Battling

CHICAGO — The detention by immigration authorities of a Chicago man whose 16-year-old daughter is undergoing treatment for advanced cancer is illegal, and he must be given a bond hearing by Oct. 31, a federal judge has ruled.

Attorneys for Ruben Torres Maldonado, 40, who was detained Oct. 18, have petitioned for his release as his deportation case goes through the system. While U.S. District Judge Jeremy Daniel said in an order Friday that Torres’ detention is illegal and violates his due process rights, he also said he could not order his immediate release.

“While sympathetic to the plight the petitioner’s daughter faces due to her health concerns, the court must act within the constraints of the relevant statutes, rules, and precedents,” the judge wrote Friday.

Torres’ attorney took the ruling as a win — for now.

“We’re pleased that the judge ruled in our favor in determining that ICE is illegally detaining Ruben. We will now turn the fight to immigration court so we can secure Ruben’s release on bond while he applies for permanent residence status,” his attorney, Kalman Resnick, said in a statement Friday night.

Torres, a painter and home renovator, was detained at a suburban Home Depot store. His daughter, Ofelia Torres, was diagnosed in December with a rare and aggressive form of soft-tissue cancer called metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma and has been undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

Torres entered the U.S. in 2003, according to his lawyers. He and his partner, Sandibell Hidalgo, also have a 4-year-old son. The children are both U.S. citizens, according to court records.

“My dad, like many other fathers, is a hardworking person who wakes up early in the morning and goes to work without complaining, thinking about his family,” Ofelia said in a video posted on a GoFundMe page set up for her family. “I find it so unfair that hardworking immigrant families are being targeted just because they were not born here.”

The Department of Homeland Security alleges that Torres has been living illegally in the U.S. for years and has a history of driving offenses, including speeding and driving without a valid license and insurance.

“This is nothing more than a desperate Hail Mary attempt to keep a criminal illegal alien in our country,” Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “The Trump administration is fighting for the rule of law and the American people.”

At a hearing Thursday, which Ofelia attended in a wheelchair, the family’s attorneys told the judge that she was released from the hospital just a day before her father’s arrest so that she could see family and friends. But since his arrest, she had been unable to continue treatment “because of the stress and disruption,” they said.

Federal prosecutor Craig Oswald told the court that the government did not want to release Torres because he didn’t cooperate during his arrest,

Several elected officials held a news conference Wednesday to protest Torres’ arrest. The Chicago area has been at the center of a major immigration crackdown dubbed “Operation Midway Blitz,” which began in early September.

TV legend Johnny Ball has revealed he has been secretly fighting prostate cancer.

The 87-year-old, who first found fame presenting Play School in 1967, was diagnosed in August 2022. 

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He then underwent three months of daily radiation treatment and is now in recovery.

He told The Mirror: “I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in August 2022 and, thankfully, after three months of daily radiation treatment, starting in the September, I’m through it, I’m fine.”

Johnny, who has regular annual checks, says he knows how fortunate he has been to survive.

He said: “My friend Harry Secombe didn’t survive it, Bob Monkhouse didn’t survive it. I’m 20 years younger than them and I am lucky, because now we can cure it.”

TWO more ferocious forest fires have erupted in Portugal – and this time cops suspect the work of arsonists.

Entire villages were forced to evacuate and hundreds of firefighters rushed to the scene of the latest blazes in a disastrous summer across the Iberian Peninsula.

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The two fires sparked nearby within an hour in Pedrógão Grande, central Portugal.

Locals here are already scarred by the memory of a terrible wildfire which killed 66 people just eight years ago.

The first erupted in the village of Pedrógão Grande, terrifyingly close to people’s homes, at around 2:30pm.

A second then burst through trees near the village of Graça at roughly 3:20pm, rousing the suspicion of police who are investigating possible foul play.

Flaming material was reported shooting out of this blaze, endangering the crews tackling it.

Five entire villages in the area were forced to evacuate as smoke cascaded into the sky.

Hundreds of firefighters battled the two blazes with from planes and from the ground.

A firefighter elsewhere in Portugal became the fourth person to be killed by the fires this summer.

Four have also lost their lives in Spain – where the blazes are finally being brought under control.

Daniel Esteves, 45, worked for the forest protection company Afocelca.

He was seriously injured on Tuesday night alongside four colleagues, and tragically died on Saturday.

