World News · Thursday, 29 October 2026

01 Briefing what happened

Two high-speed trains collide near Toledo in Spain, killing at least 68, after a control centre told one to carry on

A Renfe train hit a stopped Iryo train near Urda after Madrid's control centre told it to go on at normal speed while the safety system was down; it is Spain's second deadly high-speed crash this year.

people killed when one high-speed train hit another near Urda

Europe's deadliest train crash since 80 died at Santiago de Compostela in 2013 [3]

25km in 17 minutes

how far the Renfe train ran after it was told to carry on

the rules say a train must go slowly enough to stop by sight when the safety system is down [5]

16%

of Spain's high-speed rail money spent on upkeep, 2018 to 2022

Italy, Germany and France spent between 33% and 39% [9][3]

people killed at Adamuz in January, on the same line

also a Renfe train and an Iryo train [1]

The lead story — what happened

Two high-speed trains collided near Urda, in Spain's Toledo province, just before 9am on Wednesday. [1] At least 68 people were killed, the leader of the Castilla-La Mancha region said. [2] It is Europe's deadliest train crash since 2013, when 80 died at Santiago de Compostela. [3]
A train run by Renfe, Spain's state rail company, hit the back of a stopped train. [1] The stopped train belonged to Iryo, a private, Italian-owned company that began running in 2022. [3] Both trains were going from Madrid towards Seville on the same high-speed line. [4] Renfe's train carried 397 passengers and Iryo's carried 147, the regional government said. [3]
At about 8:30am a computer fault shut down LZB, the line's automatic safety system. [5] LZB stops a train automatically when the track ahead of it is taken. [1] About 6 trains stopped on 63km of track, said Oscar Puente, Spain's transport minister. [5] Control of the trains then passed to a command centre in Madrid run by Adif. [1][6] Adif is the state company that runs and maintains Spain's rail tracks. [6] At 8:36 the centre told the Renfe train to carry on, despite a red signal. [5] When the system fails, the rules say trains must go slowly enough to stop by sight. [5] The Renfe train ran about 25km in 17 minutes and hit the Iryo train at 8:53. [5] Puente said the train may have reached 200km an hour on that stretch. [5]
Spanish media published audio of the control centre talking to the drivers before the crash. [7] In one clip an operator tells the Renfe driver to carry on 'at normal speed'. [7] The driver asks to be sure, and the operator answers: 'Yes.' [7] Minutes later the Iryo driver told the centre she was stopped at Urda's entry signal. [7] So the centre knew the Iryo train was standing there, DW's reading of the audio suggests. [7] No order to stop or slow the Renfe train appears to have followed. [7][8]
Puente called the centre's decision to restart traffic 'inexplicable' and 'clearly' wrong. [1] He said the train drivers were not to blame. [9] The Guardia Civil, Spain's national police force, questioned the control centre operator on duty. [8][4] CSIF, a civil servants' union, said Puente was 'using a worker as a scapegoat'. [4] The union said Puente had dodged blame for the computer fault that started it. [4] Puente would not answer questions about whether he will resign. [6]
Another 107 people needed hospital care, 15 of them in a serious condition, officials said. [1] Later, 56 had gone home, and 53 were still in hospital. [6] Relatives had reported 64 people missing by Thursday morning, the Guardia Civil said. [1] Police opened offices in Madrid, Toledo, Cordoba and Seville to take DNA from relatives. [1] 'We still can't say with certainty that there are no more victims,' said a regional spokeswoman. [1] People from Urda drove survivors away in their own cars and brought food and blankets. [2][9]
In January, 46 died at Adamuz on the same line, in Renfe and Iryo trains again. [1] There, an Iryo train came off the rails and hit an oncoming Renfe train. [6] A police report in February pointed to a fault in the track or a weld. [3] Before this year, Spain's high-speed network had no deadly crash since it opened in 1992. [6] Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called two crashes in a year 'unacceptable for a country like Spain'. [1] Sanchez promised the 'utmost severity' if negligence or failed safety systems caused it. [1]
Spain spent about 1.5 billion euros a year on high-speed lines from 2018 to 2022. [3] That was more than any other European country, but most went on building new lines. [3] Only about 16% went on maintenance, repairs and upgrades, European Commission figures show. [3] Italy, Germany and France spent between 33% and 39% of their budgets on maintenance. [9] Spain's rail accidents rose from 45 in 2016 to 69 in 2025, its safety agency says. [3] High-speed passengers fell 14% in the first half of 2026, to about 25 million. [3] A union spokesman said rival private trains had added traffic without matching upkeep of the lines. [3]
Spain holds a general election on 29 November, and both main parties paused campaigning. [7][4] Vox, the far-right party, kept up its rallies. [4] About 1,500 people protested outside Spain's transport ministry, and police fired tear gas. [6] Alberto Nunez Feijoo's People's Party, which leads the polls, demanded an independent review of the network. [9][10] Train drivers went ahead with a strike they had planned before the crash, over safety spending. [1]

Who is involved

Oscar Puente

Spain's transport minister; he blamed an 'inexplicable' order from the control centre
Pedro Sanchez

Spain's prime minister; he declared three days of mourning and faces an election on 29 November
Adif

the state company that runs Spain's rail tracks; its Madrid centre told the Renfe train to go
Renfe and Iryo

Spain's state rail company and its private, Italian-owned rival; their trains collided, as in January
Alberto Nunez Feijoo

leader of the People's Party, which leads the polls; he wants an independent review

How it unfolded

18 Jan 46 die when trains collide at Adamuz on the same line [6]
8:30am Wed a computer fault shuts down the LZB safety system [5]
8:36 the control centre tells the Renfe train to carry on as normal [5]
8:53 the Renfe train hits the stopped Iryo train [5]
29 Nov Spain holds a general election [7]

Where this points

Renfe has stopped selling tickets on the Madrid to Andalusia line until 13 December. [3] Spain's Rail Accident Investigation Commission and the courts are now looking for the cause. [11] The investigation is expected to focus on the 17 minutes before the crash. [4]

Signals on this beat

The bar and the word are our reading of how hard each one is pushing, and the arrow is where it is heading.

