BBC News Briefing

1 October, 2026

Sofia has long brown hair and brown eyes and is wearing a green top.

Sofia Lotto Persio

Hello. She looked set to become the first woman executed in Tennessee in 200 years. But after Christa Pike survived two lethal injections, we look at what unfolded. Researchers are worried about the rapid pace of ice loss in Switzerland. And finally, watch a robot do house chores.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Failed execution was 'a mess', says victim's mother

A composite image showing an ambulance on the left and Christia Pike in an orange prison jumpsuit in 2007. She has brown eyes and wears her long curly brown hair in a ponytail.

The attempted execution took place at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville at about 20:00 local time. Credit: Reuters

Death row inmate Christa Pike was taken to hospital on Wednesday after an attempt to execute her failed, her lawyer said. One of her attorneys told the BBC that the 50-year-old was "being provided life-saving measures" after two syringes of pentobarbital failed to kill her. Her legal team said that despite the two doses, she had a heartbeat and was "audibly snoring." The Tennessee inmate was sentenced to death in 1996, aged 18, for the murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slammer. Her lawyers, who have been fighting for clemency for years, managed to get a court to halt the execution an hour before it was scheduled, but the US Supreme Court then overruled that. Speaking to NBC News after Wednesday's events, Slemmer's mother May Martine said: "It was a mess."

What happened

Watch: A journalist who was in the room when the lethal injections were administered said Tennessee officials have to explain what went wrong.

Explained: Correspondent Nada Tawfik breaks down the several attempts to halt Pike's execution.

Background: Why Pike's lawyers believe she would not have received the death sentence if she had been tried today.

Too early to say if Iran involved in flight attack - Israeli PM

The pilot who was stabbed on board a Flydubai flight to Israel yesterday has been named as Indian national Captain Smit Machchhar. He is currently in hospital in a stable condition. He has been hailed a "true hero" by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and is also receiving praise in India. The motives of the alleged attacker, who was arrested in Saudi Arabia, remain unclear, with Netanyahu telling Fox News it was "too early to say" if Iran was involved.

Read now

WORLD HEADLINES

A damaged house is swept away by a landslide following heavy rains in Dhapakhel, Lalitpur, Nepal. Credit: Anadolu via Getty Images

Trekkers helicoptered off Nepal mountains

Another wave of rain and landslides has hit the country, which is still reeling from devastating deadly floods in August.

What to know >

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks on 30 September 2026

Hegseth fires a fifth of military leaders

The US defence secretary said the "ideological clowns are out" as he confirmed 20% cuts to generals and admirals.

More details >

Russia shows no sign of stopping Ukraine war

President Vladimir Putin's party now has more MPs than ever. Russia editor Steve Rosenberg looks at how he could use this.

Read Steve's analysis >

Tourists pose for photographs in front of cherry trees in bloom while Mount Fuji is seen in the background

Japan raises permanent residency fee by 20 times

Foreign nationals seeking permanent residency must now also meet new income, pension and language criteria.

More on the costs >

A moment from the video which won the contest. It is a cilia - which looks like lots of long green cells waving around while attached to a red surface. It's almost like seaweed floating on the ocean surface.

Microscope photo sparks big controversy

Dr Ning Xu denies allegations he broke the rules of Nikon's annual Small World In Motion contest.

What he's accused of >

NEWS FROM THE UK

Prisons releases: Three women who have been told their abusive ex-partners will be freed from jail early have said they fear for their safety.

Dame Esther Rantzen: The former BBC presenter, who launched the charity Childline, has died aged 86. Find out about her life.

Royal ride: The Princess of Wales helped pick up a 94-year-old rural minibus user as she celebrated the 50th anniversary of the service.

BEYOND THE HEADLINES

Swiss glaciers suffer 'disastrous' ice loss

The front of a glacier, where a large channel - which looks a bit like a cave or an arch - has eaten away at the ice. A river of meltwater now meanders out of the front of the glacier. There are also chunks of ice on the ground having broken off the glacier. A man, dressed in mountaineering clothing, stands in front of the glacier for scale, which shows how big the channel or cave is.

Rapidly melting glaciers increase the risk of landslides and impacts water supplies for farming, energy and transport. Credit: L.Hösli

Until recently, glaciologists in the Alps considered 2% of ice loss in a single year to be "extreme". This year has seen an estimated 5.5% disappear. While a degree of shrinking is to be expected given the impact of climate change, the pace at which glaciers are melting is what worries researchers the most. Scientists say the climate is now too warm for many Alpine glaciers to survive and some have already disappeared.

See how they've changed

Sean Bean wears a coppola hat and a jacketm he is standing in front of a tree

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

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