Daniel suffered burns to 75 percent of his body and was the worst injured of the group – the rest of whom are still in hospital in Coimbra.

Portugal’s president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, sent his condolences to Daniel’s family who “tragically lost his life after directly combating the forest fires in Sabugal municipality”.

The amount of land burnt across the Iberian peninsula has hit a total area about the size of the US state of Delaware, based on EU statistics.

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Spain had lost a record 403,000 hectares, while Portugal lost 278,000 hectares this year, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).

Spanish authorities said the tide seemed to have turned in the fight against the fires, which are mainly raging in the country’s west and northwest.

But the head of Spain’s civil protection and emergencies service, Virginia Barcones, warned there were still 18 “treacherous” blazes alight.

The record-breaking year has been fuelled by dry conditions, heatwaves and strong winds.

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France has been suffering its largest wildfire in at least 50 years, according to disaster officials.

Firefighters in southern France have warned that a huge fire they have been battling, which spread across an area bigger than Paris, could reignite as the region continues to face a scorching heatwave.

Authorities on Sunday said hot, dry winds and a heatwave would make the work of firefighters even more hazardous.

The fire has ravaged a vast area of France’s southern Aude area, larger than the size of the nation’s capital, killing one person and injuring several.

“It’s a challenging day, given that we are likely to be on red alert for heatwave from 4:00pm (14:00 GMT), which will not make things any easier,” said Christian Pouget, Aude’s prefect.

The fire is no longer spreading but is still burning within a 16,000-hectare area, the chief of the region’s firefighter unit, Christophe Magny, said on Saturday, adding it would not be under control until Sunday evening.

The blaze will “not be extinguished for several weeks”, he said.

Some 1,300 firefighters were mobilised to prevent the blaze from reigniting.

Temperatures this weekend are expected to hit 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in some areas, while Monday is forecast to be the “hottest day nationwide”, according to national weather service Meteo France.

In Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, a 65-year-old woman was found dead on Wednesday in her home, which had been engulfed in flames.

Authorities said one resident suffered serious burns and four were lightly injured, while 19 firefighters were hurt.

The blaze – the largest in at least 50 years – tore through 16,000 hectares (40,000 acres) of vegetation, disaster officials said.

Emmanuelle Bernier said she was “extremely angry” when she returned to a devastating scene on her farm, with 17 animals lost in the fire.

“I will definitely change jobs. This will change my whole life,” she told the AFP news agency, with her property now housing just a few geese and two sick goats.

Prime Minister Francois Bayrou visited the area last week, calling the wildfire a “catastrophe on an unprecedented scale”.

“What is happening today is linked to global warming and linked to drought,” Bayrou said.

Fires burning elsewhere in Europe

Elsewhere in Europe, fires also rage, with experts stating that European countries are becoming more prone to such disasters due to intensifying summer heatwaves linked to global warming.

Italian firefighters on Sunday tackled a wildfire on Mount Vesuvius, with all hiking routes up the volcano near Naples closed to tourists.

The national fire service said it had 12 teams on the ground and six Canadair planes fighting the blaze, which has torn through the national park in southern Italy since Friday.

In Greece, emergency services brought numerous fires under control over the last two days, but new outbreaks are likely, due to a lasting drought and strong winds, civil protection officials said on Sunday.

The region southeast of Athens was particularly hard-hit, with almost 1,600 hectares (4,000 acres) of agricultural land, forest and scrubland destroyed, according to the meteorological service.

Numerous villages had to be evacuated as a precautionary measure, and about 400 people had to be rescued. On Friday, a man died when his remote house was engulfed by flames.

United States health officials are urging travellers to remain vigilant as a mosquito-borne virus continues to circulate across parts of Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Indian Ocean.

Since the beginning of 2025, there have been approximately 240,000 chikungunya virus infections and 90 deaths in 16 countries, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

In China, an outbreak has infected roughly 7,000 people since late June, with most cases concentrated in the city of Foshan, in Guangdong province, just north of Hong Kong. This marks the country’s largest chikungunya outbreak since the virus was first identified there in 2008.

Here is what we know about the disease and how it is spreading.

What is the chikungunya virus?

Chikungunya is a viral disease that is spread through the bite of infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. These mosquitoes also carry and spread dengue, yellow fever and the Zika virus.

