Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said Sunday he was in good spirits on his third birthday behind bars, despite tougher prison conditions and yet...

U.S. officials are proposing a $31 million recovery plan for Canada lynx to help a snow-dependent wildcat species that scientists say could be wiped out in parts of the contiguous U.S. by the end of the century

A large crowd gathered as political and faith leaders gave speeches at the event in Manchester.

Former president Donald Trump spent much of the day before his first appearance as a criminal defendant in federal court in search of experienced legal representation, but without much in the way of results. Mr Trump, who departed on Monday afternoon from the resort in Bedminster, New Jersey, where he primarily resides during the summer months to travel to Miami aboard his bespoke Boeing 757, has spent much of the last year and a half cycling through a rotating cast of criminal defence attorneys as he has contended with the Department of Justice probe that resulted in his unprecedented indictment under the Espionage Act last week. Two of the more experienced criminal defence lawyers in his stable, James Trusty and John Rowley, quit the ex-president’s team on Thursday, just hours after a Florida grand jury voted to charge him with 37 separate counts stemming from alleged violations of the Espionage Act and other portions of the US criminal code. Another lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, left Mr Trump’s employ roughly a month ago, citing conflicts with a longtime aide to the ex-president, Boris Epshteyn. Yet another of the criminal defence attorneys who once represented Mr Trump in the documents probe, Evan Corcoran, had to step away from that role in the wake of a court ruling ordering him to give evidence against the ex-president before a grand jury and turn over notes and recordings he’d made, citing a rarely-used exception to the attorney-client privilege used in case where an attorney’s advice is found to have been used to commit crimes. Mr Corcoran’s testimony and evidence figured heavily in the 39-page indictment against the ex-president, which detailed Mr Trump’s reaction after he was served with a subpoena compelling him to return all documents in his possession which bore classification markings. Now, with his arraignment just one day away, Mr Trump is scrambling to secure more experienced defence counsel to help him fend off charges which, if he is convicted, could theoretically land the 78-year-old ex-president in prison for the rest of his natural life. But although the Southern District of Florida is known to have a particularly strong defence bar, many of its most prominent practitioners are declining entreaties to join Mr Trump’s legal team. The Independent has learned that one well-known attorney, David Markus, has already declined to represent the ex-president. Mr Markus, a Harvard Law School graduate and former federal public defender, helped former Tallahassee mayor Andrew Gillum beat federal corruption charges earlier this year. While most lawyers would ordinarily jump at the chance to represent a former president of the United States, Mr Trump has long presented a challenge for those he’s asked to stand up for him in court. The ex-president is known to routinely disregard legal advice and is prone to making incriminating statements in public settings, two traits which have long dogged his attempts to find competent jurists to defend him in both civil and criminal matters, both during and after his presidency. Additionally, Mr Trump has a long history of refusing to pay for services rendered by skilled professionals, dating back to his days as a New York real estate developer. The involvement of Mr Epshteyn, a Georgetown Law School graduate who styles himself as Mr Trump’s in-house counsel despite the fact that he has never once appeared in any court on behalf of any client, has presented another stumbling block in the ex-president’s efforts to secure competent representation. According to sources familiar with the matter, Mr Epshteyn’s role in the ex-president’s orbit of late has been to coordinate the different teams of lawyers representing him in civil and criminal cases against him throughout the country. But some people who’ve been involved in those efforts say Mr Epshteyn has used his position to act as a gatekeeper and prevent Mr Trump’s lawyers from delivering candid advise or bad news, though spokespersons for Mr Trump have denied such claims and have described him as a valuable member of the ex-president’s team. As it stands now, Mr Trump is expected to be represented at his arraignment by Christopher Kise, a former Florida Solicitor General who joined the ex-president’s team in the wake of the 8 August 2022 search of his Palm Beach, Florida property by FBI agents, as well as Todd Blanche, a veteran New York-based criminal defence lawyer who has previously appeared for Mr Trump after a Manhattan grand jury indicted him for falsifying business records earlier this year. Mr Kise, a veteran Sunshine State practitioner who is licensed to appear in the Southern District of Florida — the venue where Mr Trump now faces charges — is not known as an experienced criminal defence attorney, as he was first brought on to handle Mr Trump’s failed effort to block the Department of Justice from using the evidence recovered during the search of his home and office. Though Mr Blanche is not licensed to practice by the Florida State Bar or the Southern District of Florida, he can appear for Mr Trump on Tuesday if an attorney licensed to practice in the district such as Mr Kise is willing to vouch for him. Read More Trump indictment – live: Trump leaves Bedminster ahead of Miami arraignment as Bill Barr calls him ‘toast’ Lindsey Graham is lying for Trump. And it shows the real issue with the Republican party Morning Joe host shouts down Republicans backing Trump to appease ‘weirdos and freaks’ Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement

House Republicans are moving ahead with a plan to temporarily fund the government while beefing up border security -- a proposal that is dead on arrival in the Senate and could even face difficulties in the House, raising the likelihood of a government shutdown.

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It’s been 12 days since murder convict Danelo Cavalcante escaped from a prison in northwestern Pennsylvania. Cavalcante, 34, has not only eluded hundreds of US Marshalls, SWAT, FBI and state and local law enforcement officers — he has also managed to sneak past the established search perimeter time and time again and is now armed. Over the weekend, the fugitive drove more than 25 miles from his initial hiding spot in Longwood Gardens after stealing a van that he then discarded in East Nantmeal Township. Then on Monday night, he broke inside a garage in South Coventry Township and stole a .22 rifle before fleeing the scene. Residents of the suburban Pennsylvania county are growing increasingly frustrated as police scramble to keep up with Cavalcante’s moves. During a press conference on 12 September, authorities said that the search is no longer contained to a perimeter. State police and the US Marshalls Service blamed the vast wooded areas in Chester County for Cavalcante’s previous success in breaking past the search area but noted that law enforcement now has an advantage over Cavalcante as he’s believed to be hiding in a more urban area. As the manhunt for Cavalcante drags on, these are all the sightings confirmed by officials so far: 31 August - Cavalcante escapes Chester County Prison Cavalcante escaped from the Chester County Prison in Pocopson Township, Pennsylvania, at around 8.50am on 31 August. At the time, other inmates in the exercise yard were playing basketball. Video of the incident showed him crab-walking up a wall and pushing through razor wire in order to gain access to the prison’s roof. He then jumped down into another area of the prison and left on foot. The unconventional method is exactly the same that was used by another inmate back in May, Chester County Prison acting Warden Howard Holland said. During that incident, the inmate was captured within minutes after a tower officer reported the break to prison staff. In Cavalcante’s case, the tower officer tasked with surveilling the escape route failed to report the jailbreak, which went unnoticed for nearly an hour. Cavalcante’s absence was only noticed during a head count when his block returned back inside around 9.50am after the basketball game. The jail was then put into lockdown and the 911 centre was notified 10 minutes later. The tower officer who was tasked with surveilling the area where Cavalcante’s block was at the time of the escape has since been fired. “We can confirm that the corrections officer on duty when Danelo Cavalcante escaped was terminated yesterday afternoon,” a source told CNN in a statement on 8 September. “He was an 18-year veteran of the prison.” Acting warden Howard Holland said that an investigation into the escape was being conducted by the state attorney’s office. Mr Holland said that following the escape attempt in May, the prison had brought consultants in to increase security at the facility. Razor wire — which Cavalcante pushed through — was placed to prevent access to the roof, but officials didn’t expect “the human element” to fail, Mr Holland said. “While we believed that the security measures we had in place were sufficient, they have proven otherwise,” Mr Holland said. “And we will work to enhance our security ... One key difference in [this] escape is the role of the tower officer whose primary responsibility is to oversee the inmate in the exercise yard.” Mr Holland declined to say what the prison officer was believed to be doing during the escape, only noting that he was at the post. CCTV footage shows Danelo Calvacante’s prison escape 1 to 7 September – Sightings in Longwood Gardens, Pocopson and Pennsbury townships Following his escape. Cavalcante was spotted several times in Popocson and Pennsbury townships. He was seen at the intersection of Route 926 and Route 52, north on Route 52 to Parkersville Road, southeast to Route 926 and west to the intersection of Route 926 and Route 52. Local authorities received a report of an attempted burglary in the area just an hour before Cavalcante was captured on a trail surveillance area in Longwood Gardens botanical parks on 6 September. He was seen walking through the area with a duffel bag, backpack and hooded sweatshirt he apparently stole while on the run. That sighting led officials to move the search area farther south after they determined that Cavalcante had likely slipped through the original perimeter set by hundreds of local, state and federal law enforcement officers, but they said his movements showed he was feeling the pressure of the massive search and that his options were dwindling. On 7 September, authorities said they had expanded the search perimeter to between eight and 10 square miles. The manhunt forced officials in two school districts within the large search area to cancel classes, citing “an overabundance of caution.” Longwood Gardens cited the same reason as it remained closed for an entire week. “That pressure we put on him is working. We squeezed him hard enough in a period of a few days where he couldn’t get some relief, and he squeezed out,” Pennsylvania State Police Lt Col George Bevins said at a press conference on 5 September. “I wished we could’ve got him, but it’s a large, dark area, with difficult terrain.” Yet, in the following days, Cavalcante would sneak more than 20 miles past the perimeter. 