MADRID (AFP) - Spain’s transport minister handed in his resignation following a train crash that killed 69 people, one of the worst railway disasters in Europe this century. Oscar Puente, who had earlier pledged to work “tirelessly” to restore confidence in the world’s second-largest high-speed rail network, also said he was withdrawing from the Nov 29 general election. “A transport minister in a country like Spain cannot remain in office after two accidents of such seriousness in less than a year, however different they may be, whether or not I bear direct responsibility,” Puente told members of parliament, referring to the latest tragedy and a January crash in Andalusia that claimed 46 lives. “I made my decision about my future in the first few minutes after the tragedy, as soon as I learned about it,” he said.

 

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ROME (Anadolu) - Italian President Sergio Mattarella called Wednesday for a major overhaul of the country’s armed forces to address growing cyber threats, disinformation and the increasing use of artificial intelligence in warfare, ANSA news agency reported. In a message to Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, Mattarella warned that traditional conflicts continued to affect large parts of the world, including Europe. He said these conflicts were increasingly accompanied by widespread disinformation, cyber threats and the growing use of artificial intelligence and autonomous systems. The president described the use of these technologies in hostile activities as a worrying development, stressing the need for the armed forces to adapt rapidly to changing security conditions.

 

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MANILA (Reuters) - China and the Philippines pledged to maintain dialogue and communication despite strained ties, as both countries offered their own account of a recent call between their foreign ministers. The Philippine foreign ministry said on Wednesday that Foreign Minister Ma. Theresa Lazaro spoke with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi at length on Tuesday, describing the phone call as “frank, pragmatic and constructive”. Wang said relations between their countries face “malicious interference” and accused some politicians of “irrational and intolerable” conduct that crossed China’s red lines, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua on Tuesday.

 

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GENEVA (AFP) - The world is falling behind in efforts to adapt to worsening climate impacts, with developing countries facing growing funding shortages and climate-related losses, the UN Environment Program warned on Wednesday. In its Adaptation Gap Report 2026, the agency said international public funding for climate adaptation in developing countries increased by just $1 billion between 2023 and 2024, reaching an estimated $28.2 billion to $31.7 billion in 2024. The report estimated that developing countries would need approximately $305 billion annually by 2035 to address escalating climate risks.

 

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CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - South Africans began voting Wednesday in local government elections that will test support for the African National Congress (ANC), the party that led the struggle against apartheid but has suffered significant electoral setbacks in recent years. Polling stations across the country opened at 7 am local time (0500GMT) and are scheduled to close at 9 pm (1900GMT). Nearly 29 million people are registered to vote at some 23,700 polling stations nationwide, according to the country’s electoral commission. “I am voting for change. I want to see adequate service delivery in my community,” Chris Mazibuko, 38, a resident of Soweto, told Anadolu.