Poland deployed air force jets for the second time in a week, alerted residents and closed Lublin airport near the Ukrainian border because of drones flying in its neighbor’s airspace, its Operational Command said in a post on X.
Separately, Romanian fighter jets were launched as Russia attacked Ukrainian territory near the nations’ shared border near the Danube River. A UAV was detected inside Romania’s airspace, the defense ministry said.
Poland’s air defense systems were placed on the highest alert “amid the threat of Russian drones” over Ukraine, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said in a separate post, adding that the action was “preventive.”
Residents of six Polish districts near to the Ukrainian border received emergency SMS alerts warning of a threat from the air.
Ukraine’s air defense said earlier on Saturday that two Russian UAVs had been flying in the west of the country.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a post on X Saturday that he didn’t think the drone flights were accidental as he renewed his call for the country’s allies to impose additional sanctions on Russia.
Poland has became highly attuned to its air security after an unprecedented incursion of about 20 Russian drones earlier this week. Polish and allied forces shot down at least three UAVs for the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The country is set to receive additional air defense support from its North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s allies as a result of the events.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that it will take a few days to determine whether the drones were intentionally sent into Poland.
“The question is whether the drones were targeted to go into Poland specifically,” he told reporters as he departed for a trip to Israel. “If that’s the case, that the evidence leads us there, then obviously that’ll be a highly escalatory move.”
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new video loaded: Anti-Immigration Activists Face Off With Counterprotesters in London
By Ang Li•
Thousands of far-right activists marched through central London on Saturday, setting off sporadic clashes with the police as they held dueling demonstrations with counterprotesters.
A US federal Appeals court has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to remove Shira Perlmutter from her position as the Register of Copyrights and Director of the US Copyright Office.
The injunction pending appeal, filed yesterday (September 10), temporarily reinstates Perlmutter and prevents the Trump administration from installing Executive Branch officials to run the Library of Congress and the Copyright Office.
The saga around Perlmutter’s ousting started in May 2025 after the Trump Administration fired Carla D. Hayden, the Librarian of Congress, and replaced Hayden with Todd Blanche, the Deputy Attorney General with the Department of Justice.
Blanche then immediately fired Perlmutter from the position at the US Copyright Office, which is part of the Library of Congress, and replaced her with Paul Perkins, an Associate Deputy Attorney General at the DoJ.
Perlmutter filed a lawsuit later that month, claiming her dismissal was “unlawful and ineffective” after President Trump fired both her and Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden via email.
The Appeals Court’s 2-1 decision comes a few weeks after a judge in a lower court denied Perlmutter’s motion for a preliminary injunction. US District Judge Timothy Kelly ruled on July 30 that Perlmutter failed to demonstrate irreparable harm warranting emergency relief.
Perlmutter promptly filed notice of appeal to the US Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on August 1, signaling her intention to continue the legal battle.
The Appeals Court’s order filed yesterday (September 10) rules that Perlmutter’s removal in May was likely unlawful, and temporarily restores her as Register of Copyrights while the case continues. It also stipulates that any actions taken by improperly appointed officials at the Library of Congress have no legal effect while the case continues.
The order, which you can read in full here, states that “appellees Todd Blanche, Paul Perkins, Sergio Gor, Trent Morse, and the Executive Office of the President, and their subordinates and agents, are hereby enjoined from interfering with appellant’s service as Register of Copyrights and Director of the U.S. Copyright Office pending further order of the court”.
It adds: “To that extent, appellant has satisfied the stringent requirements for an injunction pending appeal.”
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Democracy Forward, the group representing Perlmutter in this case, explained that the Appeals Court’s decision pauses, for now, what the court said might constitute a “grave intrusion by the President into the constitutional powers of a coordinate branch of government.”
According to Democracy Forward, the ruling “confirms that the President does not have the legal authority to fire or replace the Register of Copyrights — a position that can be filled only by the Librarian of Congress”.
“We are proud to represent Shira Perlmutter in defending the integrity of our democratic institutions, and we will continue this fight as it proceeds,” said Brian Netter, Legal Director at Democracy Forward.”
Brian Netter
Brian Netter, Legal Director at Democracy Forward, called the ruling “a significant victory for the rule of law, the separation of powers, and the independence of Congress.”
He added: “The President does not have the authority to remove the Register of Copyrights or to install his own officials to run the nation’s library.
“We are proud to represent Shira Perlmutter in defending the integrity of our democratic institutions, and we will continue this fight as it proceeds.”
