State Department

The US State Department has approved a possible sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine, estimated at $2.1 billion. Canada, Germany and Norway are financing the purchase through the JUMPSTART program, alongside Ukrainian national funds backed by an EU loan, with no US money involved. Lockheed Martin is the principal contractor, and Congress must still review the sale. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine had waited almost a month for the approval. Russian strikes killed at least 14 people at a rail platform in Dnipro on Thursday, and one person in Kyiv, where attacks on Friday evening caused power outages in four districts.

Twelve former U.S. officials who quit over the Biden administration's Gaza policy have issued a joint statement urging 2028 presidential candidates not to hire those who enabled Israel's military actions. The signatories, many from the State Department, intelligence agencies and the military, accuse the officials of violating U.S. and international law by supplying weapons while civilians were attacked and aid blocked. The statement warns that many of the same officials are seeking to return to government within two years of leaving office. A video accompanied the release, showing former Secretary of State Antony Blinken and former national security adviser Jake Sullivan. Israel says its Gaza operations are self-defence after the 7 Oct 2023 Hamas-led attack.

The death toll from the high‑speed train crash outside Urda in Toledo province rises to 69, with 50 people still in hospital. The collision occurred on the Madrid‑Seville line on 23 Oct when a Renfe train struck the rear of a stationary Iryo service, sending several carriages down a ten‑metre embankment. Traffic control had authorised the Renfe train to continue at full speed despite a failed safety system, and a 25‑person forensic team is identifying victims in Toledo. The government has declared three days of national mourning.