News Hub Central — breaking world, business, tech and sports news, summarised in minutes

US death row inmate Christa Pike conscious and speaking after failed execution, lawyers say

Pike, 50, continues to receive critical medical care while handcuffed in hospital, according to a statement from her lawyers on Tuesday.

US arrests suspect in connection with Tumbler Ridge school shooting

The suspect, from the western state of Washington, allegedly gave money and advice to the attacker over the internet.

Merino scores twice as Spain beat Croatia 2-1 in Nations League

Mikel Merino turns game for Spain in Croatia to maintain their 100 percent group-stage record in UEFA Nations League.

Watch: Riot police clash with school protesters and use tear gas in France

Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets across France amid a wave of protests by high-school pupils.

Trump hedges on paying back government for ads that already aired

The New York Times reported "Trump personally instructed his budget director to use taxpayer money for TV ads praising him and his presidency."

Russia plague: How great is the global risk? Maybe low, but infectious disease experts want more data

Uncertainty surrounds the death of an employee at a Russian anti-plague institute. Here's what infectious disease experts say about how worried you should be.

Anduril lands $2.9 billion Navy submarine shipyard contract days after Luckey joins Pentagon weapons group

Defense tech leaders are gaining sway in Washington in President Donald Trump's military reindustrialization push

Chart: A look at the S&P 500's remarkable and defiant trip to a new record

The S&P 500 returned to an intraday record Tuesday as tech gains, easing oil prices and Treasury yields helped stocks overcome months of market shocks.

Apple and LG team up on new smart home gear, starting with a lock, doorbell, and thermostat

Apple is collaborating with LG on a new lineup of smart home devices, including a video doorbell, thermostat, indoor camera, and more, according to a report from Bloomberg. The products will reportedly feature LG branding but integrate with the company's rumored smart home hub that's expected to launch during an event on October 13th. Sources […]

Sebastian Maniscalco’s SiriusXM channel is hurting up-and-coming talent, comics say

Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco is facing backlash from fellow comics who claim his takeover of SiriusXM's Raw Comedy channel is harming up-and-coming talent, as reported earlier by Deadline. Many established comics, including Patton Oswalt and Margaret Cho, have posted videos online calling on Maniscalco to carry on Raw Comedy's legacy by highlighting newer comedians on his […]

Silicon Valley’s AI wunderkind launches Underdog, the most private Instinct/Muse competitor yet

Sigil Wen, backed by a Silicon Valley who's who, has built an on-device AI assistant that promises to be free, fully private, and capable for everyday tasks.

Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y can be a backup battery for your house

Some Tesla Model 3 and Model Y owners can use their EV battery to keep the lights on longer during a power outage, now that Tesla's expanding the Powershare Home Backup feature. It was previously only available on the Cybertruck, and also requires owning Tesla's Powerwall 3. However, support for the Powerwall 2 and Powerwall […]

Our early hot takes from the MLB playoffs: The year of the Brewers? A homerless October for Judge -- and Ohtani!?

What can we learn from a week of postseason baseball? Enough to make our experts go all-in on their boldest predictions.

Ranking home-field advantage for all 8 remaining playoff teams

From atmosphere to unique structures, some places are harder to play than others.

Alcaraz wins Japan Open in first final since wrist injury

Carlos Alcaraz has won his first final since coming back from a long injury lay-off for a right wrist injury with success at the Japan Open.

Nations League round-up: Merino comes up clutch again for Spain

‘The Table: Day and Night’ Review: Café-Based Korean Romance With Kim Min-ha and Han Sun-hwa Is All Froth, No Kick

An artisanal café in a quiet yet fashionable Seoul neighborhood provides the setting for a quartet of seasonal vignettes in Kim Jong-kwan’s romantic anthology The Table: Day and Night. Opening this year’s Busan Film Festival, the film — with its star-studded ensemble including Kim Min-ha, Shim Eun-kyung and Han Sun-hwa — will ensure a glitzy […]

’60 Minutes’ Beats Last Season’s Viewership Bar for First Time, But Football Brings Only Small Boost

CBS News’ 60 Minutes beat a crucial metric for the first time under new and heavily scrutinized managers but only managed to eke out a small boost to its ratings despite a robust football lead-in. The CBS newsmagazine lured an average of 10.2 million viewers on Sunday, when it offered an in-depth interview with Republican […]

Skydance Adds Bobby Kotick and Laurene Powell Jobs to Board, Taps Tony Blair as Adviser

Skydance Corp., formed from the megamerger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, is bringing new blood to its board of directors. On Tuesday, the company announced that Laurene Powell Jobs, founder and president of Emerson Collective, and Bobby Kotick, founder and former CEO of Activision, are joining the board as independent directors. As previously announced, […]

Eva Marie Saint, Oscar-Winning ‘On the Waterfront’ Actress, Dead at 102

North by Northwest star was one of the last bridges to Hollywood’s Golden Age

'Medicare for All' message attracts midterm voters buckling under medical bills

Midterm candidates are talking about Medicare for All, and two out of three Americans tell pollsters they support it. It speaks to the desire for radical change, though many don't really know what it is.

CDC funding for HIV prevention shifted from providers to states under Trump

Nonprofits fighting HIV used get direct funding from the CDC. Now that money is going to state health departments that may have other priorities.

An early start to flu season moves up vaccination timing

This year's flu season is unusual. It started early and in the West, instead of the South. A new variant with a mutation that helps the virus evade immunity may be playing a role.

Green member behind Zionism motion named as 'close friend' of jailed al-Qaeda supporter in court

Lubna Speitan offered to testify on behalf of Minh Quang Pham, who was jailed for 40 years after a Heathrow bomb plot investigation.

I'd rather have another election than do a deal with Reform UK, says Badenoch

The Conservative Party leader also pledged to cut the cost of hiring 21 to 24 year olds.

Badenoch denies plan for ‘British Iron Dome’ – after Tories use phrase in press release

Leader also says party is ‘not out of the woods’ and she would rather have another election than form coalition with Reform Kemi Badenoch has denied she compared a new air defence system proposed by the Conservative party to Israel’s Iron Dome, despite using the term in her press release and a newspaper article. The Tory leader said the party’s proposed “Britannia Shield” would not be comparable to the missile defence system in Israel, which is primarily designed to counter short-range attacks. Continue reading...

Chancellor plans major intervention to help poorer UK households with rising energy bills

Exclusive: Officials working on further radical changes that would change how much energy companies could charge customers John Healey is planning a major intervention to cut energy bills for poorer households in this month’s budget, after ministers became alarmed at forecasts that show bills rising by hundreds of pounds in January. The chancellor is working on plans to spend more than £1bn to help energy consumers, the bulk of which is likely to go towards increasing the discount given to households on certain benefits. Continue reading...