Amidst relentless Russian assaults, Ukraine’s 35th Independence Day arrived on Monday, underlining the ongoing struggle. According to a regional security expert, Russian President Vladimir Putin finds himself increasingly anxious as Ukrainian forces extend their reach deeper into Russian territory.

The anniversary, celebrating Ukraine’s declaration of independence from the Soviet Union on August 24, 1991, unfolded under the ominous backdrop of escalating Russian attacks on civilian targets. Heightening fears, Ukraine’s Security Service issued warnings about potential terrorist activities as the nation prepared to celebrate its sovereignty.

In a demonstration of international solidarity, European leaders stood alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv during Independence Day festivities. Faced with the ongoing war, Zelenskyy affirmed Ukraine’s desire for peace while resolutely rejecting Moscow’s terms for surrender.

Friday saw a brutal attack in Kryvyi Rih, Zelenskyy’s birthplace, as a Russian drone targeted a bustling shopping center. The strike resulted in at least 16 deaths and left 130 injured, as reported by The Associated Press.

Putin has warned that Ukrainian strikes on Russian economic targets open a “Pandora’s box,” while Kyiv maintains deep strikes are vital to disrupting Moscow’s logistics.

Ukraine has targeted Russian economic infrastructure, including warehouses belonging to online retailers Wildberries and Ozon.

“The war with Russia has seen a lot of advances for the Ukrainians over this year,” former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Carrie Filipetti, now executive director of the Vandenberg Coalition, told News Media.

“They’ve recently been able to actually penetrate much deeper into Russian territory, including close to Moscow and St. Petersburg.”

“Their success on the military front has now resulted in the Russians getting panicked and starting to attack more inside Ukraine and what they’re really trying to do is weaken their will and capabilities,” Filipetti said, adding that Putin “gets very anxious when he’s put in a corner.”

“What we’re seeing is these sorts of gasps at trying to retain some kind of control,” Filipetti added. “This is why he recently targeted a shopping mall inside Ukrainian territory. He is not focused on targeting military assets. He is really focused on trying to defeat the will of Ukrainians by attacking them.”

Filipetti warned the targeting of civilian areas created heightened security risks as Ukraine marked its 35th Independence Day, more than four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Several European leaders traveled to Kyiv for Ukraine’s Independence Day events, including European Council President António Costa and leaders from Finland, Lithuania, Norway, Denmark, Estonia and Latvia.

Filipetti said the high-level participation underscored continued international support for Ukraine.

“Independence Day is a really important moment for the allies of the Ukrainians to really show that we are not losing steam, that we continue to support their operations, to continue to support their sovereignty,” Filipetti said. “But anytime there’s massive public gatherings, particularly to demonstrate patriotism and support for the Ukrainian state, it increases the security risk.”

Ukrainian authorities urged citizens to stay vigilant on public transport and guard against potential sabotage or sharing media that could reveal military positions, as well as possible attacks, Ukrainian News reported.

“They should be particularly mindful about sharing any videos or photographs that could betray the locations of some of their frontline soldiers,” Filipetti warned.

Monday’s holiday came after a lethal exchange of drone and missile strikes. Ukrainian officials reported at least seven deaths from Russian attacks, while a Ukrainian drone strike in Russia’s Krasnodar region killed three, according to Russian officials, The Associated Press reported.

“The Russians really want to bleed the Ukrainians of people, equipment, and will before the Russians are bled of those same three things,” Filipetti said. “And what we’ve seen over the course of this year is almost no territorial gains on behalf of the Russians.”

They are losing more soldiers each month than they can recruit, forcing them to rely on North Korean, Cuban and other foreign fighters to fill the gap, Filipetti added.

“Remember, Putin thought that this was going to be a special military operation that was going to last a matter of weeks,” Filipetti said.

Ultimately, she emphasized that Ukraine’s resolve delivers a firm deterrent beyond Moscow.

“It sends a message to the Russians that any invasion of sovereign territory, like their invasion of Ukraine, is going to create more consequences for them,” Filipetti said. “We are not losing steam, and we continue to support their operations, to continue to support their sovereignty.”

Filipetti said it also sends an important message to other American adversaries like China.

“These adversaries of the United States really learned from how the United States handles conflicts in other theaters. It’s really important that our adversaries of China, Russia, Iran, and others understand that if they invade another country unilaterally, there are going to be consequences, not rewards.”

