The Week in Pictures: August 26 – August 31, 2015

There were no end of big news stories last week so let’s take a moment to look back over some of the most important from the last seven days

In the US a live TV interview of Vicki Gardner, executive director of the Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce, ended in tragedy on Wednesday when a disgruntled former employee of WDBJ-TV gunned down reporter Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward. Identified as Vester Lee Flanagan II (aka Bryce Williams) the gunman was then sought by police but died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds before he could be apprehended. Shot in the back Vicki Gardner remains hospitalized. According to people working with him the former local tv reporter was a complete nutter. He always got away with his volatile behavior, blaming the complaints against him on racism and homophobia.

On Thursday a truck found abandoned by the side of Austria’s A4 motorway between Neusiedl and Parndorf was discovered to contain the dead bodies of 71 migrants. The dead were said to comprise of 59 men, 8 women, 3 young boys and a baby girl of no more than two years of age. Hungarian authorities made arrests the following day as investigations continue into both the cause of their deaths and their place of origin. Austria is on the main corridor of influx in the EU’s ongoing refugee crisis.

In Egypt three journalists working for the al-Jazeera news network were sentences to three years in prison last week for operating without a license, accused erroneously of colluding with the Muslim brotherhood and broadcasting false reports. The case of Mohammed Fahmy, Baher Mohamed and Peter Greste has caused international outcry and brought into focus the continued crackdown on free speech within the country by the army who took over from Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 after social unrest.

In sport Swansea City inflicted the first defeat of the season on Manchester United after coming back from a goal down. Juan Mata put United ahead early in the second half but Swansea’s Andre Ayew and Bafetimbi Gomis both scored after the hour and make Louis Van Gaal’s 50th game in charge a loss. Will United bounce back next match? You’ll have to check our daily news pages to find out, but in the meantime let’s look back at some of the big stories we covered over the last seven days.

1. Transparency organization the Judicial Watchsued the Department of Justice under the Freedom of Information Act, because the government office is desperate to cover up their fishy dealings concerning internet gambling legislation.

2. How wrong the speculations were, again. Most people guessed that because of his differences with franchise QB RG3, Redskins head coach Jay Gruden would have to go. But he won the power struggle, it’s number 10 who is out of a job now.

3. Paddy Power and Betfair are significant players of the UK gambling market, but by joining their forces they aim to take over bet365.

4. Experts predicted how Pedro would be a great asset to Chelsea, though he wouldn’t be enough to carry the team by himself. Perfectly true, Pedro is performing great, Chelsea is not.

5. Over at ComTrade they think think big, that’s why they join up with Asia’s leading betting provider, ONEworks.

Start preparing your betting schemes, cancel the Tuesday-Thursday invitations, the group stage draw of the UEFA Champions’ League was announced.

7. A funny coincidence how the latest jackpot winner at bgo has the same name, as the star of ther advertising campaign, Paris Hilton.

Meanwhile Poland’s deputy culture minister, Piotr Zuchowski, has said that ground-penetrating radar appears to confirm the discovery of an armored train dating from the end of the second world war said to contain a valuable cargo of art and gold. Reputed to have been hidden when the Nazis were fleeing the Red Army it is said a death bed confession of a man involved in the operation to hide it led to its discovery. Authorities, fending off fortune hunters, will now undertake to recover the train and cargo.