Eight men have been indicted on terrorism and murder conspiracy charges for their alleged roles in a thwarted drone and sniper attack on the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House in June.

A federal grand jury in Ohio returned the indictment on Thursday, charging the group with two separate conspiracies.

The charges include providing material support to terrorists and conspiring to commit murder on federal government territory.

Law enforcement intercepted the plot on 10 June, just four days before the highly anticipated mixed martial arts showcase was due to take place in Washington.

Detailed plot to destabilise the government

Preparations allegedly began in May, with the conspirators amassing firearms, explosives, body armour and drones.

According to a federal affidavit, one defendant told investigators they intended to fly explosive-laden drones into the venue.

The would-be attackers then reportedly planned to shoot panicked spectators as they attempted to flee the presidential residence.

Justice Department officials stated last month that the individuals harboured fringe conspiracy theories and intended to destabilise the US government.

High-profile political figures targeted

Federal prosecutors allege the group specifically intended to assassinate several high-profile attendees at the historic fight card.

US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance were named as primary targets of the planned violence.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk were also allegedly marked as high-value targets by the conspirators.

It remains unclear from current court records exactly how close the group came to executing their deadly plan.

Nationwide arrests conclude with eighth suspect

Seven individuals from states including Ohio, Missouri, Washington, Nebraska and California were previously charged in connection with the conspiracy.

Tycen C. Proper and four associates were apprehended across multiple states during the weekend of the landmark UFC event.

The eighth suspect, 21-year-old Chandler D. Scaggs from West Virginia, was taken into custody and charged this week.

Court documents indicate the West Virginia resident was allegedly assigned to operate as a sniper during the coordinated assault.

Conspiring to provide material support to terrorists carries a maximum sentence of 15 years, while the murder conspiracy charges could result in life imprisonment.

Five-time Olympic champion Kaylee McKeown has withdrawn from this summer’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow after being diagnosed with glandular fever.

The 24-year-old Australian, who holds the 100m and 200m backstroke titles across Olympic, world, and Commonwealth levels, will also miss August’s Pan Pacific Swimming Championships.

Despite feeling “gutted to medically withdraw” from both major events, the backstroke specialist acknowledged that prioritising her long-term health was the necessary decision.

Fears of chronic fatigue prompt difficult decision

“What I thought a few months ago was the flu has turned out to be my body fighting glandular fever,” McKeown explained.

The prolific gold-medallist revealed she had been sick heading into her national trials and expressed concern that pushing through the severe illness could result in chronic fatigue.

Her absence will be deeply felt at the upcoming Glasgow Games, where the highly anticipated six-day swimming programme is scheduled to commence on 24 July.

Australian coach praises ‘once-in-a-generation’ talent

Swimming Australia head coach Rohan Taylor fully supported the difficult call made by his star athlete to step away from the pool.

“We all know how fierce and competitive she is – and she showed that by performing the way she did at trials,” Taylor said.

He further commended her immense natural ability and competitive spirit, describing the reigning champion as a true racer and a “once-in-a-generation athlete.”

India captain Shreyas Iyer produced a superb unbeaten innings of 80 to guide his side to a competitive total of 158-7 in the fourth Twenty20 international against England at Bristol.

The visiting skipper anchored the innings after being sent in to bat first, continually frustrating the host nation’s bowling attack.

His resilient knock ensured the tourists posted a defendable target in this crucial white-ball encounter.

Captain leads by example

The Mumbai-born batter showcased excellent temperament to rebuild the innings while wickets fell at regular intervals at the other end.

Reaching the 150-run mark looked unlikely before the right-hander accelerated during the death overs.

This performance adds another impressive chapter to his growing reputation as a dependable middle-order anchor in the shortest format.

Series hangs in the balance

The fixture at the County Ground holds significant importance as both sides battle for momentum in this tightly contested T20 series.

The home side will now need to chase down a tricky target of 159 to secure victory.

All eyes now turn to the powerplay to see if the hosts can make a rapid start to their run chase.

Tadej Pogacar has reclaimed the Tour de France yellow jersey after launching a devastating solo attack over the Col du Tourmalet to win stage six.

