Briefing

Spain is grieving after its second high-speed rail disaster in nine months.

Spainhigh-speed railtrain disaster

Spain began three days of mourning on Thursday after a high-speed train collision killed 68 people and injured scores, renewing questions about rail safety and management.

Spaintrain collisionmourningrail safety

Rescue workers are searching the wreckage in Urda, Spain, after two high-speed trains collided. At least 68 people were killed and dozens injured.

Spaintrain collisionrescue operation

South Korea’s military said North Korea fired about 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea off its east coast on Thursday. The launch came as border tensions between the Koreas rise and prospects for nuclear talks with the US remain uncertain.

North Koreaballistic missilesKorean tensions

South Korea says North Korea fired an unidentified projectile off its east coast. The South Korean military said the launch took place Thursday but did not provide details, including the weapon's type.

North KoreaSouth Koreaprojectile launch

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said a North Korean launch took place Thursday, with the projectile heading toward waters off the country's eastern shoreline.

North KoreaSouth Koreaprojectile launch

A person familiar with the situation told CNN that US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has pushed out the Pentagon’s top planning officer as President Donald Trump considers new strikes against Iran.

US Defense DepartmentPete HegsethIranDonald Trump

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said another 15 drones flying toward the city were destroyed. Emergency workers are at the sites where debris fell. Since midnight, 64 drones targeting Moscow have been downed, according to TASS calculations based on Sobyanin’s posts.

Moscowdrone attackRussia

A federal judge rejected the Trump administration’s request for California to set aside 20,000 mail ballots. The administration claimed they could have been cast by noncitizens, and the judge warned the move would “wreak havoc.”

Californiamail ballotsTrump administrationcourt ruling

The Justice Department sought an emergency order in the case to segregate 20,000 California ballots, but a judge rejected the request.

CaliforniaballotsJustice Departmentcourt

A federal judge rejected the Trump administration’s request to stop California from processing ballots from as many as 20,000 people, warning the move would disrupt the midterm elections.

Californiaelectionsballotscourts

With over 90% of ballots counted on Thursday, Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc had 53 seats and the opposition 67, including 48 for Gadi Eisenkot’s centrist bloc and 19 for Arab-majority parties. On Wednesday, Israel’s president urged parties to do everything possible to form a coalition and avoid another election.

Israelelectioncoalition government

Israel’s inconclusive election left neither Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc nor Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition camp with a parliamentary majority. Arab-led parties, projected to win a record 19 seats, may break the deadlock. Political science professor Mira Sucharov says Eisenkot’s camp still has a route to power if it is willing to work with them.

Israelelectiongovernment formationArab parties

David Mednicoff, a professor of Middle Eastern Studies and Public Policy at UMass-Amherst, analyses Israel’s elections. The headline says Netanyahu alleged fraud as Arab-led parties made gains.

Israeli electionsBenjamin Netanyahuelection fraud

Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro said in a statement on Wednesday that he was Brazil’s “true president”, then revised the claim and called himself the country’s “leader”. He and his immediate family had earlier arrived in Miami after he refused a Supreme Court order to surrender his passports amid a money-laundering probe.

Brazil politicsFlavio BolsonaroSupreme Court

In his first statement since fleeing to the United States, Flavio Bolsonaro claimed he was Brazil’s “true president-elect” in a post on X that he later deleted. He lost Sunday’s vote to Lula da Silva.

Brazil politicselectionFlavio Bolsonaro

Following his election defeat, the Brazilian senator is in Miami with his family. U.S. officials plan to issue them entry visas after Flávio Bolsonaro declined to turn in his passports under a Brazilian order; Carlos Curbelo discusses the process and possible consequences for U.S.-Brazil ties.

Flávio BolsonaroBrazilUnited Statesentry visas

EU member states rejected European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s proposal to give Canada special “associate member” status. Germany and other governments pressed to remove the wording from a summit declaration, which now calls for closer ties without membership.

European UnionCanadaEU-Canada relationsdiplomacy

Utah has filed criminal charges against prediction platform Kalshi and its co-founders over alleged illegal gambling.

KalshiUtahillegal gamblingcriminal charges

Utah accused prediction market Kalshi and its two co-founders of illegally promoting online gambling. Attorney General Derek Brown filed charges Wednesday in a Salt Lake City district court, including 12 counts of online gambling promotion, one general gambling promotion count and one count of a pattern of unlawful activity. A federal judge had ruled that Utah could enforce its anti-gambling laws against prediction markets.

prediction marketsonline gamblinglegal action

Utah charged prediction-market operator Kalshi and two executives with offenses including violating the state’s gambling ban and profiting from illegal activity. Kalshi called the case “crazy overreach” and said it would fight in court, as states and the federal government dispute who regulates such markets.

UtahKalshiprediction marketsgambling laws

The leak website Distributed Denial of Secrets said Wednesday it had published data on more than 40,000 U.S. Department of Homeland Security employees, including officials working in sensitive areas such as surveillance and human intelligence.

Homeland Securitydata leakcybersecurity

The Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game 5, securing the first World Series championship in franchise history. The small-ball team plays in the majors’ smallest market.

baseballWorld SeriesMilwaukee Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers, from the majors’ smallest market, defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 to capture the first World Series championship in franchise history.

BaseballWorld SeriesMilwaukee Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Tampa Bay Rays in five games to claim the first World Series championship in franchise history.

baseballWorld SeriesMilwaukee Brewers