Ukraine’s Security Service says it has identified a Russian commander who is accused of giving orders to shoot civilians.

The SBU announced in a statement on Thursday that it is investigating Vadym Ovchinnikov, the commander of a Russian intelligence group, who it alleges ordered the shooting of a Ukrainian family during the occupation of the town of Bucha in March of 2022.

“The Security Service has established the identity of another Russian occupier who is involved in mass murders of civilians during the occupation of Kyiv region. The perpetrator is Senior Lieutenant Vadym Ovchinnikov, the commander of the reconnaissance platoon of the 37th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 36th Combined Arms Army of the Eastern Military District of the Russian Federation,” the SBU said in the statement.

The SBU alleges Ovchinnikov “took direct part in the capture of the villages of Severynivka, Motyzhyn, and Kopyliv of the Bucha district,” and rode around the territory in armored vehicles “in order to intimidate local residents” accompanied by his subordinates.

The SBU alleges that during a raid in early March 2022, Ovchinnikov ordered his subordinates to open fire on two cars carrying civilians that were moving towards the Russian infantry fighting vehicle.

“A Ukrainian family was in the car, and they were trying to leave Severynivka for Uman in Cherkasy region,” the statement said, adding that “a man, his wife and their 15-year-old daughter were killed on the spot” and only the youngest daughter, who was 9 years old, survived.

According to the investigation, “the criminal order to shoot local residents” was carried out by five of Ovchinnikov’s subordinates, whose names the SBU has included in the statement.

Ovchinnikov and his accomplices were investigated for “the violation of the laws and customs of war, combined with intentional murder, committed by a group of persons according to a prior conspiracy,” according to the statement.

The SBU didn’t report any information about the whereabouts of the suspects, only noting that “comprehensive measures are being taken to fairly punish Russian war criminals, regardless of where they are.”

Bucha, a town northwest of Kyiv, was occupied by Russian troops shortly after the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. According to the Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office, the Russian army committed thousands of war crimes in the Bucha district, and hundreds of people were killed in the town of Bucha alone before it was liberated in March 2022.

The Kremlin has denied any involvement in the mass killings and has reiterated baseless claims that the images of civilian bodies were fake.

No matter who wins Tuesday’s US Open quarterfinals match between Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton, history will be made: For the first time, two Black men will face off in the match.

It’s also the first time since 2008 that two Black men play each other at Arthur Ashe Stadium. It’s been nearly two decades since an American male has won tennis’ US Open. And while much of the focus has been on whether 2023 will be the year that drought finally ends, tennis fans are taking a moment to savor this historic match up.

Tiafoe and Shelton’s personalities, he said, “are going to enrich the game.”

The match between the two rising tennis stars has also renewed focus on Black men playing tennis. Tiafoe, 25, and Shelton, 20, will face each other at a stadium christened after the Black tennis legend who broke barriers in the game.

Arthur Ashe was the first African American man to be ranked No. 1 in tennis and the first to win numerous titles in the sport, including a singles title at the US Open, Australian Open and Wimbledon. He was also the first Black American to play on the United States Davis Cup team.

“We got to have tennis where it’s visible, where people can see the (Black) people that are playing,” he said.

He also said while people know the story of Venus and Serena Williams’ path to tennis, “we just don’t hear enough family stories about African American men. This is a high point.”

Both Tiafoe and Shelton were surrounded by the sport at a young age.

A child of Sierra Leonean immigrants, Tiafoe and his family lived at a junior tennis champion center where his father worked in maintenance. A few years later, he enrolled in a tennis clinic at the center.

In 2022, he became the first Black American man to reach a US Open semifinal since Ashe in 1972.

Shelton is following in the footsteps of his father, Bryan, a tennis champion who won two professional titles and played on the Association of Tennis Professionals Tour.

Earlier this year, Shelton’s father resigned from coaching at the University of Florida to coach his son in professional tennis.

Carrington said for young Black Americans, getting exposure to tennis is essential for the sport. It’s up to the older generations, he said, to pass down their love for the game.

