ground

Police in Evanston, Illinois, are investigating a violent arrest by a Customs and Border Protection agent who repeatedly punched a man’s head against the road. It happened after the agent’s vehicle was rear-ended, and a hostile crowd formed telling federal officers to leave, who responded with pepper spray and pointing their guns at protesters.

It’s unclear whether the man being punched was the driver behind the collision or part of a crowd that formed to pressure federal officers to leave. The incident sparked outrage from local leaders and renewed tensions over federal immigration enforcement in the Chicago area.

D66 party says no time to waste as begins challenge of finding three coalition partners on fractious centre-ground.

Dutch centrist leader Rob Jetten has claimed victory in a cliffhanger election dominated by immigration and housing after seeing off far-right contender Geert Wilders, saying his win proved populism can be beaten.

The 38-year-old head of the D66 party, which won the most votes in this week’s general election, is now set to become the youngest and first openly gay prime minister of the European Union’s fifth-largest economy.

“I think we’ve now shown to the rest of Europe and the world that it is possible to beat the populist movements if you campaign with a positive message for your country,” he said on Friday, as tallying from news agency ANP showed he was on course to win.

The pro-EU, liberal D66 tripled its seat count with an upbeat campaign and a surge in advertising spending, while Wilders and his PVV Freedom Party lost a large part of the support that had propelled him to a shock victory at the previous poll in 2023.

D66, which currently has 26 seats but could gain one more when every vote is counted, is now expected to lead talks to form a coalition government, a process that usually takes months.

The party will need to find at least three coalition partners to reach a simple majority in the 150-seat lower chamber of parliament, with the centre-right CDA (18 seats), the liberal VVD (22) and the left-wing Green/Labour group (20) viewed as contenders.

But there are questions about whether the VVD and Green/Labour will work together. VVD leader Dilan Yesilgoz said before the election an alliance with Green/Labour “would not work” and she wanted a centre-right coalition.

On Monday, the Green/Labour group will elect a new leader after former EU Vice President Frans Timmermans stepped down.

On Friday, Jetten urged mainstream parties from the left to the right to unite. “We want to find a majority that will eagerly work on issues such as the housing market, migration, climate and the economy,” he said.

‘Serious challenges’

Reporting from Amsterdam, Al Jazeera’s Step Vaessen said Jetten faced “serious challenges” as informal coalition talks got under way, given that his party holds a razor-thin lead of only thousands of votes over Wilders and his PVV Freedom Party.

Jetten, an enthusiastic athlete who once ran as a pacemaker to Olympic champion Sifan Hassan, had said there was no time to waste “because the Dutch people are asking us to get to work”.

Wilders said Jetten was jumping the gun, pointing out that the results would only become official once the Electoral Council, rather than ANP – which collects the results from all municipalities in the Netherlands – had decided.

“How arrogant not to wait,” he wrote on X.

Although all mainstream parties had already ruled out working with him, Wilders had said he would demand to have a first crack at forming a coalition if his party was confirmed to have the most votes.

Although he saw support collapse, other far-right parties like the Forum for Democracy (FvD), a nationalist party that wants to withdraw from the EU’s Schengen system of open borders, performed well.

Confirmation of the result will come on Monday, when mail ballots cast by Dutch residents living abroad are counted.

Party leaders will discuss the next steps on Tuesday.

Support for Geert Wilders’ far-right, anti-Islam Freedom Party has declined as the centrist D66 party made major gains in the Dutch elections. The two parties are now neck-and-neck in the race to become the largest in parliament.

Oct. 24 (UPI) — Alaska Airlines late Thursday announced it was “actively restoring operations” after issuing a ground stoppage due to an IT outage.

The airline said the temporary ground stop was caused by an IT outage affecting all operations.

“We apologize for the inconvenience,” it said on X.

The FlightAware air traffic tracking website states that 54 Alaska Airlines flights were canceled as of early Friday, though it was unclear which, if any, were related to the ground stoppage.

The ground stop comes as flights in the United States have been impacted by the ongoing government shutdown that began Oct. 1, during which many air traffic controllers are ordered to work without pay. The shutdown has worsened staffing shortages, leading to an increase of canceled and delayed flights.

In July, Alaska Airlines issued a system-wide ground stoppage due to an IT issue.

KEANU Reeves’ security team slammed a fan to the ground after she attempted to get into the actor’s car.

A woman could be heard screaming for the star’s attention before attempting to get inside his vehicle.

The shock footage came just seconds after the actor graciously waved and smiled at waiting fans and photographers outside of his hotel.

At one point, the lady in question could be heard insisting she was his “divine wife” during the altercation.

Having waved to the crowds, Keanu can be seen calmly getting into his car.

Just seconds later, the woman appears to shove past his security details as she heads for his car door.

With the bodyguards attempting to hold her back, the woman screeches: “Let go of me.”

She then shouts at the window: “Keanu, it’s your divine wife!”

After repeatedly saying the star’s name, she runs around the vehicle to the other side before shouting: “Don’t let them hurt me.”

As the car attempts to drive away, the woman manages to reach the car door handle.

