Reba McEntire's pick Asher HaVon wins 'The Voice' as 3 coaches take their final bows (2024)

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 27, 2024--

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 27, 2024--

Sweden midfielder Kristoffer Olsson is hoping to make a full return to elite-level soccer as he continues to recover from an acute brain condition that kept him in a hospital for a month. Olsson, who was hospitalized in February after suddenly losing consciousness at home, is still living at a neurological rehabilitation center but made his first public appearance since the illness when he attended his Danish club Midtjylland’s game on Sunday as it won the domestic league title. After the game, Olsson was driven around the field in a cart while holding the trophy as he was applauded by fans. In an interview with Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet on Monday, Olsson said he is confident of making a full recovery and is “dreaming of being back with the team and training again.”

Ig Swiatek has started her bid for a third consecutive French Open title with a straightforward 6-1, 6-2 victory over Leolia Jeanjean. Monday's win stretched Swiatek's current winning streak to 13 matches. She put together an overwhelming 26-2 edge in winners and had just one, brief blip at Court Philippe Chatrier: She got broken to trail 1-0 in the second set. But after nine unforced errors in the initial two games of that set, Swiatek made only two the rest of the way en route to a 15th consecutive win at Roland Garros. Jannik Sinner also won in straight sets Monday.

England captain Jos Buttler has left the squad and is set to miss the third T20 international against Pakistan on Tuesday to be with his wife for the birth of their third child. If Buttler is absent for the match in Cardiff, vice captain Moeen Ali will take the captaincy. England leads the four-game series 1-0 after Buttler made 84 in a 23-run win at Edgbaston on Saturday. The fourth T20 is at The Oval on Thursday. The series is preparation for the T20 World Cup. England begins its title defense against Scotland in Barbados on June 4.

Authorities say a Massachusetts man will be arraigned Tuesday on multiple charges including assault with the intent to murder after six people, including four girls at a movie theater, were stabbed in separate attacks. Twenty-six-year-old Jared Ravizza, of Chilmark, a town on Martha’s Vineyard, was arrested Saturday after a police pursuit. Police say the man entered a movie theater in Braintree without paying and attacked the girls aged 9 to 17 without any warning, then ran away. A man and a woman were later found stabbed at a McDonald's restaurant in Plymouth, about 27 miles south of Braintree. All six victims are recovering from non-life-threatening injuries after being taken to hospitals.

Israel faces new condemnation over strikes on the southern Gaza city of Rafah that local health officials say killed at least 45 Palestinians. Some of those killed were displaced people living in tents that were engulfed by fire. Many were women and children. Israel has faced surging international criticism over its war with Hamas. Even some of its closest allies like the United States are expressing outrage at civilian deaths. Israel says it adheres to international law even as it faces scrutiny in the world’s top courts. One of those courts last week demanded that Israel halt its offensive in Rafah.

Testimony in Donald Trump’s New York hush money trial is wrapped up after more than four weeks and nearly two dozen witnesses, meaning the case heads into the pivotal final stretch of closing arguments, jury deliberations and possibly a verdict. It’s impossible to say how long that all takes. But in a landmark trial that’s already featured its fair share of memorable moments, this week could be the most important. Starting Tuesday, prosecutors and defense lawyers will have their final opportunity to address the jury in closing arguments. Perhaps Wednesday, before the jury begins deliberations, the judge is expected to spend about an hour instructing the jury on the law governing the case.

Dairy-loving daredevils threw caution to the wind Monday for one of Britain’s most extreme annual events: Cheese rolling. Dozens of reckless racers chased 7-pound (3 kilogram) wheels of Double Gloucester cheese down the near-vertical Cooper’s Hill, near Gloucester in southwest England. The first racer to finish behind the fast-rolling cheese in each race gets to keep it. The races have been held at Cooper’s Hill since at least 1826. In the nearby town of Tetbury, competitors carried sacks of wool weighing up to 60 pounds (27 kilograms) up and down Gumstool Hill. The Tetbury Woolsack Races have been held since 1972. They draw on a local tradition dating back to the 17th century in the historic wool-trading town.

