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

World

World

US Open in LA turns into a quiet major with limited crowds and tough walk

This U.S. Open is not to be mistaken as “Golf, But Louder” on so many levels. Mostly the loud part. Bringing the second-oldest championship in golf to Los Angeles Country Club — so exclusive that some Angelenos don’t know it’s there — was always going to come with a cost. It’s a small footprint in the rotation of U.S. Open courses, meaning a small crowd compared with the likes of Oakmont or Pinehurst No. 2. The North course is magnificent, even if it doesn’t look to be a traditional U.S. Open. With a blazing sun in

June 18, 2023
US Open in LA turns into a quiet major with limited crowds and tough walk
World

A Utah city violated the First Amendment in denying a drag show permit, judge rules

The city of St. George must issue a permit for a Utah-based group that organizes drag performances to host an all-ages drag show in a public park, a federal judge ruled, calling the city’s attempt to stop the show unconstitutional discrimination. “Public spaces are public spaces. Public spaces are not private spaces. Public spaces are not majority spaces,” U.S. District Judge David Nuffer wrote in a Friday ruling granting the preliminary injunction requested by the group. “The First Amendment of the United States Constitution ensures that all citizens, popular or not, majority or minority, conventional

June 18, 2023
A Utah city violated the First Amendment in denying a drag show permit, judge rules
World

Verstappen wins pole in Canada on wet track as he chases Senna in win column

Max Verstappen won the 25th pole of his career and moved one step closer to tying the late Ayrton Senna for Formula One victories as the two-time reigning world champion overcame wet conditions in Saturday qualifying at the Canadian Grand Prix. Verstappen, who has won five of seven races this season, will lead the field to green Sunday as he attempts to win his 41st career race. It would tie him with Senna for fifth on F1’s all-time winners list. Rain in Montreal hampered most of Saturday at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, and although the track was only slightly slick at

June 18, 2023
Verstappen wins pole in Canada on wet track as he chases Senna in win column
World

Amy Yang takes the Meijer LPGA Classic lead with her third straight 67

Amy Yang birdied all five par 5s at Blythefield and shot her third straight 5-under 67 to take the third-round lead Saturday in the Meijer LPGA Classic. Yang rebounded from bogeys on the par-3 11th and 13th to birdie the par-5 14th, par-4 17th and par-5 18th to reach 15-under 201 on the tree-lined course. “All week my ball-striking has been really good,” Yang said. “I was giving myself good chances out there. I was a little bit off with putting speed during the round, made a couple mistakes, but I tried to stay patient and

June 18, 2023
Amy Yang takes the Meijer LPGA Classic lead with her third straight 67
World

US Open a fairly clean ride for Tom Kim on moving day

Tom Kim’s last big plunge into the major-championship spotlight was a muddy mess. This one — crisp and clean for a while, but stained by a rugged finish. The 20-year-old, who became a meme after his waist-high wade into the mud while looking for his ball at the PGA Championship last month, was on record-setting pace Saturday at the U.S. Open before things started to unravel. He tied a tournament record by shooting 29 over nine holes, and added another birdie on No. 10 to get to 7-under par for the day and 6 under for

June 18, 2023
US Open a fairly clean ride for Tom Kim on moving day
World

Philippine ferry with 120 people onboard catches fire at sea, rescue underway

A Philippine ferry carrying 120 passengers and crew members caught fire at sea on Sunday and a coast guard vessel was deployed to rescue those onboard and try to extinguish the flames, coast guard officials said. The M/V Esperanza Star caught fire at dawn while traveling from Siquijor province to Bohol province in the central Philippines, the coast guard said. It did not immediately say how many people have been rescued from the ferry or if there were casualties. Photos and video released by the coast guard show flames and black smoke billowing from two decks

June 18, 2023
Philippine ferry with 120 people onboard catches fire at sea, rescue underway
World