But as they prepare for Tuesday’s match, Carrington said if he were coaching Tiafoe and Shelton, he would tell them not to focus on the weight of this historic moment.

“Try to enjoy yourself,” he said. “Don’t play with stress. Let the stress go.”

Novak Djokovic booked his spot in the US Open semifinals with an emphatic victory over American Taylor Fritz on Tuesday.

The world No. 2 looked his assured self, rapid around the court and hitting winners from all manners of angles, in his 6-1 6-4 6-4 win.

Fritz did show glimpses of why he’s being tipped as part of tennis’ next generation of star players, but he was not able to hold out in the face of Djokovic’s constant pressure.

Victory ensured that Djokovic’s hopes of winning a 24th grand slam title remain alive, as he seeks to equal Margaret Court’s outright record and extend his own men’s record.

Djokovic will face another American in the final four, taking on the winner of Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton, but he was eager to just enjoy the feeling of making yet another grand slam semifinal.

Clearly in a jubilant mood after securing his victory, Djokovic led the crowd in a singalong of the Beastie Boys’ classic ‘Fight For Your Right.’

“I am drenched in sweat. I saw Taylor change shirt a couple of times, it was very humid conditions,” Djokovic said in his on-court interview when asked about the conditions inside the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“Difficult to play, but that is why we train and try to get ourselves in the best conditions to deliver. Not easy but you have to fight, as the song says, you have to fight for your right to party.”

The Serb is in the United States for the first time since 2021 due to his unvaccinated status, but made up for lost time by immediately returning to winning ways at the Cincinnati Open ahead of the US Open, beating Carlos Alcaraz in a memorable final.

Djokovic has continued to look ominous throughout the tournament in New York and the quarterfinal was another stage on which he produced some remarkable tennis.

“I like the energy and the atmosphere on the court here. I thrive on that energy, whatever the energy is, use it as a fuel to try and play my best tennis,” Djokovic added.

“I have been playing on this court for so many years, so many epic matches. I can’t wait for another one in a few days time.”

Fritz outclassed

Djokovic raced into a one-set lead against world No. 9 Fritz in just 43 minutes, producing some magical returns and excellent service games.

Fritz, 25, showed grit to work his way back into the match and went toe-to-toe with the tennis great in the second set. However, despite Fritz’s best efforts, a break early in the set allowed Djokovic to take a firm grip of the tie.

Fritz, who is enjoying his best run at his home grand slam, continued to grow into the game and gave Djokovic a stern test in the third set.

The American earned multiple break points against the 36-year-old, but Djokovic continued to produce in the most important moments to stay ahead.

Many inside the Arthur Ashe Stadium continued to cheer for Fritz throughout the tie, but Djokovic was able to use the partizan crowd in his favor, letting out a roar as he finally won match point.

The Spanish women’s soccer team appointed its first ever female head coach after her predecessor was fired on the same day amid ongoing fallout over an unwanted kiss given by soccer chief Luis Rubiales to a player at the Women’s World Cup final.

Just hours after Jorge Vilda was sacked from his role as the team’s head coach, the country’s soccer federation (RFEF) announced he would be replaced by his deputy, Montse Tomé.

Tomé will be the first woman in charge of the women’s national team and her debut match will come on September 22 against Sweden.

The moves comes as part of a major shake-up in Spanish soccer ever since Rubiales, the president of the RFEF, forcibly kissed forward Jennifer Hermoso on August 20.

Rubiales has apologized for his actions and described the kiss as “mutual” – a claim Hermoso denied, saying she was not respected. He has been handed a 90-day suspension by FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, while disciplinary proceedings are underway.

In a statement announcing Vilda’s sacking, RFEF said he was “key to the notable growth of women’s football and leaves Spain as world champions and second in the FIFA rankings.”

The federation described the move as “one of the first measures of restructuring announced by (interim) President Pedro Rocha.”

