At least 10 people died when two high-speed trains collided in Spain’s Toledo province on Wednesday morning, according to Spanish media. Rail service between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia was suspended, and local officials said passengers were injured and emergency preparations were underway.
Key Facts
ADIF, Spain’s rail system operator, said the crash happened Wednesday morning in Toledo province.
Spanish media reported that at least 10 people died.
TVE reported that the trains were traveling in the same direction and that one struck the rear of the other.
The collision reportedly knocked two train cars off the track.
Rail service between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia was suspended.
The mayor of Urda said civil protection authorities asked the town to prepare a sports pavilion for passengers.
Castilla-La Mancha regional president Emiliano García-Page said he was heading to the crash site.
The article says 45 people died in a separate train crash in southern Spain in January.
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Two high-speed trains collided on the Madrid–Seville line in Toledo province, central Spain, on Wednesday morning. Authorities confirmed at least 10 deaths and said the toll could rise; emergency services were assisting those affected.
Key Facts
Spain’s rail infrastructure authority said services between Madrid and Andalucía were suspended after a rear-end collision.
Castilla-La Mancha government spokesperson Esther Padilla confirmed at least 10 deaths.
Spain’s state broadcaster reported that one train struck the back of another and knocked two carriages off the track.
The rail operator Adif said the collision occurred on the line from Madrid to Seville.
The mayor of Urda said emergency services asked him to prepare a sports hall for injured people.
Spain’s main political parties suspended planned activities for the day.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he was in contact with the transport minister and the Castilla-La Mancha regional president.
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Israeli right-wing leaders made statements about Arab voters, alleged election fraud and possible Jewish settlements in Gaza as votes were counted. With no camp projected to win a parliamentary majority, Arab-led parties could influence coalition talks.
Key Facts
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he would preserve settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank and declared that Jewish settlements would be established in Gaza.
Israel dismantled its settlements in Gaza in 2005.
Smotrich claimed, without providing figures, that turnout was unusually high in Arab communities and left-wing areas.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Arab voters were turning out in large numbers and said an opposition victory would threaten Israel’s Jewish character.
Netanyahu accused three senior Ra’am figures of trying to steal the election; police confirmed arrests of three people suspected of voter bribery, but the article gave no indication they held senior Ra’am positions.
Likud minister Miri Regev also alleged on X that people were trying to steal the election, without providing evidence.
With about 55 percent of ballots counted, Netanyahu’s right-wing and religious bloc was projected to have 56 of the parliament’s 120 seats, short of the 61 needed for a majority.
Ra’am leader Mansour Abbas said he had received approaches from both Likud and the opposition camp led by Gadi Eisenkot.
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Two trains collided Wednesday morning in Spain’s Toledo province, according to rail operator ADIF. Urda’s mayor said some passengers were injured, and civil protection officials asked the town to prepare a sports pavilion to assist passengers.
Key Facts
ADIF said the collision happened Wednesday morning in Toledo province.
The incident involved two trains.
Urda mayor Manuel Galan told Spanish state broadcaster TVE that passengers were injured.
Civil protection authorities asked Urda’s town hall to prepare a sports pavilion for passengers.
The article did not report how many people were injured or describe the cause of the collision.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and rival Gadi Eisenkot both pledged to form a government after Tuesday’s election. Exit polls projected a close result and showed that neither bloc had won a parliamentary majority.
Key Facts
The election took place on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.
Exit polls projected Netanyahu and Eisenkot to finish close to each other.
Exit polls showed both political blocs short of a parliamentary majority.
Netanyahu pledged to form a government.
Eisenkot also pledged to form a government.
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Spain suspended high-speed rail service between Madrid and Andalusia after two trains collided in Toledo province on Wednesday. Authorities said two cars derailed and were still determining the cause and number of injuries.
Key Facts
The collision occurred between the towns of Mora and Orgaz.
The trains were operated by Renfe and Iryo and were travelling from Madrid toward Seville.
A Castilla-La Mancha government spokesperson said two Iryo cars derailed.
Adif said the crash was a rear-end collision and suspended traffic on the Madrid-Andalusia line.
Authorities had not confirmed the cause or the number of injured people.
Urda’s mayor said emergency services asked him to prepare a sports hall for injured people.
