A person is in custody in an investigation of a large cross set on fire in a well-known Chicago park, police said Tuesday.

The burning cross was discovered June 9 in Grant Park, where Barack Obama delivered his acceptance speech when he was elected the nation’s first Black president in 2008.

A man identifying himself as a 21-year-old college student told WMAQ-TV that he was the shirtless person in an image distributed by police when they were looking for a suspect. But police did not immediately say Tuesday if he’s the person in custody. The man said he was protesting President Donald Trump and not making a racist statement.

“I did know about this historical relevance beforehand. But I didn’t know the severity, how racially motivated it may seem from what I did,” the man told the TV station. “Cause my protest has nothing to do with race, nothing to do with gender.”

Cross burnings in the U.S. have historically been seen as symbols of hate and intimidation against Black people and have often been connected to the Ku Klux Klan.

The Chicago Police Department’s communications office confirmed that a person was in custody in connection with the case, but no other details were released. An email seeking comment from the prosecutor’s office was sent Tuesday.

“I can’t speak to anyone’s motives. We can only speak to the impact. And the impact was devastating,” Mayor Brandon Johnson, who is Black, said when asked about the cross and the man’s remarks to WMAQ.

The man interviewed by the TV station said he was protesting the “ruling class” and Christian nationalists who support Trump. He said he put a red hat on the cross to signify a MAGA hat worn by the president’s allies.

The man said he doesn’t consider what he did a hate crime.

“I understand why it was interpreted that way, and I apologize for that, but no, the intent was not there,” he said.

Gina Miranda Samuels, faculty director of the Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture at the University of Chicago, said the man seemed sincere that he was not trying to send a hateful message to Black people.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The interim deal between the U.S. and Iran is supposed to usher in a two-month period that would address the most divisive issue between the longtime adversaries — Tehran’s nuclear program.

Preventing Iran from attaining a nuclear bomb is a key reason that President Donald Trump said he launched the war alongside Israel in February, but the tentative agreement he has trumpeted leaves little runway to negotiate the long-running sticking point. The previous nuclear pact between Iran and world powers, which Trump pulled the U.S. from in his first term, took many months to negotiate.

Few details have been publicly released about the initial deal, set to be officially signed Friday in Switzerland, but it generally calls for reopening the Strait of Hormuz to global oil shipments, financial incentives for Iran if it meets certain benchmarks, and a 60-day period for talks on ending the country’s nuclear program.

There is deep skepticism among both Republican and Democratic lawmakers, pro-Israel advocates and Israel itself that the deal is realistic, workable or would have any effect on nuclear talks.

“My skepticism is Iran itself. What would a good deal look like? No enrichment. And we’ll see if we can get there,” Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a close Trump ally and longtime Iran hawk, said Tuesday. “But whether or not we can get phase two, I don’t know.”

A nuclear deal takes commitment to the details

David Schenker, director of the Arab Politics Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said that “this administration has proven that it has a hard time keeping its attention on these issues.”

Schenker, who served as assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs in the first Trump administration, questioned whether the current administration would have the wherewithal to reach a nuclear deal even if the agreement is signed Friday.

“This is the kind of thing that requires dogged attention, attention to detail and numerous technical experts involved,” he said. “Trump loses his attention, moves on, and so does the administration. It’s like they don’t understand Iran’s strategy. They didn’t get it the first time, or the second.”

The Trump administration has maintained its confidence. Vice President JD Vance said much of the technical detail must be negotiated but that the U.S. must see action for Iran to receive incentives like sanctions relief.

“Our plan under this deal is, again, the Iranians are getting a lot of benefits so long as they dismantle that nuclear weapons program,” Vance told Megyn Kelly on her podcast Tuesday.

“People always ask me, ‘Why do you believe it this time?’ I don’t believe them,” he added. “I don’t trust anything that anybody says. I trust what people do. And the way this deal is structured is that as they do more, they receive more. As they do less, they receive less.”

Iran has long maintained its nuclear program is peaceful.

It took over a year and a half to get the previous nuclear deal

The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, took more than 18 months to negotiate, starting with secret talks between U.S. and Iranian officials in Oman at the end of then-President Barack Obama’s first term.

They required dozens of direct high-level interventions from Secretary of State John Kerry and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, not to mention a team of dozens of technical experts traveling to Europe and elsewhere before the conclusion of the negotiations in Vienna, Austria.

Trump withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018 before most of its more contentious concessions had come into effect, and there is no indication now that Iran is willing to offer much more.

The JCPOA relied on very technical language and understandings, including limits on uranium enrichment, advanced centrifuges and heavy water production. In exchange, Iran was granted significant sanctions relief, amounting to billions of dollars.

As unhappy as critics were about the JCPOA — Trump called it the “worst deal ever negotiated,” while all Republicans and a number of prominent Democrats voted against it — all sides acknowledge it took more than 18 months to get to an even imperfect agreement.

Republicans say Congress must approve any deal

Republicans say any nuclear deal with Iran should be brought to Congress, as required by law. GOP Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said he “would certainly anticipate that” the Senate will get the final say.

