A history of American political scandals that have shaped American politics as it is today. Resourced and researched through American freedom of information act and with Political History Majors and Professors from Columbia university.
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Aston Villa sign Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea for reported club-record fee
Get you up to speed: Aston Villa sign Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson for reported club record
Aston Villa have signed Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea for a reported club record of £65 million. Jackson arrives at Villa Park as a replacement for Ollie Watkins, whose move to Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal is being finalised.
Nicolas Jackson has signed a five-year contract with Aston Villa and will wear the club’s colours after a successful spell at Bayern Munich, where he won the Bundesliga and German Cup. Ollie Watkins’ departure to Al Hilal will leave Villa without their top Premier League goalscorer, further reshaping the team ahead of the upcoming match against Arsenal.
Aston Villa have confirmed the signing of Nicolas Jackson, with manager Unai Emery confirming his arrival as a direct replacement for Ollie Watkins, whose transfer to Al Hilal is nearing completion. The club is expected to rely on Jackson’s previous experience and performance to bolster their attacking options ahead of the upcoming match against Arsenal.
What remains unclear — The specific details and timing of Ollie Watkins’ move to Al Hilal have not been fully disclosed.
Aston Villa sign Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea for reported club-record fee
Sport|FootballAston Villa sign Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson for reported club record
Jackson arrives at Villa Park as a replacement for Ollie Watkins, whose move to Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal is being finalised.
Published On 29 Aug 202629 Aug 2026
Aston Villa have signed Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea in a deal worth a reported club-record 65 million pounds ($88m).
Jackson agreed a five-year deal with the Europa League holders on Friday and is reunited with Villa manager Unai Emery after the pair worked together at Villarreal.
Emery had revealed the 25-year-old was set to sign when he spoke to the media in a news conference on Friday to preview Monday’s game against Arsenal.
Jackson, who spent last season on loan at Bayern Munich, arrives at Villa Park as a replacement for Ollie Watkins, whose 50-million-pound ($68m) move to Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal is being finalised.
Jackson had been training separately from Chelsea’s squad, having been told he was not in the plans of Blues boss Xabi Alonso.
He leaves Chelsea having scored 30 goals in 81 appearances in all competitions since moving to Stamford Bridge in 2023, helping the club win the UEFA Conference League and Club World Cup.
Jackson was first frozen out by former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca last season.
While on loan at Bayern Munich last season, he scored 11 goals and won the Bundesliga and German Cup. He has also played 37 times for Senegal and was part of their squads for the 2022 and 2026 World Cups.
Watkins’ impending departure, which was also confirmed by Emery, means he will follow Ezri Konsa, Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne out of Villa Park.
The 30-year-old, who is the club’s top Premier League goalscorer, reportedly refused to play in last weekend’s 4-0 defeat at Brighton before his move to Saudi Arabia.
Another British Columbia couple missing following flash flooding in Nepal
Get you up to speed: ‘We’ve been so worried’: Another B.C. couple missing after Nepal flash flooding
A couple participating in a guided pilgrimage in Nepal has not been heard from since the morning of August 26. Their daughter reported the situation but there has been no immediate confirmation regarding their whereabouts.
The family of the missing individuals reported they were on a guided pilgrimage in the region of Nepal. Authorities have not confirmed whether rescue operations are underway or if any further information about their whereabouts will be released.
Authorities in Nepal are actively searching for the missing couple, who were last heard from on August 26 while on a guided pilgrimage. Local officials have stated that rescue operations are planned to continue until the couple is found.
What remains unclear — The circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the family during their guided pilgrimage are not known.
Another British Columbia couple missing following flash flooding in Nepal
Their daughter says they were on a guided pilgrimage in the region of Nepal and haven’t been heard from since the morning of Aug. 26.
Judge dismisses confession by alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed
Get you up to speed: Judge throws out confession by alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed
A military judge dismissed a confession from Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who is accused of masterminding the September 11 attacks, determining it was not given voluntarily during an interrogation in Guantanamo Bay in January 2007. The ruling complicates the federal government’s efforts to prosecute Mohammed, who is awaiting trial alongside three other defendants.
The ruling by Lt. Col. Michael Schrama not to admit Khalid Sheikh Mohammed’s confession is expected to impact the proceedings scheduled for June 2028. Following the court’s decision, Rear Adm. Aaron C. Rugh indicated that the government would soon determine whether to appeal the ruling.
A military judge has ruled that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed’s confession to FBI agents was not voluntary, which poses challenges for the federal government’s prosecution efforts; prosecutor Rear Adm. Aaron C. Rugh stated that a decision on whether to appeal will be made “in the near future.” Meanwhile, the trial for Mohammed and three other men has been scheduled for June 2028, following the retraction of plea deals by an appeals court last year after intervention from Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.
What remains unclear — It is uncertain whether the government will appeal the decision to suppress Khalid Sheikh Mohammed’s confession.
