Latest World News Today: 8 November 2026

Sudan's military has again detained Ahmed Haroun, a former senior Islamist official wanted by the International Criminal Court over Darfur atrocities, in Kassala, two defense lawyers said. Haroun was a senior security official under Omar al-Bashir and later National Congress Party chairman. Lawyers said no reason was given, but linked it to his podcast comment that his party and the military are united against the Rapid Support Forces.

Syria is preparing to send fighters to Saudi Arabia to help it fight Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen, three officials told the Associated Press. A regional official and two Syrian officials said Syrian military advisers are already in Saudi Arabia, while an initial force of about 600 special forces fighters is expected in the coming week. Syria has so far stayed on the sidelines.

Azerbaijan marked Victory Day on Sunday for the sixth anniversary of the end of the Karabakh war, with President Ilham Aliyev laying a wreath in Khankendi. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan joined at Aliyev's invitation, a visit aimed at showing the resilience of the Turkey-Azerbaijan alliance after weeks of diplomatic disagreements. The leaders said their partnership would endure despite differences.

Tens of thousands of people, many dressed in red, marched through Amsterdam to press the Dutch government to act against Israel over Gaza. Organizers demanded stricter trade sanctions, a declaration that Israel's actions amount to genocide and a halt to arms sales, while the Dutch branch of Amnesty International said more than 200,000 joined. The march comes amid strained Dutch-Israeli relations.

At least four people were killed and 88 injured on Sunday when two trains collided in Al Ayyat, Giza province, about 52 kilometres south of Cairo. A train heading to Fayum struck the rear of another bound for Aswan, derailing one train. President Abdelfatah al Sisi ordered an immediate investigation, and emergency teams worked to clear wreckage.

The Houthis claimed an attack on King Khalid International Airport and Saudi Aramco oil storage tanks. The claim followed a previous attack on Riyadh's financial centre that the Houthis also claimed and that eyewitnesses said damaged an Aramco skyscraper.

France said it will join US mediated talks with Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday and Wednesday, with European representatives participating. Foreign Minister Jean Noel Barrot said France will ensure Europe's voice is heard, after President Trump predicted a very big deal with Russia covering all of Europe.

US, European, Ukrainian and NATO officials met in Brussels beforehand, while Jared Kushner said the US was working on a broader European security architecture.

A pirogue carrying migrants sank off northwestern Senegal, killing at least 34 people, after an initial interior ministry count of 21. One survivor was found, and an indeterminate number remain missing. The Atlantic route to Spain's Canary Islands is one of the deadliest, with 635 deaths in the first five months of 2026.

Egypt reopened its Tripoli embassy on Saturday, ending a 12-year closure after gunmen kidnapped five staff in 2014. Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met Libya's acting foreign minister and Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah to discuss trade, energy and a disputed 2019 Turkey-Libya maritime boundary. Egypt raised objections to the deal, which Greece says ignores Greek island rights and which Egypt and Cyprus oppose.

Egypt announced a new Mediterranean gas discovery at the Nasim-1X well in the Taiba concession, with initial estimates of about 200 billion cubic feet. The ministry said studies are still assessing producible volumes, production rates and commercial viability, and no start date has been set. Cairo plans a 22-kilometre pipeline to existing facilities to shorten the time before production can begin.

South Africa's ANC suffered a major local election setback, winning 31 percent nationally against 25 percent for the Democratic Alliance with 99 percent of votes counted. The result, a drop of about 14 percentage points from 2021, leaves the ANC without an outright majority in any of the eight major metro areas. Parties have 14 days to negotiate city governments, and the DA led the count in Johannesburg with about 35 percent.

US Central Command said a military aircraft fired precision munitions at the stern of the St. Kitts-flagged M/V Huda, disabling it after the crew ignored repeated warnings. The command said US forces have redirected 147 commercial vessels since July and disabled five that refused to comply. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said two oil tankers hit mines in and east of the Strait of Hormuz after using an unauthorised route.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said three rogue oil tankers traveling an unauthorized route in the Strait of Hormuz were hit by explosions and severe fires. The guards said the tankers turned off navigation and identification systems and blamed the aggression of the American invading military. They warned that defiance of Iranian regulations for the strait would have no other fate.

Power company DTEK said more than 600,000 residents in Dnipropetrovsk region were left without power after a night attack damaged important energy facilities. The mayor of Zlatopil said nearly 250,000 customers in Kharkiv region lost power after a drone hit a critical infrastructure facility. Zelenskyy said the strikes caused widespread outages and that the death toll in Komyshuvakha has risen to 55, ahead of trilateral talks next week.

Cop31 opens in Antalya after a hosting dispute, with Australia running the negotiations and Turkey controlling the action agenda. Australia's climate minister Chris Bowen will be in daily charge of the talks, while Turkey's environment minister Murat Kurum oversees voluntary initiatives. The Arab group has an outsize role in ensuring fossil fuel interests are represented.

Pope Leo XIV ended his Uruguay visit by marking the feast of the Virgin of the Thirty-three in Florida, becoming the first pope in nearly four decades to visit the country. He urged men to respect their wives amid nearly 20,000 femicides in Latin America over five years. He then headed to Argentina, where President Javier Milei's austerity program has drawn sharp church criticism.

