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October 8: Texas Executes Jamaal Howard as Russian Strikes Kill Dozens in Ukraine
Texas execution
Texas has executed 46-year-old Jamaal Howard, convicted of fatally shooting a convenience store clerk during a robbery in 2000. His lawyers alleged that the pentobarbital was degraded and past its use dates, raising concerns following Christa Pike’s failed execution in Tennessee. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals rejected two requests to halt the execution without explanation. Howard apologised to the victim’s family in his final statement. He was the 30th person executed in the United States this year.
In the Middle East
Demonstrators around the world marked the October 7 attack with calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to Israeli attacks on Gaza and the West Bank.
Off Qatar’s north coast, a tanker was hit by multiple projectiles, according to the UK maritime agency. The agency also reports an increase in attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
In Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russian strikes on October 7 killed at least 25 people and injured more than 100 across Ukraine. Apartment blocks and energy infrastructure were targeted in Kyiv and 12 regions. Zelensky says at least 20 people, including four children, died when a five-storey apartment building collapsed in Pryluky. He urged allies to provide more air defence support, saying Ukraine urgently needs missiles for its Patriot systems.
In U.S. politics
At least six protesters interrupted President Trump’s San Antonio rally backing Senate candidate Ken Paxton. Police led some demonstrators away. The Washington Sun reports that a man in a MAGA hat appeared to pull one protester’s shirt and hair as the protester headed toward the exit, before other attendees intervened. Trump accused the demonstrators of being paid by “enemies of our nation.”
Separately, Democrats have sued Trump over a taxpayer-funded advertising campaign. The ads have attracted bipartisan criticism, with critics arguing they violate prohibitions on taxpayer-funded propaganda.
Mifepristone review
The FDA says it will not publish its safety review of the abortion drug mifepristone until March. In a court filing Wednesday, the agency said it would impose no new restrictions on the pill before then.
Estonia’s border warning
Estonia’s foreign minister says the country could close its Russian border within hours if needed, following the suspected plague death of a lab assistant in Irkutsk. The World Health Organization says Russia has not supplied enough information for a full risk assessment. Russia reported quarantining 200 contacts, but its health watchdog says there is no epidemic risk and is winding down precautions.
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