Judge dismisses confession by alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed
A military judge on Friday tossed out a confession that alleged Sept. 11 attacks mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed delivered to FBI agents almost 20 years ago, WTX US News has learned, finding it was not given voluntarily.
The ruling marks a blow to the federal government’s long-delayed effort to prosecute Mohammed, who is accused of developing the plot to crash planes into the Pentagon and World Trade Center. He is being held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, along with several other defendants who are awaiting trial.
The judge in the case, Lt. Col. Michael Schrama, scheduled a trial for Mohammed and three other men for June 2028 earlier this week.
In Friday’s court order, which has not been publicly released, Schrama suppressed the statements that Mohammed made to the FBI when he was interrogated over the course of four days in Guantanamo Bay in January 2007.
Years earlier, Mohammed was captured and held by the CIA, which subjected him to waterboarding and other tactics that are widely viewed as torture during interrogation sessions — leading Mohammed’s later statements to a separate FBI team to be challenged by attorneys.
Schrama found that the CIA’s handling of Mohammed had instilled in him a fear that he would be severely mistreated if he failed to comply with his interrogators. He also found that Mohammed was not given a Miranda warning informing him of the right to remain silent, and was told he could not speak to a lawyer.
The prosecutor in Mohammed’s case, Rear Adm. Aaron C. Rugh, told The New York Times the government would “make a decision on whether to appeal in the near future.”
Retired FBI agent Frank Pellegrino, who interviewed Mohammed in 2007, told WTX US News he believes Mohammed confessed to his role in the Sept. 11 attacks voluntarily because “I couldn’t have told him in any more explicit a way that he did not have to talk to me.”
“Now, whether that fits within what is required legally, based on other activities, a court’s got to decide that,” Pellegrino continued.
Pellegrino and another agent, Brian Antol, spoke to WTX US News in an upcoming special, “Daughters of 9/11,” which will premiere on Sept. 11, 2026, on WTX and Paramount+.
If convicted in the military court proceedings, Mohammed could face the death penalty. He and two other defendants reached plea deals in 2024 that would allow them to avoid capital punishment, but those plea agreements were tossed out by an appeals court last year after Biden-era Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin overruled them.
Thieves steal diamond necklace valued over £3 million in Vienna museum heist
Get you up to speed: Thieves snatch diamond necklace worth more than £3,000,000 before ‘calmly walking out’ | News World
Two suspects were involved in a jewellery heist at the Vienna Museum of Applied Arts (MAK), where they stole a diamond necklace worth over £3 million. The thieves smashed a glass display case using a hammer and fled, prompting a manhunt after police released CCTV images of the incident, which occurred on Thursday afternoon.
Vienna police have released CCTV images of the suspects involved in the theft, which occurred during daylight hours. The necklace, designed for the Egyptian royal family, was part of a broader exhibition that began in June and is scheduled to continue until September 27.
Vienna police have launched a manhunt for two suspects following the brazen jewellery heist at the Museum of Applied Arts, with CCTV images released to aid identification. Lilli Hollein, director of MAK, stated that while security measures met the highest standards, the potential for a “targeted, armed attack” remains, necessitating effective response protocols during such incidents.
What remains unclear — Authorities have not disclosed whether any arrests have been made in connection with the jewellery heist.
Thieves steal diamond necklace valued over £3 million in Vienna museum heist
A manhunt has launched for the two suspects captured on CCTV after a jewellery heist in Vienna (Picture: LPD Wien)
Two thieves walked into a museum and grabbed a rare diamond necklace encrusted with more than 600 diamonds in a brazen jewellery heist in Austria.
The duo were so confident they didn’t bother to wear masks, instead waltzing in after buying tickets for the exhibition at the Vienna Museum of Applied Arts (MAK).
The suspects headed for the Van Cleef and Arpels diamond and platinum necklace on display despite security cameras.
Bearing more than 200 carats of gems, the necklace is estimated to be worth over £3 million (€3.5 million).
The diamond necklace with more than 600 precious stones ended up in the hands of the thieves in the latest heist to stun European museums (Picture: Austrian Interior Ministry)
Detectives said the two unmasked men were clearly visible on cameras during the heist, which happened on Thursday afternoon, marking another high-value heist in Europe in recent years.
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Now a manhunt has been launched after Vienna police released CCTV images showing the two suspects.
They ‘smashed a glass display case’ using a hammer before fleeing, the police said
The necklace with 673 diamonds was designed for the Egyptian royal family, and was famously worn by Queen Nazli at her daughter’s wedding with the future Shad of Iran in 1939.
It was part of an exhibition celebrating the work of the French jewellery house, with around 500 items showcased since June. The exhibition is set to run until September 27.
Lilli Hollein, the director of MAK, said the theft of the valuable piece ‘hits us hard,’ the Kurier reports.
Van Cleef and Arpels and MAK had developed security measures for the exhibition.
This included wall-integrated bulletproof glass display cases, which, however, the thieves managed to breach.
The museum said: ‘The security measures meet the highest standards customary for international exhibitions of jewellery.’
