http://www.planetgraphix.info/forum/ Planet Graphix powered by the Galaxy. en Sat, 20 Jun 2026 18:27:25 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.planetgraphix.info/forum/images/misc/rss.png http://www.planetgraphix.info/forum/ http://www.planetgraphix.info/forum/showthread.php?14904-Steve-Rosenberg-Moscow-oil-refinery-attack-brings-Russia-s-war-with-Ukraine-closer-t&goto=newpost Sat, 20 Jun 2026 12:40:09 GMT Image: https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/e66a/live/6e4dd6a0-6c04-11f1-8e1d-bbbb1017d210.jpg Acrid black smoke billowed from the oil... Acrid black smoke billowed from the oil refinery after Thursday's attackThere are moments when life in Moscow feels completely normal. Thursday morning wasn't one of them.
In the south-east of the city an oil refinery had been hit during a Ukrainian drone attack - even from a distance the sight was surreal.
Thick smoke billowing from the direction of the facility had turned the sky dark. Like a giant black shroud, it hung over the Moscow skyline.
As extraordinary and eye-catching this was, so was the reaction of people near the refinery.
Paying minimal attention to the huge clouds of smoke, an angler sat by the side of a pond, staring out across the water as he carried on fishing.
At the playground opposite, children were having fun on the swings.
Shoppers were heading to and from a supermarket, as if this was just another Thursday.
I realised thenthat my sense of what's normal in Moscow and what's not, needed updating.
For so long, the war on Ukraine felt very distant to people in the Russian capital. Many pretended it wasn't happening at all, but that's harder to do as the front line creeps closer to the city.
Over the past year-and-a-half, Muscovites have woken to news that army generals in Moscow have been assassinated, and drones have been targeting the capital.
In a sense, abnormal is already the new normal.
Thursday's attack was one of the largest aerial assaults on the Moscow region since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
As well as damage to the oil refinery, shopping centres and residential buildings were hit, too. According to the governor of the Moscow region, an eight-year-old girl was killed in a fire caused by one of the drone strikes.
"I'm not totally surprised by what happened," says Slava, who lives in an apartment block opposite the oil refinery. "But I didn't expect such a big attack."
"I heard explosions and saw lots of smoke. It's the kind of thing you normally see in the movies. I saw it from my apartment window."
The fire at the Kapotnya refinery was visible to motorists on the Moscow ring roadBut another local resident, Nadezhda, saw nothing normal in what's happening.
"It took us four years to win World War Two, even though our soldiers had little food and water," she told me.
"Today we have all the resources we need. But this war goes on. I'm shocked."
How do the Russian authorities respond to people like Nadezhda, to Russians struggling to understand why the Kremlin's so-called "special military operation" is taking so long, and how it can be that the war has come to their city?
Russian officials regularly accuse the West of prolonging the war in Ukraine, blaming European leaders and Nato for supporting Kyiv.
But on Thursday, President Vladimir Putin said nothing about the drone assault. The news bulletins on Russian TV channels barely mentioned it.
When Russian newspapers reported the story the following day, I detected a common thread in their coverage: a coordinated message, perhaps, for the domestic audience.
It can be summed up as this: "However bad it is for us, Ukraine's suffering more".
"Our attacks are doing far more damage to Ukraine than Ukraine is doing to us," declared the ultra-pro-Kremlin Komsomolskaya Pravda.
"Our strikes to demilitarise Ukraine are far more powerful and effective than Ukrainian attacks," wrote the tabloid Moskovsky Komsomolets.
The narrative was almost identical in the government paper Rossiyskaya Gazeta: "Our attacks on defence enterprises working for the Ukrainian army are much more powerful than those which Russians, unfortunately, are having to deal with."
"Our strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure linked to the military-industrial complex are far more effective and produce more results," commented business daily Kommersant.
Vladimir Putin was hosting a Russia-Asean summit in the city of Kazan at the time of the attack and made no mention of itWhen the Kremlin finally reacted, it had a similar message.
"You should look for more footage coming out of various cities in Ukraine," Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"Footage showing the results of strikes carried out by our armed forces is impressive. These strikes will continue."
There is no sign that Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian cities have given Putin pause for thought. From his recent speeches and statements, the Kremlin leader seems determined to continue Russia's assault on Ukraine, confident that in this war of attrition his country will prevail.
But there are signs that long-range Ukrainian strikes – particularly on Russian oil facilities – are increasing the pressure on the Russian economy. Petrol shortages and rationing have been reported in some parts of the country, and prices have been rising at the pumps.
In what has become the new normal, Moscow is expecting more drone strikes.
"The Ukrainian attack on the Moscow region on 18 June won't be the last attack, or even one of the last," predicted Moskovsky Komsomolets.
"There's nothing we can do about this," one woman told me last Thursday as she looked up at the clouds of smoke.
"It's our government that must decide what to do. All we can do is watch."
Adblock test (Why?) ]]> Planetary News of the Day RipperJack http://www.planetgraphix.info/forum/showthread.php?14904-Steve-Rosenberg-Moscow-oil-refinery-attack-brings-Russia-s-war-with-Ukraine-closer-t http://www.planetgraphix.info/forum/showthread.php?14903-Talk-of-Starmer-staying-on-to-fight-is-fading-fast&goto=newpost Sat, 20 Jun 2026 12:40:09 GMT Talk of Starmer staying on to fight is fading - fastImage:... Talk of Starmer staying on to fight is fading - fast

