Tennessee death-row survivor describes pain after botched execution
Christa Pike, 50, who was convicted of the 1995 torture and murder of her classmate Colleen Slemmer, has spoken publicly for the first time since Tennessee's failed attempt to execute her by lethal injection on 30 September. In a statement released by her legal team, she said she woke "confused and in pain" and that a month later she remains in constant physical pain and mental anguish.
Pike described being "deeply hurt by the incompetence" and said there is "pain in my mind and in my soul." She said she had entered the execution chamber prepared to die in peace, expressed gratitude to those who saved her life, and asked for compassion for her victim's family.
She is recovering in isolation at the infirmary of the Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center, where she has been held for decades, and is being kept in solitary confinement. Her lawyers are seeking to have her death sentence commuted to life imprisonment, while the state governor has ordered an investigation into the botched procedure, during which Pike survived two doses of pentobarbital.
Evacuees from Russian-occupied Oleshky reach Ukraine after truce
Civilians from Oleshky, a city in southern Ukraine under Russian occupation since 2022, have reached Ukrainian-held territory after a localized humanitarian ceasefire. The White House said U.S. First Lady Melania Trump helped negotiate the truce and coordinate the humanitarian mission.
Evacuees traveled by bus and plane through Russia and Belarus, with four aircraft carrying people from the war-ravaged city landing in Gomel, Belarus, before they continued toward Ukraine. The operation offered a rare escape route from a frontline town left without gas, electricity or running water, although several hundred residents chose to stay.
The ceasefire and evacuation were completed, and Kyiv separately claimed a strike on a Russian rocket fuel plant. Oleshky has endured intense fighting and severe shortages during the occupation.
Russia's independent Novaya Gazeta announces closure under Kremlin pressure
Novaya Gazeta, one of Russia's last prominent independent newspapers, has announced it is closing, with its journalists blaming sustained pressure from Russian authorities. Its editor-in-chief said, "Novaya Gazeta is ceasing to exist," and staff accused the government of orchestrating the outlet's demise.
The outlet, whose former editor and co-founder is a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and which has been designated a "foreign agent," cited a recent search of a senior editor's home and the earlier detention of a journalist as part of the pressure against it.
The closure ends one of the country's remaining prominent critical media outlets, and the announcements did not give a date for the final edition.
Premier League fixtures continue with live updates under way
Live updates from the English Premier League on Saturday showed two fixtures in progress. Chelsea hosted Manchester United in an early kick-off, while Tottenham faced Crystal Palace in north London.
As of the latest reports, the Tottenham match was in its opening minutes, with Spurs controlling early possession. In the Chelsea fixture, Chelsea's Morgan Rogers had put the Blues ahead after a solo run. No final results were available.
The matches were being played with significant managerial stakes, including pressure on Manchester United manager Michael Carrick.
California Halloween store shooting kills one and wounds six
A shooting inside a Spirit Halloween store at the Solano Town Center in Fairfield, California, left one person dead and six others wounded. Police said all seven victims had gunshot wounds.
Authorities are searching for the shooter. The attack occurred on the eve of Halloween.
Pope Leo XIV casts first-ever papal vote in U.S. election
Pope Leo XIV has become the first pope in history to vote in a U.S. general election, casting a mail-in ballot in his native Chicago ahead of the 3 November midterm elections, the Vatican confirmed.
The Chicago-born pontiff has had a tense relationship with President Donald Trump. His vote came in an election expected to decide control of the U.S. Congress.
Justice Department seeks to isolate Alaska Senate race ballots
The U.S. Justice Department has moved to isolate ballots in Alaska amid a criminal probe involving a Senate candidate in the state's ranked-choice general election. The race pits two-term Republican Senator Dan Sullivan against Democratic former Representative Mary Peltola and could help decide control of the Senate.
The action follows allegations, first reported by The New York Times, that Democrats recruited a spoiler candidate in the toss-up contest. The election is scheduled for Tuesday.
Federal judge bars DOJ from threatening California election officials
A federal judge has ordered the Justice Department to stop demanding that California state and local election officials segregate ballots and to cease threats of criminal prosecution against them. The ruling came from a court in San Francisco.
Polish president returns early as court suspension sparks protests
Polish President Karol Nawrocki cut short a trip to Senegal and returned home as a political crisis erupted over the suspension of Constitutional Tribunal President Bogdan Święczkowski by the pro-European government. Riot police were deployed to the tribunal on Friday after hundreds of demonstrators gathered to protest the ousting.
The suspension drew accusations of a "coup d'état" from critics and prompted security warnings.