Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Pope Leo returns to Vatican four days after cancer surgery

A smiling Pope Leo left hospital in Rome on Saturday afternoon and returned to the Vatican four days after surgery for lung cancer, an illness that has prompted speculation about how his 17-month ​papacy might change. The pope walked unaided to his waiting car, waving to well-wishers outside Rome's Gemelli Hospital. He stopped to speak to a 13-year-old girl named Varvara from Ukraine who has been in ​Italy for cancer treatment.

Albanian police fire rubber bullets as student protests rage

Police in Albania fired what appeared to be rubber bullets at protesters ‌on Saturday, ​the fifth day of mass student demonstrations demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama step down. Reuters video footage showed police firing a shotgun towards crowds outside the education ministry during clashes with protesters. Reuters reporters found rubber pellets on the ground and pellets hit two Reuters journalists and several protesters, leaving round marks.

Hurricane Trudy gains strength near Mexico's coast, but is expected to weaken by Sunday

Hurricane Trudy gained some strength as it moved toward Mexico's western coast on Saturday, with forecasters warning it could strengthen a little more overnight before beginning to weaken on Sunday. The US National Hurricane Center said Trudy was about 115 miles (180 km) south-southwest of Manzanillo on Saturday afternoon, with maximum sustained ‌winds of 100 mph (155 kph).

Lebanon says military delegation will press for halt to Israeli attacks at US talks

A Lebanese military delegation will present Beirut's demands for an end to Israeli attacks in Lebanon at a trilateral meeting in Tampa, Florida, on October 20, the Lebanese presidency said in a post on X on Saturday. Lebanon and Israel have held a number of direct talks in recent months, aimed at ending hostilities since a new war erupted on March 2 between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, triggered by the wider regional conflict.

Zelenskiy hopes for meeting with US and Russia during G20 summit

Ukraine, the United States and Russia could meet during a G20 summit in the US but Washington and Moscow have not confirmed the meeting and other venues are also possible, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday. The Group of 20 major economies, which includes the US and Russia but not Ukraine, is due to hold ‌a summit in Miami in December.

At least 10 killed in fire at Bangladesh beach resort

At least 10 people were killed and several others injured in a fire on Saturday at a resort near Inani Beach in Cox's Bazar, a popular tourist destination in southeastern Bangladesh, officials said. The fire broke out at a three-storey wooden resort

Czech PM Babis suffers setback in Senate elections

Leading Czech opposition parties won the most votes ‌in Senate elections on Saturday, while Prime Minister Andrej Babis' party failed to secure any of the seats it contested in one of its first big electoral tests since taking power last year. Babis' ANO party had hoped to make gains in the 81-seat upper house, where one-third of seats were up for election and opposition parties hold a majority.

Zelenskiy criticizes Trump's waiver of sanctions on Russia as 'wrong'

US President Donald Trump's decision to waive sanctions on Russia and tariffs on its goods days before they were to take effect will embolden Moscow to keep attacking Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday, predicting even more US sanctions relief. "The decision to undo all of this, to block all of it, seems wrong to me," Zelenskiy wrote on X. "It definitely helps only the Russians."

Analysis-High debt, growing strains put focus on need for new development approaches

High debt levels, rising debt-service costs and a sharp drop in official development assistance are forcing developing countries and institutions that help them to rethink development and look for new sources of funding, including from the private sector. World Bank President Ajay Banga, who has led a ⁠drive that has more than tripled ​the private capital flowing to development projects since 2022, told the annual IMF and World Bank meetings that changes were needed ⁠to help countries address headwinds posed by persistent conflicts, a drop in official development assistance and rising debt burdens.

Tens of thousands march in Lisbon over housing and living costs

Tens of thousands of people marched through central Lisbon on Saturday to protest against soaring living costs and a deepening housing crisis in Portugal, increasing pressure on the centre-right government. Portugal's biggest union, CGTP, which called the rally, said "many tens of thousands" packed one of the capital's main avenues. Police gave no crowd estimate.

