Today: September 23, 2024
Today: September 23, 2024

World

World

Mets' Drew Smith suspended 10 games for banned sticky stuff at Subway Series

New York Mets pitcher Drew Smith was suspended for 10 games by Major League Baseball on Wednesday, the fifth pitcher and second on his team penalized for using banned sticky stuff. The penalty was announced by MLB senior vice president for on-field operations Michael Hill, one day after Smith entered in the seventh inning of a Subway Series game against the Yankees at Citi Field and was ejected without throwing a pitch. Smith declined to appeal the discipline to John McHale Jr., a special assistant to baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, and started serving the penalty Wednesday

June 15, 2023
Mets' Drew Smith suspended 10 games for banned sticky stuff at Subway Series
World

Chaos rules the day as US Open comes to the glitz of Los Angeles

Brooks Koepka says he enjoys the chaos and there’s no shortage of that in this U.S. Open, even for those who manage to avoid the traffic. Players are still trying to digest the blockbuster announcement of the PGA Tour ending a legal and moral battle with LIV Golf by becoming partners with the Saudi Arabia national wealth fund that paid for all those PGA Tour defections. And then came news late Tuesday night that PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan was turning over day-to-day operations while he recovers from what was described as a medical situation. And

June 15, 2023
Chaos rules the day as US Open comes to the glitz of Los Angeles
World

Golden Knights' success lifted Las Vegas to another level in sports world

Massive cheers rather than the usual boos rained down on Gary Bettman on Tuesday night because nothing could keep Vegas Golden Knights fans from enjoying what the NHL commissioner was about to do. He first presented the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP to Jonathan Marchessault and then moments later handed the Stanley Cup to captain Mark Stone, who shared it with the rest of the team. “What has happened here has been simply incredible,” Bettman told the crowd. “Not only is Vegas a hockey town, it’s a championship town.” The modern era for Las Vegas

June 15, 2023
Golden Knights' success lifted Las Vegas to another level in sports world
World

US appeals court rejects bail for Chinese businessman awaiting fraud trial

A self-exiled Chinese businessman awaiting trial in a $1 billion fraud case will remain behind bars after an appeals court on Wednesday rejected his request to override a lower court’s finding that he might flee or harm the community if he were to be freed. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan said in a two-page order that Guo Wengui’s lawyers had failed to convince a three-judge panel that Judge Analisa Torres made a clear error in refusing to accept a $25 million bail package proposal in April. Torres said she didn’t trust that

June 15, 2023
US appeals court rejects bail for Chinese businessman awaiting fraud trial
World

U.S. Open a source of uncertainty on and off the course

Uncertainty off the course. Uncertainty on it. The U.S. Open was set to tee off into uncharted territory Thursday, with the golf world perplexed by the recent shakeup-makeup between Saudi golf interests and the PGA Tour and 156 of the sport’s best players taking on a course hardly anyone has seen. Pretty much every question heading into the 123rd playing of America’s national championship dealt with one or the other of those issues. Los Angeles Country Club is a beautiful mystery, the first course in LA to host the Open in 75 years. It’s known for

June 15, 2023
U.S. Open a source of uncertainty on and off the course
World

Ex-US congressman seeks no prison time at July sentencing for insider trading conviction

A former Indiana congressman should spend no time in prison after his insider trading conviction, his lawyers told a judge Wednesday. Steve Buyer, 64, of Noblesville, Indiana, was convicted by a jury in Manhattan federal court in March of four securities fraud charges after a two-week trial for stock trades he made while working as a consultant and lobbyist after he finished serving in Congress from 1993 to 2011. He was convicted in connection with insider trading involving the $26.5 billion merger of T-Mobile and Sprint, announced in April 2018, and stock purchases he made at

June 15, 2023
Ex-US congressman seeks no prison time at July sentencing for insider trading conviction
World

Toronto's José Berríos has no-hitter through 6 innings against Orioles

Toronto Blue Jays right-hander José Berríos has a no-hitter through six innings against the Baltimore Orioles. Berríos retired the first 13 batters before Austin Hays walked on a full count with one out in the fifth. Aaron Hicks then popped out and Hays was caught stealing. Wednesday night’s game was scoreless until George Springer hit a solo homer off Orioles starter Kyle Bradish with one out in the sixth inning. In the bottom half, Berríos struck out the first two batters before hitting Ramón Urías with a pitch with two outs. He then struck out Gunnar Henderson

