“Jim Bakker, a televangelist who once led a multimillion-dollar religious empire with his wife, Tammy Faye, before a sex sandal tarnished his reputation and a conviction for fraud and conspiracy sent him to federal prison, died Oct. 5. He was 86. His second wife, Lori, announced the death but not cite a cause or say where he died. He had a stroke in 2020. … Tammy Faye died in 2007. Their son Jamie changed his first name to Jay and became a tattooed, body-pierced preacher in Minneapolis who espoused somewhat liberal social views. In addition to his wife and son, Mr. Bakker’s survivors include a daughter from his first marriage, Tammy Sue Bakker Chapman.” (10/06/26)
“Germany’s former foreign spy chief has been arrested on suspicion of espionage and treason, prosecutors have said. August Hanning, 80, is under investigation for attempted treason and acting as an agent for a foreign intelligence service, the Office of the Federal Public Prosecutor General confirmed on Tuesday. Hanning was president of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service between 1998 and 2005. He was arrested in Bad Toelz-Wolfratshausen in southern Germany. His former chief of staff, partially identified as Manfred D, was arrested in Steinfurt in western Germany on suspicion of ‘aiding and abetting attempted treason and treasonous espionage’. … The statement did not reveal who the two men were suspected of spying for or which country the foreign agent worked for, adding that ‘it has yet to be determined if the material reached the intended recipient’.” (10/06/26)
“Donald Trump has ordered a firing squad to [kill] an ex-US army psychiatrist who killed 13 people in Texas, the Pentagon said. The US President approved the method to put Nidal Hasan to death by army firing squad in a military [killing]. It came at the recommendation of Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell wrote on X. The ex-army major killed 13 at Fort Hood in a 2009 shooting spree with a laser-sighted handgun that he later described as retaliation for US wars in the Middle East and to protect Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.” (10/06/26)
“In response to a major backlash, President Donald Trump says he will stop using taxpayer funds for television advertisements glorifying himself and instead tap his super PAC to cover such costs going forward. Trump defended the use of at least $1.5 million in federal funds to pay for the ads, saying Monday that they were ‘positive promotion for our Great U.S.A.'” (10/06/26)
“A proposed class-action lawsuit filed Friday in Seattle federal court accuses Starbucks of falsely advertising eight of its protein beverages as ‘sugar-free’ when they actually contain between 13 and 21 grams of naturally occurring sugar per serving. The lawsuit claims the Seattle-based coffee giant misled consumers who ordered 20-ounce or 24-ounce ‘venti’ sizes of its new protein-focused drinks. The complaint states that while the beverages may not contain added sugars, the milk used in them introduces lactose, a form of natural sugar, exceeding federal limits for ‘sugar-free’ labeling.” (10/05/26)
“Canada’s Parti Québécois (PQ) is projected to have won enough seats in Quebec’s provincial election to form a minority government, though the separatists will need other parties’ support to achieve their aims – such as a new public vote on independence. It marks the first time the PQ has been in power since 2014, with Paul St-Pierre Plamondon set to become the province’s new leader. In his victory speech, St-Pierre Plamondon again raised his independence plans but vowed to be ‘the premier of everyone in Quebec’. The result could prove a fresh test for Prime Minister Mark Carney, also setting up confrontations with Québec over issues like immigration and the monarchy. In its effort to achieve independence, the PQ has pledged to hold a referendum on separating from the rest of Canada.” (10/06/26)
“Protesters clashed with police outside Kosovo’s government and parliament buildings on Monday, calling for lawmakers to pass legislation that would limit the powers of a Kosovo war crimes court in The Hague. The protest came weeks after the court sentenced former President Hashim Thaci and three others to a combined 81 years in prison for war crimes. Police fired tear gas and used water cannon to disperse demonstrators who threw firecrackers and stones at officers guarding parliament and government buildings in central Pristina.” (10/05/26)
“A Spanish Supreme Court judge lifted the arrest warrant for Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont on Tuesday, clearing the way for him to return home without fear of detention for the first time in nearly a decade. Puigdemont, Catalonia’s former regional president, fled [Catalonia] for Belgium in 2017 after leading a failed attempt to break Catalonia away from Spain. He has since avoided attempts by Spain to have him sent back to face a court, while many of his confidants and supporters spent time in prison. Now he looks set to go back to Spain just when the country is preparing for a national election next month. It is too early to know how his return would impact the campaign, but given his unpopularity in most of Spain, it is likely that opposition parties would try to use his return against incumbent Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.” (10/06/26)
“A homeowner shot and killed a 36-year-old man who broke into his home after he fled a nearby disturbance Sunday night, according to the Lytle Police Department. Just after 10:30 p.m. Sunday, officers responded to the 14600 block of Butch Cassidy Street in the Saddle Ridge Estates subdivision after reports of a disturbance. In a news release, Lytle police said witnesses reported that the man appeared ‘aggressive and out of control’ before fleeing the scene. The man entered a nearby residence that had no apparent connection to him. Police said the home appeared to have been selected at random. After the man entered the home and cornered the homeowner, police said the homeowner used a firearm to protect himself and his family. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.” (10/05/26)
“Ukraine attacked the Moscow region with around 650 drones overnight, killing two people and damaging dozens of residential buildings, Russian authorities said early on Tuesday. Most of the drones were destroyed by air defences at long range, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin wrote on Telegram. He said 105 drones were destroyed as they approached the Russian capital. In addition to the two deaths, nine people were injured in the attack, according to Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the Moscow region. It was not initially possible to verify these figures.” (10/06/26)
