World News: 1 November 2026

Qatar has led mediation over the past 72 hours to prevent possible new US attacks on Iran after Tuesday's midterms, leaving the Gulf on edge. UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said at the Manama Dialogue that military solutions would not bring quick off ramps. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said negotiators in Qatar are discussing a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz soon.

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he had a good conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday. Trump said Iran was one of the topics of the call.

All nine people aboard a Learjet 60 were killed when the business jet crashed near Military Trail and 10th Avenue North in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday. The aircraft had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was headed to the Bahamas. Air traffic control recordings showed the pilot reported icing, precipitation and severe turbulence before the jet entered a steep dive.

Acting President Iliana Iotova is the apparent winner of Bulgaria's presidential runoff, with exit polls showing her at 58 percent and former interim Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov at about 38 percent, who conceded. If confirmed, she would become Bulgaria's first elected female head of state. The vote followed drone attacks on Black Sea shipping that left 21 people missing.

Construction of a large radar complex is almost complete in Russia's Kaliningrad exclave, according to reports, though Moscow has not confirmed the project. A Lithuanian security expert said the over-the-horizon system near Gvardeysk could have a range of about 3,000 kilometers, allowing Russia to observe much of Europe and Ukraine. Analysts warn it could improve early warning and help detect low-flying drones.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said two oil tankers exploded after striking mines while travelling through an unauthorised route in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has imposed restrictions on vessels seeking to pass through the strait and attacked ships it says violate those restrictions, seeking to assert control over the waterway and pressure the United States.

Iranian army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said a potential future war with the United States could last longer than the previous conflict, and that President Trump would not dictate its timing or conditions. His remarks followed Trump's suggestion that the US could swiftly strike remaining targets in Iran. Diplomatic efforts to end the Middle East war have been punctuated by repeated threats from the US and Israel as they hold crucial elections.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said a vessel was struck by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz. The incident was reported to UKMTO by the master of another merchant vessel. UKMTO issued warning 191-26.

Israel's Central Elections Committee chairman Noam Sohlberg said the election was conducted properly and its results reflect voters' will. His statement, backed by the Attorney General and Shin Bet chief, came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party claimed the election had been stolen. Netanyahu warned opposition parties against working with Palestinian parties to replace the government.

Israel's first ambassador to Somaliland, Michael Lotem, presented credentials to President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi in Hargeisa, where officials laid the cornerstone for an Israeli embassy. The ceremony implemented a December 26, 2025 agreement under which Israel became the first UN member state to recognise Somaliland, a territory declared independent in 1991 and claimed by Somalia.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said the move fulfilled commitments.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he had a constructive conversation with US President Donald Trump about a potential trade deal and that negotiators would work in the coming weeks toward an agreement. The statement marked a shift from August, when talks broke down and Trump imposed 50 percent tariffs on about $20 billion in Canadian goods. The dispute has become an issue in US midterm races.

New South Wales police began armed patrols in Sydney, with trained officers carrying rifles in tourist areas, major events and places of worship. The Armed Response Command follows the December Bondi Beach shooting that killed 15 people, including a 10-year-old girl, during a Hanukkah event and became Australia's worst mass shooting in almost three decades.

Jewish groups welcomed it, while Amnesty International Australia raised concerns about oversight.

Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens, who lost the Democratic primary to Abdul El-Sayed, endorsed Republican Mike Rogers for Senate on Sunday, two days before the election, after a feud with her party's nominee escalated over a campaign advert blaming Israel for high food prices. Democrats condemned the move as a betrayal in a key Senate race, while El-Sayed said he was focused on Michiganders' problems.

Saudi Arabia condemned the attack on Qatar's LNG carrier Al Mayeda, which was struck by unidentified objects in the Gulf on Friday. The Saudi foreign ministry urged the international community to act immediately to uphold international law and ensure maritime security. The strike is the latest on commercial shipping since the US and Israeli war on Iran began in February.

Israeli forces maintained a siege on Hebron for the 10th consecutive day, displacing more than 3,300 Palestinians and forcing 327 businesses to close. The mayor of Hebron estimated daily economic losses at over 12 million shekels and described the situation as collective punishment. Israeli forces also arrested 10 Palestinian teachers in Masafer Yatta and raided a UN school in East Jerusalem.