Despite world-class measures, a ‘targeted, armed attack during ongoing exhibition operations cannot be completely ruled out,’ Ms Hollein said.
‘In such a situation, it is crucial that the established procedures function and that the staff react appropriately. This was the case here,’ she added.
One of the thieves is said to have been armed, so the security personnel hired from an external security firm evacuated visitors as their top priority in line with standard international practice during art thefts, the museum said.
Thursday’s heist has triggered memories of the Louvre raid last year when a gang broke into the historic Parisian museum using a furniture elevator.
Among the stolen loot were gem-studded royal tiaras, necklaces and earrings dating to the 19th century worth more than £76 million.
The daytime four-minute heist, which stunned France, took place during regular visiting hours on October 19.
The thieves, posing as workers, used a truck-mounted device to reach the second floor before smashing through a window with power tools.
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Spain seeks EU support for migrant processing amid Ceuta crisis
Spain seeks EU support for migrant processing amid Ceuta crisis
Spain has requested support from Frontex and Europol to aid in the screening of migrants staying irregularly in Ceuta.
Spain’s Interior Ministry is implementing “extraordinary” measures, including advanced aerial surveillance and maritime containment, to manage an unprecedented influx of over 72,000 migrants into Ceuta.
“Violence is not the answer,” stated Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, as he urged an end to violence amid rising tensions in Ceuta.
Ceuta warns it is ‘on the brink of collapse’ as Spain seeks Frontex and Europol help
Spain has asked the European Commission (EC) for the support from Frontex and Europol to assist with the screening of migrants who are staying irregularly in Ceuta, according to several Spanish media outlets.
Spain’s Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska has asked the EC for Frontex, Europol and the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) to “reinforce the device set up to address the management of the triage and subsequent processing of the personal files of the immigrants who still remain in Ceuta irregularly.”
The Interior Ministry also demanded the extension of Operation Minerva, a joint initiative of the Spanish police and the EU border protection agency Frontex.
Madrid ask that that operation run until 2 September until “the situation created in the autonomous city is resolved.”
Madrid also asked for the ” assistance of the European Union Agency for Asylum in conducting interviews and providing interpreters” in order to triage migrants.
Due to space limitations in Ceuta, this process is expected to be carried out electronically.
The Interior Ministry announced on Friday that Ceuta’s border would be reinforced with a package of “extraordinary” measures such as extending the Tarajal and Benzú breakwaters, a permanent system of maritime containment buoys, aerial surveillance with drones, light intervention vessels and remotely operated underwater devices.
At the same time, Ceuta’s Assembly unanimously called on the central government on Friday to act “immediately and without further delay” arguing that the city is in an “extreme situation, on the verge of collapse.”
The Board of Spokespersons, together with the non-affiliated MPs, unanimously approved on Friday an institutional declaration calling on the government to adopt urgent measures one month after the mass entry of at least 72,000 migrants from Morocco.
“Ceuta has lost its way of life and its calm. We do not have much time to avert disaster,” Ceuta’s President Juan Vivas warned.
The declaration calls for a return to their countries, “in accordance with the law” of those who took part in the mass entry and are still in Ceuta. It also backs citizens’ right to demonstrate, as long as it is done “peacefully and in an orderly manner,” and condemns violent incidents recorded in recent days.
“No one can or should take the law into their own hands. The defence of Ceuta and the interests of its people can only be pursued through legality,” Vivas said.
Appeal for calm
Meanwhile, Spain’s interior minister called for calm on Friday after residents of Ceuta clashed with police during protests against migrants who have remained in the North African enclave following a mass influx.
Tensions have been high in the territory of 80,000 people since at least 72,000 people crossed into Ceuta over several days in July, triggering a Europe-wide migrant alert.
Spain’s leftist government says most have since left the enclave of 18.5 square kilometres but thousands remain wandering the streets and sleeping on beaches.
Demonstrations have intensified in recent days, with some protesters clashing with police on Thursday at a beach where migrants have been sleeping. Some of their belongings were burned.
A soldier was injured in a separate incident on Thursday when migrants threw stones at troops, while 12 Moroccan migrants were arrested.
Two more arrests were made after migrants attacked a police officer, sources said.
“Violence is not the answer,” Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska told parliament on Friday.
“I call for calm and an end to any form of violence, because…violence is not the way to resolve any problem with the complexity” of that facing Ceuta, he added.
Right-wing and far-right parties have demanded that all the migrants be rounded up and sent back to their home countries.
Grande-Marlaska accused them of “inciting hatred and confrontation” in Ceuta.
The government has warned that each individual must be identified to determine whether they are entitled to asylum or subject to deportation, while unaccompanied migrant children require special protection.
Ceuta and Melilla, another small Spanish territory in North Africa, form Europe’s only land border with Africa.
Additional sources • AFP
Premier League — Saturday’s 29th Aug fixtures
Today’s fixtures include Premier League, Championship, Serie A, and La Liga matches.
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Championship |
Serie A |
La Liga