FlyDubai co-pilot attacks captain with axe on Tel Aviv flight
A FlyDubai co-pilot used a crash axe to attack the captain of a Tel Aviv-bound flight, the United Arab Emirates prosecutor general said, calling the midair assault a terrorist act. The co-pilot, identified in reports as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, was subdued by passengers and crew after the aircraft plunged more than 17,000 feet. The plane, flight FZ1073 from Dubai, was brought back under control after the attacker was overpowered.
The suspect had reportedly been barred from flying in Oman because of concerns that he held extremist views, and it remained unclear what background checks were carried out before he was allowed to fly to Israel. The UAE prosecutor general said an investigation was under way to determine all the circumstances, including motive.
Captain Smit Machchhar, who was stabbed during the incident, recounted that he was “fighting for my life” but forced himself to make a last push to open the cockpit door so others could intervene. In a video call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi from his Abu Dhabi hospital bed, he said his faith and the need to save his passengers drove him to act despite serious injuries.
Tennessee suspends executions after Christa Pike survives lethal injection
Christa Pike, the only woman on Tennessee’s death row, survived two doses of lethal injection during a botched execution and was left in critical condition, her lawyers said. The 50-year-old, convicted of the 1995 murder of fellow student Colleen Slemmer, was scheduled to become the first woman executed in the state in 200 years. Instead, her lawyers said she remained alive and snoring about 40 minutes after receiving a double dose of the drug that was supposed to kill her quickly.
The U.S. Supreme Court had cleared the execution to proceed after a lower court had temporarily paused it, but the procedure failed. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee called the episode “deeply disturbing,” suspended further executions and ordered an independent inquiry; Pike’s lawyer, Randy Spivey, said the state was now investigating its handling of executions.
New York attorney general named special prosecutor in Cornell rape case
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has appointed state Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor to investigate an alleged gang rape at a Cornell University fraternity house in 2024, saying she no longer had faith in the local district attorney’s handling of the case. Hochul pledged to ensure all facts were brought to light and condemned what she described as a failure of the system.
The accuser, identified in court papers as Jane Doe, has filed a lawsuit alleging the university failed to protect her or respond adequately. Her attorney said she told police in 2024 that she had been raped, and that a photograph of her was shared with a group on the night of the alleged assault. Documents also showed she felt “like bait,” according to her legal team.
North Korea fires ballistic missile amid rising tensions with Seoul
North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the sea off its east coast on Saturday, South Korea and Japan said. The launch originated from the Wonsan area at about 6:30 a.m. and sent the projectile into the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan. It came a day after Pyongyang rejected Seoul’s accusation that North Korean mines wounded three South Korean soldiers inside the Demilitarized Zone last month, and after Kim Yo-jong, sister of leader Kim Jong-un, denounced South Korea’s demand for an apology.
Two Iranian men charged over alleged Manchester Jewish community bomb plot
Two Iranian men have appeared in court accused of preparing to commit an act of terrorism targeting Manchester’s Jewish community. Rahman Salehi, 34, from Salford, and Salam Ahmadyan, 36, from Liverpool, were arrested on 20 September, the eve of Yom Kippur. Prosecutors allege the pair identified a Manchester synagogue—previously the site of a fatal terrorist attack—as a target for a homemade bomb. They have been charged with preparing to commit an act of terrorism or assisting another to do so.
Russia strikes second major Kyiv bridge in two days
Russian air attacks hit the Northern Bridge across the Dnipro River in Kyiv on Saturday, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said, the second major bridge in the capital struck in as many days. The assault followed repeated strikes on the Southern Bridge that Ukrainian officials said were “tearing Kyiv apart.” The escalation in strikes on infrastructure came as Kyiv and Moscow traded attacks, with at least five people reported killed in the broader exchange.
Ann Widdecombe murder suspect charged with terror plot against Farage
Joshua Kerry, a 28-year-old from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, has been charged with preparing acts of terrorism, including against Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. The charge was added to an existing murder accusation over the killing of former lawmaker Ann Widdecombe. British counter‑terror police said the further charge followed a “hugely intensive and complex investigation.”
Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s partner found dead in Louisiana
Kenan “Ken” Urker, the 34‑year‑old partner of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and father of her daughter, was found dead inside his Louisiana home on his birthday on Thursday, the Lafourche Parish sheriff’s office said. Authorities described the death as an apparent drug overdose. Blanchard’s former husband, Ryan Anderson, said he was shocked and offered support to Blanchard and her child.
Tens of thousands protest Spain’s housing crisis after reforms fail
Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Madrid and other Spanish cities to demand action on a mounting housing crisis after parliament struck down two government decrees intended to improve affordability. Protesters waved placards and called for a general strike, deepening a days-long political crisis that was inflamed by the recent forcible eviction of an 87-year-old woman, Maricarmen Abascal.
U.S. and Australia halt Brazil consular services before election
The United States and Australia have suspended consular services in Brazil beginning Friday, two days before Brazilians vote in a high-stakes presidential election. The U.S. State Department cited unspecified security concerns for the unusual move. Incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is seeking a fourth term and is running neck-and-neck in the polls with far-right rival Flavio Bolsonaro.
Manchester City whistleblower loses witness protection amid threats
The Portuguese hacker whose leaked documents helped trigger the Premier League’s investigation into Manchester City’s finances has lost his witness protection, days after the league found the club guilty of serious financial breaches. Rui Pinto, who says he has received death threats, said he would go into hiding indefinitely and launched a £2.55 million fundraiser, warning that the loss of protection left him exposed.