The last hours of Turkey's presidential race turn sour as the two candidates argue over refugees.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Vladivostok on Saturday where he was met by Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, according to...

Tottenham are this week's Premier League crisis club of the week after two defeats in the space of six days as injuries and suspensions take their toll.

Two seasons after losing more than 100 games each, the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks will meet in the World Series and one will...

An Arizona woman has been arrested for allegedly trying to kill her estranged husband by poisoning his daily coffee for months - while he used hidden cameras to catch her in the act. Melody Felicano Johnson was indicted by a Tucson grand jury on charges of first-degree attempted murder (domestic violence), attempting to commit aggravated assault (domestic violence) and poisoning food or drink, according to court documents obtained by KVOA. She pleaded not guilty at an arraignment on Friday. Prosecutors say the plot to poison her husband Roby Johnson, a member of the US Air Force, began back in March when he noticed a strange smell in his coffee. The couple, who share a child and were living together while going through a divorce, were stationed in Germany at the time. A few weeks later, Roby Johnson investigated his suspicions with pool testing strips, which showed high levels of chlorine in the coffee pot, the indictment states. In May, he placed hidden cameras that allegedly captured Melody Johnson pouring something into the coffee maker. Roby Johnson reportedly told investigators that he pretended to drink the coffee until the couple returned in June to the US, where he was stationed at Davis Monthan Air Force Base. He then set up multiple hidden cameras again to catch her in the act. The footage showed Melody Johnson “take bleach, pour it into a container and then walk over and pour it into the coffee maker”, the indictment states. An official investigation was launched after Roby Johnson turned the footage over to police as he filed a report. He told investigators he believed Melody Johnson wanted to kill him to collect his death benefits. Melody Johnson is currently being held in the Pima County Jail on $250,000 bond after prosecutors convinced a judge she poses a flight risk, having recently purchased a house in the Philippines near her family. Her next court appearance is scheduled for 6 September.

Point-of-view footage shows the moment a camera operator had to run for cover during what a Russian official said was Ukrainian shelling on Russian-controlled Donetsk in eastern Ukraine on Saturday, 5 August. The camera was following firefighters as they approached a university building in the city, which was burning after what Russian-installed mayor Alexei Kulemzin called a Ukrainian attack. Moments later, a loud blast is heard and the camera operator runs away whilst crouching down. Kulemzin said initial reports indicated the cause of the fire was an attack by Ukrainian forces using cluster munitions - this has not been independently verified.

Two teams with little tradition in baseball at the Pan American Games played the tournament’s final on Saturday, with Colombia ending as gold medalist after a sound 9-1 win against Brazil

A federal judge in Montana has blocked a bid to ban TikToK in the state. The state-wide ban would have come into effect on 1 January 2024 and would have seen Montana become the first US state to ban TikTok, which is owned by the China-based tech giant ByteDance. Judge Donald Molloy said he blocked the ban because it “oversteps state power” and Montana failed to show how the original SB 419 bill would be “constitutionally permissible,” among other reasons, according to a legal filing released on Thursday. “Despite the State’s attempt to defend SB 419 as a consumer protection bill, the current record leaves little doubt that Montana’s legislature and Attorney General were more interested in targeting China’s ostensible role in TikTok than with protecting Montana consumers,” Judge Molloy wrote in the filing. Judge Molloy’s ruling was a preliminary injunction, so it is possible the ban can still be reinstated. The bill was signed into law by state governor Greg Gianforte in May with the aim of “protecting Montanans from Chinese Communist Party surveillance,” he claimed. Under the law, Montana’s 200,000 TikTok users did not face any repercussions for using the app, however TikTok and other companies faced a $10,000 daily fine for each time someone accessed the app or was “offered the ability” to download it. Opponents of the bill have argued that it violates users’ First Amendment rights. A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement the company is “pleased the judge rejected this unconstitutional law and hundreds of thousands of Montanans can continue to express themselves, earn a living, and find community on TikTok.” ByteDance sued Montana in May to “prevent the state of Montana from unlawfully banning TikTok,” the company said at the time, after state officials alleged the Chinese government “could access data about TikTok users, and that TikTok exposes minors to harmful online content.” TikTok has previously insisted that it does not share data with the Chinese government. Montana attorney general said in a statement that the judge’s decision is merely “a preliminary matter at this point,” adding that the state will continue to defend the ban. In January 2020, the United States Army and Navy banned TikTok on government devices after the Defense Department labeled it a security risk. US lawmakers have expressed concern over the ability of the Chinese Communist Party to access the data of US citizens using the app, and have considered implementing a nationwide ban on TikTok. Read More Apple users told to make urgent update to stay safe Three has gone down Advertisers ‘won’t take risk’ of returning to X after Musk’s expletive-filled rant Apple users told to make urgent update to stay safe Three has gone down Advertisers ‘won’t take risk’ of returning to X after Musk’s expletive-filled rant