The federal government recently reclassified race and ethnicity groups in an effort to better capture the diversity of the United States, but some groups feel the changes are still missing the mark. Hmong, Armenian, Black Arab and Brazilian communities in the U.S. feel that they are not accurately represented in the official numbers that their government produces. While the revisions were widely applauded, these communities say the changes have created a tension between how the federal government classifies them and how they identify themselves. Advocates are hoping revisions will be made before the next census in 2030.

Monday

Monday

Celebrities having birthdays during the week of June 2-8 include TV journalist Anderson Cooper, “Crazy Rich Asians” actor Awkwafina and model-actress Emily Ratajkowski. Actor Angelina Jolie turns 49, bassist Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy hits 45 and keyboardist Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran celebrates 62. Other musicians with big days include saxophonist Kenny G, singer Tom Jones and drummer Nicko McBrain of Iron Maiden. Talk show host Jenny Jones turns 78, actor Liam Neeson reaches 72 and actor Adrienne Frantz of “The Bold and the Beautiful” hits 46. Other celebs celebrating during the week are comedian Bill Hader and TV personality Bear Grylls.

Rafael Nadal's fans have traveled from all over to be at Roland Garros for what might be his last French Open match this year. Or ever. The 14-time champion in Paris was scheduled to play Monday in Court Philippe Chatrier against No. 4 seed Alexander Zverev. And the spectators wanted to be present for what felt like a monumental occasion. They were there to see Nadal compete, of course, but also to salute him as a player and person, to congratulate him on a remarkable career and, perhaps, to catch one final glimpse of his greatness at a tournament that has helped define his legacy.

Americans who spend Memorial Day scouting sales online and in stores may find more reasons to celebrate the return of warmer weather. Major retailers are stepping up discounts heading into the summer months, hoping to entice inflation-weary shoppers into opening their wallets. Target, Walmart and other chains have rolled out price cuts — some permanent, others temporary — with the stated aim of giving their customers some relief. The reductions, which mostly involve groceries, are getting introduced as inflation showed its first sign of easing this year but not enough for consumers who are struggling to pay for basic necessities as well as rent and car insurance.

A new study from Johns Hopkins Children’s Center reports children 5 years old and younger experienced only modest delays in developmental milestones due to the COVID-19 pandemic disruptions and restrictions.

As climate change makes storms more frequent and intense, Florida community foundations are looking for new ways to make sure they have resources on hand to support the public before, during and after a disaster. Some are establishing permanent disaster relief funds, the earnings of which can be used to quickly deploy money to frontline nonprofits as soon as a storm is forecasted. Those nonprofits say knowing they will receive those resources right away allows them to act faster and more robustly to support the community with critical needs like food, housing and financial assistance.

Health officials say an Israeli strike targeting a motorcycle in southern Lebanon has hit next to a hospital entrance and wounded several civilians who were gathered outside. The strike killed the motorcycle driver in the town of Bint Jbeil. It was not immediately clear who the driver was. The Israeli army did not immediately give a statement on the strike but said it had targeted other areas of southern Lebanon in response to “terrorist launches.” The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has been exchanging strikes with Israeli forces in the border area almost daily since the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza began.

With Greek club Olympiakos aiming for its first European trophy, there will be a massive security operation in Athens for Wednesday’s Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina. More than 3,000 police officers will be on duty for the game, with the AEK Arena surrounded by security measures that will halt traffic, close local schools and even ban food deliveries north of the Greek capital. There could still be some celebration on the streets if Olympiakos delivers the trophy. Despite a disappointing domestic season, Olympiakos has the momentum in the third-tier European competition after knocking out Fenerbahce and Aston Villa in the previous rounds.

