National

Here's the biggest news you missed this weekend

Thailand cave rescue captivates the world

The world exhaled a collective sigh Sunday after the rescue of four young soccer players trapped in a vast and partially flooded cave in Thailand, an international effort that fueled emotions around the globe. Yet eight boys and their coach still remained miles into the Earth. Unrelenting rains added to the task facing officials since the team became trapped two-plus weeks ago. An official overseeing the effort said further rescues would be put on hold for at least 10 hours, allowing time to restock the massive cave complex with oxygen. Read about the coach's apology and why rescuers can't drill from above.

British woman dies after exposure to Russian nerve agent

British police launched a murder investigation Sunday after the death of a woman who was exposed to a Russian nerve agent. Her boyfriend also fell ill on June 30 and remains in critical condition, police said. About 100 police detectives are working on the case around the clock, according to authorities, trying to determine how the two were exposed to the nerve agent. The couple — Dawn Sturgess, 44, of Durrington, and Charlie Rowley, 45 — were found by emergency services near Salisbury, where Russian former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned with the same nerve agent on March 4. Russia has denied involvement.

North Korea slams 'regrettable' talks with Secretary of State 

The North Korean Foreign Ministry on Saturday described two days of talks with visiting Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as "regrettable." It also accused the United States of making "gangster-like'' demands on denuclearization that betrayed the spirit of last month's summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. It was Pompeo's first trip to Pyongyang since that historic summit last month. Pompeo met with Kim Yong Chol, a senior ruling party official. Both said they needed to "clarify" certain elements of their previous discussions.

Why the biggest countries fail with the World Cup

Nowhere does the idea that "size matters" feel more out of place than in soccer. The planet's largest countries punch well below their weight. And yes, count the United States squarely among the underachievers — this year at least. The four most populated nations on earth make up nearly 44 percent of all the humans in existence. Not one is present at the World Cup. Here's why.

Also in sports: Half of the field collided in a massive crash at a NASCAR Cup race in Daytona on Saturday night.

Chicago gun violence protestors block a freeway, spark a Twitter feud between leaders

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel didn't have time for critics on Saturday. After thousands of demonstrators shut down Chicago's Dan Ryan Expressway as they called for elected officials to address gun violence in the city, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner voiced objections. In a tweet, Rauner said he was "disappointed" in the mayor for allowing the protests to stop traffic. "I am calling on the Mayor to take swift and decisive action to put an end to this kind of chaos," Rauner tweeted. Emanuel responded just an hour later, calling the protests peaceful and jokingly asking Rauner to "delete his account" – a popular phrase on Twitter commonly used to insult users.