The Slovenian rider dropped closest rival Jonas Vingegaard 43km from the finish to secure a commanding two-minute and 38-second stage victory in Gavarnie-Gedre.

This dominant result sees the UAE Team Emirates leader take control of the general classification from Norwegian rider Torstein Traeen.

Statement victory in the Pyrenees

Traeen had started the day with a significant advantage of nearly eight minutes, but the overnight leader was distanced less than halfway up the fearsome Tourmalet climb.

His miserable afternoon in the mountains was then compounded by a crash on the subsequent descent.

Reflecting on his stage-winning performance, the new race leader revealed he had been anticipating the Pyrenean battle since the early hours.

“I woke up at seven o’clock this morning and already my mind was going crazy, I was really, really excited for today.”

The 25-year-old ranks this latest mountain masterclass among the top five of his 23 career stage victories.

“All the guys were really hyped and I knew it would be good. We just committed, like nothing to lose. If we explode we explode but in the end we succeeded and I’m super proud, it was crazy teamwork.”

Rivals left trailing in his wake

Visma-Lease a Bike had attempted to place satellite riders up the road earlier in the stage to support Vingegaard, but the tactical gamble rapidly backfired.

The Danish defending champion ultimately had no answer to the explosive pace of his great rival on the upper slopes of the Pyrenean giant.

“It was very tough today, not the day I wanted but that’s how it is sometimes.”

Despite the heavy time loss, the Visma leader remains defiant about his prospects for the rest of the three-week race.

“I still believe in myself, I still believe my legs will get better. The fight is not over.”

The general classification now looks increasingly ominous for the rest of the peloton as the race heads towards the second week.

UAE Team Emirates prospect Isaac del Toro currently sits third overall, three minutes and 27 seconds adrift.

Belgian star Remco Evenepoel trails just three seconds further back in fourth position.

Defending champion Rory McIlroy claimed a share of the early lead at the Scottish Open after shooting a five-under-par 65 in his opening round at the Renaissance Club.

The four-time major winner sits at the summit alongside Tom Kim, Bernd Wiesberger and Patrick Cantlay.

Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka is lurking just one shot further back in a tightly packed leaderboard.

Mixed start before eagle spark

Starting his round on the 10th tee, the world number two experienced a turbulent opening half.

He traded three birdies with two bogeys to reach the turn at one under par.

However, the 601-yard first hole perfectly suited the Northern Irishman’s aggressive game.

A colossal 352-yard drive set up a precise iron approach, allowing him to drain a 19-foot putt for eagle.

Despite missing two short birdie chances immediately afterwards, the 35-year-old rallied on his closing stretch.

Successive birdies on the seventh and eighth holes pushed him back to the top of the standings.

He then secured a crucial closing par with a masterful, back-spinning bunker shot on his final hole.

Confidence building on the links

McIlroy expressed satisfaction with his performance, particularly highlighting his accuracy off the tee as he prepares for the upcoming Open Championship.

“I thought for the most part, I played well. I felt like I drove the ball particularly well,” McIlroy said.

The former US Open champion noted that keeping the ball in play allows him to confidently attack pins and create scoring opportunities.

“Overall, good to get my first round of competitive golf on a links golf course and it’s obviously a great start to the tournament,” he added.

Home favourite MacIntyre rallies

Playing alongside the leader were home favourite Bob MacIntyre and newly-crowned US Open champion Wyndham Clark.

Both men carded solid opening rounds of 67 to remain firmly within striking distance at three under par.

Clark showed immense resilience to recover his round after dropping three shots in his first four holes.

Meanwhile, Scottish star MacIntyre relished the passionate support from the local galleries.

“Every time I come back and play in Scotland, it’s unbelievable,” said MacIntyre.

He added that the raucous atmosphere created by the fans and his elite playing partners gave him a significant boost.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is establishing new strategies to combat significant corruption and illegal betting concerns within global franchise cricket tournaments.

Internal documentation seen by BBC Sport reveals the sport’s integrity unit has reported growing evidence of illicit infiltration.

Corrupters are infiltrating leagues and players across a number of different member territories.

