Saturday, March 8, 2025

BIG Wrap

France trains cancelled as hunt for vandals continues

(BBC News) Three out of 10 French high-speed trains will be cancelled on Saturday on routes hit by a series of "co-ordinated" arson attacks. French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said security forces continued to search for the "saboteurs" responsible after rail networks were paralyzed ahead of the opening of the Olympic Games. National rail company SNCF said services that run on Saturday will be delayed for up to two hours on major lines running in and...

Rail sabotage plays havoc on opening day of Paris Olympics

(BBC News) Everything was in place. Streets in the centre of Paris have been blocked off, metro stations closed, and thousands of police, soldiers, and other guards deployed to maintain security on the big showpiece day to kick off the Olympics. But saboteurs struck away from the capital, at five apparently unguarded places. France's state-owned rail company SNCF says the saboteurs either vandalized or tried to vandalize five signal boxes and electricity installations between 01:00 and 05:30 on...

Gang kills women and children in Papua New Guinea massacre – reports

(BBC News) Dozens of villagers have reportedly been killed after a gang of young men launched a series of attacks in a remote region of Papua New Guinea. Survivors of the massacre have described hearing their neighbours' cries of pain, and watching as others were speared as they tried to flee the gang in canoes. At least 26 people – including 16 children – were killed, local media reported, with fears the death toll may rise...

Ten people drown in Panama river as migration risks escalate

(Al Jazeera Media Network) Ten people have drowned in a river near Panama’s border with Colombia, Panamanian border police say, as the rainy season increases the risks migrants and asylum seekers face along a popular migration route. The bodies were found in riverside tributaries near the remote community of Carreto, the National Border Service known as SENAFRONT said on Wednesday. The village lies on the Caribbean Sea and is part of the Guna Yala autonomous Indigenous territory. SENAFRONT did...

Netanyahu faces delicate balancing act in U.S. after Biden exits race

(BBC News) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits the US this week under pressure to end the Gaza war, from both Israelis and the US administration. How might the political turbulence in Washington shape the trip and future relations? Netanyahu is set to meet Joe Biden – if the president has recovered from Covid-19 – and address a joint session of Congress, the only foreign leader to do so for a fourth time. The trip offers...

Biden steps down – who could challenge Harris for Democratic nomination?

(BBC News) Joe Biden on Sunday announced he would end his re-election campaign, and said Kamala Harris, his vice-president, should take his place. "I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year," he wrote on X. "Democrats — it's time to come together and beat Trump." Harris taking over is not a done deal, however. Several others have been touted as potential replacements in the weeks leading...

Israel strikes Houthis in Yemen after drone hits Tel Aviv

(BBC News) Israel has launched air strikes on the Houthi movement in Yemen, a day after a drone launched by the group hit Tel Aviv. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said his country aimed to send a message to the group. "The fire that is currently burning in Hodeidah, is seen across the Middle East, and the significance is clear," he said. Houthi official Mohammed Abdulsalam reported a "brutal Israel aggression against Yemen." He said the strikes were...

Recovery slow after CrowdStrike update sparks global IT outage

(Al Jazeera Media Network) Businesses and services around the world were slowly recovering after a massive technology outage wreaked havoc across the world and raised questions about the vulnerability of the global interconnected economy. A faulty software update caused the “unprecedented” outage on Friday, grounding flights, knocking out financial companies and news outlets, and disrupting hospitals, supermarkets, small businesses and government offices. By Saturday, several services were back online, but George Kurtz, the CEO of US cybersecurity...

Global services slowly recovering after bug causes IT chaos

(BBC News) Businesses and services around the world are slowly recovering after a massive IT outage affected computer systems for hours on Thursday and Friday. Businesses, banks, hospitals and airlines were among the worst hit after cyber-security firm Crowdstrike issued a faulty software update that affected Microsoft Windows. Crowdstrike's CEO apologized for the disruption and said a fix had been issued, but admitted it could be "some time" before all systems were back up and running. While...

At least 17 dead in Bangladesh student protests

(Al Jazeera Media Network) Thousands of students armed with sticks and rocks have clashed with armed police in Dhaka as the Bangladesh authorities cut some mobile internet services to quell protests against civil service hiring quotas. At least 17 people died during clashes at protests across Bangladesh on Thursday, local media reported, as authorities blocked mobile services across most of the South Asian country. Eleven people were killed in clashes with police in Dhaka, including a bus driver...