Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

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…

Eli Lilly’s experimental obesity drug combination produced greater weight loss than its highest dose of tirzepatide alone in a 48-week mid-stage trial involving people with obesity and type 2 diabetes. The regimen combines eloralintide, which targets the appetite-regulating hormone amylin, with a lower dose of tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Lilly’s weight-loss injection Zepbound and diabetes treatment Mounjaro. Patients given the highest combination dose lost an average of up to 23.3% of their body weight, equivalent to around 54lb. The treatment consisted of 9mg of eloralintide and 15mg of tirzepatide. By comparison, those taking 15mg of tirzepatide alone lost an…

Cornell student journalists who have spent two years reporting on an alleged gang rape involving a fellow student are calling for greater accountability from Cornell University and the Tompkins County district attorney. Sophia Dasser, editor-in-chief of The Cornell Daily Sun, and senior editor and writer Cereese Qusba said they were shocked when their coverage attracted national attention after the accuser, identified as Jane Doe, filed a civil lawsuit. Speaking on CNN, the students said their reporting had focused on the allegations and the case’s graphic details without “sugarcoat[ing] anything”. They said the lawsuit had brought renewed scrutiny to the story.…