Pressure on Russian forces mounts after Ukraine advances
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Western defense officials and analysts said they believe Russian forces were setting up a new defensive line in northeastern Ukraine after troops from Kyiv broke through the previous one and attempted to push their advances further east. The UK Ministry of Defense said the line was likely to be between the Oskil River and Svatove, southeast of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. The new line comes after a Ukrainian counter-offensive ripped a hole in the previous front line and recaptured large swathes of land in the northeast Kharkiv region. Ukrainian forces continue to cross a key river as they attempt to pursue a counteroffensive targeting Russian-occupied territory in the northeast of the country, according to a Washington-based think tank.
Thousands of people wait in the cold to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II
LONDON (AP) — Thousands of people spent London’s coldest night in months queuing to view the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II. Authorities warn that mourners who arrive face a 16-hour wait. Honoring their patience, King Charles III and Prince William paid an unannounced visit to greet the waiting crowds. William and the Queen’s other seven grandchildren are due to watch next to her coffin in Parliament’s Westminster Hall on Saturday. Police arrested a man on Friday evening after what police described as a “disturbance” there. Parliamentary authorities said someone tried to approach the coffin on the platform where it lies as it is.
Voter challenges, registration requests overwhelm electoral offices
Election conspiracy theorists flood local election offices with voter protests and demands for public records. The flurry of investigations adds to the already heavy workload these offices face as they scramble to prepare for the November election. Election officials say many of the challenges they receive challenge the presence on the voter rolls of people who are already suppressed or eligible to be registered. At a minimum, it takes time for election offices to register all protests. And if some of the targeted voters vote in November, there could be a fight over whether to count their votes.
Hungary has to face the EU, which could cost it billions
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary’s nationalist-populist government is facing a reckoning with the European Union after nearly a decade of accusations that it failed to uphold democratic values in the EU. The EU’s executive arm, the European Commission, appears set to impose financial sanctions on Hungary on Sunday over corruption concerns and alleged breaches of the rule of law. Hungary is one of the biggest net recipients of EU funds in the 27-nation bloc, and the sanctions could cost Budapest billions and cripple its already struggling economy. Prime Minister Viktor Orban has denied the commission’s accusations. A lawmaker who is a former member of Orban’s party alleges the government funneled large sums of EU money into the businesses of politically connected insiders.
Alaska braces for flooding and power outages as huge storm approaches
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Residents of Alaska’s vast and sparsely populated west coast have braced for what forecasters have said could be one of the worst in recent history, along with strong winds and strong waves that could cut out electricity and cause flooding. The storm is the remnants of Typhoon Merbok. The warnings call for winds reaching hurricane speeds in places, water levels reaching up to 18 feet above normal high tide in some communities and widespread power outages and areas of flooding and ‘erosion. The storm is also influencing weather patterns away from Alaska — a rare late-summer storm is expected to bring rain this weekend to drought-stricken areas of California.
US asks appeals court to lift stay on Judge Mar-a-Lago’s investigation
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has asked a federal appeals court to lift a judge’s order that temporarily barred it from reviewing a batch of classified documents seized during an FBI search of the home of former President Donald Trump in Florida last month. The department filed the request Friday with the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta. He says the judge’s grip is hampering “the government’s efforts to protect the security of the nation” and interfering with his investigation into the presence of top secret information at Mar-a-Lago. It indicates that the suspension must be lifted immediately so that work can resume.
Cheetahs make a comeback in India after 70 years
NEW DELHI (AP) — Seven decades after cheetahs died out in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has freed eight cats that were transported from Namibia to their new home: a national park in the heart of India. The big cats will be quarantined and closely monitored for approximately two months before being released into the wild. Cheetahs were once widespread in India and became extinct in 1952 due to hunting and habitat loss. A dozen cheetahs from South Africa are currently in quarantine and are expected to arrive at Kuno National Park soon. Relocation from one continent to another took decades to prepare. There are fewer than 7,000 adult cheetahs left in the wild worldwide, and they now inhabit less than 9% of their original range.
Puerto Rico under hurricane watch as TS Fiona approaches
HAVANA (AP) — Tropical Storm Fiona threatens to dump up to 16 inches (41 centimeters) of rain in parts of Puerto Rico as forecasters place U.S. territory under hurricane watch and people brace to possible landslides, severe flooding and power outages. The storm was located 135 miles (215 kilometers) southeast of St. Croix early Saturday, moving west 13 miles (20 kilometers) on a track that is expected to pass near Puerto Rico. Forecasters have warned that Fiona could be near hurricane strength as it passes through Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
Bugging: Oktoberfest in Germany opens after 2-year hiatus
MUNICH (AP) — Beer is flowing at Munich’s famous Oktoberfest for the first time since 2019. With three hammer blows and the traditional shout of “O’zapft is” — “It’s tapped” — the city’s mayor inserted draw it from the first cask at noon on Saturday to open the festivities. Oktoberfest usually attracts around 6 million visitors each year to the crowded grounds of the Bavarian capital. But the event did not take place in 2020 and 2021 as authorities grappled with the unpredictable development of COVID-19 infections and restrictions. The mayor says he thinks the city made the right decision to allow the festival this year. It runs until October 3.
The Queen’s death triggers a media bonanza in the works for decades
NEW YORK (AP) — News organizations’ plans that have been in place for years, if not decades, to cover the death of Queen Elizabeth II were triggered and tested when the event unfolded. London was inundated with reporters, with more heading to the city for the funeral on Monday. Huge audiences are expected for the culmination of all the ceremonies, which one pundit has dubbed “catnip” for TV broadcasters. For many journalists, the plans went well. There were some issues on Thursday with restrictions imposed by the Palace on the use of video from inside Westminster Hall, where the Queen’s body lay in state.
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