A train collision in central Spain killed 69 people and renewed concerns about rail safety and public confidence in the Socialist-led government of Pedro Sánchez. The crash comes weeks before a snap election, as the government faces scrutiny over its response and existing political controversies.
Key Facts
Authorities have recovered 69 bodies from the wreckage of the Toledo-area collision.
The crash occurred about nine months after a collision near Córdoba killed 46 people.
Transport Minister Óscar Puente said a stalled train was cleared to move at up to 160 km/h while another train remained on the track ahead.
Puente said the control centre could see the danger, but the advancing train was not ordered to stop.
Puente rejected claims of chronic underinvestment and said Spain's LZB signalling system had failed 170 times that year, which he described as normal and around the EU average.
The formal investigation into the latest collision has begun.
The opposition People's Party has called for Puente to resign.
The article says the disaster is unfolding weeks before a snap general election called by Sánchez.
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UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is expected to announce next week her final plans for changing the rules on indefinite leave to remain, which gives eligible people permanent permission to live in the UK. The BBC reports that social care workers already in the UK are likely to be exempt from a proposed longer wait, while most other workers may still face a 10-year wait instead of five.
Key Facts
Mahmood had proposed extending the standard qualifying period for permanent settlement from five years to 10.
Under the original proposal, some lower-paid migrants could have faced a 15-year wait.
Social care workers already in the UK are likely to be exempt from the longer wait, according to the BBC.
Most other workers are expected to face a 10-year qualifying period under the proposal.
The wait could be reduced for people who contribute to their local communities or have higher incomes.
The government's consultation on the proposed changes received 200,000 responses.
The Home Office said it would not comment on Mahmood's final decisions before they are presented to Parliament next week.
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Al Jazeera says it obtained rare footage, recordings and documents about Mohammed Deif, Hamas’s former military commander. The material includes previously unseen meetings and reported decisions leading up to the October 7 attacks; Deif was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza on July 13, 2024.
Key Facts
Al Jazeera obtained footage, recordings and documents about Mohammed Deif.
Deif was a former Hamas military commander.
The material includes previously unseen meetings.
The documents reportedly cover decisions leading up to the October 7 attacks.
Israeli forces killed Deif in Gaza on July 13, 2024.
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The U.S. State Department approved the possible sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 interceptors and related support to Ukraine, at an estimated cost of $2.1 billion. The missiles are not expected to arrive until the early 2030s, and Ukraine will fund the purchase with contributions from Canada, Germany and Norway, as well as European Union-backed financing.
Key Facts
The proposed package includes 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles, parts and support.
The State Department announced the approval on Friday.
People briefed on the decision said the missiles have not yet been made and deliveries are expected in the early 2030s.
Funding will come from Canada, Germany and Norway through the US JUMPSTART programme, along with funds linked to the EU’s Ukraine Support Loan.
Lockheed Martin is the principal contractor for the sale.
In July, the U.S. Army awarded Lockheed a contract worth up to $58.6 billion to produce Patriot interceptors.
Ukraine has said it urgently needs more interceptors as Russia attacks its energy and civilian infrastructure.
The article reports that the U.S. military’s weapons transfers to allies and its use of munitions in operations in Iran have raised concerns about inventories.
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Former Congolese president Joseph Kabila has become leader of the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation, an alliance linked to M23 rebels fighting the government of President Félix Tshisekedi. Kabila’s role could give the rebellion political networks and experience, but it is unclear whether the alliance can extend its campaign beyond eastern DR Congo or oust Tshisekedi.
Key Facts
Kabila, 55, succeeded his father as president in 2001 and led the country for 18 years.
He handed power to Tshisekedi and later formed a coalition government with him.
Kabila was named leader of the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation earlier this month.
The article says the FRN alliance includes M23, which has seized territory including the eastern cities of Goma and Bukavu.
Kabila faces a death sentence after being convicted in absentia of treason.
The United States has sanctioned Kabila over alleged support for M23.
M23’s territorial gains have been concentrated in eastern provinces about 1,500 km from Kinshasa.