Blame landing on workers High↑

Spain's transport minister blamed a control-centre order for the Urda crash. [1] Karachi police charged a mall's managers and a shopkeeper's 11-year-old son over a fire that killed 73. [12] India suspended nine prison staff after 17 men escaped a jail built for 200. [13]

The Iran war spreading High↑

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said three tankers hit sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz. [14] Iraq is moving 500,000 tonnes of fuel oil a month through Syria to reach the sea. [15] Kuwait summoned Iran's ambassador in a row over a death sentence. [16]

Votes called stolen Building↑

Netanyahu's Likud party claimed without evidence that Arab parties 'stole' Israel's election. [17] Flavio Bolsonaro, beaten in Brazil, called himself 'the leader of Brazil' from Miami. [18] A US judge stopped a bid to set aside 20,000 California ballots. [19]

Russia seeking friends in Africa Building↑

Putin hosted delegations from 48 countries at a Russia-Africa summit in Moscow. [20] Ethiopia received 12 Su-35 fighter jets from Russia. [21] Africa's leaders came in smaller numbers than at the first summit in 2019. [22]

The rest of the day

49 more stories on this beat.

Each with its own sources. None of these is a link to the story above.

02
Israel's count leaves both camps short

With 89.8% of ballots counted, Netanyahu's camp had 53 of the 120 seats in parliament. [23] The camp of Gadi Eisenkot, a former army chief, had 48 seats. [23] Two Arab-led parties were set for a record 19 seats, beating their best of 15. [23] A government needs 61 seats, so neither camp can govern on its own. [23] Eisenkot refuses to govern with the Arab parties, though his ally Yair Golan wants them in. [23][24] Avigdor Lieberman, whose party is set for 7 seats, ignores the opposition's calls, Israeli TV said. [25]

Why it matters — President Isaac Herzog will pick who tries first to form a government next week. [26]
03
Netanyahu's party says the vote was 'stolen'

Netanyahu's Likud party claimed, without evidence, that Arab-led parties had 'stolen' the election. [17] It asked the police and the Shin Bet, Israel's internal security service, to investigate. [17] The elections committee's chairman asked the Shin Bet to look into claims of foreign funding. [27][17] His letter gave no details, and the committee wants findings within a week. [17] Results must be certified by 4 November under Israeli law. [17] Bezalel Smotrich, the far-right finance minister, said Arab party leaders must be questioned 'today'. [17] The elections committee has said few problems were reported in the vote. [26]

Why it matters — Arab citizens are about a fifth of Israel's people. [28] Israeli broadcasters said turnout among them may have reached 80%. [29] Crime drove many to vote: 186 people have been killed in Arab communities this year. [30] Golan accused Netanyahu of trying to undermine the result by targeting Arab voters. [17]
04
Three tankers hit mines, Iran's Guards say

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said 3 tankers hit sea mines in Hormuz in 24 hours. [14] The Guards said the ships caught fire while using an 'unauthorized' route. [14] Separately, UKMTO, a British navy agency, reported a ship on fire off Khasab in Oman. [14] The burning ship was 9 nautical miles north of Khasab, and its crew is unaccounted for. [14] Iran has tried to control the strait since the US and Israel attacked it in February. [14] Iran also said it shot down another US drone near the strait. [14]

Why it matters — About a fifth of the world's oil and gas shipments pass through the strait. [31] Attacks on ships there are the most since the war began, a US think tank says. [14]
05
Vance writes to Iran, and Oman offers a pact

US Vice President JD Vance wrote to a senior Iranian official, the Wall Street Journal said. [32] The letter went to Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council. [32] The Journal said Trump ordered it, to restart peace talks. [32] Trump said no, and that it was about getting medical supplies to Iran. [32][33] Oman's foreign minister proposed a security pact joining Gulf states with Iran, Iraq and Yemen. [34] A Gulf security plan without Iran is 'inherently unstable', Badr Al Busaidi said. [34] Iran's president told Putin in Moscow the region can solve its problems without the US. [35]

Why it matters — The US has warned Gulf states it may strike Iran after its 3 November elections. [36]
06
Ukraine sends 613 drones at Moscow

Russia said it downed most of 613 drones flying towards Moscow overnight into Thursday. [37] Moscow's mayor said 231 were destroyed as they neared the city. [37] The rest were stopped further away, he said. [37] In September, Russia reported shooting down more than 1,600 drones in one record attack. [37] Russia hit Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-biggest city, damaging an education building, its mayor said. [37]

Why it matters — The attack came as Ukraine, Russia and the US plan talks in Abu Dhabi next month. [38]
07
Zelensky warns of a big-power carve-up

Zelensky warned a planned US, Russia and China summit could share out the world between them. [38] 'We really don't want this to turn into Yalta 2, 3, 4,' he said. [38] At Yalta in 1945, the winning powers of the Second World War redrew the world map. [38] Putin proposed the three-way meeting, at an Asia-Pacific summit next month, the Wall Street Journal reported. [38] Trump said on Wednesday a Putin-Zelensky meeting would be set up 'very soon'. [39] Putin has consistently refused to meet Zelensky face to face. [39]