Perlmutter’s ousting and now temporary reinstatement come as the Copyright Office faces questions about leadership continuity, particularly regarding its ongoing artificial intelligence report, which Perlmutter had highlighted as urgent work requiring her oversight.
The dispute has broader implications for the music industry, given the Copyright Office’s role in regulating performance rights organizations and overseeing mechanical licensing through entities like The Mechanical Licensing Collective.
The office also plays a crucial role in AI-related copyright policy, an increasingly important area for music rights holders.
Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.
Aubrey Martin of Santa Clarita, California, has committed to swim and study at Colorado State University, beginning in the 2026–2027 school year. She trains year-round with the Canyons Aquatic Club and attends Valencia High School.
Martin, a sprint freestyle and butterfly specialist, confirmed the commitment in an email to SwimSwam. She provided the following quote:
I am incredibly grateful and excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my swimming and academic journey at Colorado State University! I want to sincerely thank my family, friends, and coaches for their support in helping me reach this moment. A special thank you to my mom and dad for always being there for me, and to Coach Woody and Coach Lisa for this incredible opportunity. I can’t wait to be a part of the Ramily! Go Rams!
Martin’s three biggest meets of the high school season were the Foothill League Championships at the end of April, the CIF Southern Section Division 1 Championships in early May, and the CIF State Meet in mid-May.
During the League Championships, Martin posted a lifetime best of 51.35 in the 100 free to earn silver, and won the 200 free with a time of 1:53.54. She also anchored two winning relays, splitting 23.23 on the 200 medley relay and 50.90 to close the 400 free relay.
At the Section meet, Martin helped the 200 medley relay take fourth and the 400 free relay finish 10th, anchoring both with splits of 23.01 and 52.09. Individually, she placed eighth in the 100 free at 51.54, just a few tenths off her best, and 18th in the 200 free at 1:57.87.
She wrapped up her season at State by anchoring the 200 medley relay in 23.30 to help the team take ninth, and leading off the 400 free relay in 52.43. Individually, she contested only the 100 free, touching 28th overall in 51.98.
Outside of freestyle, Martin also holds bests of 55.79 in the 100 fly and 2:05.70 in the 200 IM, showcasing some versatility beyond her core events.
Top SCY Times:
50 Freestyle: 23.66
100 Freestyle: 51.35
200 Freestyle: 1:51.89
100 Butterfly: 55.79
200 IM: 2:05.70
Colorado State is led by head coach Christopher Woodard, who has been at the helm of the program since 2011. The women finished seventh out of ten teams at the 2025 Mountain West Swimming and Diving Championships.
At this past season’s conference meet, which offers ‘A’, ‘B’, and ‘C’ finals, Martin has several personal bests within striking distance of cracking the top 24. Last year, it took 23.37, 50.80, and 1:51.34 to qualify in the 50–200 free, while 55.65 and 2:05.61 were the cutoffs in the 100 fly and 200 IM.
On the team’s 2024–25 depth chart, Martin would’ve ranked fourth in the 50 free, 100 free, and 100 fly, fifth in the 200 free, and sixth in the 200 IM. Junior Lexie Trietley led the way in the 50 (22.70) and 100 (49.89) free, while sophomore Mia Axelman (1:48.90) was the only swimmer under 1:49 in the 200 free. Seniors Katie Flynn (54.86) and Maisy Barbosa (2:00.99) were the top performers in the 100 fly and 200 IM, respectively.
Martin joins the Rams’ recruiting class of 2030 alongside Avery Lonegran, Lauren Golden, and Kayda Geyer.
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to Recruits@swimswam.com.
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Over four years since it landed on Mars, NASA’s Perseverance Rover might have made serious headway in its mission to find signs of ancient microbial life on the planet.
Last July, the autonomous exploration vehicle stumbled upon an arrowhead-shaped rock named Cheyava Falls with colorful spots on it, in what might be a river valley carved by water on the Red Planet.
NASA’s scientists think those spots may have been left behind by microbial life billions of years ago. It sounds awfully hard to believe and there might be other explanations for this, so the agency is making the data from its findings available to the broader space community to examine further via a peer-reviewed paper in Nature.
The animation below shows what the Neretva Vallis valley might have looked like way back when, with a flowing river flanked by sandy, rocky hills.
History of Mars: Water Flows in Ancient Neretva Vallis (Animation)
Let’s take a closer look at those spots. They were found using two instruments on the rover: PIXL (Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry) and SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals). The spots appeared to be arranged in a distinct pattern of points of contact where chemical and physical reactions occur, with the signature of two iron-rich minerals found on Earth around organic matter.