A Russian drone struck emergency workers at a former school and nearby shelter in Komyshuvakha, Zaporizhzhia region, on Sunday, authorities said. The site had earlier been hit by Russian guided bombs in an attack that killed at least 55 people. Ukraine said no one was injured in the Sunday strike, but rescue equipment was damaged and about 50 people remain missing.

Senegal's interior ministry said at least 21 people died after a pirogue came into difficulty off Kébémer in the country's northwest, with one survivor found so far. Search and rescue operations are underway, and the government said it would work with neighbouring countries to combat people-smuggling networks. The UN's IOM says the Atlantic route is a key pathway for West African migrants travelling to Europe.

Croatian police said at least two people were killed and around 20 were injured, some seriously, when a bus with Serbian plates skidded off a highway and overturned on Sunday. Emergency services said 33 passengers and two drivers were on board when it crashed at 7:25 a.m. while travelling toward Zagreb. The reason for the accident was not immediately clear.

Heavy rains and strong winds have flooded about 70,000 tents and damaged shelters for displaced Palestinians across Gaza, authorities said. Gaza's Government Media Office said the storm caused about $3m in damage, while Civil Defence said more than 2,000 buildings are at risk of collapse. Residents reported sewage mixing with floodwater, and aid groups said many families lack adequate shelter.

Pope Leo XIV will begin his first full day in Argentina at a Catholic home for disabled people, where President Javier Milei's cuts have left medications, special foods and diapers undelivered since last November. The visit is the first papal trip to Argentina since John Paul II in 1987 and comes after Milei called Pope Francis the representative of the Evil One.

Mate estimates minimum-pension retirees have lost about 30% of their purchasing power.

Poland's National Prosecutor's Office opened a terrorism investigation into Saturday's Krakow attack, in which a 24-year-old man killed six people and wounded 15. The suspect, described as fascinated by far-right ideologies, is in critical condition after a shootout with police. Police found his parents and sister dead at his home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski.

Taiwan detained Lin Te-wang, chair of the Taiwan People's Communist Party, accusing him of running as a borough chief candidate under China's Communist Party sponsorship. Prosecutors alleged he directed another party member to run and sought to buy votes by recruiting voters to travel to mainland China. The detention comes before local elections on November 28, which could signal support for President Lai Ching-te's party.

Witnesses said an Aramco tower in Riyadh's King Abdullah Financial District was damaged after Houthi attacks targeted the Saudi capital. Multiple witnesses confirmed seeing damage to the building, and Reuters reported loud booms shortly after Civil Defense issued an early warning alert. The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted missiles over Riyadh's airspace.

New Zealanders will wait weeks to learn who will lead the country after Saturday's election failed to deliver a decisive win for the right or the left. The tight result gave minor parties leverage, with newcomer Opportunity winning seven seats and saying it could work with either side. Parties will not begin government negotiations until final tallies are released on Nov. 27.

A petition by Britain's Your Party calling for a public inquiry into Britain's role in Israel's genocide in Gaza has reached 90,000 signatures, approaching the 100,000 needed for a parliamentary debate. Launched on 23 October by chief Jennifer Forbes, it seeks scrutiny of arms supplies, surveillance aircraft and the use of Royal Air Force bases. The inquiry would have power to question ministers and officials.

The Saudi-led coalition said its air defences intercepted and destroyed two cruise missiles over the Riyadh and southern regions. Minutes earlier, coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Malki said air defences had intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis toward Riyadh. The statements were posted on X.

Israeli weather forecaster Tzachi Peleg mocked displaced residents in Gaza as rainwater flooded their tents. In Facebook posts, he wrote: 'In the strip, they went out to fish in the morning and not to the beach. Such happiness, I haven't experienced since the sixties.' He added: 'Not a single tent will remain, and I have no problem if people don't survive either.'

Saudi Civil Defence said the danger had passed in Riyadh City minutes after warning residents of a potential danger and urging them to proceed to the nearest safe place. The alert told people to follow civil defence instructions, avoid gathering and filming, and call 911 in an emergency. Earlier, similar all clear messages were issued for Dammam and the provinces of al-Ahsa and Abqaiq.

Iran on Sunday executed three men convicted of taking part in armed unrest during protests in January 2026 and carrying out operations for Israel and the United States, state media reported. AFP reported on Saturday, citing the judiciary's Mizan Online website, the execution of Mohammad Aref Shahbakhsh, an operative linked to Jaish al-Adl. Jaish al-Adl is an outlawed militant group in Sistan-Baluchistan province.

Colombia's armed forces said a drone attack on a base in Santa Rosa del Sur, in northern Colombia, killed three soldiers and wounded at least 16. Authorities have not said who carried out the strike, the latest in a series of attacks on security forces as violence rises in rural areas. President Abelardo de la Espriella said the attackers would have nowhere to hide.

The Israeli military said hostile aircraft alerts in the north were a false identification. The statement came minutes after reports that sirens had sounded in the Zar'it and Shomera areas near the Lebanese border over a reported hostile aircraft infiltration.