Ukraine resumed long-range drone strikes on Russian oil refineries in defiance of pressure from the US administration ahead of midterm elections. Russian state media reported fires at the Kstovo and Samara refineries, while the Kremlin accused Kyiv of ignoring US wishes. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country was obliged to retaliate for Russian strikes on energy infrastructure.

French prosecutors opened an attempted murder investigation after petrol bombs were thrown at about 15 gendarmes and police officers in Paris during cost-of-living protests. Video showed an officer's lower body engulfed in flames, with reported second-degree burns and 13 members of his unit injured. More than 770 people were arrested across France, while Germany's interior minister called for harsh penalties after riots in Frankfurt.

Russian authorities detained a teenage Russian citizen suspected of planning an attack at Moscow's Tsaritsyno Museum Reserve after the US embassy warned of a credible mass casualty threat. The FSB said the suspect posted TikTok photos in a balaclava and tactical clothing holding what appeared to be an automatic weapon, and the park was temporarily closed.

Police in Dallas said four people were killed and 15 injured after three separate shootings in the Deep Ellum neighborhood over an hour and 15 minutes. Chief Daniel Comeaux said officers were still trying to determine whether the incidents were related, and some arrests were made. The shootings were among several violent incidents nationwide on Halloween weekend.

Serbian prosecutors arrested Marko Kricak, head of the criminal police directorate, and Bosko Sekulovic, the organised crime commander, on suspicion of abusing their offices and harming the rights of former Belgrade police chief Veselin Milic. The allegations emerged from an investigation into the May murder of a suspected criminal underworld figure, and Kricak is seen as a loyalist to defeated President Aleksandar Vucic.

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Britain is open to formally apologizing for its role in the transatlantic slave trade but ruled out financial reparations. Burnham proposed leading a program of debt restructuring for the poorest Commonwealth countries, a move described as a historic shift in London's stance. The statement comes ahead of a Commonwealth summit in Antigua and Barbuda, where Caribbean nations have demanded more accountability.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticized the move as a distraction, while Caribbean trade bloc Caricom said an apology without repair is incomplete.

The head of a student group said high school blockades in France would restart on Monday and become more significant on Tuesday. Pierre Sourzat said the government's new measures did not go far enough, calling them smoke and mirrors. He argued the proposed university admissions overhaul failed to address the shortage of higher education places.

Civilians in Ukraine's Kherson region prepared Sunday for the end of a localized ceasefire, the most significant truce since Russia's invasion began 4.5 years ago. The White House said Melania Trump helped broker the pause, which began early Tuesday and was expected to end Sunday evening. It allowed Oleshky residents to evacuate to Ukrainian or Russian territory or stay with supplies, while Zelenskyy said Russia kept striking energy systems.

Former Mossad chief David Barnea said Israel intentionally released footage of its covert operation in Iran to provoke mass arrests and make it harder for Iranian forces to find real agents. Barnea said Iranian authorities arrested 21,000 people during the operation, many of whom had no connection to Mossad. The remarks sparked criticism from analysts who said Israel used ordinary Iranians as tools to protect its operatives.

Israel is left without a clear path to a new government after no bloc won a majority in the 120-seat Knesset following the October 27 elections. President Isaac Herzog is expected to task either Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot with forming a coalition within 28 days. Eisenkot may have an advantage if Arab-led parties consider endorsing him to oust Netanyahu.

One person was killed and eight others wounded in a mass shooting outside Legion Field after the annual Magic City Classic football game in Birmingham, Alabama, on Saturday night. Police said the shooting happened nearby where vendors were set up along Graymont Avenue, after most spectators had left. One person was detained and multiple weapons were found, with circumstances unclear. The game drew nearly 70,000 fans.

Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis became the first Swiss foreign minister to visit North Korea since 2003, formally reopening the country's diplomatic office in Pyongyang. Cassis met with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui and Jo Yong Won, discussing the restoration of political dialogue and security on the Korean Peninsula. The visit comes amid renewed military tensions and hopes for renewed engagement from South Korea.

Somali pirates seized an Iranian fishing vessel carrying 23 people, warning that the ship could become a floating base for further attacks on commercial vessels. The Azini was hijacked Thursday between the coastal towns of Bandar Bayla and Hafun in northeastern Somalia.

The seizure follows a resurgence of Somali piracy across the Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean, adding another danger for shipping in a region already disrupted by the Iran war.

Thousands of students and supporters in Serbia marked two years since a deadly train station disaster in Novi Sad that killed 16 people and fueled student-led protests. The demand for accountability over the collapse of a concrete canopy at the station eventually led to the defeat of Aleksandar Vucic's government in last week's parliamentary elections.