9 September – Cavalcante captured on former coworker’s doorbell camera in Phoenixville Cavalcante showed up at an old associate’s home around 9.50pm on 9 September and requested through the doorbell camera to meet with him. The individual was out having dinner with his family and had a brief conversation with Cavalcante in Portuguese. He later arrived at his home, reviewed the footage and alerted local police to the sighting. Doorbell video images showed Cavalcante to be now clean-shaven and wearing a green hooded sweatshirt, black baseball cap, green prison pants and white shoes. The fugitive then travelled to the home of another former coworker’s home in Phoenixville. A female who was at the home when Cavalcante rang the bell called a friend, who eventually informed law enforcement about the sighting. Once notified of the developments, authorities started looking into the possibility that Cavalcante had stolen a vehicle. It was later determined that Cavalcante stole a white 2020 Ford Transit near a dairy farm in Longwood Gardens that he used to drive to Phoenixville. 10 September – Authorities find van stolen by Cavalcante in East Nantmeal Township Around 10.40am on 10 September, police found the van that Cavalcante had stolen in a field behind a barn in East Nantmeal Township, about 15 miles from Phoenixville. Lt Col George Bivens said he believed Cavalcante abandoned the vehicle at least in part because it was low on fuel. Authorities are concerned that he would attempt to obtain another vehicle or has already done so. The area where Cavalcante abandoned the van is roughly 25 miles, or a 40-minute drive, from the previous eight-mile perimeter police had established near the popular Longwood Gardens botanical park. Mr Bivens said that he is confident Cavalcante remains in Pennsylvania as he “does not have the resources” to leave the state. “We don’t have a defined search area at this point,” Mr Bivens said on 11 September. “We are considering and acting and investigating any tip or piece of information we receive. There are areas in Nantmeal Township that may have more of our resources.” Mr Bivens said that he was aware of some weaknesses in the previous 10-mile perimeter, but refused to acknowledge that the several agencies collaborating in the manhunt had made any mistakes. He went on to say that the perimeter was “strong” but not infallible. “No perimeter is 100 per cent secure. It’s not a wall, it doesn’t have a ceiling ... all of the elements that you might use to contain someone,” he said. 11- 12 September - Cavalcante steals rifle, spotted in South Coventry Township Around 8pm on 11 September, a motorist told 911 dispatchers that a male figure had crouched near the woodline near Route 100. Troopers responding to the scene investigated the sighting and found footprints on the mud consistent with Cavalcante’s prison shoes, which were also found in the area. Mr Bivens said that although authorities arrived at the scene within minutes, Cavalcante managed to travel a significant distance during that time. “Just because they found a footprint doesn’t mean that we know what direction he travelled,” Mr Bivens said during a press conference on 12 September. A resident of the area called shortly after to report that a pair of workboots on her porch had been stolen. Then at 10.10pm, a homeowner reported that a “short Hispanic man” broke inside his garage. Mr Bivens said that Cavalcante stole a .22 rifle with a scope and a flashlight on it. The homeowner opened fire on Cavalcante with his pistol but the fugitive is not believed to have been injured. Cavalcante fled before Pennsylvania State Police arrived at the scene. Near the edge of the driveway, authorities found clothes that Cavalcante had been spotted wearing over the weekend. Around 500 officers were hunting for Cavalcante on 12 September as one school district remained closed and residents were told to secure their homes and be vigilant. The search is focused on South Coventry Township in Chester County — near Route 23 to the North, Route 100 to the East, Fairview and Nantmeal roads to the South and Iron Bridge and County Park roads to the West. Read More Police hunting Danelo Cavalcante say it’s ‘advantage law enforcement’ as search zeroes in on township Danelo Cavalcante updates: Search area expanded dramatically after escaped murder convict steals van Danelo Cavalcante’s former roommate speaks out about ‘quiet and shy guy’ murder convict

