Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Isolated clashes in France after peaceful marches, as police brace for Halloween night violence

Scuffles broke out in Paris and other French cities on Saturday evening at the end of nationwide demonstrations driven by anger over living costs and strained public services, while authorities warned of possible further violence overnight with Halloween celebrations under way. The protests, which were largely peaceful through the afternoon, ​continued for a third weekend after riots and looting on October 17 that caught security forces off guard, leaving a trail of damage to shops, public buildings and businesses across the country.

Serbians mark railway disaster that led to rise of victorious student movement

Tens of thousands ​of people gathered at a Serbian railway station on Sunday to mark the anniversary of a deadly roof collapse that gave rise to the protest movement that toppled longtime President Aleksandar ‌Vucic in an election ​a week ago. Crowds converged from across the city of Novi Sad on the main train station, where the concrete awning crashed down shortly before noon on November 1, 2024, killing 16 people.

Trump White House maps path to govern without Congress if Democrats win

President Donald Trump's White House has spent months preparing for a possible Democratic takeover of Congress, developing plans to keep advancing major parts of his agenda through executive power while bracing for investigations of his administration, according to a White House official and two people familiar with the plans. Senior officials, including deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller and budget director Russell Vought, have been working with the White House Counsel's Office since April to identify executive actions on immigration, tariffs, housing costs and federal spending that Trump could pursue without congressional approval, said the three people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Explainer-How US news organizations will make midterm race calls

On Tuesday ‌night, newsrooms across the US will call winners in one of the country's most closely contested midterm election cycles in recent years, long before all the votes are counted. Most television networks and digital outlets rely on two providers for vote counts: the Associated Press or election-data firm Decision Desk HQ.

New Zealand's two-speed economy poses election dilemma for ruling National party

The campaign for New Zealand's general election on November 7 comes down to the price of everyday life for 70-year-old Liz Hartley, a part-time bus driver. "You've got to work to pay for the extras and to have a few treats," said Hartley, queuing at a food truck as election volunteers worked the crowd at a riverside market in Lower Hutt, a city northeast of Wellington, the capital.

Rioters loot stores in Frankfurt as Gen Z-led protests in Germany turn violent

Hooded rioters looted stores in Frankfurt late on Saturday after tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets across Germany's biggest cities to demand better education and lower living costs. The protests followed a wave of Gen Z-led demonstrations across Europe this year. In Serbia, student-led activism helped unseat the country's longtime leader at the ballot box, while protests in France have descended into rioting and looting.

Republicans get boost from Michigan Democrat's endorsement, face legal setback in Alaska

Two ‌days before Tuesday's midterm elections, President Donald Trump's Republicans got an unexpected boost in Michigan from a prominent Democratic endorsement but suffered a setback in Alaska where a federal judge dismissed a legal challenge. US Representative Haley Stevens, who lost the Michigan Democrats' Senate primary to Abdul El-Sayed in a bitterly contested race, on Sunday publicly backed Republican candidate Mike Rogers, threatening to worsen divisions in a state viewed as crucial to Democratic hopes of retaking the US Senate.

Democratic wins would shift Congress' trade debate but fall short of US tariff rollbacks

President Donald Trump's trade agenda will face ‌a new source of friction if Democrats win control of Congress on Tuesday, with a cascade of oversight hearings and symbolic tariff rollback votes likely next year, but Trump will remain undeterred in his zeal for more tariff actions, trade experts and congressional aides say. Democrats are eager to pass legislation to negate many of Trump's tariffs and the more archaic statutes backing them, but any gains by the party will run into the reality of Trump's veto power.

Oleshky ceasefire expires, Ukraine evacuates civilians from parts of Kherson region

Ukraine's military said it evacuated 167 people from threatened areas of southern Kherson region on Sunday as a temporary local ceasefire expired — two days after buses carried residents out of the Russian-held town of Oleshky. A six-day local ceasefire in Oleshky and the surrounding area was reached after mediation efforts by US first lady Melania Trump and with the involvement of Pope Leo.

German ministers vow tough response to Frankfurt riots and looting

German ministers threatened tough penalties for looters and rioters who damaged stores and injured more than 100 police officers in Frankfurt overnight, while praising security forces for preventing wider violence. Frankfurt emerged as the main flashpoint on Saturday after tens of thousands of people rallied in dozens of German cities to demand better education and lower living costs in protests organised by campaign group "Gen Z regelt" — "Gen Z takes charge".

Iran's IRGC Navy says two tankers 'exploded' after hitting mines in Hormuz

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said two oil tankers "exploded" after striking mines while traveling through an "unauthorized route" in the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media reported ⁠on Sunday. Iran has imposed restrictions on vessels ​seeking to pass through the Strait of Hormuz and has attacked ships it says violate those restrictions, as it seeks to assert control over the strategic waterway and ⁠exert pressure on the US.

Latvia reports brief airspace intrusion near Russia, Belarus borders

Latvia's armed forces reported a brief intrusion into the country's airspace near the borders with Belarus and Russia on Sunday, asking people in the area to stay inside for their safety during the incident. "We inform you that there is a threat in the airspace... If you notice a low-flying or suspicious object, do not approach," the military said in a post on X. Some 30 minutes later it said the unidentified object had left Latvian airspace and that the threat had ended.