An undocumented immigrant from El Salvador, who has been subject to a final deportation order since 2024, was apprehended, released on bond at the Texas border in 2016, and recently detained for allegedly distributing fentanyl near a high school in Virginia, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The 31-year-old, Isaac Melendez-Carranza, found himself in legal turmoil once more on August 20 when authorities arrested him for allegedly selling fentanyl within a 1,000-foot radius of a school. He is currently held without bond at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center.

“ICE issued a detainer on August 20 for Isaac Melendez-Carranza, an unauthorized immigrant from El Salvador, with the Loudoun County Jail,” a DHS spokesperson confirmed to Fox News.

Melendez-Carranza’s deportation was solidified with a final order by an immigration judge on July 18, 2024, as reported by DHS.

DHS records show that Melendez-Carranza was spotted in Sterling, Virginia, on August 16, 2024, merely weeks following the deportation order, but no steps were taken at that time.

The department cited the Biden administration for the lack of action.

US Border Patrol arrested Melendez-Carranza near Hebbronville, Texas, on May 3, 2016, after he illegally entered the US via the Rio Grande, according to DHS. He was released on bond on July 13, 2016, the department said.

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office identified Melendez-Carranza as a suspected drug dealer connected to overdoses involving Park View High School students in May.

Deputies seized about 100 pills and approximately $1,000 in cash during a search of his home, FOX 5 DC reported.

Multiple students had been hospitalized following suspected overdoses at Park View High School in May, the outlet said.

Loudoun County Public Schools confirmed at the time that two students suffered nonfatal suspected overdoses during school hours.

Additional students were taken to a local hospital for evaluation after exhibiting symptoms, district officials said.

The school system noted that it was unclear whether the incidents were connected and could not immediately confirm whether controlled substances were involved.

Sheriff Mike Chapman called the case particularly alarming because the illicit drugs were reaching local students.

The sheriff’s office said Melendez-Carranza will be turned over to ICE after he is released, Fox 5 DC reported.

“He’s here illegally,” Chapman said. “I think he came in about 10 years ago. We shouldn’t be here and maybe if he wasn’t here this would not have happened, so we take that quite seriously. There is a detainer on him from ICE, so once he is done with his charges here, he will be released to ICE.”

The sheriff’s office said more arrests are possible, but there was no timetable.

Chapman confirmed ICE placed a detainer on Melendez-Carranza, who will be transferred to federal immigration authorities after his local criminal charges are resolved.

“Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, ICE is targeting the worst of the worst. Nearly 70% of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S.,” DHS said.

Amassing a devoted following worldwide, the Tate brothers have captivated young male audiences with their ostentatious lifestyles and unabashed misogynistic attitudes.

However, fresh documents brought to light by the Daily Mail reveal that Andrew and Tristan Tate have quietly admitted that many of their lavish claims regarding wealth, dominance, and influence are largely fictitious.

Attorneys representing Andrew, aged 39, and Tristan, aged 38, assert that both law enforcement and millions of their online followers have been misled by the brothers’ deliberately exaggerated social media personas.

For instance, the $14 million collection of luxurious Bugatti and Aston Martin vehicles showcased in Tristan’s videos were actually rented to craft an illusion of immense wealth.

Moreover, their lawyers explain that the $50 million superyacht, assumed by authorities to be a potential escape vehicle, was not owned by the brothers; it was merely promoted as part of a paid agreement with its true owner.

Andrew and Tristan have been locked up in the Federal Detention Center (FDC) Miami since July 18 as they fight extradition to the UK on sex charges.

The government says the Tates, who deny all the charges they face worldwide, would tap their vast wealth and multiple identities to flee if they were released on bond.

But prosecutors are relying on social media posts containing ‘obvious satire, hyperbole and promotion – and that were not even written by Andrew’, according to the reply in support of their motion for release.

‘The more hyperbolic and outlandish the post, the more likely it will generate views and likes, which in turn generates income. In short, they are playing a role,’ their lawyers admit.

The filing lists various boasts published via Andrew’s @CobraTate X account – that his tweets generate nine figures, that he will one day be the UK prime minister and that he could beat a wolf in combat.

‘All of these posts are hyperbole,’ it insists. Social media posts suggesting the Tates have unlimited crypto, bitcoin and cash as well as access to private jets and a yacht are dismissed by their lawyers as similarly misleading.

‘The “superyacht” does not belong to the Tates. They received payment to promote the ship on social media,’ the filing reveals.

Furthermore, the Tates are engaged in several businesses ‘teaching’ men how to earn money. 

It is in their interest to portray themselves on social media as uber-wealthy.

‘For example, the $2.1million Aston Martin and $5million and $7million Bugattis featured in Tristan’s videos were rented.’

