Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Two dead in flooding in Spain's Catalonia region

Two people have died and another was missing after heavy rains and flooding in Spain's Catalonia region, authorities said on Sunday. Catalan ​leader Salvador Illa confirmed the death of a man after a wall collapsed in Tordera, a town to the north of Barcelona, in a ​message on his social media account on Sunday.

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.

Japan's Takaichi protests to US after Marine accused of murder ‌in Okinawa

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi registered a protest with the United States on Sunday after a US Marine was arrested on suspicion of robbing and murdering a Japanese woman in Okinawa. Lance Corporal Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, is suspected of killing Anna Yagi, 39, in a hotel in Naha, the capital of the southernmost prefecture, on Saturday and taking her wallet and backpack, police said. Ballard denied the allegations, police said.

US carrier George H.W. Bush visits Thailand after six-month Middle East deployment

The US aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush arrived in Thailand's resort island of Phuket on Sunday with about 4,800 personnel aboard for a rest-and-recreation break after six months supporting US operations in the Middle East. ‌For the last six months, the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier and its strike group supported Operation Epic Fury and the US naval blockade in the US Central Command area of responsibility to secure maritime security and stability in the Middle East, according to the US Navy.

Brazil's Lula, Flavio Bolsonaro wrap up campaigns ahead of first-round ‌vote

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro wrapped up their campaigns on Saturday ahead of Sunday's first-round presidential election, each expressing confidence of victory despite polls pointing to a likely runoff.

Lula ended his re-election campaign with a march through Sao Paulo that drew large crowds of supporters, while Bolsonaro took part in a motorcycle caravan through Santa Barbara d'Oeste and Americana in Sao Paulo state and later rallied in Rio de Janeiro.

Yemen's Houthis say they attacked Aramco facility in Riyadh with missiles, drones

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said on Saturday they had targeted an Aramco facility in the Saudi capital Riyadh with ballistic missiles and drones, saying the attack was in retaliation for Saudi attacks on Yemen's Sanaa and other provinces. A large plume of smoke and fire was seen rising in the vicinity of an Aramco facility ⁠in Riyadh earlier ​on Saturday, a witness told Reuters.

Cornell president vows 'serious look' at fraternities, sororities in wake of rape ⁠allegations

Cornell University will examine the role of fraternities and sororities on campus following an outcry over the school's handling of a student's rape allegations, the Ivy League school's president said on Saturday. A civil lawsuit filed last month by the woman, who alleges she was drugged and raped in 2024 by several members of the Chi Phi fraternity, has sparked outrage and soul-searching at Cornell over its campus culture ⁠at the school in Ithaca, New York.

Yemen leader announces major military operations against Iran-backed Houthis

The leader of Yemen's Saudi-backed government announced the beginning of a major military operation against the Iran-backed Houthis on Sunday, aimed at seizing the territory under their control. Regional and western officials had previously told Reuters that Saudi Arabia and its Yemeni allies were planning to launch an assault on ​the Houthis, with the Saudis leading aerial combat and Yemeni forces fighting on the ground.

Germany's Merz arrives in Kyiv to the sound of sirens and explosions

The sound of air raid sirens and explosions rang out in Ukraine's capital Kyiv on Sunday as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited President Volodymyr ⁠Zelenskiy, pledging support for Ukraine and urging Russia to halt its escalating attacks. Merz will announce a package of measures including the release of €1 billion ($1.13 billion) in military aid and €350 million for repairs in the energy sector, German government officials said. A deal for joint production of various kinds of drones is also due to be finalised.

Lula ahead in polls for Brazil's first-round vote; runoff likely

A series of polls on Saturday showed ⁠Brazilian ​President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva slightly ahead of Senator Flavio Bolsonaro before Sunday's first-round vote, and a close race in a likely runoff between the leftist incumbent and his right-wing challenger. If no candidate wins more than 50% of valid votes -- which exclude blank and null ballots -- on Sunday, the two frontrunners advance to a second-round runoff on October 25.

Tens of thousands protest across Spain over housing crisis

Spanish police arrested three members of a far-right group and fired rubber bullets on Saturday night in Madrid after tens of thousands had marched across the country to demand action to tackle a housing crisis. Far-right activists, some of whom performed Nazi salutes, tried to ⁠reach demonstrators camped out in the Puerta del Sol, a central square in the Spanish capital, to protest the housing crisis, the Spanish government said.

Haunted by grief, Gaza's displaced still wait overseas for return

Omar al-Hassayna fled Gaza for Cairo after an Israeli airstrike wiped out much of his large family. Three years ⁠on, he remains there waiting for enough stability, security and reconstruction in his still devastated homeland ⁠to return. Hassayna is one of more than 100,000 Gazans who left the enclave during the war that was triggered by the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and who remain stranded overseas, according to Palestinian Authority figures. They still mourn dead relatives and their destroyed homes and neighbourhoods.

Exclusive-Ukraine will hit Russian refineries in response to Moscow's 'new doctrine' of airstrikes, Zelenskiy says

Ukraine will double down on attacking Russian oil refineries in response to a new policy of airstrikes by ‌Moscow designed to force people to abandon Kyiv and other ‌cities, but will not target civilians, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said. Ukraine's intelligence services has obtained documents showing that Russian leader Vladimir Putin had issued a "new doctrine" of military attacks on ​a much broader range of civilian targets ahead of this winter, Zelenskiy said.