Sánchez Calls Spanish Snap Election for 29 November
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called a snap general election for 29 November, after right‑wing parties voted down emergency housing legislation his coalition had put forward. The conservative People’s Party welcomed the announcement, while Sánchez—who had previously insisted he would serve his full four‑year term until 2027—framed the early vote as a deliberate response to the parliamentary defeat.
The emergency measures were intended to tackle Spain’s housing affordability pressures. After the bill was blocked, Sánchez called a snap election, seeking a clearer mandate from voters. The election will be held on 29 November.
Trump Approves Firing-Squad Execution of Fort Hood Shooter
President Donald Trump has approved the execution of Nidal Hasan, the former U.S. Army psychiatrist convicted of killing 13 people in the 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, with the method set as a military firing squad. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recommended the execution and the president signed off on it.
Hasan was sentenced to death by a military jury in 2013. If carried out, the execution would be the first by the U.S. military since 1961 and the first by firing squad since the end of World War II. The Army has not yet set a date or location.
Former Prince Andrew Challenges Police Search Warrants in Court
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, has filed a High Court claim against Thames Valley Police seeking to quash the search warrants that led to his arrest on 19 February on suspicion of misconduct in office linked to his association with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. A judicial spokesperson confirmed the legal action and said a private hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
His lawyers are challenging whether the police acted lawfully in obtaining and executing the warrants. If the court rules in his favour, evidence gathered during the searches could be barred from any prosecution.
Former 'American Idol' Singer Caleb Flynn Sentenced to Life
Caleb Flynn, a former Ohio music pastor who once appeared on “American Idol,” was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of his wife, Ashley Flynn. A jury convicted him after prosecutors argued he shot her in an execution-style killing while having an affair and then staged a home invasion to cover it up.
Flynn maintained his innocence during Monday’s sentencing hearing. The life term was imposed in an Ohio court.
U.S. Marine Arrested in Okinawa Woman's Killing
A 20-year-old U.S. Marine stationed on Okinawa has been arrested on suspicion of robbing and killing a 39-year-old woman at a hotel in Naha, Okinawa’s capital. Local police allege he killed the woman and stole her wallet and backpack.
The Japanese prime minister called the crime “exceptionally brutal and vicious,” and Tokyo lodged an official protest with Washington. The U.S. ambassador has pledged full cooperation with the investigation. The suspect denies the charge, and protests over the killing have been held in Okinawa and Tokyo.
Brazil Presidential Race Heads to Runoff After Tight First Round
Brazil’s presidential election is heading to a 25 October runoff after incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and right-wing Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, both failed to win a majority in Sunday’s first round. Brazil’s electoral authority confirmed the second-round contest.
Bolsonaro finished ahead in the first round, a result Lula described as unexpected. Voters also elected lawmakers, senators and governors in a ballot widely seen as a test of whether Latin America’s largest economy would shift rightward.
Six Presumed Dead in Nantucket Medical Plane Crash
Six people are presumed dead after a medical transport plane crashed off the coast of Massachusetts near Nantucket during a flight from Bermuda to Boston. The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search for survivors on Sunday after debris from the Gulfstream G100 jet was found in the Atlantic.
The aircraft lost contact early on Saturday after flight data showed it dropped at least 9,000 feet over two minutes, levelled off for several more minutes, and then disappeared. Those on board have not been accounted for.
Nobel Prize in Medicine Awarded for Brain-Activity Research
The 2026 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine has been awarded to Karl Deisseroth of Stanford University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Peter Hegemann of Humboldt University of Berlin, and Georg Nagel of the University of Würzburg for their discoveries on light-gated ion channels and optogenetics. The three scientists will share a prize of 12 million Swedish kronor.
Their work on how individual nerve cells are switched on or off has opened new avenues for understanding and potentially treating conditions including blindness, depression, addiction and dementia.
U.S. Withdraws All Bombers From RAF Fairford Base
The United States has removed all of its bombers from RAF Fairford in England and returned them to their home stations, the Pentagon confirmed. The withdrawal followed the arrest of several men near the base last week in connection with a suspected terror plot that British officials believe may be linked to Iran.
The move was carried out on Sunday amid reports of a new threat. Downing Street has insisted the base remains safe.
Daniil Medvedev Disqualified From China Open Semi-Final
Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from his China Open semi-final against Novak Djokovic after hitting a rebounding ball into the crowd in frustration, striking a spectator in the eye. The Russian was trailing 7-5, 5-3 at the time of the incident.
Djokovic advanced to the final, where he will face Alex De Minaur.
FBI Arrests Woman Accused of Spying on Taiwan Leader's Family
The FBI has arrested Wanying Zhang, also known as Heather, an Irvine, California realtor, at Los Angeles International Airport as she was preparing to leave for China. She is charged with acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government.
Prosecutors allege Zhang surveilled the son of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te and his family in the United States on behalf of Chinese officials. President Lai condemned the alleged operation, calling it a “barbaric” act that showed Beijing’s disregard for human rights.
FlyDubai Co-Pilot Planned to Crash Plane Into Tel Aviv Airport
Sources close to the investigation into the attempted hijacking of a FlyDubai flight say the co-pilot, an Omani national, planned to crash the aircraft into Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv. The same sources described him as a “lone wolf” extremist. The inquiry is ongoing.