"We promised people we weren't going to do this."
There is exasperation in the voice of a long time Labour adviser. But as every hour passes, it is more likely the UK will soon have its seventh prime minister in 10 years.
Talk of Sir Keir Starmer fighting is fading, his exit seems more likely as the weekend goes on. The prime minister is at his country retreat, Chequers, spending time with his wife.
The man coming for his job, Andy Burnham, is spending the weekend with his family, away from home too.
The reasons for Labour to switch leader are compelling. Andy Burnham looks like a winner. He has shown he can beat Reform, who until this moment have seemed a deadly threat to Labour. He is popular in the country, compared to most politicians at least. There are swathes of MPs eager to back him and his brand, believing he's the one who can improve the party's grim position.
"He's an instinctive guy – that's his great talent," said one source.
He's been successful and highly visible as the Mayor of Greater Manchester, known just as Andy everywhere he goes, one of his backers tells me.
He's no stranger to government either, having served as health secretary, culture secretary, and as a Treasury minister years ago. And most of all, Burnham's shown in the Makerfield by-election campaign he has that valuable talent in politics – a capacity to make people feel good.
Labour in Westminster has forgotten what that's like.
There have been more than a dozen big U-turns. Resignations. The mess over Lord Mandelson's job. And after dreadful election results in 2025 and 2026, wipe-out in Wales. Starmer has seemed like a loser to many in his own party.
It is not even two years since his massive win at the general election. But the political perception that he has an appeal to voters? Brutally, that's long gone.
On Friday, the prime minister was still arguing to the cameras that he would fight if Burnham challenges him, refusing to acknowledge that is not an "if", it's a "when".
Even privately some of his backers were still adamant he would run, talking of donors who've given money to run a campaign and office spaces being found.
One source claimed his conversations with cabinet ministers in the afternoon were not about whether he had the authority to stay in office, but the arguments he'd make in a leadership race.
Several sources told me Starmer really does believe he could beat Burnham in a leadership contest, and concluded that a fortnight ago after watching him on BBC Question Time on a Thursday, then failing to explain the borrowing and spending rules in a Newsnight interview on the Friday.
A government insider said: "On Saturday he phoned his closest allies and said, 'I'm sure I could win.'"
But the widespread assumption this weekend in the party is that Burnham would beat him hands down, another government source said: "It's nuts" to imagine the PM could come out on top.
An increasing number of ministers, previously loyal to Starmer now think it's time, as one cabinet source told me, they "wouldn't want the prime minister to humiliate himself" in a race.
The chances of him staying to fight are diminishing. But what is still a mystery this weekend is exactly how Starmer will respond.
One of his colleagues' frustrations with him has always been that he seems unknowable.
"It's very hard for people to know a person who doesn't know themselves," said another government insider.
Don't underestimate the anger towards Burnham inside Downing Street, and that's shared by some other ministers too.
Not just for what's happening now, but how they see he's chipped in unhelpfully from the sidelines since the day Starmer moved into No 10.
One Starmer ally told me: "This is not a chase, these are big decisions about who is going to run the county – it can't be rushed 20 minutes after a by-election."
Many in Labour aren't sure what Burnham would actually do in office either.
The former minister, Jess Philips, told the BBC this morning that Burnham or any other candidates must be "tested with the rigour of at least some manner of contest".
One government minister, Mike Tapp, told me bluntly he'd never met him, and "I don't know his politics".
A backer of the prime minister said, when Burnham had faced tough questions in the by-election campaign, "he's fallen apart".
There's also concern about the precedent of ousting a leader off the back of a by-election, the votes from a group of only 77,000 people deciding everything for the whole country. Burnham would have no mandate from the public, without a general election.
And what happens if Labour's standing didn't improve? Might those calling for a removal van for the current prime minister do the same again? What if there were another by-election when Prime Minister Burnham was in trouble?
Is it mad to imagine that other big names from the past - David Miliband or, even Ed Balls - might abandon New York and the breakfast TV sofa, and fancy a comeback too?
Just as there are compelling reasons for Labour to make the switch, there are serious risks. There may yet be a contest, and another candidate aside from Wes Streeting could find the 81 names to run.
But with 100 MPs now calling for Starmer to go and support for him to stay in the cabinet fading, one senior party figure predicts "he'll realise this weekend that he can't keep the Cabinet and ministers together and will have to go".
Labour has found itself in a strange situation it promised you it would never reach – en route to removing its first prime minister to win in 14 years. And congratulating themselves for winning a seat they already held, so they can get rid of the man whose campaigning won them all the seats they have.
But whether Starmer reaches the conclusion that he will have to go himself, or he is forced into a contest, more agree with another veteran figure, "It's done".
Starmer's success in getting Labour back to power after the crash of 2019 was remarkable. But his time in office has proved a very different story, of many frustrations and failure.
One party source told me: "My experience of working with his administration is - the fundamental part of the job of prime minister and Labour Party leader is to be a political leader and he is neither political nor a leader.'"
That is brutal. But many in Labour would agree it's true, even though they'd point to achievements during his time in power – progress on pushing down NHS waiting lists, immigration coming down, his handling of foreign affairs and a growing economy.
The vow not to repeat the Conservatives' habit of switching prime minister might be the last political promise Starmer breaks.
BBC InDepth is the home on the website and app for the best analysis, with fresh perspectives that challenge assumptions and deep reporting on the biggest issues of the day. Emma Barnett and John Simpson bring their pick of the most thought-provoking deep reads and analysis, every Saturday. Sign up for the newsletter here
Adblock test (Why?) ]]> Planetary News of the Day RipperJack http://www.planetgraphix.info/forum/showthread.php?14903-Talk-of-Starmer-staying-on-to-fight-is-fading-fast http://www.planetgraphix.info/forum/showthread.php?14902-What-we-know-so-far-about-the-collision-and-emergency-response&goto=newpost Sat, 20 Jun 2026 12:40:09 GMT What we know about Bedford train crash and how it is affecting travelTwo passenger trains have collided in the Bedford area,leaving a driver dead and... What we know about Bedford train crash and how it is affecting travel

Two passenger trains have collided in the Bedford area,leaving a driver dead and dozens of passengers and crew injured.
Emergency crews were on the scene after the crash happened between two East Midlands Railway (EMR) services shortly after 17:00 BST on Friday.
Confirming the death shortly before 21:00, the British Transport Police (BTP) said a major incident had been declared.
Nine people were in a critical condition as of Saturday morning, out of a total of 28 who were still in hospital, according to the emergency services.
The local ambulance service said the crash had left 89 people injured to varying degrees.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said reports of the collision were "hugely concerning", and that his thoughts were with the family of the person who died and with those seriously injured.
When and where did the train crash happen?

The crash happened just south of the Elstow interchange between the A421 and the A6.
A passenger on board one of the trains told the BBC that the collision happened at 17:12.
Rail service Thameslink reported that lines between Luton and Bedford had been blocked from around 17:30.
The BTP said just before 18:45 that it was responding to reports of a collision near Bedford.
Passengers say one of the trains had been stationary when the second hit it.
Dr Peter Knapp told BBC News: "I felt like I'd been in a bomb explosion."
The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) confirmed that one of the train drivers had died as a result of the crash.
General secretary Eddie Dempsey said: "The thoughts of RMT are with their family, friends, colleagues and the Aslef trade union at this awful time."
How has it affected travel?

EMR has said its services to and from London St Pancras have been suspended over the weekend, with trains beginning or ending their journeys at Bedford.
This means people planning on travelling directly to St Pancras from places like Sheffield, Lincoln and Derby will have to take alternative routes.
The train operator has advised travellers that tickets which had already been bought could be used at no extra cost to travel with other operators.
Network Rail's East Midlands route director Mark Budden said: "We know passengers will want to understand when services can resume.
"We will provide updates as soon as we have a clearer understanding of the recovery work required and when the railway can safely reopen."
The disruption means that there are no direct trains from the Midlands and parts of northern England to Luton Airport and St Pancras.
Travellers would usually be able to change trains for a Thameslink service at Bedford - but there is engineering works this weekend and a replacement bus service running between Bedford and St Pancras instead.
Luton Airport said it was aware of the rail incident and urged air travellers to check the latest transport information before setting out for the airport.
Which train services were involved?

