A collision involving a Madrid-to-Seville high-speed train killed at least 68 people and injured 77 in rural central Spain. Authorities launched investigations as survivors described the wreckage, and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared three days of national mourning.
Key Facts
About 500 passengers were aboard the Renfe train travelling from Madrid to Seville.
The crash happened shortly before 9 a.m. between Urda and Los Yébenes, south of Toledo.
Rescuers searched wreckage from three carriages at the front of the train.
Transport Minister Óscar Puente said a Renfe train was cleared to proceed despite an active red signal after a communications failure; he described the order to move as inexplicable.
Puente said train engineers were not to blame.
A judicial investigation was expected to begin, and Renfe launched an investigation.
The crash renewed debate about rail safety after a separate crash at Adamuz nine months earlier killed 46 people.
Opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo called for a complete, independent review of Spain’s rail network.
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Russia is using security ties, political support and selected resource projects to strengthen relations with African governments, but its trade and investment offers are smaller than those of China and the European Union. The article says some governments value Moscow’s support, while Russian-linked forces face allegations of abuses and African recruits have died fighting in Ukraine.
Key Facts
Russia’s Africa Corps, controlled by Russia’s Ministry of Defence, has replaced Wagner in the Sahel.
An investigation by Journalists for Justice documented 502 African deaths in Russia’s war in Ukraine by June 2026.
The Kremlin expects delegations from 48 countries, including 22 heads of state, at this year’s Russia-Africa Summit.
Russia delivered free grain to six African countries after President Vladimir Putin pledged it at the 2023 summit.
Russia-backed projects include a gold refinery in Mali, Rusal’s bauxite and alumina operations in Guinea, and uranium discussions in Niger.
Human Rights Watch has accused Africa Corps forces in Mali of killing civilians and torturing detainees; the allegations are attributed to the organization.
Russia’s trade with Africa was about $28 billion in 2025, compared with China’s $348 billion; EU-Africa goods trade totaled nearly €355 billion in 2024.
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Two conservative activists, James O’Keefe and Cam Higby, face felony charges over their conduct at Minnesota polling places during the August 11 primary. Prosecutors allege they used registered voters’ names without permission while seeking ballots, but say neither signed the required oath or received a ballot.
Key Facts
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced the charges on October 28.
The charges include felony unlawful voting and identity theft.
Prosecutors allege O’Keefe and Higby identified themselves using names of registered voters without those voters’ knowledge or permission.
The activists were reportedly testing Minnesota’s voter-vouching process.
Moriarty said Minnesota law bars intentionally misrepresenting one’s identity when applying for a ballot.
According to prosecutors, neither man signed the required oath or cast a ballot.
The incidents allegedly occurred at polling places during Minnesota’s August 11 primary.
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Sanrio apologized and ended its commercial partnership with the Japanese spy drama Vivant after Chinese state media and social media users criticized its depiction of Chinese agents torturing Japanese intelligence officers. Sanrio said the show conflicted with its values and that it would strengthen reviews of future partnerships. The dispute comes as relations between China and Japan are strained and Sanrio relies on China as a major overseas market.
Key Facts
Sanrio announced the end of its association with Vivant in a post on Weibo.
The drama is produced by Japan’s TBS network and stars Masato Sakai.
In an episode aired on 4 October, a Chinese agent cuts off a Japanese officer’s fingers and stabs him in the abdomen.
Chinese state media said the torture scenes smeared China and resembled abuses committed by Japanese troops during the Second World War.
Sanrio said the show contained elements inconsistent with its core values and pledged to strengthen reviews of future collaborative projects.
Sanrio characters My Melody and Cinnamoroll appeared in Vivant-themed merchandise.
Chinese media reported that Sanrio earned 781 million yuan, or $117 million, in China during the first half of the year, up more than 40% from the same period a year earlier.
The article links the backlash to strained China-Japan relations, including a diplomatic dispute over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments about a possible Chinese attack on Taiwan.
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Shell reported adjusted profit of $10.8 billion for the July–September quarter, nearly twice its $5.432 billion profit in the same quarter of 2025 and above analyst expectations. Higher oil and gas prices and rising refinery margins lifted earnings, while damage to a key facility cut Shell’s gas production by about a third. Shell also plans to spend $5 billion on share buybacks over the next three months, up from $3 billion in the previous quarter.
Key Facts
Shell’s adjusted profit was $10.8 billion in the July–September quarter, compared with $5.432 billion a year earlier.
The result exceeded analysts’ average expectation of $10.33 billion.
Shell said it would return $5 billion to investors through share buybacks over the next three months.
The company expected refinery margins to reach $42 per barrel in the quarter, up from $24 per barrel in the second quarter.