June 15, 2023
Toronto's José Berríos has no-hitter through 6 innings against Orioles
World

Arizona woman alleges sexual assault by Trevor Bauer; he denies allegation and countersues

An Arizona woman has accused former major league pitcher Trevor Bauer of sexual assault, alleging in a lawsuit updated this week that he held a knife at her throat and choked her until she passed out during a rape that left her pregnant in late 2020. Bauer was never arrested or charged and he has countersued, denying the allegations and accusing the woman of faking a pregnancy and trying to extort money from him. “Trevor Bauer categorically denies this woman’s unhinged allegations,” the player’s co-agents, Jon Fetterolf and Rachel Luba, said in a statement Wednesday. They said

June 15, 2023
Arizona woman alleges sexual assault by Trevor Bauer; he denies allegation and countersues
World

Drug syndicate hid meth in Canadian maple syrup, canola oil bound for Down Under, authorities say

A drug syndicate that tried to smuggle tons of methamphetamine from Canada to Australia and New Zealand by hiding it in shipments of maple syrup and canola oil has been busted, authorities said Thursday. Authorities from the three nations said they had worked together for more than five months to unravel the elaborate scheme that was worth billions of dollars. Australian police said they had intercepted four separate hauls of meth weighing more than six tons and filed charges against six men. They said that in January, Canadian authorities alerted them that 2,900 liters (766

June 15, 2023
Drug syndicate hid meth in Canadian maple syrup, canola oil bound for Down Under, authorities say
World

Migrants bussed from Texas to Los Angeles in move mayor calls 'despicable stunt'

A group of migrants who arrived by bus in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday were sent from Texas in a move the city’s mayor called a “despicable stunt” by a Republican governor. Forty-two people, including some children, were dropped off at Union Station around 4 p.m. and were being cared for by city agencies and charitable organizations, Los Angeles City Councilmember Kevin de León’s office said. “They left yesterday and it was 23 hours on the bus and they did not have a chance to eat or to have water,” said Jorge Mario Cabrera of the

June 15, 2023
Migrants bussed from Texas to Los Angeles in move mayor calls 'despicable stunt'
World

Canadian wildfire smoke gives Minnesota city the worst air in the US

St. Paul had the worst air quality in the United States on Wednesday as smoke from massive Canadian wildfires drifted across Minnesota a week after similar smoke blanketed the northeastern U.S. The smoke was “near the worst” on record for the Twin Cities, the Star-Tribune reported, citing Nick Witcraft, an air-quality meteorologist with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Air quality hit “red” on the U.S. government’s color-coded index, meaning it was unhealthy for everyone. The air was particularly dangerous for children, older people and those with asthma and conditions like diabetes and heart disease. Karen Berg-Moberg decided

June 15, 2023
Canadian wildfire smoke gives Minnesota city the worst air in the US
World

Nats' manager Martinez uses photo evidence to demand baseline rule fix

Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez is demanding that Major League Baseball change its basepath rule after catcher Keibert Ruiz’s ninth-inning throw hit runner Jake Meyers, resulting in a throwing error that gave the Houston Astros a 5-4 win Wednesday night. Martinez printed out a photo of Meyers running on the grass inside the first-base line after hitting a grounder and brought it to his postgame press conference. “There it is right there,” Martinez said. “Take a look at it. Is that on the line? I don’t think so. I’m over this play. Seriously. They need to fix

June 15, 2023
Nats' manager Martinez uses photo evidence to demand baseline rule fix
World

Back-to-back home runs by Semien, Seager propel Rangers past Angels 6-3

Marcus Semien and Corey Seager hit back-to-back homers with two outs in the seventh inning to lift the Texas Rangers to a 6-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday night. Semien’s two-run homer struck high up the left-field foul pole to break a 1-1 tie. Seager followed with a shot to right field on the next pitch. The homer capped a 2 for 5 game for Semien, who came in hitless in 15 at-bats and 3 for 28 following a career-best 25-game hitting streak. “I’m still doing the same things I was doing during

