150 evacuated in NYC subway after train derails
A train on the New York City Subway’s G line derailed north of the Hoyt Street Station in Downtown Brooklyn on Thursday, local media reports. As many as 150 passengers were on board the southbound train when the front wheels of the first carriage came off the track at 10:16 pm local time. All the passengers were evacuated, with only one person in need of medical attention, reportedly due to a panic attack. The authorities called the incident a“minor” derailment.
Arianespace launches two Galileo satellites atop Russian Soyuz rocket
A Russian Soyuz-ST rocket successfully blasted off early Friday from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, carrying two Galileo navigation satellites bound for the European global satellite navigation system, which is planned to have up to 30 satellites in total, including reserves, in its constellation. These are the fifth and sixth satellites to be launched for Europe’s multinational Arianespace company. Friday’s mission is expected to take 3 hours 48 minutes to complete. The cost of the ambitious European project – an alternative to the American GPS and the Russian GLONASS systems – has surpassed 5 billion euro, with a total of some 7 billion expected to be spent by 2020.
US marine killed, 18 injured during vehicle accident in California
A vehicle rollover accident on Thursday took the life of one US Marine and injured 18 others at Camp Pendleton in San Diego, California, the Associated Press reported. The Marine has not been identified and details about the injuries the other service members suffered have not been released. “We want to ensure the Marines and their family members are being provided for during this difficult time,” 1st Lieutenant Colleen McFadden, public affairs officer of the 1st Marine Division, said in a statement to AP.
Iraq condemns incursion by Turkish ground troops
Iraq on Thursday condemned Turkey for sending ground troops onto its territory in pursuit of Kurdish rebels, AFP reported. “The Foreign Ministry expresses its condemnation of the incursion of a number of Turkish military units inside Iraqi territory,” spokesman Ahmed Jamal said. “It represents a clear violation of Iraqi sovereignty and a clear offense to bilateral relations between the two countries.” Turkish forces entered Iraq on Tuesday for a “short-term” incursion in pursuit of fighters from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) allegedly involved in attacks that killed more than two dozen soldiers and police.
FIFA delegates inspect Russia’s preparations to host 2018 World Cup
FIFA delegates are completing their second visit to Russian cities to inspect the country’s preparations to host the 2018 World Cup. Colin Smith, FIFA’s director of competition, and Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko were quoted Thursday as saying that the preparation has been conducted in line with the schedule. The next visit of the FIFA delegates to Russia to inspect the preparations for the World Cup will be paid in early spring next year, Alexey Sorokin, the director general of 2018 Local Organizing Committee (LOC), said on Thursday, as cited by TASS.
Sweden’s accession to NATO would require response from Russia – Moscow
If Sweden were to join NATO, the situation would demand response steps from Russia, TASS quoted Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying.“Sweden’s admission to NATO would have military-political and foreign policy steps that would require necessary response steps from the Russian side,” she said on Thursday.