Today in History: May 12, tens of thousands die in Sichuan earthquake

Today is Tuesday, May 12, the 132nd day of 2026. There are 233 days left in the year. Today in history: On May 12, 2008, a devastating 7.9 magnitude earthquake in China’s Sichuan province left more than 87,000 people dead or missing.

 

Mass protests in Argentina decry Milei's funding cuts to prized public universities

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) – Tens of thousands of Argentines flooded the streets of major cities nationwide on Tuesday to protest funding cuts by libertarian President Javier Milei to the public university system that represents a near-universal point of pride in this crisis-prone country.

Nigerian military airstrike kills 100 civilians at a market

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) – Nigeria ‘s military Tuesday denied a rights group’s claim that an airstrike killed 100 civilians in a market over the weekend, as attention turned again to a long-running fight against armed groups in the country’s volatile north.

Editorials from The Washington Post, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and others

Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad:

Hegseth gets bipartisan grilling on rising costs of the Iran war

WASHINGTON (AP) – Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced tough questions Tuesday from Republican and Democratic lawmakers about the Trump administration’s end game for the Iran war, the conflict’s rising $29 billion cost and its impact on diminishing U.S. weapons stockpiles.

How Keir Starmer could be replaced as UK prime minister

LONDON (AP) – U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing a battle for his job after dozens of lawmakers from his own party called on him to step down in the wake of a resounding defeat for his center-left Labour Party in local elections last week.

French president announces billions in African investments

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) – Calls for mutual respect dominated the Africa Forward Summit on Tuesday as French President Emmanuel Macron announced new investments and said sovereignty will be key in the new partnership that France hopes to build with Africa.

New gang violence in Haiti displaces hundreds of people

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) – A new wave of gang violence in Haiti’s capital forced hundreds to flee their homes over the weekend, leaving families scattered along the road to the country’s main airport on Monday. Monique Verdieux, 56, fled to the highway after watching armed men burning houses in her neighborhood.

Zelenskyy's ex-chief of staff is suspect in a money-laundering probe

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – Two national agencies fighting corruption in Ukraine named President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s former chief of staff as an official suspect in a major graft investigation. They said Tuesday that the Ukrainian leader is not under suspicion in the case.