June 15, 2023
Back-to-back home runs by Semien, Seager propel Rangers past Angels 6-3
World

Nick Kyrgios reveals he ended up in psychiatric ward during Wimbledon in 2019

Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has revealed he spent time in a psychiatric ward following a loss at Wimbledon in 2019 because of suicidal thoughts. The comments from Kyrgios, widely published in Australia on Thursday based on interviews for the upcoming Netflix documentary series “Break Point,” are the latest on his longtime struggles with mental health. He went to a hospital in London to “figure out my problems” after the loss to Rafael Nadal four years ago at Wimbledon, where he wore a compression sleeve over his right arm during his singles matches to conceal his scars.

June 15, 2023
Nick Kyrgios reveals he ended up in psychiatric ward during Wimbledon in 2019
World

Nimmo gives Mets 4-3, 10-inning win over Yanks on night of mental, physical errors

Brandon Nimmo hit a game-ending double in the 10th inning and the New York Mets recovered from a string of mental and physical errors to beat the New York Yankees 4-3 on Wednesday night for a two-game Subway Series split. Isiah Kiner-Falefa stole home off an inattentive Brooks Raley as the Yankees scored two runs without a hit to take a 3-1 seventh-inning lead. The Mets tied the score in bottom half when Ron Marinaccio hit Nimmo with a pitch and Starling Marte hit an RBI single — a rally that ended when Nimmo took a

June 15, 2023
Nimmo gives Mets 4-3, 10-inning win over Yanks on night of mental, physical errors
World

China's factory, consumer activity weakens in May, youth unemployment rises

China’s consumer and factory activity weakened in May and record-breaking unemployment among young people in cities rose as an economic rebound following the end of anti-virus controls slowed. Surveys found 20.8% of potential workers in cities aged 16-24 were unemployed, up from April’s previous record of 20.4%, the government reported Thursday. China’s economic activity rebounded after the ruling Communist Party in December lifted controls that cut off access to major cities for weeks at a time and blocked most international travel. But consumers, uneasy about possible job losses, returned to shops and restaurants less quickly than expected.

June 15, 2023
China's factory, consumer activity weakens in May, youth unemployment rises
World

Germany to give $1.4 billion to Holocaust survivors globally in 2024

The organization that handles claims on behalf of Jews who suffered under the Nazis said Thursday that Germany has agreed to extend another $1.4 billion (1.29 billion euros) overall for Holocaust survivors around the globe for the coming year. The compensation was negotiated with Germany’s finance ministry and includes $888.9 million to provide home care and supportive services for frail and vulnerable Holocaust survivors. Additionally, increases of $175 million to symbolic payments of the Hardship Fund Supplemental program have been achieved, impacting more than 128,000 Holocaust survivors globally, according to the New York-based Conference on Jewish Material

June 15, 2023
Germany to give $1.4 billion to Holocaust survivors globally in 2024
World

After long waits, new pilgrims prepare for return of Hajj, the first major one since COVID-19

This year’s Hajj is a landmark: the first full pilgrimage after a daunting three-year period when the COVID-19 pandemic sharply reduced the scale of one of Islam’s holiest and most beloved rites. Millions of Muslims from around the world will start converging next week on Mecca in Saudi Arabia to begin the several days of rituals at holy sites in and around the city. For pilgrims, it is the ultimate spiritual moment of their lives, a chance to seek God’s forgiveness for their sins and walk in the footsteps of revered prophets like Muhammad and Abraham. It’s a mass, communal

June 15, 2023
After long waits, new pilgrims prepare for return of Hajj, the first major one since COVID-19
World

Huge search seeks survivors of migrant boat sinking off Greece; hundreds feared missing

With its human cargo of migrants filling every available space, the battered blue trawler was about halfway from Libya to Italy when its engine cut out in the night. The vessel wobbled sharply, flooded and capsized. Less than 15 minutes later, it sank into one of the Mediterranean’s deepest points, off the coast of Greece. Hundreds of people are thought to have been on board when the boat went down Wednesday, although authorities have no precise figure. Rescuers saved 104 passengers — including Egyptians, Syrians, Pakistanis, Afghans and Palestinians — and recovered 79 bodies. And the