Students brought 16 wreaths and 16 red hearts to the site, promising to build a more just society.

Taiwan's coast guard accused China of harassment after a Chinese vessel entered restricted waters near the Pratas Islands in the South China Sea. The two ships came within one nautical mile of each other during the standoff, which Taiwan's coast guard described as the 13th such intrusion near the islands this year. China's coast guard announced it had sent a group of vessels to conduct a routine law enforcement patrol in waters east of Taiwan.

Poland's constitutional crisis deepened as the European Commission urged President Karol Nawrocki to recognize new judges appointed by Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The standoff comes ahead of next year's parliamentary election, with polls suggesting a close race between Tusk's coalition and the nationalist right. Tusk accused conservative opposition leaders of wanting to destroy democracy and the rule of law.

At least eight Palestinians were killed by the Israeli military in Gaza, including a four-year-old boy in a drone attack on Gaza City's Rimal neighborhood. In southern Gaza, an Israeli drone attack killed five people, including police officers, while another person died from wounds sustained in a previous attack. Hamas condemned the attacks as a deliberate war crime, while the Israeli military said it was targeting militants.

Qatar condemned the attack on its LNG carrier Al Mayeda as a dangerous escalation that threatens global energy security and maritime navigation. The Qatari foreign ministry warned against reckless practices of attacking tankers and stated that Doha reserves the right to take necessary measures to protect its property and interests under international law.

The vessel was hit by unidentified objects in the Gulf on Friday, with no crew injuries or environmental damage reported.

Iran submitted evidence of US and Israeli attacks on its maritime infrastructure to the International Maritime Organisation, including documents and photographic evidence of sabotage. An Iranian official said IMO member states will discuss the evidence at a council session in London from 2 to 6 November.

Iran claims the attacks threaten the safety of international shipping and seafarers, with damage to maritime traffic control systems increasing the risk of accidents.

Dr Marta Shahbazi, a University of Cambridge scientist, was among at least 69 people killed in a high speed train collision near Urda in Toledo province on Wednesday. She was travelling to a conference in El Rompido to receive a scientific excellence prize from the Spanish Society of Developmental Biology. The disaster was Spain's second high speed rail crash this year, and three days of national mourning were observed.

Yamaha withdrew its MotoGP team from next weekend's Qatar Grand Prix, citing the situation in the Middle East and company travel restrictions. The race will run from Friday to November 8 at Lusail International Circuit, with MotoGP saying consultations with Qatar, the circuit and safety advisers did not warrant changes. Yamaha's absence leaves Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins without a team, while Marc Marquez could clinch the title in Doha.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei warned that any threat must be met with a geographically unrestricted response. He told top commanders to prepare for possible new US-Israeli action, with state media saying Iran could target Europe and the South Caucasus.

The warning came as the United States said forces could launch a short campaign after next week's midterms, while Iranian diplomats in Qatar discussed reopening Hormuz in two days.

The UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara ended its mandate at midnight Saturday after the Security Council failed to agree on its future. A US draft extending the mission was vetoed by Russia, while a rival Russian text failed to win nine votes. Guterres said the UN remains committed to self-determination and will keep working through Personal Envoy Staffan de Mistura, as Morocco welcomed the defeat of the US resolution.

Pope Leo XIV will visit the Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Borro, a Montevideo neighborhood hit hard by drug trafficking, at the start of his 6 to 17 November tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. More than 46 percent of Montevideo's 98 homicides up to September occurred in Borro and surrounding neighborhoods. The parish builds homes, promotes job creation and supports addicts, and the visit comes despite the pope's recent cancer diagnosis.

Iran's deputy speaker said Tehran has no intention of negotiating with the United States, claiming Washington has nothing new to offer. The Iranian army said its strategy has shifted from defensive to offensive and warned a future war could extend beyond West Asia. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Trump had not decided on fresh strikes and that Washington remains open to diplomacy.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch described a potential British apology for the transatlantic slave trade as a navel-gazing distraction that could be used as a lever for financial compensation. She questioned whether it was worth attending the Commonwealth summit, which she said is dominated by calls for reparations, and argued that leaders should look forward rather than back.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who is considering a formal apology, said there would not be financial reparations but was prepared to help restructure debt for poorer countries.