Kabila compared Tshisekedi to former ruler Mobutu Sese Seko in an interview earlier this week.
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Poland’s constitutional court faced a new confrontation after judges elected by the governing majority suspended its president, Bogdan Święczkowski, and deputy, Bartłomiej Sochański. President Karol Nawrocki entered the court during a police standoff with protesters and accused the government’s appointees of violating the constitutional order, amid a dispute over the court’s legitimacy that dates to 2015.
Key Facts
The judges who suspended Święczkowski and Sochański said they were taking procedural control of the court.
The suspended judges’ appointments and the court’s legitimacy have been disputed for years.
Hundreds of protesters, including opposition lawmakers, gathered outside the court in Warsaw.
Three people were reportedly arrested for trying to enter the building.
Nawrocki returned to Warsaw from a planned state visit to Senegal and entered the court shortly before 1 a.m. Saturday.
Nawrocki said the government-appointed judges were not constitutional court judges and called for security forces to leave the premises.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk has pledged to reverse controversial judicial reforms since returning to power in 2023.
Nawrocki has refused to swear in five judges elected by the current parliament. The Venice Commission said earlier this month that his refusal should not prevent them from taking office.
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Iran’s Revolutionary Guard says four tankers caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz after striking naval mines. The IRGC said the vessels were traveling on routes Tehran calls unauthorized.
Key Facts
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard reported that four tankers caught fire.
The reported incidents took place in the Strait of Hormuz.
The IRGC said the tankers struck naval mines.
Iran described the routes as unauthorized.
The report attributes these claims to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
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Russia’s investigative newspaper Novaya Gazeta says it is closing after decades of pressure. Staff say the government succeeded in shutting it down; the paper says six of its journalists were killed, including Anna Politkovskaya, whose death was 20 years ago this month.
Key Facts
Novaya Gazeta is closing.
The paper is described as one of Russia’s most prominent investigative newspapers.
Staff accuse the Russian government of succeeding in killing off the newspaper.
The paper says six of its journalists were killed.
Anna Politkovskaya was among the journalists killed.
The article marks 20 years since Politkovskaya’s death.
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Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the UK should hold a structured dialogue with communities affected by the transatlantic slave trade and that he is open to calls for a formal state apology. He rejected financial reparations, saying people in Britain today should not be held liable for historical wrongs.
Key Facts
Burnham will attend a Commonwealth leaders summit in the Caribbean next week.
Caribbean nations have renewed calls for the UK to apologise and provide reparations.
Burnham called the transatlantic slave trade a brutal violation and said Britain must face its past.
The UK government has never formally apologised for slavery or paid reparations.
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley welcomed Burnham's statement and said she would engage in good faith while continuing to seek reparatory justice.
The founder of The Repair Campaign said the statement fell short and called for a full formal apology.
Under the 1833 law abolishing slavery, British plantation owners received payments for the loss of enslaved people; the UK finished paying the resulting debt in 2015.
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Ebola has killed more than 5,000 people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where the outbreak has infected more than 10,000 since it was declared in May. The Bundibugyo strain has no approved vaccine or treatment, and the outbreak has spread to several African countries, prompting travel restrictions.
Key Facts
Government data released Friday put the DRC Ebola death toll above 5,000.
More than 10,000 people in the DRC have been infected since the outbreak was declared in May.
The outbreak has reached eight of the DRC’s 26 provinces.
The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain, for which there are no approved treatments or vaccines.
Nigeria became the fourth African country to report an Ebola case last week; Kenya and Uganda have also reported cases.
The outbreak is the second largest on record, after the 2014–2016 epidemic in West Africa, which infected more than 28,600 people and killed more than 11,000.
Saudi Arabia suspended travel to and entry from Kenya on Friday, including visas for travellers from Kenya and entry for people who recently stayed in Kenya or another affected country.
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The article reports that hundreds of residents left Oleshky, which it describes as occupied by Russia, during a localized ceasefire. It says U.S. First Lady Melania Trump brokered the ceasefire and calls the evacuation a rare instance of humanitarian coordination between Russia and Ukraine.
