By Jody Godoy and Luc Cohen NEW YORK Caroline Ellison, the former co-head of Sam Bankman-Fried's hedge fund

European Union leaders have resumed migration talks after Poland and Hungary blocked progress overnight

The 14-year-old boy remains in custody facing murder charges after Monday's fatal shooting.

By Raphael Satter WASHINGTON In late June, one of cybersecurity expert Steven Adair's clients got an alert from

Volodymyr Zelensky made a passionate plea to American lawmakers at Capitol Hill as his second trip to Washington – since the Ukraine invasion – came to an end. The Ukrainian president got a $325m aid package from the Biden administration as he wrapped up his second visit, said to be more muted compared to the hype that surrounded his earlier one. However, senate majority leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday summed up an impassioned plea made by the wartime president to American lawmakers even as Republicans debate flow of financial aid to Ukraine for more than 20 months now. “There was a single sentence that summed it all up, and I’m quoting him verbatim. Mr Zelensky said: ‘If we don’t get the aid we will lose the war’,” Mr Schumer told reporters. The president also held private talks with both Republican and Democratic leaders to relay Kyiv’s message for further aid and help push Russia from its territory as the war appears to enter another looming winter. President Joe Biden said he is “counting on the good judgment of the United States Congress” in the absence of an alternative to aid Ukraine against the biggest military warfare ever since the Second World War. US lawmakers quoted Mr Zelensky as saying that the Ukrainians have a solid war plan and “they are winning”. Independent senators, however, noted Mr Zelensky “conceded that it’s tough, very tough to overcome entrenched defences”. “They believe they will make slow but steady progress, but it’s not going to be quick,” said independent senator Angus King. After wrapping up his second day in the US, Mr Zelensky called it an important trip to Washington DC. “There is a new defence package: air defence, artillery, shells, engineering equipment. There is also a long-term agreement – we will work together for Ukraine to produce the necessary weapons together with the United States,” he said. “My day began on Capitol Hill with candid and extensive discussions. Both chambers and parties. I sensed trust, which fosters unity. “Members of Congress asked direct questions and received candid responses. Transparency is our top priority in our relations with the US. I also had important defence talks at the Pentagon,” he said. The Ukrainian president received a red-carpet welcome on the White House South lawn and attended more ceremonies than offered to other world leaders on visits to the administration. In a setback, the Biden administration’s request to Congress for an additional $24bn for Ukraine’s military and humanitarian needs is hanging in the balance. Resistance to the latest request could lead to delays or reductions. The latest package, secretary of state Antony Blinken said, would include additional air defence, artillery ammunition, cluster munitions and other arms. House speaker Kevin McCarthy said he declined Mr Zelensky’s request for a joint session of Congress, as had happened during the Ukrainian president’s visit to Washington last winter, saying there wasn’t time for it on short notice. But the Republican leader praised answers the Ukrainian delegation offered to lawmakers. “It was direct, I thought it was honest, they were answering the questions,” Mr McCarthy said. “I heard a lot of positive things.” Lawmakers who attended the private meeting described questioning Mr Zelensky on the way forward for Ukraine’s counteroffensive, as the fight to roll back invading Russian forces moves closer to the two-year mark without major breakthroughs. With Mr Zelensky’s visit, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the Biden administration is looking to underline the message that the US and the world “send the unmistakable message that in the 21st century, a dictator cannot be allowed to conquer or carve up his neighbour’s territory”. “If we allow that here. it will happen elsewhere in ways that will undermine fundamental security, not to mention the values that the American people hold so dear,” Mr Sullivan said. Mr Zelensky departed for Canada after wrapping up his meetings in Washington on Thursday and was greeted by Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau on arrival. He is expected to address the Canadian parliament on Friday. Read More Why has Poland stopped supplying weapons to Ukraine? Ukraine-Russia war - live: Biden’s $325m package for Zelensky as Pentagon says Abram tanks ‘on schedule’ Zelenskyy to speak before Canadian Parliament in his campaign to shore up support for Ukraine Watch as Zelensky meets with Biden for talks at White House President Zelensky and Ukraine’s First Lady arrive at White House

By Andrew Chung The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled against a bid by North Carolina Republican lawmakers

By Kylie MacLellan and Andrew MacAskill LONDON (Reuters) -British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's highly contested plan to make it easier

Manchester United are on the brink of an early exit from the Champions League after blowing a 2-0 lead to lose 4-3 on Wednesday to FC Copenhagen as Marcus Rashford...

