World News: 31 October 2026

Israeli forces and settlers attacked Palestinians across the occupied West Bank on Saturday, injuring at least four people and targeting farmers during the olive harvest. Settlers beat a resident near Salfit and injured two olive harvesters, while Israeli forces beat a man aged 33 in Sarra and detained another farmer in Ras Karkar. The attacks included stolen harvests, damaged vehicles and new checkpoints in several towns.

Nigerian health authorities are investigating two suspected Ebola cases in the northeast, with both individuals isolated for contact tracing and testing. Nigeria declared its first case in over a decade on 20 October after a Swiss woman who had travelled from Uganda tested positive. The Bundibugyo strain has killed more than 5,000 people in the DRC since May, with cases also reported in Uganda, France, Kenya and Nigeria.

A 35-year-old man was charged in Belfast after police searched properties in the Shankill Road and Edwina Street areas of north Belfast on Friday and Saturday. He faces two counts of possessing explosives under suspicious circumstances and possession of a prohibited weapon, and is due before Belfast magistrates court on Monday. Police said suspicious devices were seized for forensic examination and that precautionary evacuations have ended.

Turkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Russia and Ukraine to stop targeting civilian ships in the Black Sea after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Istanbul. The two leaders agreed to work on a new grain corridor, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there is growing interest in a limited Black Sea ceasefire for grain and energy shipments.

Tens of thousands protested across France and Germany on Saturday over living costs, with daytime marches largely peaceful before evening clashes. In France, about 320,000 demonstrated, including 70,000 in Paris, and police made 511 arrests after teargas and clashes with masked rioters. In Germany, Gen Z regelt marches drew tens of thousands, and police used water cannon in Frankfurt, Hamburg and Cologne, with pepper spray in Frankfurt.

At least four Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza on Saturday, and two girls died from a fire in a displaced people's tent in al-Mawasi, medical sources said. Gaza's Health Ministry said at least six people were killed over the past 48 hours, bringing deaths since the October 2025 ceasefire to 1,580.

The UN rights office warned Israeli forces were displacing Palestinians into a shrinking area, raising concerns of ethnic cleansing.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Donald Trump has not yet decided whether to resume military action against Iran, and did not know whether there was a specific timeframe for Qatar-led talks. Iranian negotiators met Qatari mediators in Doha on Saturday after more than 12 hours of discussions in Tehran on Friday. The talks aim to find a path out of the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Germany became the latest European country hit by student protests, with thousands gathering in Berlin and more than 30 other cities. Organisers Gen Z Regelt had nearly 180,000 sign-ups across 34 cities. Demonstrations focused on living costs, education cuts and military conscription, and scuffles broke out in Cologne between protesters and police.

The Netherlands coast guard and Marechaussee military police rescued 38 people adrift in a motorless rubber boat off Zeeland province near Breskens early Saturday. Two people were detained on suspicion of people smuggling, and no one was wearing a life vest. Authorities said it was not clear where the boat came from or was heading, in one of the first such interceptions in the Netherlands.

Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE's nominee to head the United Nations, received seven encourage, six discourage and two no opinion votes in a Security Council straw poll, finishing fourth as the race to lead the UN tightens. Diplomats could not identify any permanent-member discouraging votes because ballots were plain paper. Sudan and rights groups question her impartiality over Abu Dhabi's defence of its role in Sudan's civil war.

London police arrested 48 people at a demonstration outside the US embassy in Battersea supporting Palestine Action, days before the UK Supreme Court hears an appeal against the group's ban. Organisers estimated around 400 people gathered, while police said the majority of arrests were for expressing support for a proscribed organisation. Nearly 4,000 people have been arrested for allegedly showing support since the ban.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called a US letter from Vice President JD Vance seeking dialogue a positive step, but said there are no plans for meetings with US officials. An Iranian delegation travelled to Doha as Qatari and Pakistani mediators continue consultations on conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Araghchi said Iran is prepared for all scenarios and has shortened the proposed reopening period from five days to two.

Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed put ministers and senior officials through military training, saying armed forces discipline can help build stronger leaders. Participants included Speaker Muferiat Kamil, Finance Minister Fitsum Assefa and Health Minister Mekdes Daba. It comes as Ethiopia faces fighting in Tigray, conflict in Amhara and insecurity in Oromia, and heightened tensions with Eritrea.

Syria is considering joining a mutual defence pact signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan, its foreign minister said at the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain. The Mecca agreement, signed in August, treats an attack on one signatory as an attack on all three and has been compared to NATO. Asaad al-Shaibani said Damascus is an integral part of regional security, while Israel has carried out more than 1,000 attacks on Syria in under two years.

Documents show Ministry of Defence officials said Cambridgeshire police should not have let US military police take over the case of Capt Jacob Wulfson, who strangled Sarah Steele in Cambridge. Under a long-established US-UK agreement, UK police have primary jurisdiction unless the crime occurred on duty or involved US forces or property. Wulfson was instead tried in a military tribunal at a Suffolk airbase, prompting a government inquiry.

Former UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK and other European nations must draw closer together as the United States becomes a less reliable partner. He warned that Europe has been caught out twice, by Russia's attack on Ukraine and by Trump's decision that the US will no longer bankroll European security. Starmer said Brexit did deep damage to the UK economy and called for closer economic and security cooperation.

The UN says at least 290,000 people have been displaced in Yemen since the war reignited in August, including 6,100 pregnant women, 600 of them due within two weeks. Aid groups have reached about 249,000 displaced people, but services are disrupted and prices are rising. The coalition intercepted a hostile drone over Riyadh on Saturday, the second in as many days, after Friday drone interceptions near Mecca, Medina and Riyadh.

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he is open to a formal apology for Britain's role in the transatlantic slave trade but ruled out financial reparations. He offered structured dialogue with those affected and said British people today are not liable for historical wrongs. He also proposed a debt restructuring drive for the poorest Commonwealth countries, led by former prime minister Gordon Brown.

Several Iranian lawmakers, including Mahmoud Nabavian, have called for Iran to leave the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and change its nuclear doctrine. The calls came as Qatari mediators returned to Tehran for peace talks with the US, while Trump said the war would be wrapped up soon. Iran has demanded an end to the US naval blockade, sanctions relief and guarantees against further attacks before nuclear talks resume.

The UN Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia ended its work on Saturday, closing three decades of UN political missions in the country. Deputy Special Representative Raisedon Zenenga said Somalia has made considerable progress in state formation, political inclusion and governance, while challenges remain. Somali institutions now take full responsibility for recovery, with 25 UN entities continuing humanitarian and development support.

The UN human rights office says North Korea is building factories and hospitals, rolling out smartphones and mobile banking, and passing new laws at an unprecedented rate, yet its people are more cut off from the outside world than at any point in its history.

James Heenan, head of the office in Seoul, said hunger is constant, forced labour touches every family, and the China border is so tightly sealed that illegal crossings have all but stopped.

UN High Commissioner Volker Türk demanded an independent probe into the death of Mohammad el Shami, a UN human rights staff member in Yemen held by the Houthis since 6 June 2024. His family said he died more than a month ago but learned only recently. Türk asked for medical and detention records and independent scrutiny, as 71 UN personnel remained in Houthi detention in mid-October.

The UN Western Sahara peacekeeping mission remains without a mandate after Russia and the United States vetoed each other's Security Council resolutions. The US draft would have made Morocco's autonomy plan the sole basis for talks, reduced the military component and removed the word referendum from the mission's name. France and the UK backed the US resolution, while Russia argued the council should not prejudge sovereignty.

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei ordered armed forces to deliver an immediate, effective response without geographical limitations to any enemy threat, seeking maximum deterrence. His office said he also ordered an update to Iran's Targets Bank to bring US and Israeli assets within reach, as Qatari mediators held talks in Tehran. Tehran says it is prepared to respond forcefully amid reports of new US and Israeli strikes.

Residents evacuated from Oleshky, occupied by Russia, crossed into Ukrainian territory on Saturday after travelling through Russia and Belarus under a truce brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the evacuees, including a 94 year old and a one year old, would receive assistance. Some residents said they had eaten garden weeds or grass to survive in the isolated city.

