TAMPA BAY, Fla. (AP) — City officials on Thursday approved a $2.3 billion deal for a new Tampa Bay Rays ballpark funded by public and private money.

The 4-3 vote by the Tampa City Council came three months after a tentative agreement was reached for a stadium, which would include $967 million in tax money.

Rays Chief Executive Officer Ken Babby said in a statement that the stadium project will “deliver lasting benefits” for the region.

“The Tampa Bay Rays are grateful for the leadership and support of the City Council members to approve an investment that, when accompanied by the private funding guaranteed by the Rays, will secure the future of Major League Baseball in Tampa Bay while creating a landmark destination neighborhood that will serve our region for generations,” Babby said Thursday.

Hillsborough County Commissioners will vote on the project Friday morning.

The Rays ownership reached an agreement earlier this year with Hillsborough College to build the stadium and mixed-use entertainment district on the campus and to renovate some of the school’s buildings. The property is located next to the New York Yankees’ spring training facility and across a highway from Raymond James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Rays have said they hope to have the new stadium built within three years.

Since the team took the field in 1998, the Rays have played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, except for moving home games to the Yankees’ George M. Steinbrenner Field in 2025 following hurricane damage at the Trop. The Rays’ lease runs through at least the 2028 season. The team returned to the Trop last month for the start of this season.

A proposed $1.3 billion redevelopment deal for a new ballpark adjacent to the Trop fell through last year, raising new questions about the future of the team, which was bought last September by Patrick Zalupski’s ownership group.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

A Jewish man who repeatedly kicked a Catholic nun has been acquitted based on his insanity defence – but has been ordered to be committed to a psychiatric hospital for up to six years.

The violent assault in April on a 48-year-old nun walking in her habit in Jerusalem‘s Old City sent shock waves across Israel and its many Christian communities.

The attacker, who has not been named, shoved the elderly woman causing her to collapse to the floor hard, and began to walk away when he doubled back and repeatedly kicked the nun.

The assault that left severe bruising on the nun occurred in front of the Cenacle, a building on Jerusalem’s Mount Zion considered holy to both Christians and Jews, the latter of whom regard it as the burial place of the biblical figure King David. 

A judge at Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court today ruled that there was evidence that a Jewish man from a settlement in the occupied West Bank committed the actions he was charged with.

However, he was entitled to an insanity defence after the district psychiatrist found he was psychotic at the time of the attack.

The director of The French Biblical and Archaeological School of Jerusalem, where the nun is a researcher, said that he hoped the psychiatric hospitalisation would be carried out in full ‘so that public safety can be assured, our colleague can recover psychologically, and people can live in and visit Jerusalem without fear, regardless of their belonging to any community’.

But Friar Olivier Poquillon added he regretted the decision not to impose a criminal penalty.

The attacker, who has not been named, shoved the elderly lady causing her to collapse to the floor hard, and began to walk away when he doubled back and repeatedly kicked the nun who 

The assault occurred in front of the Cenacle, a building on Jerusalem’s Mount Zion considered holy to both Christians and Jews, left the nun with heavy bruises to her face

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‘At the moment of the incident, his judgment was nevertheless sufficient for him to deliberately choose a Catholic nun as his victim from among all the people present,’ he said.

Clergy and advocates say verbal abuse and spitting have grown increasingly common in the densely packed historic heart of Jerusalem. 

There, Christians, Jews and Muslims cross paths daily, mostly uneventfully, as they visit some of the holiest sites of Christianity, Islam and Judaism.

But the violent beating of the nun was seen as a rare and worrisome escalation in the volatile environment that people of all faiths have been experiencing in nearly three years of war. 

Yisca Harani, who founded the organization Religious Freedom Data Center to track harassment of Christians, said even mentally unstable people can be influenced to act by the prevailing discourse around them.

‘He is still someone who is the product of either the ignorance or the incitement that is around him,’ she said. 

‘Even if he is mentally unstable, he was fed with all that anti-Christian material that is around us now.’

Harani’s organization has tracked a near-tripling of incidents in Jerusalem from four years ago to the last three months recorded – about one a day now – virtually all by Jewish religious nationalists.

Their hostility to Christians is grounded in the history of persecution of Jews in Christian-majority European countries, in faith practices they see as idol-worshipping, and in seeing their presence as an affront near areas historically sacred to Jews, like the Western Wall, experts say.

In April, an Israeli Defence Force soldier was filmed destroying a statue of Jesus Christ in a southern Lebanon village, an act that drew widespread condemnation 

At the time of the attack, Israel’s foreign ministry condemned the ‘shameful act’ in a statement on X, and said Israel remained committed ‘to safeguarding freedom of religion and freedom of worship for all faiths’. 