Pakistan military says seven soldiers and 23 militants have been killed in three separate shootouts in the volatile northwest near Afghanistan, a former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban. In a statement on Monday, the army said The first exchange of fire occurred overnight on the outskirts of Peshawar, the capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing six militants and two army officers. A second shootout happened during another security operation on Monday in the district of Tank, leaving 10 militants dead. Five soldiers and seven militants were also killed during a fire exchange in the district of Khyber, the statement said.

Spain is set to take a young squad to the European Championship. Teenagers Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi have been among the players picked by coach Luis de la Fuente. Fermín López, the 21-year-old Barcelona forward, also was included in the 29-name list announced by the coach. De la Fuente will have to cut three players from the squad for the tournament in Germany. Real Betis forward Ayoze Pérez was one of the few surprises of the list. The 30-year-old had never been called up for the senior squad. The other strikers included Atletico Madrid’s Álvaro Morata and Real Madrid’s Joselu, as well as 16-year-old Yamal of Barcelona and 21-year-old Nico Williams of Athletic Bilbao.

A German court has convicted a military officer of espionage for passing internal documents to Russia and offering more. It sentenced him Monday to 3 1/2 years in prison. The 54-year-old defendant worked for the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support and had the military rank of captain. The court found that he acted of his own accord when he provided internal documents to the Russian consulate in Bonn in May 2023 to be forwarded to Russian intelligence. He also offered his cooperation and further documents from the German military, the Bundeswehr.

British opposition leader Keir Starmer has made his first major speech of the U.K. election campaign. He told undecided voters that they can trust his Labour Party to safeguard the country’s economy, borders and security. Starmer is the favorite to win the July 4 election. Polls give Labour a double-digit lead over the governing Conservatives under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Monday's speech by Starmer sought to address a perception that the left-of-center Labour Party is weaker on defense and security than the center-right Conservatives. He said “the very foundation of any good government is economic security, border security, national security." Sunak is also campaigning Monday and trying to overcome a widespread sense that voters want change.

Austin American-Statesman. May 21, 2024.

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 27, 2024--

The Papua New Guinea government said more than 2,000 people are believed to have been buried alive in a landslide in the South Pacific island nation. The disaster struck after the side of a mountain came down in the early hours of Friday morning when the village of Yambali was asleep. The settlement is located in a restive and remote area in the interior of the poor, rural nation off the northern coast of Australia, making search and rescue efforts complicated and hazardous.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Madrid, where he is expected to sign a bilateral security agreement with Spain. That deal will help his country fight its more than two-year war with Russia amid a recent offensive by the Kremlin’s forces. Spain’s King Felipe VI met Zelenskyy at the capital’s Barajas airport on Monday. The Ukrainian leader was due to hold talks with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez about what local media reported is a planned 1.1 billion euros ($1.2 billion) agreement for Spain to supply Ukraine with more weapons. Zelenskyy had been due to visit Spain earlier this month but he postponed all his foreign trips after the Kremlin’s forces launched a cross-border offensive in the northeastern Kharkiv region.

A passenger bus has crashed into vehicles on a highway in southern Turkey, killing at least 10 people and leaving 39 others injured. The accident occurred in the province of Mersin late on Sunday, when the bus veered into the opposite lane in heavy rain and crashed into two vehicles. A truck later slammed into all three vehicles. The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals and at least eight of them were in serious condition. There were 28 passengers on board the intercity bus, which was traveling from the southeastern city of Diyarbakir to Adana, in the south of the country.

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti knows he will have a tough decision to make in goal for the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday. He has to decide whether to pick Andriy Lunin, who has played nearly the entire season, or Thibaut Courtois, the veteran who has just returned from injury. Lunin was nursing a fever and was the only Madrid player who didn’t train on Monday as Madrid began its final week of preparations. But Ancelotti said the 25-year-old Ukrainian was expected to be available for Saturday’s final in London.