Donald Trump is facing political blowback from within his party for his comments about abortion

A wildfire near the northeastern Greek region of Evros which has been raging for 11 days is unlikely to be brought under control, officials have said. Deputy governor Dimitris Petrovich told national broadcaster ERT wind could cause the flames to spread even further. “Unfortunately, we see that the Dadia front cannot be contained and brought under control,” he said, describing the conditions for firefighters as “difficult”. The European Commission said the blaze, which is raging near the city of Alexandroupolis, is the largest single fire in the history of the EU. Over 400 firefighters, six planes and four helicopters were working to put out the blaze in Evros, the fire department said. Evacuation orders have been issued for a village in Evros and another village in neighbouring Rodopi. The wildfire has been blamed for 20 of the 21 wildfire-related deaths in Greece last week. Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire, which has scorched more than 80,000 hectares (197,000 acres) of land, including in Dadia national park, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Emergency Management Service. Major wildfires have also been seen on the outskirts of the capital Athens and on the Aegean island of Andros. Some 260 firefighters, one plane and three helicopters tackled the blaze on the outskirts of Athens, which burned into the Mount Parnitha national park. Meanwhile, a third fire broke out on Saturday on the island of Andros in the Cyclades archipelago, which is suspected to have been caused by a lightning strike. Greece suffers major wildfires every year and imposes wildfire prevention regulations, typically from the start of May to the end of October, limiting activities such as the burning of dried vegetation and the use of outdoor barbecues. By Friday, fire department officials had arrested 163 people on fire-related charges since the start of the fire prevention season, government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said, including 118 for negligence and 24 for deliberate arson. The police had made a further 18 arrests, he said. Last month, thousands of people were evacuated from towns and villages across Greece after wildfires ravaged the country. Fires spread through Corfu, Rhodes, Evia, Crete and the northern Peloponnese region in Greece. The most serious fire in the country was on the island of Rhodes, where some 19,000 people had been evacuated from several locations. Local police said 16,000 people were evacuated by land and 3,000 by sea from 12 villages and several hotels. The region’s deputy mayor said the fires in Corfu were caused by arson. Read More Greece reinforces firefighting forces to tackle massive blaze in the country's northeast Massive wildfire in northeastern Greece persists for 11th day despite European firefighting efforts Greek fire officials arrest 2 for arson as multiple wildfires continue to burn across the country Ore Oduba and wife Portia ‘stranded’ in Greece without nappies for children Court axes lawsuit from Wyoming students trying to bar trans woman from sorority Official says the UN remains committed to helping reach a deal healing Cyprus' ethnic split