Key Facts
Hundreds of residents were evacuated from Oleshky.
The article describes Oleshky as occupied by Russia.
The evacuation took place under a localized ceasefire.
The article says Melania Trump brokered the ceasefire.
The article characterizes the event as rare humanitarian coordination between Russia and Ukraine.
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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is attending the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Antigua and Barbuda, where he plans to discuss shared issues with other leaders. Analysts say the trip could help him shift attention from domestic pressures, but a likely interest rate rise while he is overseas may add to the government’s economic challenges.
Key Facts
Albanese is due to meet King Charles III and other leaders, including UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Albanese said the Commonwealth meeting would address climate change, ocean protection, trade, investment and artificial intelligence.
Markets expect the Reserve Bank of Australia to raise its interest rate to 4.85% on Tuesday.
The expected increase would be the fifth Australian interest rate rise in 2026, according to the article.
The meeting is expected to include debate about slavery’s legacy and calls from Caribbean nations for a British apology and reparations.
Burnham said he was open to listening to calls for a formal apology, but did not support reparations as the answer.
The article says Australian agriculture relied on blackbirding, which used coercion and other methods to bring more than 60,000 Pacific Islanders to work.
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Poland’s president cut short a trip to Senegal and joined protesters outside the Constitutional Court. The protest followed government moves to remove the court’s president and vice-president, which prompted accusations of a coup within the court.
Key Facts
Poland’s president ended a trip to Senegal early.
The president joined protesters outside Poland’s Constitutional Court.
Protesters faced off with police at the court.
The government moved to remove the court’s president and vice-president.
The moves prompted accusations of a coup within the court.
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The second series of BBC One’s The Celebrity Traitors ended on Friday. A video shows the final seven contestants revealing whether they were traitors or faithful.
Key Facts
The series began with 21 contestants.
Seven contestants remained before the final.
The contestants revealed their allegiances to one another.
The article includes a spoiler warning for the video.
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The US approved a sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine for an estimated $2.1 billion, but did not give a delivery date. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the approval while urging the US and European allies to provide interceptors from existing stockpiles, saying Ukraine needs them now to defend against Russian attacks.
Key Facts
The US State Department said the sale would strengthen Ukraine’s air and missile defenses.
Two people briefed on the decision said the missiles are not expected to arrive until a couple of years into the 2030s.
Zelenskyy said Russian forces were attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure daily and called for an interim supply of interceptors.
Zelenskyy said US and European allies had Patriot interceptors they could provide now and replenish later.
Canada, Germany and Norway are contributing to the purchase, alongside Ukrainian funds supported by an EU loan.
Lockheed Martin is the principal contractor for the sale.
Ukrainian officials reported that Russian strikes killed at least 14 people in Dnipro and others in two provincial cities and Kyiv on Thursday.
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The paper review highlights stories on an alleged $6 billion theft from Binance, UK plans to reduce payments for turning off wind turbines, and calls for welfare reform. Other front-page reports cover allegations against Thomas Markle, a possible UK apology for its role in the transatlantic slave trade, and public support for rejoining the EU.
Key Facts
The Financial Times Weekend reports that hackers from North Korea targeted Binance in what it calls a $6 billion theft.
The Times says Chancellor John Healey is seeking to reduce the cost of switching off wind turbines when the electricity grid cannot use their power.
The Guardian reports that Andy Burnham is open to calls for a formal state apology for Britain's role in the transatlantic slave trade and has offered formal talks.
The Daily Telegraph reports that Labour MPs want welfare reform and that Burnham could lose support in some constituencies if he does not consider benefit cuts.
The Daily Mail and The Sun report allegations that child abuse images were found in a storage unit rented by Thomas Markle in Mexico; Markle denies the allegations.
The Daily Express reports on increased mental health support for cancer patients following a campaign by the paper.
The i Paper reports polling showing growing enthusiasm in Britain for rejoining the European Union.
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People in Sweden, the United States and Japan describe preparing household emergency supplies in response to government advice, severe weather and past disruptions. Their kits range from basic food, water and radios to supplies for longer outages, and several people review or replace items regularly.