The bodyguards then manage to get to the woman and forcibly pull her away from the car.

Latching onto her, two men appear to pull at her before she stumbles and falls onto her back on the road.

She can be heard branding the men “a*****es” before managing to get back up.

One of the men shouts: “Get her out of here. Get her out of here.”

Someone else can be heard shouting: “You guys need a restraining order on this one.”

Keanu is currently appearing on-stage in a Broadway play.

The 61-year-old star has been performing in Jamie Lloyd’s adaptation of Samuel Beckett’s play Waiting For Godot.

The production has been entertaining guests at the Hudson Theater. 

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals appears poised to recognize President Trump’s authority to send soldiers to Portland, Ore., with members of the court signaling receptiveness to an expansive new read of the president’s power to put boots on the ground in American cities.

A three-judge panel from the appellate court — including two members appointed by Trump during his first term — heard oral arguments Thursday after Oregon challenged the legality of the president’s order to deploy hundreds of soldiers to Portland. The administration claims the city has become lawless; Oregon officials argue Trump is manufacturing a crisis to justify calling in the National Guard.

While the court has not issued a decision, a ruling in Trump’s favor would mark a sharp rightward turn for the once-liberal circuit — and probably set up a Supreme Court showdown over why and how the U.S. military can be used domestically.

“I’m sort of trying to figure out how a district court of any nature is supposed to get in and question whether the president’s assessment of ‘executing the laws’ is right or wrong,” said Judge Ryan D. Nelson of Idaho Falls, Idaho, one of the two Trump appointees hearing the arguments.

“That’s an internal decision making, and whether there’s a ton of protests or low protests, they can still have an impact on his ability to execute the laws,” he said.

U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut of Portland, another Trump appointee, previously called the president’s justification for federalizing Oregon troops “simply untethered to the facts” in her temporary restraining on Oct. 4.

The facts about the situation on the ground in Portland were not in dispute at the hearing on Thursday. The city has remained mostly calm in recent months, with protesters occasionally engaging in brief skirmishes with authorities stationed outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building.

Instead, Nelson and Judge Bridget S. Bade of Phoenix, whom Trump once floated as a possible Supreme Court nominee, questioned how much the facts mattered.

“The president gets to direct his resources as he deems fit, and it seems a little counterintuitive to me that the city of Portland can come and say, ‘No you need to do it differently,’” Nelson said.

He also appeared to endorse the Department of Justice’s claim that “penalizing” the president for waiting until protests had calmed to deploy soldiers to quell them created a perverse incentive to act first and ask questions later.

“It just seems like such a tortured reading of the statute,” the judge said. He then referenced the first battle of the U.S. Civil War in 1861, saying, “I’m not sure even President Lincoln would be able to bring in forces when he did, because if he didn’t do it immediately after Fort Sumter, [Oregon’s] argument would be, ‘Oh, things are OK now.’”

Trump’s efforts to use troops to quell protests and support federal immigration operations have led to a growing tangle of legal challenges. The Portland deployment was halted by Immergut, who blocked Trump from federalizing Oregon troops. (A ruling from the same case issued the next day prevents already federalized troops from being deployed.)

In June, a different 9th Circuit panel also made up of two Trump appointees ruled that the president had broad — though not “unreviewable” — discretion to determine whether facts on the ground met the threshold for military response in Los Angeles. Thousands of federalized National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines were deployed over the summer amid widespread protests over immigration enforcement.

The June decision set precedent for how any future deployment in the circuit’s vast territory can be reviewed. It also sparked outrage, both among those who oppose armed soldiers patrolling American streets and those who support them.

Opponents argue repeated domestic deployments shred America’s social fabric and trample protest rights protected by the 1st Amendment. With soldiers called into action so far in Los Angeles, Portland and Chicago, many charge the administration is using the military for political purposes.

“The military should not be acting as a domestic police force in this country except in the most extreme circumstances,” said Elizabeth Goitein, senior director of the Liberty and National Security Program at New York University’s Brennan Center for Justice. “That set of circumstances is not present right now anywhere in the country, so this is an abuse of power — and a very dangerous one because of the precedent it sets.”

Supporters say the president has sole authority to determine the facts on the ground and if they warrant military intervention. They argue any check by the judicial branch is an illegal power grab, aimed at thwarting response to a legitimate and growing “invasion from within.”

“What they’ve done to San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles — they’re very unsafe places, and we’re going to straighten them out one by one,” Trump said in an address to military top brass last week. “That’s a war too. It’s a war from within.”

The 9th Circuit agreed to rehear the Los Angeles case with an 11-member “en banc” panel in Pasadena on Oct. 22, signaling a schism among Trump’s own judges over the boundaries of the president’s power.

Still, Trump’s authority to call soldiers into American cities is only the first piece in a larger legal puzzle spread before the 9th Circuit, experts said.

What federalized troops are allowed to do once deployed is the subject of another court decision now under review. That case could determine whether soldiers are barred from assisting immigration raids, controlling crowds of protesters or any other form of civilian law enforcement.

