Need to know

5 at 5: Search continues for missing Calgary boy, grandparents

The search continues for Nathan O’Brien, Rob Ford gives interviews and tensions are high in Jerusalem

Nathan O'Brien and his grandmother Kathy Liknes are shown in a Calgary Police Service handout photo. Calgary's police chief questions whether a reward would help the investigation into the disappearance of a five-year-old boy and his grandparents.THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Calgary Police Service

Nathan O’Brien and his grandmother Kathy Liknes in a Calgary Police Service handout photo. Calgary Police Service/CP

Here are five of the top stories making headlines this afternoon:

Amber Alert continues for missing Calgary boy and his grandparents. There is still no sign of five-year-old Nathan O’Brien and his grandparents, Alvin and Kathryn Liknes, who were last seen at their Calgary home on Sunday night. Police issued an amber alert for the child after his mother returned to pick him up on Monday and neither Nathan, nor his grandparents, were home. Police aren’t giving too many details, but say that evidence at the home makes them think that the Liknes didn’t leave their home voluntarily. There is also information that the Liknes held an estate sale over the weekend and had talked about plans to move to Mexico.

A big day for Canada at Wimbledon. Both Milos Raonic and Eugenie Bouchard won their tennis matches at Wimbledon today, ensuring they advance to the semi-finals. The wins are historic on both the men’s and women’s sides. Raonic’s win over Rafael Nadal today means he will face Roger Federer in the semifinals—the first time a Canadian has made it to the men’s semifinals since 1908. On the woman’s side, Bouchard faces off next against Romanian Simona Halep, who is the third seed at the tournament. Bouchard’s advancement is expected to put the 20-year-old from Quebec into the Women’s Tennis Association top-10 ranking for the first time.

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford grants select interviews to talk about his drug and alcohol abuse. Ford continued his efforts at redemption Wednesday, two days after returning from a stint in a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility to his duties at Toronto City Hall. On Monday, Ford read a statement about his treatment and then launched into a campaign-style speech without taking questions from reporters. Today, he answered some questions in one-on-one interviews with media outlets he selected. Notably, Ford admitted that, yes, he did smoke crack again just days before entering rehab. He also apologized, again, to the communities he offended with his racist and homophobic remarks.

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy denies wrongdoing after being questioned by police Tuesday. Sarkozy may have been in police custody Tuesday, being questioned for his suspected involvement in an influence peddling case, but by Wednesday he was fighting back. The former French president, in a television interviews, called the police investigation into his affairs “grotesque” and said it was meant to sully his reputation. Police say that they are investigating Sarkozy for allegedly asking a judge for insider information about an inquiry into campaign funding. Sarkozy is expected to make another presidential run in 2017, but these latest allegations may hinder that plan.

Tensions high in Jerusalem after potential revenge killing. The fallout continues Wednesday after the bodies of three Israeli teenagers, who had been missing since June, were found buried under rocks on Monday. By Tuesday, Israel had bombed a Hamas compound in Gaza. Today, the body of Muhammad Hussein Abu Khdeir, 16, was found in a forest in Jerusalem. Palestinian leaders were quick to call it a revenge killing, while the Israeli minister of internal security urged residents to show restraint.

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