Facing New Challenger, Merkel Rallies Troublesome Bavarian Ally

SANTIAGO, Chile — At least two people were killed and nine others injured Thursday when a train full of passengers collided head-on with another train on a test run just outside Chile’s capital of Santiago. Investigations were underway to determine the cause of the crash, which vaulted one car fully on top of a car from the other train. The eight-car freight train, which was carrying 1,346 tons of copper, was also packed with people, while the other train had 10 workers on board operating a speed test, the state rail company said. Authorities have not identified the two people killed.

Russia destroyed and damaged Ukrainian energy facilities overnight as President Vladimir Putin’s forces continue attacks to disrupt the country’s power system. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Russia targeted the central Dnipropetrovsk and Vinnytsia regions, as well as the Kyiv region and part of the Donetsk region in the east, the Energy Ministry said in a post on Telegram on Thursday morning.

NEW DELHI — At least 34 people have died and dozens hospitalized after drinking illegally brewed liquor in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, local media reported on Thursday. The state’s chief minister M K Stalin said the 34 died after consuming liquor that was tainted with methanol, according to the Press Trust of India news agency. The incident occurred in the state’s Kallakurichi district, where more than 100 people are being treated in various hospitals, top district official M S Prasanth said.

Vietnam welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin, underlining its decades-old relationship with Moscow in the face of U. S. criticism over the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine. Putin arrived in Hanoi on Thursday from North Korea, where he signed a comprehensive strategic partnership with Kim Jong Un who vowed to “unconditionally” support Russia in the war. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Read More: Putin’s North Korea Visit Reeks of Desperation, Not Strength “The visit demonstrates that Vietnam actively implements its foreign policy with the spirit of independence, self-reliance, diversification, multilateralism,” according to a statement on Vietnam’s government website. Vietnam and Russia have ties going back decades to the Soviet Union.

A blackout hit the whole of Ecuador on Wednesday, leaving the nation of 18 million without power. Energy Minister Roberto Luque blamed the massive outage on a incident with a transmission line in southern Ecuador which triggered a “cascading disconnection.” [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] The blackout was the first of its kind in 20 years and “shows how fragile our system is, and reflects the energy crisis we’re experiencing,” Luque told reporters in Guayaquil.

In 2024, June 20 marks the summer solstice, the first official day of astronomical summer. “Solstice” means the sun has gotten as high in the sky as it’s going to get for the year; on Thursday, that will happen at 4:51 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] For those looking to pass the time during those extra hours of natural sunlight for reading, below TIME rounds up some surprising facts about the summer solstice and its history. The summer solstice is the longest day of the year In New York City, for example, the sun will rise on Thursday at 5:24 a.m.