Trump officials have maintained the president can wield the military as he sees fit — and that cities such as Portland and L.A. would be in danger if soldiers can’t come to the rescue.

“These are violent people, and if at any point we let down our guard, there is a serious risk of ongoing violence,” Deputy Assistant Atty. Gen. Eric McArthur said. “The president is entitled to say enough is enough and bring in the National Guard.”

A SWARM of flying bugs halted the Women’s Cricket World Cup grudge match between India and Pakistan.

Players from both sides tried to fix the problem by waving towels and spraying bug repellent.

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But organisers called for heavy duty measures when India were 154 for four in the 34th over of the group match.

With the insect invasion in full swing, a man in a gas mask emerged to fumigate the pitch with an industrial grade bug spray cannon.

Both sets of players were forced to leave the field and fans had to sit through a 15-minute delay.

But even that didn’t seem to have the desired effect.

Once play resumed, it wasn’t long before another stoppage was brought on by a bug flying into the eye of Pakistani bowler Rameen Shamim.

Indian batters repeatedly moaned to the umpire about being affected by the insects.

Unsurprisingly, there is nothing written into cricket law to guide umpires when bugs bother the players.

But they are advised to signal a dead ball if a player is “disadvantaged by an animal within the field of play”.

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India ended up winning the clash with their geographical neighbours by 88 runs.

The match was played on neutral ground in Colombo, Sri Lanka, due to political tension between the two nations.

And there were no handshakes between the players before the action got underway.

Colombo is proving to be a troublesome venue for cricket matches of late.

On Saturday, the match between Sri Lanka and Australia was washed out without a single ball being bowled due to heavy rain.

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An ICE officer has been placed on leave after video emerged of him forcefully shoving an Ecuadorian woman to the ground at a New York immigration courthouse, where her husband was taken into custody.

Trailing at halftime for the first time all season, Palisades faced its toughest test so far and passed with flying colors to stay unbeaten Friday night in San Pedro.

Seeing his potent passing attack sputtering, coach Dylen Smith switched to the ground game in the second half and the Dolphins overcame a 13-point deficit to pull out a 35-28 intersectional victory over host Mary Star of the Sea.

“My message at halftime was we need to run the ball and we don’t need to win the game on one pass,” said Smith, who piloted Palisades to the City Section Division I final last fall. “We finally had a collective effort in the fourth quarter, Harrison Carter ran hard and the defense made stops when it needed to.”

Carter caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from Jack Thomas for the first points of the second half and later took a pitch around left end for a 50-yard score that cut the Dolphins’ deficit to 28-21 with 5:47 left in the third quarter.

After drawing double coverage and being held to one catch through three and a half quarters, star receiver Demare Dezeurn caught two touchdown passes with less than six minutes left, the second a juggling 46-yarder for the go-ahead score with 1:21 remaining.

On its ensuing drive Mary Star marched to Palisades’ 20, but Carter broke up a pass in the flat on fourth and 10 with 12 seconds left to seal the win.

Johnny Rivera scores the first of his four touchdowns runs for Mary Star of the Sea against Palisades.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Thomas, who entered the game having thrown for 1,304 yards and 17 touchdowns without an interception, was held to 17 yards passing in the first half but finished nine of 16 for 123 yards and four touchdowns.

Carter rushed for 123 yards and caught three passes for 40 yards for the Dolphins (5-0), who are third in The Times’ City Section rankings behind Birmingham and Carson,

Johnny Rivera rushed 40 times for 217 yards and four touchdowns for the Stars (3-2), who led 20-7 at halftime and 28-21 entering the fourth quarter.

Palisades begins Western League action next Friday at Westchester while the Stars host St. Genevieve in their Camino Real League opener the same night.

A YOUNG woman was pushed to the ground and “sexually assaulted” while walking down a road as a man, 27, has been arrested.

Detectives have arrested a man following the incident that took place in the early hours of Sunday morning in Liverpool.

A woman in her 20s reported that a man on a bike had been following her while she was walking down Crosby Road South at around 5.45am.

The suspect then proceeded to cover her mouth with his hand and push her to the floor.

After the victim desperately screamed for help, the man fled the scene.

Merseyside Police have arrested a 27-year-old man from Litherland on suspicion of sexual assault.

He currently remains in custody for questioning. 

Detective Chief Inspector Nick Suffield said that the incident is deeply concerning and left the victim “extremely shaken.”

In a statement he said: “This is a deeply concerning incident and our investigation continues.

“The victim was understandably left extremely shaken and we will support her through this process.

“A man has been arrested, but I would still urge anyone who lives in the area to check your own, CCTV, dashcam and any doorbell devices should there be anything which helps this work.

“Any information could be vital, so let us make the assessment.”

Extensive witness and CCTV enquiries are continuing.

Anyone with information on the incident should contact the Merseyside Police social media desk @MerPolCC on X and Facebook quoting reference 25000780190

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been forcibly displaced from Gaza City as Israel’s deadly ground invasion in its genocidal war continues.

An Israeli army spokesperson announced on Tuesday a “temporary” evacuation route for Palestinians via Salah al-Din Street, available for just 48 hours.