Prosecutors have speculated that Andrew has as many as eight passports – including from the UK, US, Estonia, Nigeria, Poland and Vanuatu – a small island nation of 340,000 inhabitants in the South Pacific.

Again, his lawyers say, the government has mistaken social media for reality.

‘The video in which Andrew claimed to possess passports from Estonia, Nigeria, Poland, the UK, and the US was a joke, complete with Andrew portraying a false Nigerian accent,’ the filing says.

Provocative statements attributed to Andrew in prosecution documents – declaring himself ‘Hard to Kill’ and ‘Above the Law’ – are actually the titles of movies featuring Steven Seagal, ‘with whom the brothers are socially acquainted’.

‘Andrew and his fan base use them as catchphrases,’ the filing adds. The Tates also mock the government’s claim that Tristan possesses a secret Mexican passport under the name Vladimir Scorpius, a villain in a James Bond novel.

‘The so-called Mexican “passport” bearing the name “Vladimir Scorpius” was a cardboard prop Tristan used for a Halloween costume,’ the filing says.

‘No one can seriously suggest that Tristan adopted a covert identity, with the purpose of evading international law enforcement, under the name of a famous fictional supervillain.

The filing in Miami US District Court also contains a litany of gripes about alleged harsh treatment inside FDC Miami’s Special Housing Unit, which the lawyers liken to solitary confinement.

The brothers are allowed a mere five hours of recreation per week and a single phone call each month, it claims. They have no TV, no radio, and their access to the jail commissary, which includes candy, snacks and Colombian coffee, is also limited to ‘once every two weeks.’

‘They have not been convicted of any crime, here or abroad, nor have they received a single disciplinary infraction, and yet they are subject to some of the most restrictive conditions of confinement in this country,’ their lawyers complain.

The filing also describes an incident where the tough-talking siblings were left choking and gasping for air after guards unleashed pepper spray on another detainee.

The Tates – who claim to be friends of President Trump’s youngest son Barron, 20 – say the toxic chemical wafted into their nearby cells.

‘It burned their eyes, their throats, and their airways. No officer decontaminated them. No medical staff examined them,’ the filing says. The Tates wrapped wet T-shirts around their faces and waited for the spray to dissipate.

But it lingered for so long that their lawyer Thomas Maniotis suffered eye pain and breathing difficulties when he entered their unit two hours later, the filing continues.

‘He was forced to terminate the visit and seek treatment that evening at Baptist Health’s urgent care facility in Miami,’ the filing states.

The Tates were arrested after the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service announced fresh rape and sexual exploitation charges, bringing the case against them to 59 charges involving seven alleged victims.

The UK has until September 16 to provide the State Department its full extradition dossier on the brothers, who have amassed a global following of fans, particularly young men and boys captivated by their flash lifestyles and unabashed chauvinism.

They were first arrested in Romania in December 2022 after prosecutors accused them of running a criminal enterprise that lured women to the Eastern European country for sexual exploitation.

British prosecutors filed their own charges against the brothers in May 2025, including rape, actual bodily harm and human trafficking. The Tate brothers have denied all claims of wrongdoing. 

The Tates flew from Romania to Florida in February last year after authorities lifted their travel ban, a reversal that followed reported pressure from Trump administration figures.

Trump told reporters, however, that he knew ‘nothing about it’.

The Tates’ lawyer has been contacted for comment.

As an intense heatwave gripped Arizona, a grandfather is now facing a life-altering surgery. Following a fall in Bullhead City while temperatures soared to 120 degrees, he will have his right leg amputated above the knee, as shared by his family.

On August 3, 72-year-old Grant Siler’s routine walk took a turn for the worse. After tripping in the sweltering heat, his body temperature shot past 105 degrees.

According to the family’s GoFundMe, Siler lay on the blistering ground for at least an hour before someone discovered him. The fall resulted in severe burns across his body, heat stroke, and a critical condition where multiple organs began to shut down, prompting the urgent fundraiser.

Emergency responders rushed him to a specialized burn ICU in Las Vegas, where he is undergoing treatment. Upon his arrival, the medical team diagnosed him with severe heat stroke and organ shock, amid efforts to stabilize his condition.

“He is in constant pain, can barely move, and has undergone two debridements. Also, he will soon need to undergo surgery for amputation, the extent is not yet known,” the GoFundMe reads.

During surgery, a surgeon found that tissue in Siler’s right leg was so severely damaged it was unlikely to fully heal, according to an update posted to the fundraiser.

