UVALDE — The 19 children and two teachers massacred at a South Texas elementary school were in a single fourth-grade classroom where the gunman barricaded himself, authorities said on Wednesday, as the deadliest school shooting in nearly a decade reignited a national debate over America’s gun laws. Police circled Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, […]

Russia launched a fresh assault on the easternmost Ukrainian-held city in the battlefield Donbas region, threatening to close off the last main escape route for civilians trapped in the path of the advance. DIPLOMACY * The European union hopes to be able to agree sanctions on Russian oil before its next summit, President Charles Michel […]

THE CONVERSATION This article was originally published on The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. Disclosure information is available on the original site. —— Authors: Vidya Shah, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education, York University, Canada; Gisele Cuglievan Mindreau, PhD Candidate, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), […]

It was the second time in 10 days in America that an 18-year-old carried a rifle into a building full of unsuspecting people and opened fire

PARIS — Highlights of the fourth day at the French Open, the second Grand Slam of the year, on Wednesday (times GMT): 1449 CANADIAN FERNANDEZ ADVANCES Leylah Fernandez, last year’s U.S. Open beaten finalist, reached the third round at Roland Garros with a 6-3 6-2 victory over Katerina Siniakova of Czech Republic. READ MORE: Road […]

The Pittsburgh Pirates and visiting Colorado Rockies, who sew up a three-game series with a deciding game on Wednesday, are taking a look at younger players in seasons that have not been stellar. That particularly goes for the Pirates. This week, they have brought up right-hander Yerry De Los Santos, right-hander Roansy Contreras and outfielder […]

MADRID — Russia’s expanding influence and activity in Africa pose a “worrying” threat to the security of NATO countries along with its invasion of Ukraine and must be addressed by the military alliance, the Spanish and British defense ministers said Wednesday. At a joint news conference in Madrid, Spain’s Margarita Robles said the expansion of […]

The Colorado Rockies placed outfielder Kris Bryant on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a lower back strain. The move is retroactive to May 23 for Bryant, who came off the injured list prior to Colorado’s doubleheader against the New York Mets on Saturday. He previously went on the injured list on April 29. Also, […]

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and AbbVie’s Allergan unit reached a settlement worth $161.5 million to resolve claims the companies fueled an opioid epidemic in West Virginia, state attorney general Patrick Morrisey said Wednesday. The agreement is the largest state-negotiated settlement in West Virginia history, and consists of $134 million in cash plus the contribution of drugs […]

Attacks by the Ontario Liberals and NDP that the premier is in the pocket of Big Construction have fallen flat in the face of sky-high real estate prices

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and AbbVie’s Allergan unit reached a settlement worth $161.5 million to resolve claims the companies fueled an opioid epidemic in West Virginia, state attorney general Patrick Morrisey said Wednesday. The agreement is the largest state-negotiated settlement in West Virginia history, and consists of $134 million in cash plus the contribution of drugs […]

KYIV/KRAMATORSK — Russia launched a fresh assault before dawn on Wednesday on the easternmost Ukrainian-held city in the battlefield Donbas region, threatening to close off the last main escape route for civilians trapped in the path of the advance. After failing to seize Kyiv or Ukraine’s second city Kharkiv, Russia is trying to take full […]

UVALDE — The 19 children and two teachers massacred at a South Texas elementary school were in a single fourth-grade classroom where the gunman barricaded himself, authorities said on Wednesday as the deadliest school shooting in a nearly decade reignited debate over America’s gun laws. Police circled Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, breaking windows […]

ZURICH — The Swiss government plans to seize more than 100 million Swiss francs’ ($104 million) worth of assets from an associate of Ukraine’s former president, Viktor Yanukovych, who was deposed in 2014, it said on Wednesday. The proceedings concern assets of Yuriy Ivanyushchenko and his family that were frozen after Ukraine’s 2014 revolution, it […]

PARIS — Highlights of the fourth day at the French Open, the second Grand Slam of the year, on Wednesday (times GMT): 1332 AMERICAN FRITZ KNOCKED OUT BY ZAPATA MIRALLES American 13th seed Taylor Fritz was knocked out of the clay court major in a 3-6 6-2 6-2 6-3 second-round loss to Spain’s Bernabe Zapata […]

The conflict in Ukraine has throttled South Africa’s citrus exports to Russia and driven input costs higher, further squeezing fruit producers already suffering from spiraling shipping costs, an industry body said. The war, which started on Feb. 24, blocked South Africa’s citrus shipments to Russia in the immediate aftermath, Citrus Growers Association of Southern Africa […]

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and AbbVie’s Allergan unit reached a settlement worth $161.5 million to resolve claims the companies fueled an opioid epidemic in West Virginia, state attorney general Patrick Morrisey said Wednesday. (Reporting by Dietrich Knauth;)