Avichay Adraee stated on X that residents could move along Salah al-Din Street southwards from Wadi Gaza.

“Transit through this route will be available for 48 hours starting today … and until Friday,” he said.

Israel has repeatedly struck residential areas, schools and hospitals throughout the Gaza Strip during the 23-month conflict.

Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from Nuseirat in central Gaza, said: “More and more Palestinian families are fleeing Gaza City under the threat of Israeli attacks with no guarantees of safety at all.”

“While we’re here, we met friends, relatives and neighbours, and they told us they spent more than thirteen hours to make this difficult journey to the south of the Strip because of the vast overcrowding of roads. People say they’re totally exhausted,” he said.

“We also met a number of dual nationals still stuck in Gaza who said this is the fifth time they were forced to flee from one area to another under the echoes of explosions and the wide-scale mass expulsion orders issued by the Israeli military,” he added.

“Everyone on the ground is going through a serious crisis. It is a systematic policy by Israel to control Palestinian land and reshape it. What is still unfolding is a humanitarian calamity with no safe exits,” Abu Azzoum explained.

Israel has launched a ground offensive to occupy Gaza City, forcing thousands of residents to flee with whatever they can carry or transport.

Israel has repeatedly entered Syria since the fall of al-Assad and has carried out air raids across the country.

Israeli troops have carried out a ground operation in Syria’s southeastern Deraa province, Syria’s state news agency reported, the latest incursion in the neighbouring country as it also continues air raids against Damascus in various locations.

Soldiers also carried out searches in the Saysoun and Jamlah towns on Sunday, which are adjacent to the 1974 ceasefire line that was meant to separate Israeli and Syrian troops.

On Saturday, Ahmed al-Sharaa, the country’s interim president, said talks with Israel have begun to re-establish a 1974 agreement which was concluded after the 1973 war between the countries.

Israel and Syria have held direct talks in recent months, and al-Sharaa has ruled out normalisation. The talks are aimed at halting Israel’s aggressive actions towards Syria and reaching some kind of security deal.

Israel has launched hundreds of strikes on military sites and assets across Syria since the fall of former leader Bashar al-Assad in December. It has also expanded its occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights by seizing the demilitarised buffer zone, a move that violated the 1974 disengagement agreement with Syria.

On Tuesday, Syria “strongly condemned” Israeli attacks on several sites in and around Homs city in the west of the country and around the coastal city of Latakia.

The Israeli air attacks represent “a blatant violation of the sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic”, the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

While Israel had for years waged a secretive campaign of aerial bombardment against Syria’s military infrastructure, its attacks on its neighbour have ramped up since the war on Gaza and the fall of al-Assad.

In late August, six Syrian soldiers were killed in an Israeli drone attack on Damascus, which came a day after a ground incursion into Syrian territory by Israeli troops.

The attacks on Syria come amid Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s promotion of a vision for a “Greater Israel“, a concept supported by ultranationalist Israelis that lays claim to the occupied West Bank and Gaza, as well as parts of Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and Jordan.

After violence in southern Syria’s Suwayda on July 13 between Bedouin tribal fighters and Druze factions, government forces were sent in to quell the fighting. But the bloodshed worsened, and Israel carried out strikes on Syrian troops and bombed the heart of the capital, Damascus, under the pretext of protecting the Druze.

“Love Island USA” star Taylor Williams says he is “all good” after being thrown from his horse during the Arizona Invitational Black Rodeo in Scottsdale.

In a TikTok video, Williams’ horse seemingly trips over another horse before falling to the ground. Williams and his horse appear to be trampled by other participants before the horse rolls over Williams and rises to its feet. Williams, 24, was still lying on the ground when officials rushed over to help him.

Williams gave an update on his condition later that day on social media, saying that his injuries would not get in the way of him attending an event that he was scheduled to appear at Saturday night, according to Entertainment Weekly.

“Was in a horse accident last night but I’m still pulling up tonight injured and all,” he wrote on Instagram Stories. “It’s my brothers’ bday [you know] we still turnt!”

He followed up the post with a photo of himself lying on a hospital stretcher, wearing a neck brace and holding two thumbs up. “Preciate all the love!” he wrote over the image. “I’m good.”

Williams’ girlfriend and fellow “Love Island” alum Clarke Carraway later posted a video via Instagram Stories, which showed Williams being wheeled out of a hospital, while Maverick City Music’s “The Story I’ll Tell” plays in the background.

In a second video, Carraway poses next to Williams, who has one arm in a sling, while they rock matching cowboy hats.

The Oklahoma native, who said he “was on a horse before I could walk,” appeared on the seventh season of Peacock’s “Love Island,” which aired earlier this summer. The veterinary student became known for wearing cowboy hats and talking about his love for the rodeo.

Williams first coupled up with fan-favorite Olandria Carthen on the reality dating show, but ultimately ended the series with Carraway, from Charlotte, N.C. The couple made it to the second-to-last episode, but were booted off the island shortly after making their relationship “exclusive.”

During the reunion, which was hosted by Ariana Madix and Andy Cohen last week, Williams and Carraway said that they were still going strong and making their long-distance relationship work.