Why it matters — Ukraine wants its own talks with the US and Russia in Abu Dhabi to come first. [38] The war, begun by Russia's invasion in February 2022, is in its fifth year. [39]
08
Kherson walks out as a truce holds

A US-brokered ceasefire around Oleshky, a Russian-held town in southern Ukraine, held on Wednesday. [40] Across the Dnipro river in Kherson, residents walked out. [40] Russian drones and shells have hit Kherson almost daily since Ukraine retook it in November 2022. [40] 'If it stays this way, it would be really wonderful,' a kiosk owner said. [40] The six-day ceasefire is meant to get food and medicine into Oleshky. [40] About 2,000 people still live there, and every road in was mined. [41] Mine clearing on the road in began on the truce's first morning, a rescue group said. [41]

Why it matters — The Save Ukraine Foundation says it rescued at least 300 people from Oleshky in six months. [41]
09
North Korea fires about 10 missiles

North Korea fired about 10 short-range ballistic missiles into the sea on Thursday, South Korea said. [42] They were launched at about 12:30pm from near Wonsan, on the North's east coast. [42][43] It came days after Kim Jong Un, North Korea's leader, visited China, its main ally. [44] Tension has grown since a landmine wounded three South Korean soldiers on 21 September. [42] A joint South Korean and UN inquiry found North Korea planted the mines, which it denies. [42][44] Last week the North said it would restart loudspeaker propaganda along the border. [44]

Why it matters — South Korea had proposed talks on the border row less than a week earlier. [42][45] North Korea has tested missiles more than 10 times this year. [46]
10
Putin courts Africa at a Moscow summit

Putin told African leaders in Moscow on Wednesday that Russia is their best partner. [20] Delegations from 48 countries came, including 22 African leaders. [20] At the first summit in 2019, 43 African leaders came, and in 2023 only 17 did. [22] Putin accused the West of using debt to hold back Africa's growth. [20][47] Russia's most important African partner is Egypt, with trade of 10.5 billion dollars in 2025. [48] 'We do not want to be consigned to exporting our raw materials,' said Burundi's president. [49]

Why it matters — Russia's Africa Corps has replaced Wagner's mercenaries in the Sahel, the dry belt below the Sahara. [22] A journalists' group counted 502 Africans killed fighting for Russia in Ukraine by June. [22]
11
Ethiopia gets 12 Russian fighter jets

Ethiopia has received 12 Su-35 fighter jets from Russia, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said. [21] He announced it at the Russia-Africa summit in Moscow and called it a 'milestone'. [21] Ethiopia also plans to buy 4 S-400 air defence systems from Russia, he said. [21] Abiy said Ethiopia is the first country south of the Sahara with this kind of weapon. [21] Fighting has grown in Tigray, Ethiopia's northern region on the border with Eritrea. [21] An analyst told BBC Amharic the jets suggest Ethiopia is preparing for wars with other countries. [21]

Why it matters — With air defences, the jets could protect cities and the Renaissance Dam, the analyst said. [21]
12
US sanctions Rwanda's defence ministry

The US put sanctions on Rwanda's defence ministry on Wednesday over the war in eastern Congo. [50] The US Treasury says Rwanda sent thousands of troops to fight beside M23, a rebel group. [51][50] M23 took Goma and Bukavu, two of eastern Congo's main cities, in January 2025. [51] The US says minerals from rebel-held mines pass into Rwanda, which exports more than it produces. [51] The US also hit Zigama, a Rwandan savings society it says helps fund the support. [52] Rwanda's government denies backing M23. [51]

Why it matters — Congo and Rwanda signed a US-brokered peace deal in December 2025, but the fighting goes on. [51] Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi had asked the world for sanctions on Rwanda days before. [51]
13
Hong Kong's leader apologises for the Tai Po fire

Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, apologised on Thursday for a fire that killed 168 last November. [53] The blaze tore through 7 towers at Wang Fuk Court, a housing estate in Tai Po. [54] The buildings were being repaired under a contract worth more than 38 million dollars. [54] An independent committee found the housing bureau's checking unit failed to oversee the work. [53] Lee said the buildings, fire and labour departments also fell short. [53] Housing Secretary Winnie Ho resigned on Wednesday, though no wrongdoing by her was found. [54]

Why it matters — Separately, 7 people and 2 companies are charged with crimes including manslaughter. [54] Prosecutors say they hid the past court record of the firm that won the repair contract. [54] A three-month inquiry into officials' conduct comes next. [53]
14
Flavio Bolsonaro calls himself Brazil's 'leader'

Flavio Bolsonaro, who lost Brazil's election on Sunday, landed in Miami by private jet on Wednesday. [18] He first posted a letter calling himself Brazil's 'true president', then deleted it. [18] The new letter calls him 'the leader of Brazil'. [18][55] His own party and Brazil's institutions accept that President Lula won. [18] He crossed into Argentina by land, then flew via Ecuador, reportedly to avoid Brazilian airspace. [18] He left despite a Brazilian Supreme Court order to hand over his passports. [55] Trump called Brazil's vote 'a very strange election'. [55][56]

Why it matters — Flavio faces criminal investigations into financial crimes, which he calls a witch hunt. [55] A professor told France 24 the US is unlikely to question Brazil's result. [57]
15
Haiti puts off its elections to July 2027