A huge amount of rock has been found which could have great consequences for us all. The phosphate rock deposit, discovered in Norway, contains enough minerals to meet the global demand for batteries and solar panels for the next 100 years, according to the mining company that controls it, Norge Mining. Phosphate rock, first discovered in 1669 by German scientist Hennig Brandt, contains high concentrates of phosphorus, which is a key component for building green technologies like electric cars. But it has supply issues given the EU is dependent on imports from countries like China, Iraq and Syria, and until recently, Russia.. An article in the scientific journal Nature last year for instance warned of imminent supply disruptions of phosphorus, citing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent economic sanctions as a potential cause of market volatility. So finding all this rock is, in short, good news. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Indeed, a spokesperson for the European Commission described the discovery as “great news” for meeting the objectives of the Commission’s raw material objectives, with Norge Mining telling Euractiv that the projected 4,500-metre-deep ore body would theoretically be capable of meeting global demand for the next century. Norway’s minister of trade and industry, Jan Christian Vestre, said last month that the government was considering fast-tracking a giant mine in Helleland once analysis is completed on 47 miles of drill cores. If approval is given, the first major mine could begin operation by 2028. The mining plans already have the support of the European Raw Materials Alliance, according to local reports, while local consultations continue. Rock on. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Europe should brace for more deadly heatwaves driven by climate change, said a sweeping report on Monday, noting the world's fastest-warming continent was some 2.3 degrees Celsius hotter...

Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, is reported to have been killed in a plane crash northwest of Moscow - exactly two months after leading a short-lived and unsuccessful mutiny against president Vladimir Putin. The plane crash which happened near the village of Kuzhenkino, northwest of Moscow, during a flight from Moscow to St Petersburg on Wednesday evening. Western intelligence agencies believe that Putin may have had a hand in downing the aircraft. The Wagner Group has become best known for its involvement in Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, but the private army, which Prigozhin claimed had 25,000 soldiers at the beginning of the war, has been around since 2014 and has been involved in several other conflicts. Here, The Independent takes a look at Wagner’s involvement in other countries, when it got involved in Ukraine and the events surrounding Prigozhin’s failed mutiny back in June, which sent shockwaves through Russia. 2014 - Wager group is founded by Prigozhin Prigozhin, a wealthy businessman known as Putin’s chef because he provided catering services to the Kremlin, said he founded the group back in 2014 and it was involved in Russia’s invasion and annexation of the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine. Wagner forces have been involved in Syria’s civil war since 2015, supporting pro-government forces and oil fields. The group has had a growing presence in Africa in recent years and has been detected in Libya, Sudan, the Central African Republic and Mail. 28 March 2022 - mercenaries are deployed to Ukraine Britain’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) first reported that Wagner had been deployed in Ukraine on 28 March 2022, just a month into the Kremlin’s invasion – after Russian losses had already begun to hamper the pace of the initial assault. But some reports suggest they had been involved since the beginning of the invasion on 24 February. Military consultant Nicholas Drummond told The Independent: “Wagner was involved from the start but the group started to become a key player when the initial assault ran into difficulty. “By the end of March, it was very evident that the invasion had gone wrong. Putin used Prigozhin as a troubleshooter and Wagner was there to fill the gaps.” 14 April - Prigozhin calls for end to war Prigozhin urges Putin to end the war and to tell the Russian people that the country had achieved the aims of its “special military operation. He claimed that Russia had taken a “fat chunk” of Ukrainian territory, and that the most strategic route for its armed forces - who have suffered severe losses - would be to defend existing gains. His comments, which came in a rambling statement posted online, marked the first time a senior figure in the war publicly called for the Kremlin to stop the war. Over the next few months - and up until the weeks before his reported death - he would go on to repeatedly criticise the Kremlin’s strategy in the war and complain about the number of troops he was losing. 4 May - Prigozhin rages at top military brass Prigozhin launches blistering attack on Russia top military brass after suffering heavy losses on Bakhmut. In an expletive-ridden video, recorded in a field littered with corpses, blamed the Kremlin for the deaths. “These are Wagner lads who died today. The blood is still fresh,” he says, pointing to roughly three dozen bodies he says are Wagner fighters. “They came here as volunteers and are dying so you can sit like fat cats in your luxury offices.” 20 May - Wager claims it has taken Bakhmut Wagner claims that its forces have taken control of the city of Bakhmut after the longest and most grinding battle of the Russia-Ukraine war, but Ukrainian defense officials dismiss claims as false. In a video posted on Telegram, Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin said the city came under complete Russian control at about midday Saturday. He spoke flanked by about half a dozen fighters, with ruined buildings in the background and explosions heard in the distance. However, after the video appeared, Ukrainian deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said heavy fighting was continuing. 25 May - Wagner troops leave Bakhmut Russia’s Wagner mercenary group has started withdrawing its forces from the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut and transferring its positions there to regular Russian troops, its founder Yevgeny Prigozhin said in a video published on Thursday. "We are withdrawing the units from Bakhmut. From today at five in the morning, May 25 until June 1, most of the units will rebase to camps in the rear. We are handing our positions to the military," he said. 23/24June - Prigozhin leads rebellion against Kremlin Prigozhin leads rebellion against the Kremlin and demands the sacking of defence minister Sergei Shoigu, who he blames for Russia’s faltering campaign in Ukraine Thousands of Wagner fighters move rapidly from Russia’s south towards the capital in a "march for justice", reportedly making it to within 120 miles from the city before Priogozhin calls off their advance. 27 June - Belarus president claims he convinced Prigozhin to call off mutiny Alexander Lukashenko says that he convinced Prigozhin in an emotional, expletive-laden phone call to end the mutiny. Under a deal brokered by Lukashenko, an old friend, Prigozhin abandoned what a "march for justice" by thousands of his men on Moscow in exchange for safe passage to exile in Belarus. 6 July - Prigozhin ‘free’ man in St Petersburg Lukashenko says Prigozhin is in St Petersburg and a "free" man - despite staging rebellion weeks earlier. The Belarusian leader said then "maybe he went to Moscow, maybe somewhere else, but he is not on the territory of Belarus". 18 July - Prigozhin welcomes troops to Belarus Wagner chief appears in video allegedly showing him welcoming his troops to Belarus. 27 July - Images suggest Wagner chief attended meeting in St Petersburg Images posted online appear to show Prigozhin attending a meeting in St Petersburg, where Putin was also in attendance for the Russia-Africa summit. 22 August - Prigozhin posts final video before reported death In the video, Mr Prigozhin was seen toting an assault rifle and wearing military fatigues, with his comments suggesting the clip was shot in an unnamed African country. The Wagner boss said during the clip that he is recruiting “strongmen” and said the group will “fulfil the tasks that were set” by the Russian government. The video was shared on Telegram channels affiliated with the Wagner group, as Mr Prigozhin said the mercenary group was “making Russia even greater on all continents, and Africa even more free”. 23 August - Prigozhin reportedly killed in plane crash Prigozhin is presumed dead after being named among passengers on a private jet that crashed into a field near Moscow with no survivors. Kremlin stays silent on plane crash throughout the following day. Read More If the Wagner mercenary chief is dead, he got the death he deserved Minister warns against jumping to conclusions over Wagner chief’s reported death The downed Russian jet carried Wagner's hierarchy, from Prigozhin's No. 2 to his bodyguards The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary

New Liverpool signing Alexis Mac Allister admits playing his part in Argentina’s World Cup victory gave him a taste for more trophies and he believes he will be able to fulfil that aim at Anfield. The 24-year-old’s arrival on a five-year contract signals the start of manager Jurgen Klopp’s much-vaunted midfield rebuild which will likely see further additions made this summer. A fee has not been disclosed but it is understood the Argentina international had a favourable release clause, which is reported to be as low as an initial £35million, inserted into the Brighton contract he only signed in October to avoid him leaving on a free at the end of the season. “Since I won the World Cup, I said that I want to win more trophies,” the midfielder told LFCTV. “I think this club will help me to do that. That’s the aim, and when you are at a big club like this one, you have to win trophies. That’s what I want. “It doesn’t matter which one. Of course, every player wants to win the Champions League and the Premier League, but I will do my best to help the team and try to win every trophy.” Mac Allister was on Liverpool’s radar prior to his move to the Seagulls in 2019 but the club felt his development was still in its early stages, although his versatility to play in several positions was a key factor in their interest. He became as a priority target ahead of the World Cup in Qatar, in which he played a significant part in Argentina’s victory, and Liverpool were keen to secure his services to avoid a bidding war having pulled out of the race to sign Borussia Dortmund’s Real Madrid-bound midfielder Jude Bellingham when he became too expensive. “We are adding a very talented, very smart, very technically skilled boy to our squad and this is super news. There is no pressure on him... our job is to help him take the next steps Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp Mac Allister said he was looking forward to working with one of the best managers in the world and Klopp was equally fulsome in his praise of the player. “We are adding a very talented, very smart, very technically skilled boy to our squad and this is super news, really it is,” Klopp said. “It is clear he is someone who can play in a number of positions in the midfield and is an all-rounder. He is calm and composed and someone with proper game intelligence. “I’m really happy his next steps will now be with us and we get to work with a player who is already excellent and experienced, but also has so much more to come given he is just 24 years old. “There is no pressure on him. He is still so young, so it is obvious he will only improve and our job is to help him take the next steps.” Mac Allister’s age and his career appearances (160) fit in with the demographics of some of the club’s most successful signings like Mohamed Salah, Virgil Van Dijk and Roberto Firmino and he represents the start of an overhaul of a midfield which lost James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain at the end of their contracts this season. The groundwork on the deal has been going on for some time as the club have a long-standing relationship with the player’s agent Juan Gemelli dating back to Philippe Coutinho’s transfer from Inter Milan in 2013. Departing sporting director Julian Ward pushed the deal to completion but has now handed over transfer business to his replacement Jorg Schmadtke. Liverpool have also been linked with Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch, Nice’s Khephren Thuram, Borussia Monchengladbach’s Manu Kone and Southampton’s Romeo Lavia and will be looking to get the majority of their business done early in time for the start of pre-season on July 8. Mac Allister’s departure may not be the last from Brighton with Moises Caicedo, a target for Arsenal in January, attracting more interest but the Seagulls’ Argentina international left with the club’s best wishes. “We are incredibly proud of Alexis and we are sad to see him go,” said chairman Tony Bloom. “He did something very special, becoming the first Brighton and Hove Albion player to win the World Cup, and was a key player in our best-ever season.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Jarrod Bowen: From Hereford and Hull to West Ham’s humble European hero Paul McGinley: PGA Tour players will feel like the losers out of golf merger Declan Rice set to leave West Ham after Europa Conference League success