Fowler, Clark share the US Open lead with major champs chasing them

Rickie Fowler made his biggest birdie when no one expected it with a 70-foot putt. Wyndham Clark responded with a bold play for a birdie on the last hole to catch him Saturday and set the stage for a dynamic conclusion to the U.S. Open. Fowler looked to have his first 54-hole lead in a major until he missed a 3 1/2-foot par putt on the final hole at Los Angeles Country Club and settled for an even-par 70. Clark was reeling after his third bogey on the back nine, but drilled his approach at a

June 18, 2023
Fowler, Clark share the US Open lead with major champs chasing them
World

Xander Schauffele slips back with 73 on a difficult day at US Open

Xander Schauffele has run into trouble on the weekend at plenty of majors in recent years. It happened again Saturday at the 123rd U.S. Open, thanks to a dismal driver and a series of comic misadventures from the rough and bunkers. After beginning the tournament with the best round in U.S. Open history, Schauffele will need a spectacular finish Sunday to finally take his name off the list of the world’s best players without a major title. Schauffele shot a 3-over 73 in the third round to slip into a sixth-place tie with Dustin Johnson, sitting

June 18, 2023
Xander Schauffele slips back with 73 on a difficult day at US Open
World

California governor proposes rolling back access to police misconduct records

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration has proposed an end to public disclosure of investigations of abusive and corrupt police officers, handing the responsibility instead to local agencies in an effort to help cover an estimated $31.5 billion budget deficit. The proposal, part of the governor’s budget package that he is still negotiating with the Legislature, has prompted strong criticism from a coalition of criminal justice and press freedom groups, which spent years pushing for the disclosure rules that were part of a landmark law Newsom signed in 2021. The law allows the state Commission on Peace

June 18, 2023
California governor proposes rolling back access to police misconduct records
World

In the dark: Wyndham Clark criticizes late start for US Open's 3rd round

Call him a traditionalist, but Wyndham Clark thinks professional golf is better in the daylight. The U.S. Open co-leader criticized NBC’s decision to put Saturday’s third round in a late broadcast window that forced the final competitors to finish their rounds around sunset. Visibility at Los Angeles Country Club was poor for the final hour of play, and Clark wasn’t thrilled to finish the biggest round of his life in suboptimal conditions. “Personally, I don’t quite understand it,” Clark said. “I know we’re (on the) West Coast and whatnot, and I know they probably have the

June 18, 2023
In the dark: Wyndham Clark criticizes late start for US Open's 3rd round
World

Cruising to Nome: The first U.S. deep water port for the Arctic to host cruise ships, military

The cruise ship with about 1,000 passengers anchored off Nome, too big to squeeze into into the tundra city’s tiny port. Its well-heeled tourists had to shimmy into small boats for another ride to shore. It was 2016, and at the time, the cruise ship Serenity was the largest vessel ever to sail through the Northwest Passage. But as the Arctic sea ice relents under the pressures of global warming and opens shipping lanes across the top of the world, more tourists are venturing to Nome — a northwest Alaska destination known better for the Iditarod

June 18, 2023
Cruising to Nome: The first U.S. deep water port for the Arctic to host cruise ships, military
World

Fowler, McIlroy, Scheffler headline final round in a US Open full of possibilities

At the top of the U.S. Open leaderboard there are two players each going for their first major title. That’s about all they have in common. Rickie Fowler has contended in majors, won nine tournaments across the globe and has long been one of golf’s most recognizable players. Wyndham Clark is playing in only his seventh major and, no matter how he plays Sunday, this will mark the first time he’s finished better than 75th. “It’s a little surreal to be in this situation,” Clark said. In a way, the player one shot behind them, Rory

June 18, 2023
Fowler, McIlroy, Scheffler headline final round in a US Open full of possibilities
World

Violent crime within Israel's Palestinian minority reaches new heights under Netanyahu's government

A relentless wave of violent crime within Israel’s Palestinian minority is turning cities and towns into bloody battlefields, exasperating a community feeling increasingly forsaken by Israeli authorities. Anger over the mounting insecurity is directed at Israel’s government and its ultranationalist minister in charge of police, Itamar Ben-Gvir. Critics say that with his history of anti-Arab rhetoric, he cannot be trusted to combat the rising scourge. The skyrocketing violence lays bare the deep inequities in Israeli society, with Arabs facing years of discrimination that activists say laid the groundwork for the unabating bloodshed. More than 100 people