Siler is scheduled to have his right leg amputated above the knee on Aug. 31, according to FOX 10 Phoenix.

“The plan now is to have an above-knee amputation. The Dr’s feel he will overall heal faster and have better pain control this way,” the fundraiser reads.

“We can all imagine that after any amputation, the road to recovery is long and hard…physically, mentally and emotionally,” it continued.

His wife, Vicki, has been traveling one-and-a-half-hours each way to be with her husband as she continuing to work to support the family’s financial obligations. The family said the couple will also soon have to face medical bills to help with Siler’s recovery.

The family is accepting donations to help with home renovations, home medical supplies, prosthetics and other added costs.

Siler’s daughter, Heather Crook, recalled an incident in which he dropped an 80-pound cinderblock on his foot but did not even take a Tylenol.

“He’s hurting really bad,” Crook told FOX 10. “He’s the ‘get up and walk it off’ type.”

“So for him to holler out in pain … it’s really hard to hear. That’s not the kind of person that he is,” she added.

In a show of Hollywood solidarity, actor John Cusack has backed Mark Ruffalo amid the latter’s heated exchange with Paramount. The dispute arose when Ruffalo accused the tech giant Oracle of utilizing “antisemitic tropes,” a claim Paramount pushed back against vigorously.

Cusack expressed his support on X, lauding Ruffalo’s articulated defense. “Solidarity — well said,” Cusack commented, highlighting Ruffalo’s focus on Oracle’s connections with the Israeli military and the company’s leadership entanglements.

The controversy ignited after Ruffalo criticized Oracle’s executive vice-chair, Safra Catz, who also serves on Paramount’s board. Ruffalo reposted a video featuring Catz discussing Oracle’s technologies, which she claimed had assisted the Israeli military following the Hamas attacks that occurred on October 7, 2023.

Ruffalo further linked his criticism to the Ellison family’s proposal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery for a staggering $111 billion. He remarked on Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and his son, David Ellison, the CEO of Paramount, expressing concern that such a deal could threaten editorial independence and job security by consolidating media power, bringing entities like CNN, HBO, and Warner Bros. under one family’s control.

In an Instagram story, Ruffalo warned of the ramifications of Oracle’s technologies on global media. He wrote, “These ‘really profoundly scary technologies’ will likely be incorporated into one of the globe’s media giants, potentially impacting everyone. Look how she revels in what we have seen as genocide, built upon an oppressive apartheid system, powered by Oracle,” painting a grim picture of technology’s dark side.

Paramount subsequently issued a statement saying it was “troubled when antisemitic tropes are invoked” in what it characterized as a business dispute.

“Words like ‘genocide’ and ‘apartheid,’ applied to a corporate transaction, aren’t just wrong. They’re a bridge too far, and they cheapen the very real suffering those words are meant to describe,” a company spokesperson added.

Ruffalo fired back Saturday, telling Fox News Digital the accusation that he is antisemitic was “appalling and fundamentally dishonest.” He maintained that criticism of the Israeli government, military technology contracts or the executives behind them should not be equated with criticism of Jewish people.

“Scrutinizing the Ellisons, including Oracle’s business built on data, surveillance technology and government contracts and the serious threat to editorial freedom and the loss of a livelihood for thousands of families, is fair and necessary,” he said.

“The $111 billion deal would hand one family control over CNN, HBO and Warner Bros., backed in part by foreign money whose influence on editorial decisions has never been fully explained to the public.”

“Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have called for serious national security review, and regulators still haven’t given the public a real answer. Until they do, the merger shouldn’t move forward. Now is the time to dive boldly into all these issues, not step back or concede,” he added.

The potential merger has also drawn legal scrutiny from a coalition of 12 state attorneys general challenging the deal. Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery have agreed not to close the transaction until five days after a court rules on the merits of the states’ claims or June 1, 2027, whichever comes first.

In a statement noted by The Hollywood Reporter, Simon Wiesenthal Center CEO Jim Berk said, “Words matter, and so does the willingness to draw a line when legitimate debate gives way to antisemitic tropes. We commend Paramount for speaking clearly and refusing to allow prejudice to masquerade as political or corporate criticism.”

Film critic Christian Toto, the founder and editor of Hollywood in Toto, told Fox News, “I’m guessing Mark would rather John Cusack have stayed silent on the matter!” Toto then pointed to controversial comments that Cusack has made on the situation in the Middle East. 