Haiti's election council moved the first round of voting from 13 December to 18 July 2027. [58] A second round and local votes are now set for 4 October 2027. [58] Gang violence has made it dangerous to prepare for a vote. [58] The same day El Salvador said it will send more than 2,000 soldiers to Haiti. [58] They will look for 4 Salvadoran aviation technicians missing since a gang ambush on 18 October. [58] It is unclear if they will join the UN-backed force fighting Haiti's gangs. [58]

Why it matters — The delay sets back Haiti's return to an elected government. [58] Foreign troops have served in Haiti since 2024, partly to make elections safer. [58]
16
US judge blocks a grab for 20,000 California ballots

A US federal judge refused the Justice Department's bid to set aside 20,000 California ballots. [19] The department said those voters might not be US citizens. [19] Judge David O. Carter called it brazen 'interference' before the 3 November midterm elections. [19] He wrote that no federal government had done this before on the eve of an election. [19] Democratic leaders had sued, saying the move aimed threats at state and local officials. [19]

Why it matters — Trump's Republican Party is at risk of losing control of the US Congress next week. [19]
17
Five days to the US midterms

Democrats lead Republicans 51.4% to 43.2% in a national polling average, five days before the midterms. [59] But several Senate races are close. [59] In Texas, Democrat James Talarico leads Republican Ken Paxton 48.5% to 46.7%. [59] Democrats have not won a Senate race in Texas since 1988. [59] Barack Obama told a rally in Atlanta that Trump started 'an unnecessary war' with Iran. [31] Trump held a rival rally in Ohio on the same day. [31]

Why it matters — Both parties are fighting for control of the US Congress in the 3 November vote. [59]
18
Trump wants two Alaska candidates removed

Trump demanded that two candidates in Alaska's Senate race be taken off the ballot and prosecuted. [60] They are Democrat Mary Peltola and Daniel J Sullivan Jr, a retired teacher. [60] Sullivan Jr shares a name with Dan Sullivan, the Republican senator Peltola is trying to beat. [60] The New York Times reported Peltola's camp recruited candidates who could take votes from the senator. [60] The Times said such recruiting is generally legal and both parties have done it in Alaska. [60] Sullivan Jr says he entered the race on his own. [60]

Why it matters — The 3 November vote could help decide who controls the US Senate. [60]
19
UN watchdog sees no repairs at Iran's nuclear sites

Rafael Grossi, head of the UN nuclear agency, spoke to the UN Security Council on Tuesday. [61] He said his agency saw no work to rebuild nuclear sites bombed in 2025 and 2026. [61] The agency still cannot check Iran's stock of near weapons-grade uranium. [61] It has not been able to since US bombing in June 2025. [61] Grossi asked Iran to let inspectors into every nuclear site, including the damaged ones. [61]

Why it matters — Trump says stopping an Iranian nuclear bomb was a main reason for the 28 February war. [61] He has also said the June 2025 strikes 'obliterated' Iran's nuclear programme. [61]
20
Strikes go on in Gaza despite the ceasefire

An Israeli strike on a government building in al-Mawasi, southern Gaza, killed 3 people on Wednesday. [62] Two strikes in Khan Younis that day killed one man and wounded 6, hospital officials said. [63] On Thursday a drone strike on a car in Maghazi camp killed two, Hamas-linked media said. [64] Gaza's health ministry says more than 1,550 Palestinians have been killed since the October 2025 ceasefire. [63] Most of Gaza's 2 million people still live in ruins or tent camps. [63] The UAE's Red Crescent is sending winter aid worth 13.6 million dollars. [65]

Why it matters — Trump's Gaza plan, which Netanyahu accepted, has been largely frozen for nearly a year. [63] 'We choose the lesser of two evils,' a Khan Younis resident told AP of Israel's vote. [63]
21
EU drops its 'associate member' offer to Canada

The EU dropped plans to offer Canada talks on becoming an 'associate member'. [66] Ursula von der Leyen, head of the European Commission, made the offer in September. [67] Germany led the objections, saying the idea had no legal status, diplomats said. [68] The draft statement now promises 'an ever closer association', short of membership. [66] The two sides also plan to study Canadian gas exports to Europe. [69] Quebec's separatist premier, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, is boycotting the summit. [70] He warned that deals made without Quebec's consent may not be applied in the province. [70]

Why it matters — Prime Minister Mark Carney wants to rely less on the US, which put tariffs on Canada. [68] The US ambassador reportedly said Trump might blame Canada if Republicans lose next week. [71]
22
Iraq's leader makes a first visit to Damascus

Iraq's Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi visited Damascus, Syria's capital, on Wednesday. [15] It is an Iraqi leader's first visit since Bashar Al Assad fell in December 2024. [15] He and Syria's President Ahmad Al Shara agreed to work on energy, trade and security. [15] Al Zaidi called Iraqis and Syrians 'one people in two countries'. [15] Iraq already moves 500,000 tonnes of fuel oil a month through Syria to the Mediterranean. [15] A planned pipeline could carry two million barrels a day to Syria's coast. [15]

Why it matters — Iraq needs other ways to sell its oil while Iran keeps the Strait of Hormuz shut. [15]
23
Kuwait summons Iran's ambassador

Kuwait summoned Iran's ambassador, Mohammad Toutounji, on Wednesday and handed him a formal protest. [16] It was over a statement by Iran's embassy about a death sentence in Kuwait. [16] A Kuwaiti court had sentenced 3 men to death for spying for Iran. [16] It found they plotted to kill a senior official and worked with Hezbollah, Lebanon's armed group. [16] Iran's embassy said its citizen among them had not been in Kuwait for a decade. [16] Kuwait called that 'blatant interference' in its courts. [16] 8 other men got five years with hard labour in the same case. [16]