June 18, 2023
Violent crime within Israel's Palestinian minority reaches new heights under Netanyahu's government
World

David Freese declines induction into the St. Louis Cardinals' Hall of Fame

David Freese has decided to decline his induction into the St. Louis Cardinals’ Hall of Fame. The former third baseman was a postseason hero for his hometown team in helping the Cardinals win the 2011 World Series. He was chosen for the Hall of Fame by fans, garnering the most votes in online balloting for this year’s class. But in a statement Saturday, the Cardinals said Freese recently informed them he wanted to withdraw his candidacy. That leaves José Oquendo and Max Lanier to be enshrined during ceremonies on Aug. 20. “This is something that I

June 18, 2023
David Freese declines induction into the St. Louis Cardinals' Hall of Fame
World

Belarus crackdown targets not just political activists but also their lawyers

For nearly three years, a harsh crackdown on dissent in Belarus by its authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko has filled the country’s penal colonies with thousands of political prisoners, with new arrests reported daily. At the same time, a government campaign has gotten rid of many independent lawyers, making it increasingly difficult for the detainees to mount any kind of legal defense. Siarhej Zikratski is among those lawyers forced to leave Belarus under the threat of arrest. More than 500 of his colleagues have been stripped of their law licenses and quit the profession since 2020, and

June 18, 2023
Belarus crackdown targets not just political activists but also their lawyers
World

Sudan begins a cease-fire ahead of a pledging conference to raise funds for humanitarian assistance

Sudan’s warring parties began a cease-fire Sunday morning after two months of fighting pushed the African nation into chaos. Residents in the capital, Khartoum, and its neighboring city of Omdurman reported “relative calm” in the first hours of the cease-fire Sunday morning, after fierce clashes were reported the previous day. The three-day truce came ahead of a pledging conference the U.N. and other nations will organize Monday to raise funds to cover Sudan’s humanitarian needs. The U.N. says it received less than 16% of the $2.57 billion required to help those in need in Sudan in 2023.

June 18, 2023
Sudan begins a cease-fire ahead of a pledging conference to raise funds for humanitarian assistance
World

Both sides suffer heavy casualties as Ukraine strikes back against Russia, UK assessment says

Russia and Ukraine are suffering high numbers of military casualties as Ukraine fights to dislodge the Kremlin’s forces from occupied areas in the early stages of its counteroffensive, British officials said Sunday. Russian losses are probably at their highest level since the peak of the battle for Bakhmut in March, U.K. military officials said in their regular assessment. According to British intelligence, the most intense fighting has centered on the southeastern Zaporizhzhia province, around Bakhmut and further west in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk province. While the update reported that Ukraine was on the offensive in these areas

June 18, 2023
Both sides suffer heavy casualties as Ukraine strikes back against Russia, UK assessment says
World

Netanyahu says will move ahead on contentious judicial overhaul plan after talks crumble

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday his government intends to move ahead on contentious plans to change the country’s judicial system after talks aimed at finding a compromise solution appeared to be crumbling. The government’s plans to overhaul the judiciary plunged Israel into one of its worst domestic crises ever earlier this year. Negotiations between the government and opposition parties somewhat alleviated the crisis with attempts to find a middle ground over proposed changes to the country’s justice system. Those talks were jolted last week over a crisis surrounding the powerful regular committee responsible

June 18, 2023
Netanyahu says will move ahead on contentious judicial overhaul plan after talks crumble
World

Mali's military junta holds referendum on new constitution that it calls a step toward new elections

Malian voters cast ballots on a new draft constitution Sunday in a referendum that the country’s coup leader says will pave the way toward holding new elections in 2024, but that critics have called a delaying tactic for him to extend his time in power. In a message broadcast on state television on the eve of the vote, Col. Assimi Goita told Malians that the proposed draft constitution “provides for a better-organized executive power, while maintaining the necessary balance with the legislative power.” However, Imam Mahmoud Dicko, an opponent of the military junta, invited his supporters

