Ministers tell HS2 to consider slower train speeds to cut costs

Company will assess whether drop to 186mph from 224mph will save money and help bring forward launch

Ministers have told High Speed Two to consider running its trains at lower speeds, in an attempt to rein in the spiralling budget and begin operations as soon as possible.

HS2 Ltd will assess whether limiting the speed to 186mph (300km/h) instead of 224mph could save money – potentially billions of pounds – and bring the railway into being earlier in the 2030s.

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Ukraine has ‘irrefutable evidence’ of Russia providing intelligence to Iran, Zelensky says – The Kyiv Independent

  1. Ukraine has 'irrefutable evidence' of Russia providing intelligence to Iran, Zelensky says  The Kyiv Independent
  2. Ukraine has 'irrefutable' evidence of Russia providing intelligence to Iran, Zelenskiy says  Reuters
  3. Exclusive | Russia Is Sharing Satellite Imagery and Drone Technology With Iran  WSJ
  4. Ukraine has ‘irrefutable’ evidence of Russia providing intelligence to Iran, Zelensky says  The Times of Israel
  5. Ukraine diplomat urges strikes on Russian drone production over Iran shipments  The Jerusalem Post
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Explainer: With top figures dead, who is now running Iran? – Reuters

  1. Explainer: With top figures dead, who is now running Iran?  Reuters
  2. Iran launches barrage of missiles after Israel kills 2 of its top officials  AP News
  3. The assassination of senior leaders weakens Iran—but at a cost  The Economist
  4. Iranian intelligence minister killed in precision airstrike, while US military targets missile sites  Fox News
  5. As the Iran war rages, Israel continues killing senior Iranian figures. This is how they do it.  CBS News
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Israel launches new strikes on Tehran as Trump pauses Iran energy attacks

Israeli military says it will continue operations in line with Israeli government directives until told otherwise

The Israeli military said it had launched a new wave of strikes on Tehran, after Donald Trump signalled a pause in US attacks against energy infrastructure after what he said were productive talks with Iran.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said it would continue operations in line with Israeli government directives until told otherwise.

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Europe’s far right backs Orbán as Hungary’s coming election puts his brand to the test – AP News

  1. Europe’s far right backs Orbán as Hungary’s coming election puts his brand to the test  AP News
  2. Viktor Orbán celebrated by Europe’s far right before Hungary election  The Guardian
  3. Prime Minister Netanyahu's son speaks at Hungary's CPAC conference, praises PM Orban  The Jerusalem Post
  4. Orbán vouches to 'break down the gates of the progressives in Brussels' if he wins elections  Euronews.com
  5. Trump affirms ‘total endorsement’ of Orbán ahead of Hungary election  politico.eu
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Trump says he and ‘the ayatollah’ can share control of Strait of Hormuz – Middle East Eye

  1. Trump says he and 'the ayatollah' can share control of Strait of Hormuz  Middle East Eye
  2. NATO Allies ‘Coming Together’ to Secure Strait of Hormuz, Mark Rutte Says  WSJ
  3. Trump says Strait of Hormuz will be open soon and US and Iran will jointly control it  CNN
  4. Trump says that he's asked 'about 7' countries to join coalition to police Iran's Strait of Hormuz  AP News
  5. A Look at the Escalating Battle for the Strait of Hormuz  The New York Times
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Italian voters reject Giorgia Meloni’s plan to overhaul judiciary

Referendum result could tarnish PM’s reputation and make winning next year’s general election more challenging

Italian voters have rejected an overhaul of the country’s judiciary pushed by the prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, an outcome that is expected to tarnish her reputation and make winning next year’s general election more challenging.

In a two-day referendum, almost 54% of voters said no to the plans to reorganise the judiciary, compared with about 46% for the yes camp.

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Is Iran really able to strike London, and is the UK prepared for an attack?

After Tehran targeted the UK-US base on Diego Garcia, Israel’s military said European capitals were also at risk

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed at the weekend that Iran had weapons able to travel about 4,000km (2,500 miles), posing an immediate threat to European cities including London.

The comments came after it emerged Iran had targeted the joint UK–US military base on Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands.