The name, chikungunya, derives from a word in the Kimakonde language, spoken in Tanzania and Mozambique, meaning “to become contorted”.

In most cases, patients will feel better within a week. In many cases, however, the joint pain can last for months or even years.

There is no cure for the chikungunya virus, but deaths are rare. If an infected mosquito bites a healthy human, it injects the virus into the bloodstream.

People most at risk of serious illness from chikungunya include newborns, older adults and those with existing health problems such as heart disease or diabetes.

There is no cure for the chikungunya virus, but the death rate is low, except in high-risk populations.

If an infected mosquito bites a healthy human, it injects the virus into the bloodstream. If a non-infected mosquito bites a person who is already infected, it sucks the virus from that person’s blood and becomes a carrier capable of transmitting the virus to others through bites.

How bad is the current spread of the virus?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the current surge in cases began in early 2025, with major outbreaks in Indian Ocean Islands, including La Reunion, Mayotte and Mauritius.

In La Reunion, more than 47,500 cases of chikungunya and 12 associated deaths were reported up to May 2025, with sustained high transmission across the island, according to the WHO. The ECDC also reports that as of July 18, there were more than 54,000 cases reported from La Reunion.

This is now the most serious chikungunya outbreak in La Reunion since the 2005–2006 epidemic, which saw an estimated 244,000 to more than 300,000 cases, and prompted large-scale public health efforts to control mosquito breeding and limit transmission.

The virus has also spread to other countries, including Madagascar, Somalia and Kenya, and has shown signs of epidemic-level transmission in parts of Southeast Asia, as well as India, where financial capital Mumbai has seen a surge in cases since July.

The WHO has also raised concerns about the rising number of imported chikungunya cases in Europe. Since May 1, about 800 imported cases have been reported in mainland France.

According to the ECDC, the Americas as a region have reported the highest number of chikungunya cases globally. As of mid-July 2025, the countries with the most cases in the region include Brazil (185,553), Bolivia (4,721), Argentina (2,836) and Peru (55).

In China, infections have been reported in at least 12 cities across southern Guangdong province, in addition to Foshan.

Chinese authorities said that an “imported case triggered local transmission” in July, but did not specify where the infection originated. According to experts, rising global temperatures have led to warmer and wetter weather, allowing mosquitoes to thrive.

Separately, on Saturday, Hong Kong confirmed its first case of chikungunya: a 12-year-old boy who developed a fever, rash and joint pain since July 31, after visiting Foshan. This was the territory’s first case of the virus in six years.

How are China and other countries fighting the spread?

According to a Bloomberg news report, China has promised to take swift and decisive action to contain the spread of the chikungunya virus.

Drones are being used to find places where mosquitoes are breeding. At the same time, scientists are releasing large “elephant mosquitoes” – about 2cm (0.8 inches) long – whose larvae eat the smaller mosquitoes that spread the virus. Health experts hope these mosquito helpers will play an important role in stopping the outbreak.

According to a report by the BBC, residents of affected areas in China have been ordered to eliminate standing water in and around their homes – including in flowerpots, coffee machines and empty bottles. Noncompliance may result in fines of up to 10,000 yuan (approximately $1,400), and in more serious cases, people could face criminal charges for “obstructing the prevention of infectious diseases”.

Citing local sources, The New York Times said that in some instances, infected residents in Foshan are being moved to “quarantine wards”, where they are kept behind mosquito nets and screens. Some patients also say they were given no choice but to seek treatment at their own expense.

In other places, such as La Reunion and Mayotte, authorities have also launched enhanced surveillance, mosquito control initiatives and targeted vaccination efforts.

The Basque Country in Spain activated preventive protocols after a case was detected in Hendaye, just across the border in France. The protocols include increased surveillance in border towns and encouraging people to make reports through apps such as Mosquito Alert.

How can chikungunya be prevented and treated?

Health authorities advise protecting oneself against mosquito bites as the most effective strategy against the spread of chikungunya.

This may involve wearing long sleeves and trousers, applying mosquito repellents, removing bodies of standing water where mosquitoes can breed, and staying in closed, air-conditioned spaces indoors or behind mosquito netting when outdoors.

While there are no specific medicines to treat the virus, rest, fluids and pain relievers may help alleviate symptoms, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

However, some pain relievers may be unsafe during a suspected infection. The CDC recommends avoiding non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) until dengue is ruled out, as they can raise the risk of bleeding.