June 18, 2023
Mali's military junta holds referendum on new constitution that it calls a step toward new elections
World

Ugandan border town prepares to bury victims of rebel massacre that left 42 dead, mostly students

A bereaved Ugandan border town on Sunday prepared to bury victims of a brutal attack by suspected extremist rebels on a school that left 42 dead, most of them students, as security forces stepped up patrols along the frontier with volatile eastern Congo. One of eight people wounded in Friday night’s attack, in which 38 students were killed, died overnight, said Mpondwe-Lhubiriha Mayor Selevest Mapoze. “Most of the relatives have come to take their bodies” from the morgue, he said. Some students were burned beyond recognition, and others were shot or hacked to death after militants

June 18, 2023
Ugandan border town prepares to bury victims of rebel massacre that left 42 dead, mostly students
World

Pope Francis, back to Vatican routine post-surgery, says thanks to shouts of 'Long live the pope!'

Two days after being discharged from the hospital, Pope Francis resumed his cherished Sunday custom of greeting the public in St. Peter’s Square, expressing thanks for the comfort he received after surgery and thanking the crowd shouting “Long live the pope!” Before launching into prepared remarks, Francis expressed gratitude for “affection, attention and friendship” and the assurance of “the support of prayer” during his hospitalization for June 7 abdominal surgery at a Rome hospital to repair a hernia and remove increasingly painful scarring around his intestines. “This human and spiritual closeness for me was a great

June 18, 2023
Pope Francis, back to Vatican routine post-surgery, says thanks to shouts of 'Long live the pope!'
World

Nearly 100 die as India struggles with a sweltering heatwave in 2 most populous states

At least 96 people died in two of India’s most populous states over the last several days, officials said Sunday, with swaths of the country reeling from a sweltering heatwave. The deaths happened in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh and eastern Bihar where authorities warned residents over 60 and others suffering various maladies to stay indoors during the daytime. All the fatalities in Uttar Pradesh, totaling 54, were reported in Ballia district, some 300 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Lucknow, the state capital. Authorities found out most of those who passed away were over 60

June 18, 2023
Nearly 100 die as India struggles with a sweltering heatwave in 2 most populous states
World

Netanyahu says he's opposed to any interim US-Iran deal on nuclear program

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that he opposes any interim agreement reportedly being negotiated between the U.S. and Iran over its nuclear program. Netanyahu spoke after reports in Israeli media said understandings are being reached between Washington and Tehran that would seek to hold back Iran’s nuclear program somewhat, in exchange for some sanctions relief. The reports could not be independently confirmed and the U.S. has publicly denied any such deal. Netanyahu said Israel had informed the U.S. that “the most limited understandings, what are termed ‘mini-agreements’, do not – in our view

June 18, 2023
Netanyahu says he's opposed to any interim US-Iran deal on nuclear program
World

The woman who founded Father's Day was a renegade, great-granddaughter says

You could call her the mother of Father’s Day. The late Sonora Smart Dodd launched the celebration of dads in 1910 in her hometown of Spokane, Washington. As a result, she is the one responsible for those annual gifts that run the gamut from embarrassingly silly-looking neckties to kids’ finger paintings crafted with so much love by those tiny hands that they can bring a tear to the eye of even the most stoic father. It’s a tradition Dodd decided to start as she sat in a Spokane church on Mother’s Day 1909, listening to a

June 18, 2023
The woman who founded Father's Day was a renegade, great-granddaughter says
World

France, Germany join forces against migration from Tunisia in wake of latest Mediterranean tragedy

Ministers from Germany and France tasked with regulating migration are joining forces to try to curb deaths on dangerous routes across the Mediterranean Sea, traveling Sunday for talks with the president and their counterpart in Tunisia, a major North African stepping stone for migrants trying to reach Europe at risk of their lives. The two-day trip by the German and French interior ministers, Nancy Faeser and Gérald Darmanin, follows what is feared to be the deadliest migrant shipwreck in years in the Mediterranean — the capsizing last week of a fishing vessel packed with men, women

June 18, 2023
France, Germany join forces against migration from Tunisia in wake of latest Mediterranean tragedy

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