that would allow the state of Israel to make "proactive" land purchases in the territory — "a step intended to guarantee land reserves for settlement for generations to come."

Peace Now in an explainer issued late Sunday called the decision aimed at "breaking through every possible barrier on the way to a massive land grab in the West Bank." Notably, it said, Israeli authorities will be able to demolish construction in Palestinian-controlled areas if they deem it harmful to heritage or the environment.

The West Bank is divided between an Israeli-controlled section where settlements are located and sections equaling 40% of the territory where the Palestinian Authority has autonomy.

Palestinians are not permitted to sell land privately to Israelis. Settlers can buy homes on land controlled by Israel's government.

Asked about settlers' claims that the current system is discriminatory against Jews, Peace Now's Mizrachi said the entire system in the West Bank discriminates against Palestinians, who are not allowed to vote in Israeli elections and face Israeli military crackdowns and travel restrictions.

More than 700,000 Israelis live in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, territories captured by Israel in 1967 from Jordan and sought by the Palestinians for a future state. The international community overwhelmingly considers Israeli settlement construction in these areas to be illegal and an obstacle to peace.

Smotrich, previously a firebrand settler leader and now finance minister, has been grantedcabinet-level authority over settlement policiesand vowed to double the settler population in the West Bank.

Settler group Regavim in a statement praised Sunday's decision, saying it would protect heritage sites in the West Bank and "at long last" make land registry accessible and transparent.

In December, Israel's Cabinetapproved a proposal for 19 new Jewish settlementsin the West Bank as the government pushes ahead with a construction binge that further threatens the possibility of a Palestinian state. And Israel has cleared the final hurdle before starting construction on a contentious settlement project near Jerusalem that wouldeffectively cut the West Bank in two, according to a government tender reported in January.

A candlelit memorial honouring the victims of theSwiss bar blaze that killed 41 peoplecaught fire.

Swiss police said they were investigating after the makeshift tribute, set up near the site of the bar tragedy in the ski resort town ofCrans-Montana, went up in flames shortly before 6am on Sunday.

Images show a blackened, scorched tent which had been erected to protect the flowers, stuffed animals and messages placed by mourners sincethe New Year's Eve tragedy.

Firefighters were able to bring the flames under control and no injuries were reported. Police said the fire was probably caused by candles.

"According to initial reports, the fire started near the candles placed on a table in the centre of the memorial," said a police statement.

"At this stage, third-party involvement can be ruled out."

Police say a book of condolences survived the fire.

Forty people, mostly teenagers and young adults, died in the New Year's Eve blaze thatbroke out shortly after midnightat Le Constellation bar. The fire claimed its 41st victim, an 18-year-old Swiss national, who died in a Zurich hospital from his injuries a month later.

Half of the victims who died in the blaze were under 18, while some were as young as 14. Some 116 people were taken to hospital, many with serious burn injuries.

Crans-Montana, which is 120 miles east of Geneva, is a high-end ski resort town popular with international tourists.

The list of injured includes nationals from Switzerland, France, Italy, Serbia, Poland, Australia, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Portugal and the Republic of the Congo.

Jacques and Jessica Moretti, the French owners of the bar, areunder investigation for involuntary homicide, involuntary bodily harm and causing a fire by negligence. They deny wrongdoing.

Credit: Reuters

Investigators will examinethe couple's maintenance of the barand compliance with fire safety standards, including the number of emergency exits, the number of fire extinguishers, and whether or not the ceiling foam conformed with regulations.

The town's head of public safety and former fire safety officer are alsounder criminal investigationafter it emerged that the bar had not undergone mandatory annual fire inspections since 2019. They deny wrongdoing.

Police said reconstruction of the memorial is under way.

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The Dalai Lama said in a statement that he never met or interacted with Jeffrey Epstein, following what he called attempts to connect him to the late sex offender.

"Some recent media reports and social media posts concerning the 'Epstein files' are attempting to link His Holiness the Dalai Lama with Jeffrey Epstein," the Tibetan spiritual leader's office said in a news release. "We can unequivocally confirm that His Holiness has never met Jeffrey Epstein or authorised any meeting or interaction with him by anyone on His Holiness's behalf."

It was not immediately clear what reports or posts the Dalai Lama, 90, was referencing.

The statement comes after the Trump administration'srecent release of filesfrom government investigations into the disgraced financier. The Dalai Lama's work is referenced in some documents, but he has never been formally accused of wrongdoing in connection with the accused sex trafficker.

Press StatementSome recent media reports and social media posts concerning the "Epstein files" are attempting to link His Holiness the Dalai Lama with Jeffrey Epstein.We can unequivocally confirm that His Holiness has never met Jeffrey Epstein or authorised any meeting or…pic.twitter.com/QtV6B3Wr0u

— Dalai Lama (@DalaiLama)February 8, 2026

More:Dalai Lama accepts first Grammy after beating out host Trevor Noah

The Justice Department released3 million pagesofEpstein fileson Jan. 30. Members of Congress will be able to review unredacted versions of the recordsstarting Feb. 9, according to a letter obtained by USA TODAY.

