Lead Story
At least 68 killed as high-speed trains collide south of Madrid after 'inexplicable' restart order
A Renfe high-speed train slammed into the rear of a stopped Iryo train near Urda, in Toledo province on the Madrid-Seville line, on the morning of October 28, killing at least 68 people and injuring around 50 others. Transport Minister Óscar Puente said a signalling failure had halted several trains on the line, and a control-centre instruction then told the Renfe train to resume running with no speed restriction, leading it to strike the stationary Iryo train at 8:53am; he called the order "inexplicable," and rail infrastructure operator Adif opened an investigation. It is the second deadly high-speed rail collision in Spain this year, after a crash near Adamuz in Córdoba in January, and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared three days of national mourning.
Read more →Lead Story
At least 68 killed as high-speed trains collide south of Madrid after 'inexplicable' restart order
A Renfe high-speed train slammed into the rear of a stopped Iryo train near Urda, in Toledo province on the Madrid-Seville line, on the morning of October 28, killing at least 68 people and injuring around 50 others. Transport Minister Óscar Puente said a signalling failure had halted several trains on the line, and a control-centre instruction then told the Renfe train to resume running with no speed restriction, leading it to strike the stationary Iryo train at 8:53am; he called the order "inexplicable," and rail infrastructure operator Adif opened an investigation. It is the second deadly high-speed rail collision in Spain this year, after a crash near Adamuz in Córdoba in January, and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared three days of national mourning.
Flávio Bolsonaro flees Brazil for the US after losing presidential runoff to Lula
Flávio Bolsonaro, who lost Brazil's October 25 presidential runoff to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva by roughly 51.8% to 48.2%, left the country without surrendering his passports as a Brazilian Supreme Court order had required. Argentina's migration authority said he and his family crossed into Argentina late Tuesday before flying to Guayaquil, Ecuador, and then on to Miami, where he was seen leaving a private jet at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport. He faces ongoing Supreme Court investigations over alleged corruption, money laundering and tax evasion, and a Trump adviser told CNN the US president had approved letting him enter the country. Lula called Bolsonaro's departure "a shameful act."
Read more →Flávio Bolsonaro flees Brazil for the US after losing presidential runoff to Lula
Flávio Bolsonaro, who lost Brazil's October 25 presidential runoff to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva by roughly 51.8% to 48.2%, left the country without surrendering his passports as a Brazilian Supreme Court order had required. Argentina's migration authority said he and his family crossed into Argentina late Tuesday before flying to Guayaquil, Ecuador, and then on to Miami, where he was seen leaving a private jet at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport. He faces ongoing Supreme Court investigations over alleged corruption, money laundering and tax evasion, and a Trump adviser told CNN the US president had approved letting him enter the country. Lula called Bolsonaro's departure "a shameful act."
El Salvador rushes about 1,000 troops to Haiti after four soldiers vanish in gang ambush
El Salvador has deployed roughly 1,000 troops to Haiti, a Haitian security official said, after four Salvadoran members of a UN-backed security mission went missing on October 18 when their vehicle was hit with gunfire and explosives near Port-au-Prince. US envoy Mike Waltz said officials believe the four, described by President Nayib Bukele as aviation technicians rather than combatants, survived the attack, and Bukele has warned of a harsher response if they are not returned alive. No gang has claimed responsibility, and a leader of the 400 Mawozo gang has denied involvement. The UN-backed Gang Suppression Force currently has about 2,000 personnel, roughly a third of its planned strength.
Read more →El Salvador rushes about 1,000 troops to Haiti after four soldiers vanish in gang ambush
El Salvador has deployed roughly 1,000 troops to Haiti, a Haitian security official said, after four Salvadoran members of a UN-backed security mission went missing on October 18 when their vehicle was hit with gunfire and explosives near Port-au-Prince. US envoy Mike Waltz said officials believe the four, described by President Nayib Bukele as aviation technicians rather than combatants, survived the attack, and Bukele has warned of a harsher response if they are not returned alive. No gang has claimed responsibility, and a leader of the 400 Mawozo gang has denied involvement. The UN-backed Gang Suppression Force currently has about 2,000 personnel, roughly a third of its planned strength.
Qatar presents Iran with new deal to end war with US and Israel; Tehran calls terms unacceptable
Qatari mediators presented Iran with a draft deal on October 25 aimed at ending its war with the United States and Israel, which began in February, proposing a seven-day timeline of daily confidence-building steps addressing both Tehran's and Washington's concerns, with several countries acting as guarantors. A senior Iranian official said the ideas put forward were unacceptable and did not amount to a real offer, and that Tehran would show no flexibility on its nuclear program, though Iran had not formally rejected the proposal as of midweek. President Trump has repeated threats to strike Iran again, and Iranian security officials told Reuters that Tehran has drawn up plans to target Gulf undersea cables if US and Israeli attacks resume; representatives from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan have separately visited Tehran to press for de-escalation.
Read more →Qatar presents Iran with new deal to end war with US and Israel; Tehran calls terms unacceptable
Qatari mediators presented Iran with a draft deal on October 25 aimed at ending its war with the United States and Israel, which began in February, proposing a seven-day timeline of daily confidence-building steps addressing both Tehran's and Washington's concerns, with several countries acting as guarantors. A senior Iranian official said the ideas put forward were unacceptable and did not amount to a real offer, and that Tehran would show no flexibility on its nuclear program, though Iran had not formally rejected the proposal as of midweek. President Trump has repeated threats to strike Iran again, and Iranian security officials told Reuters that Tehran has drawn up plans to target Gulf undersea cables if US and Israeli attacks resume; representatives from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan have separately visited Tehran to press for de-escalation.
Netanyahu allies float unity government with Eisenkot as coalition talks begin after deadlocked election
With neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc nor the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot reaching a majority in Tuesday's election, Netanyahu's allies are now pushing for a unity government with Eisenkot's Yashar party, reportedly arguing privately that such a partnership would let Netanyahu govern without his far-right coalition partners, according to a Washington Post report relayed by i24NEWS. President Trump is said to be receptive to a post-election power-sharing deal. Eisenkot has publicly said he would not serve in a Netanyahu-led government and would resign within an hour of joining one, while ultra-Orthodox parties have said they will not join any coalition unless military-service exemption legislation passes, leaving the shape of the next government unsettled ahead of the official results due November 4.
Read more →Netanyahu allies float unity government with Eisenkot as coalition talks begin after deadlocked election
With neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc nor the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot reaching a majority in Tuesday's election, Netanyahu's allies are now pushing for a unity government with Eisenkot's Yashar party, reportedly arguing privately that such a partnership would let Netanyahu govern without his far-right coalition partners, according to a Washington Post report relayed by i24NEWS. President Trump is said to be receptive to a post-election power-sharing deal. Eisenkot has publicly said he would not serve in a Netanyahu-led government and would resign within an hour of joining one, while ultra-Orthodox parties have said they will not join any coalition unless military-service exemption legislation passes, leaving the shape of the next government unsettled ahead of the official results due November 4.