CINCINNATI — The Dodgers are dealing with more injuries to their lineup.

As a result, one of their top prospects could get his first big-league opportunity this week.

Alex Freeland, the top-ranked infielder in the Dodgers’ farm system, will be in Cincinnati on Tuesday in case either Tommy Edman (who had his lingering ankle injury flare up on him Sunday while rounding the bases) or Hyeseong Kim (who has been battling a shoulder issue over the last week) needs to go on the injured list, manager Dave Roberts said after the Dodgers’ Monday night win over the Reds.

“He’s going to come and we’ll see what direction we go, with who,” Roberts said. “We’re just kind of trying to figure out … if we do need to make a move for one of those guys.”

Freeland, a third-round pick in 2022 out of the University of Central Florida, is the team’s No. 3 overall prospect according to MLB Pipeline and the 35th-ranked prospect in baseball.

The 23-year-old switch-hitter has spent all season with triple-A Oklahoma City, where he has batted .253 with 12 home runs, 71 RBIs and .799 OPS in 94 games.

Now, he might get his first crack at the big-league roster, with the Dodgers facing another round of injury headaches following Monday’s game.

In the short term, Kim’s shoulder injury appears to be the more pressing issue.

The South Korean rookie has struggled mightily at the plate lately, with an 0-for-3 performance Monday leaving him just three for 24 since July 19.

“You can just see offensively with the bat, he’s just not himself right now,” Roberts said.

Dodgers infielder Hyeseong Kim, who is dealing with a shoulder injury, has struggled at the plate in recent games.

(Jeff Chiu / Associated Press)

Edman, however, represents the bigger long-term concern for the Dodgers to manage, with his ankle injury lingering since early May.

“It’s something that’s kind of always there,” Edman said. “But I would say it’s been pretty normal.”

At least it was until Sunday, when Edman said he “had a little tweak of it” while running the bases at Fenway Park.

While Edman was not available for Monday’s game, he maintained optimism he could avoid what would be a second injured list this season and be back in the lineup Tuesday.

“I don’t feel like this is that big a deal,” he said. “I was just at a point where I didn’t feel like I could run full speed today. I got some good treatment today so hopefully I’ll be back available tomorrow.”

Still, the Dodgers could decide that an extended break for the utilityman is warranted — especially since he has been unable to play outfield while trying to manage his injury.

“Obviously, if I couldn’t hit him tonight, for him to not to be able to play three innings of defense, isn’t a great feeling,” Roberts said.

Freeland will be waiting in the wings just in case.

A native of Louisville, Ken., he made a major jump up the Dodgers’ farm system last year, when he progressed from high A to triple A while batting .260 across three minor-league levels.

A disciplined hitter with 228 career walks in 345 career minor-league games, Freeland has received high marks for his defense at shortstop and third base. He also has 81 steals over his four minor-league seasons.

How will the Dodgers determine if Kim or Edman — or both — will need to go on the IL?

“That’s the thing that, it is a blurred line,” Roberts said. “The players obviously feel that they’re not hurt, where they can play and post, which is great. But the line of, are you still hurting the team, hurting yourself, that’s the thing that the organization, the training staff, we’ve got to make that decision.”

When and if they do, the Dodgers know who will be tapped as a potential replacement.

Associate Editor Tom Bryant reflects on meeting Masterchef star Gregg Wallace who opened up about his fears over losing his job during an extraordinary interview in late 2023

After I spent a morning in Gregg Wallace’s company, I felt like I needed a lie down. Meeting him to record an episode of my podcast, he was – at first – everything I had expected him to be: brash, extrovert and very loud.

In fact, he was not unlike his persona on BBC show MasterChef, with his booming voice and cockney cackle of a laugh. But after a few hours with him in late 2023 – and a very revealing interview – I came away with a very different perspective of the former Peckham greengrocer. Namely: how has this clearly troubled man with a host of demons risen to the top of the TV pile and stayed there for so long?

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It’s pertinent now as his career lies in tatters amid a swirl of accusations. This week alone we learned that 50 more people have made claims about him to BBC News.

Most accuse him of inappropriate sexual comments. Eleven women accuse him of ­inappropriate sexual behaviour, which he denies. If the claims against him are true, you can see in a heartbeat why he was relieved of his job as MasterChef co-host, a role he had since 2005.

