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- Judge dismisses confession by alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed
- Thieves steal diamond necklace valued over £3 million in Vienna museum heist
- Spain seeks EU support for migrant processing amid Ceuta crisis
- Premier League — Saturday’s 29th Aug fixtures
- Spain seeks EU assistance to manage 5,000 migrants in Ceuta amid unrest
- Nearly 100 dogs rescued from a home in Fort McMurray
- Milo Yiannopoulos detained by ICE in Louisiana pending removal order
- Prankster arrested in Poland faces up to eight years for pizza delivery hoax
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Judge dismisses confession by alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed
5:00 am
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
4:00 am
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
2:00 am
Spain seeks EU support for migrant processing amid Ceuta crisis
EU Assistance Request
Spain has requested support from Frontex and Europol to aid in the screening of migrants staying irregularly in Ceuta.
Spain has requested support from Frontex and Europol to aid in the screening of migrants staying irregularly in Ceuta.
Operational significance
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.
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.
Call for calm
“Violence is not the answer,” stated Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, as he urged an end to violence amid rising tensions in 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
1:00 am
Today’s fixtures include Premier League, Championship, Serie A, and La Liga matches.
Premier League |
Championship |
Serie A |
La Liga
Premier League
Matchday 2
Liverpool 12:30 Nottingham Forest
Bournemouth 15:00 Everton
Coventry City 15:00 Hull City
Tottenham Hotspur 17:30 Newcastle United
Championship
Matchday 3
Derby County 12:30 Swansea City
Middlesbrough 12:30 West Bromwich Albion
Wolverhampton Wanderers 12:30 Stoke City
Blackburn Rovers 15:00 Queens Park Rangers
Bolton Wanderers 15:00 Lincoln City
Bristol City 15:00 Portsmouth
Cardiff City 15:00 Sheffield United
Charlton Athletic 15:00 Preston North End
Norwich City 15:00 Burnley
Southampton 15:00 Millwall
Watford 15:00 West Ham United
Serie A
Matchday 2
Fiorentina 17:30 Frosinone
Monza 17:30 Udinese
Sassuolo 17:30 Torino
Juventus 19:45 Parma
La Liga
Matchday 3
Levante UD 16:00 Real Betis
Spain seeks EU assistance to manage 5,000 migrants in Ceuta amid unrest
12:00 am
Get you up to speed: Spain asks EU for help to process 5,000 Ceuta migrants amid local unrest
Spain has requested assistance from the European Union’s Frontex agency to process approximately 5,000 migrants currently in Ceuta, following unrest among local residents. This situation has intensified with protests and incidents of violence, including the arrest of twelve migrants after they stoned an army vehicle.
Spanish authorities must determine the status of the approximately 5,000 to 8,000 migrants in Ceuta to establish their eligibility for international protection or initiate return procedures. The situation in Ceuta has escalated, with local residents protesting and attacking migrant encampments, leading to recent violent incidents and arrests.
Spain’s Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska has requested support from Frontex to process 5,000 migrants in Ceuta, citing heightened local unrest and demands from residents for their departure. Madrid has also formally sought emergency funding from the European Union, signalling the urgency of the situation as tensions continue to escalate in the enclave.
What remains unclear — It is unknown how many of the remaining migrants will be screened for international protection or face return procedures.
Spain seeks EU assistance to manage 5,000 migrants in Ceuta amid unrest
News|European UnionSpain asks EU for help to process 5,000 Ceuta migrants amid local unrest
Thousands of migrants remain in the Spanish enclave, triggering anger among Ceuta residents.
Published On 28 Aug 202628 Aug 2026
Published On 28 Aug 202628 Aug 2026Spain has asked Europe’s Border and Coastguard Agency, Frontex, for help to process some 5,000 migrants in Ceuta who crossed into the North African territory one month ago.
Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska sent the request to Beate Gminder, the European Commission’s director general for migration and home affairs, on Friday.
Grande-Marlaska also requested an extra 10 Frontex officers to speed up screening efforts.
Spanish authorities must identify those remaining in Ceuta to establish whether they are entitled to international protection or, if not, begin procedures for their return.
Authorities say between 5,000 and 8,000 migrants, including unaccompanied children, still in Ceuta are among the 72,000 people who crossed the border from Morocco on July 30.
The rush killed 82 people on the Spanish side of the border and 14 on the Moroccan side, according to official numbers. Human rights groups reported higher figures.
![Smoke and flames rise as Ceuta residents destroy migrant camp by the beach in Ceuta, Spain, August 27, 2026 [FORTA/Handout via REUTERS]](https://wtxnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/2026-08-28T113322Z_2037000169_RC2N7NA6ZKZM_RTRMADP_3_MIGRATION-EUROPE-SPAIN-CEUTA-1787955740.jpg "Spain seeks EU assistance to manage 5,000 migrants in Ceuta amid unrest WTX News")
Smoke and flames rise as Ceuta residents destroy migrant camp by the beach in Ceuta, Spain, on August 27, 2026 [FORTA/Handout via Reuters]
Spain’s request comes amid rising tensions in Ceuta, after a series of protests by residents who have demanded the migrants leave.
Tents on Trampolin Beach, where many migrants have been camping, have been attacked and set on fire.
Twelve migrants were arrested on Thursday after stoning an army vehicle, injuring one soldier and four migrants. Eleven were expelled from Ceuta, El Pais newspaper reported on Friday, citing sources from the city’s main court.
On Tuesday, Madrid made a formal request for emergency funding from the EU to help address the situation.
Nearly 100 dogs rescued from a home in Fort McMurray
11:00 pm
Get you up to speed: Nearly 100 dogs rescued from home in Fort McMurray
The Fort McMurray SPCA has taken custody of several dogs and will announce their readiness for adoption. Details regarding the circumstances that led to their placement in the SPCA’s care have not been disclosed.
The Fort McMurray SPCA is now responsible for the care of the dogs involved in the incident. Details regarding the timeline for their adoption have yet to be announced.
The Fort McMurray SPCA confirmed that the dogs are now in their care and will announce when they are available for adoption. No further details on the adoption process have been provided at this time.
What remains unclear — The timeline for when the dogs will be available for adoption has not been specified.
Nearly 100 dogs rescued from a home in Fort McMurray
The dogs have been placed in the care of the Fort McMurray SPCA, which says it will let the public know when the animals are ready for adoption.
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