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AP’s striking Winter Olympics view of the small details, in photos

MILAN (AP) — From Olympic rings reflected in an athlete’s helmet to tight shots of a curling stone, from shards of ice suspended midair as hockey players battle for the puck to subtle notes of political expression, colorful nails painted in symbols of cultural pride and even a whimsical unicorn adorning a biathlon rifle — a close-up look at the small, striking details captured by AP photographers at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Beijing bans 4 New Zealand lawmakers from entering China because they visited Taiwan

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Beijing banned four New Zealand lawmakers from traveling to China for a year and demanded they apologize because they visited Taiwan on a parliamentary trip, according to a message from the Chinese embassy conveyed via parliamentary officials and shown to The Associated Press on Thursday. China has hit lawmakers from other countries with sanctions related to contact with Taiwan before, but it's the first time for New Zealand parliamentarians, the government in Wellington said. Beijing has been increasing pressure in recent years on the democratically governed island that it claims as its own territory. Two lawmakers reached by the AP on Thursday rejected the demand for an apology, while the other two could not be immediately reached. New Zealand's government said it would express concern about the travel bans to Beijing. The elected officials visited Taipei in May, as New Zealand parliamentarians have done “for decades,” a spokesperson for Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement.
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