Vilda had been the women’s national team coach since 2015. “RFEF appreciates his work at the head of the national team and his responsibilities as the maximum sporting figure of the women’s national teams, as well as the successes reaped during his term, crowned with the recent achievement of the World Cup,” the statement added.

It also praised Vilda’s “impeccable personal and sporting conduct” and as a “key part of the notable growth of women’s football in Spain,” describing him as “a promoter of the values of respect and sportsmanship in football.”

Vilda, who previously coached Spain’s under-17 and under-19 women’s teams, led La Roja to a first Women’s World Cup title last month with a 1-0 victory against England in the final.

Player protests

However, success on the pitch has belied a tense atmosphere in the squad and the long-standing animosity between some of the country’s best players, Vilda’s technical staff and RFEF.

Following the team’s victories against the Netherlands and Sweden in the World Cup quarterfinals and semifinals, videos went viral on social media of what appeared to be cold reactions from some of Spain’s substituted players towards Vilda and his staff, as well as during the post-match celebrations.

One clip showed Vilda trying to celebrate with a handful of players following the win over the Netherlands, only to appear to be ignored.

The players’ dissatisfaction dates back beyond September last year, when 15 members of the senior women’s squad sent personally signed letters to RFEF via email to announce they would no longer play for the national team unless there were wholesale changes made throughout the coaching staff.

The identical letters said that “the situation” within the Spanish national team – about which RFEF was “aware” – had been affecting the players’ “emotional state” and health.

“As a result, I do not currently consider myself to be in a condition to be chosen for the national team and I ask not to be called up until the situation is resolved,” the letter read.

Of the 15 players who signed the letters, only three were in Spain’s World Cup squad: Mariona Caldentey, Aitana Bonmatí and Ona Batlle.

When Rubiales, speaking at the federation’s Extraordinary General Assembly last month, refused to resign from his position, he also offered his backing to Vilda and said he was starting the process of offering the coach a new four-year deal on about $542,000 (€500,000) a year.

“On another level, a lot smaller (than my situation), but they wanted to do to you what they’re doing to me now,” Rubiales said at the time.

“A false narrative to try to transform it into the truth. We’ve suffered a lot, we’ve gone through a lot, we’ve swallowed a lot, but we’ve been together: you and me and your team.”

Vilda, like many in the room, was seen applauding Rubiales throughout the assembly. The following day, however, he issued a statement condemning the actions of the beleaguered soccer chief.

“I am deeply sorry that the victory of Spanish women’s football has been harmed by the inappropriate behavior that our until now top leader, Luis Rubiales, has carried out and that he himself has recognized,” Vilda said in the statement, which was widely shared by Spanish media.

Prior to Spain’s success at the Women’s World Cup, Vilda led the team to the knockout stages of the 2019 tournament and successive quarterfinals at the European championships in 2017 and 2022.

As coach of the country’s youth women’s teams, he twice won the under-17 European championships and also the under-19 European Championships.

A newly-formed tropical depression in the Atlantic Ocean has become Tropical Storm Lee and is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane by Thursday as the season approaches its typical peak in early September.

Tropical Depression 13 formed Tuesday morning in the central tropical Atlantic, almost 1,000 miles west-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The depression strengthened into a tropical storm later Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center said in a 5 p.m. update. Lee is forecast to strengthen into a major hurricane by Friday before it reaches Category 4 strength by Saturday, the update said.

Tropical Storm Lee has winds of 45 mph with higher gusts and is moving west-northwest at 16 mph.

“Lee is forecast to become a major hurricane by this weekend and could bring impacts to the Leeward Islands by that time. While it is too soon to determine the location and magnitude of these possible impacts, interests in this area should monitor the progress of Lee and further updates to the forecast,” the hurricane center warned.

As the depression moves steadily west-northwest this week, it will enter conditions increasingly favorable for strengthening: Plenty of moisture, low wind shear and abnormally warm water stretch nearly the entire length of the potential cyclone’s projected path.

“The NHC intensity forecast is extremely bullish for a first forecast, but remarkably lies below the intensity consensus,” the National Hurricane Center’s storm discussion said. “All indications are that the depression will become a strong hurricane by the end of the forecast period.”