The ‘hidden gem’ is home to beautiful Georgian houses and a flowing river, as well as plenty of independent shops and eateries

Nestled in the Hampshire countryside lies a picturesque market town that’s often dubbed a real ‘hidden gem’ of England. Alresford, with its vibrant Georgian houses and riverside vistas, offers an abundance of rural allure just an hour away from London.

This town is steeped in history, teeming with independent shops and quaint tearooms, and even boasts its own steam railway. However, it wasn’t always this idyllic.

Despite being near water, numerous fires ravaged the town in the 17th century, and it took considerable effort to mould the charming town we see today.

Whether you’re seeking a tranquil weekend getaway or a slice of quintessential English life, Alresford has something for everyone. It’s no surprise that this small town is capturing the hearts of both locals and tourists.

Recently, it was praised on the UK Hidden Gems social media platforms, with the experts highlighting the colourful Georgian houses as a particularly splendid attraction. Broad Street, one of the most iconic and stunning parts of the town, is the ideal spot to admire these impressive buildings, reports the Express.

1689 saw one of the worst fires in the history of Alresford, when almost the whole town together with the Church and Market House was consumed by fire, according to the town’s museum. After the last major fire swept through the town back in 1736, much of the street was mandated to be rebuilt in brick and tile, resulting in the delightful Georgian structures that still stand today.

Dotted with trees and bustling with independent retailers, it’s an ideal spot to while away an afternoon. You’ll discover everything from a toy shop to a linen boutique and hardware store, whilst the charming Courtyard Tea Rooms dishes up tasty treats, warming beverages and other delights to fuel your visit.

For those seeking to immerse themselves in the natural world, a ramble beside the River Alre is essential. Visit Winchester describes Alresford as the ‘ideal destination’ for a leisurely wander, particularly during autumn when foliage transforms into vibrant hues.

Old Alresford Pond draws plenty of visitors, though for a more extended expedition, the waterside pathway beckons. Along the route, you’ll encounter a modest memorial garden perfect for al fresco dining, plus the Fulling Mill where waterfowl paddle about.

No visit to Alresford would be truly complete without experiencing The Watercress Line. This heritage steam railway adventure covers 10 miles across the Hampshire landscape, offering the ultimate way to sit back and decompress.

Enthusiasts of the attraction flocked to TripAdvisor with glowing reviews, with one visitor commenting: “The Watercress Line is wonderful with amazing staff who were incredibly helpful and knowledgeable. It was great to listen to the history of the line and suggestions of extra things we could do. The stations showed great attention to detail and all were well kept.”

Another enthusiast gushed: “The railway is picturesque! All of the stations are beautifully restored and cared for, with old posters and signs and items from steam days and the journey itself is mostly through lovely countryside scenery. The coaches are all vintage and the locomotives are very impressive.”

Aug. 27 (UPI) — A summer offensive by Russian forces has succeeded in penetrating Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky‘s home region of Dnipropetrovsk for the first time, with troops capturing two villages in the southeastern corner of the province.

The Russians occupied Zaporizke and Novohryhorivka, the BBC and The New York Times said, after breaking through from neighboring Donestsk following months of heavy fighting for control of cities in the west of the province and were now battling to establish a foothold in Dnipropetrovsk.

The Russian gains by infantry backed by drones and other fire support were confirmed Tuesday by “DeepState,” a real-time mapping project with links to the Ukrainian military, and the Russian Defense Ministry.

DeepState said that having entered the province, Russian forces were “now entrenching themselves, and accumulating infantry for further advances.”

Officially, Ukraine categorically denied it had lost more territory to Russia, which has been attempting to push westwards from Donetsk all summer.

“This is the first attack of such a large scale in Dnipropetrovsk region,” Viktor Trehubov, of the Dnipro Operational-Strategic Group of Troops, told the BBC, but insisted Ukrainian forces had halted the Russian advance.

The general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said in a statement that its military “continues to control” Zaporizke and that “active hostilities are also ongoing in the area of the village of Novohryhorivka.”

The province is not one of the three, in addition to Donetsk, that Russia has partially occupied and claims as its own, including Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, but it has been pushing hard to capture more territory for much of the year, likely as leverage in peace negotiations being brokered by the United States.

However, while neither of the villages in question is strategically significant — the population of each is around 100 or fewer — losing them will be a further shock to the morale of Ukrainian forces already struggling against their more numerous and better-armed Russian adversaries.

Dnipropetrovsk, in Ukraine’s industrial heartland and the second most industrialized region after the Donbas, before most of it fell into Russian hands, holds a strategically key position, but analysts do not believe the Russians aim to take the whole province.

The Russian advance came as a flurry of diplomatic activity to capitalize on the Aug. 15 Alaska peace summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to be fizzling.

Putin was understood to have offered a deal that would involve Ukraine ceding additional parts of Donbas that Russia does not already control in exchange for ending the war, but efforts by Trump to organize a follow-up meeting between Putin and Zelensky have thus far been unsuccessful.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov last week poured cold water on prospects for a Putin-Zelensky summit, saying no meeting was planned and that Moscow would not accept security guarantees for Ukraine provided by the West, saying any such discussion that excluded Russia was a “road to nowhere.”

However, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, who has visited Moscow five times this year in pursuit of a deal, suggested Tuesday that peace efforts were still alive, announcing a meeting with Ukrainian officials in New York later this week and that “we talk to the Russians every day.”

BALTIMORE — Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose case has become a flash point in President Trump’s aggressive effort to remove noncitizens from the U.S., was detained by immigration authorities in Baltimore on Monday to face renewed efforts to deport him after a brief period of freedom.

Abrego Garcia’s attorneys quickly filed a lawsuit to fight his deportation until a court has heard his claim for protection, stating that the U.S. could place him in a country where “his safety cannot be assured.”

The lawsuit triggered a blanket court order that automatically pauses deportation efforts for two days. The order applies to immigrants in Maryland who are challenging their detention.

Within hours of Abrego Garcia’s detention, his lawyers spoke with Department of Justice attorneys and a federal judge in Maryland, who warned that Abrego Garcia cannot be removed from the U.S. “at this juncture” because he must be allowed to exercise his constitutional right to contest deportation.

U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis said that overlapping court orders temporarily prohibit the government from removing Abrego Garcia, and that she would extend her own temporary restraining order barring his deportation.

Drew Ensign, a Justice Department attorney, told the judge that he understands Abrego Garcia’s “removal is not imminent” and that the process often takes time.

Crowd yells ‘shame!’

Abrego Garcia, a 30-year-old Maryland construction worker and Salvadoran national, spoke at a rally before he turned himself in.

“This administration has hit us hard, but I want to tell you guys something: God is with us, and God will never leave us,” Abrego Garcia said, speaking through a interpreter. “God will bring justice to all the injustice we are suffering.”

About 200 people gathered, prayed and crowded around Abrego Garcia while he walked into the offices for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Baltimore, where he was detained. When his lawyer and wife walked out without him, the crowd yelled, “Shame!”

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted on X that Abrego Garcia was being processed for deportation. U.S. Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi told Trump during a meeting in the Oval Office that Abrego Garcia “will no longer terrorize our country.”

Brief reunion with family

Abrego Garcia lived in Maryland for years with his American wife and children and worked in construction. He was wrongfully deported in March to a notorious prison in his native El Salvador because the Trump administration believed he was a member of the MS-13 gang, an allegation that Abrego Garcia denies.

His removal violated an immigration judge’s 2019 ruling that shielded him from deportation to his native country because he had “well-founded fear” of threats by a gang there.

Abrego Garcia’s wife sued to bring him back. Facing a U.S. Supreme Court order, the Trump administration returned him in June. He was subsequently charged in Tennessee with human smuggling. He has pleaded not guilty and asked a judge to dismiss the case on ground of vindictive prosecution.

The allegations stem from a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee for speeding. Abrego Garcia was driving with nine passengers in the car, and officers discussed among themselves their suspicions of smuggling. He was allowed to continue driving with a warning.

The Trump administration has said it wants to deport Abrego Garcia before his trial, alleging he is a danger to the community and an MS-13 gang member.

A federal judge in Tennessee determined that Abrego Garcia was not a flight risk or a danger. He was released from jail Friday afternoon and returned to his family in Maryland.

Video released by advocates of the reunion showed a room decorated with streamers, flowers and signs. He embraced loved ones and thanked them “for everything.”

What’s next?

Federal officials argue that Abrego Garcia can be deported because he came to the U.S. illegally and that the immigration judge’s 2019 ruling deemed him eligible for expulsion, just not to his native El Salvador.

Attorney Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg told reporters Monday that Abrego Garcia is being held in a detention facility in Virginia. His lawyers don’t know when he’ll have a reasonable-fear interview, where he can express fears of persecution or torture in the country the U.S. wants to send him. Officials have said it’s Uganda.

Abrego Garcia’s attorneys have raised concerns about human rights abuses in Uganda as well as his limited ability to speak English in a country where that’s the national language. But there are also unanswered questions about whether he could be imprisoned or sent on to El Salvador. A judge blocked the U.S. from sending Abrego Garcia back in 2019 because he faces credible threats from gangs there.

Uganda recently agreed to take deportees from the U.S., provided they do not have criminal records and are not unaccompanied minors.

“We don’t know whether Uganda will even let him walk around freely in Kampala or whether he’ll be inside of a Ugandan jail cell, much less whether they are going to let him stay,” the attorney said.

If immigration officials determine that Abrego Garcia lacks a reasonable fear of being sent to Uganda, he should be able to ask a U.S. immigration judge to review that decision, Sandoval-Moshenberg said. And if the immigration judge upholds the determination, Abrego Garcia should be able to bring it to the U.S. Court of Appeals.

Sandoval-Moshenberg said that’s the process when someone is slated for deportation to their native country. And he said it should be for third-country deportations as well.

“This is all so very new and unprecedented. … We will see what the government’s position on that is,” he said.