Damage to a key gas processing facility during the Middle East conflict cut Shell’s gas production from 900,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day by about one-third.
Europe’s benchmark gas price averaged almost €64 per megawatt-hour in the quarter, compared with more than €48 in the previous quarter.
The global oil benchmark averaged $94.90 per barrel, up from $69.10 in the same quarter a year earlier.
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A viral video showed a three-year-old Florida boy scoring repeatedly during a youth soccer game, followed by his parents speaking with police. Records and footage reviewed by the Guardian show that the organizer said the boy had pushed other children and that his parents had argued with families; the parents said their son was singled out for his ability. Officers treated the dispute as a civil matter, and no arrests were made.
Key Facts
The soccer game took place in the Orlando suburb of Winter Park.
The boy’s father filmed him scoring goals and cheering him on.
The parents said the boy was benched because he was too good at soccer.
The organizer told police he rotated players so everyone could participate.
The organizer also said the boy had pushed other children and his parents had argued with other families.
The organizer’s 911 call described a disruptive parent who followed him, called him names, and livestreamed the confrontation.
Police discussed arranging a refund and made no arrests.
The article says the video drew national attention and comments from public figures, including soccer player Alex Freeman and children’s entertainer Ms Rachel.
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The article invites readers to submit questions about Chancellor John Healey’s first budget, which it says was announced the previous day. Guardian money editor Hilary Osborne and economics editor Heather Stewart were scheduled to answer questions from 3 p.m. GMT.
Key Facts
The article describes John Healey as Chancellor and says he presented his first budget under Andy Burnham’s leadership.
The article says the budget included measures to cut energy bills, funded by a windfall tax on banks.
Healey described the plan as built on fiscal discipline and intended to address global economic pressures, according to the article.
The article asks whether the budget marks a major change or limited adjustments constrained by fiscal rules.
Readers were invited to submit questions in the comments.
Hilary Osborne and Heather Stewart were scheduled to join the discussion at 3 p.m. GMT.
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Rapper Nicki Minaj criticized New York Governor Kathy Hochul in posts on X and urged Black people and Christians to vote for her Republican opponent, Bruce Blakeman. Hochul responded to Minaj’s comments, while White House communications director Steven Cheung jokingly suggested Minaj could become the White House press secretary.
Key Facts
Minaj called Hochul “an evil woman” in an X post on Wednesday.
Minaj urged Black people and Christians to vote for Republican candidate Bruce Blakeman.
Hochul told a journalist that Minaj needed to “get outside” and stop attending Trump rallies.
Minaj traveled with President Donald Trump to a campaign rally in Port Huron, Michigan, on October 25.
White House communications director Steven Cheung shared a video of Minaj and joked that she could be the next White House press secretary.
The White House’s official X account responded to Cheung’s post with an eyeballs emoji.
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The article argues that the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran remains paused rather than ended, and says both governments’ aims make renewed fighting likely. It points to reported strike planning, a continuing U.S. naval blockade, and political statements by Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu as signs of escalation.
Key Facts
The article says Israel and the United States began the war against Iran on February 28, and that major combat has paused while diplomacy has stalled.
It says U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth visited Israel to discuss possible renewed joint strikes.
Israeli sources cited in the article say potential targets include Iranian petrochemical facilities and nuclear sites.
The article says the U.S. naval blockade of Iran’s ports had passed its 100th day.
It reports that Trump rejected an Iranian proposal for a seven-day ceasefire in September, although Iran says the offer remains available.
Trump endorsed Netanyahu on October 18 and said the United States would “finish the job” against Iran only with Netanyahu in charge.
Netanyahu said at an October 21 rally that ending the Iranian threat required overthrowing Iran’s government, and that he had directed Israeli security agencies accordingly.
The article says Israel’s October 27 election and the U.S. November 3 midterm elections could affect the timing and prospects of renewed fighting.
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Chancellor John Healey said the government would reduce welfare spending before the next election, while rejecting crude cuts and promising more support and conditions for young people who can work or train. He said the government would announce reforms after reviews of youth employment and disability benefits. The budget included energy-bill support, while a thinktank said its measures did not address major economic challenges.
Key Facts
The Office for Budget Responsibility projected total welfare spending would rise from £334 billion last year to £431 billion by 2030.
About half of projected welfare spending goes to pensioners and a quarter to sickness and disability benefits, according to the article.
Healey said young people would be expected to accept offers of support to find work or training.
The government is awaiting the Milburn review of young people and work and the Timms review of disability benefits before setting out welfare changes.
The budget included £100 energy payments for up to 20 million households in council tax bands A to D.
The budget also scrapped standing charges on gas bills, according to the article.
The Resolution Foundation said the budget’s household-cost measures would not stop energy bills from rising above levels seen during the previous energy shock.