Should we still be very afraid of dying of COVID-19? Mortality during the initial unvaccinated phase of the pandemic as well as during the more dangerous Delta wave was very real and concerning, especially for those who were older or unhealthy. The World Health Organization (WHO) dashboard as of May 24 reported 6.28 million deaths […]

WASHINGTON — The chances of reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal are shaky at best and Washington is ready to tighten sanctions on Tehran and respond to “any Iranian escalation” with Israel and other allies if it cannot be saved, the United States’ Iran envoy said on Wednesday. “We do not have a deal with […]

PARIS — Highlights of the fourth day at the French Open, the second Grand Slam of the year, on Wednesday (times GMT): 1321 TEENAGER GAUFF, BRITAIN’S NORRIE THROUGH American Coco Gauff, 18, battled through a tough second set to defeat Belgium’s Alison Van Uytvanck 6-1 7-6(4) and reach the third round. In the men’s draw, […]

MADRID — Britain’s Defence Secretary Ben Wallace on Wednesday called on Russia to let Ukraine export its grain to help countries where grain scarcity could trigger hunger. Russia must “do the right thing,” Wallace told reporters in Madrid where he met with his counterpart Margarita Robles. He rejected the idea to lift sanctions against Russia […]

MIAMI — Most Caribbean Community member nations plan to attend the Summit of the Americas, according to two sources familiar with the situation, as some leaders call for a boycott if Washington excludes its ideological adversaries in the region. Latin American leaders including Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador have threatened to skip the summit, […]

UVALDE — The murder of 19 children and two teachers at a South Texas elementary school has prompted a call to action from U.S. President Joe Biden, who urged Americans to confront the country’s gun lobby and pressure Congress to tighten gun laws. In the deadliest school shooting in nearly a decade, Salvador Ramos, 18, […]

Keeping with the theme of electrical safety month, I thought I would talk about electrical fire and shock prevention. Did you know that electrical fires account for 20 per cent of all fires in Canada, and almost 2,000 children are electrocuted or injured when they place unfamiliar things in electrical outlet slots every year? Electrical […]

Ukraine is battling to remain in control of a key highway to the front-line city of Sievierodonetsk, the country’s defense ministry said on Wednesday. Defense ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said in a briefing that alternative routes existed to supply Ukrainian units in Sievierodonetsk, which is enveloped on three sided by Russian forces. Motuzyanyk said that […]

LONDON — A “humbled” Boris Johnson said he took full responsibility after a damning official report on Wednesday detailed a series of illegal alcohol-fueled parties at the British prime minister’s Downing Street office during coronavirus lockdowns. Johnson has faced repeated calls to resign from opposition politicians and some in his own party after it was […]

WASHINGTON — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has joined a global chorus of grief following the shooting deaths of 19 children at a small-town elementary school in Texas. Trudeau says all of Canada is grieving the tragedy, which unfolded Tuesday afternoon in Uvalde, Tex., a community of 16,000 just west of San Antonio. In the U.S., […]

PARIS — Highlights of the fourth day at the French Open, the second Grand Slam of the year, on Wednesday (times GMT): 1214 KERBER BATTLES PAST JACQUEMOT Former world number one Angelique Kerber of Germany saw off a spirited challenge from local wildcard Elsa Jacquemot, reaching the third round with a 6-1 7-6(2) win. Three-time […]

LONDON — President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Wednesday simplifying the process for residents of Ukraine’s Russian-occupied Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions to acquire Russian citizenship and passports. The decree marks a further step towards “Russification” of the two regions, where Moscow’s war in Ukraine has enabled it to establish a continuous land bridge linking […]

WASHINGTON — Centrist U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar was clinging to a razor-thin lead early on Wednesday against progressive challenger Jessica Cisneros in a high-profile south Texas Democratic primary battle that illustrated sharp dividing lines over immigration and abortion rights. The election on Tuesday in a district along the U.S.-Mexico border was the third contest between […]

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts about North Korea’s ballistic missile launch, the State Department said on Wednesday. Blinken, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa “strongly condemned the DPRK’s ballistic missile launches as a clear violation of multiple UN […]

STOCKHOLM — Swedish diplomats will discuss Turkey’s demands during meetings in Ankara on Wednesday aimed at resolving Turkish reservations over Sweden and Finland’s applications for NATO membership, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said. “We will naturally go through and discuss the list and sort out a number of things that have been unclear in reporting […]

DOLLOW — Hacked-off thorn branches encircle two mounds of earth heaped over the tiny bodies of Halima Hassan Abdullahi’s twin granddaughters. Babies Ebla and Abdia lived only a day. Weakened by hunger, their mother gave birth to the twins a month early, eight weeks after their exhausted family walked into a camp for displaced families […]

COPENHAGEN — Denmark is considering providing vaccines produced by Bavarian Nordic to close contacts of those infected with monkeypox, the Danish Health Authority told Reuters on Wednesday. “The Danish Health Authority is investigating whether people who have been in close contact with a person infected with monkey pox should be offered vaccination,” the Health Authority […]