Abrego Garcia informed ICE over the weekend that Costa Rica was an acceptable country of removal because he had “received assurances from Costa Rica that they would give him refugee status, that he would be at liberty in that country, and that he will not be re-deported onto El Salvador,” his lawyer said.

“Costa Rica is not justice,” Sandoval-Moshenberg said. “It is an acceptably less-bad option.”

The notice to ICE about Costa Rica was separate from an offer made by federal prosecutors in Tennessee to send Abrego Garcia to the Central American nation in exchange for pleading guilty to human smuggling charges. Abrego Garcia declined the proposal.

Witte, Loller, Kunzelman and Finley write for the Associated Press.

THIS is the moment a police helicopter pursues a man on an allegedly stolen motorbike while flying just feet above the ground.

Footage shows the chopper circling above the rider as he drives at speed around a field near St Helens, Merseyside.

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The pilot then lowers the helicopter just metres above the ground, in a desperate attempt to keep up with the fleeing motorcyclist.

At one point the dark blue and yellow coloured helicopter is seen to be flying almost parallel alongside the bike.

Moments later, both helicopter and motorbike disappear from the view of the camera behind a small patch of trees.

The chopper flies so low past the outcropping of trees it becomes obscured by the foliage.

The shocking video comes to an end but not before it cuts to a shot of a police officer in the field with the chopper heard circling overhead.

Another cut shows the speeding motorcyclist flying past the camera one last time.

Blitzing through the field at high speeds the rider passes just meters away from the cameraman in a final bid to lose the pursuing helicopter.

The helicopter appears to have stayed on the rider’s tail the whole time however and is seen flying overhead in a final cut.

The National Police Air Service (NPAS) said the high octane chase happened on August 13.

The incident is being reviewed internally in consultation with the Civil Aviation Authority.

Merseyside Police said the bike was driving in an “extremely dangerous” manner.

The rider is alleged to have been speeding, mounting pavements and nearly hitting a pedestrian as they revved the off-road bike around the area.

The rider is said to have been joined by a second man with the pair fleeing cops together along the A580 and through fields near a dam.

Officers later detained the second man on the ground when he dismounted his bike.

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The yob seen in the footage was reportedly arrested when he ran out fuel, his bike has been seized.

Chief Superintendent Fiona Gaffney, Chief Operating Officer at NPAS, said: “We’re aware of the video currently circulating on social media and the level of public interest it has generated.

“The circumstances are being thoroughly reviewed internally and in consultation with the Civil Aviation Authority to ensure all relevant standards and procedures have been followed.”

It comes amid talks that police choppers could soon be replaced by police drones.

One unmanned helicopter being trialled by the NPAS is capable of flying at speeds of 115mph and is able to stay airborne for up to six hours.

The NPAS said that the unmanned helicopter, a Schiebel Camcopter S-100, is larger than existing drones used by police forces and has a greater range.

Eight 375ft-tall cooling towers crashed to the ground yesterday in the largest simultaneous demolition of its kind.

Hundreds of people watched the structures’ tumble at Cottam Power Station in Retford, Notts, one of the last coal-fired stations in Britain.

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The towers were flattened in 10 seconds, sending a huge cloud of dust into the air.

The power station shut in 2019.

The historic moment marked the largest simultaneous demolition of cooling towers ever carried out.

The coal-fired complex, which opened in 1968, was capable of generating enough electricity for 3.7 million homes.

Originally designed for just 30 years of use, it remained operational until 2019 when it was decommissioned by EDF Energy.

The demolition, the ninth at the EDF-owned site, is part of a phased clearance.

Other parts of the site, including its chimney stack, have already been destroyed.

The project is expected to be complete by early 2026.

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TEMPLEGATE takes on Friday’s racing from Glorious Goodwood confident of success after banging in a 28-1 treble on Thursday.

Back a horse by clicking their odds below.

FIFTH COLUMN (2.30 Goodwood, nap)

John Gosden has a nice three-year-old on his hands in this son of Kingman. He showed promise last season and got off the mark in a Kempton maiden on comeback in April. That form was quickly left behind with a smooth handicap success at Sandown – before an excellent effort in the Britannia at Royal Ascot. He was only seventh in that hot contest but he was first home in his group getting the worst of the draw. He clocked a personal best when winning at Newmarket last time and relishes this mile trip. He goes on any ground so it won’t matter what the weather does.

BIG MOJO (3.05 Goodwood, nb)

Likes it here and can show his class in the King George Qatar Stakes.

DIEGO VENTURA (1.55 Goodwood, treble)

He is just about the only runner in the field who is proven in testing conditions – and looks set to get just that.

Templegate’s TV verdicts

1.20

KYLE OF LOCHALSH is fancied to go three better than last year’s fourth and land this marathon prize.

He’s on the same mark, handles any ground and shaped with promise on his reappearance.

He’s much more lightly raced than 12 months ago and looks primed to peak.

Aggagio loves it round here and was impressive under Ashley Lewis last time but stamina beyond 2m remains a question mark.

Align The Stars hasn’t quite fired this year but ran well in a strong Royal Ascot handicap and is lurking on a handy mark.