Hundreds of residents from Russian-occupied Oleshky arrived in Belarus on four planes under a truce the White House says Melania Trump helped broker. Ukrainian parliament member David Arakhamia said the evacuees were due to be moved to Ukrainian territory within hours. The estimated 2,000 residents were offered the choice of travelling to Ukrainian- or Russian-held territory or staying with supplies.

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei met senior armed forces commanders and issued what his office called important and strategic orders, according to a statement on his official X account. The account said details would be published shortly. Judiciary chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei called for swift legal proceedings against alleged collaborators, amid a sweeping crackdown after the US-Israeli war began in February.

Algeria and Morocco, long rivals over Western Sahara and Maghreb leadership, are competing for influence in the Sahel through diplomacy, security, infrastructure, energy, trade and religion. Algeria sent four Su-30 fighter jets to Niger after an attempted coup and its parliament approved troop deployment there, a first since 1973. Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are diversifying partners as they distance themselves from former Western allies.

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said his government will consider a first formal apology for Britain's role in the transatlantic slave trade, writing in the Guardian on Saturday. He said Britain must acknowledge its complicated history to protect the Commonwealth and is offering a structured dialogue with those affected by slavery. Burnham said Britain would still resist reparations, arguing people today are not liable for historical wrongs.

Judges elected by Poland's current parliamentary majority suspended Constitutional Tribunal president Bogdan Święczkowski and his deputy, prompting protesters to gather outside the court in Warsaw. Police detained three people after some threw objects and tried to break through the security fence. President Karol Nawrocki, a PiS ally, turned back from Senegal, entered the court and said a breach of Poland's constitutional order had taken place.

The G20 foreign ministers' meeting in the US is wrapping up two days of talks without agreement on several key global security issues. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed an Arctic cooperation deal with Japan and South Korea and confirmed Washington's participation in Riyadh's 2030 World Expo. European ministers confronted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov over Ukraine and refused to join him for the traditional group photo.

French police fired tear gas and clashed with some protesters on Saturday as thousands marched across France in largely peaceful demonstrations against soaring living costs and police violence. Police said about 70,000 people demonstrated in Paris alone, while the interior ministry said about 320,000 rallied nationwide.

Officers made 27 arrests by 2 p.m., compared with 217 a week ago, with clashes in Marseille, tear gas in Lyon and water cannon in Toulouse.

A Lebanese military court charged 13 people linked to Hezbollah with trafficking explosives, possessing weapons, undermining state security and forming illegal associations. The charges follow the seizure of a truck carrying 780kg of explosives, including 250kg of TNT and 250kg of C-4, at Dahr al-Baydar checkpoint. Hezbollah acknowledged the shipment, said it was intended against Israel, and asked for its return as pressure to disarm grows.

More than 120,000 dolphins, or about one in four Black Sea cetaceans, have died by 2026 from the Russia and Ukraine war, according to a Ukrainian researcher. Explosions, cruise missiles and military sonar have disrupted echolocation, while oil and chemical spills have polluted the sea. The loss of apex predators is worsening an ecosystem already damaged by munitions and the 2023 Kakhovka dam destruction.

Senior Rapid Support Forces commander Siddiq Ander said he has defected, accusing relatives of RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, of controlling the group's finances, weapons, troop movements and promotions. His departure follows other senior RSF defections this year, including commanders who joined the Sudanese Armed Forces. The war has displaced about 13 million people and pushed parts of Sudan into famine.

Oil from tankers attacked by Iran near the Strait of Hormuz has reached the UAE coastline, with beach closures in Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah. The UAE environment ministry said it is coordinating cleanup and urged fishermen to avoid polluted areas. Marine security experts said the leaking vessel was the supertanker Gem No. 2, hit off Sharjah more than two weeks ago.

France entered a third consecutive weekend of protests over living costs and education, with the government estimating 320,000 people demonstrated nationwide, fewer than on 17 and 24 October. About 70,000 took part in Paris, where police rerouted marches to the city's edge and deployed 70,000 officers nationwide. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez warned of a high risk of disorder after dark on Halloween.