Iran's ambassador to Moscow said Major General Mohsen Rezaei briefed President Vladimir Putin that US talks could not end the conflict without credible guarantees. He said Tehran cited attacks during earlier diplomacy and made acceptance of its seven strategic conditions by Washington a prerequisite for new talks. Jalali said Russia understood and agreed commitments had to be implemented.

Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry said Prince Faisal bin Farhan spoke by phone with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani about efforts to de-escalate tensions and enhance security and stability. The call came a day after Al Thani said mediation between the United States and Iran was ongoing to prevent escalation. It was the second reported phone call between the two ministers in the past week.

Human rights groups say two Uyghur men in Thailand are at risk of deportation to China after being transferred to an immigration detention centre. One man said he would be 'like a slave' if sent back, while activists fear Bangkok will again yield to Beijing. Last year Thailand deported 40 Uyghur men to China despite UN pleas, and the UN says their whereabouts remain unknown.

The Saudi-led coalition said its air defences intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis toward the kingdom's Eastern Province. Spokesman Major General Turki Al-Malki made the statement on X after Saudi Civil Defence issued alerts warning of dangers in Dammam and the governorates of al-Ahsa and Abqaiq.

Snow fell across parts of NSW, Victoria and Tasmania as an unseasonal cold blast moved through Australia's south-east. Thredbo, Perisher and Mount Hotham recorded falls, along with Kunanyi/Mount Wellington in Hobart. The Bureau of Meteorology said a weather system filled with cold air moving north from towards Antarctica caused the chill, with apparent temperatures much cooler than forecast maximums.

The United Arab Emirates National Guard said on Sunday it rescued 22 people, all Arab nationals, after a fire broke out on a cargo ship in the Sea of Oman. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said on Saturday it had received a report of an incident involving a bulk carrier and military forces in the Gulf of Oman, east of Khor Fakkan, UAE.

A 24-year-old man with far-right views drove into Krakow's Main Square and opened fire on Saturday, killing six people and wounding 15 before police shot and wounded him. Poland began two days of national mourning on Sunday after the attack in the Old Town tourist hub. Authorities said four women and two men were killed, including a British man, and found the attacker's mother, father and sister dead at his family home.

Saudi Civil Defense said the danger in Dammam and the provinces of al-Ahsa and Abqaiq has now passed. Minutes earlier, it had issued alerts warning of potential danger in Dammam, Abqaiq, Dhahran and al-Ahsa. The directorate warned that filming, publishing or sharing information about missile or drone attacks could trigger legal action.

Prosecutors charged former President Santiago Pena and took him into custody Saturday over a banking crisis that cut millions off from their money and sparked protests. Pena, Paraguay's youngest president, was removed by the Senate on Friday, three days after a leading bank with business links to him collapsed. The indictment alleges UENO BANK S.A. took deposits and loans from public and pension entities and made irregular loans to linked firms.

French far-left presidential contender Jean-Luc Melenchon said French ships would, if necessary, escort flotillas of citizens mobilising to assert their rights. He vowed direct action to aid Palestinians against what he called the genocide in Gaza and the gradual annexation of the West Bank. He also said France would take concrete steps to mobilise against persecution of besieged Christian communities in Palestine and Lebanon.

El Hierro authorities declared an emergency and asked Madrid for help after a sharp increase in migrants and refugees arriving by boat. Local authorities said more than 3,300 people arrived on about 30 boats since the start of November, on an island with about 11,400 residents. Officials are seeking temporary accommodation, and medical staff have been brought in from other islands. The regional leader called the situation unsustainable.

Major General Mohsen Rezaei, Iran's secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, warned on X that the United States would face a devastating response if attacks resume. He said Washington had lost the war and the election, adding that Vance had conceded, Rubio was heading for the exit, Hegseth was about to be fired and the CENTCOM commander was now a podcaster.

US Central Command said Admiral Brad Cooper directed the creation of Task Force Iron Gate, about 20 civilian and military staff based in Tampa, Florida. It will coordinate with US agencies to stop advanced weapons, dual-use technologies, sanctioned materials and illegal revenue streams moving across Iran's land borders and the Caspian Sea. Cooper said it reinforces a sea blockade and will constrain Iran's military rebuilding.

The Albanese government said four heritage-listed defence sites, including Victoria Barracks in Sydney and Melbourne, will remain publicly owned after backlash over their sale. The sites were identified in an independent audit as underused, not fit for purpose and costly to maintain, and had been earmarked for sale to recoup $3bn. The government will work with the Australian War Memorial to open them to the public once vacated by defence.

Yemen's Foreign Minister Afrah al-Zouba said her government will take joint measures with Lebanon to halt Hezbollah's support for the Houthis. The statement followed a meeting between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Yemen's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. Al-Zouba said the two countries would coordinate to follow up Yemen's announcement about Hezbollah members supporting Houthi military operations.

A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.7 struck central Japan early Sunday, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Japanese media reported dozens of injuries. A wide area near Aichi Prefecture was affected, and smaller aftershocks followed.