The system is forecast to become a hurricane as early as Thursday and would be the fourth to reach that status this season, following Don, Franklin and Idalia. The hurricane is expected to grow significantly stronger by the weekend and is forecast to become the season’s third Category 3 or stronger hurricane as the weekend begins.

It will track generally west-northwest across the tropical Atlantic through the end of the week and make a close pass at the Leeward Islands over the weekend as a hurricane. Any shifts along its track as it nears the islands could bring more of an impact there and beyond. Anyone in the eastern Caribbean – including the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico and Hispaniola – as well as the Bahamas will need to keep a close eye on the forecast.

It’s too soon to know whether or not this system will directly impact the US mainland, but even if the hurricane stays out to sea, dangerous surf and rip currents could once again threaten the East Coast. One person was killed in a rip current in New Jersey over the Labor Day weekend.

Sunday, September 10, is the climatological peak of Atlantic hurricane season, when the basin is at its busiest on average. A flurry of tropical activity surrounding this date is not out of the ordinary, but it can turn hazardous fast.

The 2023 Atlantic season has already been busy: It is tracking above average for a number of different metrics including number of named storms, number of hurricanes and number of major hurricanes, according to Philip Klotzbach a research scientist at Colorado State University.

A 22-year-old German man has been detained in Florence accused of damaging a statue in the 16th-century Fountain of Neptune in the Piazza della Signoria, city authorities said in a statement.

The city estimates the damage to the statue is around €5,000 ($5,400).

The fountain features a statue of the Roman sea god Neptune atop a shell-shaped carriage pulled by horses.

The tourist, who has not been named, scaled a protective barrier around the monument in the early hours of Monday and posed on the statue while two friends, who remained on the other side of the barrier, took photos of him, the city statement said, citing police officers who witnessed the event on surveillance footage.

“According to the investigators’ reconstruction, after 1 o’clock this morning the tourist, in Piazza della Signoria with two other friends, climbed over the fence of the Neptune Fountain and climbed onto the edge of the pool,” the statement said.

“With a jump he then climbed onto the horse’s leg, reaching the base of the carriage and, after having some photos taken by his friends, he climbed down. During the descent he placed his foot again on the hoof, damaging it. As soon as the alarm went off, however, the young man had already managed to escape with the two others,” it added.

The tourist will be charged under a city penal code that prohibits the “destruction, dispersion, deterioration, disfigurement, soiling or illicit use of cultural or landscape assets.”

If convicted, the tourist could be fined and banned from entering the city.

The statue was previously damaged in 2005, when someone climbed on it and broke Neptune’s hand. This prompted the authorities to install CCTV cameras.

In August, German tourists were accused of spray-painting soccer graffiti on a wall of the historic Vasari Corridor nearby.

The Fountain of Neptune was commissioned in 1559 by Cosimo I de Medici, Duke of Florence, to mark the marriage of his son Francesco and the Grand Duchess Joanna of Austria.

A Delta Air Lines flight from Atlanta to Barcelona on Friday night was forced to turn around after a passenger had diarrhea.

The Airbus A350 had set out on time on the evening of September 1 with 336 passengers on board, but was forced to turn around over central Virginia.

“It’s just a biohazard issue, we had a passenger who had diarrhea all the way through the airplane so they want us to come back to Atlanta,” a DL 194 pilot said to air traffic control.

The Airbus 350 arrived back at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport slightly more than two hours after its departure, according to FlightAware.

It’s not the first flight this summer to have the passenger experience disrupted by bodily fluids. This week Air Canada issued an apology after two passengers were told to sit in inadequately cleaned seats that had been covered in vomit on a previous flight.

The incident happened on a flight between Las Vegas to Montreal on August 26.

And on June 30, a traveler on an Air France flight from Paris to Toronto found his seat’s footwell still wet with a a previous passenger’s blood and diarrhea.