Saudi Arabia's General Directorate of Civil Defense said danger has passed in Jazan Province minutes after a danger alert was issued by the National Early Warning Platform. The directorate urged residents to follow its instructions and avoid gathering and filming.

US, South Korean and Japanese foreign ministers reaffirmed commitment to the complete denuclearisation of North Korea on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Atlanta. They also pledged full implementation of United Nations Security Council resolutions, including a ban on supporting revenue for Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

North Korea has enshrined its nuclear status in law and declared its arsenal permanent and irreversible.

Changes to Syrian school textbooks have drawn criticism after images were altered, including adding hijabs to drawn female figures, removing pictures of women and children, and replacing artworks. The revisions also touched lessons on political life, citizenship, democratic participation, local administration and the media. Comparisons showed the Mona Lisa and a drawing of a girl skipping rope were removed.

An Israeli airstrike on Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza killed Palestinian man Diaa Abu al-Rous, Quds News Network reported. Another Palestinian, Arafat al-Ar'eer, died from wounds sustained in an Israeli airstrike on the Tal al-Hawa neighbourhood south of Gaza City, it said. The reports added to the toll from Israeli strikes in central Gaza and south of Gaza City.

Brazil's defeated right-wing candidate Flavio Bolsonaro said in a video that he fled to the United States because of persecution. He said he secretly left Brazil on Tuesday and reached Florida on Wednesday via Argentina and Ecuador after his passports were canceled in a money-laundering investigation. Trump and Milei are under pressure to explain the United States and Argentina's involvement in his escape.

A Palestinian man, Arafat al-Ar'eer, died from wounds sustained in an Israeli airstrike on the Tal al-Hawa neighbourhood south of Gaza City, Quds News Network reported. Wafa news agency said at least 12 Palestinians, including a man, his wife and their children, were injured in an Israeli drone strike on the al-Maslakh area west of Khan Younis on Friday evening.

Saudi-led coalition forces intercepted and destroyed a drone over Riyadh region, coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Maliki said. Hours earlier, he said one drone was shot down in each of Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province and southern region. The interceptions show Houthi drone activity reaching multiple parts of Saudi Arabia.

Australia's Bureau of Meteorology issued storm warnings for Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane as a cold front brings heavy rain, thunderstorms and hail to the east and south-east. Damaging winds over 125km/h and possible flash flooding are expected through Saturday and Sunday, with the risk moving from Victoria and inland New South Wales to the coast and southern Queensland. Areas with heavy rain in the past fortnight face flood risk.

An Israeli air attack targeted the town of Kfar Tebnit in Lebanon's Nabatieh district. The Israeli military also continued demolitions and artillery shelling in towns in the Bint Jbeil and Tyre districts, large parts of which continue to be occupied by Israeli forces.

France is bracing for Halloween protests, with authorities authorising a procession through Lyon and a demonstration in Bordeaux while restricting unregistered gatherings in Marseille. In Marseille, many gatherings announced on social media are prohibited, and minors face a curfew from 6pm to 5am through Monday. The government has vowed a tough response, and Bordeaux authorities said the authorised route is too close to downtown.

A high-speed train collision in Toledo has left 69 bodies recovered, weeks before a snap election and nine months after a crash near Cordoba killed 46. Transport Minister Oscar Puente cited human error and defended the LZB signalling system, which he said had failed 170 times this year but was not old or inadequate. The disaster has shaken confidence in the rail network and Sanchez's government, with the PP demanding Puente's resignation.

Irna reported that Palestinian journalist Farah Abu Ayyash returned home after 450 days in Israeli prisons. The West Bank Tasnim News Agency correspondent was freed on Thursday night after the Ofer Prison military court dismissed charges against her. She had been detained since 6 August 2025 in a raid on her home in Beit Ummar, north of Hebron, and held under administrative detention at Damon Prison. It reported alleged torture and mistreatment.

A surge in Bedouin voting, with grassroots efforts to educate Bedouin women, helped Palestinian-led parties win an unprecedented 19 seats in Israel's Knesset and was critical to stripping Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies of their governing majority. With an estimated 180,000 eligible voters, Bedouin turnout was key to the Islamist Ra'am party beating polling expectations, with voting rates tripling in some southern Negev villages.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticised Germany for supporting last year's Israel-US war on Iran and now complaining it has added more than 100 billion euros ($112bn) to Europe's energy costs. Araghchi said Chancellor Friedrich Merz had hailed the Israel-US bombings as 'doing Europe's dirty work' and warned of an 'earth-shattering blow' from Iran's armed forces. He added that red lines are a thing of the past.