Why it matters — The UAE alone intercepted more than 550 ballistic missiles and 2,265 drones in the war. [36]
24
Iraq jails two Sunni politicians for corruption

An Iraqi anti-corruption court jailed Muthana Al Samarrai, head of the Azm Alliance, for six years. [72] He must also pay 30 billion dinars, about 22 million dollars. [72] MP Ziad Al Janabi got five years and a fine of about 3 million dollars. [72] Both were arrested in June in Operation Dawn Crackdown, the Iraqi government's anti-corruption drive. [72] Al Samarrai leads one of parliament's main Sunni blocs and was standing in the coming election. [72] On Tuesday a former oil company head got eight years in the same series of trials. [72]

Why it matters — The verdicts can be appealed under Iraqi law. [72]
25
Iraq jails three more French Islamic State members

On Thursday an Iraqi court gave 3 more French citizens life sentences for joining Islamic State. [73] That makes 10 French citizens convicted this week. [73] In Iraq, a life sentence means 20 years in prison. [73] They are among 47 French citizens moved from Syria to Iraq for trial in July 2025. [73] One, Charly Sun Raymond, 32, pleaded guilty and said he had been 'brainwashed'. [73]

Why it matters — Each sentence is reviewed automatically by Iraq's top appeals court within 30 days. [73]
26
Syria kills a French fighter in Idlib

Syria said its forces killed a French jihadist in a shootout in Idlib province on Wednesday. [74] A patrol saw armed men leave a French fighters' camp, breaking a ceasefire deal, it said. [74] One of the group was killed and a civilian was wounded. [74] The group, the Foreigners' Brigade, is led by Omar Omsen, a Franco-Senegalese preacher. [74] It has a few dozen to a hundred fighters, plus women and children. [74] The group said its men were shot while going to buy food. [74]

Why it matters — The two sides agreed a ceasefire in October last year after clashes at the Harem camp. [74]
27
Eastern Libya bars Iranians and Afghans

Eastern Libya's government has barred Iranian and Afghan citizens from entering its territory. [75] It gave no reason, and the ban covers every way into its territory. [75] Iranians and Afghans without valid residence papers will be deported, it said. [75] In June it banned citizens of Somalia, Sudan, Eritrea and Ethiopia. [75] Libya has two rival governments: Tripoli's in the west and Benghazi's in the east. [75]

Why it matters — Since Muammar Gaddafi fell in 2011, Libya has been a route for migrants heading to Europe. [75] The two governments agreed last month to hold national elections within two years. [75]
28
Fewer countries back Cuba at the UN

The UN General Assembly again called for an end to the US embargo on Cuba. [76] 130 countries voted for it, 17 against, and 25 abstained. [76] That is the lowest support since 1995, and last year more than 160 backed it. [76] Germany, Italy and Latvia abstained for the first time in 34 years. [76] Colombia, Ecuador, Morocco and Slovenia were among those voting against, many for the first time. [76] The US embargo dates from 1960, after Fidel Castro's revolution. [76]

Why it matters — Cuba says the US pushed governments to drop their support. [76] The vote is not binding, but it shows what governments think. [76]
29
Hegseth fires the US military's top planner

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth fired Lt Gen Brett Sylvia, the military's top planner. [77] Sylvia ran strategy, plans and policy for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a job called J5. [77] He is the second J5 removed under Hegseth, and no reason was given. [77] He served 32 years, and no replacement has been named, a defence official said. [77] The J5 works out military plans with the top US general and the US president. [77]

Why it matters — It comes as Trump weighs new strikes on Iran, eight months into the war. [77]
30
US offers Southeast Asia a defence framework

Hegseth proposed a new US defence framework with ASEAN, the group of Southeast Asian nations. [78] He spoke at a meeting of the bloc's defence ministers in Cebu, in the Philippines. [78] He gave no details of what the framework would contain. [78] 'We're not going to agree on everything, nor do we need to,' he said. [78] India's defence minister, Rajnath Singh, offered to share 'battle-tested' anti-terror skills at the same meeting. [79]

Why it matters — The US wants the project to start when Singapore chairs the region's wider defence talks. [78]
31
A year on, Tanzania's families wait

A year has passed since protests after Tanzania's October 2025 election ended in a deadly crackdown. [80] A government commission found at least 518 people died, many from gunshot wounds. [80] More than 2,000 people were injured, it found. [80] Human Rights Watch says the real death toll is far higher. [80] DW found evidence that police likely went beyond their own rules on using force. [80] The commission did not name any officer or commander responsible. [80] A second inquiry began gathering evidence in August, and its findings are pending. [80]

Why it matters — Tundu Lissu, the main opposition leader, was charged with treason in April 2025. [80] His party, Chadema, was barred from the election. [80] 'Is this justice? There is no justice in Tanzania,' said a woman who lost two relatives. [80]
32
Pakistan's opposition attacks direct rule in a province

Pakistan's federal government took direct control of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on 11 October. [81] It imposed governor's rule and an emergency, saying the province quit fighting terrorism. [81] On Wednesday Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who leads a religious party, said it misused the constitution. [81] 'You must go to the people for that,' he told the National Assembly. [81] That day a court issued an arrest warrant for Sohail Afridi, the province's removed chief minister. [82] The case is over an attack on a Radio Pakistan building. [82] Four other PTI leaders are named; PTI is the party that ran the province. [82]