Austin Salyer was lying in bed when he was fatally struck by a bullet his neighbour accidentally fired through the wall that separated their apartments. The criminal justice and military science student at Texas State University had gone to bed early on the night of 16 September 2021 because he had an early ROTC training the next morning. The pain his parents, Rodney and Bonnie Salyer, experienced as they went through the living hell of losing their only son is still very much present two years later. But they tell The Independent they’re committed to telling Austin’s story in hopes that it leads to much-delayed justice for their son. “He had just gone to basic camp at Fort Knox and he absolutely loved that. He was looking forward to the following summer when he would go to his advanced camp,” Mr Salyer says. “He was doing everything well, just everything that would make a parent proud.” Austin’s killer, 24-year-old Gabriel Brown, was convicted of criminally negligent homicide. However, the 180-day jail sentence Brown was given and the judge’s choice to then reduce it to just 90 days have left the Salyers in a seemingly endless search for answers. The judge’s and Hays County prosecutors’ refusal to explain that sentencing has only exacerbated their frustration. Following a court process they say was marked by disregard for Austin’s loved ones, the grieving parents believe their son was failed by the very system that he dreamed of serving. They are now determined to obtain some semblance of justice for Austin’s memory. “September will be two years, so we’ve had some time to grieve, some time to adjust,” Mr Salyer says. “We still grieve every day. It’s not as raw as it used to be, there’s kind of a scab from there, but it still hurts every day. There are triggers every day.” The shooting Brown told authorities that his gun misfired while he was modifying it with a micro-conversion kit and speaking on the phone with his father. According to the Salyers, he called Austin on Snapchat and tried to knock on his door but then went back to his apartment without getting any answer. The bullet he fired ripped through Austin’s left arm and travelled through both his lungs before it lodged in his right arm. It is unclear how long Austin was alive after he was shot, but he managed to at least get out of bed and make it to the living room of his apartment. “It’s just beyond our imagination how you could literally shoot a bullet through a crowded apartment wall, not get a response from the person that you know is living next door and then not do anything else. Just go to sleep,” Mr Salyer says. Austin’s body wasn’t found until the next morning, when his mother asked friends to check in on him after he failed to answer her calls and she became worried he had overslept. The Texas State student was supposed to wake up at 4.30am for his first road march with his Army platoon. “This is literally almost 12 hours later. [Brown] still had not called for help. He still had not gotten even something like the apartments to go check on him,” Mr Salyer adds. “Nothing. Nothing at this point.” Sentencing change Hays County prosecutors working on the case and Brown’s attorney reached a plea deal that resulted in the initial 180-day sentence. The Salyers hadn’t agreed with the charges of negligent homicide or the decision to skip a trial, but they came to terms with the results the system had delivered, they said. “Criminally negligent homicide would be an open and closed case,” Mr Salyer said. “And [they] would have to put more effort into proving manslaughter ... We don’t get to know everything in this situation, but it does feel like either they lack the passion, they’re overwhelmed, or whatever other motives they may have.” Confusion then emerged during Brown’s sentencing. According to a transcript the Salyers obtained from the court, the judge first sentenced Mr Brown to serve a total of 18 days in prison every year - nine of them for Austin’s birthday, and nine others for the anniversary of his death. But with a five-year probation, that only equalled a 90-day sentence. The judge then corrected herself, noting that every separate sentence would be 18 days, bringing the total of days Brown would spend in jail to 36 every year, and 180 in the five years of probation. He was also given community service and was ordered to pay a small restitution to the Salyers. But court records show that at some point in the following days, the bi-yearly 18-day sentence was scratched out and changed to nine. “There was no other documentation. There was no initials. There was no indication of who made this change. Today, we still do not know who made this change,” Mr Salyer tells The Independent. A later amendment indicated the change was made by the judge, but did not explain the reasoning behind it. The Salyers allege they were not made aware of the change until they followed up in regard to Brown’s probation. District Attorney Kelly Higgins told Fox 7 that the case is not over and the judge is the only one who can “explain why she decided what she decided.” But when the Salyers requested a hearing with the judge to review the developments, they were told they can send her mail but can’t meet with her in person to discuss the changes. The defence attorney also