Witnesses described hearing a loud bang and people being flung from their seatsEMR has confirmed two of its trains were involved in the collision.
A spokesperson said: "The 16:40 EMR train from Corby to London St Pancras has been involved in a collision with 15:50 Nottingham to London St Pancras, at Bedford South.
They added that it would be unable to retrieve luggage left aboard the two trains that crashed until the BTP had completed its initial investigation.
What have the emergency services said?

The BTP declared a major incident shortly after the crash.
Chief Constable Lucy D'Orsi said more than 80 people had been treated in hospital following the collision.
The East of England Ambulance Service (EEAS) said 11 people had sustained very serious injuries and 22 had been seriously injured.
It took a total of 64 people to hospital, while some people with minor injuries were treated at the scene.
Paul Gates, EEAS strategic commander, said 20 ambulances and six air ambulance "partners" were dispatched to the crash site, among other resources.
Bedford Hospital and Luton and Dunstable University Hospital asked people to avoid attending their emergency departments "unless they have a genuine medical emergency" while they treated victims of the crash.
Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue said that, while the crash did not cause a fire, more than 70 firefighters had attended to help with the emergency response.
What has been the reaction from politicians?

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she was "deeply saddened" by the death.
Bedford and Kempston MP Mohammad Yasin said the "very serious" incident was "really concerning".
Health Secretary James Murray said he was being kept updated on the emergency response to the crash.
"A number of people have been injured and I thank first responders who are helping those affected."
How did the crash happen?

The exact cause of the crash - and why one train was stationary ahead of a moving train - remains unclear.
As well as the BTP investigating, Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) inspectors have attended the scene to begin gathering evidence and will conduct a full investigation.
Alexander said it was too early to speculate on what that investigation would conclude, while stressing the UK's railways were "some of the safest in the world".
"We will make sure that there's a thorough investigation done to establish how this collision happened and to ensure that lessons are learned so that we don't have an incident like this ever again," the transport secretary said.
The BTP's Chief Constable D'Orsi stressed that the force's "extremely experienced" specialist investigators were working with the RAIB "to gather the facts and determine what has happened".
She added: "I would ask that we all refrain from speculation."
Adblock test (Why?) ]]> Planetary News of the Day RipperJack http://www.planetgraphix.info/forum/showthread.php?14902-What-we-know-so-far-about-the-collision-and-emergency-response http://www.planetgraphix.info/forum/showthread.php?14901-Welcome-masopitto7512&goto=newpost Sat, 20 Jun 2026 08:12:47 GMT Hi masopitto7512, welcome to the forum! If you need anything just ask. Hi masopitto7512, welcome to the forum! If you need anything just ask. ]]> Member Introductions RipperJack http://www.planetgraphix.info/forum/showthread.php?14901-Welcome-masopitto7512 http://www.planetgraphix.info/forum/showthread.php?14900-What-we-know-so-far-about-Bedford-train-crash&goto=newpost Sat, 20 Jun 2026 00:30:51 GMT What we know so far about Bedford train crashTwo passenger trains have collided in the Bedford area,leaving dozens of passengers and crew hurt and... What we know so far about Bedford train crash

Two passenger trains have collided in the Bedford area,leaving dozens of passengers and crew hurt and one person dead.
Emergency crews are on the scene after the crash happened between two East Midlands Railway (EMR) services shortly after 17:00 BST.
Confirming the death shortly before 21:00 BST, British Transport Police said a major incident had been declared, adding a number of people had also been injured.
The East of England Ambulance Service said the crash had left 89 people injured, with 11 of them suffering "very serious injuries".
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said reports of the collision were "hugely concerning" and said his thoughts were with the family of the person who died and with those seriously injured.
When and where did the train crash happen?

The crash happened just south of the Elstow interchange between the A421 and the A6.
Aerial footage of the aftermath shows the two damaged EMR trains with most carriages on the tracks but at least one shunted off.
British Transport Police said just before 18:45 BST that it was responding to reports of a collision near Bedford.
Rail service Thameslink reported that lines between Luton and Bedford had been blocked from around 17:30 BST.
A passenger on board one of the trains, who spoke to the BBC, said the collision happened at 17:12 BST.
What happened when the trains collided?

It has been claimed one of the trains hit another that was either stationary or moving slowly in front of it on the same line.
Passenger Peter Knapp said others on his train saw one ahead of them before the crash.
He told BBC News: "I felt like I'd been in a bomb explosion."
Knapp described seeing "bloodied faces", people with what appeared to be broken legs, and "smoke everywhere".
Another passenger told the BBC that people flew out of their seats in the crash, including someone who hit her husband in the face.
"There was a lot of blood. A lot of people had facial injuries," Shola Mene said.
The RMT union said it had received reports that passengers and onboard train staff have sustained what it described as "serious injuries".
The Rail Accident Investigation branch said it was in Bedford trying to find out exactly what had happened.
It said in a statement on X: "A team of RAIB inspectors is on site at the scene of a collision between two trains near Elstow, to start gathering evidence."
Which train services were involved?

Witnesses described hearing a loud bang and people being flung from their seatsEast Midlands Railway has confirmed two of its trains were involved in the collision.
A spokesperson said: "The 16:40 EMR train from Corby to London St Pancras has been involved in a collision with 15:50 Nottingham [to] London St Pancras, at Bedford South.
"We are currently on the scene and working with Network Rail to assist the emergency services.
"Further updates will be provided as soon as more information is established."
The train company had earlier posted online that services to and from London St Pancras were suspended for the rest of the day.
What have the emergency services said?

British Transport Police initially said it had responded to a collision between two trains in the Bedford area, and urged people not to travel to the scene.
In a later statement, the force said: "We know that a number of people have been injured and one person has very sadly died.
"A major incident has been declared, and officers are continuing to respond at the scene alongside colleagues from Bedfordshire Police and the local Fire and Rescue and Ambulance Services."
In a statement, the East of England Ambulance Service said 11 people had been left with very serious injuries, 22 had been seriously injured and 56 people had minor injuries.
Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "Crews are currently in attendance at an incident on the railway just south of Bedford.
"Please avoid the area. Thank you for your co-operation."
East of England Ambulance Service said: "We have sent a number of resources, including air ambulance and our Hazardous Area Response Team, to a major incident on the railway south of #Bedford. We encourage people to avoid the area.
"Further updates will be provided in due course. Please only call 999 in an emergency."
Bedford Hospital and Luton and Dunstable University Hospital have asked people to avoid attending their emergency departments "unless they have a genuine medical emergency".
Both hospitals said in separate X posts: "Our hospitals are currently supporting the active incident in relation to the recent train crash in Bedford.
"We ask the public to avoid attending our Emergency Departments unless they have a genuine medical emergency. Please use NHS services appropriately."
What has been the reaction from politicians?

