Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Analysis-A new 'Yalta'? Trump and Putin push for a meeting that Xi is wary of hosting

The world's three most powerful leaders could sit down together next week to discuss global flashpoints, from wars in Ukraine and Iran to nuclear weapons and artificial intelligence.

The prospects for any grand bargain emerging from the rare encounter, however, are slim.

Tanker collides with cruise ship in New ​Orleans, 32 hospitalized

A tanker ship collided with a luxury paddle wheeler docked in New Orleans on the Mississippi River on Friday, causing the cruise vessel to roll over and sink as passengers scurried to disembark and dozens were flung into the water. All aboard the stricken ship were ​accounted for after harbor personnel, firefighters and onlookers scrambled to pull fallen passengers to safety, New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno told a press conference.

US aviation shutdown blamed on L3 Harris installed ‌router

A massive, nearly five-hour ​shutdown of the US aviation system that has disrupted more than 20,000 flights since Friday may have been the fault of a single router installed by government contractor L3Harris, government officials said Saturday. The incident is the latest painful example of the aging US air traffic control telecom system and the struggles to replace systems while keeping the old communications working.

SpaceX's Starship nears end of 15th test flight and return-landing attempt

SpaceX's next-generation Starship spacecraft cruised around the globe on Saturday nearing the end of its 15th test flight and what the company hoped would be an unprecedented pinpoint return landing at the exact spot in Texas from which it launched. Starship's uncrewed upper stage is poised to re-enter Earth's atmosphere after nearly a day in orbit and steer back toward its launch tower, then make an engine-controlled final descent into the embrace of giant mechanical arms designed to catch the vehicle as it hovers over the launchpad.

Irish police discover ‌explosive device near where world leaders dined day earlier

Irish army bomb experts made a crude but viable explosive device safe at an office building in central Dublin on Friday, close to where world leaders dined a day earlier during a two-day summit in the Irish capital. Irish police said they responded to a report of a suspicious device on Friday afternoon in the building on Merrion Square. Leaders from the European Political Community that includes EU and non-EU countries had met for dinner at a venue on another side of the square on Thursday.

‘I don’t know what to do’: student pilot on first solo flight caught in US shutdown

The student pilot was alone in the cockpit on his first solo cross-country flight when an air traffic controller delivered an instruction he never expected to hear: a nationwide ground stop was in effect and he needed to land. “Ma’am, I’m a student pilot. Honestly, this is my first time doing solo cross-country, and I don’t know what to do,” he told the controller.

UN climate chief urges speed as COP31 confronts fossil fuel divide

The UN's top climate official urged negotiators at the COP31 conference in Turkey on Saturday to move swiftly towards a deal and "avoid tactical delays" as the summit heads into its second and final week. The annual UN climate conference faces ‌new challenges this year as a slew of crises from war to inflation push global warming down the list of priorities for world governments.

US floated idea of Ukraine ceding Donbas for NATO membership, Zelenskiy says

US negotiators have floated the idea of Ukraine's potential withdrawal from its eastern region of Donbas in exchange for joining NATO, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, following the latest round of peace talks with Russia in Abu Dhabi. This is the first time the question of linking NATO membership to territorial concessions has been raised during the talks, Zelenskiy said in remarks to reporters released by his office on Saturday.

As ‌smog hangs over Lahore, Pakistan's new pollution squad races to douse stubble fires

As smog again settles over large parts of South Asia, Pakistani authorities are widening a crackdown on illegal stubble burning they say is fuelling the region's annual pollution crisis. On Thursday, officers of a new quick-response unit swung off their vehicles at a paddy field on the edge of Lahore. Smoke curled low over the stubble, and the crew had the fire under control within minutes, keeping it from adding to the haze over a city that Swiss group IQAir rated “very unhealthy” earlier this week.

Hungary recovers $20 million cash in probe of Orban minister

Hungarian authorities have recovered nearly $20 million in cash, some buried in forests or hidden in farm buildings and warehouses, in a bribery investigation into Miklos Sesztak, a minister under former leader Viktor Orban. Prime Minister Peter Magyar ousted Orban after 16 years in power in an April election, pledging to mend ties with the European Union strained by years of disagreements under Orban, and to launch a sweeping investigation into allegations of graft.

Ukraine's Zelenskiy escalates criticism of SpaceX over speed caps

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy escalated his criticism of SpaceX on Saturday, saying speed restrictions on its military-grade Starshield satellite terminals had dangerous political implications and undermined critical air defences. Zelenskiy said Starshield terminals operating in temporarily Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine had been limited to a maximum speed of 161 kph for the past five days, hampering Ukraine's military capabilities.

US Air Force responds to suspected drone activity over UK airbase

US Air Force personnel at the RAF Lakenheath base in Britain responded to "suspected ⁠unauthorised drone activity" on Friday evening, although ​no personnel, aircraft or infrastructure were affected, a US Air Force spokesperson said. "We continue to work closely with our host nation counterparts to ensure the safety and security of ⁠our US service members, US and host nation civilians, contractors, and all of our families," the spokesperson said by email.