These ‘leopard spots’ on a sample from the Cheyava Falls rock could indicate reactions that produced energy for microbial growth billions of years ago
NASA/JPL Caltech/MSSS
The appearance of both these minerals is a potential sign of ancient microbial life, and the aforementioned reactions would have produced energy to spur microbial growth.
To be clear, NASA says its findings don’t point directly to actual proof of ancient life, but to a potential biosignature: a substance or structure that appears to have a biological origin, indicating that life may have existed there at some point in the past.
NASA notes those minerals might well have been generated on Mars without the presence of life – but then you’d need sustained high temperatures, acidic conditions, and organic compounds to bind them to the rock. There isn’t any evidence of such conditions on rock samples from the area, and as such, this has led scientists to believe the evidence might point to microbes from way back. This could reveal the past habitability of the planet.
The rover landed at Mars’ Jezero Crater in February 2021, with the mission of spotting signs of life. The landing site is believed to have been flooded with water some 3.5 billion years ago. The inputs of experts outside of NASA could finally help us begin to answer one of the most puzzling questions on Earth: are we alone?
Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in London on Saturday for an anti-immigration rally called ‘Unite the Kingdom’, organised by far-right activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, better known as Tommy Robinson. Anti-racism campaigners also marched in counterprotests.
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Nikos Michaloliakos, the leader of the Greek neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn, has been released from prison less than halfway into his sentence.
The far-right politician and Holocaust denier was allowed by a judicial council to serve the remainder of his 13-year sentence in the confines of his home on health grounds on Friday, state media reports.
The 67-year-old’s conditional release after five years in prison has angered left-wing parties, arguing the judiciary should not have shown clemency.
It is the second time Michaloliakos has been allowed out following his 2020 conviction over a litany of violent attacks on immigrants and political opponents perpetrated by Golden Dawn supporters.
He was briefly released in May 2024, news agency AFP reports, before judicial officials found he had not shown adequately good behaviour and forced him to return to prison.
Michaloliakos founded and presided over a party which was found to be a criminal organisation tied to the murder of an anti-fascist musician, as well as the attempted murder of Egyptian fishermen and communist activists.
It came third in Greece’s 2012 elections on an anti-immigrant, nationalist vote fuelled by economic hardship due to the country’s financial crisis.
Michaloliakos himself has been an admirer of Nazism and gave the Hitler salute at party rallies. While Golden Dawn officially denied being a neo-Nazi movement, it adopted Nazi-influenced iconography.
He and its former MPs were found guilty of running or belonging to the criminal group.
Greece’s New Left party said in a statement to state media that Michaloliakos’s release was “a serious blow to the collective memory and the struggle for democracy and justice”, adding that the justice system “cannot send a message of impunity to those who embodied hatred and fascism”.
The nation’s communist party KKE said the decision should be overturned, adding Golden Dawn’s “crimes are not time-limited in the consciousness of the people and the youth”.
Khas Kunar, Afghanistan – Stoori was pulled out from under the rubble of his house in Kunar province after it was destroyed by the magnitude 6 earthquake which struck on the night of August 31. But the guilt of not being able to save his wife haunts him.
“I barely had enough time to pull out the body of my dead wife and place her on the rubble of our collapsed home before my children and I were evacuated,” the grief-stricken 40-year-old farmer says.
Authorities say about 2,200 people have been killed and more than 5,000 homes destroyed in eastern Afghanistan, most of them in Kunar province, where houses mostly built from wood and mud bricks crumbled in the shocks of the quake.
Stoori, who only gave one name, is now staying with his children in a sprawling evacuation camp 60km (37 miles) from his village – in Khas Kunar.
“My village has become a graveyard. All 40 families lost their homes. The earthquake killed 12 people in my community and left 22 others badly injured,” he says.
Stoori, a 40-year-old farmer, lost his wife in the earthquake. He has had to move to a displacement camp with his children [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]
Winter is coming
In all, the UN says half a million people have been affected by the quake.
In this camp, which is lined with tents provided by international NGOs, nearly 5,000 people are sheltering, each with stories of loss and pain.
Thankfully, the camp has access to water and sanitation, and there are two small clinics ready to receive injured newcomers, as well as an ambulance which can be dispatched to collect people.
Right now, workers are digging a trench to install another water pipe, which will divert water to areas in need around the camp.
Just a few hundred metres away, what were once United States military warehouses have been transformed into government offices coordinating the emergency response.
