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DEATH’S DOOR: Two Lethal Injections Could Not Execute Tennessee Woman On Deathrow

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The failed attempted execution that took place in Nashville, Tennessee during the week is an indictment of Americas death penalty culture and the dearth of morality in a supposed society founded on Christian principles.

Read more: DEATH’S DOOR: Two Lethal Injections Could Not Execute Tennessee Woman On Deathrow

Christa Pike is supposed to be the first woman in the state to be executed in 200 years. However, following her injection of a lethal drug, Pike was transported to an off-site medical facility. Her Attorney said Pike was being treated at a hospital, but they did not know her condition.

Fifty-year-old Pike was convicted of murdering a classmate, Colleen Slemmer, 19, in 1995 and sentenced to death. Pike was 18 at the time of the murder.

In a news conference Wednesday night, journalists who witnessed the botched execution, described snoring and complaints from Pike about pain, as well as her kicking her feet so often that she knocked off the sheets laid on her. At times, the curtain was closed and journalists could only hear sounds.

Slemmer’s mother, May Martinez, described the failed execution attempt.

“It was a mess.”

Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, said in a statement that he was ordering “a comprehensive, third-party review to determine exactly what occurred.” He then suspended the last remaining execution for this year in Tennessee.

A spokesperson for the Department of Correction said the state “followed every step of the State’s lawful, established execution protocol approved by the Attorney General’s Office” and that “the lethal injection chemical in the protocol has consistently been effective.”

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ETHIOPIA: Fighting Resumes Between TPLF And Government Forces

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The resumption of fighting in the north of Ethiopia is raising fears of a new humanitarian crisis in an already troubled region.

Read more: ETHIOPIA: Fighting Resumes Between TPLF And Government Forces

Heavy clashes have resumed between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the federal government after the TPLF seized airports and launched attacks into the neighbouring Ethiopian states of Afar and Amhara, saying they were engaged in a “defensive war” against the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

A humanitarian source estimated that at least 150,000 people have been displaced in Afar but said it was impossible to give precise numbers.

International NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) expressed concerns over the situation.

“With an uptake in fighting in Ethiopia, we see the risk to civilians spreading at a time when diplomatic attention and scrutiny of the situation have reduced, given the broader dynamics and catastrophes throughout the region as well”, said Laetitia Bader, deputy director of the Africa division at HRW.

“The region is already facing devastating human rights and humanitarian crises”, she added. “In neighbouring Sudan, we are talking about the biggest humanitarian crisis in the world.”

Meanwhile, Ethiopia’s army commander on Sunday accused Eritrea and Sudan of backing armed groups fighting its troops in the north of the country.

Speaking on the army’s YouTube channel, army chief Field Marshal Birhanu Jula said: “We are fighting forces that are organised and allied to serve the interests of external forces.”

“Neither Shaebia (Eritrea) nor the TPLF can achieve anything alone, even if they are allied, unless they are backed, supported and supplied by Sudan, Egypt and other external powers”, he added.

The TPLF has allied with seven-armed groups around the country, and appears to repeating a strategy from the last war of pushing south through Amhara towards Addis Ababa,

Its offensive in Afar is aimed at cutting supplies from Djibouti, which provides almost all of Ethiopia’s international trade cargo, including fuel.

The headquarters of Tigrai TV, seen as the key outlet for the rebel authorities in the Tigrayan capital, Mekelle, was hit by a drone on Sunday.

Communications have been limited since Friday when telecoms providers reported major disruption to phone and internet services in Tigray, making reporting on the conflict difficult.

Many in Tigray fear a repeat of a blockade imposed by the federal government during the 2020-2022 conflict when electricity, banking, and almost all aid were cut off.

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres raised the alarm on Friday, his spokesman saying Guterres was “particularly troubled by reports of the use of drones as well as incidents of harm to civilians”.

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WRONG LIMB: Woman Sues Hospital After Shocking Amputation Error

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A woman has filed a lawsuit against an Ohio hospital after doctors amputated the wrong leg during an operation.

Read more: WRONG LIMB: Woman Sues Hospital After Shocking Amputation Error

Sharon Jacks, 74, is accusing Selby General Hospital of gross negligence, battery, and reckless conduct after her left leg was removed in September 2025, instead of her right.