The Qatar Gas Transport Company said its LNG carrier Al Mayeda was struck by unidentified objects in the Gulf on Friday evening, with no crew injuries or environmental damage reported. The company said the vessel is in safe condition and operational while the impact is assessed. The attack is the latest on commercial shipping since the US and Israeli war on Iran began in February, with more than 120 ships hit.

Yemen's internationally recognised government says its forces have recaptured positions and strategic heights east of al-Hazm, while the Houthis say they thwarted advances there and in Marib. The army said the 1st Emergency Brigade seized weapons and ammunition depots and destroyed armoured vehicles. The fighting is part of Operation Dawn of Yemen, and the siege of Taiz is straining hospitals and limiting supplies.

The 2026 Youth Olympic Games opened in Dakar with an opening ceremony celebrating Senegalese and wider African culture. Nearly 3,000 teenagers from more than 200 countries will compete in around a dozen sports, including athletics, beach wrestling and five-a-side baseball. The event is the first Olympic sporting event held on the African continent, arriving as Senegal faces an economic crisis and a government crackdown on LGBTQ+ people.

Hundreds of thousands protested across France for a third consecutive weekend over the cost of living and school conditions, with heavy police presence in Paris. Riot police fired tear gas and small fires broke out in several parts of the capital, while similar scenes unfolded in Bordeaux, Toulouse and Marseille. The demonstrations were largely less violent than the chaos witnessed on October 17.

Tens of thousands of protesters led by Rahul Gandhi rallied in New Delhi to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The demonstrations challenge a voter roll revision that removed more than 130 million names, which critics say disproportionately affects minorities. The Election Commission denies favoring any party, while analysts describe the protests as Prime Minister Modi's most serious political crisis since 2014.

Turkey moved Abdullah Ocalan, leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, to a newly built section of his island prison on Imrali, a senior Kurdish official said. Ocalan has been held there since 1999, and improving his conditions has been a key Kurdish demand in the push to end the conflict, which has lasted 42 years.

Lawmaker Mithat Sancar said the move necessitates acceleration of the peace process, which he said has been on a pause for two months.

The Home Office is still putting asylum seekers on planes to France weeks after the one in, one out scheme ended on 1 October. Officials chartered a flight on Wednesday for a group thought to have arrived in the UK on small boats before the scheme ended, with a second flight scheduled for 17 November. The scheme aimed to deter Channel crossings, but many asylum seekers have reported being left homeless or abused by smugglers.

With two days before the US midterm elections, polling averages show Democrats leading Republicans nationally, while several close Senate races could decide control of Congress. President Donald Trump was set to campaign in Iowa and Kansas, while Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed was set to hold events in Michigan as cost-of-living concerns and the Iran war dominated. Early voting was particularly high in states with tight Senate contests.

Former chancellor Rachel Reeves said Britain's future lies in the European Union, arguing Brexit has made the UK poorer, weaker and less secure. Writing in the Sunday Times, she welcomed Prime Minister Andy Burnham's leadership on the EU relationship and said supporters of re-entry must demonstrate tangible benefits. She hoped the upcoming UK-EU summit would confirm a youth mobility scheme and progress towards entry into the Safe defence scheme.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said President Donald Trump agreed to grant a visa to the mother of Javits Frimpong, a 15-year-old Ghanaian boy shot dead in the Bronx. Frimpong was chased by three teens on his way to school on Thursday and died in hospital the same day. Police are investigating, with no arrests made, while Ghanaian officials are helping his mother with her visa application.

Bangladesh formed a six-member wage board to review the minimum wage for garment workers as protests disrupted key industrial hubs. Workers demand a monthly minimum wage of 30,000 taka, more than double the current 12,500 taka. Thousands continued protesting around Dhaka, with police firing tear gas and sound grenades, while about 30 factories declared holidays.

Voters in Serbia and Brazil chose left-wing parties, weakening President Donald Trump's foreign support. In Serbia, the Student List victory cost Trump an important European ally, outgoing president Aleksandar Vucic, who resigned to run as prime minister. In Brazil, incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva defeated Flavio Bolsonaro, who fled to Florida and is under investigation for alleged corruption and money laundering.

Israeli and American flags were burned on the roof of a tram shelter in Lyon during the third round of France's cost-of-living protests. Footage shared by Clash Report showed protesters stomping the flags before setting them on fire. Nearby protesters were heard chanting 'Israel assassin'.