Air Canada has issued an apology after two passengers were told to sit in poorly cleaned seats that had been covered in vomit on a previous flight.

Details of the incident, which occurred on board a flight from Las Vegas to Montreal on August 26, were posted online by passenger Susan Benson.

“There was a bit of a foul smell but we didn’t know at first what the problem was. Apparently, on the previous flight someone had vomited in that area. Air Canada attempted a quick cleanup before boarding but clearly wasn’t able to do a thorough clean,” Benson wrote in a Facebook post published August 29.

“They placed coffee grinds in the seat pouch and sprayed perfume to mask the smell. When the clearly upset passengers tried to explain to the flight attendant that the seat and seatbelt were wet and there was still visible vomit residue in their area, the flight attendant was very apologetic but explained that the flight was full and there was nothing they could do,” she added.

The passengers and crew “argued back-and-forth for several minutes,” wrote Benson, before a supervisor came over and reiterated that the passengers would have to stay in the vomit-covered seats as the flight was full.

Benson goes on to relate how a pilot then came down the plane to speak to the passengers, telling them that “they could leave the plane… and organize flights on their own dime, or they would be escorted off the plane by security and placed on a no fly list!”

The explanation was that they had been “rude” to the flight attendant, but Benson disputes this.

“They were certainly not! They were upset and firm, but not rude!” she wrote.

Even though a fellow passenger tried to explain the situation, the pair were then escorted from the plane by security.

“For what? Refusing to sit in vomit for five hours!,” wrote Benson, who said the airline “literally expects” its passengers “to sit in vomit or be escorted off the plane and placed on a no-fly list!”

She then conceded that she didn’t know whether the passengers were in fact placed on a no-fly list.

“I am ashamed to be a Canadian and ashamed of Air Canada,” she wrote. “Shame on you Air Canada! shame on you!”

“We are reviewing this serious matter internally and have followed up with the customers directly as our operating procedures were not followed correctly in this instance,” the statement continued.

“We remain in contact with them about this matter,” the airline added.

This is not the first incident involving bodily fluids on planes in recent months.

In June, Habib Battah was flying from Paris to Toronto on Air France when, shortly after takeoff, he noticed a strange smell coming from the footwell under his and his wife’s seats.

Battah then noticed a wet stain on the floor. Staff provided him with cleaning wipes, and as he used them to rub at the stain, they kept turning red.

A flight attendant informed her coworkers, and the captain radioed Paris, asking what the stain under seats 30A and 30B was.

The news came back from Air France HQ: It was human blood. The previous day, a passenger had suffered what Battah said the crew described as a “hemorrhage.”

Three days after his flight, Battah was called by Air France and told that the blood had been mixed with feces.

Disney is adding a sixth ship to its growing cruise line, the entertainment giant announced late Tuesday morning in a video presentation.

It will be christened the Disney Treasure, and it’s brimming with the kind of colorful, pop-culture theming you’d expect, with nods to “The Lion King,” Marvel superheroes, “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” “Star Wars” and others.

But don’t pack your bags quite yet. The maiden voyage of the Treasure, sister ship to the Disney Wish that launched in 2022, is scheduled for December 21, 2024. It will leave Port Canaveral, Florida, for a seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruise, Disney said in a news release. After that, the ship will embark on seven-night itineraries in the Eastern and Western Caribbean from Port Canaveral.

While the first voyage is more than a year away, die-hard Disney cruisers can reserve a spot much sooner. Bookings for Disney Cruise Line Castaway Club members start September 12 this year. Bookings open to all guests on September 20, according to the news release.

Here’s a look at some of the highlights:

Upper deck adventures

Fancy water rides are becoming a family cruise ship staple. The Treasure has its own jewel.

Called “AquaMouse: Curse of the Golden Egg,” the ride will be suspended above the upper decks. Water jets will shoot two-person vehicles through 760 feet (232 meters) of winding tubes, offering views of Mickey Mouse animation as well as views of the ocean and the ship below. Disney Wish also has an AquaMouse attraction.

