Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

UK security adviser visited Israel in bid to keep Jerusalem consulate open, sources say

Britain's top national security official quietly visited Israel last week in a bid to prevent the closure of his country's consulate in East Jerusalem which was ordered by Israel after London announced ​sanctions on Israeli settlements, three sources said. National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell, whose visit has not been disclosed by Britain's government, held talks with Israeli officials but failed to reach an agreement to keep the consulate open, said ​the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Trump says US bombers moved from UK due to threats

US President Donald Trump said on Monday ‌that a threat linked ​to Iran had prompted the removal of American B-1 bombers from a British airbase. The planes had been stationed at RAF Fairford, the preferred European base for US bombers, and had recently been used in US strikes on Iran. Last week, five British men were arrested near the base — which Iran's Revolutionary Guards previously said was a legitimate target — on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts.

Spain's Sanchez gambles on snap election after housing protests give rare boost

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday called an early election for November 29, aiming to increase his parliamentary support after lawmakers last week rejected proposals to address a housing crisis that has drawn nationwide protests. The snap vote is a high-stakes gamble for Sanchez, whose ‌Socialist Party trails in nearly every opinion poll. An electoral defeat would spell the end of one of Europe's last remaining left-leaning governments at a time when the far right is making unprecedented gains across the region.

Judge sets new US trial in Lockerbie bombing case for January 2027

A US judge on Monday set a January 2027 trial for a former Libyan intelligence operative accused of building the bomb that brought down Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988. The trial of Abu Agila Mohammad Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi in Washington federal court was postponed in August days before it was set to begin after defense lawyers said they needed additional time to review newly disclosed evidence in the case.

Protesters clash with police over Kosovo war crimes court law

Protesters clashed with police outside Kosovo's government and parliament buildings on Monday, calling for lawmakers to pass legislation that would limit the powers of a Kosovo war crimes court in The Hague. The protest came weeks after the court sentenced former President ‌Hashim Thaci and three others to a combined 81 years in prison for war crimes.

Bolsonaro wins endorsements from right-wing rivals for Brazil election runoff

Senator Flavio Bolsonaro received on Monday endorsements from Ronaldo Caiado and Romeu Zema, two right-wing politicians who ran against him in Sunday's first-round vote, for the runoff against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva later this month. Caiado, a former governor of Goias state, won 2.18% of valid votes -- which exclude blank and ‌null ballots -- on Sunday, while Zema, an ex-governor of Minas Gerais state, got 0.27%

Jeffrey Archer, bestselling UK novelist and scandal-plagued politician, dies aged 86

Jeffrey Archer, the bestselling British novelist and former politician who was jailed for lying in a high-profile libel case, has died aged 86, his publisher HarperCollins said on Monday. Archer sold over 300 million copies worldwide and was known for pacy thrillers like his 1976 debut "Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less" and 1979's "Kane & Abel". His final novel, "Adam and Eve", is due to be published on Tuesday.

Trump says US will help Russia after Siberia plague institute death

US President Donald Trump on Monday at the White House told reporters that the United States will help Russia after a laboratory worker died at a plague research institute in Siberia. Trump told reporters as he left the White House for a trip to Nebraska that the outbreak is a "big problem for Russia."

Australian army soldier dies and five others injured during training exercise, ABC News says

An Australian army soldier has died and five others have been injured during a training exercise in the North Territory region of Australia, ABC News reported on Tuesday. The incident happened on Monday but no further details were available, ⁠the report said. There ​was no immediate comment from Australia's Department of Defence.

Exclusive-Cuba and US maintain 'channels of communication' but no negotiations, diplomat says

Cuba and the United ⁠States have maintained “channels of communication” but are not engaged in any formal negotiations, Havana’s top diplomat in Washington told Reuters, as the Trump administration pursues a pressure campaign against the Communist-ruled island. In an interview on Monday, Lianys Torres Rivera, chargé d’affaires at the embassy in Washington, said Cuba remains open to a “respectful” dialogue but is “not naive” about President Donald Trump’s threats and has increased preparations to defend itself against any US military action.