Why it matters — Afridi lost his power when governor's rule began. [82]
33
Pakistan jails a rights lawyer and her husband

A Pakistani anti-terrorism court sentenced rights lawyer Imaan Mazari-Hazir and her husband to 10 years each. [83] Her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, is also a lawyer. [83] They were accused of removing barriers on a cricket team's security route in 2024. [83] The trial was held inside Adiala jail, near Islamabad, where the verdict was read out. [83] The court gave them a state lawyer, and the prosecution called 7 witnesses. [83] In January another court sentenced them to 17 years over social media posts. [83]

Why it matters — Pakistan's Supreme Court suspended those sentences in September. [83]
34
Karachi fire charges spare the city's agencies

A Karachi magistrate accepted the charge sheet over January's Gul Plaza mall fire, which killed 73. [12] The fire burned for nearly two days and ruined more than 1,100 shops. [12] Police charged four mall managers, a flower-shop owner and his 11-year-old son. [12] Police blamed the building management's 'negligence'. [12] They cleared the building authority, fire brigade, rescue service, civil defence and district officials. [12] The magistrate rejected shop owners' request to add murder and terrorism charges. [12]

Why it matters — The case now goes ahead against the people the police named. [12]
35
Inquiry blames a school's owner for a deadly collapse

An inquiry blamed a school owner for Peshawar's roof collapse, which killed at least 30 children. [84] A teacher also died, and dozens were hurt. [84] It said the owner used poor building materials. [84] It also found negligence by the local departments meant to check the building. [84] A classroom ceiling fell when the floor above gave way, bringing down two storeys. [84] The report went to Faisal Karim Kundi, governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. [84]

Why it matters — Kundi runs the province himself under governor's rule, imposed by Pakistan's federal government. [82][81]
36
An oxygen tank blast in an ambulance kills nine

An oxygen cylinder exploded in an ambulance in Tharparkar, in Pakistan's Sindh province, on Wednesday night. [85] 9 people died, including health workers, an official said on Thursday. [85] It blew up while staff treated a woman who had just given birth. [85] She was being taken to a bigger hospital with problems after surgery. [85] President Asif Ali Zardari ordered an inquiry into the cause. [85]

Why it matters — Sindh's chief minister promised 2 million rupees to each family. [85]
37
Teen shot dead after attacking police at Israel's embassy

Serbian police shot dead a young man outside Israel's embassy in Belgrade early on Wednesday. [86] He rushed at a police officer with two knives, Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said. [86][87] The officer had a minor cut to the face and shot him. [86] Dacic said the attacker was a minor whom security services watched as an Islamic State supporter. [86] Serbia raised its terrorism threat to 'red alert', its highest level. [86] The embassy was closed at the time, and no staff were hurt, Israel said. [86][88]

Why it matters — It is the second attack on the embassy in under three years. [86] It came a day after Israel voted and days after Serbia's own election. [88]
38
Paris shooting suspect admits racist motives

A man held over last week's shooting in Trappes, near Paris, admitted racist motives, prosecutors said. [89] He said he targeted Muslims and people of African or North African origin. [89] The attack on Friday killed 1 person and wounded 5 in Trappes and La Verriere. [89] The 39-year-old was arrested with a submachine gun and tear gas grenades in his car. [89] He was being treated for schizophrenia, a source told AFP. [89] Prosecutors want him held in jail until trial. [89]

Why it matters — President Macron called it a 'racist terrorist attack', and most victims had immigrant roots. [89]
39
Albania fines anyone in a violent crowd

Albania will fine people up to 500,000 lek, about 6,130 dollars, for staying in violent crowds. [90] That applies even if they commit no violence themselves. [90] The average monthly wage before tax in Albania is about 1,026 dollars. [90] Police can also limit gatherings near schools, hospitals and government buildings. [90] Protests began in May against a luxury hotel plan backed by Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law. [90] In October students joined, protesting corruption and a lack of prospects. [90]

Why it matters — The protesters want Prime Minister Edi Rama to resign. [90] Recent protests in Tirana, the capital, have turned into battles with police. [90]
40
Germany braces for Gen Z protests

A group called 'Gen Z regelt' has called protests in 23 German cities this weekend. [91] The name means 'Gen Z sorts it'. [91] Gen Z means people born between 1995 and 2010. [91] Many say their parents did too little on climate change and on the rich-poor gap. [91] Politicians in Chancellor Friedrich Merz's party fear riots like those in France. [91]

Why it matters — In France, protests turned violent, and Limoges town hall was set on fire. [91]
41
Europe's defence money: Hungary's loan approved

The European Commission approved a 5.4 billion euro defence loan for Hungary. [92] It comes from SAFE, a 150 billion euro EU fund lending to governments for defence. [92] Prime Minister Peter Magyar cut Hungary's request from 16.4 billion euros after taking office in April. [92] He wanted to look again at corruption risks linked to the previous government. [92] The approval ends the first round, in which 19 countries applied. [92] Separately, the US chose Poland for a 227 million euro centre to service Patriot air-defence missiles. [93]

Why it matters — More than 21 billion euros is left, and countries can ask for more by December. [92] Ireland, which took no loan in the first round, wants to join the next. [92]
42
North Koreans sent to Russia as fake students

North Koreans are being sent to work in Russia on student visas, a rights report says. [94] The report is by Global Rights Compliance, a legal foundation based in the Netherlands. [94] A Russian businessman's website offers them to farms, builders and factories, the report says. [94] It charges 100,000 to 150,000 roubles, about 1,240 to 1,860 dollars, for each worker placed. [94] A manager told investigators posing as employers that workers do 12-hour days, six days a week. [94] A 2017 UN rule bans countries from hosting North Korean workers. [94]

