Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

North Korea says sanctions don't work to deny its status as nuclear weapons state

North Korea denounced a joint statement by a group of countries monitoring sanctions enforcement against Pyongyang as a "wanton violation of its sovereignty" born out of hostility by the US and the West, KCNA state news agency reported on Saturday. A statement issued this week by the group that includes the US, Australia, the UK and ​South Korea called on UN member states to fully implement UN sanctions resolutions that ban the use of North Korean workers and military cooperation with Pyongyang.

Five children among seven dead in eastern Syria floods

Seven people, including five children, have died and seven others were injured after torrential rains ​triggered flash floods in eastern Syria, authorities said on Friday. Four people remain missing and rescue teams are continuing to search flooded areas, Emergency and Disaster Management Minister Raed al-Saleh said in a statement on ‌X.

Brazil summons Argentine diplomat over ​role in Bolsonaro's flight to US, sources say

Brazil called in Argentina's highest diplomat in Brasilia to explain the Argentine government's role in the departure of Senator Flavio Bolsonaro to the US after losing the presidential election, two sources in the Brazilian government said on Friday, as Argentina denied the summoning. Brazil's foreign ministry summoned the charge d'affaires at Argentina's embassy, Maria Emilia Cortes, on Thursday, the sources said. Cortes was received by the ministry's South America Department director, Joao Marcelo de Queiroz, one of the sources added.

Explainer-Gone in 20 minutes: How the biggest heist in crypto history unfolded

Hackers stole $6.3 billion from Binance, the world's biggest cryptocurrency exchange, in a record digital asset theft. Here's what we know so far:

Thousands gather in Paris suburb in tribute to victims of shooting

Thousands gathered on Friday evening in a poor Paris suburb to pay tribute to the victims of a shooting, a week earlier, in which the gunman deliberately targeted Muslim or African people.

The attack in Trappes, a southwestern ‌Paris suburb, last Friday, which left one dead and seven wounded, has unleashed a bitter debate over racism in French politics and the media. The country has been grappling with a broad set of social grievances, months ahead of a presidential election.

Trump administration accelerates criminal probe into Alaska Senate race

President Donald Trump's administration stepped up criminal and civil investigations into allegations that Democrats conspired to recruit a spoiler candidate in a critical Senate race in Alaska, US officials said on Friday, injecting fresh uncertainty into Tuesday's congressional midterm election. The Justice Department's top prosecutor in Alaska, US Attorney Michael Heyman, said at a press conference that a Wednesday New York Times article about the effort had driven a "surge" of FBI resources, adding that he had assigned several prosecutors to the case and that investigative steps were taking place "intensely and swiftly."

Rubio urges G20 cooperation amid rifts over wars in Ukraine, Middle East

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged fellow G20 foreign ministers on Friday to work together for greater geopolitical stability and economic prosperity, warning that a series of crises posed serious threats to the global economic order. But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's participation in the two-day gathering in Atlanta has roiled many G20 ministers, aggravating deep rifts over the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East that experts and diplomats say could thwart real progress at the meeting.

Russia, US veto rival UN Western ‌Sahara resolutions, leaving peacekeeping mission in limbo

Russia and the United States vetoed rival resolutions on Western Sahara at the Security Council on Friday, leaving the UN peacekeeping mission there without a renewed mandate just a day before it expires. The unusual showdown threatens the future of a mission the council has routinely renewed for decades and deepens a dispute over the territory, most of which is controlled by Morocco but claimed by the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which seeks an independent state.

Mass protests sweep Italy during nationwide strike

Tens of thousands of people, mostly students and workers, took to the streets across Italy on Friday to demand higher wages ‌and stronger public services, protest against the rising cost of living and oppose increased military spending. Grassroots union Unione Sindacale di Base called a 24-hour general strike, with protests planned in more than 40 cities.

Residents leave Russian-occupied Oleshky by bus under truce brokered by Melania Trump

Starving and exhausted residents of a Russian-held town in southern Ukraine were evacuated by bus on Friday as part of a joint relief operation by the opposing sides, the first of its kind in four years and eight months of war. Under a local ceasefire brokered by US first lady Melania Trump, an aid convoy arrived in the town of Oleshky to distribute food and medicine.

Japan demands release of national in meeting with Russia's Lavrov

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of a G20 meeting in Atlanta on Friday and demanded the release of a Japanese national detained in Russia's Sakhalin region. The rare high-level meeting between the two countries came amid strained ties over Ukraine and a long-running territorial dispute.

Trump, Obama serve up a food fight in final days of midterm campaign

Former President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump are having a food fight in the closing days of the midterm election campaign, trading barbs over the Cheesecake Factory as voters prepare to decide control of Congress. Obama struck a nerve with Trump by mocking his gold-heavy White House renovations, saying during an October 24 campaign stop in Ohio that the president had the place “looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory." Trump clapped back at Obama this week with lengthy defenses of both his renovations and the restaurant chain.

Lavrov says Zelenskiy comments are unhelpful, Russia's position is ⁠unchanged

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was ​cited as saying on Friday that Russia's position on the Ukraine conflict was unchanged and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's comments on maintaining strikes on Russian targets were unhelpful in preparing for new ⁠talks. Lavrov, addressing reporters on the sidelines of a G20 meeting in Atlanta, also said fundamental issues in relations between the US and Russia were unresolved as sanctions on Moscow remained in force and arms were still being provided for Kyiv.