Key Facts
Sweden sent a preparedness booklet to every household, outlining what to stock and how to act in a crisis or war.
Andreas Wennerberg, who lives in Stockholm, keeps a crank radio, 10 litres of water and about €200 in cash.
Maryland resident Dan C says he has spent about $6,000 on emergency supplies since becoming a parent.
Dan keeps about three months of food for his family of four and rotates long-life pantry items so they do not expire unused.
Dan’s supplies include water, water-purification tablets, solar panels, a camping stove and medical kits.
Japan’s Tokyo government publishes a 68-page disaster-prevention guide for emergencies.
Tokyo resident Ayumi T keeps an emergency rucksack with clothing, towels, menstrual products, masks and a portable toilet.
Ayumi and her family check their emergency kits each New Year and replace expired food as needed.
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Delegates from nearly 200 countries agreed on key parts of a new nature action plan at talks in Yerevan, after negotiations ran past their scheduled end. Countries acknowledged they are falling behind on the 2022 global biodiversity targets, and funding remains a major obstacle to speeding up conservation efforts.
Key Facts
The 2022 Global Biodiversity Framework set 24 targets, including protecting 30% of the world’s land and seas by 2030.
The UN says the world is on track to meet only one of the 24 targets.
Scientists say human activity is driving species extinctions at 100 times the natural rate.
Countries have placed 252 million hectares of degraded land under protection, an area larger than Greenland.
The 2022 agreement included a goal of spending $30 billion on nature recovery by 2030 and mobilising another $170 billion from private sources.
More than $1 billion was pledged at the Yerevan meeting; half came from philanthropists, including Leonardo DiCaprio’s Re:wild organisation.
Delegates discussed cutting subsidies for industries that harm nature, including large-scale fishing.
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Three armed, masked men broke into a Toronto home early Thursday and attacked the family of real estate CEO David Morton, police said. Morton and his two adult daughters suffered gunshot wounds and remained hospitalized Friday; Morton said all four family members were also struck with a hammer. Police are searching for the suspects, who fled in an SUV.
Key Facts
The suspects entered the five-bedroom home in Toronto’s Bridle Path neighborhood through a back entrance at about 3:40 a.m. local time.
Police said the suspects went to the second floor and demanded valuables from the family.
David Morton, 75, and his daughters, ages 28 and 26, were shot while trying to fight off the intruders.
Morton said his wife, Doriana, 64, and the other family members were attacked with a hammer.
Morton and his daughters were still hospitalized Friday; he did not give details about their conditions.
Police said the three male suspects are believed to be in their 20s and wore dark clothing.
Toronto police reported 119 home invasions so far in 2026, 32.2% more than by the same point last year.
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Qatari mediators held more than 12 hours of talks in Tehran on Friday to seek steps that would restart direct U.S.-Iran negotiations. The talks are set to continue in Doha, while U.S. officials and regional leaders weigh diplomacy against the possibility of further military action.
Key Facts
Qatari mediators remained in contact with the White House during Friday’s discussions, according to a diplomatic source.
Qatar is proposing reciprocal steps to bring the U.S. and Iran back to talks on Iran’s nuclear program and other issues.
The Trump administration wants Iran to make nuclear concessions before talks resume; Iran has called for the U.S. to lift its naval blockade, release frozen funds and allow oil sales.
Qatar is urging Iran to allow U.N. inspectors to visit bombed nuclear sites, potentially in exchange for some sanctions relief.
The article describes differing views within Trump’s circle: Pete Hegseth and Marco Rubio are skeptical of a deal, while Vice President Vance and envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner favor renewed negotiations.
Regional countries, including Egypt, Turkey, Iraq, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, have urged Iran to resume negotiations before the U.S. midterms.
A White House official said the midterm results would not affect Trump’s decision-making on Iran; Saudi and Turkish leaders have also urged him to give diplomacy more time.
The article says a renewed conflict could damage energy infrastructure across the region and worsen the global energy crisis.
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