Relations between the European Union and Israel took a nosedive on the eve of the diplomatic recognition of a Palestinian state by EU members Ireland and Spain. Spain has suggested sanctions should be considered against Israel for its continued attacks in the southern Gaza city of Rafah while Israeli Foreign Minister Katz told Spain that its consulate in Jerusalem will not be allowed to help Palestinians. EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell threw his full weight to support the International Criminal Court, whose prosecutor is seeking an arrest warrant against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others, including the leader of Hamas.

The Texas Rangers host the Arizona Diamondbacks this week in a rematch of last year’s World Series. Both teams are under .500, costing the matchup some of its luster. For the Rangers, injuries to prominent starting pitchers are just part of the problem. Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer haven’t pitched at all this year. Nathan Eovaldi and Jon Gray are on the injured list now as well. Despite all that, Texas’ starters have an ERA of 3.65. But the bullpen has the second-worst ERA in the game at 5.09.

Sue Bird can relate to Caitlin Clark’s losing predicament, coming off a UConn career where she won two NCAA titles and only lost four games in college. Clark led her Iowa team to consecutive NCAA championship games while becoming the NCAA Division I top scorer. Both were No. 1 picks in the WNBA draft 22 years apart, landing on last-place teams. Bird eventually won four WNBA titles with the Seattle Storm. The 43-year-old Bird says more lucrative broadcast rights contracts and an improved collective bargaining agreement will “dramatically” change the WNBA landscape in the next few years. That may include better salaries, more teams and more players on a roster.

Iran’s acting President Mohammad Mokhber has addressed the country’s new parliament for the first time since last week’s helicopter crash that killed his predecessor and seven others. Mokhber’s speech on Monday comes as Iran prepares for a presidential election to replace the late Ebrahim Raisi in just a month, a vote that could see the previously behind-the-scenes bureaucrat potentially run alongside others. Mokhber asserted that the country’s economy remained stable under Raisi when Iran took military actions in Iraq, Israel and Pakistan in recent months. On May 20, rescuers recovered the bodies of Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and others in a mountainous region in northwestern Iran following the crash.

A Georgian parliament committee has rejected the president’s veto of the “foreign agents” legislation that has sparked massive protests for weeks. The move Monday by the parliament’s judiciary committee sets up the possibility of a vote of the full legislature on Tuesday to override President Salome Zourabichvili’s veto of the measure, which she and other critics say will restrict media freedom and obstruct Georgia’s chances of joining the European Union.

Protesters demanding the resignation of Armenia’s prime minister have blocked main streets in the capital city and other parts of the country, sporadically clashing with police. Police on Monday said 196 people have been detained in Yerevan. Protests have roiled the country for weeks, sparked by the government’s return of four border villages to Azerbaijan. The demonstrations are spearheaded by Bagrat Galstanyan, a high-ranking cleric in the Armenian Apostolic Church and archbishop of the Tavush diocese in Armenia’s northeast, where the returned villages are located.

A Georgian parliament committee rejects the president's veto of the "foreign agents" law, setting up an override vote.

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Kaitlyn Lim’s walkoff home run leading off the sixth inning after Stanford scored seven in the fifth sent the Cardinal to the WCWS with an 8-0 win over LSU in the Stanford Super Regional. The teams were locked in a tense pitching dual heading into the fifth inning. Ri…

For more than 50 years, Scott Snyder’s family has grazed cattle on a 600-acre parcel of leased land on Wright’s Mesa, a 7,000-foot plateau ringed by southwestern Colorado’s San Juan Mountains.

The New York Rangers visit the Florida Panthers in the third round of the NHL Playoffs with a 2-1 lead in the series.

DENVER — Caleb Cotham was watching Seranthony Domínguez pitch the seventh inning of Saturday’s game against the Rockies when he saw something that piqued his interest. There was a runner on second base and no outs. Jacob Stallings — a right-handed hitter who typically doesn’t chase much — wa…