Spain's hard left fails to unite before election, hurting chances of staying ⁠in power

Spain's hard-left parties on Saturday presented separate candidate lists for a snap election after talks on a nationwide pact collapsed, reducing Socialist prime minister Pedro Sanchez' chances of staying in power at the head of a leftist coalition. Spain's electoral system disadvantages smaller parties running separately, particularly in less populous provinces, where fewer seats are available.

Protesters clash with police in Brussels

Several hundred mostly young people protested in Brussels on Saturday, with rioters clashing with police in unrest partly inspired by demonstrations in neighbouring France. Belgian student groups ​have said they are protesting against rising education costs and reforms they fear will make higher education less accessible.

Analysis-Trump-Zelenskiy rift threatens vital support for Kyiv

From US threats to cut off intelligence support for Ukraine to a waiver of tariffs on Russian exports and a diesel deal that could help Russia fund its war, it has been a damaging week for ties between Kyiv and its most important ⁠ally, Washington. US President Donald Trump, frustrated by high energy costs he blames partly on Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries, has repeatedly criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. A disruption of US-provided satellite internet services raised fears that Ukraine could be vulnerable as it prepares for another winter of Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure.

Bangladesh is battling measles. It's a 'real warning' to other nations

Bangladesh is battling to contain the world’s worst measles outbreak, a crisis exacerbated by weak data, inadequate outreach and vaccination gaps that experts say offers a warning to other nations about the deadly risk of falling immunisation ⁠rates. Bangladesh, ​whose routine vaccination programme faltered in 2025, reported 202,000 suspected measles cases – 22,000 of them laboratory-confirmed – since the start of the outbreak in mid-March to October 9, the World Health Organization said. That’s more suspected cases than any other country this year.

Zelenskiy asked neighbours to let grain cargoes through, Hungary PM Magyar says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has asked neighbours Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary to allow the transit of Ukrainian grain cargoes because of a Black Sea blockade, Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said on Saturday. Magyar, who agreed with Zelenskiy to reset Ukraine-Hungary ties at talks on Friday, said he would have no objections to the measure if the Ukrainian grain cargoes only passed through Hungary to other destinations, private broadcaster RTL reported.

Trump faults aides as Republican midterm prospects dim

President Donald Trump is blaming senior aides and political operatives for a faltering midterm strategy, questioning campaign spending, faulting redistricting and second-guessing candidate ⁠choices as Republicans fight to retain control of Congress, said three people familiar with internal discussions.

Trump is not on the November 3 ballot but repeatedly tells supporters to pretend that he is, hoping to mobilize voters who might otherwise skip the election. He has embarked on a frenetic campaign schedule while largely avoiding acknowledging his own role in shaping the strategy and how his unpopularity is weighing on Republican candidates ⁠in competitive races.

Israeli settlers attack Palestinians, European diplomats in West Bank, Belgium says

Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian civilians, European diplomats and a ⁠French mayor in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, Belgium's foreign minister said, a day after settlers beat an American photojournalist. Maxime Prevot said Belgium's consul general to the Palestinians, French and Polish diplomats, and Catholic representatives were among those attacked. A Belgian vehicle was also damaged, he said.

Mass protests in France spiral into worst riots in years

Rioting erupted in cities across France on Saturday as demonstrations against rising living costs and declining public services spiralled out of control in some of the worst violence the country has witnessed for decades. While hundreds of thousands protested peacefully in street marches in scores of cities, violent fringe groups targeted public buildings, looted luxury boutiques and supermarkets ‌and attacked police vehicles and officers.

India's 'cockroach' movement founder released a day after detention

India's "cockroach" youth ‌movement leader was released by an Indian court on Saturday, a day after he was detained for trying to lead another protest rally in New Delhi calling for the resignation of the country's election chief. Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the ​Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), rose to prominence this year when a weeks-long sit-in contributed to India's education minister resigning.