The report said witnesses described numerous injuries and emergency medical teams arrived at the scene.
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Yvette Cooper has dropped plans to abolish Healthwatch England and its local branches after criticism from lawmakers across parties. The government will retain and strengthen the patient watchdog so it can gather feedback and highlight recurring problems with NHS care in England.
Key Facts
Healthwatch England and its 150 local branches were due to be abolished under a reorganisation of the health service in England.
Healthwatch gathers and analyses patients’ feedback about NHS services.
Cooper said the government would retain Healthwatch England and Local Healthwatch and strengthen their role.
Healthwatch has published reports on access to NHS-funded dental care, long waits for ADHD assessments and problems notifying patients about appointments.
Lawmakers from Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats criticised the proposed abolition.
The government had planned to transfer Healthwatch’s functions to regional integrated care boards and local councils.
Health minister Gillian Merron is expected to confirm the change during a debate on the health bill in the House of Lords.
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Residents across Guadalajara have reported foul-smelling, discolored tap water, and authorities shut a contaminated water source in October. Experts say the crisis reflects problems including polluted sources, aging pipes, weak monitoring and financially strained utilities, and warn that similar vulnerabilities have affected U.S. cities.
Key Facts
Guadalajara is in Jalisco, in central-west Mexico, and its metropolitan region has more than 5 million people.
Residents have reported turbid water in dozens of neighborhoods since 2023, according to an expert quoted by Newsweek.
More than 1,000 formal complaints were filed across roughly 475 neighborhoods between January 2025 and January 2026.
The state government shut the Las Pintas reservoir source in early October after contaminated water entered it.
Since October 15, 627 neighborhoods have been on rotating water supply, which authorities expect to continue until March 2027.
Experts cited polluted sources, aging treatment and distribution systems, weak disinfection and monitoring, and water-service management and financing problems.
A Virginia Tech professor cited the Flint water crisis and Jackson, Mississippi, as U.S. examples of serious water-system failures.
Police used tear gas and water cannons during a Guadalajara protest; Reuters reported dozens injured and nearly 40 arrests.
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French senators are debating a bill that would make people pay for damage caused during riots. It could also hold members of the same group collectively liable, a proposal that has divided lawmakers.
Key Facts
The bill concerns damage linked to recent riots in France.
The proposal would extend liability beyond people who directly caused damage to others in their group.
The bill uses the idea of collective civil liability, which can make multiple people responsible for damages.
Opponents say the proposal could infringe on the right to protest.
Critics warn that people might avoid demonstrations for fear of being held responsible for others’ actions.
The debate is taking place in the French Senate.
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Rami Khouri, a public policy fellow at the American University of Beirut, argues that a strong Israel-Arab bloc result does not show a positive shift in Israeli society. He says Israel will not change and describes Zionism and the state of Israel as racist.
Key Facts
The article discusses a strong result for an Israel-Arab bloc.
Khouri argues that the result does not signal a positive shift in Israeli society.
Khouri is identified as a public policy fellow at the American University of Beirut.
Khouri says Israel will never change.
Khouri calls Zionism and the state of Israel a racist enterprise.
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U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed paperwork to expel a Cuban diplomat accused of shoving and trying to assault an American diplomat. Waltz said the diplomat would be sent to Havana within 24 hours, following a confrontation at the United Nations during Waltz’s speech.
Key Facts
Waltz announced the expulsion during an appearance on Fox News’ Hannity.
Waltz said Rubio had signed the paperwork to expel the Cuban diplomat.
Waltz accused the diplomat of shoving and trying to assault an American diplomat.
Waltz said the diplomat would be sent back to Havana within 24 hours.
Waltz accused Cuban officials of trying to disrupt his speech at the United Nations.
Waltz said Cuban representatives rushed the stage as he criticized the Cuban government.
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The family of Agnes Wanjiru, a Kenyan woman found dead in 2012, has condemned the postponement of an extradition hearing for former British soldier Robert James Purkiss until May 2027. Purkiss denies the murder allegation and is contesting extradition from the UK to Kenya.
Key Facts
Wanjiru, 21, disappeared in March 2012 after spending an evening at a hotel in Nanyuki, where British soldiers were stationed for training.
