Christa Pike recovers after botched execution as legal fight continues
Christa Pike, the Tennessee death row inmate convicted of torturing and killing her classmate Colleen Slemmer in 1995 when she was 18, has spoken publicly for the first time since a botched lethal-injection execution attempt on 30 September. In a statement released by her legal team, Pike said she woke confused and in pain and remains in constant physical and mental anguish, while thanking those who saved her life. She is recovering in isolation at the infirmary of the Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center.
The failed execution reportedly involved two doses of pentobarbital. Pike's lawyers are seeking to have her death sentence reduced to life imprisonment, and Tennessee's governor has ordered an investigation. The legal and review processes remain ongoing, and her sentence has not been resolved.
Spain mourns dozens killed in second high-speed train crash
Spain has begun three days of national mourning after at least 69 people were killed and more than 100 were injured in a high-speed train collision south of Madrid near the town of Urda on Wednesday. One train struck another from behind, derailing at least two carriages and leaving a major search-and-rescue operation.
It is Spain's second fatal high-speed rail collision this year. The transport minister described an "error" and "inexplicable circumstances," saying one train had been told to continue despite a red signal. Public anger is growing as emergency services continue to search the wreckage and relatives wait for news.
Patrick Stewart, Star Trek and X-Men star, dies at 86
Sir Patrick Stewart, the British actor whose classical training and sonorous voice shaped roles from Star Trek's Captain Jean-Luc Picard to the X-Men's Professor Charles Xavier, has died at 86. He died at his home in Los Angeles on Wednesday after what his family described as a brief journey with Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia.
Born in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, Stewart built his reputation with the Royal Shakespeare Company before becoming a screen icon. Tributes have recalled his gravitas and the hope his portrayal of Picard inspired.
ECB president Christine Lagarde to step down early
Christine Lagarde will step down as president of the European Central Bank on 7 February 2027, nine months before the end of her eight-year term. The ECB announced the move on Thursday; European Council President Antonio Costa said the process to choose a successor is already under way.
Her early departure comes as the eurozone grapples with weak growth and inflation, and follows months of speculation about her future.
Venezuelan opposition leader Machado returns and calls for elections
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has returned to Caracas after nearly a year in exile and called for elections next year. In her first comments home, she said the country's political transition would be "irreversible, organised, pacific" and insisted her return was arranged by her own team, not any government.
She thanked former U.S. President Donald Trump for opening what she called a "floodgate to freedom," and said the United States backs a 2027 election. Her return adds pressure to the administration of interim President Delcy Rodriguez.
Russia's Novaya Gazeta announces closure under Kremlin pressure
Novaya Gazeta, one of Russia's last major independent newspapers, has announced it is closing under pressure from the authorities. Its editor-in-chief said the publication was ceasing to exist after state pressure, including recent searches of a senior editor's home and the earlier detention of a journalist.
The outlet, whose former editor won the Nobel Peace Prize, has been designated a "foreign agent" by Moscow. The closure marks a further contraction of independent media space in Russia.
Binance halts trading after North Korea-linked $6.3 billion hack
Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has suspended trading after a suspected cyberattack now linked to North Korea. The company said approximately $6.3 billion was impacted in the complex breach, which blockchain intelligence firms have tied to Pyongyang.
Users have been unable to trade while the exchange investigates what it has described as potentially the largest such hack on record.
Trump rallies in South Carolina as Senate race tightens
President Donald Trump held a rally in Rock Hill, South Carolina, on Thursday for Republican Senator Darline Graham with six days remaining before the midterm elections. The visit was his second to the state in eight days.
The Senate contest in heavily Republican South Carolina has become unexpectedly close; a recent poll found it effectively a tossup. Republicans view holding the seat as essential to keeping their Senate majority.
Australian 'mushroom murderer' Erin Patterson loses appeal, faces life
An Australian appeals court has rejected Erin Patterson's appeal against her conviction and sentence for the murders of three relatives poisoned with toxic mushrooms at a beef Wellington lunch. The court removed any possibility of parole, meaning she will spend the rest of her life in prison.
Prosecutors had argued her original sentence was inadequate. The ruling ends the prospect of a retrial.
Arsenal's Arteta warns Dowman 'not in Disneyland' after red card
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has warned 16-year-old midfielder Max Dowman that "we are not in Disneyland" after the teenager was sent off during the Premier League champions' League Cup defeat at Fleetwood. Dowman became the youngest player ever to be sent off in the competition's history.
Arsenal's appeal against his three-match suspension was rejected. Arteta said Dowman will be held to the same standards as every first-team player; it was the midfielder's second red card in a matter of weeks, having also been dismissed while playing for England Under-19s.
Met Police watchdog to probe handling of Meghan father letter
The Metropolitan Police has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct over its handling of a letter containing allegations about Thomas Markle Snr, the father of the Duchess of Sussex. The force is accused of failing to tell other authorities about the letter.
The police watchdog will now investigate how the Met dealt with the matter.
ICE officer charged after striking man with car in Houston
A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, Mario Alberto Morales, has been indicted on a charge of second-degree aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after striking Miguel Parra Hernandez, 48, with an unmarked vehicle in Houston on 10 October. The Harris County District Attorney's office said Hernandez was running away at the time.
Morales was behind the wheel of the black unmarked vehicle, according to prosecutors.