When I met him in 2023, I found it hard to comprehend how he coped in the glare of the public eye. The answer was that he didn’t.

During our recording in the basement of a private members’ club in Soho in London’s West End, he talked about how being on TV exacerbated his mental health struggles.

It was a candid chat. But there was a niggling thought at the back of my mind that things wouldn’t end well.

I couldn’t put my finger on it – and I still struggle to – but 20 months later, the situation has well and truly imploded. He had revealed how the more famous he got, the worse his anxiety grew. He told me: “I used to not be able to go on holiday without getting anxiety attacks.”

At one point, Gregg looked me in the eye as he said how he lived in constant fear his career could end at any moment.

He said: “Why was I always scared of losing my job? Why was I always scared of losing my house? Why was I always scared of being poor?”

Being on telly made his anxiety levels soar. “TV is terrible for someone with anxiety,” he said. “I’ve had the same PA for 12 years. She went, ‘My word, you picked the wrong profession.’”

His stint on Strictly was a disaster. BBC bosses were so worried they got a therapist for him mid-series.

He said: “I was having a tough time. I was really stressed – so badly that the side of my face broke out into a rash, like cold sores.”

He told me his fourth wife Anna pleaded with him for them to quit the UK and live in Italy, asking him: “Is this worth it?”

A lot of his issues stemmed from a childhood blighted by abuse. Aged eight, he was sexually assaulted by a babysitter’s husband. Gregg told me: “I didn’t tell anybody at the time. I did tell my mum when I was older but she didn’t seem to want to know.”

He said of the abuse: “It was quite a horrendous situation for a young boy.”

Clearly, none of this could excuse some of the appalling behaviour heis now accused of.

There are some who may question why Gregg was on TV in the first place given his fragility. But mental health problems should not preclude you from your passion.

And I’m told that producers ­recognised he needed help and assigned him a full-time welfare specialist over the past six months.

This week he claimed to have received a formal autism diagnosis. Gregg, 60, said on Tuesday: “My neuro-diversity, now formally ­diagnosed as autism, was suspected by colleagues across countless seasons of Master-Chef. Yet nothing was done to ­investigate my disability or protect me from what I now realise was a dangerous environment for 20 years.”

Autism charities have reacted with fury to these comments, with one saying the condition is “not a free pass for bad behaviour”. Emily Banks, founder of neurodiversity training body Enna, said: “Being autistic is never an excuse for misconduct.

“It doesn’t absolve anyone of responsibility and it doesn’t mean you can’t tell right from wrong.”

But as one executive on a rival channel told me: “This isn’t about whether Gregg has autism.

“This is about what MasterChef knew about the wronged women over the years, and whether they just turned a blind eye.”

We now have to wait and see if the long-awaited MasterChef review into the saga provides the answers when it comes back on Monday.

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England were held up by India captain Shubman Gill’s patient century as their bowlers fought admirably on day one of the second Test at Edgbaston.

After captain Ben Stokes opted to bowl first again, his bowlers battled against Gill’s calmness and another flat pitch to limit India to 310-5 at the close.

Chris Woakes bowled KL Rahul off the inside edge in a fine new-ball spell and Brydon Carse found extra bounce to have Karun Nair caught at slip for 31 shortly before lunch.

But opener Yashasvi Jaiswal complied an elegant 87 and after he was caught behind off Stokes, Rishabh Pant put on 66 with Gill as the new-ball zip faded in the Birmingham sunshine.

England hung in, however, and Pant’s patience broke after tea when he hit Shoaib Bashir to long-on for 25. Nitish Kumar Reddy was bowled shouldering arms to Woakes in the next over.

That left India at risk of collapse but Gill remained unflustered and reached three figures for the second match in a row in 199 deliveries. He put on 99 with Ravindra Jadeja to see out the final 90 minutes of play.

The tourists, who made three changes including leaving out star bowler Jasprit Bumrah, will be content but memories of England’s win at Headingley only adds to the feeling India have a long way to go to bat Stokes’ side out of the game.

Wildfires have broken out in several European countries loved by British holidaymakers, with Greece, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Turkey and France all impacted as a powerful heatwaves roasts the Continent

Wildfires have broken out across Europe as the Continent battles with ferociously hot temperatures.