Her body was found nearly three months later in a septic tank at the hotel; she had stab wounds to her chest and abdomen.
A Kenyan inquest concluded in 2019 that one or two British soldiers had unlawfully killed her.
A Kenyan High Court issued an arrest warrant for a British national in September 2025 after prosecutors presented evidence supporting murder charges.
Purkiss was arrested in the UK last November and appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in February; he denies the allegation and is contesting extradition.
The family says it learned of the postponement through the UK embassy and received no official explanation.
The family had raised money and arranged to travel to the UK for the hearing, which had been scheduled for next month.
A UK court is expected to explain the delay next week.
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Cyclone Arnab made landfall in India’s Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday, bringing heavy rain and winds of up to 135 kph. The storm damaged roads and disrupted power, flights, and train services; officials reported no casualties so far.
Key Facts
At least 180,000 people were evacuated from Andhra Pradesh and Odisha before the storm arrived.
Authorities said more than 12 million people live in the cyclone’s expected path.
India’s Meteorological Department warned that a storm surge of up to 1.5 meters could flood low-lying areas.
Arnab was classified as a “very severe cyclonic storm” at landfall and later downgraded to “severe” as it moved inland.
Fallen trees damaged vehicles and blocked highways, while power supplies were disrupted.
Nepal suspended trekking permits for three days and warned tourists about possible heavy rain, snowstorms, and avalanches.
Sri Lanka closed schools and warned of possible flash floods and landslides.
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Social media posts describe “ferritin face” as pallor, dark circles, dry skin and hair loss, but these signs can have many causes and cannot diagnose iron deficiency. Low iron stores can affect health and appearance, so people at risk or concerned should seek a blood test and medical advice about treatment and the cause.
Key Facts
Ferritin is a protein that stores iron, and a blood test can help assess the body’s iron reserves.
UK guidelines cited in the article indicate ferritin below 30 micrograms per litre signals iron deficiency; a level below 50 may also point to deficiency.
Low iron can cause fatigue, brain fog, pale or dull skin, and, in some cases, hair loss; facial appearance alone cannot confirm the condition.
Common causes include heavy periods, pregnancy, low dietary iron, poor absorption such as with coeliac disease, and blood loss from gastrointestinal problems.
Athletes may have low iron stores because their bodies have higher iron demands.
People at higher risk or who are concerned should ask a clinician about blood tests, including a full blood count and ferritin; the article also mentions B12 and folate tests.
Older people with suspected iron deficiency may need medical investigations to identify possible bleeding in the bowel.
The article warns that over-the-counter supplements may not provide a treatment dose and that follow-up blood tests may be needed after treatment.
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A Russian drone attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, late Tuesday forced elderly women and children to leave their homes. Fires damaged houses and industrial buildings, and firefighters helped a disabled woman reach safety.
Key Facts
The attack took place in Kharkiv, Ukraine, late Tuesday.
The article describes the attack as a Russian drone strike.
Elderly women and children evacuated their homes.
Fires damaged houses and industrial buildings.
Firefighters led a disabled woman to safety.
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Ahead of the third Russia-Africa summit in Moscow, Russia is seeking to deepen its trade, investment and security ties with African countries. The article says trade has fallen short of Russia’s stated target, some investment projects have stalled, and certain deals leave African governments with substantial financial or contractual obligations.
Key Facts
The summit is expected to discuss investment, industrial production, food security, energy, technology and payment systems.
Russia reported $27.1 billion in merchandise trade with Africa in 2025, below President Vladimir Putin’s $40 billion target.
In the first eight months of 2026, Russia exported $14 billion in goods to Africa and imported $3.2 billion.
Russia shipped 10.2 million tonnes of wheat to Africa in the first half of 2026; Egypt was its largest agricultural customer.
Uralchem abandoned a planned $1.2 billion fertilizer complex in Angola in 2023, the year it was scheduled to start production.
Rosatom is building four nuclear reactors at Egypt’s El Dabaa site, employing more than 18,000 Egyptians; the project is largely financed by a $25 billion Russian loan to Egypt.
A proposed pipeline in the Republic of Congo would give Russian interests 90 percent of the joint venture, under a 25-year concession with guaranteed transport tariffs.