Calling the incident "concerning", Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer paid tribute to the emergency services for their swift response to the crash.
"First and foremost, my thoughts are with the family of the person who has sadly lost their life, and with those who have been seriously injured", the PM wrote on X.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said on X she was "deeply saddened" by the death.
Confirming that Rail Accident Investigation Branch inspectors were on site, she said a full investigation would take place.
Bedford and Kempston MP Mohammad Yasin said the "very serious" incident was "really concerning" and told the BBC he believed there was "a number of casualties".
Health Secretary James Murray said: "I am being kept updated on the collision of two trains between Luton and Bedford.
"A number of people have been injured and I thank first responders who are helping those affected."
Adblock test (Why?) ]]> Planetary News of the Day RipperJack http://www.planetgraphix.info/forum/showthread.php?14900-What-we-know-so-far-about-Bedford-train-crash http://www.planetgraphix.info/forum/showthread.php?14899-People-flew-from-their-seats-Passengers-describe-how-crash-unfolded&goto=newpost Sat, 20 Jun 2026 00:30:51 GMT 'People flew from their seats': Passengers describe how Bedford train crash unfolded

Passengers onboard two trains that collided near Bedford on Friday afternoon have told the BBC of the panic and injuries they witnessed in the aftermath of the crash.
One person died and "a number of others" were injured in the incident, according to the British Transport Police.
The East of England Ambulance Service said nearly 90 people had been injured, over 30 of them seriously.
Teresa Itabor opened her eyes and saw "blood everywhere"Teresa Itabor, from Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, was on the 16:57 at Wellingborough heading to the capital to celebrate her birthday.
She says she had her eyes closed and headphones in when the collision happened.
"We left Bedford station and there was a massive bang... I didn't know what was going on; my head hit the seat in front of me," she said.
"I opened my eyes and that's when I saw people on the floor with blood everywhere."
The carriage doors had jammed and would not open, she added.
Passenger Dr Peter Knapp told the BBC he was travelling in the "front carriage of the train that collided into another one".
"When I got up, I saw all of the chairs everywhere. It felt like I'd been in a bomb explosion.
"When I got up, I saw people's bloodied faces and people's legs looked broken and there was smoke everywhere", he said.
Speaking from the side of the road, Knapp said the police were taking passenger's details while some were taken to hospital. "Some people are spitting out blood", he said.
Brett Byatt described the serious injuries he saw onboard the trainBrett Byatt, another passenger onboard, said: "I knew something was up because the train never slows down from Bedford to Luton, and I felt it break."
He said initially the train had slowed gradually. "Then it was like a boom, smash, and everyone that was sat down went flying into one another."
"There was a woman in front of me that had completely snapped her leg, and there was a woman behind her, they were sort of on top of each other, she couldn't move because of her back.
"There was a guy further down the carriage that couldn't move his neck, he was laid on the floor and people were holding him still".
The collision was "like a big bang", Shola Mene saidAnother passenger, Shola Mene, said the collision "was like a big bang".
"Then people flew from their seats, the seats were pulling, and then someone just flew across and hit my husband in the face.
"There was a lot of blood", she said. "A lot of people had facial injuries."
Adblock test (Why?) ]]> Planetary News of the Day RipperJack http://www.planetgraphix.info/forum/showthread.php?14899-People-flew-from-their-seats-Passengers-describe-how-crash-unfolded http://www.planetgraphix.info/forum/showthread.php?14898-Driver-dead-and-33-people-seriously-injured-as-Bedford-train-crash-declared-major-inc&goto=newpost Sat, 20 Jun 2026 00:30:51 GMT Driver dead and 33 people seriously injured as Bedford train crash declared major incidentA train driver has died and 89 people have been injured... Driver dead and 33 people seriously injured as Bedford train crash declared major incident

A train driver has died and 89 people have been injured after two trains collided in the Bedford area as police declare a major incident.
Eleven people suffered very serious injuries, 22 were seriously injured and a further 56 have minor injuries, the East of England Ambulance service said.
The crash involved two southbound East Midlands Railway (EMR) services, both travelling to London St Pancras on Friday afternoon. The cause of the incident is still under investigation.
RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said the union was "devastated to learn that a train driver and former RMT rep has tragically died" in the crash.
In a statement, the British Transport Police (BTP) said they had declared a major incident following the collision, which took place at around 17:15BST.
"We know that a number of people have been injured and one person has very sadly died", the statement said.
Passenger Dr Peter Knapp told the BBC he was travelling in the "front carriage of the train that collided into another one".
"When I got up, I saw all of the chairs everywhere. It felt like I'd been in a bomb explosion.
"When I got up, I saw people's bloodied faces and people's legs looked broken and there was smoke everywhere", he said.
Speaking from the side of the road, Knapp said the police were taking passengers details while some were taken taken to hospital. "Some people are spitting out blood", he said.
Images from the scene of the collision appear to show at least one carriage shunted from the tracksShola Mene, another passenger on one of the trains involved, said she heard a "big bang", adding: "People flew from their seats, the seats were pulling, and then someone just flew across and hit my husband in the face.
"There was a lot of blood. A lot of people had facial injuries", she said.
After the collision, there was a lot of confusion about what had happened, Mene said.
An air ambulance was dispatched as part of the emergency response to the collision, which happened just south of Elstow, near the the road interchange of the A421 and A6.
Aerial footage of the aftermath shows the two damaged trains with most carriages on the tracks but at least one shunted off.
The two trains involved were the 16:40 EMR train from Corby to London St Pancras and the 15:50 Nottingham at London St Pancras at Bedford South, an EMR spokesperson said.
Teresa Itabor, from Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, told the BBC she got on the train at 16:57 at Wellingborough and was heading to the capital to celebrate her birthday.
"We left Bedford station and there was a massive bang... I didn't know what was going on. My head hit the seat in front of me," she said.
"I opened my eyes and that's when I saw people on the floor with blood everywhere."
A spokesperson for the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers said: "We are deeply concerned by reports of a train collision between Bedford and Luton and the serious injuries sustained by on-board train staff and passengers.
"The thoughts of the whole union are with those affected and we continue to monitor the situation."
Adblock test (Why?) ]]> Planetary News of the Day RipperJack http://www.planetgraphix.info/forum/showthread.php?14898-Driver-dead-and-33-people-seriously-injured-as-Bedford-train-crash-declared-major-inc http://www.planetgraphix.info/forum/showthread.php?14897-Welcome-zisabellajnoz1199&goto=newpost Fri, 19 Jun 2026 15:59:12 GMT Hi zisabellajnoz1199, welcome to the forum! If you need anything just ask. Hi zisabellajnoz1199, welcome to the forum! If you need anything just ask. ]]> Member Introductions RipperJack http://www.planetgraphix.info/forum/showthread.php?14897-Welcome-zisabellajnoz1199 http://www.planetgraphix.info/forum/showthread.php?14896-Welcome-bpatickmtexaxday247&goto=newpost Fri, 19 Jun 2026 13:41:02 GMT Hi bpatickmtexaxday247, welcome to the forum! If you need anything just ask. Hi bpatickmtexaxday247, welcome to the forum! If you need anything just ask. ]]> Member Introductions RipperJack http://www.planetgraphix.info/forum/showthread.php?14896-Welcome-bpatickmtexaxday247 http://www.planetgraphix.info/forum/showthread.php?14895-Scottish-Conservatives-win-first-Westminster-by-election-in-more-than-50-years&goto=newpost Fri, 19 Jun 2026 12:30:47 GMT Scottish Conservatives win first Westminster by-election in more than 50 yearsImage:... Scottish Conservatives win first Westminster by-election in more than 50 years