The global governing body is planning to form a working party to harmonise the international calendar and examine robust anti-corruption measures.

Expanded powers to sanction leagues

The executive committee is currently discussing wider mitigation strategies during their annual general meeting in Edinburgh.

These steps include expanding the parameters for when the global authority must officially sanction a domestic league.

Under current regulations, approval for non-full member countries is only required if a tournament features more than four recently capped international players.

Officials are also considering increasing their powers to intervene directly where integrity issues remain unaddressed.

Illegal betting sponsorship threat

Alongside direct infiltration, severe concerns have been raised regarding the surge of illegal betting sponsorships within franchise competitions.

The governing authority notes that these commercial partnerships expose host members to the risk of facilitating unlawful wagering.

This carries the potential for increased corruption.

Mauritius gains membership amid governance disputes

Elsewhere on the agenda, the island nation of Mauritius will be formally elected as a new member on Saturday.

Applications from Colombia, Poland, Latvia, Burundi and Burkina Faso were rejected for failing to meet strict membership criteria.

Meanwhile, USA Cricket and Cricket Canada remain suspended due to ongoing governance disputes.

The French cricket board is also facing potential disciplinary action over whether its executive structure remains fit for purpose.

France recently competed as a generic ‘France XI’ against Portugal after losing official status with their national sports ministry.

Finally, developments are being closely monitored at the Italian Cricket Federation following multiple board resignations shortly after the T20 World Cup.

Centre Henry Slade has been recalled to the England starting line-up to face Fiji as head coach Steve Borthwick seeks to avoid a sixth successive Test defeat.

The 33-year-old returns to the international stage after failing to play a single minute during his country’s Six Nations campaign earlier this year.

Despite previous frustrations over his midfield exclusion, the Exeter Chiefs star forced his way back into contention following an outstanding domestic season where he led his club to the Premiership final.

Freeman returns to the wing

Slade’s reinstatement at centre allows Northampton back Tommy Freeman to revert to his natural position out wide.

This tactical shift concludes a year-long experiment by the national setup to convert the Saints player into an outside centre.

Elsewhere in the pack, Guy Pepper replaces Tom Curry at openside flanker in the only other change to the starting XV.

Uncapped trio await debuts

Borthwick has named three uncapped players among the replacements for Saturday’s Nations Championship clash.

Benhard Janse van Rensburg, Noah Caluori and George Kloska are all poised to earn their first caps off the bench at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

The national side remain under immense pressure to deliver a positive result in Liverpool after a dismal run of recent form.

England line-up

Wales head coach Steve Tandy has dropped Louis Rees-Zammit to the bench and named Sam Costelow at fly-half for Saturday’s Nations Championship fixture against Argentina in San Juan.

The visiting side have made three changes to their starting lineup following a hard-fought 39-24 victory over Fiji last weekend.

Bristol prospect Ellis Mee replaces the dynamic Rees-Zammit out wide, while James Botham comes into the back-row at the expense of Cardiff team-mate Alex Mann.

Ospreys playmaker Dan Edwards falls completely out of the 23-man matchday squad after struggling during the opening autumn encounter.

Costelow takes control of the backline

Costelow proved to be an assured second-half presence when replacing the misfiring Edwards against the Flying Fijians.

The Scarlets half-back will now marshal a back division heavily influenced by his domestic regional team-mates.

Centre Joe Hawkins moves onto the replacements bench to provide crucial fly-half cover.

It’s a great opportunity for those boys coming in and an exciting challenge.

Steve Tandy

Debutant James and Elias chase milestones

Exeter Chiefs forward Kane James is poised to make his senior international debut from the bench after a breakthrough domestic season.

The 21-year-old previously represented England Under-20s but qualifies for the national side having been born in Pembrokeshire and raised in Cardiff.

He’s so powerful and quick. The way he’s come into the environment and just jumped straight in shows he hasn’t been tentative in anything he does.

Steve Tandy

Meanwhile, seasoned hooker Ryan Elias is in line to win his 50th cap if introduced to relieve captain Dewi Lake.

Cardiff lock Teddy Williams and Gloucester centre Max Llewellyn complete the list of impact options for the highly anticipated weekend showdown.