Sweden’s Defence Research Agency identified at least 57 Russian military and security agreements involving 39 African countries. The article says Russia has shifted many operations from the Wagner Group to the Defence Ministry-controlled Africa Corps.
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Zimbabwe’s mining sector earned a record $8.5 billion in export revenue in 2025, with gold and platinum-group metals helping drive the increase. In communities near major platinum operations, residents say roads, schools, water services and local livelihoods have not kept pace with mining activity.
Key Facts
Platinum reached $2,923 an ounce on January 26, according to the World Platinum Investment Council.
Zimbabwe has the world’s second-largest known deposits of platinum-group metals, after South Africa.
Mining accounts for about 75 percent of Zimbabwe’s exports and 14.5 percent of its gross domestic product, according to the U.S. International Trade Administration.
The mining sector’s export earnings rose from $5.9 billion in 2024 to $8.5 billion in 2025, according to the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe’s then-president, John Musekiwa.
Zimplats operates mines, concentrators and processing facilities in the Mhondoro-Ngezi district, on the Great Dyke mineral belt.
A local councillor said some children walk 15 to 25 kilometres to reach Musinambi Secondary School and called for a satellite school in Makwavarara.
Residents near the mining area said that infrastructure and basic services have not kept pace with the area’s growth.
Residents alleged that sewage from the mining area entered the Ngwazani River; the article excerpt does not provide a response from the mining company or verification of the claim.
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Partial election results show Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud as Israel’s largest party, but his bloc appears short of the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority. Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition bloc also appears unlikely to win a majority without support from Arab-led parties, while absentee ballots remain uncounted.
Key Facts
Israel elects 120 members of parliament, and a government needs 61 seats for a majority.
Early results put Netanyahu’s Likud ahead as the largest single party.
Netanyahu’s bloc of right-wing, ultra-Orthodox and ultra-nationalist parties appears just short of a majority.
Partial results suggest Eisenkot’s bloc also lacks a clear path to a majority without Arab-led parties.
Most Jewish opposition parties said during the campaign that they would not work with Arab-majority lists.
Arab Israelis make up about one-fifth of Israel’s population, and turnout among them appeared unusually high.
Absentee ballots, mostly from soldiers, could affect the final count; results may take another day or two.
Netanyahu and Eisenkot each told supporters they would work to form the next government.
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The U.N. General Assembly is set to vote on a resolution condemning the U.S. embargo on Cuba, which has been on the agenda for 34 years. The vote comes amid rising tensions between the Trump administration and Cuba, including a public confrontation between their representatives at the U.N.
Key Facts
The General Assembly has voted on a resolution condemning the embargo annually for 34 years.
Last year, the resolution passed 165-7, with 12 abstentions.
The resolution is not legally binding but reflects the views of U.N. member states.
The article says the Trump administration is seeking to influence this year’s vote.
President Donald Trump raised the possibility of U.S. military intervention in Cuba last week.
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez argued during a General Assembly session on Tuesday.
The U.S. first imposed its embargo on Cuba in 1960, after Cuba’s revolution and nationalization of U.S.-owned property.
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Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said he intends to leave office when his third term ends in April 2030, though the article notes that he has reversed similar statements before. It argues that he may be preparing a succession that preserves the military’s powerful role in Egypt’s political system, amid economic strain and concerns about accountability for his rule.
Key Facts
El-Sisi said at a military academy graduation ceremony that he plans to leave office in April 2030 and that the constitution would not be changed to extend his rule.
El-Sisi previously denied plans to run for president in 2013 and said in 2017 that he would preserve the constitution’s term limits, but he later supported constitutional amendments in 2019.
Egypt’s constitution, as amended in 2019, gives the armed forces a role in protecting the state and what it describes as the people’s rights and freedoms.
Egypt’s debt is reported at 81 percent of gross domestic product, and interest payments exceed combined spending on healthcare, education, wages and subsidies.
The Egyptian pound has lost more than 80 percent of its value against the U.S. dollar since 2014, while cumulative inflation exceeds 460 percent.
El-Sisi came to power after the 2013 coup against President Mohamed Morsi, which was followed by mass killings and the imprisonment of tens of thousands of politicians, activists and journalists.
The article describes speculation that el-Sisi’s announcement could be a bid to seek public support for another term or to head off possible military action, but says a military-shaped succession is more likely.
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