In April, an Israeli Defence Force soldier was filmed destroying a statue of Jesus Christ in a southern Lebanon village, an act that drew widespread condemnation.

The IDF said it viewed the incident with ‘great severity’ and that the conduct of the two soldiers related to the incident was ‘wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops’. 

Ambassador George Deek, Israel’s new special envoy to the Christian world, said that earlier this month, Israeli police appointed an English-speaking officer to be a first point of contact for Christians in case of incidents, ‘so there will be a rapid response’.

‘We are going to come up with practical solutions to how we can minimise or stop, if possible, the phenomenon,’ Deek said. ‘We take these issues very seriously.’

But her journey began on the playgrounds and football pitches of South Hetton.

The former Lionesses captain grew up in the County Durham mining village, between Durham and Sunderland, where she first kicked a ball around with her father, Len, and developed the competitiveness that helped take her to the top of the game.

Speaking to Palatinate in 2021, Houghton said: “I love the fact I’m from the North East.

“A lot of my career, the foundations of who I am today, are because of how I’ve grown up and the people I’ve been surrounded by.”

That local grounding gave South Hetton a lasting connection with one of the region’s greatest sporting success stories.

Where Steph Houghton began

Houghton began playing football as a toddler in the family yard and at the village park, with her father — an electrician and former semi-professional footballer.

She later played against boys and girls at South Hetton Primary School, where she became the first girl to represent the school football team.

Her schoolyard determination was clear early on.

BBC Sport reported that playing with boys helped Houghton develop as a footballer, and she told the broadcaster: “Playing with the boys made me a better footballer; it made me more competitive and made me want to win even more.

“You were playing against the boys and wanted to prove how good you were.”

(Image: Zac Goodwin / PA)

She remained connected with South Hetton Primary School after reaching the international stage, returning to speak with pupils when her schedule allowed.

Former headteacher Lucy Griffiths told the BBC that Houghton gave children someone tangible to aspire to because she had “sat in their classrooms” and “played on their pitch”.

From South Hetton to Sunderland

A summer coaching school organised by Sunderland led to Houghton being selected for the club’s Centre of Excellence.

She had already shown promise with grassroots side Boldon Girls, the club listed by England Football as her first grassroots team.

Houghton went on to break into Sunderland’s first team as a teenager, initially as a striker.

BBC Sport reported that she began her senior career at her hometown club in 2002, before later adapting through midfield and into the defensive position in which she became internationally renowned.

She left Sunderland for Leeds United in 2007, later played for Arsenal and joined Manchester City in 2014.

Her career included WSL titles, FA Cups and League Cups, while her leadership became central to Manchester City’s rise in the women’s game.

England captain and role model

Houghton made her England debut against Russia in March 2007 and finished her international career with 121 caps and 13 goals.

She was England captain for eight years, led the Lionesses at the 2015 and 2019 World Cups, and played for Team GB at the London 2012 Olympics.

Her three goals at the tournament included the winner against Brazil at Wembley — a moment which propelled her into the national spotlight.

The National Football Museum said she became a “dependable defender and resolute leader” for club and country, while her career helped inspire a generation of players in County Durham and beyond.

A South Hetton sporting story

Houghton retired from professional football in 2024, ending a career that turned a South Hetton schoolgirl with a ball at her feet into one of England’s most respected captains.

Her connection to the village remains an important part of that story.

For young players in South Hetton, the path from the primary-school pitch to Wembley, World Cups and international captaincy is no longer simply a dream — it is a journey already made by one of their own.

NHS Western Isles said it took patient confidentiality and information security “extremely seriously” after a patient received a scam email.

A Scottish health board has confirmed that a patient was targeted with a scam email asking for photos and videos of themself following a breast screening appointment.

NHS Western Isles said that the fraudulent email claimed to be from a health professional and that it was requesting the images “for assessment”.

The health board said that it was reviewing the incident and that it took patient confidentiality and information security “extremely seriously”, reports BBC Scotland.

According to NHS Western Isles, the scam email originated from a non-NHS email address. The health board has now urged other patients to be alert to similar emails.

A spokesperson for the health board said: “NHS Western Isles would like to reassure the public that breast screening services do not contact patients using personal or non-NHS email addresses.

“Patients may be contacted by letter or telephone regarding breast screening appointments, results, or follow-up arrangements, but NHS staff would never ask patients to send photographs or videos by email.

“If you believe you have shared personal information or images in response to a scam, you should contact Police Scotland on 101 and seek appropriate support and advice.”