KYIV/KRAMATORSK — Russian forces intensified their assault on two key towns in Ukraine’s industrial Donbas region on Wednesday, with constant mortar bombardment destroying houses, killing civilians and threatening the last escape route, Ukrainian officials said. After failing to seize Kyiv or Ukraine’s second city Kharkiv, Russia is trying to take the rest of the separatist-claimed […]

Reid Detmers will be back on the mound for the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday night in Anaheim, Calif., to face the Texas Rangers, this time without as many eyes on him wondering what he might do for an encore. Detmers threw a no-hitter on May 10 against the Tampa Bay Rays, but he followed […]

LONDON — A scuffle broke out, one attendee was sick and excessive amounts of alcohol were consumed when workers at Downing Street held an event in June 2020, a report into COVID-19 lockdown breaches at the heart of government said on Wednesday. The incidents happened at a leaving party on 18 June, 2020, that began […]

PARIS — Highlights of the fourth day at the French Open, the second Grand Slam of the year, on Wednesday (times GMT): 1130 AUGER-ALIASSIME CRUSHES UGO CARABELLI Ninth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime sailed into the third round with a routine 6-0 6-3 6-4 win over Argentine Camilo Ugo Carabelli, while big-serving 23rd seed John Isner battled […]

LONDON — Senior leaders at British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Downing Street office were to blame for a culture of rule-breaking, an official report said on Wednesday, detailing a series of illegal alcohol-fueled parties during coronavirus lockdowns. The report by senior official Sue Gray was commissioned by Johnson after revelations of boozy events at Downing […]

May 25 (Reuters) – For other diaries, please see: Political and General News Top Economic Events Emerging Markets Economic Events Government Debt Auctions U.S. Federal Reserve Today in Washington ——————————————————————– This diary is filed daily. ** Indicates new events ——————————————————————– WEDNESDAY, MAY 25 ** STOCKHOLM – European Council President Charles Michel holds a joint news […]

The New York Yankees won’t bring a losing streak into their series finale against the visiting Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night, but they might be down a few more key players. Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu was a late scratch before Tuesday’s game because of left-wrist discomfort, and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton departed in the seventh […]

BUCHAREST — NATO member Romania will continue flying its remaining fleet of military MiG 21 LanceR jets for one more year until May 15, 2023, as it speeds up a planned purchase of second-hand F-16s from Norway, the defense ministry said. In April, the ministry had decided to ground them immediately given their considerable high […]

LONDON — An event held at British government offices in June 2020 involved excessive alcohol consumption, a fight and one attendee being sick, a report into COVID lockdown breach at the heart of government said on Wednesday. “The event lasted for a number of hours. There was excessive alcohol consumption by some individuals. One individual […]

PARIS — Kyiv-born Marta Kostyuk criticized the WTA players’ council on Tuesday for failing to consult Ukrainian players on the decision to strip Wimbledon of ranking points, and branded Belarusian Victoria Azarenka’s place among the council members “ridiculous.” The men’s and women’s tennis governing bodies last week took away ranking points from the grasscourt Grand […]

Tampa Bay right-hander Drew Rasmussen has sizzled in his last five starts, and the Rays will turn to their converted starter in Wednesday evening’s series finale against the visiting Miami Marlins in St. Petersburg, Fla. Already without staff ace Tyler Glasnow after the dominant right-hander had Tommy John surgery last summer, the organization’s starting staff […]

The suddenly slugging Chicago Cubs will look to continue their power surge against the host Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday as the teams play the third game of a four-game series. In the Cubs’ 11-4 rout of the Reds on Tuesday, Frank Schwindel connected for a two-run homer in the first inning and a solo shot […]

Russia’s State Duma approved a law on Wednesday removing the upper age limit for contractual service in the country’s military. Currently, only Russians aged between 18 and 40 and foreigners aged 18 to 30 can enlist as professional soldiers in the Russian army. (Reporting by Reuters)

VIENNA — Talks with Iran aimed at ending a long standoff on explaining the origin of processed uranium particles found at apparently old but undeclared sites are at “a very difficult juncture,” U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said on Wednesday. Grossi, who is due to report on the issue to the International Atomic Energy […]

LONDON — World Health Organization members formally agreed on Tuesday to a plan to overhaul its funding model which has been described as “fundamentally rotten” due to its over-reliance on the whims of donors. The plan, which members had already agreed to on a preliminary basis last month, is seen as one of the most […]

Pitchers often talk about avoiding the big inning. The Oakland Athletics’ Paul Blackburn has been a master at that this season, while the Seattle Mariners’ Robbie Ray, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, has frequently been stung by crooked numbers. The two veterans are scheduled to square off Wednesday afternoon in Seattle in […]