He has a good record here but came up short in this last year.

Tashkhan is classy and thrives in deep ground should it rain, with similar comments applying to Zinc White.

Sheradann has been knocking on the door and shapes as though this trip will suit.

Irish raider Mordor is interesting as this stamina test could bring improvement.

1.55

DIEGO VENTURA is just about the only runner in the field who is proven in testing conditions.

James Doyle’s mount has been running well at Listed level in France and scored over seven furlongs at Longchamp in May.

He then went well at Epsom before going down in a bunch finish at Chantilly last time.

Conditions will be ideal and he has more to come.

Cosmic Year has shown his best on good ground as he showed when second in the Irish 2,000 Guineas which is strong form.

The ground may not be ideal but this is a fair drop in class which makes him a player.

King Of Cities has been placed on tacky ground and sees out this trip well.

He has yet to win this season but could go well under Ryan Moore.

Seagulls Eleven was a solid second to non-runner Opera Ballo at Newmarket last time.

He’s unproven on this ground and needs a step forward.

2.30

FIFTH COLUMN can take another step up for the Gosdens.

His only defeat this season came when a strong-finishing seventh in the Britannia at Royal Ascot, where he won his group and shaped like the best horse on the far side.

He confirmed that when winning stylishly at Newmarket last time, and a 3lb penalty might not be enough to anchor this improving three-year-old who can beat his elders.

Skukuza is the main threat.

He’s officially 8lb well in after two smooth wins at The Curragh, including a Listed last time, and is clearly thriving.

Greek Order ran a screamer in the Royal Hunt Cup on his first start back from the US and again shaped well at Sandown behind Arisaig who is a contender here.

He’s a big player if things fall right. Ebt’s Guard has run well here before and wasn’t beaten far in the Royal Hunt Cup.

3.05

BIG MOJO can follow up last year’s Glorious Goodwood win in the King George Qatar Stakes.

Mick Appleby’s flyer ran a cracker at Newmarket last time and looks up to this level.

Aussie Asfoora will show her true colours here after a poor Ascot run, while She’s Quality lives up to her name.

Here’s my guide to the field, where I rate them one (worst) to five (best):

ASFOORA 4

FOOR star. Aussie raider won the King Charles III at Royal Ascot last year was just denied in this. Had excuses this year and could bounce back.

BIG MOJO 5

BIG chance. Won Molecomb here last year and has progressed at three. Unlucky in the Commonwealth Cup and ran a huge race in the July Cup. Strong claims back at 5f.

CELANDINE 2

HARD Cel. Chased home Big Mojo in last year’s Molecomb and beat Time For Sandals over 6f at York. Needs to prove she enjoys 5f as much.

CLARENDON HOUSE 1

DON for. Has run well over this C&D before but was poor at Epsom last time and needs more at this level.

FROST AT DAWN 3

HOT Frost. Won 6f Listed race earlier this season and showed real speed when second in the King Charles III at Royal Ascot. Can go close again.

JM JUNGLE 2

JUNGLE fever. Won over C&D at this meeting in 2023 and landed the Epsom Dash in June. Ran well in Listed last time but not up to this.

KERDOS 3

TAKE Ker. Fifth in this race last year and good run in the King Charles III. Likes tacky ground and cheekpieces may help.

KHAADEM 3

KHA motors. Won this in 2022 and has landed two Group 1s. He’s unbeaten in two runs here and looks a big place price.

MANACCAN 1

DANGER Man. Solid Listed performer over this trip but has been struggling for a while.

NIGHT RAIDER 3

NIGHT shifts. Unbeaten in four AW starts including a Listed 6f at Newcastle. Turf form not as hot but it’s early days.

SHE’S QUALITY 4

QUALITY pays. Ran a stormer when second in a hot Group 2 at Haydock in May. Sandown didn’t suit last time and this test looks much more suitable.

SPARTAN ARROW 2

BLUNT arrow. Has improved since sporting cheekpieces and took a French Listed prize latest. Goes well here and track/trip suits but this is much tougher opposition.

TIME FOR SANDALS 3

TIME trial. Surprise winner of the Commonwealth Cup over 6f at Ascot. Could improve again but drop in trip an unknown.

TOWN AND COUNTRY 1

TOWN and out. Few miles on the clock and is a Listed winner over this trip. Progressive but needs a lot more in this company.

3.45

SOCIALITE can get the party started.

Charlie Hills’ four-year-old can take this prize with a bold front-running show.

He quickened smartly to win at Windsor on handicap debut, shaping as though this extra furlong would suit.

Lightly raced, progressive and effective on any ground, he could prove tough to pass from a handy draw.

Liberty Lane is the main danger, with a soft-ground Cambridgeshire win and a Listed success here this year marking him out as a serious player.

Haunted Dream won this race last year and had excuses at Royal Ascot. He’s a big threat back at this track.

Godwinson is thriving after wins in the Lincoln and at Newcastle. He’ll be right there if liking this longer trip.

Fox Legacy is flying and isn’t written off provided the rain stays away.

Templegate’s tips

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