GOP Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana said he had little confidence Iran would abide by any agreement.

But Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., one of a handful of senators who has spoken to Vance about the agreement, said the shortened timeline could be an advantage.

“Iran’s modus operandi is to negotiate for the purpose of delaying, so they can rearm themselves,” Marshall said. “I think the president has to give them some type of a finite amount of time, or there’s going to be consequences. So I think it can be done.”

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., noted that what could help Trump’s negotiators to hammer out a nuclear agreement in such a truncated timeline is that there is “a base” to work from following the Obama-era talks.

Still, the JCPOA “took years to put together. You had allies and even adversaries — China and Russia — around the table, you had the IAEA at the table, the Obama chief negotiator had a Nobel Prize in physics, Ernie Moniz,” Kaine said. “I don’t know that either Jared Kushner or Steve Witkoff have a Nobel Prize. So it’s going to be hard.”

Trump envoys Witkoff and Kushner, neither of whom had any prior experience in nuclear negotiations, made numerous but ultimately unsuccessful attempts to reach an agreement under Omani mediation during the first months of Trump’s second term.

Those tapered off after the U.S.-Israel attacks on Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025 — after which Pakistan emerged as the main facilitator.

There also is uncertainty about other issues besides nuclear that have been of concern to Arab countries, Israel, Europe and the United States.

It is not clear that any of those issues, including Iran’s ballistic missile program, its support for militant proxies in the region or repression of its own people, will be addressed by either the interim or potential longer-term agreements.

Without significant capitulations by Trump up-front, it is hard to imagine that nuclear negotiations with Iran will take only several months.

“A deal is better than more fighting, but the war America and Israel prosecuted against Iran has fallen short of achieving its stated objectives,” said Brian Katulis, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute. “This agreement is mostly about cleaning up an unnecessary mess and putting the best face on it.”

___

Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim and Nathan Ellgren contributed to this report.

Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic has warned England his side will not ‘just defend’ in their World Cup opener. The two teams come together in Dallas on Wednesday evening to get their group campaigns underway.

The 59-year-old said: “A tough match awaits us, the start of the World Cup, and the toughest opponent possible. We’ve prepared well, and I’d be happy if we show that tomorrow.

“England is an important match, but not a decisive one. We know their quality — they are dangerous, especially down the wings, and they have one of the best strikers in the world. We will give our best, we won’t just defend, we want more. That’s how we prepared.”

A 28-year-old man from Dublin has appeared in court charged with causing death by dangerous driving

A man has been charged in connection with a fatal collision which happened over a year ago. Lydia La Polla died after being involved in a collision in Wrexham in March 2025.

In a tribute following her death the 47-year-old’s family said she had a “heart of gold” and was “always there for others”. Now North Wales Police say a 28-year-old man has been charged in connection with the fatal crash.

Michael Connors, of Landen Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin, is charged with causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He was extradited to the UK after being arrested by the Garda in Dublin.

The crash happened shortly after 9.30pm on March 24, 2025, between Belgrave Road and Percy Road as a silver Mercedes car was involved in a police chase before colliding with a Toyota car. Two men, the driver and a passenger of the silver Mercedes, left the scene of the collision.

Ms La Polla, from Wrexham, was driving the Toyota car. She died from her injuries in hospital two days after the crash. Her husband, a passenger, was seriously injured, and a 16-year-old passenger in the Mercedes car was also seriously injured.

Connors was extradited to the UK on Tuesday after being arrested by the Garda in Dublin on March 11, 2026, in connection with the collision.

He was later charged by North Wales Police and appeared at Llandudno Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday. He was remanded into custody to appear before Mold Crown Court on July 17.

Chief superintendent Jaqueline Downes of North Wales Police said: “Our deepest sympathies remain with the family of Lydia La Polla following their tragic loss.

“We will continue to support them through each stage of the investigation and upcoming court proceedings. As this remains an active investigation, it is important that people do not speculate about the incident online.”

In a tribute, Ms La Polla’s family previously said she had a “true heart of gold” and was “devoted to her family”. They wrote: “We are truly devastated and heartbroken following the death of Lydia. She will be missed by family, friends, neighbours and work colleagues.

“Lydia had a true heart of gold and would always be there for others with her selfless acts of kindness. She was devoted to her family and friends.

“The night of Monday, March 24, has scarred us for the rest of our lives. Life will never be the same without her. We ask for privacy at this time as we grieve our loss as a family.”

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The 28-year-old breached his sexual harm prevention order by seeing children unsupervised

A man breached his Sexual Prevention Harm Order (SPHO) by having contact with children and failing to tell police. Lewis Garraway, 28, was handed a SHPO in 2018 after a sexual offence with a girl and serving two weeks in a young offenders institution.

He breached the requirements of the order and was sent to prison for 18 months in October 2021. Then in 2024, Garraway met a woman in her early 20s through a dating app.

In October that year, he met her in person for the first time and stayed at her family home in the Littleport area, where two children lived. Garraway failed to notify police, which is required under his order.