Overall, the released files and emails have tied dozens of high-profile people to Epstein, includingPresident Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton and Elon Musk, among others. None of individuals had been charged with crimes connected to Epstein.

Many of the relationships were already public information. For example, Trump and Epstein werefriendly several decades agobut had a falling out in the 2000s.

Additionally, therecently released filesalso include a former U.S. senator, a Norwegian princess, a NASCAR driver and several wealthy men who did business with Epstein. None have been charged, and their participation in Epstein's orbit in some cases simply indicates they had social or business connections with him.

USA TODAY's Erin Mansfield, Kathryn Palmer, and Jayme Fraser contributed to this report.

Kate Perez covers national trends and breaking news for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kperez@usatodayco.com or on X @katecperez_.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Dalai Lama says he never met, interacted with Jeffrey Epstein

Chris Gotterup was on a roll when his fourth round at the WM Phoenix Open concluded Sunday. About an hour later, he picked up where he left off.

Gotterup posted a birdie on the first playoff hole after late mishaps by Japan's Hideki Matsuyama opened the door for him to win at TPC Scottsdale's Stadium Course in Arizona.

Gotterup, 26, notched his second victory of 2026 and the fourth of his young career. He shot a 7-under-par 64 and waited for a chance in a playoff.

"I just figured I'd stay loose," Gotterup said. "I didn't think this would happen, especially after Friday (71) and Saturday (70). But here we are."

Gotterup and Matsuyama ended up at 16-under 268 on a day when world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler made a strong move toward the top and created considerable buzz.

Gotterup has won three tour events in less than a seven-month span. This was his first time in a playoff.

"I'm having such a good time playing right now," Gotterup said. "Just so awesome. ... There's just so many people who believe in me."

Gotterup, who also won last month's season-opening Sony Open in Hawaii, posted birdies on five of the final six holes in the last round. The last of those came after he recovered from a wayward tee shot.

"I knew I had to make birdie on 18, but you never know," Gotterup said. "Hideki was playing great."

To end the fourth round, Matsuyama's erratic driving finally cost him. His tee shot on the 18th hole ended up in a bunker and his quest to scramble for par failed when he was off the mark on a 24-foot putt. He took his lone bogey of the round.

Then Matsuyama's tee shot on the playoff hole landed in the water alongside the fairway. Gotterup played it steady and recorded another birdie to seal the deal.

Two of Matsuyama's 11 victories on the PGA Tour have come in this tournament. He also won in 2016 and 2017, but he couldn't finish the quest this time.

"Was grinding all weekend," Matsuyama said through a translator. "Didn't have my best stuff, but hung in there. I wanted to avoid the playoff as much as I could, but I just hit a bad tee shot there in regulation at 18 and Chris made a good putt there in the playoff."

Matsuyama carried a one-shot lead on countryman Ryo Hisatsune into the final round.

Matsuyama was trying to win a fourth PGA Tour event in a 24-month period. This marked the sixth time that Matsuyama has been the outright leader through 54 holes on the PGA Tour, and he had won each of the previous five times. He overcame multi-stroke deficits to win the other times in this tournament, but he couldn't protect a lead Sunday.

Scheffler, who began his season two weeks earlier by winning The American Express, became the biggest story of the day for much of the round. He was within one shot of the lead through 15 holes, though he was playing several groups ahead of the last threesome. He finished with 64.

"The last three days I played really solid," Scheffler said, knowing Thursday's 73 cost him. "Overall, proud of the way I fought this week and definitely some good momentum going into next week."

Michael Thorbjornsen (67), Akshay Bhatia (67), South Korea's Si Woo Kim (68) and Denmark's Nicolai Hojgaard (68) shared third place with Scheffler at 15 under.

Scheffler played the front side in 3 under and then strung together three more birdies on Nos. 13-15. That included sinking a shot from the fringe about 72 feet away on the par-4 14th. He also birdied No. 17.

With Scheffler's round complete, Thorbjornsen briefly catapulted into the lead with an 11-foot eagle putt on No. 15. He gave one of those strokes back with a bogey on the next hole after launching his tee shot beyond the green on the par-3 hole.

Thorbjornsen, a 24-year-old seeking his first PGA Tour triumph, settled for his seventh finish in the top five. Hojgaard is also 24 and without a tour victory.

China's Zecheng Dou had the day's best round with 63, moving him to 11 under and tied for 13th.

--Field Level Media

MILAN — After adevastating crash just 13 seconds into her downhill run, Lindsey Vonn "sustained an injury" but is in stable condition, according to U.S. Ski & Snowboard.

Sunday's women's downhill emerged as the most anticipated event in these Olympics, mainly because of Vonn — first for her comeback from her 2019 retirement, thenfrom the torn ACL she suffered a little over a week ago. But her Olympic dreams vanished almost immediately into her run on Sunday morning. Her pole and shoulder caught a gate near the top of the mountain, spinning her sideways and sending her tumbling off the course. Her skis dug into the snow, twisting both knees and leaving her prone and bent on the hillside. According to the Associated Press, Vonn's mandatory air bag worn under her race suit did inflate. A helicopter arrived within 10 minutes to evacuate her from the course, and after about 20 minutes, the event continued.