Douglas Lumsden (centre) is to resign from Holyrood as he takes up a seat at WestminsterThe Scottish Conservatives have won a Westminster by-election for the first time in more than 50 years, taking Aberdeen South from the SNP.
The seat, vacated by the SNP's Stephen Flynn, was won by Tory MSP Douglas Lumsden.
Shortly afterwards the SNP claimed a victory in the Arbroath and Broughty Ferry by-election where Lara Bird held the seat for the party.
Lumsden, who is unable to sit in both parliaments due to a Holyrood ban on so-called dual mandates, is to resign from Holyrood just six weeks after winning re-election as a North East MSP.
South of the border, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham won the Makerfield by-election, paving the way for him to challenge Sir Keir Starmer as Labour Party leader.
The Scottish by-elections were triggered when sitting MPs - Flynn and his SNP colleague Stephen Gethins - resigned from the House of Commons after being elected to Holyrood.
Aberdeen is at the heart of the debate around the UK's energy future, and the UK government has chosen the city as the home of GB Energy - its fledgling publicly-owned energy company.
Lumsden, a former oil and gas worker, said his constituents had sent a message that "the destruction of the oil and gas industry must stop now".
The North East MSP defeated SNP candidate Richard Thomson, a former MP for Gordon, by a margin of more than 6,000 votes, with the Tories taking almost half of all ballots cast.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has lauded her party's win in Aberdeen South as a "significant" result, promising that she will "never stop fighting" for its constituents.
She said the result is "particularly significant" due to the support from those who had "never voted Conservative before".
Badenoch added her party "is working to earn the trust of the country again", and is "grateful and humbled" that residents of Aberdeen South voted for the Tories.
"Makerfield was about one man's job. Aberdeen South was about thousands of jobs in oil and gas across our country and the future of an entire city," she said.
Amy Cameron, from Greenpeace UK, said "false promises" from the Tories would not deliver a prosperous economic future for people in Aberdeen.
She said a just transition has to be strong enough for people to "let go of the industry that built their community" and "trust that the new economy will be ready to catch them".
In Arbroath and Broughty Ferry, Bird won the seat on Scotland's east coast for the SNP with a majority of more than 5,000 votes over the Conservatives.
Bird, from near Kirriemuir, is a qualified lawyer who has worked as an SNP researcher and adviser at Westminster.
She said voters had "rejected the politics of division and hate" and made it clear that Scotland's future "lies with independence".
Labour slipped from second to fourth in the constituency, with Reform in third.
Lara Bird, centre, won Arbroath and Broughty Ferry for the SNP Flynn, who is now Scotland's economy secretary, responded to the loss of his old seat on social media, posting: "A tough night in Aberdeen that some will need to reflect on, quite heavily."
He added: "We lost Aberdeen South to the Tories in 2017, and we won it back two years later.
"I've no doubt that we can do so again. If we get things right."
Lumsden will have 49 days to resign as an MSP, under Holyrood's dual mandate ban.
His place in the Scottish Parliament will be taken by the next candidate on the Conservatives' North East Scotland list, Fraserburgh councillor James Adams.
The Conservatives last won a Westminster by-election north of the border in 1973, when they held Edinburgh North.
The Scottish Tories had not gained a seat in a Westminster by-election since 1967, when they took Glasgow Pollok from Labour.
The Aberdeen South defeat comes just six weeks after the SNP won a comfortable victory in the Scottish election.
Within weeks the party was rocked by a scandal surrounding former chief executive Peter Murrell, who admitted in court to embezzling more than £400,000 of SNP funds over a 12-year period.
He is due to be sentenced next week.
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Adblock test (Why?) ]]> Planetary News of the Day RipperJack http://www.planetgraphix.info/forum/showthread.php?14895-Scottish-Conservatives-win-first-Westminster-by-election-in-more-than-50-years http://www.planetgraphix.info/forum/showthread.php?14894-Farage-blames-Makerfield-defeat-on-anti-Starmer-votes&goto=newpost Fri, 19 Jun 2026 12:30:47 GMT Image: https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/ea2e/live/0c5cbe50-6bc5-11f1-a417-cba5aab91344.jpg Nigel Farage says he is disappointed with... Nigel Farage says he is disappointed with Reform UK's performance in the Makerfield by-election, as he blamed his party's defeat on a desire among voters to eject Sir Keir Starmer from Downing Street.
The Reform leader claimed frustration with the embattled prime minister had driven Andy Burnham's "emphatic" Labour victory over his party's candidate, Rob Kenyon, who finished more than 9,000 votes behind.
He also conceded his party had also lost votes to rightwing rival Restore Britain, founded by ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe, which finished third in a breakthrough night for the fledgling party.
He issued a plea for Restore voters to back Reform instead, as the main "challenger party to the left".
Reform had sought to defeat Burnham in the Makerfield seat, giving it a high-profile scalp to boost its credentials as the likely main opposition party to Labour at the next general election.
But Burnham increased Labour's majority over Reform in the constituency in a rare feat for a candidate from the governing party.
The outgoing mayor of Greater Manchester is now expected to challenge Sir Keir for the Labour leadership and keys to No 10.
He would otherwise be barred from doing so without a seat in Parliament, making the Labour leadership a key issue in the contest in Makerfield, just south of Wigan.
In a video clip posted online, Farage said his party's second-place finish was a "disappointing" result, adding Burnham had won the contest with a "vote share that nobody could quite see coming".
"In many ways, he's a popular local mayor, just as Boris Johnson was a popular mayor in London just a few years ago," he said. "But what really happened here is it was 'vote Burnham, get Starmer out'."
He added that Reform had been "slightly hoist with our own petard", having previously framed a series of local and national elections in May as a chance for voters to put an end to Starmer's faltering premiership.
He also expressed frustration with Restore, which sought to outflank Reform on the right with bold promises including "the most ambitious programme of mass deportations ever seen in Britain".
"I thought we'd get 18,000 votes, we got just shy of 16 [thousand]. So I'm disappointed by that, no question about it," Farage added.
"There's a couple of thousand voters there who would normally have gone out and voted Reform, that voted Restore. And I would say directly to them, what do you want?
"We are the challenger party to the left in this country. And I would urge you to think again, I really, really would."
Rise of Restore