During the stay, he took one of the children to a park to play rugby without supervision, again breaching the order. The 28-year-old lied and told his girlfriend he was between properties, lost his key and had nowhere to live.

One of the woman’s family members grew suspicious and confronted Garraway after they found out about his previous offences. The family member contacted the police.

On June 12 at Cambridge Crown Court, Garraway, of Seagate Terrace, Long Sutton, Lincolnshire, was sentenced to one year and six months in prison after admitting breaching a SHPO and two counts of failing to comply with the Sex Offenders Register.

Investigating officer DC Claire Cummings said: “Garraway showed a complete disregard for the restrictions placed on him to protect others, particularly children.

“Sexual harm prevention orders and notification requirements are there to manage risk and safeguard the public. Breaching them is a serious offence, and we will take robust action against anyone who fails to comply.

“I would encourage anyone who has concerns about someone’s behaviour, particularly where children may be at risk, to report it to us so we can take action.”

The Premier League champions are also exploring a deal for Christos Tzolis, but suggestions of a swap deal involving Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez and Viktor Gyokeres are thought to be wide of the mark. Chelsea, meanwhile, are planning to reinvest the money from the Marc Cucurella sale to Real Madrid back into the squad and Lewis Hall has been mentioned as a potential replacement, though the Blues may face competition from Man United to re-sign the defender.

Under PSR, deductions are now set based upon on the level of the overspend, locked to a grid.

Go over the £39m limit and it is a points deduction.

It starts at three points for under £2m, then four for between £2m and £4m, five for £4m to £6m, and six points for £6m to £8m.

A club can claim back one or two points in mitigation if their accounts show a positive trend, but this would not be the case for the Tigers.

Hull would argue that this is not a result of regular operational overspending. It is a by-product of their success as only the promotion bonuses have caused it.

This is unlikely to hold sway, as Forest discovered in 2024 when they were docked four points, as it is a sign of sporting benefit from payments made to players.

Leicester City provide the precedent for Hull to receive the deduction in the top flight.

In 2024, Leicester managed to avoid a penalty by arguing the Premier League did not have jurisdiction.

This led to a change in the rules, with the two competitions inserting reciprocal clauses in their regulations.

Such collaboration between the leagues was seen in February.

The Premier League took action against Leicester for an overspend through to the 2024-25 season. The EFL agreed to apply the six-point penalty in the Championship, which ultimately caused their relegation.

PSR is being replaced on 1 July by a new system called squad cost ratio SCR). Rather than assessing losses over a three year-period, it allows clubs to spend 85% of the income they generate on their squads and is assessed annually.

Colin Campbell attacked five complete strangers

A man described as a “vicious animal” left one man fighting for his life and another with life-changing injuries after a series of violent assaults.

Colin Campbell attacked five people he did not know. The attacks happened over a four-month period in 2025, with some of the assaults occurring while he was out on police bail.

He was jailed for seven and a half years yesterday (Tuesday). Mold Crown Court heard 24-year-old Campbell unleashed devastating single punches and headbutts on his unsuspecting victims. Recorder Neil Owen-Casey said it was “lucky” nobody was killed during the rampage, noting the attacker had caused “such devastation with your fists alone.”

Prosecuting, Elen Owen said the first attack happened on March 23, 2025, outside the Lorne Public House in Rhyl. After a bystander intervened in an argument, Campbell punched him unconscious. The victim suffered a fractured skull and two brain bleeds, leaving his life “in the balance,” reports NorthWalesLive.

After being bailed by police, Campbell struck again a month later inside Tinkers Bar in Rhyl, punching another victim “from nowhere” and fracturing his jaw, eye socket, and cheekbone. The victim has been left with sight and hearing issues.

In the early hours of May 3, 2025, Campbell approached a stranger in Chester, saying, “I’m going to fight you.” He then headbutted the man and punched a member of door staff who intervened, damaging his teeth. Campbell was arrested and bailed once again. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox

The final and most devastating attack occurred on July 12, 2025, on Wellington Road, Rhyl. Campbell approached a father-of-five and punched him in the face, causing him to strike his head on the ground.

Police had to administer life-saving CPR at the scene. The victim underwent emergency brain surgery for a fractured skull and extensive brain bleeds. He now requires permanent care and has “little if any memory of his loved ones”. His heartbroken family stated the attack had destroyed his life.

Campbell, of Gwynfryn Avenue, Rhyl, admitted section 18 grievous bodily harm with intent, section 20 wounding, and two counts of assault causing actual bodily harm. He was also convicted after a trial for the final July wounding. The court heard he had a history of previous convictions for violence.

Defending, Sarah Yates said Campbell had a “chaotic” upbringing, mental health problems, and ADHD, which caused him to act impulsively.

Jailing Campbell, Recorder Owen-Casey branded him a “vicious animal”, also describing him as “selfish” and “aggressive”, who was fuelled by alcohol. He noted that Campbell’s insight into his actions had “come far too late” to prevent life-altering injuries.