Toto continued, “More importantly, the issue in play is getting more attention now that antisemitism is flaring up in the culture at large and within the Democratic Party. That hasn’t bled into Hollywood, Inc., yet, but it might sooner than later. Maybe a good example of that fracture is happening with the Paramount merger fight. Some Hollywood groups and Democrats are requesting a resolution to the matter, while others have dug their heels in, battling the merger at all costs.”

He concluded, “This could get ugly, becoming a Blue on Blue battle within La La Land that could cause real damage to careers.”

A young pilot, who survived a harrowing crash landing in the Atlantic Ocean, has shared her experience of this alarming event.

Faith Tenkley, 23, was piloting her family’s aircraft from Fort Myers to the Bahamas to collect her parents when she encountered mechanical issues. This left her with no option but to make a swift decision to ditch the plane in the Atlantic, avoiding a dangerous attempt to land at Boca Raton Airport.

Approximately 15 miles west of Boca Raton, Tenkley explained to Gulf Coast News that she began experiencing mechanical difficulties mid-flight.

Originally, she intended to direct the plane to a Florida airport for an emergency landing. However, her plan changed dramatically when she discovered that the landing gear had failed.

Concerned about the heavy fuel load aboard, Tenkley realized that landing on a runway without operational landing gear could lead to a crash landing and possibly ignite a fire.

And by that point, she said the right engine of the twin-engine aircraft had also failed leaving Tenkley rapidly running out of options.

Rather than attempting a landing at the airport, she headed to the ocean.

The young pilot ultimately managed to find a clear stretch of ocean alongside the beach and guided the stricken aircraft toward the water.

Against the odds, the landing was smooth and the plane remained intact as Tenkley managed to get out of the plane unaided and without injuries.

A lifeguard reached her within about a minute, she said, with a fire rescue boat arriving close behind.

The extraordinary sequence unfolded in front of shocked beachgoers in affluent Boca Raton, where families had been enjoying their morning when they suddenly found themselves watching the small plane descend toward the sea.

‘It was a flawless water landing,’ witness Michael Arizzi told WPBF. 

His wife Alexis added, ‘Yeah, she was in control the entire time. I was very impressed. That’s why we were confused about what was going on at first.’

Tenkley, who has been flying since graduating high school, said in a statement on Sunday that she felt ‘incredibly fortunate’ to walk away unharmed.

‘I am incredibly fortunate and relieved to share that I was able to swim away from this incident,’ she said. ‘After deciding a landing at Boca Raton Airport was not the safest option I continued to the coast.’

The 23-year-old said her ‘primary focus’ was keeping everyone safe as she steered toward open water, successfully avoiding nearby buildings and swimmers. 

‘I want to express my deepest gratitude for the concern and support following my unexpected water landing yesterday,’ Tenkley said. 

‘I want to extend my thanks to ATC [air traffic control] for being prepared, as well as the lifeguards, firefighters, and police officers whose rapid response and professionalism ensured everyone’s safety. As well as any witnesses who called for help.’

The twin-engine Piper went into the sea around two miles east of Boca Raton Airport at around 9:40am triggering an emergency response from police, lifeguards and the US Coast Guard. 

The FAA will be investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash.

The aircraft involved belongs to a family of twin-engine planes manufactured by Piper Aircraft decades ago.

Piper PA-30-series aircraft were produced between 1961 and 1972 and were configured to carry either four or six people.

CHICAGO (WLS) — The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office faces the pressing task of identifying 56 bodies discovered in deteriorated conditions at the South Chicago Chapel earlier this month. Currently, only nine of these cases remain unresolved, according to officials.

In a revealing conversation with the ABC7 I-Team, Cook County Medical Examiner Dr. Ponni Arunkumar remarked that handling such a significant number of cases is a first for her and her team.

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“In the 22 years I’ve been here, I’ve never encountered an instance where 56 cases arrived simultaneously at our office,” Arunkumar explained when asked to recall any similar past events.

Forensic teams within the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office have been putting in extra hours to determine the identities of the deceased. While identification is straightforward when bodies are well-preserved, typically involving either family recognition or fingerprint verification, the improperly stored remains from the funeral home necessitate more intricate identification techniques.

“Many were in moderate to advanced stages of decomposition, making visual identification impossible,” Arunkumar noted. “This complicates and delays our identification efforts.”

For cases involving severe decomposition, investigators rely on X-rays and dental examinations. Technicians scan the remains for medical devices and surgical implants that can be matched to records. Arunkumar said a double knee replacement helped positively identify one individual found at South Chicago Chapel.

SEE ALSO | Investigation continues after decomposing bodies found at Chicago funeral home | LIVE Updates