Thousands join Indian opposition protest demanding poll chief's resignation

Thousands protested in Delhi on Sunday to demand the resignation of India's election chief over a revision of voter lists, the latest in more than ⁠a month of opposition demonstrations challenging Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Led by Rahul Gandhi, a leader of the opposition Congress Party, Sunday's protesters say the revision benefits Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.

German, Slovak die in suspected electrocution at hotel pool in India

A German flight crew member and a Slovak business manager died as a result of an accident in a luxury hotel swimming pool in Bengaluru, which Indian media reported on Saturday was suspected to have been caused by an electric current in the pool. The Conrad Bengaluru Hotel said it was "deeply saddened" by the deaths of two of its guests following a "tragic incident", without giving further details. The cause was not yet known and the hotel was ​offering full support to investigators, it said in a statement.

Bulgaria's acting President Iotova takes lead in presidential runoff vote, exit polls show

Exit polls showed Bulgaria's acting President Iliana Iotova led a low-turnout runoff vote for the largely ceremonial role on Sunday, putting her on course to become the country's first elected female head of state. Iotova, 61, led with about 51% versus 43% to 45% for former caretaker prime minister Andrey Gyurov, 50, according to two exit polls published as voting ended at 8 p.m. (1800 GMT).

China's Communist Party demands loyalty, vows to ⁠tighten discipline

China's ruling Communist Party put the demand for loyalty front and centre in an official resolution on toughening internal discipline, and vowed to keep waging its high-pressure anti-corruption campaign to cleanse the party of "impurities and viruses". The resolution, adopted during a key party leadership gathering this week and previewed in a shorter communique on Thursday, stressed the need to intensify efforts to instil loyalty to the party within its ranks, vet and promote officials based on their "party spirit" assessed through their day-to-day work, personal conduct and remarks, social contacts and family values, and carry forward its "self-revolution".

Explainer-How Trump’s noncitizen voter lists could affect the midterms

As Americans head to the polls on Tuesday for midterm elections, lists the Trump administration has compiled of possible noncitizen voters could be used to contest the validity of the results. With US President Donald ⁠Trump’s ​Republican Party fighting to maintain control of Congress, here’s how the lists could affect the midterms.

Iran, Qatari mediators hold third day of talks to end US-Iran war

Iranian negotiators were in Doha on Sunday for a third consecutive day of talks with Qatari mediators aimed at pushing for a deal to end the US-Israeli war on Iran, an official briefed on the discussions told Reuters. The talks come amid concerns that the conflict could escalate again after the November 3 US midterm elections. President Donald Trump has said the United States will not launch new attacks on Iran before the vote and that talks with Tehran have been productive, though he has not ruled out further military action afterwards.

Iranian envoys meet Qatari mediators as threat looms of US strikes after midterms

Iranian negotiators held talks in Doha with Qatari mediators on Saturday to discuss paths out of war in the Gulf, a source who was briefed on the negotiations told Reuters, as diplomats try to avert new fighting after the US midterm elections this week. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that President Donald Trump has not decided whether to launch new strikes against Iran, but would prefer to resolve the conflict diplomatically.

Russian strikes cut power to thousands in ⁠Ukraine as drones damage Russian facility

Russian strikes left hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian households without power on Sunday, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, while Russian authorities reported major damage to an industrial site following Ukrainian drone attacks on Nizhny Novgorod region. Even as a six-day local ceasefire held on its final day around the Russian-controlled Ukrainian town of Oleshky, there was no letup in fighting elsewhere along the front line and both sides kept up long-range air attacks.

Israeli strikes kill eight people in Gaza - medics say

Israeli strikes killed at least eight Palestinians, including five police officers, in the ⁠Gaza Strip in two separate attacks on Sunday, according to medics and the Hamas-run interior ministry. Medics said three people were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City. The interior ministry ⁠said the five police officers were killed in another strike in western Khan Younis, in the south of the enclave.

Pope Leo says he hopes Oleshky truce could spur Ukraine-Russia peace efforts

Pope Leo said on Sunday he hoped cooperation between Russia and Ukraine in implementing a ceasefire in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky would pave the way for broader peace efforts. Ukraine and Russia said on October 23 they had agreed to a ceasefire in Oleshky, brokered by US first lady Melania Trump with the additional involvement of Pope Leo, to allow aid deliveries and evacuations from the frontline town, which has been suffering acute food and medicine shortages.

Five killed in fresh ethnic violence in India's Manipur state

Five people were killed in two separate incidents in India's northeastern state of Manipur, police said on Sunday, as fresh ethnic violence erupted in the conflict-hit region. Three men from the Kuki tribal group were killed ‌in an exchange of gunfire between "unidentified armed miscreants" in the state's Noney district on Saturday, according to a police ‌statement.

Russia's FSB says minor detained over park attack threat after US tip-off

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Sunday that a Russian minor had been detained over a threat to carry out a terrorist attack in a Moscow park following a tip-off from the United States, news agency Interfax reported. On Saturday, the FSB ​said it had received information from the US through established partner channels about preparations for an attack in Moscow and was taking appropriate measures.