Dozens quarantined in Siberia after plague institute lab worker dies

A laboratory worker at a plague research institute in Siberia fell ill and died in undisclosed circumstances, prompting authorities ⁠to quarantine dozens of people and the head of Russia's health watchdog to fly to the Irkutsk region. The death has sparked public health fears on social media, but the authorities said on Monday the situation was under control.

Right-wing wave in Brazil's Congress boosts Bolsonaro camp ahead of presidential runoff

Brazil's right-wing Liberal Party, home to Senator Flavio Bolsonaro's presidential bid, emerged as the biggest winner in congressional elections on Sunday, securing the largest single-party representation in both the Senate and the lower house. Senator Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, on ​Sunday won the most votes in the first round of the presidential race, advancing to a runoff against leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on October 25.

New Zealand National support at weakest level since 2020, poll finds

New Zealand's ruling National Party has fallen to 25.9% support, its weakest result since the 2020 election, while the opposition Greens climbed to 14.8%, an RNZ-Reid Research poll showed on Tuesday, adding pressure on ⁠Prime Minister Christopher Luxon a month before the general election. Labour also slipped to 30.8%, while the smaller Opportunity Party polled 5.5%, just above the threshold needed to enter parliament without winning an electorate seat.

Mexico demands evidence of alleged cross-border shots after US ambassador comments

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Monday that her government has requested evidence from US authorities regarding allegations that gunfire originated from the Mexican side of the border and targeted US personnel, saying Mexican security forces had not detected any such incident. "We asked for all the evidence because we have no evidence," Sheinbaum said during her daily press conference. She added that ⁠no ​personnel from Mexico's National Guard, Army or Navy had detected shots fired from Mexican territory toward the US.

Yemeni government forces drive Houthis from Bab el-Mandeb Strait

Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces staged a lightning advance on Monday to retake the coast around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait up to the city of Mocha, the government said, pushing the Iran-backed Houthis out of most of the areas they seized last month. In response, the Houthis said they had attacked key locations in Saudi Arabia including the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, an Aramco refinery in Rabigh, the Abha international airport and the Khamis Mushait military base.

Costa Rica names Ana Elena Pinto new foreign minister

Costa Rica President Laura Fernandez on Monday named Ana Elena Pinto as the Central American country's new foreign minister, who will assume her role on October 15. Pinto has been appointed following the dismissal of her predecessor Manuel Tovar, in late September, who was removed from his post after he attended a high-level regional ⁠security meeting led by US President Donald Trump without notifying President Fernandez.

Teenager's hand blown off as French school protests enter third week

A teenager's hand was blown off as high-school protesters clashed with riot police in northern France on Monday, a local official said, on the eve of a national demonstration by the pupils' union against underfunding, overcrowding and dilapidation. The regional newspaper La Voix du Nord said the 15-year-old lost his hand and part of his lower ⁠arm after picking up a police dispersal grenade that detonated in the town of Lens as the wave of school protests entered ⁠its third week.

Russia says Ukraine hit two facilities at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

Ukrainian drones attacked two facilities at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine overnight on Monday, but there is no threat to nuclear safety, the head of Russia's state nuclear corporation said. Alexei Likhachev, director general of Rosatom, said a driver delivering food for plant employees was killed in the drone attack.

New York declares first US measles disaster emergency since 2025 surge

New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a statewide disaster emergency on Monday over a measles outbreak, the first such declaration by a U.S. state since cases began surging in 2025. The state also expanded the pool of health professionals allowed to administer measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccines as cases rise ‌in rural communities.

Russian attack kills 6 in Ukraine's Kharkiv, shatters residences

Russian bombs struck a ‌residential area of Ukraine's northeastern city of Kharkiv on Monday, killing six people, injuring nearly 60 and shattering apartment buildings, officials said. Oleh Syniehubov, governor of the northeastern region, said on Telegram that three bombs had hit different areas of the city. He ​said 59 people were injured, with 30 of them being treated in hospital, three in a serious condition.