Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Flydubai co-pilot attacked pilot with axe in attempted 'terrorist attack', UAE says

The co-pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073, which was bound for Israel, attempted to carry out a "terrorist attack" with an ​axe during the flight, the United Arab Emirates prosecutor general said on Saturday. The co-pilot was identified as Hammam al-Hammami, an Omani national, a source with direct knowledge ​of the matter told Reuters. A second source briefed on the investigation confirmed the co-pilot’s name. UAE authorities did not ‌immediately respond ​to a request for confirmation of his identity.

US-Russia talks on Ukraine involve multi-billion dollar oil deal, NYT reports

The Trump administration’s talks with Russia on ending the war in Ukraine have expanded to include a multibillion-dollar oil deal that would benefit Middle Eastern business executives with ties to US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the New York Times reported on Saturday. The deal, which is contingent on approval from the US government and the Kremlin, involves a sprawling set of oil fields, refineries and gas stations around the world ‌owned by Russian energy group Lukoil, according to the report.

Israeli officials to question co-pilot of flydubai flight, source says

Israeli officials are expected to question the co-pilot who allegedly attempted to crash a commercial passenger flight from Dubai bound for Tel Aviv, according to a source briefed on the investigation. Disaster was averted on flydubai flight FZ1073 on Wednesday after passengers and crew subdued the co-pilot, who had stabbed the captain in what Israeli officials have said was an apparent attempt to crash the plane carrying over 170 passengers and crew.

Fire, smoke seen near Aramco facility in Riyadh, witness says

A large plume of smoke and fire was seen rising in the vicinity of an Aramco facility in Riyadh on Saturday, a witness told Reuters. There was no immediate ‌confirmation from Saudi authorities about the fire. Aramco did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

US halts consular services in Brazil ahead of election, increasing tensions

Citing security concerns, the United States suspended consular services on Friday, prompting Australia to also close its embassy two days before the country's presidential election, fueling an already uneasy environment ahead ‌of the high-stakes vote. Brazil's Federal Police said on Friday afternoon they had carried out preventive searches in Sao Paulo and near Brasilia, but had so far found no evidence of a threat or identified any suspects linked to criminal organizations.

High school students in Paris' deprived suburbs spark national protest movement

Maisa, a 17-year-old in a poor Paris suburb who aspires to be an English teacher, joined tens of thousands of other students and their supporters this week in protests that spread across France over dilapidated schools, classroom overcrowding and teacher shortages. At Lycee Le Corbusier school in Aubervilliers, a suburb north of Paris in the Seine-Saint-Denis department, protesters said schools in poor neighborhoods like theirs faced the worst conditions.

Tennessee execution survivor Christa Pike unconscious on ventilator, lawyers say

Convicted killer Christa Pike was left gravely ill, unconscious and hospitalized on life support after Tennessee's failed attempt to execute her by lethal injection, ⁠her lawyers said on ​Friday, providing the first detailed account of the injuries she suffered. Hospital staff were working to save Pike's ⁠life and clear the drug pentobarbital from her system, her attorneys said in an emergency motion, which seeks a court order for Tennessee's Department of Correction to preserve evidence from Wednesday night's botched execution.

Pakistan summons Indian diplomat over killing of two civilians at border

Pakistan summoned India's chargé d'affaires on Saturday over the killing of two Pakistani civilians by Indian border forces, Pakistan's foreign ministry said. The ministry said Indian Border Security Force personnel used ⁠unprovoked lethal force against the unarmed civilians in the Bedian sector on the border on Friday.

Saudis plan assault on Houthis to break Red Sea chokehold

Saudi Arabia is planning an offensive against Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen, with options being considered including a coastal push to secure the Red Sea shipping route or an assault on multiple fronts, regional and Western officials told Reuters. The operation, expected to be ​launched in the coming weeks, will by led by Yemeni forces on the ground, which are overseen by Riyadh, and supported by Saudi air strikes, according to six people with knowledge of the preparations.

Bridge across Dnipro river in Kyiv hit during Russian attack, mayor says

The Northern Bridge across the Dnipro river in ⁠Kyiv was hit during a Russian air attack on Saturday, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said, amid an escalation in strikes on infrastructure in the Ukrainian capital. Emergency services were deployed to the scene, the mayor said, and traffic across the bridge from the east to the west bank was suspended following damage to the road surface and the overhead trolleybus cables. There were no casualties reported.

Aboard the USS George Washington, young sailors adjust to war with Iran

An emergency alert ⁠blares ​from a loudspeaker, and Damon Dennard and other sailors on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington are scrambling. Dennard, 23, is readying bombs for loading onto aircraft as his crewmates race to their positions. "It has been eventful," says Dennard, an aviation ordnanceman airman apprentice. Once the alert ends, he takes a breath, sits on one of the bombs and jokes that he probably expected an easier deployment.

Latvians vote in election in shadow of drone incursions and war in Ukraine

Latvians are voting in a parliamentary election on Saturday that is likely to keep power in the hands of pro-Ukrainian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs, although deep political fragmentation may complicate the formation of a government. Across the Baltics, including in ⁠NATO and European Union member Latvia, many voters are on edge after official warnings of potential Russian aggression and a growing number of airspace incursions related to Moscow's war in Ukraine.

Women declare #IamJaneDoe in solidarity with Cornell University rape accuser

Women, some citing their own experiences of sexual assault, are posting on social media that they are Jane ⁠Doe, in solidarity with the woman using the pseudonym in accusing fraternity members of raping her at ⁠Cornell University in 2024. In a case that has drawn national attention, the woman is suing seven fraternity members and the Ivy League school in Ithaca, New York, among others.

Israeli strike kills five, including four women, in Gaza, health officials say

An Israeli airstrike killed at least five Palestinians, including four women, in an apartment building in Gaza City early on Saturday, health and civil defense service officials said. Among the dead were a Christian mother and her daughter, medics said.

Ten injured in Australia as car crashes into crowd ‌north of Sydney

Ten people were injured when a man drove into ‌a crowd in the Australian city of Newcastle on Saturday after appearing to lose control of the car, authorities said. The 18-year-old driver was arrested at the scene in the suburb ​of Wallsend about 110 km (70 miles) north of the New South Wales state capital, Sydney.