Why it matters — The rule aims to cut off money for North Korea's nuclear weapons and missiles. [94] The report says the work programme helps pay for the missiles North Korea keeps testing. [94]
43
Afghan opium output hits 1,500 tonnes

Afghanistan made about 1,500 tonnes of opium in 2026, five times 2025's 300, UN figures show. [95] Growing spread back despite the Taliban government's 2022 ban. [95] Opium sold for about 500 dollars a kilogram in 2026, against 570 in 2025. [95] Before the ban it fetched under 100 dollars a kilogram. [95] The Taliban say they destroyed over 22,000 hectares of poppies. [95] The UN says many plots hide among cereal crops or behind walls. [95]

Why it matters — Myanmar overtook Afghanistan as top grower, with 53,000 hectares in 2025. [95] Afghan opium is the main source of heroin in the European Union. [95]
44
Bangladesh presses India on the Ganges

A 30-year treaty sharing the Ganges between India and Bangladesh runs out on 12 December. [96] It shares out dry-season water at India's Farakka Barrage, 20km upstream of Bangladesh. [96] Bangladesh wants a new deal 'based on mutual benefit and respect', an adviser told AFP. [96] The two countries share 54 rivers that cross their border. [96] The Ganges basin holds 655 million people, more than 50 million of them in Bangladesh. [96]

Why it matters — In Bangladesh's Barind region, the river hardly flows for three months a year, a priest said. [96] Smaller flows have cut fish catches in the river, which Bangladesh calls the Padma. [96]
45
India's opposition plans a mock trial of the election chief

India's opposition plans a mock parliament on Friday to 'impeach' the chief election commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar. [97] It is purely symbolic, and Rahul Gandhi of India's Congress party will give the closing speech. [97] They accuse Kumar of irregularities in a revision of voter lists. [97] More than 130 million names have been deleted since the revision began in 2025. [97] Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP denies the revision helped it. [97]

Why it matters — A rally to demand Kumar's removal is planned for 1 November. [97] A youth group called the Cockroach movement says it will back the rally. [97]
46
17 escaped prisoners caught in India

Police in India's Tamil Nadu state recaptured all 17 men who broke out of a prison. [13] The search took about 36 hours. [13] One prisoner faked a seizure, and others overpowered the guard who came to help. [13] They took keys from two more guards, opened the main gate and fled. [13] The Theni prison held 334 inmates in space for 200. [13] Police suspended 9 prison staff for alleged negligence. [13]

Why it matters — The case has drawn attention to crowded Indian prisons, where control is hard to keep. [13]
47
No food aid for four months at a Sudan camp

Al-Karama 3 camp, in Sudan's Blue Nile state, has had no food aid for four months. [98] It houses about 24,000 people who fled the war. [98] Residents say they eat only corn. [98] The war between Sudan's army and the RSF, a paramilitary force, began in 2023. [98] It has killed tens of thousands and driven at least 11 million from their homes. [98]

Why it matters — Officials blame war, drought and cuts to foreign aid together. [98] Hundreds of thousands of children across Sudan are malnourished. [98]
48
Senegal raids a Casamance rebel base

Senegal's security forces dismantled a rebel base near Ziguinchor and arrested 30 people on Tuesday. [99] It was headquarters of the MFDC, which has fought for Casamance's independence since 1982. [99] Casamance, in Senegal's south, is mostly cut off from the rest by The Gambia. [99] The fighting has gone on for nearly 44 years, at a low and sporadic level. [99] Phones, documents and rebel flags were seized, according to Senegalese media. [99]

Why it matters — The rebels are often accused of trafficking timber and cannabis. [99] They often shelter in Guinea-Bissau and The Gambia next door. [99]
49
South Sudan mourns Joseph Lagu

Joseph Lagu, a founder of South Sudan's first rebel movement, has died at 94. [100] In 1963 he helped found Anyanya, the first armed group to fight Sudan's government. [100] President Salva Kiir once served under his command. [100] In 1972 Lagu led talks that ended Sudan's first civil war, which killed about 500,000. [100] The deal gave the south self-rule inside Sudan. [100] He later became Sudan's second vice-president and its ambassador to the UN. [100]

Why it matters — South Sudan broke away from Sudan in 2011. [100] Kiir has declared national mourning until Lagu's burial. [100]
50
Dolores Huerta's fight beyond the fields

Dolores Huerta, a US civil rights leader, died on Wednesday aged 96. [101][102] Through her foundation, she worked on immigration and voting rights. [101] She helped migrant workers organise against Trump's immigration raids, in which masked agents seized farmworkers. [102] 'We've got to be a lot more active,' she told AFP in July 2025. [102] In 1968 she stood beside Robert F. Kennedy minutes before he was shot. [102] Barack Obama gave her the Presidential Medal of Freedom. [102]

Why it matters — California's Governor Gavin Newsom ordered flags flown at half-staff in her honour. [102] Bill Clinton called her a 'stalwart champion of working Americans'. [102]

02 Lesson why it matters

Why the first blame after a disaster falls on the person nearest to it

After a disaster, blame lands first on the last person to act, because the earlier choices that set up the danger had many authors.

The twist

The last person to touch a disaster is the easiest one to name. The danger was usually built before that person arrived.

The picture

6 peopleCharged

5 public bodiesCleared

Karachi's Gul Plaza fire: police charged four managers, a shopkeeper and his son, and cleared every public body meant to check the building.