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Twelve former U.S. officials who resigned over the Biden administration’s Gaza policy urged potential Democratic candidates for the 2028 presidential nomination to pledge not to hire officials they say enabled Israel’s military actions. They also called for candidates to acknowledge U.S. complicity in Israel’s actions and commit to other principles in a proposed three-part pledge.
Key Facts
The former officials published a joint statement titled “Gaza Resignees” on Wednesday.
The 12 officials said they resigned between late 2023 and 2024 over what they called the U.S.’s “illegal and unconditional support” for Israel’s actions in Gaza.
The statement urged 2028 Democratic candidates not to hire officials directly responsible, in the former officials’ view, for enabling Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
The proposed pledge calls for candidates to uphold the U.S. Constitution and pursue the U.S. national interest.
The officials also called for candidates to acknowledge U.S. complicity through arms, funding and diplomatic support; the statement describes Israel’s actions as genocide.
Palestinian health authorities say Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 74,564 Palestinians and injured at least 175,770 since October 2023.
Rights groups, experts, scholars and United Nations inquiries have assessed that Israel’s war on Gaza amounts to genocide.
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El Salvador plans to send more than 2,000 soldiers to Haiti to help search for four missing Salvadoran aviation technicians and fight armed gangs. Haiti postponed its first-round presidential and parliamentary elections to July 18, 2027, citing security challenges that have hindered preparations for voting.
Key Facts
Four Salvadoran technicians disappeared on October 18 after armed men ambushed their vehicle in Croix-des-Bouquets, east of Port-au-Prince.
The technicians were serving with an international security mission that supports Haitian police.
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele spoke with Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime, and the prime minister’s office said they agreed to strengthen cooperation on rescue efforts and security operations.
It is unclear whether the additional Salvadoran troops will join the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force or operate separately.
Haiti scheduled the second round of voting and local elections for October 4, 2027.
Fewer than 900,000 people had registered to vote by Wednesday, out of 6.5 million Haitians with the identification cards needed to enrol, according to the Miami Herald.
An international food security assessment found that 5.94 million Haitians face acute hunger, including 1.8 million in emergency conditions; it projected the total would reach 6.35 million by mid-2027.
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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government is seeking budget savings but will not make major cuts to health, education or essential services. The comments came as inflation rose and expectations grew that the Reserve Bank of Australia could raise interest rates again, adding pressure on household budgets and the government.
Key Facts
Australia’s headline inflation rate reached 4.3%.
The Reserve Bank of Australia’s cash rate stood at 4.6% after four rate increases in 2026.
Markets and Labor MPs expected the Reserve Bank could raise rates again the following week.
Albanese said the government would look for savings ahead of its mid-December budget update.
The government proposed reducing the private health insurance rebate for people aged over 65, which it said would save about A$3 billion over four years for aged care.
The Coalition opposed the proposed rebate change.
Transport costs rose 8.7% over the previous year, food prices rose 3.2%, and housing costs increased 5.2%.
Former industry minister Ed Husic called for price caps on essential groceries, including bread, milk, meat and fresh produce.
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A court in the Philippines is expected to issue a warrant allowing police to examine materials taken from Thomas Markle’s home. The materials are alleged to include child pornography, which Markle has denied possessing. BBC reporter Jonathan Head is reporting from outside Markle’s former home in Cebu.
Key Facts
The court is expected to issue the warrant later today.
The warrant would authorise police to examine materials taken from Markle’s home.
The materials are alleged to include child pornography.
Markle has strongly denied possessing child abuse material.
Markle returned to the United States earlier this year.
BBC reporter Jonathan Head is in Cebu, outside Markle’s former residence.
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North Korea fired about 10 short-range ballistic missiles from near Wonsan into the Sea of Japan, South Korea’s military said. The launch came amid rising tensions over a landmine blast that injured three South Korean soldiers and as Seoul seeks military talks with Pyongyang.
Key Facts
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles launched at about 12:30 p.m. Thursday from North Korea’s east coast.
Japan’s Defence Ministry confirmed a possible ballistic missile launch and said it fell outside Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone, Kyodo News reported.
A landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone injured three South Korean soldiers on September 21.
A South Korea–United Nations investigation concluded that North Korea planted the mines more than a year earlier; Pyongyang rejected the finding.
North Korea’s UN representative accused South Korea of fabricating the incident and warned that violations of North Korean sovereignty could prompt self-defence.
South Korea has invited North Korea to military talks about the border dispute and restoring communication channels.
North Korea has not indicated whether it will accept the talks, and leader Kim Jong Un has suspended most dialogue and cooperation with Seoul.
The missile launch followed President Donald Trump’s suggestion that he might meet Kim Jong Un this year.