June 15, 2023
Huge search seeks survivors of migrant boat sinking off Greece; hundreds feared missing
World

Florida set to execute man convicted of 1984 murders, rapes while children slept nearby

One of the longest-held inmates on Florida’s death row is set to be executed Thursday for two separate killings in 1984, the fatal stabbing of a 14-year-old babysitter as two children in her care were sleeping and the other a hammer attack on a mother of two. Duane Owen is scheduled to receive a lethal injection at 6 p.m. EDT at Florida State Prison in Starke. He drew death sentences for the March 24, 1984, rape and stabbing attack on Karen Slattery, 14, and for the rape and killling of Georgianna Worden, 38, in May 1984,

June 15, 2023
Florida set to execute man convicted of 1984 murders, rapes while children slept nearby
World

Bill Gates visits China as leaders try to revive foreign business interest

Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates says he is in Beijing, joining a series of foreign business figures who have visited China as the ruling Communist Party tries to revive investor interest in the country. Gates, who stepped down as Microsoft chairman in 2014, said on Twitter late Wednesday that he would meet partners who have worked with his charitable foundation. However, Gates is revered in China as an entrepreneur, giving Chinese leaders a chance to show their interest in foreign business by publicizing any meetings with him. CEOs of global companies including Elon Musk of Tesla Ltd.

June 15, 2023
Bill Gates visits China as leaders try to revive foreign business interest
World

Chinese premier meets with Palestinian president in effort to increase Middle East presence

Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday in a drive by Beijing to elevate relations and increase its overall presence in the Middle East. Li, who took office just this spring with little foreign policy experience, called Abbas “an old friend of the Chinese people” who has made “important contributions to the promotion of China-Palestinian relations.” The meeting came a day after Abbas was greeted with full military honors by Xi Jinping, China’s president and head of the ruling Communist Party. The sides then announced the formation of a “strategic partnership,”

June 15, 2023
Chinese premier meets with Palestinian president in effort to increase Middle East presence
World

MLB teams welcome LGBTQ+ fans with Pride Nights, but wait continues for 1st out active player

When it comes to baseball and LGBTQ+ inclusivity, Billy Bean often flashes back to his playing days. Ending his career without telling his parents about his life as a closeted gay ballplayer. Shielding his secret from teammates like Brad Ausmus and Torey Lovullo. The regret of not sharing his “full self,” he says. It’s a message Bean has delivered in clubhouses, and it resonates with today’s ballplayers — hyper-focused on staying in the majors, and being a good teammate. It’s also the lens through which Bean views baseball’s ongoing LGBTQ+ issues. “There’s some parts of my job

June 15, 2023
MLB teams welcome LGBTQ+ fans with Pride Nights, but wait continues for 1st out active player
World

Visually impaired people in Ukraine struggle to cope during Russian missile attacks

Sunlight filters through shattered windows, casting a glow upon the dusty furniture and fragments of glass strewn across the floor of the office belonging to Oleksandr Vinkovskyi, director of a Kyiv business where visually impaired people worked. Vinkovskyi is blind, and can’t see the scale of damage caused by debris from one of many Russian-fired drones on the Ukrainian capital last month. But he knows that 80 people, including 54 with a disability who used to work there manufacturing circuit breakers, sockets and hangers, are now out of work. Most of the windows have been shattered,

June 15, 2023
Visually impaired people in Ukraine struggle to cope during Russian missile attacks
World

India, Pakistan brace for winds, flash flooding as Cyclone Biparjoy heads for evening landfall

A vast swath of western India and neighboring southern Pakistan that suffered deadly floods last year are bracing for a new deluge as fast-approaching Cyclone Biparjoy whirls toward landfall Thursday. Rain was falling and skies were darkening in western India and in southern Pakistan along the Arabian Sea, where dusty storms were hampering the evacuation and rescue work. Authorities expect conditions to worsen for two or three days after the cyclone makes landfall in India’s Gujarat. Officials from the two South Asian countries stood on high alert as the cyclone approached. It’s expected to make landfall

June 15, 2023
India, Pakistan brace for winds, flash flooding as Cyclone Biparjoy heads for evening landfall

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