Morning Brief, Friday 29 May

A man armed with a blade attacked passengers at the Winterthur train station near Zurich on Thursday morning, stabbing three Swiss nationals before police arrested him. Zurich cantonal security director Mario Fehr held a press conference hours later and explicitly called the incident a terrorist act.

“I particularly emphasise the term 'terrorist attack'.”

Marius Weyermann of the cantonal police added that the motive 'is to be sought in the area of radicalisation and extremism.' Swiss President Guy Parmelin said he was

“shocked by the terrorist attack this morning in Winterthur”

.

The 31-year-old suspect, a Swiss citizen of Turkish origin, shouted 'Allahu Akbar' before and during the rampage, according to several Swiss media outlets. One eyewitness told Blick:

“I was about 30 metres away and heard a man behind me shout 'Allah Akbar' five or six times.”

A video obtained by the newspaper showed a man running out of the station concourse holding a knife while people screamed and fled. Taxi driver Basharat Iqbal expressed his shock to AFP, saying,

“We want peace.”

Investigators revealed that the suspect was already known to police and had previous links to the An Nur mosque, which was closed a decade ago because of its connections with radical Islamist movements. The three victims, all Swiss nationals aged 28, 43 and 52, were taken to hospital; one suffered serious injuries. Police cordons were visible inside and outside the station, but train services were not disrupted. The attack at a busy commuter hub has sent shockwaves through a country rarely associated with large-scale terrorist acts and has prompted renewed discussions about radicalisation and public safety.

American and Iranian negotiators have made 'a lot of progress' toward a 60-day extension of the fragile ceasefire that has been in place since early April, Vice President JD Vance told reporters on Thursday. Speaking at Joint Base Andrews, Vance said the two sides are negotiating 'a couple of points regarding the wording of the text' and expressed hope that President Donald Trump would soon endorse the deal.

“We are negotiating some wording. We have made a lot of progress. We hope we will continue to make progress and the president will be able to approve the agreement, but of course, that remains to be determined.”

The tentative memorandum of understanding, first reported by Axios, would extend the truce by 60 days and commit both sides to renewed talks on Iran's nuclear programme. It includes an Iranian pledge not to seek nuclear weapons and a requirement that Tehran remove all naval mines from the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days. In return, the United States would gradually lift its naval blockade on Iranian ports and ease sanctions. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent cautioned that any final decision rests with Trump, who said a day earlier he was not yet satisfied with Tehran's latest offer.

“I am not satisfied yet with Iran's latest offer.”

Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency denied that the text had been finalised, citing a source close to the negotiating team. The diplomatic manoeuvring unfolded against a backdrop of renewed violence. The US military confirmed it carried out defensive strikes on Iranian drone operations near the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran's Revolutionary Guards retaliated with a drone and missile attack on a US base in Kuwait. Oil prices, which had fallen 5% on Wednesday, rebounded more than 3% after reports of the escalation. With both Trump and Iran's Supreme Leader yet to grant approval, the coming days will determine whether the region steps back from the brink.

A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Thursday evening during a hot-fire test, a routine procedure before the vehicle's planned fourth flight. A livestream captured a large explosion and a massive orange fireball. Homes shook in nearby Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach around 9 p.m. local time.

“We experienced an anomaly during today's hotfire test. All personnel are accounted for. We will provide updates as we learn more.”

Jeff Bezos, the founder of Blue Origin, addressed the incident on X, acknowledging the severity of the failure.

“It's too early to know the root cause but we're already working to find it. Very rough day, but we'll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It's worth it.”

Elon Musk, whose company SpaceX is Blue Origin's primary competitor, offered a brief, empathetic response.

“Very regrettable. Rockets are hard.”

The 29-story heavy-lift rocket, named after John Glenn, made its successful debut flight in January 2025 and carried two NASA Mars orbiters on its second mission. However, its third flight in April 2026 suffered an engine failure that left a satellite in the wrong orbit, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration to ground the vehicle. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman confirmed the agency was aware of the anomaly and pledged support for the investigation. The explosion could have implications for NASA's Artemis programme and its Moon Base initiative, both of which rely on heavy-lift launch capability. Earlier in the week, NASA had selected Blue Origin over SpaceX to conduct the first of three uncrewed lunar missions this year. Blue Origin has begun investigating the root cause.

The European Commission imposed a €200 million fine on Chinese e-commerce platform Temu on Thursday for serious violations of the Digital Services Act (DSA). The penalty follows a formal investigation that uncovered widespread availability of illegal and dangerous products on the platform, which has amassed over 130 million customers across Europe since 2023.

“The risk assessment carried out by Temu underestimates specific risks, lacks detail, is not based on solid evidence, and is not comprehensive.”

Commission investigators used mystery shopping, consumer complaints and data from customs authorities to build their case. A very high percentage of selected chargers failed basic safety tests, while a high proportion of tested infant toys posed medium or high safety risks, containing chemical substances exceeding EU limits or detachable parts creating a choking hazard. Brussels also faulted Temu for failing to analyse how its own recommendation systems and influencer promotion programmes could increase the spread of illegal goods.

• Temu200
• X120

The fine is the largest levied under the DSA, surpassing the €120 million penalty imposed on Elon Musk's social network X last year. Temu called the fine 'disproportionate' and said the decision reflects its 2024 risk assessment rather than the current state of its systems. The company must submit a corrective action plan by 28 August 2026. Failure to comply could result in additional periodic penalties. The Commission is still investigating the actual sale of illegal products and the potentially 'addictive design' of the platform.

A historic and early-season heatwave is baking Western Europe, shattering national temperature records for May and triggering emergency health alerts from Italy to Portugal. The extreme weather, caused by a 'heat dome' of high pressure trapping hot air from North Africa, has brought temperatures 10 to 15 degrees Celsius above seasonal norms. Portugal recorded its hottest May day ever on Wednesday, with the central town of Mora reaching 40.3°C, while France set a new national May record of 37.8°C in Angoulême-La Couronne. In Paris, temperatures are expected to peak at 34°C over the weekend.

• Mora (Portugal)40.3
• Angoulême (France)37.8
• Paris (France)34

Italy's Ministry of Health declared a red alert—the highest level—for Rome, Florence, Bologna, Turin and Brescia on Thursday. The alert warns of a situation capable of causing negative health effects even in healthy and active people. In Portugal, Health Minister Ana Paula Martins reported a spike in hospitalisations linked to the heat. Several deaths have been reported in Britain and France, mostly from drowning accidents that authorities linked to the baking heat. A primary school in France's Landes region was forced to close after corridor temperatures reached 53°C, causing pupils to fall ill and vomit. The heat also wreaked havoc at the French Open, where world number one Jannik Sinner suffered from dehydration and dizziness during a shock second-round loss.

The heatwave has sparked a political row in France over government preparedness. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu chaired an emergency ministerial meeting, while Green party leader Marine Tondelier slammed the government's response.

“I am stunned by the government's lack of preparation.”

Scientists emphasise that human-driven climate change is making such extreme weather events more intense and frequent. The heatwave is forecast to continue into the weekend, with Germany, Spain and Switzerland also facing unusually hot conditions.