The mercury could reach a ferocious 47°C in Spain this weekend, while road surfaces are beginning to melt in Italy. Those in France, Portugal, Turkey and Greece are also struggling to deal with stifling, brutally hot days and nights.

As well as the heat being a danger to the health of locals and holidaymakers alike, with one tourist already having lost their life to heatstroke in Majorca, the risk of wildfires is sky high in countries across Europe, and have already broken out in several.

It’s unlikely the heat will relent anytime soon, thanks to the heat dome currently hanging over Europe. The meteorological phenomenon occurs when a high-pressure ridge traps a thick layer of warm air in one region, acting like a lid on a pot.

The impact of human-driven climate change has only made the risk of such heatwaves worse.

Have you been impacted by the heatwave? Email [email protected]

Greece

Greece has borne the brunt of the wildfires in Europe so far this summer, with serious blazes breaking out in several areas.

A fierce blaze ripped through the area south of Athens on Thursday, leading to evacuation orders and forcing officials to shut off sections of the vital coastal route from the Greek capital to Sounion — home of the historic Temple of Poseidon and a key draw for visitors.

As a dozen aircraft and helicopters swooped in to combat the blaze from above, they supported a ground operation of 130 firefighters and their volunteer counterparts near Palaia Fokaia, on the outskirts of Athens.

The coast guard announced that two patrol boats and nine private vessels were on standby in the Palaia Fokaia area, ready for a potential sea evacuation. Fire department spokesperson Vassilis Vathrakogiannis revealed that 40 individuals had been evacuated by police, while evacuation orders were issued for five areas in total.

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The wider Athens area, along with several Aegean islands, is currently on Level 4 of a 5-level scale for wildfire risk due to weather conditions, with the heatwave predicted to persist until the weekend.

Earlier this week, it took hundreds of firefighters four days to control a significant wildfire on the eastern Aegean island of Chios. Over a dozen evacuation orders were issued for Chios, where the flames consumed forests and farmland.

Wildfires are a common occurrence in Greece during its sweltering, arid summers. In 2018, a colossal fire engulfed the coastal town of Mati, east of Athens, trapping residents in their homes and on escape routes. The disaster claimed over 100 lives, including some who tragically drowned while attempting to swim away from the inferno.

Spain

So far, wildfires have been limited in Spain, but the threat is rising as the country braces for seriously high temperatures over the coming days. The mercury could reach a ferocious 47°C in Spain this weekend.

On Thursday, a forest fire broke out in the Talavera de la Reina region, creating a column of smoke visible from the city. A total of 10 vehicles — two of them aerial — and 38 personnel were called in to put it out.

The Canary Islands government has issued a warning for Gran Canaria starting this Saturday due to high temperatures across the entire island. There is a risk of forest fires at altitudes above 400 metres.

Temperatures in Gran Canaria are expected to exceed 34°C this weekend and will likely approach 37°C, with strong winds increasing the danger. The Canary Islands government is urging the public to avoid lighting fires — even in barbecues or recreational areas — and to avoid using tools or machinery that could produce sparks, such as chainsaws, brush cutters, or welders.

A pre-alert for heat has been issued for the rest of the archipelago, with temperatures expected to be around 30–34°C (86–93°F) on El Hierro, La Gomera, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura, as well as on the eastern, southern, and western slopes of Tenerife, and 26–32°C (79–90°F) on the northern coast of Gran Canaria.

Portugal

Wildfires are serious business in Portugal.

Last year, there were 6,267 individual wildfires recorded, with 16 people losing their lives as a result. In total, 137,000 hectares were destroyed — an area four times larger than the previous year. So far this year, 22 people have been arrested for arson, according to Público.

The total financial loss last year in Portugal — including materials, biomass for energy, fruits, and stored carbon — reached around 67 million euros and affected 2.36 million cubic metres of wood.

While last year was, hopefully, an outlier in terms of wildfire severity, with temperatures nudging 40°C in parts of Portugal this weekend, blazes are likely.

Italy

The boot-shaped country is also facing the risk of wildfires this weekend, with unrelenting sunshine and highs nudging 40°C in the south.

Today, two fires broke out near Rome and in Dragoncello. Flames and smoke rose up, threatening to engulf several properties.