For smaller children, the ship will have a “Toy Story” splash zone, wading pool, family waterslide and smoothie bar. Adults who need a child break can slip away to “Quiet Cove,” which will feature an infinity pool and poolside bar and cafe.

Family entertainment

The sea-based equivalent of Main Street U.S.A., the ship’s “Aladdin”-themed Grand Hall “will serve as the ship’s most prominent gathering space, inspiring wonder and exploration during each voyage,” the release said. Guests will be able to see shows, have character encounters and hear musical performances here.

Sarabi (named for “The Lion King” matriarch) will be a two-story gathering spot that will evoke an African savannah and feature things such as “Villains Game Night.”

Guests will also have a Broadway-style theater, showing “Beauty and the Beast” and “Disney Seas the Adventure,” as well as cinemas.

Sleep and food

The Treasure will sport 1,256 staterooms. Concierge-level staterooms and suites will come with a private sun deck.

Four royal suites will “pay tribute to the faithful feline companions of daring Disney characters,” the release said. For a truly epic stay, the EPCOT-inspired Tomorrow Tower Suite will overlook the top deck and will sleep eight.

As for food, the ship’s Plaza de Coco will be the first theatrical dining experience themed to the Disney and Pixar 2017 film “Coco,” the release said. The Mexican restaurant will have dining tables set around a central stage with mariachi performances. Other main restaurants: Worlds of Marvel, flavored with a dash of Spider-Man encounter, and 1923, an upscale venue named for the founding year of Walt Disney Animation Studios.

The ship will also offer an ice cream parlor (Jumbeaux’s Sweets), adults-only dining and a steampunk-style watering hole at the Periscope Pub.

The Treasure will carry 4,000 passengers and a crew of 1,555, Disney said. It will have a length of 1,119 feet (341 meters) and a height of 221 feet (67.4 meters).

Brazil forward Antony was dropped from the national team on Monday following allegations of abuse by a former girlfriend, according to the Brazilian football confederation (CBF).

The Manchester United player is being investigated by the Sao Paulo Police and the Greater Manchester Police for domestic violence against his former partner Gabriela Cavallin, Brazilian news outlet UOL reported.

“Due to the facts that became public this Monday involving Manchester United striker Antony, and which need to be investigated, and in order to safeguard the alleged victim, the player, the Brazilian National Team and the CBF, the organization informs that the athlete is withdrawn from the Brazilian National Team,” the CBF said in a statement.

According to UOL, Cavallin alleges that among other things, the 23-year-old Antony threatened to throw her out of a vehicle while driving at a high speed.

She also says he allegedly headbutted her, which left her with a cut on her head, and at a later date punched her in the chest causing damage to her breast implant, which required corrective surgery.

The last allegation in UOL’s report claims that Antony attempted to hit her in the face with a glass bowl, resulting in cuts on her fingers as she defended herself.

In a statement posted on social media, the Brazilian forward denied the allegations. He acknowledged that his relationship with Cavallin was “tumultuous” but insisted that the “accusations are false.”

“Out of respect for my fans, friends, and family I feel obligated to speak publicly about the false accusations I have been a victim of,” Antony said in a post on his Instagram stories. “From the beginning I have handled this issue seriously and with respect, providing the due clarifications to the police authority.

“The police inquest is under cover of justice, and therefore I cannot make its content public. However, I can say with confidence that the accusations are false and that the evidence already produced, and more to be produced, show that I am innocent of the accusations made.

“My relationship with Ms. Gabriela was tumultuous, with verbal offenses from both sides, but I never practiced any physical aggression. Every time, whether in testimony or in an interview, she presents a different version of the accusations.

“Thus, I come to deny the accusations made and inform that I remain at the full disposal of the Brazilian authorities to clarify what is needed. I trust the ongoing police investigations will reveal the truth about my innocence.”

Antony will miss Brazil’s World Cup qualifying games against Bolivia and Peru as a result of being dropped from the national team. In his career, Antony has made 16 appearances for the national team, scoring two goals.