World

A Russian FPV drone slammed into a bus in central Nikopol, killing three people and injuring 12 others in one of the deadliest strikes reported in the frontline city in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region. "Three people were killed and another 12 injured. The enemy attacked a city bus with an FPV drone right in downtown Nikopol. It was pulling up to the stop - there were people both on board and at the stop," the head of the region's military administration, Oleksandr Ganzha, wrote on social media. Elsewhere, Russian shelling…

A deadly collision involving one of France’s iconic high-speed trains unfolded in northern France this morning when a TGV struck a truck at a crossing, leaving the train’s driver dead and two people critically injured, officials said. The crash happened at about 7am local time (6am Irish time) between Bethune and Lens in the Pas-de-Calais region, according to rail operator SNCF. In an updated toll, the prefecture said two people were in critical condition and 11 others suffered less serious injuries. Earlier official reports…

US Vice President JD Vance touched down in Budapest this morning for a two-day trip officially framed as an effort to strengthen ties between Washington and Budapest. Yet the political stakes are far sharper: his visit is widely seen as an attempt to lift Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whose Fidesz party trails the main centre-right opposition by nine percentage points in the polls ahead of Sunday's parliamentary election. The contest marks the most serious electoral test of Fidesz’s rule so far, after four straight…

Hours before a self-imposed evening deadline, US President Donald Trump warned that "a whole civilization will die tonight" unless Iran moves to reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz, as Pakistan mounted a last-minute push for a two-week ceasefire to keep diplomacy alive. With only a short window remaining before the US president's 8pm (1am Irish time) cutoff, Tehran was giving Pakistan's appeal a positive review in an effort to buy more time for talks, according to a senior Iranian official. The White House said Mr Trump had…

With Hungary heading into a pivotal election, US Vice President JD Vance arrived in Budapest and launched a blistering attack on the European Union, denouncing what he described as "disgraceful" meddling while praising Prime Minister Viktor Orbán as a key Donald Trump ally in the fight to defend Western civilisation. Mr Vance's trip to the Hungarian capital, coming only days before a vote that independent polling suggests Mr Orbán is on course to lose, highlights how vital the nationalist leader's re-election is seen to be…

The Trump administration has moved to end a series of agreements that had supported transgender students, reversing commitments earlier administrations made with several school districts. The US Education Department said it was scrapping six resolution agreements that, in its view, were reached through what it described as the manipulation of Title IX. Title IX, the federal civil-rights law, prohibits schools from denying benefits or engaging in discrimination in education "on the basis of sex." Since returning to office,…

After sweeping farther from Earth than any human in history, the four astronauts on NASA's first crewed lunar flyby in more than 50 years have re-established contact and begun the journey home. Mission control in Houston restored communications with the crew after a roughly 40-minute blackout as their spacecraft moved behind the Moon, cutting off signal during the pass behind Earth's natural satellite. "It is so great to hear from Earth again," Mission Specialist Christina Koch said as the astronauts were able to speak once…

Ben Roberts-Smith, once celebrated as Australia's most decorated living soldier, has been arrested and accused of war crimes over the alleged killings of unarmed civilians during deployments to Afghanistan. Police said the 47-year-old former Australian Defence Force member was taken into custody at Sydney Airport. Court records identified the man as Ben Roberts-Smith. Australian Federal Police said he was charged with five counts of war crimes tied to the murder of five people in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012. Each…

Live Israeli military warns people in Iran to steer clear of trains Middle East

Hours before a deadline set by US President Donald Trump, Iran and Israel exchanged fresh attacks this morning, with Tehran refusing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or sign on to a ceasefire agreement. Iran turned down a US proposal, brokered by Pakistan, calling for an immediate ceasefire and an end to its effective blockade of the strait, followed by negotiations on a wider peace settlement within 15 to 20 days, according to a source familiar with the plan. Tehran’s reply included ten clauses, among them a demand for an end…