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A disciplinary committee in Washington DC has recommended Rudy Giuliani be disbarred in the nation’s capital for his spurious efforts to overturn the results for the 2020 presidential election on behalf of Donald Trump. Mr Giuliani had “no factual basis, and consequently no legitimate legal grounds” to challenge the results of the election in states that Mr Trump lost, while his “frivolous” pursuit to undermine the outcome and disenfranchise voters “seriously undermined the administration of justice,” according to the committee’s report. “He claimed massive election fraud but had no evidence of it,” the committee wrote on 7 July. “By prosecuting that destructive case Mr Giuliani, a sworn officer of the Court, forfeited his right to practice law. He should be disbarred.” The preliminary report from a committee with the DC Bar Association, which follows a misconduct hearing in December, is not final; his case will be considered by DC’s Board on Professional Responsibility and by the DC court of appeals. Mr Giuliani – who repeatedly and baselessly asserted that the election was fraudulent while pushing lawsuits to subvert the outcome in states that Mr Trump lost – is facing other professional sanctions, investigations and lawsuits tied to his efforts to overturn election results and sow doubt about the outcome of the 2020 election. The latest report specifically criticises Mr Giuliani’s “calculated” attempts to undermine trust in US elections, after he falsely stated in a federal court in Pennsylvania that fraudulent election results in the state would overturn Joe Biden’s victory. “Mr Giuliani has not acknowledged or accepted responsibility for his misconduct,” the committee wrote. “To the contrary, he has declared his indignation ... over being subjected to the disciplinary process. ... We are convinced that a sanction must be enhanced to ensure that it adequately deters both [Mr Giuliani] and other attorneys from acting similarly in the future.” The committee, composed of two attorneys and a member of the public, which unanimously recommended his disbarment, considered “in mitigation” Mr Giuliani’s previous work – including his terms as mayor of New York City, including during the chaos of the September 11 attacks and their aftermath. “But all of that happened long ago,” the report stated. “The misconduct here sadly transcends all his past accomplishments. It was unparalleled in its destructive purpose and effect. He sought to disrupt a presidential election and persists in his refusal to acknowledge the wrong he has done,” the committee added. “For these reasons, we unanimously recommend that Mr Giuliani be disbarred.” Ted Goodman, a spokesperson for Mr Giuliani, said in a statement shared with The Independent that the committee is “persecuting” the former mayor “on behalf of the permanent corrupt regime in Washington.” “This is also part of a larger effort to deny President Trump effective counsel by persecuting Mayor Giuliani – objectively one of the most effective prosecutors in American history,” he added. “I call on rank-and-file members of the DC Bar Association to speak up in defense of Mayor Giuliani and against this great injustice.” Mr Giuliani’s law license was suspended in New York in 2021 for “demonstrably false and misleading statements” surrounding the election. Voting machine company Dominion Voting Systems also filed defamation lawsuits against Mr Giuliani as well as Trump-allied attorney Sidney Powell, conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell and Fox News for amplifying false claims that the company argues have severely damaged its reputation, compromised integrity in US elections and fuelled harassment and death threats against its employees. Mr Giuliani also is wrapped up in a lawsuit filed by Georgia election workers who have accused right-wing conspiracy theorists of fuelling threats against them. The former mayor of New York City also could face federal charges connected to a sprawling investigation under US Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith into the dubious and far-reaching efforts to undermine election results leading up to the attack on the US Capitol on January 6. Mr Giuliani reportedly participated in a voluntary interview with prosecutors working under the supervision of Mr Smith, a meeting that Mr Goodman told The Independent last month “was entirely voluntary and conducted in a professional manner,” though he declined to elaborate on the current status of Mr Giuliani’s discussions with the Justice Department. Read More Rudy Giuliani grilled by prosecutors about 'shouting match' in fight to overturn election Ex-Trump aide reportedly joins Giuliani in cooperating with special counsel in 2020 election probe The Trumpworld attorneys facing professional sanctions over spurious lawsuits and election lies

Elton John was rushed to the hospital in Monaco where he was checked by the orthopaedic department