filed a motion for “clarification for conditions of probations.” The Salyers say although they don’t fully understand what goes behind the scenes, court officials have never bothered to explain to them what exactly led up to the sudden sentencing change. “We’re not even allowed to talk to her. We’ve asked to speak to her so that we could get an explanation so that we could put our mind at ease and we were told she doesn’t,” Mr Salyer says. “We’re reasonable people ... If there’s a legitimate reason we could understand that.” Austin’s parents have now filed a civil lawsuit against Brown, his father and his girlfriend, who is believed to have been in his apartment around the time the shooting took place. They said that’s their last recourse to seek accountability. “And so that’s kind of the point we’re at now. It’s more about trying to understand why the justice system has failed Austin, why the justice system has failed us, why it’s failed his friends, and why it’s failed society as a whole,” Mr Salyer says. ‘It’s a life sentence for us’ When they were at the police station following Austin’s shooting, Mr Salyer says his wife asked about the shooter. “We’re thinking this is just a kid that just made a stupid mistake, this guy feels terrible,” he tells The Independent. “‘What condition must this guy be in?’ You know, to have killed somebody and seen this. And we’re thinking, ‘This must be really bad for him.’ So one of the first questions my wife asked the police was, ‘How is he?’” They said they have yet to see Brown extend the same courtesy to them, or even express remorse for taking their son’s life. In fact, when Ms Salyer took the stand as a witness during the plea deal hearing, Brown’s attorney reportedly asked her if she’d want Austin to serve “the maximum sentence” if the roles were reversed, a hypothetical that Ms Salyer found hurtful. “The only thing [Brown] said on the stand was, ‘If I could take that date back, I would.’ But that’s not saying I’m sorry,” Ms Salyer says. “It’s salt in the wound. To have somebody kill your son, your only son, your only child. And then from our perspective, not so much as even care.” “And to this day, again, we’re almost approaching two years. He has not once said, ‘I’m sorry.’ He has not once said, ‘Can you forgive me? There’s been no remorse,” Mr Salyer adds. “And that’s really what this story is about. We’re depending on the justice system to get accountability for his actions ... What little sentence he has is temporary. Ours is for the rest of our lives.” The Salyers want their son to be remembered for his heart of gold, for being the type of person who cried over commercials for animal charities, and for wanting to contribute to society in every way he could. “He would have done anything to help anybody. No matter who you were, no matter where you were from, no matter what your background was. He was there for everybody,” Ms Salyer says. Austins’ parents also regret that his body was found so long after he died. They believe had Brown called earlier, Austin, a registered organ donor, would have saved other people’s lives. “That was their magic moment to be able to get those organs from our son and it was just stripped away,” Mr Salyer says. Austin’s parents hope they can start a foundation in the future to continue their son’s legacy, but in the meantime, plenty of awards have been created in his honour. “Austin would have been commissioned as Second Lieutenant [this past May.] His ROTC actually invited us to that commissioning ceremony, where they honoured him,” Mr Salyer says, “[His high school created an award] called the Austin Salyer Teammate of the Year Award and the words that they’ve used to describe him are caring, helpful, selfless, noble, loyal, devoted, optimistic, enthusiastic.” From the home where they brought their son from the hospital after he was born, where they raised him and spent 18 years shaping him to be the great man he was on his way to becoming, Ms Salyer reads a letter from a friend of Austin who enlisted in the Army. After being stationed in Iraq, she asked the Salyers for one of Austin’s nametags, which she since has carried with her in every mission. “Mr and Ms Salyer ... Salyer’s flag was flown above Syria and Iraq for a total of 15.2 combat hours,” Ms Salyer reads from the letter. “Both Salyers and my flag were flown together on the Chinook ride I took back to Iraq, which was the only flight I did not take [while in] direct fire with enemy forces. I believe that was God and Sal. “Salyer’s patch has travelled to three locations in Syria and two locations in Iraq with me and has yet to ever leave my pocket. Thank you all for allowing me to carry him with me on my first deployment. He has kept me safe these last six months.” The Salyers say they have been embraced by a community of people whose lives were impacted by their son’s actions and character. With their help in continuing to share Austin’s legacy, the grieving parents have also learned to cope with the lingering pain. “It really honours us to have his memory carried on through his friends. It’s so special to us,” Ms Salyer says. Read More Ben Crump demands justice for Ajike Owens, the latest time he's supported a grieving Black family

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