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Russia's attacks on Ukraine, Easter Sunday, NBA playoffs: 5 things to know this weekend

Editors
USA TODAY

Russia continues onslaught of attacks throughout Ukraine

Kviv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in an online posting that the eastern part of Ukraine's capital city was struck early Saturday in the Darnytskyi district, saying there were "explosions." He said rescuers and paramedics were on the scene and that victims' details would be released later. The governor of the Lviv region in western Ukraine reported air strikes in the region Saturday morning. Maksym Kozytskyy said on the Telegram messaging app that a Russian aircraft took off from Belarus and carried out the missile strikes. Also, late Friday Russian forces hit an airfield in Oleksandriya, a city in central Ukraine, with a missile strike, the mayor of the city, Serhiy Kuzmenko, said on Facebook on Saturday. He didn't indicate whether the strike resulted in any casualties. These developments come a day after Andriy Nebytov, the head of Kyiv's regional police force, said in a briefing that the bodies of more than 900 civilians were discovered in the region following the withdrawal of Russian forces.

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Christian faithful all over the world celebrate Easter Sunday

Like Christmas, Easter is rooted in Christianity, a holiday meant to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after he was crucified by Romans in 30 A.D. Over 2,000 years later, Easter remains one of the most celebrated holidays. Nadieszda Kizenko, director of religious studies at the University at Albany, told USA TODAY that Easter is the "biggest day of the church calendar" because of the message it represents. "Easter basically means the triumph over death," she said. Nowadays, Easter is commonly associated with decorating eggs or participating in egg hunts, as well as the Easter Bunny. But similar to Santa Claus, those symbols have some religious ties mixed in with the more commercialized holiday many of us see today. Easter Sunday is considered a "moveable feast," meaning its position on the calendar can vary and Christian tradition ties it to the first full moon of the spring. The holiday is uncommonly late this year, falling on April 17 for the first time in 62 years.

DC celebrates Emancipation Day, when Lincoln abolished slavery there  

Saturday marks Emancipation Day in Washington, a day that commemorates the abolition of slavery in the nation’s capital. President Abraham Lincoln enacted the historic law one year into the Civil War, preceding the widely known Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. On April 16, 1862, President Lincoln signed the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act. The new law freed upwards on 3,100 enslaved people in the district and provided compensation to former slaveholders, paying them up to $300 for each person who was freed.  Public workers in Washington will get the day off on Friday, April 15, upending this year's Tax Day. 

Prince Harry, Meghan visit Invictus Games competitors ahead of opening

Prince Harry and his wife Duchess Meghan of Sussex on Friday made their first joint public appearance in Europe in over two years, greeting competitors at the Invictus Games in the Netherlands. The couple received an enthusiastic welcome from cheering competitors at a reception for friends and family in a park at the Games site in The Hague. Harry is a founder and patron of the international sports competition for active service personnel and veterans who are ill, injured or wounded. It opens Saturday and runs through April 22. Before arriving in The Hague, the royal couple visited to Harry's grandmother Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle Thursday, a spokesperson for Harry and Meghan confirmed to USA TODAY. For Meghan, 40, Thursday's visit marked her first time in the U.K. since March 2020 when she and Harry, 37, stepped away from royal duties and moved to California.

NBA playoff action: All 8 first-round series tip off

The NBA playoffs get underway Saturday after the Atlanta Hawks and the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday both grabbed victories on the road in the play-in tournament to secure the final two playoff spots. The action kicks off with two Western Conference series. First, the Dallas Mavericks, who will likely be without star Luka Doncic, will host the Utah Jazz (1 p.m. ET, ESPN). Later, the Memphis Grizzlies take on the Minnesota Timberwolves at home (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). The first evening game features the first Eastern Conference series to tip off when the Philadelphia 76ers host the Toronto Raptors (6 p.m. ET, ESPN). Saturday's action concludes with the Denver Nuggets traveling to San Francisco to take on the Golden State Warriors (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC). The other four first-round series tip off Sunday. Our expert predictions favor the Milwaukee Bucks (the defending champs) and Phoenix Suns (owners of the best regular-season record) to meet in a Finals rematch, but the field is wide open.

Contributing: The Associated Press

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