Police used shields, batons and dogs to disperse a housing protest camp in Lisbon's Rossio Square on Sunday, a day after thousands marched against a rental bill. Officers dismantled more than 50 tents and cleared a smaller camp in Porto. The protests reflect Portugal's housing crisis, with house prices more than doubling since 2017 and new rents almost doubling, while demonstrators want the government to scrap eviction and rent cap changes.

Binance resumed some withdrawals Sunday after a record theft of about $6.3 billion in cryptocurrency that US authorities blamed on North Korea. The exchange said it replaced about 95 percent of affected assets and is restoring services in stages, starting with Bitcoin, Ether and some stablecoin services. The FBI said TraderTraitor converted stolen assets into ether and warned of further laundering.

Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of Iran's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said the country's armed forces will answer any new threats with an immediate and harsher reply than before. He said the leader's command is final and binding and that Iran will have no limitations in geography or target bank.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Trump administration did not help Flavio Bolsonaro flee Brazil after his election loss. Bolsonaro, under investigation in Brazil for alleged corruption, money laundering and tax evasion, arrived in Miami on Wednesday via Argentina and Ecuador. Trump said Bolsonaro could stay in the US indefinitely, while Reuters reported he was admitted under humanitarian parole.

Tens of thousands joined a protest in New Delhi led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over a voter-roll revision. Opposition leaders say the revision unfairly benefits Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP, an allegation the party denies; reports differ on the scale, citing 130 million names removed or more than 133 million. Cockroach leaders backed the rally but did not attend.

Iran's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday it had designated Britain's Royal Navy and Royal Air Force as terrorist organisations and MI6 as a hostile group, effective 1 November, in retaliation for hostile British actions, including its designation of the IRGC. Tehran accused Britain of joining the US-Israeli war against Iran by giving access to military and logistical bases under British jurisdiction.

The European Commission said Saturday that the appointment of eight new members of Poland's Constitutional Tribunal lies within the constitutional power of the Sejm, its parliament. It said it was closely monitoring the crisis after President Karol Nawrocki tried to enter the court building Friday night amid a deadlock over new judges. Prime Minister Tusk called the events scandalous and vowed that the rule of law would prevail over violence.

French authorities expressed relief that cost-of-living protests were less violent than previous weekends, with 779 arrests compared to 2,628 on October 17. In Germany, nationwide protests ended with rioters looting stores and attacking police in Frankfurt, Berlin, Cologne, and Hamburg. Police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse crowds. Student groups and labor unions are calling for new demonstrations as schools reopen.

Iran has bought Russian Su-35 fighter jets and expects to receive them after the war ends, IRGC spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia said. He told Iranian news site Tabnak that the aircraft were originally supposed to arrive before the war began and that preparations and training have been completed. Akraminia added that Iran's air force will emerge stronger after the war.

Bulgarians voted Sunday in a presidential runoff between acting President Iliana Yotova and former interim Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov, after Yotova led the first round by 2.8 percentage points. The contest comes amid economic hardship and drone attacks on Black Sea shipping that have left several sailors dead or missing. Yotova, backed by Radev's Progressive Bulgaria party, said peace could come only through negotiations.

CNN Brasil reported that a former Mossad agent who became a US citizen helped Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro leave the country in defiance of a judicial order barring travel. The agent arrived on October 19, six days before the runoff, and accompanied Bolsonaro to the Argentine border in one of two vans. The family then flew to the United States on a Gulfstream G400 operated by Baires Fly, stopping in Ecuador before landing near Miami.

Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz signed a decree on Saturday declaring a nationwide state of emergency to free up resources for El Nino drought and floods. The order called for more rescue teams in hard hit areas, where drought is affecting 78,000 families in six departments and has led to the loss of more than 75,000 cattle. El Nino is due to peak at the end of 2026, with impacts that could continue well into 2027.

Residents of the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky crossed into Ukraine after a six-day ceasefire mediated by US First Lady Melania Trump and helped by Pope Leo XIV. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said evacuees reached the Chernihiv region and thanked the United States. Some described starvation, with one saying they ate grass to survive. The pause is the longest local truce since Russia's full-scale invasion began in 2022.

Israeli authorities have issued 9,518 demolition or stop-work notices against Palestinian structures in the occupied West Bank since 2015, a report said. The Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission documented 9,174 notices from 2015 to 2025 and 344 in the first nine months of 2026. It said the notices halted construction and disrupted families, while settler violence has surged, causing deaths and property damage.