The by-election marks the first time that Restore Britain, which was registered as a political party in March, has contested a Westminster seat, marking its emergence on the national political stage.
It had been polling at around 3% nationwide but its performance in the high-profile Makerfield contest, where it captured around 7% of the vote, presents a strategic dilemma for Farage ahead of the next general election.
In the run-up to the vote, Reform had announced plans to ban non-British nationals from social housing and tax companies hiring foreign staff, as it tacked rightward to shore up its voter base.
Reform deputy leader Richard Tice echoed Farage's comments about anti-Starmer voting, whilst insisting his party had given the contest a "very good go".
"One should congratulate Mr Burnham on holding a very safe Labour seat that's been Labour for a hundred years," he told BBC Breakfast.
Speaking after the result, a jubilant Lowe posted on X that his candidate Rebecca Shepherd had achieved a "remarkable" result, adding that previous new parties had taken "years to do what we did in a few months".
"Restore Britain is now officially on the map," he added.
The Makerfield vote was one of three by-elections taking place on Thursday, alongside two in Scotland sparked by the resignation of sitting MPs to take seats in the Scottish Parliament.
The Conservatives won in Aberdeen South, taking the seat from the SNP, while the SNP held on in Arbroath and Broughty Ferry.
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Adblock test (Why?) ]]> Planetary News of the Day RipperJack http://www.planetgraphix.info/forum/showthread.php?14894-Farage-blames-Makerfield-defeat-on-anti-Starmer-votes http://www.planetgraphix.info/forum/showthread.php?14893-What-is-Burnham-s-path-to-becoming-Labour-leader-and-PM&goto=newpost Fri, 19 Jun 2026 12:30:47 GMT What is Burnham's path to becoming Labour leader and PM?

Sir Keir Starmer (left) and Andy BurnhamAndy Burnham is expected to challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership after winning the Makerfield by-election.
Sir Keir has said he plans to fight any challenge and, if he wins, he would continue as prime minister.
However, if he loses, the winner would replace him in Downing Street without the need for a general election.
Why is Sir Keir's leadership under challenge?

Labour performed badly in May's local elections, losing almost 1,500 councillors in England, while the party lost power in Wales and recorded its worst ever result for the Scottish Parliament.
More than 90 Labour MPs have publicly urged the PM to resign immediately or draw up an exit timetable. However, more than 150 MPs have either indicated support for Sir Keir or say it is not the right time for a leadership contest.
Discontent towards Sir Keir's leadership had been mounting before the elections, including over his decision to change direction on three major policies in a month after pressure from within his own party.
Sir Keir's decision to appoint Lord Mandelson as British ambassador to the US also led to questions about his judgement and the wider Downing Street operation.
Lord Mandelson was sacked after new information came to light about the depth of his relationship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
How would a leadership challenge work and who could stand?

MPs unhappy with Sir Keir remaining in post could try to force a leadership election.
This would require 20% of the party's MPs to back a replacement candidate. There are 403 Labour MPs, so the support of 81 would be needed.
Once a Labour leadership election is triggered, other candidates could join the contest if they also had 81 backers.
Sir Keir would not be required to gather support as he would be automatically on the ballot paper if he chose to contest the leadership election.
He would continue as prime minister during any contest.
No Labour prime minister has ever faced a formal leadership challenge from their MPs.
How does the vote to choose a Labour leader work?

Party members and affiliated trade union supporters vote by ranking the candidates in order of preference – putting a one next to their favourite, two for their second choice and so on.
If one candidate receives more than 50% of first preferences then they will be declared the winner.
If not, then the candidate who finishes bottom will be eliminated and the voters who put them first will see their vote moved to their second choice.
This process of elimination continues until one candidate receives more than half of the votes.
The timetable for the leadership ballot would be decided by Labour's decision-making body, the National Executive Committee (NEC).
In 2020, candidates had time to secure their nominations before a ballot took place over a six-week period.
That leadership contest was triggered when Jeremy Corbyn announced he would stand down following the party's defeat in the 2019 general election.
Who could stand to replace Sir Keir as Labour leader and prime minister?

Former Health Secretary Wes Streeting, newly elected MP Andy Burnham and former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner are considered the main potential challengers to Sir Keir.
Wes Streeting
After stepping down as health secretary, Streeting told the prime minister he had "lost confidence" in him.
He has confirmed that he would enter any potential Labour leadership contest.
Streeting is seen as the cabinet's best communicator and can point to a fall in NHS waiting lists as one of his achievements in government.
Andy Burnham
Burnham has argued Labour "needs to change if we are to regain people's trust".
His first stint as an MP ran from 2001 to 2017 when he represented Leigh. He served as a minister in the governments of Sir Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, but failed to win two Labour leadership elections when the party was in opposition.
Burnham left Westminster to stand for election as the mayor of Greater Manchester, which he won in 2021. He was re-elected in 2024.
He won the Makerfield by-election on June 18 which has paved the way for him to challenge Sir Keir as party leader.
Angela Rayner
Rayner is favoured by some on the left of the party.
She has called for Labour to offer regional mayors more economic powers and raise the minimum wage. "We are in danger of becoming a party of the well-off, not working people," she said.
In 2025, she resigned as deputy prime minister, after admitting she had not paid enough tax when buying a new home. However, she has settled £40,000 of unpaid stamp duty and said she has been "exonerated" by HRMC of the accusation that she had "deliberately sought to avoid tax".
What would happen if Starmer resigns or sets a timetable to leave?

Prime ministers hold office unless and until they resign. Sir Keir has said a leadership contest would be a "bad thing" for the country and said that he intends to fight any challenge.
However, if this changed, he could choose to stay in post during a transition period before handing over to a successor, who would be both Labour leader and prime minister.
If Sir Keir chose to resign with immediate effect, a member of the cabinet would replace him in a caretaker capacity, under Labour Party rules.
This would involve a decision by the cabinet, who would consult with the NEC.
Deputy Prime Minster David Lammy would not necessarily fill the caretaker role.
A leadership contest would follow.
In this scenario, each potential challenger would need support from 20% of the party's MPs and to be supported by either 5% of constituency Labour parties (CLPs), or at least three affiliated organisations - of which two must be affiliated trade unions.
Could the opposition force a general election?