The United States approved a possible sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles, parts and support to Ukraine for an estimated $2.1bn, the State Department said Friday. The package is a major defensive-weapon supply since President Donald Trump took office in January 2025, but two people briefed said delivery is not expected until a couple of years into the 2030s. Ukraine will pay with Canadian, German and Norwegian contributions and an EU loan.

Two Chinese nationals, Liren Lai, 40, and Yuance Chen, 39, were sentenced to 30 months in prison after admitting they tried to recruit US military service members to spy for Beijing. Court documents said they began acting as agents of China's Ministry of State Security no later than May 2021 and arranged dead-drop cash payments of $10,000 and $20,000. They also obtained photos of a naval facility and military personnel.

Former DR Congo president Joseph Kabila, 55, was named leader of the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation, confirming his alliance with the M23 rebels who seized much of the east, including Goma and Bukavu. Kabila faces a death sentence after a treason conviction in absentia and US sanctions over alleged M23 support.

An analyst says the alliance may give him leverage while raising questions about whether the conflict could spread beyond the east.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his countrymen must be so strong that no one dares to covet Iran's land and identity. In a post on X marking National Youth Day on 8 November, he recalled Mohammad Hossein Fahmideh, a 13-year-old boy killed during the Iran-Iraq war. He also paid tribute to children killed in Minab, Lamerd and other parts of the country.

London police said anyone attending a planned Saturday demonstration supporting Palestine Action near the US Embassy will face arrest, because supporting the group is an offence under the Terrorism Act. The group was proscribed in June 2025, a decision upheld by the Court of Appeal in June 2026. Police said organisers and those providing logistical support also face enforcement action.

UK Maritime Trade Operations says shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains 70 percent below pre-conflict levels, with 277 vessel transits recorded in the seven days to October 28. The body recorded 88 incidents in the strait since the conflict began on February 28, with at least 35 attacks in October, the worst month since the war started. NCAGS estimates that about 80 percent of transits involve energy carriers.

King Charles and UK prime minister Andy Burnham will face protests as they travel through St John's for the Commonwealth summit in Antigua and Barbuda. Activists are demanding that Britain confront its role in the transatlantic slave trade, with billboards, a candlelight vigil and a planned global reparations caravan. Burnham said the UK is offering a structured dialogue and is open to a formal apology on behalf of the British state.

Government data show Ebola in the DRC has killed more than 5,000 people and infected more than 10,000 since the outbreak was declared in May. Delayed detection, conflict and strained health services have spread the rare Bundibugyo strain to eight of 26 provinces, with cases also reported in Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda. Saudi Arabia suspended travel to and entry from Kenya on Friday, extending outbreak-related travel restrictions.

Turkey has nominated Feridun Hadi Sinirlioglu, leader of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, for UN secretary-general. A nomination letter dated Friday from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was submitted to the presidents of the UN General Assembly and Security Council. The move followed an inconclusive Security Council straw poll, with outgoing chief Antonio Guterres ending his term on December 31.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is attending the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Antigua and Barbuda, where he will talk with King Charles III and the UK and Canadian prime ministers. Analysts say the trip could reset his position amid domestic controversies and cost-of-living pressure. He will be away when the Reserve Bank issues its rate decision on Tuesday, with markets tipping a rise to 4.85%, the fifth hike in 2026.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the US approval of a $2.1bn sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles but warned deliveries could begin only in a few years. He said Ukraine needs interceptors now to counter daily Russian attacks and asked allies to release stockpiles. Zelenskyy said Kyiv had waited almost a month for US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to sign off on missiles, and deliveries are not expected until the 2030s.

