World
Iran Says It Could Reopen Hormuz Within Two Days if U.S. Meets Its Conditions; Spokesman Says Messages Still Passing Through Mediators
Iran's foreign ministry spokesman spoke on the eve of the U.S. midterms, after a weekend in which President Trump said strikes stay on the table and Axios reported that Israel's prime minister pressed for action after Tuesday's vote.
Polish President Nawrocki Enters Constitutional Tribunal After a Judge Elected by Parliament Suspends Its Chief; Police Detain Protesters Outside
Prime Minister Donald Tusk's government says it is restoring an independent court, while President Karol Nawrocki and the opposition Law and Justice party call the suspension an illegal takeover. The fight centers on whether five judges who never took their oath before the president can lawfully sit on the court.
Russian Strikes Cut Power to Hundreds of Thousands of Ukrainian Households; Zelensky Says Russia Is Exploiting a Shortage of Ballistic-Missile Interceptors
Zelensky says Russia fired 1,940 drones, more than 1,580 guided bombs and 44 missiles at Ukraine in one week. The strikes come two days after the U.S. approved a possible Patriot interceptor sale and ahead of planned U.S.-Ukraine-Russia talks.
Houthis Claim Six Attacks on Saudi Oil Sites and Airports; Saudi-Led Coalition Reports Intercepting Missiles
None of the six claimed hits has been independently confirmed; the claims came three days after Saudi, Pakistani and Turkish officials met Iranian leaders in Tehran, and Brent crude traded at $115.74 early Friday.
Iran Says Four Tankers Hit Mines on Hormuz Routes It Calls Unauthorized; U.S. Says the Main Shipping Lanes Are Clear of Mines
Iran has not named the ships, and no independent source has confirmed the four mine strikes. A separate tanker, the Louise 1, was confirmed hit by explosives that a small boat attached to its hull off Oman.
Final Israeli Count: Netanyahu Bloc 53 Seats, Eisenkot Bloc 48, Arab-Led Parties 19; No Side Reaches 61
Netanyahu's Likud says the vote was stolen through fraud in Arab communities, and police say they have found no evidence. Bennett and Liberman reject a government that relies on Arab parties, and President Herzog begins consultations next week.
Trump Administration Has No Current Plan to Back Flávio Bolsonaro's Claim to Brazil's Presidency, Sources Tell Reuters
Trump let the defeated candidate into the U.S. and called the vote 'rigged.' But he says he gets along with Lula, and a U.S. official says the stance could still change.
Russian Drone Kills at Least 14 at Dnipro Train Station; Zelensky Says Forces Have No Order to Halt Refinery Strikes, Contradicting WSJ Report
The Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed sources, that Kyiv quietly paused strikes on Russian refineries after pressure from Trump envoys. Zelensky says his forces have no such order, and a Ukrainian drone maker claimed a refinery hit hours after the report.
UN General Assembly Votes 130-17, With 25 Abstentions, to Call for End of U.S. Embargo on Cuba; Support Is Lowest Since 1995
The 34th annual resolution passed easily but drew 35 fewer yes votes than in 2025, after a U.S. lobbying campaign and a floor confrontation between Ambassador Mike Waltz and Cuba's foreign minister.
Marine Le Pen Opens 2027 French Presidential Campaign in Orléans as Curfews Remain in Several Cities
Le Pen spoke on October 25 to a crowd organizers put at 8,500, nearly 3,000 police were on duty, and an Ipsos-BVA-Cési poll put her first-round support at 32% to 33.5%. Her run rests on a July 2026 appeals ruling that kept her embezzlement conviction but shortened her ban from office.
Ukraine Says It Downed 131 of 157 Russian Drones Overnight as Strike Hits Kyiv's Northern Bridge
Ukraine's air force reported the overnight count on Oct. 3, after three days of Russian strikes on bridges over Kyiv's Dnipro River. Russia says the bridges carry Ukrainian troops. Ukrainian officials and Western wire services describe the strikes as an effort to disrupt civilian life.
Iran Says It Will Charge Ships 'Service Fees' in Hormuz After 60-Day Window; U.S. Rejects Any Toll as Khamenei Funeral Draws Revenge Chants
Iranian officials say they will levy fees on vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz once a war-ending truce's free-passage period expires; Washington says no state may charge for passage through an international waterway.