Whoever won a Labour leadership election would automatically be the prime minister without the need for a general election.
However the PM must have the "confidence" of the House of Commons to govern, which means they must be supported by a majority of MPs.
If the leader of the opposition, currently the Conservative's Kemi Badenoch, introduces a motion of no confidence, the government is expected to provide parliamentary time for a debate and a vote.
To succeed, the motion needs just one more vote in favour than against.
If the government loses the vote, a general election is usually called.
Important caveats to note are that 403 of Westminster's 650 MPs are Labour.
Several Labour MPs would therefore have to support any motion for it to succeed, which is very unlikely.
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Adblock test (Why?) ]]> Planetary News of the Day RipperJack http://www.planetgraphix.info/forum/showthread.php?14893-What-is-Burnham-s-path-to-becoming-Labour-leader-and-PM http://www.planetgraphix.info/forum/showthread.php?14892-Bowen-US-Iran-deal-raises-inescapable-question-of-what-the-war-was-for&goto=newpost Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:30:44 GMT Image: https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/21ae/live/f54e76a0-6b28-11f1-bd3c-dfd1c36b4ceb.jpg Iranian civilians have been living under the... Iranian civilians have been living under the threat of strikes for monthsThe memorandum of understanding signed by President Donald Trump and President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran lays out the political, military and economic consequences of the ill-judged decision to attack Iran on 28 February.
The human cost is already clear. Thousands have been killed, many of them civilians, in Iran and Lebanon.
The US, and by extension Israel, have suffered a strategic defeat. The regime in Tehran faced its worst nightmare: a joint military operation to cripple or destroy it by the US, the world's strongest power, and Israel, the Middle East's superpower. The regime has not just survived. It has been empowered.
Its strategy of blocking the Strait of Hormuz, and with it one fifth of the world's supplies of oil and gas as well as other vital components in the global economy, has forced Trump to agree to a series of concessions that have infuriated and alarmed America's Iran hawks and the Israeli government.
The memorandum of understanding - or MOU - calls for an end to the war in Lebanon. Israel says that cannot happen. It wants a free hand in Lebanon, and that issue has the capacity to cause an even sharper rift between Israel and the US, and play into the hands of Iranian hardliners who oppose any deal with the Americans.
In return for reopening the Strait, the MOU's language says the US will lift its counter blockade of Iranian ports, waive sanctions allowing Iran to earn billions of dollars from exporting oil and start the process of returning billions more to Iran by unfreezing assets that it held abroad.
That is before they get down to the hard business of negotiating a nuclear deal. It is the price of returning to the way they were on 27 February, the day before the US and Israel launched the war. On that day the Strait of Hormuz was open for shipping and American and Iranian negotiators were discussing a nuclear deal.
The signing of the MOU means that the negotiators will go back to work and ships will be able to transit the Strait of Hormuz.
Joe Biden's Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, posted on X "the only 'achievement' of the ceasefire is the likely reopening of the Strait of Hormuz – which was open before the war started. And we will apparently pay Iran to do so."
The question of what exactly the war was for is inescapable and will not go away. It amounts to Trump's worst foreign policy blunder so far.
It might also spell the end of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's long political career. He faces elections in October, and a reckoning from Israeli voters for his part in security failures, the worst in Israel's history, that meant its vaunted military and intelligence services failed to spot the Hamas plan to invade Israel from Gaza on 7 October 2023. Netanyahu's hardline military policies and dismissal of diplomacy were designed at least in part to restore his reputation as Israel's Mr Security.
Tehran was always aware of the potential power of closing the Strait of Hormuz. So was the US military, its diplomats and spies.
But the former Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamanei, a cautious, elderly man, chose not to take the risk of using the Strait as a weapon.
After Israel killed him, and his closest advisers, in the first bombing sorties of the war, his successors believed, correctly, that they were in an existential struggle and did not hesitate to close the Strait.
They have discovered the power of controlling a global economic chokehold. It is a far more usable weapon, and much cheaper, than the network of allies and proxies it spent decades and billions building in the Middle East.
Except for the Assad regime in Syria, which collapsed at the end of 2024, Iran's so-called axis of resistance survives, just about. But it has been so damaged by Israel that whether it can "resist" is a moot point.
Iran has also poured money into a nuclear programme that it continues to deny was aimed at building a weapon but undoubtedly gave Tehran an option and a threat. But it provoked a war that despite the regime's survival has done huge damage to Iran.
Closing the Strait, in contrast, was easy and had a rapid and devastating impact, spreading the pain to the Arab oil states and much of the rest of the world.
The power of the US and Israeli air forces scored a series of tactical victories. But they were not enough to avoid a strategic defeat. That was because the US-Israel strategy of regime change was based on a series of lazy and misplaced assumptions.
They assumed killing the supreme leader would cause a collapse of the regime. But over nearly half a century the Islamic Republic's institutions have been engineered to resist attempts to destroy them.
It was not like Venezuela, a corrupt Latin American dictatorship, that crumpled when its leader was abducted and put on trial in the US. The Iranian regime is undoubtedly corrupt and highly repressive – its men killed thousands of protesters in the streets of Iran in January – but it is also based on ideology, religious conviction, and a conception of national security, martyrdom and survival that grew out of the devastating war with Saddam Hussein's Iraq in the 1980s.
Trump and Netanyahu's relationship has come under strain as a result of Israel's military actions in LebanonWhen they went to war President Trump said the regime in Tehran would fall. He told the Iranian people to prepare for a once-in-a-generation chance to take back their country. Not long after that he called for its unconditional surrender.
Netanyahu, who had tried and failed repeatedly to persuade Trump's predecessors in the White House to go to war against Iran, used biblical language to sum up the enormity of what he believed was about to happen: "This coalition of forces allows us to do what I have yearned to do for 40 years: smite the terror regime hip and thigh."
Neither man has delivered.
The memorandum of understanding is not a final deal. It is an agreement to talk about the biggest issue between them – Iran's nuclear programme. But it is front-loaded with key inducements for Iran. If the talks progress, the US has said it will lift sanctions.
It is all dependent on the success of 60 days of talks on a nuclear deal – that can be extended and probably will be, as the issues are complex. Neither trusts the other. Much can go wrong. Hardliners in Washington, Tehran and Israel do not want the deal to work.
Iran might overplay its hand, taking maximal positions in the forthcoming negotiation and potentially jeopardising economic gains that could rescue its broken economy.
But this agreement is way better than a war that has killed thousands and threatened a global economic recession.
If a nuclear deal is made, to the satisfaction of the US and Iran, and if both sides keep their promises, the Middle East could be transformed. That is a big if, at the other end of a long and difficult negotiation.
Adblock test (Why?) ]]> Planetary News of the Day RipperJack http://www.planetgraphix.info/forum/showthread.php?14892-Bowen-US-Iran-deal-raises-inescapable-question-of-what-the-war-was-for http://www.planetgraphix.info/forum/showthread.php?14891-US-lifts-naval-blockade-as-Iran-s-supreme-leader-says-Trump-made-deal-out-of-despera&goto=newpost Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:30:44 GMT Image: https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/b003/live/59a4cac0-6b4a-11f1-bc34-19faf070d2ff.jpg The US has dropped its naval blockade of Iran... The US has dropped its naval blockade of Iran after the two countries signed a deal to end the war in the Middle East.
US Central Command confirmed the end of the blockade on X "in accordance with the President's direction", and said some US vessels would remain "in the general area".
Soon afterwards, Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said he had approved the deal with the US despite having a "different view", without elaborating. He said he allowed it to go ahead after assurances from Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian that he would "protect the rights of the Iranian nation".