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Jude Bellingham, Jose Mourinho and Harry Kane all stand in Arsenal‘s way as they seek to go one better than last season’s Champions League final defeat.

The Premier League winners have been handed a tricky looking path to the knockout stages – along with rivals Manchester City – following a draw overseen by Gunners legend Thierry Henry in Monaco which could also prompt a return to England for Mason Greenwood.

Mikel Arteta’s side will be keen to dispel the heartbreaking penalty shoot-out defeat to Paris Saint-Germain however, there will no be no easy route to the final at the home of Atletico Madrid.

While 24 out of the 36 sides will qualify from the league format, Arsenal will need to acquire the required points from a tricky looking list. 

Bellingham and Mourinho’s Real Madrid will head to north London, along with the transfer target they missed out on in Vinicius Junior. Declan Rice and Co will jet to Bavaria to face prolific former Tottenham striker Kane’s Bayern Munich. Clashes against Borussia Dortmund, Real Betis, Lille and Napoli will also provide a stiff test while relatively more straightforward challenges await in the shape of Azerbaijan minnows Sabah and Slavia Prague.

Manchester City, entering the tournament without Pep Guardiola at the helm for the first time in a decade, may also be cursing UEFA’s computer.

Last season’s runners-up Arsenal (left) will face Real Madrid in one their Champions League eight fixtures to reach the knockouts

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Enzo Maresca’s (right) Man City have been dealt tough games including vs PSG and Barcelona

Enzo Maresca‘s side will take on champions Paris Saint-Germain at the Etihad and make a trip to the Nou Camp to face Barcelona. 

Portuguese duo Sporting Lisbon and Porto also feature, along with Napoli and Leipzig. AEK Athens and Lens complete a what is a seriously daunting-looking list.

It will be a trip down memory lane for neighbours United, who return to the competition following a two-year absence. Michael Carrick‘s side will entertain Bayern Munich, in a repeat of the epic 1999 final, while Roma – memorably crushed 7-1 in 2007 – will also visit Old Trafford.

There may well be some away days to relish for the club’s supporters, with their list featuring trips to Sporting Lisbon, Atletico Madrid and Cesc Fabregas’ Como. United, currently on 293, will become the first English team to play more than 300 games in the competition, with Villarreal, Leipzig and Sabah completing their schedule.

Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool may well be pleased with how things played out in Monte Carlo. They will host Atletico Madrid, Porto, Villareal and Lens and travel to Inter Milan, Club Brugge, Fenerbahce and LASK.

Europa League champions Aston Villa, who started their season with a 4-0 pasting at Brighton and Hove Albion, will also host PSG and travel to Barcelona, like City. Borussia Dortmund, and Greenwood’s Fenerbahce and Viking will travel to Birmingham while Emery’s side will go to Club Brugge, Galatasaray and Slavia Prague.

Bradford-born Greenwood’s last appearance in England was in January 2022 for Manchester United. He was subsequently suspended after being arrested on suspicion of rape and did not play for the club again. After charges were dropped a year later, he was loaned to Getafe before joining Marseille on a permanent deal. The 24-year-old moved to the Turkish club this summer. Greenwood may also head to London to face Shakhtar Donetsk, who are playing their home matches at Stamford Bridge thanks to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Mourinho, Bellingham and Co will also be due at Chelsea’s home, along with Sporting Lisbon and AEK Athens. UEFA rules dictate a minimum of five per cent of tickets should go to away supporters but there is no maximum, meaning the Ukrainians could secure much-needed funds from their stint at their temporary residence.

Liverpool will be happier than Arsenal and City with their Champions League fixtures

Fenerbahce’s Mason Greenwood will play on English soil for the first time since January 2022 

Elsewhere, Fabregas will return to Barcelona with Como, while Mourinho will head back to Roma, where he was sacked after two years in 2024.

Fans of Celtic may well have been left wondering what might have been following their spectacular second-leg collapse to LASK. The Austrians, who overcame a four-goal deficit against the Glaswegians in a disastrous play-off for Martin O’Neill’s side, will host Liverpool and travel to the Bernebeu to face Real Madrid.

Following the completion of the League Stage, those in 25th to 36th place will be eliminated, while those from ninth to 24th will play two-legged knockout play-offs in February. The top eight automatically progress to the Round of 16, which will take place in March.

Bournemouth, Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Brighton and Hove Albion will learn their opponents in Friday’s Europa League and Europa Conference draws.

Lindsay Clancy‘s defense attorney described her as a ‘damn good mother’ who did ‘nothing wrong’ before she strangled her children to death during emotional closing arguments. 

