Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

US envoy Witkoff to meet Putin, Trump presses Kyiv to settle

US envoy Steve Witkoff will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday after what a US official called "constructive" talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Norway, as President Donald Trump said it was time for Ukraine to end the war. The US official said Ukraine brought forward ​new ideas and proposals to the Oslo talks, which also involved the leaders of Norway and Finland and European and NATO representatives, and that participants made "meaningful progress" toward a coordinated approach to engaging Russia.

Attack on Australian politician follows years of threats ​to public figures

Australian lawmakers and enforcers have to sought to lower the temperature of political debate and warned about growing threats to public figures since 2021, when anti-lockdown protesters put an ‌effigy of a ​state leader on a makeshift gallows in Melbourne. Those fears came to a head on Monday when a man rammed a car into Helen Haines, an independent member of the lower-house, inflicting major injuries including the loss of a leg, media and officials said, while doctors work to save the other.

Italy's Meloni approves tougher anti-riot laws after Milan violence

Italy approved a raft of security measures on Tuesday including a new offence of violent participation in a demonstration, tougher penalties for rioters, and financial liability for parents whose children take part in vandalism and looting. The move came after unrest swept northern Italian cities at the weekend, including the financial capital Milan, where gangs of mainly young people went on the rampage, smashing windows, robbing shops and attacking police.

Trump administration says it has revoked over 300,000 visas

President Donald Trump's administration has revoked over 300,000 US visas during ‌his second term, the State Department said on Tuesday as the federal government continues its sweeping immigration crackdown. The number showed an acceleration in the pace of visa revocations in recent weeks.

UN experts urge Indian authorities to cease 'use of excessive force' to curb protests

UN experts called on Tuesday for an independent investigation into Indian authorities' conduct in a recent crackdown on protests, where they said demonstrators had sustained injuries and some reported being subjected to ill-treatment. Opposition political parties and student organizations have held protests this month in India demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation over a revision of voter lists that they say favors Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party.

France in turmoil: What might follow a weekend of riots?

France is counting the cost of some of its worst unrest in years at the weekend over the cost of living and under-funded public services. Here is the latest: HOW WILL THE GOVERNMENT STOP MORE VIOLENCE AND HELP VICTIMS?

Prince Harry says he wants to reconcile with family

Prince Harry has said he hoped to reconcile with King Charles and the rest of his family with whom he fell out when he moved to the United States six years ago. Harry, 42, the king's younger son, caused ‌a huge rupture in the British royal family when he and his wife Meghan quit royal duties and moved to California in 2020 from where they were highly critical of the institution.

Alberta votes by large majority to remain part of Canada in boost for Carney

Alberta residents voted by a large majority to remain part of Canada in the province's first-ever referendum on separation, handing Prime Minister Mark Carney a much-needed win as he attempts to unify the country amid a trade war with the US. At 5:45 a.m. (1145 GMT) on Tuesday, ‌with three-quarters of the votes counted, 76% of Albertans had backed the "remain" side versus 24% in favor of a binding vote on separation. The referendum was nonbinding.

Comedian Russell Brand anally raped me, woman tells UK trial

British actor and comedian Russell Brand anally raped a woman who had willingly gone to his house for consensual sex, ignoring her pleas for him to stop, the accuser told police in an interview played to a London court on Tuesday. Brand, once one of Britain's most high-profile broadcasters and the former husband of US singer Katy Perry, is on trial accused of three counts of rape, three of sexual assault and one of indecent assault against six women between 1999 and 2009.

EU unveils new Arctic strategy with focus on security

The European Union on Tuesday presented a new Arctic strategy reflecting the region’s importance to security, with pledges to boost satellite surveillance, increase monitoring of undersea cables and help EU members buy icebreakers. The Arctic is of growing interest to major powers including the US, Russia, China and Europe, as melting ice opens up new shipping routes.

Explainer-Three issues defining the 2026 US midterm elections

President Donald Trump’s record-low popularity, voter frustration over the cost of living and a fierce immigration fight are shaping the November 3 midterm elections, which will determine whether Republicans keep control of Congress or Democrats gain the power to challenge his administration. Republicans hold narrow majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate. Democrats need a net ⁠gain of four seats to take ​control of each chamber.

Polish lawmakers vote to ease abortion ban, but face likely presidential veto

Poland's lower house of parliament on Tuesday voted to allow abortion in ⁠case of foetal abnormalities and to decriminalise providing help in getting an abortion, as lawmakers seek to reverse a near-total abortion ban introduced by the previous government. The legislation, however, is almost certain to be vetoed by the nationalist president.

France backs UNESCO drive to involve more young people in political decisions

A UNESCO drive to get more young people into decision-making bodies, including those on how to prevent wars, won the backing of France's foreign minister on Tuesday, as the country faces a wave of student protests, many of which have turned violent. The appeal, formally adopted by the UN's cultural and education agency after being drafted by 145 young representatives from 135 countries, calls for youth representation in decision-making bodies, ⁠conflict prevention and mediation mechanisms.

