Christa Pike left in ‘critical condition’ as Tennessee halts all executions | First Thing

• Iran prepared for an escalation of tensions on October 1, 2026, contributing to a rise in global energy prices. • Brent crude oil prices topped $102 per barrel as geopolitical risks increased.

• Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly pressed for an end to the conflict in Ukraine. • Modi told reporters that both President Putin and President Zelenskyy have spoken with him to share their perspectives on the war.

• Government and business leaders met at the Council on Foreign Relations during the UN General Assembly to discuss global security and financial reform. • Former Ghanaian President John Mahama highlighted the Accra Reset initiative to expand vaccine and medicine production across Africa.

• Renewed fighting has broken out in northern Ethiopia, raising fears that the domestic conflict could expand into a regional confrontation. • The instability threatens to involve neighboring Eritrea, Sudan, and Egypt in a broader crisis.

Celebrity chef has 34 British outlets including the Savoy Grill, Pétrus and several Lucky Cat restaurantsBusiness live – latest updatesThe UK arm of Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants empire remained in the red last year despite sales topping £100m for the first time after a string of openings in a London tower.The celebrity chef’s UK business, which has 34 outlets including the Savoy Grill, Pétrus and several Lucky Cat restaurants, narrowed losses to £5.8m from £9.4m the year before. Sales rose 3% to almost £101m. Continue reading...

Party leader says outcome of ‘knife edge’ vote in Keir Starmer’s former seat will not affect his positionZack Polanski has said his authority as leader of the Green party of England and Wales does not depend on winning next week’s Holborn and St Pancras byelection, amid suggestions the party’s popularity may have peaked.Polanski, who is trying to take Keir Starmer’s former seat from Labour, described the contest as “probably 50/50 right now” and “really on a knife edge”. Continue reading...

Baird, father of former NSW premier Mike Baird and journalist Julia Baird, helped win the Olympics for SydneyGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastBruce Baird, a former federal Liberal MP and deputy leader of the party’s New South Wales branch, has died aged 84.Baird, who also served as the NSW transport minister from 1988 to 1995, is the father of former state premier Mike Baird, the ABC journalist Julia Baird, and the marketing executive Steve Baird.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s Politics, really newsletter here Continue reading...

Kathy Hochul said she no longer has faith in the local district attorney’s ability to handle the case, which has restarted a national conversation about sexual assault on college campusesSign up for the Breaking News US emailThe governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, has named New York attorney general Letitia James as special prosecutor to investigate an alleged gang-rape at Cornell University in 2024, saying she had lost faith in the local district attorney’s ability to handle the case.Both Hochul and James are due to speak today to provide an update on the investigation following the attorney general’s appointment. Continue reading...

Motorists and small businesses struggle with costs as Iran war drives up cost of oil worldwide‘Half my day’s pay goes to filling up my car’Business live – latest updatesBritish motorists face more pressure at the pumps after the average price of diesel climbed to a record £2 a litre.The price at UK forecourts has risen sharply since late February, when the US-Israel war on Iran began disrupting supplies of crude and refined oil products from the Gulf, leading to cost increases across the economy. Continue reading...

Attack accessing historical data on bushfires occurred in June but not disclosed by the tech company until ThursdayGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastArtificial intelligence company OpenAI has disclosed another unauthorised hack on a government department in Australia.In June, an OpenAI agent hacked into a New South Wales state government department and accessed historical non-public data on bushfires without authorisation. Continue reading...

Platform ‘for the curious’ says users outside the UK account for nearly 90% of its revenuesBusiness live – latest updatesFeeld, a UK-based dating app aimed at non-monogamous, queer and kinky users, has reported strong sales growth and paid its founders their largest-ever dividend as it attracts users from more “vanilla” rivals.Revenues jumped by 24% to £64m following a surge in interest from what it called “open-minded people exploring love, desire, and alternative relationships in a safe, inclusive space”. Continue reading...