Kevin Reddington spoke to the jury for about 50 minutes on Thursday morning before the prosecution did the same. The 12 jurors were then sent out to deliberate. 

Clancy, 36, has admitted to killing her children but pleaded not guilty to murder by reason of insanity, citing postpartum psychosis, and is seeking to be committed to a state mental health facility rather than face a prison sentence.

Reddington vehemently defended his client throughout the trial, and further emphasized his belief during his closing statement. 

‘You know from looking at the objective evidence in this case, this young lady did nothing wrong in her life,’ Reddington said. 

‘She was a nurse, a daughter, a wife, and a damn good mother.’ 

Reddington also made a point of mentioning Cora, Dawson, and Callan multiple times. 

‘When you consider what is at stake here, Cora, Dawson and Callan,’ Reddington said as he picked up a poster displaying a family picture. 

She has admitted to killing her children but pleaded not guilty to murder by reason of insanity, citing postpartum psychosis

‘They are the victims in this case,’ Reddington added. ‘This prosecution has ripped the soul of this defendant.’

He said that what ruined the family was medication and the ‘lousy medical care that she got.’

Lindsay Clancy: In court as the jury decides her fate 

I’m Rachel Sharp, US Editor of The Crime Desk. I have been covering the Lindsay Clancy trial since Day One.

The Daily Mail will bring readers unrivalled coverage, reaction and analysis in a special edition of The Crime Desk newsletter. 

The 36-year-old faces life in prison for strangling her three children with an exercise band. 

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Sign up for free HERE to get the latest in a breaking news edition of the newsletter as the jury decides Clancy¿s future in a case that could have far-reaching implications for how postpartum mental illness is treated in the criminal justice system.

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Her attorney went on to blame Clancy’s mental health decline on when she started to see her psychiatrist, Dr Jennifer Tufts. 

Tufts testified as a witness during the trial. She prescribed Clancy a cocktail of psychiatric medications and admitted to never meeting her in person, only on telemedicine calls. 

Reddington told the jurors: ‘This woman lived for her kids until she had the pleasure of going into see Dr Tufts. After she went to Dr Tufts it was not a wonderful life anymore.’ 

Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Sprague delivered her closing argument after Reddington.

She started off by saying: ‘There’s no dispute that she suffered mental illness and she tried to kill herself,’ Sprague said.

She called the focus on postpartum mental health a ‘distraction.’

The prosecution again emphasized that they believe Clancy was in her right mind when she killed her children, and pointed to the discussion she had with her husband and mom that she had thought of harming her kids in December – a month before. 

‘But she did not tell a single medical provider because she feared her children would be taken away, Sprague said. ‘That is a rational thought.’

Sprague went on to graphically detail what the children went through while they were being strangled to death. 

She also insisted that the bands were not tied. ‘You know they weren’t knotted. Patrick never testified they were knotted.’ 

‘You know to a moral certainty she is guilty,’ Sprauge said as she walked back to her seat.

Clancy has been on trial since July 20 in the Plymouth Superior Court as prosecutors have tried to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that she intended to kill Cora, five, Dawson, three, and eight-month-old Callan, on January 24, 2023. 

Afterward, she went upstairs, slit her neck and wrist, and jumped out of a second-story window in an attempt to take her own life. She has been left paralyzed from that.   

After closing arguments wrapped up, Judge William Sullivan gave the jury instructions. 

Now, a panel of 12 jurors will deliberate in a private room on whether they find Clancy guilty of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, or manslaughter.

The jury is made up of nine women and three men. The foreperson is a woman. They have not been sequestered for deliberations.

Clancy’s mother and father, Michael and Paula Musgrove (pictured Wednesday), have been seated in the courtroom ever since the trial started.

The trial has garnered national interest, with people showing up to watch the trial in person and others watching it via live stream

Sullivan put manslaughter on the table during a charging conference on Wednesday. It is a lesser conviction than murder, which carries a life sentence. The maximum sentence for manslaughter is 20 years. 

If they cannot reach a unanimous verdict, the case will end in a mistrial. 

Clancy’s mother and father, Michael and Paula Musgrove, have been seated in the courtroom ever since the trial started. 

Her now ex-husband and father to the children, Patrick Clancy, testified early on in the trial and has not been back. 

Several medical professionals, friends, teachers, and other family members – including Patrick’s mother, Susan Clancy – took the stand. 

The trial has garnered national interest, with people showing up to watch the trial in person and others watching it via live stream. 

If Clancy is found guilty of murder, she will be sentenced to life in prison. If she is found not guilty due to a lack of criminal responsibility, she will be committed to a state mental health facility.

If you or someone you know needs help, please call or text the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US at 988. There is also an online chat available at 988lifeline.org.