Vonn was airlifted to Ca' Foncello Hospital in Treviso. "In the afternoon, she underwent orthopedic surgery to stabilize the fracture sustained in her left leg," the hospital said in a statement. She was initially taken to Cortina's Codivilla Putti Hospital for immediate treatment, and later moved to Treviso.

Vonn's teammateBreezy Johnson won gold, but the mood in Cortina in the wake of Vonn's crash was somber.

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Vonn, 41, came into the Olympics as one of Team USA's biggest stars, thanks both to her longevity and her determination. She retired after the 2018 Olympics, betrayed by her body and unable to compete at a world-class level. But a 2024 partial knee replacement changed her entire future, allowing her to return to the slopes and work herself into Olympic shape.

She earned her way onto the U.S. team with an array of podium finishes and two World Cup victories. But just a week before the start of the Winter Olympics, Vonn ruptured her left ACL in Switzerland. She spoke at a press conference on Tuesday affirming her intention to compete, and posted respectable times in her two training runs.

The horrifying crashelicited reactions from peers and fans alike.

"It doesn't change anything about her legacy," said fellow American Jackie Wiles, who finished fourth. "She's a fighter, and that's the way that she's going to go out and ski every time."

BOSTON (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 31 points and Josh Hart added 19 to help the New York Knicks beat the cold-shooting Boston Celtics 111-89 on Sunday.

Knicks Celtics Basketball

Karl-Anthony Towns had 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Knicks, who never trailed over the final 42 minutes. Mikal Bridges (14 points) and recently acquired Jose Alvarado (12 points) rounded out the double-digit scorers for New York, which shot 14 of 45 (40%) from behind the 3-point line.

Jaylen Brown socred 26 points and Derrick White added 19 for the Celtics, who saw their five-game winning streak snapped, Baylor Scheierman started in place for the injured Sam Hauser and finished with 10 points, 13 rebounds and five assists.

Boston shot 37% for the game and was 7-of-41 (17.1%) from behind the arc.

The matchup pitted two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, with Boston entering with a one-game lead over New York for second place. They'll meet one more time during the regular season on April 9 in New York.

New York pushed its advantage to 85-68 entering the fourth quarter after closing the third on a 20-7 run. The lead kept growing when Brunson scored 10 straight points to give the Knicks a 23-point lead with four minutes left.

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Boston revisited the "Hack-a-Robinson" tactic that was introduced during last spring's playoff meeting with the Knicks. A career 51% shooter from the free-throw line and connecting at a 38% clip this season, Mitchell Robinson had the last laugh when he went 2 of 2 at the line with 2:32 left in the third after the reserve big man clanked all four free throws he attempted during the first half.

The Knicks led 60-53 at halftime. Brunson had 19 points through two quarters, with 12 coming during the first. Boston trailed by as many as 17 points but made it a two-possession game entering the second half despite shooting 5 of 22 (22.7%) from 3-point range.

Knicks: Host Indiana on Tuesday night.

Celtics: Host Chicago on Wednesday night.

AP NBA:https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

By Renju Jose

SYDNEY, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Pro-Palestine demonstrators plan to rally in Sydney on Monday to protest the visit by Israeli President Isaac Herzog, as authorities ​declared his visit a major event and deployed thousands of police to manage the ‌crowds.

Police have urged the protesters to gather at a central Sydney park for public safety reasons, but protest organisers ‌said they plan to rally at the city's historic Town Hall instead.

Police have been authorised to use rarely invoked powers during the visit, including the ability to separate and move crowds, restrict their entry to certain areas, direct people to leave and search vehicles.

"We're hoping we won't have ⁠to use any powers, because we've ‌been liaising very closely with the protest organisers," New South Wales Police Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna told Nine News on Monday.

"Overall, it is all ‍of the community that we want to keep safe ... we'll be there in significant numbers just to make sure that the community is safe."

About 3,000 police personnel will be deployed across Sydney, Australia's largest ​city.

Herzog is visiting Australia this week following an invitation from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese ‌in the aftermath of the deadly shooting at Bondi Beach.

He is expected to meet survivors and the families of 15 people killed in the December 14 shooting during a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Sydney's Bondi Beach.

In a statement, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry Co-Chief Executive Alex Ryvchin said Herzog's visit "will lift the spirits of a pained community."

Herzog's visit has drawn opposition ⁠from pro-Palestine groups, with protests planned in major cities ​across Australia, and the Palestine Action Group has launched ​a legal challenge in a Sydney court against restrictions placed on the expected protests.

"A national day of protest will be held today, calling for the ‍arrest and investigation of Isaac ⁠Herzog, who has been found by the UN Commission of Inquiry to have incited genocide in Gaza," the Palestine Action Group said in a statement.

The Jewish Council of ⁠Australia, a vocal critic of the Israeli government, released an open letter on Monday signed by over 1,000 ‌Jewish Australian academics and community leaders, urging Albanese to rescind Herzog's invitation.

(Reporting by ‌Renju Jose in Sydney; editing by Diane Craft)