Inside the displacement camp in eastern Afghanistan [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]
The Taliban, which returned to power after US-led forces withdrew in 2021 after 20 years of occupation, has been overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster.
Tens of thousands of people are without any shelter at all just weeks before the onset of winter, and the mountainous terrain makes relief and rescue efforts difficult.
Najibullah Haqqani, Kunar’s provincial director for the Ministry of Information and Culture, says the authorities are working through a three-step emergency plan: Evacuate those at risk, provide shelter, food, and medical care in camps, and, eventually, rebuild homes or find permanent housing.
But the situation is becoming more challenging by the day. “Fortunately, we have received support from the government, local businesses, volunteers and international NGOs. They all came and helped with food and money for the displaced people,” he tells Al Jazeera.
The tents provided by international NGOs are sheltering 5,000 people in this camp [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]
‘The smell of dead animals fills the air’
More than 10 days after the tremor, new arrivals join the camp daily, inside the fortified walls of the former US base on the banks of the Kabul River.
Among them is Nurghal, a 52-year-old farmer from Shalatak village who was able to reunite with the surviving members of his family only on Wednesday morning. “From my large extended family, 52 people were killed and almost 70 were left badly injured,” he says. The devastation is “unimaginable”, he adds.
“The weather is cold in our area, and we don’t sleep outside this time of the year. That is why many people were trapped in their houses when the earthquake hit, and they were killed. Everything is destroyed back home, and all our animals are buried in debris. The smell of dead animals fills the air in my village.”
Life before the quake, he says, was stable. “Before the earthquake, we had everything we wanted: A home, livestock, our crops, and land. Now life is in the hospital and tents.”
Nurghal, a 52-year-old farmer from Shalatak village, has lost 52 relatives to the earthquake [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]
Women face particular challenges in the aftermath of this disaster, as Taliban laws prevent them from travelling without male guardians – meaning it is hard for them to either get medical assistance or, in the case of female medical workers, to provide it.
The World Health Organization (WHO) asked Taliban authorities last week to lift travel restrictions for Afghan female aid workers, at least, to allow them to travel to help women in difficulties following the earthquake.
“A very big issue now is the increasing paucity of female staff in these places,” Dr Mukta Sharma, the deputy representative of WHO’s Afghanistan office, told the Reuters news agency.
Furthermore, since women have been banned from higher education by the Taliban, the number of qualified female medical staff is dwindling.
Despite these difficulties, the Taliban leadership says it is committed to ensuring that women will be properly treated, by male health workers if necessary.
Haqqani, Kunar’s provincial director for the Ministry of Information and Culture, tells Al Jazeera: “During the emergency situation, the military and volunteers evacuated and cared for everyone. On the second day, UNICEF set up a medical clinic in Nurghal district and they had female doctors as well. We took as many injured people as the clinic could handle there and they were treating everyone, male and female. In any emergency situation, there is no gender-based discrimination; any doctor available will treat any patients coming in. The priority is life saving.”
At a field hospital which has been set up inside the old US barracks by the displacement camp at Khas Kunar, six male doctors and one female doctor, 16 male nurses and 12 female nurses are tending to the injured. Currently, there are 34 patients here, 24 of whom are women and children – most of them were taken to Gamberi from their remote villages by Taliban military helicopters and then transferred the last 50km (30 miles) to the hospital by car.
The hospital’s director, Dr Shahid, who only gave one name, says male doctors and nurses are permitted to treat women and have been doing so without any issue.
The building housing the field hospital near the displacement camp, where the wounded are being brought [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]
‘A curse from the sky’
From his bed in the field hospital, Azim, a farmer in his mid-40s from Sohail Tangy village, 60km (37 miles) away, is recovering from fractures to his spine and right shoulder.
He fears returning to the devastation at home.
“The earthquake was like a curse from the sky. I don’t want to move back to that hell,” he tells Al Jazeera. “The government should give us land to rebuild our lives. My village has become the centre of destruction. My only request is to give us land somewhere else.”
Azim is still coming to terms with the loss of his loved ones. “Yesterday, my son told me that three of my brothers are dead. Some of my family members are in the Kabul and Jalalabad hospitals. And my wife is in Kabul military hospital,” he says.
Azim, a farmer from Sohail Tangy village, whose three brothers were killed in the earthquake, is recovering from fractures to his spine and right shoulder [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]
Back in the evacuation camp, Stoori says he is holding onto hope, but only just.
“If God blesses us, maybe we can go back to our village before the winter comes,” he says.
“We have nothing left except our trust in God, and we ask the international community and authorities for help.”