Israeli fire kills four people in Gaza, medics say

Israeli strikes and gunfire killed at least four Palestinians, including a married couple and a 17-year-old, in separate incidents in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, health officials said. Medics said an Israeli airstrike killed Akram Yassin and his wife Dina Abu Baker in an apartment in Gaza City.

Global warming is accelerating, leading climate scientist Rockström says

Global warming caused by fossil fuel emissions is accelerating, pushing many of the Earth's most important ecosystems close to their tipping points, said Johan Rockström, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. Speaking at the Reuters Sustainability Europe conference on Tuesday, Rockström said ​damage to coral reefs and the Amazon rainforest was close to becoming irreversible. Parts of the Atlantic Ocean circulation system, including the current that moderates Western Europe's climate with warm water from the Caribbean, were close to collapse.

Iran prolongs talks in stalemate to influence US midterms, officials say

Iran has deliberately prolonged talks with the US to try to weaken Donald Trump politically ahead of November's US midterm elections, senior officials say, while fears of renewed military action and deep distrust of Washington have reinforced Tehran's reluctance to ⁠strike a quick deal to end the war. Three senior Iranian officials and an Iranian insider, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Tehran was convinced the US president was ready to resort to renewed attacks to try to break the stalemate in the eight-month-old war.

Nigeria confirms Ebola case in patient who arrived from Uganda

Nigeria's government said on Tuesday there was a case of Ebola in the capital, Abuja, after laboratory tests confirmed the viral infection. Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate told the public broadcaster that the female patient had travelled from Uganda in East Africa.

Trump says he asked Putin to release American Stephen Hubbard

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he has raised with Russian President Vladimir Putin the issue of Stephen Hubbard, a retired American school ⁠teacher held ​by Moscow, and hinted that a development in the case could happen soon. Trump made the comment to reporters in the Oval Office as US envoy Steve Witkoff prepared to go to Moscow for more talks about Ukraine after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Oslo on Tuesday.

Iran tells Pakistan army chief no talks with Washington until demands are met

Iran told Pakistan's army chief on Tuesday that there would be no talks with Washington until Tehran's demands were met, Iranian media reported, underscoring its hardening stance despite mediation efforts by key interlocutor Pakistan. President Masoud Pezeshkian discussed mediation efforts and regional developments with Field Marshal Asim Munir in Tehran, according to Nournews.

Turkey submits Saudi-Pakistan defence pact to parliament for ratification, sources say

Turkey has submitted a defence pact with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to parliament for ratification, three parliamentary sources said on Tuesday, moving NATO's second-largest army closer to a formal mutual defence pledge with Riyadh as it faces Houthi attacks. The three countries signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in August, under which an armed attack on one member is considered an attack on all.

Musk ordered slowdown of Starlink service used by Ukraine's military, WSJ reports

Elon Musk last week ordered ⁠the slowdown of a military-grade version of SpaceX's Starlink satellite service that Ukraine relies on, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing US officials and people familiar with the matter. Musk, SpaceX and the White House did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. Reuters could not immediately verify the report.

Iran's Nournews says Qatari delegation arrives in Tehran

Iran's semi-official Nournews said on Tuesday that a Qatari delegation arrived in Tehran. There was no official confirmation. But another news agency, Tasnim, citing an unnamed source, denied such a visit.

For Lula, Brazil's ⁠sovereignty is at stake in final election

When Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva addressed the United Nations General Assembly last month, he used one of the world’s biggest ⁠diplomatic stages to deliver a message that has come to define what is likely the final presidential campaign of his decades-long career. "Brazil does not fit into anyone's backyard," he said, in a veiled dig at US President Donald Trump's administration, which he believes is challenging Brazil's sovereignty.

Brazil's Lula challenges Flavio Bolsonaro to make financial records public ahead of election

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Tuesday pledged to disclose his bank, tax and telephone records as long as his right-wing challenger Flavio Bolsonaro did the same, seeking to gain the upper hand as both grapple with graft allegations. In a document submitted to Brazil's electoral court, Lula said he would authorize the release of his own bank, tax and telephone records, as well as those of his family members, if Flavio followed suit. The challenge extends to legal entities in which the two ‌candidates are partners or directors, as well as entities whose bank accounts they are authorized to manage.

NATO to ‌send planes and drones to Black Sea after attacks on shipping

NATO will send more maritime patrol aircraft, radar systems and drones to the Black Sea, the military alliance said on Tuesday, after a series of deadly drone attacks on shipping in the region apparently linked to Russia's war ​in Ukraine. The announcement came after NATO's main decision-making body, the North Atlantic Council, discussed security in the Black Sea at the alliance's Brussels headquarters.