Khamenei said President Trump had "out of desperation, used all kinds of leverage" to bring the deal about.
The supreme leader said that while there would be "in-person negotiations in the future" between Tehran and Washington, this "will not mean acceptance of the enemy's position".
This is the first time Khamenei has responded to the agreement. He has not been seen in public since he took office in March following the killing of his father and predecessor, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in the 28 February US-Israeli strikes on Iran that sparked the regional war.
Trump did not directly respond to Khamanei's statement, but posted on Truth Social that he expects a ceasefire to take effect "on all fronts", including between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, and that he expects countries in the Middle East to "maintain their commitment to allowing our negotiations" to take place.
The US-Iran deal centres around 14 core points, including the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a requirement that Iran should never have a nuclear weapon, and a commitment to a $300bn (£227bn) fund for the "reconstruction and economic development" of the country - although the US is not required to contribute.
It also binds both sides to achieving a final deal in a "maximum" of 60 days, which could be extended with mutual consent.
The official signing ceremony had been set to take place in Switzerland on Friday. However, mediator Pakistan told the BBC it had been cancelled because the deal had already been signed remotely. US and Iranian representatives are still expected to meet in Switzerland for further talks.
Speaking to reporters at a White House briefing, US Vice-President JD Vance said the deal had come into effect, triggering the 60-day period of further talks, and that he would likely head to Switzerland for "technical negotiations".
He did not confirm when, adding that Iran was "not an easy country to get out of" and that they were "trying to figure out exactly when that was going to happen".
Trump's decision to end the war with Iran has raised criticism from some in the US, including Republicans dismayed by the terms of the deal - especially the provision of a reconstruction fund for Iran.
Republican Senator Bill Cassidy described the agreement as the "worst foreign policy blunder in decades".
"Iran's nuclear ambitions were not curbed, and they have learned that threatening the Strait of Hormuz works," he said.
Vance defended the deal on Thursday, saying that Iran will not receive money or sanctions relief unless it meets obligations set out in the agreement.
He said the deal, known as the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), requires Iran to destroy its stockpile of enriched uranium, and show it will not fund proxy groups in the region.
Vance also castigated members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet for criticising the Iran deal, saying they should "wake up and smell the reality".
"If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world," the vice-president told reporters.
In an interview with the New York Times also published on Thursday, Vance named Israel's national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich as critics of the deal.
He said: "I guess my response to them would be - what is your exact proposal? You're a country of nine million people. You can't just kill your way out of solving every single national security problem that you have."
Iran's supreme leader publicly responded to the US-Iran deal for the first time after it was signedNetanyahu himself stressed the importance of maintaining Israel's close ties with the US on Thursday, saying Washington had stood "shoulder to shoulder" with the country during the war with Iran.
But both Israel and Hezbollah have carried out strikes against each other since the US-Iran agreement was announced, including strikes reported in Lebanon on Thursday that killed three people.
Israel argues its conflict against Hezbollah is separate from its war on Iran. Hezbollah has also rejected the terms of the deal between Iran and the US.
Vance told reporters that Israel would have to respect the peace process with Iran, which he said was good for them, stating that attacks in Lebanon's capital Beirut that kill civilians are "not acceptable".
Adblock test (Why?) ]]> Planetary News of the Day RipperJack http://www.planetgraphix.info/forum/showthread.php?14891-US-lifts-naval-blockade-as-Iran-s-supreme-leader-says-Trump-made-deal-out-of-despera http://www.planetgraphix.info/forum/showthread.php?14890-Man-arrested-on-suspicion-of-attempted-murder-after-boy-injured-in-crocodile-enclosur&goto=newpost Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:30:44 GMT Image: https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/2514/live/13659b90-6b39-11f1-b1db-af71d47507d6.png The zoo houses crocodiles at its site near... The zoo houses crocodiles at its site near HuntingdonA man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a three-year-old boy was left with critical injuries after ending up in a zoo's crocodile enclosure.
Cambridgeshire Police said it was called to Johnsons of Old Hurst, near Huntingdon, at 13:24 BST.
The boy was taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital with serious injuries and is in a critical but stable condition, the force said.
A 30-year-old man from Norfolk has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and officers added that they do not believe the man and child were known to each other.
The force said it was investigating whether the child was attacked by the animals.
A spokesperson for Johnsons of Old Hurst said its thoughts and prayers were with the boy and his family.
"Out of respect to the family, our Tropical House will remain closed until further notice," they added.
"If you have any questions about the incident, please direct inquiries to Cambridgeshire Police Constabulary.
"The rest of the site will remain open as normal."
The crocodiles are kept in a converted cattle barn, which has metal-fenced elevated walkwaysDet Insp Verity McCann, from Cambridgeshire Police, said: "At this stage we are speaking to people who were at the zoo at the time of this distressing incident to understand more about the circumstances.
"We do not believe the man arrested and the child are known to each other. Officers are supporting the boy's family at hospital, and our thoughts remain with them."
Huntingdon MP Ben Obese-Jecty wrote on social media that his "thoughts were with the young victim and his family during a hugely traumatic and difficult time" and he urged people to "refrain from speculation online".
He said he was "liaising with senior officers at Gold Command who are treating this as a critical incident".
Cambridgeshire Police said it was called to Johnsons of Old Hurst at 13:24 BSTThe zoo houses crocodiles at its site near HuntingdonDarryl Preston, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough's police and crime commissioner, said he had been briefed by Chief Constable Simon Megicks.
"My thoughts go out to the family of the little boy involved in this truly horrific incident," he said.
"I can only begin to imagine the trauma those involved are going through."
A spokesperson for the East of England Ambulance Service said an ambulance, a rapid response vehicle, an ambulance officer vehicle and Magpas Air Ambulance attended the scene.
"A child was transported by road to hospital for further care," they added.
A Magpas Air Ambulance spokesperson said a critical care team attended the incident at 13:42 and "treated one patient at the scene before taking them to hospital".
A near neighbour of the zoo, who did not wish to be named, described hearing a "lot of sirens" then an air ambulance arriving.
He said the incident was "shocking".
Mike Annicelli, 52, who also lives close to the zoo, said he had previously visited the attraction.
He said there was a "raised platform" in the enclosure and estimated the crocodiles were about 15ft (4.5m) below. He said there was fencing along walkways which he estimated was around 4ft (1.2m) high.
Police officers have been at the scene in Old Hurst near HuntingdonAccording to its website, Johnsons of Old Hurst is a family-run farming business that now features a butchers, a farm shop, tea room, steakhouse and zoo.
It says it "houses over 100 fascinating animals" including crocodiles, African lions and a Bengal tiger.
The crocodiles are kept in a converted cattle barn, which has metal-fenced elevated walkways looking down on large pools of water surrounded by tropical vegetation.
The Tropical House enclosure where the crocodiles are housed with remain closed until further notice, a spokesperson for the zoo saidCharlotte Lowe, who represents Old Hurst on Huntingdonshire District Council and Cambridgeshire County Council, said she was "shocked" when she heard about the incident.
"To have something like this happen here is just incredulous," she said. "You don't expect this to happen in a rural village."
The enclosure had safety measures in place, she added, including Perspex glass and secure walkways, and the zoo was a popular attraction to visitors from all over the country.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the young boy suffering in this," she added.
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