Two blockchain analytics firms, TRM Labs and Chainalysis, say they have robust intelligence pointing to North Korea's Lazarus Group as the likely culprit in the $6.3bn hack of Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange. The theft is described as the biggest in cryptocurrency history, surpassing the $1.5bn Bybit hack in February 2025, and Binance says a majority of the stolen funds have been replenished.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany was working to end the Iran war as soon as possible, saying it has added more than 100 billion euros ($112bn) to Europe's energy costs over eight months. Speaking in Seoul on Friday, he said Germany was stepping up diplomatic efforts and that the conflict cannot be resolved militarily. He said Europe has an economic interest in ending the war.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei criticized Canada for supporting the UAE's claim to Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunb islands. Baqaei questioned Ottawa's commitment to territorial integrity, citing Canada's own history of defending its sovereignty against the United States. The dispute highlights the complex diplomatic relationships in the Gulf region.

The Vatican said Pope Leo XIV became the first pope to vote in a United States general election after submitting a mail-in ballot in Chicago, where he was born. The ballot was cast ahead of November 3 midterm elections, in which Illinois voters will choose a successor to retiring Senator Dick Durbin and decide whether to re-elect Governor JB Pritzker. Leo, formerly Robert Prevost, is a US citizen and has voted whenever eligible.

Delegates from nearly 200 countries agreed on the key parts of a new nature action plan in Yerevan, acknowledging that the world is falling behind on targets set in the 2022 Global Biodiversity Framework. The agreement recognizes that money is the main barrier to accelerating conservation efforts, despite previous commitments to mobilize billions of dollars.

Environmental groups called the deal a necessary course correction to prevent ecosystem collapse.

Poland's President Karol Nawrocki turned back from a Senegal trip after riot police clashed with protesters outside the Constitutional Tribunal. Government-appointed judges suspended the court's contested president, Bogdan Święczkowski, and his deputy, sparking a decade-long legitimacy dispute. Nawrocki entered the building and said the appointees were not judges, calling for security forces to leave.

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Atlanta. The two discussed regional developments, with a focus on Yemen and maritime navigation in the Straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb, Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry said. Reuters reported that Lavrov's participation roiled many ministers and aggravated rifts over the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Three masked men armed with guns and a hammer broke into the Toronto home of real estate CEO David Morton on Thursday, wounding him and two adult daughters with gunfire. Morton said all four family members were also attacked with the hammer, and he and his daughters remained hospitalized Friday. Police are searching for the suspects, who fled in an SUV, in a year that has seen 119 home invasions in Toronto, up 32.2 percent.

Saudi-led coalition forces intercepted and destroyed a drone launched by the Houthis over Saudi Arabia's southern region. Coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Malki confirmed the interception, which adds to the ongoing regional tensions involving the Yemeni group.

France has deployed 70,000 police and security forces for Yellow Vest protests under the slogan Act III, Halloween, after recent riots and looting. In Israel, an inconclusive election has left Benjamin Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot both claiming victory without the 61 seats needed for a majority. In the United States, Donald Trump and Barack Obama have traded barbs over White House décor and elitism in the final days of the midterm campaign.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio cancelled the traditional opening photo at the G20 foreign ministers meeting in Atlanta after about one-third of countries threatened to boycott. Australia, the UK, and EU nations refused to appear beside Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, citing the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The cancellation highlights the diplomatic rupture caused by the Trump administration's attempt to reintegrate Russia into the international community.

Germany and France are preparing for potential protests over the weekend that coincide with Halloween festivities. In Germany, about 150,000 people have registered to protest in 30 cities, while French police are deploying 70,000 officers nationwide amid fears of disorder. The demonstrations, led by youth groups, focus on the cost of living, school conditions, and government spending cuts.

Brazil summoned Argentina's charge d'affaires to answer questions about right-wing candidate Flavio Bolsonaro, who fled to Argentina and then the United States after losing Sunday's presidential election. Bolsonaro, who is under investigation for a money-laundering scheme, has refused to concede defeat and declared himself the legitimate president-elect in Miami.

The incident threatens to strain relations between Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Argentinian President Javier Milei.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that four oil tankers were hit in the Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions in the region. US President Donald Trump told reporters that talks with Iran are ongoing and that the conflict is not a typical war, adding that it will get wrapped up soon. Senators have also been briefed on a plan to restart the war, which one described as insane.