Turkey

Wildfires broke out in eight provinces in Turkey on a single day this week. Most were in western provinces — areas where many Europeans travel on holiday.

All fires were brought under control after coordinated air and ground efforts. According to the General Directorate of Forestry, five of the fires began in rural areas and later spread to nearby forests. “Fifty percent of wildfires start in agricultural zones. Small acts of negligence can lead to major disasters,” the authority warned, urging the public not to “set our future on fire.”

One of the most dangerous blazes broke out in the Osmangazi district of the northwestern province of Bursa. Fueled by strong winds, the flames quickly spread from forested areas to nearby residential zones.

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France

France has yet to be hit by major wildfires this year, but firefighters are on high alert this weekend.

The Bouches-du-Rhône is on orange alert, and the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Vaucluse are on yellow alert due to the intense heat expected to persist into the weekend. Strong winds may make matters more difficult to control if a blaze does break out.

According to La Provence, the “risk of major fires is high.”

Let me know if you’d like this shortened or rewritten for publication (e.g., news website, print, or social media).

A Central American asylum applicant arrested outside an L.A. immigration court is suing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security and the Trump administration for her immediate release and that of her two children, including her 6-year-old son stricken with cancer.

The Honduran woman, not named in court documents, filed a petition for writs of habeas corpus, challenging the legality of her and her family’s detention at a Texas facility. She is also asking for a preliminary injunction that would prevent her family’s immediate deportation to Honduras, as her children cry and pray nightly to be released from a Texas holding facility, according to court documents.

She and her two children, including a 9-year-old daughter, are facing two removal proceedings concurrently: a previous removal proceeding involving their asylum request and this recent expedited removal process.

The woman claims the government violated many of their rights, including the due process clause of the 5th Amendment.

Her attorneys noted that DHS determined she was not a flight risk when she was paroled into the country and that her detention was unjustified.

The woman’s lawyers also argued that she was not given an opportunity to contest her family’s detention in front of a neutral adjudicator.

They also argue that the family’s 4th Amendment right to not be unlawfully arrested were violated.

The Honduran mother is being represented by several groups, including attorney Kate Gibson Kumar of the Texas Civil Rights Project, the San Antonio-based Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Service and the immigrant advocacy group Raices Texas.

The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in San Antonio on Tuesday.

An after-hours email to the Department of Homeland Security was not immediately answered.

One of the focal points of the lawsuit is the fate of the woman’s son.

The youth was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at the age of 3 and has undergone chemotherapy treatments, including injecting chemotherapeutic agents into his cerebrospinal fluid, according to court documents.

He began treatment in Honduras and completed two years of chemotherapy, at which point the mother believes he no longer has leukemia cells in his blood, according to court documents.

The son, however, needs regular monitoring and medical care for his condition, according to court documents.

Last year, the family fled to the United States to “seek safety” after they were subject to “imminent, menacing death threats” in Honduras, according to court documents.

They applied for entrance while waiting in Mexico and received a CBP One app appointment in October to apply for asylum. They presented themselves at an undisclosed border entry, were processed and were paroled in the U.S., according to court documents.

They were scheduled to appear before a Los Angeles immigration court and moved to the area to live with family.

Both children enrolled in local public schools, attended Sunday church and were learning English, according to court documents.

The trio arrived at court May 29 for a hearing for their asylum request and were caught off guard when a Homeland Security lawyer asked for their case to be dismissed, according to court documents.

The woman told an immigration judge “we wish to continue [with our cases],” according to court documents.

The judge granted the dismissal and the Honduran mother and two children were immediately arrested by plainclothes ICE agents upon leaving the courtroom in the hallway, according to court documents. The woman had a June 5 medical appointment scheduled for her son’s cancer diagnosis, which he couldn’t attend because of the arrest.

The family was detained for hours on the first floor before being taken to an undisclosed immigration center in the city, according to court documents.

All three “cried in fear” and the young boy urinated on himself and remained in wet clothing “for hours,” according to court documents.

The trio were placed on a flight to San Antonio along with several other families. The date of the flight was not available.

After landing, the family was transported to a detention center in Dilley, Texas, where they have since resided.

The children have cried each night and prayed “for God to take them out of the detention center,” according to court documents.

The mother claims that the federal government did nothing to monitor her son’s leukemia for days.

Her lawyers have also sought the boy’s release for medical treatment, a request that was not fulfilled.