Christa Pike conscious and speaking after botched Tennessee execution
Christa Pike, the first woman Tennessee has attempted to execute in 200 years, has regained consciousness and begun speaking nearly a week after a botched lethal injection in which she received two doses of the drug and was taken from the execution chamber by ambulance. Her lawyers said the 50-year-old remains hospitalised with severe injuries to both arms, pneumonia, a blood clot, and an inability to move her arms or swallow.
Pike’s attorneys described her as angry and confused, and said she remains shackled to her hospital bed despite medical staff requesting that the shackles be removed. A judge ordered Tennessee officials to preserve all evidence from the failed execution, and her lawyers are seeking to have her death sentence commuted to life imprisonment without parole.
Tennessee has suspended executions and its prison chief has resigned following the incident.
US indicts former Venezuelan president Maduro and wife on torture charges
Federal prosecutors have filed a superseding indictment charging former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, with conspiracy to commit torture. Prosecutors alleged Maduro “presided over this system of repression and torture,” and accused Flores of helping him develop it.
The new charges add to existing counts of narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices. The revised indictment also includes several references to Venezuela’s DGCIM military intelligence agency and covers the alleged torture of more than a dozen Americans detained in Venezuela.
Flores, who is in custody, is separately seeking release from jail on health grounds.
Canadian poet Anne Carson wins 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature
The Swedish Academy has awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature to Canadian poet and essayist Anne Carson, 76, for what it called a “bold and inventive oeuvre” that reimagines classical mythology in new contemporary forms.
Carson is known for genre-crossing works including Autobiography of Red and for her deep engagement with Latin and Greek classics.
UK keeps East Jerusalem consulate open as UK Mission, Jerusalem
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said Britain’s consulate general building in East Jerusalem will not close but will be renamed the UK Mission, Jerusalem, remaining independent, operational and serving the Palestinian people.
Israel had ordered the closure of the British consulate in East Jerusalem and said Thursday that the facility had “ceased to function,” while signage at the building was removed as a deadline passed. The two sides reached a last-minute arrangement that avoids a full shutdown.
South Korea recalls ambassador to Ukraine over North Korean POWs
South Korea has recalled its ambassador to Ukraine after Kyiv publicly disclosed the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul. Seoul said the disclosure endangered the prisoners’ families in North Korea, accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of breaking a confidentiality agreement, and demanded an apology that Ukraine has not delivered.
Ukraine has rejected South Korea’s accusations. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung had earlier threatened unspecified punitive steps if Ukraine refused to apologise.
Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan scheduled for firing-squad execution on Dec. 3
The Army has set 3 December for the execution by firing squad of former Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan at Fort Hood, Texas, the base where he killed 13 people and wounded 32 in a 2009 shooting. The Pentagon said Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth recommended the execution and President Donald Trump approved it.
It would be the first US military execution since 1961 and the first by firing squad since World War II. The announcement came days after a botched lethal injection in Tennessee.
Hurricane Isaias becomes first of Atlantic season, threatens Gulf Coast
Hurricane Isaias became the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season late Wednesday and is expected to make landfall along the US Gulf Coast on Friday. Warnings stretch from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle, and forecasters said the storm could strengthen into a Category 2 hurricane.
The storm originated from Tropical Depression Nine off eastern Mexico. Residents have been stockpiling water, food and other essentials ahead of its arrival.
Trump suggests Iran could 'take out' Los Angeles and San Diego
At a political rally, President Donald Trump suggested Iran could “take out” Los Angeles and San Diego, saying the Iran war was necessary to “keep the world safe” and that losing the cities would be a “small price to pay.” Iran does not possess nuclear weapons.
The remarks drew condemnation from both Democrats and Republicans, including California Governor Gavin Newsom, who called the president “dangerous and deranged,” and Republican San Diego House candidate Jim Desmond. A White House official said the comments were taken out of context.
Court rules search warrants for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor were unlawful
A London judge has ruled that search warrants used to search the homes of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former prince, were unlawful. Police agreed the warrants were unlawful, the judge said.
The searches were part of a criminal investigation into his links to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Mountbatten-Windsor, 66, was arrested on 19 February on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The criminal investigation continues and police have retained material seized from his homes.
Houthi attacks on Saudi airports kill three and wound dozens
Houthi rebels launched attacks on Abha and Riyadh’s King Khalid international airports, killing three people and wounding 36, Saudi authorities said. The dead included two women and a Sudanese man.
A Houthi spokesman claimed responsibility for the strikes. The Saudi-led coalition said it destroyed the ballistic missile launch platform used to attack Riyadh. The attacks mark an escalation in the Yemen war, and the cause of fresh explosions heard in Riyadh on Thursday morning remained unclear.
Arizona congressional candidate says she was raped while repairing sign
Democratic congressional candidate Bernadette Greene-Placentia said she was attacked and raped in August while repairing a damaged campaign sign in Arizona. She said her memory of the attack is spotty and that she was knocked unconscious, and that she is sharing her story to fight for victims of sexual assault.
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said a report was filed on 31 August.
Royal Navy member charged with spying for foreign power
Counter-terror police have charged a serving Royal Navy member, 24-year-old Teddy Young from Bedfordshire, with obtaining protected information that could benefit an unnamed foreign power. He was due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
Police said the incident is not connected to ongoing investigations at RAF Fairford airbase.