MotoGP is set to go ahead with the Qatar Grand Prix from 6 to 8 November despite rider concerns over the US-Israeli war against Iran. Organisers said they have provided assurances from Qatar, the circuit and their own risk assessments, while arguing a zero-risk environment is unrealistic. Spain's embassy in Qatar has urged its citizens not to travel unless necessary, and Spaniards make up the largest share of riders, including Marc Marquez.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji called for a complete Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territories, an end to attacks and full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. At the Manama Dialogue, he urged Gulf states to support efforts to restore Lebanon's sovereignty and said the government is placing all weapons under state authority. He raised concerns over maritime security in Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb and the Red Sea.

Thousands rallied in Tel Aviv on Saturday to urge opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot to seek a deal with Arab parties to remove Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Eisenkot has previously ruled out a coalition with Israel's Arab parties, but neither his bloc's 48 seats nor Netanyahu's 53 can form a government alone in the 120-seat parliament. The three Arab-led parties won 19 seats, so a coalition with Eisenkot would provide a majority of 67.

Thousands joined largely peaceful demonstrations across Germany over the cost of living, school funding, public spending cuts and military service, but riots broke out late Saturday in Frankfurt and clashes occurred in Berlin, Cologne and Hamburg. Police used water cannon and made many arrests, while Frankfurt officials said shop windows were smashed and molotov cocktails were thrown at emergency workers.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned the death of Mohammad el-Shami, a UN Human Rights Office staff member, in Houthi custody in Yemen and called for an investigation. The UN said el-Shami had been held since 6 June 2024, while his family said he died more than a month ago but they were informed only recently. Volker Turk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, called the death devastating and urged a prompt investigation.

The FBI said Saturday that North Korea stole more than $6 billion from Binance on or about October 29, 2026, in what is believed to be the biggest cryptocurrency heist in history. It tied the attack to TraderTraitor, also blamed for a $1.5 billion Bybit hack, and said stolen assets were being converted into ethereum. Binance said it had replaced 90% of the stolen tokens with company funds and expected to resume withdrawals on Sunday.

Maidstone Borough Council is lobbying the U.K. government and planning to petition King Charles III to pardon more than 20 women hanged in the town for witchcraft. Records show witch hunts peaked in England in the 1600s, with around 5,000 women executed across England and Scotland. Council members say the pardons would correct a miscarriage of justice for vulnerable women who were often scapegoated.

US President Donald Trump said Iran wants to make a deal and that negotiations are going fine, while questioning Tehran's reliability. Speaking at a Halloween party in Florida, he said Washington was not in that much of a hurry for the Qatari-mediated talks and again claimed the US had destroyed Iran's navy, air force and manufacturing capabilities. Trump renewed his threat to strike Pick Axe Mountain, which Washington says hosts a nuclear site.

A US judge dismissed President Donald Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, ruling the suit was grasping at straws and ran counter to the First Amendment. The case stemmed from a 2003 letter in Jeffrey Epstein's birthday book that Trump denied writing. The judge threw out the case with prejudice, meaning it cannot be filed again, noting the paper's investigation was thoughtful and detailed.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki held urgent talks after the suspension of Constitutional Tribunal chief judge Bogdan Swieczkowski deepened a dispute over the court's independence. Prime Minister Donald Tusk's Civic Coalition stayed away, while Tusk accused conservative nationalist opposition leaders of wanting to destroy democracy and rule of law. The European Commission urged Nawrocki to accept the nomination of new judges.

A California judge ordered the Trump administration to stop demanding election officials set aside ballots of voters the Department of Justice believes are likely non-citizens. The ruling came days before midterms that will decide which party controls Congress for the last two years of Trump's presidency. Judge Trina Thompson said the actions were likely to interfere with election administration and disenfranchise lawful voters.

Margaret Owen, 94, was arrested again under the Terrorism Act for defying the ban on Palestine Action, Defend Our Juries said. The group said dozens of arrests during Saturday's protest outside the US embassy in London bring the total number of arrests under the act to over 4,000. Owen, a former human rights lawyer, said she had been trying for months to be arrested.

Iran's foreign minister said Tehran has reached a plan with Qatari mediators to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days if the United States meets its conditions, calling Washington's dialogue offer a positive step. US Central Command said 144 commercial vessels had been redirected under its naval blockade as of 31 October, up from 135 earlier in the month.