How it works

A system carries a weak point: a failing safety tool, an overcrowded jail, a badly built school
One day a person at the front makes the last move before the harm
That move is recent, recorded and made by one named person
The choices behind it, like budgets, checks and rules, were made earlier by many people
So the first inquiry and the first charge land on the person at the front
The earlier choices are reached later, and only if a slower inquiry gets that far

The same force, elsewhere today

Where this chain is also running, in today's other stories.

Karachi's Gul Plaza fire

Police charged four mall managers, a shopkeeper and his 11-year-old son, and cleared the five public bodies meant to check the building.
The Tamil Nadu jailbreak

Nine prison staff were suspended for alleged negligence, in a jail holding 334 people in space for 200.
The Peshawar school collapse

The inquiry named the owner first for poor materials, and only then the departments meant to check the building.
Hong Kong's Tai Po fire

Seven people and two firms face criminal charges, and nearly a year later an inquiry has also reached the housing bureau that should have checked the repairs.

Where you've seen this

Plane crashes

the pilot is questioned first; the training rules and the maintenance budget come up months later

Hospitals

a nurse is blamed for a wrong dose on a ward that was short of staff

Factories

a worker is blamed for an injury on a machine whose guard was taken off to speed up the line

The catch

Sometimes the person at the front really did cause it. An inquiry that blames only the system can let a real mistake go unnamed.

And the whole of it

The operator in Madrid made the last call. The money for the line, the old safety system and the busy timetable were decided years earlier by people who never sat in that room, and millions of passengers ride on those choices every day without seeing them.

03 Truth what's really going on

What is really going on

Spain's transport minister has put the cause of the Urda crash, which killed 68, in one order from a control-centre worker. [1] The safety system failed first, on a line where 46 died in January and where only about 16% of the money went on upkeep. [3]

Why it works on us — One named person and one wrong order are easier to picture and to punish than a budget split decided years earlier by many people.

Who gains

Spain's transport ministry — Its account puts the cause in the control room, and the union CSIF says that keeps questions off the computer fault and safety spending. [4]
The People's Party in Spain — The crash came a month before the 29 November election, which it already leads in the polls. [9][10]
Benjamin Netanyahu — Until someone forms a government, he stays prime minister and in charge. [26]
Russia — Ethiopia showed off 12 Su-35 jets and plans for S-400 air defences at Russia's own Africa summit. [21]
Syria's government — With Hormuz shut, 500,000 tonnes of Iraqi fuel oil a month already pass through Syria, and a pipeline is planned. [15]
Russian labour brokers — One charges 100,000 to 150,000 roubles for each North Korean worker it places, the report says. [94]

Who pays

Families of the Urda dead and missing — 68 are dead, and relatives reported 64 missing while DNA offices opened in four cities. [1]
The control centre operator — He was questioned by the Guardia Civil on the day of the crash, before any inquiry reported. [8][4]
Arab citizens of Israel — Their record vote is being called theft by the largest party, with no evidence given. [17]
A shopkeeper's 11-year-old son in Karachi — He is charged over the Gul Plaza fire while the city's agencies were cleared. [12]
People at Al-Karama 3 camp in Sudan — About 24,000 people have had no food aid for four months. [98]
Crews on ships in the Strait of Hormuz — Iran says 3 tankers hit mines in a day, and one burning ship's crew is unaccounted for. [14]

What nobody knows yet

Open questions from across today’s stories — ours included.

01

Why the control centre told the Renfe train to carry on.

Puente calls it inexplicable, the operator's own account has not been published, and the Guardia Civil and the rail accident commission are still investigating. [1][8][11]
02

Why LZB, the safety system, failed at 8:30am.

No cause for the computer fault has been given, and the Guardian notes the system was due to be phased out. [4]
03

How fast the Renfe train was going, and over how long a stretch the system was down.

Puente said up to 200km an hour in one report and over 100km an hour in another. Reports give 63km and 69km for the stretch. [5][6][2]
04

The final death toll at Urda.

Rescuers could not yet reach the bottom of some carriages, and relatives had reported 64 people missing. [1]
05

Whether anyone can form a government in Israel.

Neither camp has 61 seats, Eisenkot has resisted the Arab parties, and Lieberman is not taking calls. The Arab parties' total is 19 seats in one count and 18 in another. [23][29][25]
06

What the foreign funding claims in Israel's election are.

The committee's letter gave no details, and the source of the claims is unclear. [17]
07

Whether the ship burning off Khasab is one of the 3 tankers Iran says hit mines, and what happened to its crew.

UKMTO gave no cause, and Iran's claims have not been checked. [14]
08

What Vance's letter to Iran actually says.

The Wall Street Journal says it was meant to restart peace talks, and Trump says it was about medical supplies. Neither has published it. [32]
09

Where Iran's near weapons-grade uranium is.

UN inspectors have not been able to check the stock since June 2025. [61]
10

Who ordered the force used in Tanzania in 2025.

The commission named no officer or commander, and a second inquiry has not reported. [80]

04 Hope carry this

People from Urda drove survivors of the train crash away in their own cars, and brought them food, water and blankets.

Also true today

In Kherson, people walked out into the streets on Wednesday as a ceasefire held, after years of near-daily Russian attacks.
The Save Ukraine Foundation says it has rescued at least 300 people from Oleshky in the past six months.
Iraq's prime minister made the first visit by an Iraqi leader to Damascus since Assad fell, and the two governments agreed to work together on energy, trade and security.