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UN expert warns torture has become ‘state doctrine’ in Israel, making prisons instruments of genocide and torture – ohchr

  1. UN expert warns torture has become ‘state doctrine’ in Israel, making prisons instruments of genocide and torture  ohchr
  2. UN expert says world has given Israel ‘licence to torture Palestinians’  Al Jazeera
  3. Albanese urges ICC arrest warrants for Israeli ministers over torture of Palestinians  Middle East Eye
  4. WJC at UNHRC | WJC Calls Out UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese for Antisemitic Remarks  World Jewish Congress
  5. UN warns of systematic abuse in Occupied Palestinian Territories  africanews.com
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Report Shows Earth’s Climate is Out of Balance, as Indicators Hit New Extremes – Inside Climate News

  1. Report Shows Earth’s Climate is Out of Balance, as Indicators Hit New Extremes  Inside Climate News
  2. State of the Global Climate 2025  World Meteorological Organization WMO
  3. What are zettajoules – and what do they tell us about Earth’s energy imbalance?  The Guardian
  4. U.N. Climate Report Finds Growing Energy Imbalance on Earth  The New York Times
  5. UN issues new climate warning as El Niño looms  BBC
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Why Russia Is Worried About the Iran War – The National Interest

  1. Why Russia Is Worried About the Iran War  The National Interest
  2. What the Russian Energy Sector Stands to Gain From War in the Middle East  Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
  3. Vladimir Putin enjoys a huge windfall from the Iran war  The Economist
  4. Russia, China and the US – the global winners and losers of the Iran war  BBC
  5. Russia Boosts Its Oil Revenues to Four-Year High as Prices Surge  Bloomberg.com
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Russian rocket en route to ISS suffers major antenna glitch, triggering remote-control astronaut ‘backup plan’ – Live Science

  1. Russian rocket en route to ISS suffers major antenna glitch, triggering remote-control astronaut 'backup plan'  Live Science
  2. Russian cargo spacecraft suffers glitch after launching toward International Space Station  Space
  3. Progress Cargo Craft Docks to Station Resupplying Crew  NASA (.gov)
  4. Russia resumes use of space launch site damaged in accident  Yahoo
  5. Russian space craft antenna problem forces manual docking with ISS  Reuters
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Russia’s ISS Cargo Mission Suffers Unexpected Glitch Moments After Launch – The Daily Galaxy

  1. Russia’s ISS Cargo Mission Suffers Unexpected Glitch Moments After Launch  The Daily Galaxy
  2. Russian cargo spacecraft suffers glitch after launching toward International Space Station  Space
  3. Progress 92 Cargo Spacecraft Undocks, Crew Preps for Upcoming Spacewalk  NASA (.gov)
  4. Russian rocket en route to ISS suffers major antenna glitch, triggering remote-control astronaut 'backup plan'  Live Science
  5. Russia launches first rocket from repaired Baikonur launch pad  Reuters
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Iranian Official Denies Talks With U.S., Says Trump Delayed Strikes Under Pressure – Kurdistan24

  1. Iranian Official Denies Talks With U.S., Says Trump Delayed Strikes Under Pressure  Kurdistan24
  2. Day 23 of Middle East conflict — Iran responds to Trump threat to bomb power plants, strikes on Israel  CNN
  3. HORMUZ TRACKER: China-Bound LPG Carrier Joins Sparse Transits  Bloomberg.com
  4. Bottling the World Economy  The New York Review of Books
  5. Iran says Hormuz open to all but ‘enemy-linked’ ships  Reuters
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Europe Is Quietly Playing a Crucial Role in the Iran War – WSJ

  1. Europe Is Quietly Playing a Crucial Role in the Iran War  WSJ
  2. “It’s a Disaster”: European Countries Refuse to Take a Stand Against U.S. Violations of Int’l Law  Democracy Now!
  3. Opinion | Europe is distancing itself from America. That leads in one direction.  The Washington Post
  4. Europe should join the war on Iran, even if Trump gives up the fight  The Telegraph
  5. How two wars are pulling Europe and the US apart  politico.eu
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