A gang of youths torched several cars at a balloon release on Thursday night for one of the men killed in the A66 crash.

A group gathered in a field to remember Michael Cahill, 23 – one of the five men killed when their VW Passat, going the wrong way down a dual carriageway, smashed into a police car, killing two officers.

Footage shows at least three cars ablaze in the farmer’s field near Haswell, County Durham, around ten miles from the outskirts of Middlesbrough – which has been rocked by a wave of violence believed to be linked to the crash.

A gang of bikers parked in the middle of the field revved their engines, and car horns were blared continuously.

The vehicles were first driven erratically around the field, throwing up mud and crashing through hedges.

They were then parked and set ablaze as dozens of teenagers, many with their hoods up, set off blue smoke flares and fireworks.

Blue balloons spelling out ‘Michael’ were released into the sky to cheers and screams.

Clips of the antics posted to social media were captioned ‘Rest in peace Micky’.

The cars burned in several spots around the field

Clips of the cars skidding around the field were captioned ‘Rest in peace Micky’, apparently in reference to Michael Cahill, one of the A66 fatalities

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The chaotic scenes broke out at a memorial organised for Michael Cahill, 23, who died in the A66 crash

Many of the youngsters reached for their phones to film the blaze

Scores of blue balloons spelling out Michael were released into the sky

Burnt-out shells were all the remained of the vehicles, surrounded by scorched grass

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Footage from after the mob cleared showed smoldering, burnt-out shells lying on scorched grass.

Michael’s mother had called for ‘bikes, jeeps, cars and quad [bikes]’ to gather for her son’s send-off.

She wrote on social media on Thursday morning: ‘Change of plans Michael’s balloon release Thursday Peterlee White House opposite on field, come on lads bikes, jeeps, cars, quads give him send off her deserves’.

The Daily Mail understands that the County Durham and Darlington Fire Service responded to the incident.

Locals reported that nearby horses were ‘absolutely terrified’ by the scenes. 

It comes as hundreds of extra police were drafted into Middlesbrough on Thursday to restore order, amid fears the town is on the brink of descending into a gang war.

Violence, believed to be linked to five young men who were killed in a wrong-way crash on the A66 on Saturday, has spiralled across Teesside.

On Thursday afternoon, armed police swarmed a house on the Bankfield estate in Eston after a 39-year-old man was injured in a stabbing.

A house was also rammed by a vehicle this morning in South Bank – near where the crash happened.

The suspected knife attack took place just down the road from a suspicious house fire in Grangetown that claimed the lives of Valentina Foster, seven, and 34-year-old Natalie McDonald yesterday morning.

Two men, aged 31 and 23, have been arrested on suspicion of murder and remain in custody.

Cleveland Police said it was ‘keeping an open mind’ regarding the cause of the house fire but could not ‘rule out any links to wider organised crime at this time’.

The force, which is one of the smallest in the country, has seen its resources stretched to breaking point this week.

The Government has now responded with 200 reinforcements after MPs in the area appealed for help.

The decision was announced by Councillor Alec Brown of Redcar and Cleveland Council in a post on social media.

‘Over 200 extra police officers from forces around the country are here and are en route, from detectives to armed response,’ he wrote.

‘I will be sending a letter today to our Prime Minister asking for even more resources.’

‘People need to feel safe in their homes,’ Mr Brown added.

Middlesbrough has the highest crime rate in England excluding central London, and rival criminal groups have been spreading fear among residents.

Former mayor Andy Preston said the town was ‘on its knees’ – as he warned attacks between criminal gangs could escalate further in response to the house fire.

The arrests were aided by gardai who performed border checkpoints which prevented the suspects from fleeing the jurisdiction.

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of burglary and driving offences in Co Down after attempting to flee across the border.

Police performing an anti-burglary operation became involved in a pursuit of a black VW Golf on the Gosford Road, Markethill, this afternoon, Thursday, August 27. The vehicle made off towards the border at Newry, travelling at high speed.

Officers from the PSNI ’s Air Support Unit and Interceptors Team apprehended the suspects with assistance of local police.

The arrests were aided by colleagues from An Garda Siochana, who were also involved in the operation, and performed border checkpoints which prevented the suspects from fleeing the jurisdiction.

One man aged in his 20s was arrested on suspicion of burglary and various driving offences including dangerous driving. Another man aged in his 30s was also arrested on suspicion of burglary.

A PSNI spokesperson said: “They both remain in custody at this time, assisting with police enquiries. Enquiries are continuing, and we would appeal to anyone with any information which might assist, to contact police via 101 and quote reference number 931 of 29/08/26.”

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