US approves $2.1 billion Patriot missile sale to Ukraine

The US State Department said on Friday it had approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine for an estimated $2.1 billion, in what would be one of the most significant steps to supply defensive weapons to Kyiv since the start of the second Trump administration. Ukraine will pay for the interceptor missiles with contributions from Canada, Germany and Norway routed through a program called US JUMPSTART, along with national funds financed by the European Union's Ukraine Support Loan, the State Department said in a statement.

Russia's Lavrov says ⁠inviting Poland to attend G20 meeting breaks diplomatic rules

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted as saying on Friday that inviting Poland to attend G20 meetings was counter-productive and broke with diplomatic practice of seeking consensus at such gatherings. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told reporters in Atlanta that the US had made a motion to make Poland a permanent G20 member and Warsaw was lobbying for that.

Saudi-led coalition says it downs Houthi drone over Medina; Houthis deny attack

The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen said on Friday it had intercepted and destroyed a drone launched by Yemen's Houthis over Saudi Arabia's Medina region, but the Iran-aligned group denied carrying out any attack towards the kingdom. Medina is home to one of Islam's holiest sites and is visited by millions ​of Muslim pilgrims each year.

First Algerian troops arrive in Niger where jihadists threaten stability

An Algerian army convoy has arrived in Niger in Algeria's first foreign troop deployment since it sent forces to support Egypt during the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. Niger, like other countries in West Africa's Sahel region, is battling insurgents linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State

Polish president turns back from Senegal trip as top court chief suspended

Polish President Karol Nawrocki turned back his plane en route to Senegal on Friday after police entered the premises of Poland's top court and its president was suspended. "At a moment ⁠like this, the President must be in Poland. I am cutting short my flight to Senegal. I am returning," he said on X.

Trump not planning to back Bolsonaro's claim to be Brazil's leader, sources say

The Trump administration does not plan to back Flavio Bolsonaro's claim to be Brazil's rightful leader, despite helping the defeated candidate reach the US after years of supporting him and his father, a US official and another person familiar with the matter said on Thursday. President Donald Trump has said Brazil's election on Sunday looked "rigged" but has pointed out that he offered no endorsement in the hotly contested race. Trump has also said he gets along well with incumbent leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the 81-year-old former union leader who beat the odds to clinch reelection by 3.5 percentage points.

North Korean hackers linked to crypto thefts among world's best, ⁠experts say

North ​Korean hackers likely behind the record $6.3 billion theft from cryptocurrency exchange Binance are among the world's most prolific crypto thieves, and the proceeds help fund the country's weapons programs, cybersecurity experts said on Friday. Blockchain investigation firms TRM Labs and Chainalysis attribute the heist to a North Korean hacking group known as “TraderTraitor,” a name used in a 2022 joint warning from the FBI, CISA and US Treasury that described how hackers used malicious software and other tricks to target software developers and IT staff at cryptocurrency companies.

On again: Trump restores weekend campaign rallies in Iowa, Kansas

US President Donald Trump has restored canceled campaign rallies in Iowa and Kansas days before November 3 midterm elections, a White House official said on Friday. "Rallies are BACK ON! President Trump loves his supporters, and in addition to nearly 20 tele-rallies, he will hold back-to-back rallies in Kansas and Iowa on Sunday," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Exclusive-Pentagon tells Europeans to cool their rhetoric on Russia, sources say

Pentagon officials have in recent weeks asked several NATO countries to tone down their rhetoric regarding the threat posed by Russia, arguing that some statements by European leaders and officials have undermined continental security, four people familiar with the matter said. Among the nations that have received messages urging them to keep public statements in check are Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, said the ⁠people, who spoke on condition of anonymity. It was not clear if the messages, which were delivered in bilateral meetings, were conveyed to other European governments.

Zelenskiy says he will head to Turkey for talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday he would be holding "important" talks in Turkey as part of diplomatic efforts after more than 4-1/2 years of war with Russia. The Ukrainian president, speaking in his nightly video address, indicated discussions were linked to the resumption next month of talks aimed at moving towards a resolution of the conflict.

Exclusive-Pakistan military 'cautiously optimistic' on Iran-US mediation

Pakistan’s military is “cautiously optimistic” about its mediation between Iran and the United ⁠States, its spokesman said on Friday in his first interview since a high-level delegation visited Tehran this week. Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir — Pakistan's chief mediator in its efforts to de-escalate the now eight-month-old ⁠Iran war — has been to Tehran twice this month, most recently on Monday alongside Saudi and Turkish officials.

Israel demolishes gunmen's homes in West Bank operation that has displaced thousands

Israel demolished on Friday the homes of the assailants who killed two Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron last week, part of an ongoing operation that has forcibly displaced over 3,000 Palestinians. After the October 23 attack, in which both gunmen were killed, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the Israeli military to launch a in areas near the checkpoint, triggering protests by Palestinian residents.

Costa Rica's Grynspan extends lead in informal UN chief poll, sources say

An informal poll by the United Nations Security Council on Friday showed former Costa Rican Vice President Rebeca Grynspan extended her lead as frontrunner in the race to become the 10th UN secretary-general, two people close to the process said. Grynspan got 11 votes in favor and 4 against on the 15-member council, marking her strongest ‌showing in seven closed-door ballots conducted in recent months to replace Antonio Guterres as he finishes his second five-year term ‌this year.

US orders non-emergency staff to leave Saudi Arabia over security risks

The United States ordered non-emergency government employees and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia effective October 23 due to safety risks, the US embassy in Riyadh said on Friday, citing Houthi attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure. US government employees require special authorisation to ​use Saudi airports following recent missile and drone attacks, the embassy said, warning US citizens of potential further attacks, airspace closures, flight cancellations and other travel disruptions.