She is seeking punitive and compensatory damages. Jacks needed her lower right leg amputated as part of a treatment plan for squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer.

Sharon Jacks

She eventually had the correct procedure on her right leg four months later at another Ohio hospital. According to the complaint, Jacks suffered “physical injury, permanent disability, pain and suffering, emotional distress, humiliation, loss of enjoyment of life, medical expenses and other damages” after her lower left leg was wrongly amputated.

The suit states the error occurred even though hospital staff took two “surgical time-outs” to ensure they were operating on the correct limb.

Selby General Hospital said the surgical team involved in the procedure were “no longer in their positions.” The hospital added that they are “saddened by what occurred, and our team continues to keep this patient and their family in our prayers.”

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UK: MI5 Warns Universities Over Chinese Funding Of Academic Research Espionage

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Over 100 academics linked to British institutions have unwittingly assisted China’s espionage operations against the UK via a front company working for its intelligence and security services, MI5 has warned.

Read more: UK: MI5 Warns Universities Over Chinese Funding Of Academic Research Espionage

In the highly unusual public alert, the UK’s internal security service warned universities and academics that continuing ties with China General Technology Research Institute (CGTRI) could ultimately lead to criminal charges for aiding a foreign state.

Security minister Dan Jarvis said MI5’s warning exposed attempts by Chinese intelligence agencies to use British academic research to undermine UK national security.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in London said the accusation was “imaginary and purely fabricated”.

Universities UK, which represents more than 140 institutions, meanwhile said it was reviewing the alert and focusing on “supporting our universities as they assess any implications for existing or future partnerships”.

In June, MI5 and its closest partners in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, issued a joint warning that China’s military intelligence services were targeting professional networking sites and online job platforms.

This new UK-specific alert goes further, revealing what the service says is a threat that has been growing within British academic institutions.

MI5 says that the CGTRI, sometimes translated as the China Academy of General Technology (CAGT), has “very strong ties” to the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS).

“MI5 has identified that the primary purpose of CGTRI is to fund academic research that directly improves MSS technical capability for espionage,” it says.

“More than 100 UK-linked academics have contributed to projects funded by MSS via CGTRI,” adding that in some cases the research would not be aware of the front company’s role in their project.

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HEAVY WEIGHT: Anthony Joshua-Tyson Fury Fight Set For Cardiff On 11 December

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The much-anticipated heavyweight boxing showdown between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury’s will take place at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Friday 11 December.

Read more: HEAVY WEIGHT: Anthony Joshua-Tyson Fury Fight Set For Cardiff On 11 December

Joshua and Fury are the biggest names in British boxing and spent a decade circling each other amid aborted attempts to agree a showdown while still in their prime.

They’ve now agreed a deal that will be welcomed by British fans after reports the fight could have been held in New York or Saudi Arabia.

No start time has been announced, but there had been rumours the main event could begin in the early hours to cater for US audiences as it will be streamed live on Netflix.

The announcement was made by Saudi boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh, who posted on X that “the time for talking is over”.

Negotiations to get the fight over the line have been going on for months, with both camps accusing one another of holding things up.

However, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), which owns the Principality Stadium, has said the event remains subject to a change to its premises licence because of the expected early hours start.

Under its current premises licence, the venue is allowed to host boxing or wrestling entertainment until 1am when the roof is closed.

Joshua posted a picture of the fight poster on Instagram, and in another image wrote: “The quietest ones often pull the strings. Those who appear least involved may hold the greatest control. “Let them shout first, the wisest wait until the final move.”

Fury also shared an image of a Welsh dragon and said a fight in the country would be a “homecoming” as his mother’s family are from there.

Both men will now meet face to face at a press conference in London on 30 September.

The saga goes back years – the pair were unable to agree terms in 2021, and plans fell apart after a US judge ruled Fury had to face Deontay Wilder instead.

Both are past their peak and neither has a world title, but the fight will be one of the biggest in years.

Joshua’s last contest was a second-round win over Albanian Kristian Prenga in July, though the Briton was knocked down in the first 20 seconds.

The bout is a non-title fight as neither of the boxers hold any belt.

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