Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

Christa Gail Pike’s execution in Tennessee was halted by a federal appeals court on Wednesday, about an hour before she was due to receive a lethal injection for the 1995 murder of a fellow student. The US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ordered that the execution remain suspended until further notice while it considers whether claims about Pike’s childhood sexual abuse and rape were properly examined during her sentencing. ([kptv.com](https://www.kptv.com/2026/09/30/christa-gail-pike-says-i-am-not-afraid-die-letter-written-before-execution-was-halted-by-federal-court/?outputType=amp&utm_source=openai)) Pike, 50, had been scheduled to die at 10am local time at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville. The Tennessee Department of Correction had selected official media witnesses…

US stocks opened higher as investors assessed new inflation data while monitoring developments in Iran. The rise on Wall Street came as markets weighed the latest economic figures alongside the ongoing developments in Iran.

A US district court has temporarily halted the planned lethal-injection execution of Christa Pike, Tennessee’s only woman on death row, hours before she was due to die on Wednesday. The state may still ask the US Supreme Court to overturn the last-minute order, meaning the execution could go ahead later in the day, according to one of Pike’s lawyers. If carried out, it would be Tennessee’s first execution of a woman in at least 200 years. Pike, 50, has been imprisoned since 1995 for the murder of her former classmate, Colleen Slemmer, in Knoxville. She was 18 when Slemmer, 19,…

A police officer who Tasered a 92-year-old wheelchair user with dementia at a care home later posted a lightning emoji on Facebook in an apparent reference to the incident, a misconduct hearing has been told. PC Rachel Comotto discharged the 50,000-volt weapon at Donald Burgess after he allegedly threatened care staff with a dinner knife and refused to put it down. Body-worn footage shown to the panel captured Mr Burgess screaming as the Taser barbs struck his chest. In the hours following the incident at Park Beck Care Home in St Leonards-on-Sea, PC Comotto responded to a colleague’s Facebook exchange.…

Stellantis chief executive Antonio Filosa has reaffirmed the carmaker’s 2026 guidance and longer-term cash-flow targets, despite its US shares falling to an all-time low. The company is targeting a mid-single-digit percentage increase in net revenue next year, alongside an adjusted operating margin in the low single digits. It also expects to become cash-flow positive by 2027. “We are completely committed and we are convinced that we will do that,” Mr Filosa said of the 2026 guidance during an Automotive News event in Detroit. Stellantis is aiming to generate more than €3 billion in free cash flow in 2028. The automaker…

Fifteen dogs have died after a Florida house fire that authorities say was deliberately started by Terrance Banks while the animals were inside the property in Geneva. Investigators allege that Mr Banks spread petrol across the floors of the house, lit a piece of paper and used it to ignite the fuel. The fire reportedly began in the kitchen. Some of the dogs were locked in crates and were unable to escape the flames or smoke, according to the arrest report. Banks allegedly told officers there could have been as many as 19 dogs inside the home. The initial report…

Pep Guardiola has broken his silence on Manchester City’s financial-rule verdict, pledging his continued support for the club despite an independent commission finding serious breaches of Premier League regulations. Guardiola left his position as City manager this summer after a decade in charge, but remains associated with the club as a technical adviser and global ambassador. In a message to supporters, he said: “I want every single Man City fan to know I am here, more than ever.” He added: “I am, always have been and always will be behind my club, my owner, my chairman, Ferran, the players, staff,…

Kearny has filed a lawsuit against the operator of a South Kearny heliport, backed by Hudson County and five municipalities that say frequent low-flying helicopter traffic has brought excessive noise and safety fears to neighbourhoods across New Jersey. The action against Helo Holdings Inc, which operates HHI Heliport on Western Road, was filed in Hudson County Superior Court on Tuesday, September 29. Hudson County has applied to participate as an interested party, while Bayonne, Hoboken, Jersey City and Union City are also supporting the legal challenge. Residents living beneath the flight paths say helicopters pass overhead throughout the day and…

A flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia after one pilot allegedly stabbed the other and apparently attempted to crash the aircraft, Benjamin Netanyahu said. The Boeing 737 Max landed at Tabuk after an emergency that prompted Israel to scramble fighter jets and briefly close its airspace. All passengers were reported safe and accounted for. Mr Netanyahu said crew members and passengers had entered the cockpit and stopped the attacker, allowing another crew member to stabilise the aircraft. The pilot suspected of carrying out the attack was arrested and was being questioned by Saudi…

Derbyshire County Council has been accused of attacking press freedom after ending its engagement with a local democracy reporter who exposed an elderly woman’s legal battle over access to her home. The Reform-led authority said it had “lost confidence” in Eddie Bisknell’s reporting and raised concerns about its accuracy, balance and professional conduct. It said requests for comment or information from Mr Bisknell specifically would not receive a response. Mr Bisknell, one of 165 local reporters funded by the BBC to cover local politics, works for the Derby Telegraph and Derbyshire Times. His report about 81-year-old retired teacher Helene Ball…