Air travel issues to persist well into Sunday, officials say, with thousands of flights affected

The head of the FAA predicted that US air travel would not return to normal schedules until late Sunday as the aviation system gradually recovers from a nationwide flight shutdown that officials blamed on routine maintenance gone awry. As of 4:15 pm ET (2115 GMT), airlines on Saturday had canceled more than 5,300 US flights and delayed almost 6,300, according to FlightAware, an aviation website. That followed about 9,200 flights canceled and 7,500 delayed on Friday after the FAA ordered a nationwide ground stop because of disruptions to air traffic communications.

South Korea should not fear China's rise, ⁠foreign minister says

South Korea should neither fear China's rise nor underestimate its capabilities, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said on Saturday, urging deeper cooperation ahead of a regional summit in China next week. "During this visit to China, I was reminded that we should neither have an unfounded fear of China's rise nor underestimate its capabilities and potential," Cho wrote on X, saying Seoul should build cooperation benefiting both countries by drawing on the autonomy and creativity of its people and companies.

Indonesian president orders greater share of mining benefits for the state

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said on Saturday that the state should secure a greater share of benefits from all mining permits and, if necessary, hold controlling stakes in mining assets. "From now on, all ​mining permits, at least 70% must benefit the state. If necessary, the shares should be state-controlled," he said in a speech to members of one of Indonesia's largest Islamic groups, Muhammadiyah

After midterm sweep, Democrats split over Trump, cost-cutting agenda

Fresh from a midterm election landslide, Democrats met in Denver this week united in wanting to deliver voters relief from high costs, but split over how to achieve that, what lessons to draw from their victory and how combative they should be toward President Donald Trump. Despite the celebratory mood after the November 3 rout of ⁠Republicans, tensions between moderates and a restive progressive wing surfaced at the party's first major gathering since its victory, along with anxiety that the party could squander the opportunity voters had handed it.

Law enforcement searches Illinois plant after 'credible threat' of explosive device

State and federal officers on Saturday searched a biofuels plant in Peoria, Illinois, for explosives after a device deemed a "credible threat" was found nearby, officials said, prompting a notice for residents to evacuate an area with a 1-mile radius.

The evacuation order was lifted on Saturday, almost a full day after the device was discovered on Friday close to the BioUrja ethanol plant in Peoria, a city of about 110,000 people, some 150 miles (240 km) southwest of Chicago, officials said. Bomb technicians rendered it safe, Peoria police said.

At the Supreme Court, Trump aims to ⁠cut the ​power of judges again

When President Donald Trump's administration convinced the US Supreme Court last year to restrict the ability of federal judges to block his actions nationwide — a major boost to his power — the ruling left untouched a separate tool that some of them have used to stymie presidential policies. Now Trump is taking aim at that tool as well in another challenge to judicial authority that could further insulate his far-reaching agenda against broad legal attacks.

ASEAN not easing Myanmar approach, bloc's special envoy says

ASEAN is not relaxing its approach to Myanmar under its Five-Point Consensus, though proposals concerning the country's participation in high-level meetings remain under discussion, the bloc's special envoy on Myanmar said on Saturday. The Five-Point Consensus is ASEAN's main framework for responding to the crisis in Myanmar after a military coup there in 2021. It calls, among other things, for an immediate end to violence and the launch of constructive dialogue among all parties, and offers ASEAN mediation and humanitarian assistance.

Iran's navy says three tankers on fire after hitting mines in Hormuz

Iran's navy said three oil tankers caught fire on Saturday after hitting naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media reported. One tanker hit a naval mine in the eastern Strait of Hormuz on Saturday morning, while two others ⁠struck mines later in the day.

Pope Leo visits remote Andes town on special stop of Peru tour

Pope Leo travelled on Saturday to Peru's western Andean mountains on a special stop on his 12-day South America tour to visit a remote town of fewer than 6,000 inhabitants who once knew him as the bishop of Chiclayo, a city that is a four-hour drive away. Leo, visiting Peru on an emotional return home for the first Peruvian citizen to become pope, made a journey he took many times as Chiclayo's bishop from 2015 to 2023, travelling 100 km (62 miles) east ⁠from the Pacific coast to Santa Cruz de Succhabamba.

Trump tells advisers he may hold off on Iran attacks barring new provocations, sources say

President Donald Trump has told senior advisers in ⁠recent days that he may hold off on attacking Iran if the US faces no new provocations from Tehran or the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, according to three people familiar with the matter. Trump has alternated between threats of escalating the war with new strikes and winding down hostilities, and current and former officials say he does not appear to have made up his mind about how to resolve the unpopular conflict, which he launched in February with Israel.

Canada, US make progress on trade deal, Carney says

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Saturday he had held lengthy, substantive talks with US President Donald Trump and the two countries were making progress towards a trade deal, though they had yet to reach an agreement. Carney, who is in the Philippines for a state visit and meeting with Southeast Asian leaders, also said his country would not walk away from NATO and that the security architecture ‌for a free Europe would be determined by a free Europe and NATO, not Russia.

Trump, other Quad leaders ‌to meet in Manila on Tuesday, sources say

Leaders of the US, Japan, Australia and India are expected to meet on Tuesday on the sidelines of a key Asian meeting in Manila, two people familiar with the planning said, marking the first summit of the "Quad" nations in two years. The Quad group of Indo-Pacific powers is ​widely considered a counterweight to China's growing influence in the region, although its members have said the grouping is not directed against any one country.