Live Wire
French Police Probe Possible Sabotage After Train Derailment Injures 44
A passenger train carrying 186 people derailed in Normandy, injuring 44. Investigators are examining possible sabotage after a separate piece of rail was found on the track, though French prosecutors say the cause has not yet been established.
Bangladesh Reviews 101 Agreements With India as BRICS Invitation Row Deepens
Bangladesh is reviewing 101 agreements signed with India under Sheikh Hasina as tensions rise over Tarique Rahman’s invitation to the BRICS summit. Dhaka says the review is part of its “Bangladesh First” policy, while stressing that relations with India will continue.
Trump Says He Would ‘Love’ to See a United Ireland
Donald Trump says he would “love” to see a united Ireland and believes reunification will eventually happen. The remarks put a US president directly into one of Britain and Ireland’s most sensitive political debates as questions over a future border poll return.
Second Explosion in Weeks Hits Bulgarian Weapons Facility
An explosion has hit an EMCO weapons facility in central Bulgaria, the second incident at one of the company’s munitions sites in just over a month. No casualties were reported, and authorities have not yet established the cause.
Iraq Dismisses Commander After Confirming Saudi Drone Attacks Came From Maysan
Iraq has dismissed a military commander after confirming that drones used to attack Saudi Arabia were launched from Maysan province. Baghdad has opened an investigation, while Saudi Arabia has so far held off retaliation.
Houthis Seize Perim Island Inside Bab el-Mandeb, Tightening Grip on Global Shipping Route
The Houthis have captured Perim Island inside Bab el-Mandeb after seizing Mocha and Dhubab, giving the Iran-aligned group a foothold in one of the world’s most important shipping routes as the Strait of Hormuz remains severely disrupted.
How India Helped Shape an American Feminist Icon
Gloria Steinem, the journalist and activist who became one of the most influential figures in the American women’s movement, has died at 92. Her decades of work transformed debates over equality, reproductive rights and women’s political power.
Oil Surges as Hormuz Disruption and Houthi Advance Rattle Markets
Brent crude has surged towards $110 a barrel as tankers are attacked and traffic is disrupted through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb deepening fears over global oil supplies.
Los Tiguerones Added to US Terror List as Washington Backs Ecuador’s Gang War
The US has designated Ecuador’s Los Tiguerones gang a terrorist organisation and is expanding security cooperation with Quito. Washington is putting more money, equipment and operational support behind President Daniel Noboa’s increasingly difficult war against organised crime.
Declassified Files Show Spain Had Advance Warning of Ceuta Border Assault
Spain’s intelligence service knew a mass attempt to enter Ceuta was being organised and warned authorities a day before more than 70,000 migrants crossed from Morocco. Newly declassified files are now raising difficult questions about what Madrid knew.
Iran Fires 20 Ballistic Missiles Towards US Base in Jordan as Gulf War Escalates
Iran has fired 20 ballistic missiles towards a US military base in Jordan, retaliating for American strikes on five Iranian oil tankers as the conflict expands from the Gulf’s shipping lanes to US forces across the region.