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Australian coroner David Ryan found actor Richard Norton suffered cardiac arrest after injecting the unapproved peptides CJC1295 and ipamorelin, and died in March 2025. Ryan recommended that Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration review the peptides’ benefits and risks and consider restricting them to clinical trials or other experimental use.
Key Facts
Norton was 75 and worked as an actor, stuntman and fight choreographer.
A doctor prescribed Norton CJC1295 and ipamorelin in March 2025.
Norton told a nurse he had been using twice the prescribed doses.
The coroner said the safety and therapeutic benefits of the peptides remain uncertain.
An independent expert found insufficient evidence that CJC1295 or ipamorelin is safe, effective or beneficial for human use.
The Medical Board of Australia required the prescribing doctor to complete individual training in clinical record keeping and management.
The doctor accepted criticism of his practice and said he would not prescribe peptides without robust clinical evidence.
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A 19-year-old woman died after masked gunmen fired into a crowd outside Fitzy’s Loganholme pub in Brisbane’s south on Saturday night. Three men were also injured, and police are investigating the shooting.
Key Facts
Vana-Reese Schuster-Togiatau, from Jimboomba, was hit in the head and neck.
She died at Princess Alexandra Hospital on Thursday morning.
Three men, aged 27, 37 and 38, were taken to hospital; one had surgery, and two were released.
The shooting happened while the pub was hosting a boxing event.
Police said about 80 officers were involved in the murder investigation.
Police are seeking information from people who know who was involved or why the shooting happened.
Schuster-Togiatau’s family asked for privacy.
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The Justice Department told a court that the National Park Service plans to submit a golf course design for review on Oct. 30 and close part of East Potomac Park, including its golf course, on Nov. 15. The filing came after a judge temporarily barred further tree removal and ordered administration officials to explain the closure plans in a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s renovation plans.
Key Facts
The National Park Service plans to submit a design by architect Tom Fazio to the National Capital Planning Commission on Oct. 30.
The planning commission is scheduled to consider the design at its Dec. 3 meeting.
The Justice Department filing says East Potomac Park south of Buckeye Drive, including the golf course, will close on Nov. 15.
Under a new lease agreement, National Links Trust will stop operating the East Potomac course by Nov. 15 but will continue operating two other public golf courses.
The closure and renovation plans are challenged in a lawsuit filed by the DC Preservation League and two golfers.
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes issued a preliminary injunction on Oct. 26 that bars the government from removing or damaging additional trees at the course.
The injunction requires the administration to give 10 days’ written notice before making an irreparable change to the course while the lawsuit is active.
Reyes ordered Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr. and an Interior Department solicitor’s office representative to appear for a court hearing on Friday.
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National polling averages show Democrats leading Republicans ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, but several Senate contests remain close. Democrats are seeking control of both chambers, while President Donald Trump, former President Barack Obama and Vice President JD Vance campaigned in key states on Wednesday.
Key Facts
RealClearPolling’s national average puts Democrats ahead of Republicans 51.4% to 43.2%.
In Texas, Democrat James Talarico leads Republican Ken Paxton 48.5% to 46.7% in the RealClearPolling average.
A Mitchell Research poll for CBS Detroit found Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed leading Republican Mike Rogers 51% to 44%.
RealClearPolling showed a closer Michigan race, with El-Sayed at 48% and Rogers at 46%.
Democrats need a net gain of three House seats and four Senate seats to take control of both chambers, according to the article.
Republicans currently hold 53 of the Senate’s 100 seats; Democrats hold 47, including two independents who caucus with them.
The article reports that Trump, Obama and Vance campaigned in Ohio, Georgia and North Carolina on Wednesday.
Democratic and Republican campaigners were both seeking support from young voters in Michigan.
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Mondelēz, owner of Toblerone, has filed a lawsuit in London against British vegan chocolate maker Catherine’s Originals. It alleges that the company’s O’bar copies Toblerone’s distinctive shape and infringes its trademarks; Catherine’s Originals disputes the claim and says it will defend its design.
Key Facts
Mondelēz filed papers at the High Court in London alleging passing off and trademark infringement.
The O’bar is a chocolate bar divided into segments with rounded, semi-oval humps.
Catherine’s Originals founder Catherine Dodd said the shape represents the O in the brand name Originals.
The company was founded in 2021 and makes its chocolate in Walberton, Sussex.
O’bars weigh 200 grams and cost from £9.20, while the article says a standard milk Toblerone costs £2.50.
Mondelēz said it had tried for several months to resolve the matter directly but had not reached an agreement.
In 2017, Poundland delayed the launch of its Twin Peaks bar after receiving a legal warning from Mondelēz; it later changed the bar and packaging before relaunching.
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