Day News Recap: Ukraine toll rises as Iran tensions, Europe bomb threats and global stocks slide

Ukraine said the death toll from a Russian strike on an aid distribution centre in the Zaporizhia region has risen to at least 50, with rescue teams still searching the site. The attack has become one of the deadliest recent strikes on civilians and aid workers in the war.  🔗

In the Middle East, Iran stepped up diplomacy after Donald Trump suggested the United States could resume major strikes, while the White House weighed whether a new attack could still be avoided amid pressure after Republican election losses. Trump also sharpened his rhetoric, saying Iran would not be able to do anything on its nuclear programme without US approval.  🔗 🔗 🔗

Tensions around the Gulf deepened further after Iranian forces reported five oil tankers and a tugboat on fire in and around the Strait of Hormuz, and a senior Iranian lawmaker said the standoff was not sustainable. Separate reporting said Russia agreed in 2024 to supply Iran with 90 advanced missile launchers, underlining the growing defence ties between Moscow and Tehran.  🔗 🔗 🔗

Elsewhere in the region, Saudi Arabia said its air defences intercepted a ballistic missile aimed at the Medina region near Yanbu, while residents in southern Lebanon were packing bags amid fears of renewed Israeli escalation. In Israel, President Isaac Herzog is expected to name a candidate by Sunday to try to form the next government after lawmakers split their backing, and the political mood has also darkened over fears that the latest US midterm results could weaken bilateral ties.  🔗 🔗 🔗 🔗 🔗

In Europe, a fresh wave of fake bomb threats disrupted at least 18 flights and spread to newsrooms in Ireland, Bulgaria and the United Kingdom, with no explosives found so far. The alerts have now affected airline operations across the continent for several days and forced emergency responses from carriers and police.  🔗 🔗 🔗

On the war in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed in Madrid for urgent help to repair the country's power grid, while Finland's defence minister said political reluctance in Washington is delaying Patriot missile deliveries. Poland warned allies not to negotiate with Russia over Eastern Europe's head, and the EU said it is struggling to block Russian soldiers and veterans from entering Europe because of legal and database limits.  🔗 🔗 🔗 🔗

In other conflict and security stories, the UN warned that millions displaced by Sudan's war risk losing shelter as aid funds run low, while Yemen's Houthi rule is leaving a generation of children facing recruitment and indoctrination. The UN also condemned Israeli settlers for seizing eight Palestinian homes in Jericho, displacing dozens.  🔗 🔗 🔗

Across Africa, Somalia's Supreme Court ruled that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud unlawfully extended his term, deepening a constitutional standoff, while South Africa's ANC was on course for a sharper local election setback as coalition talks began. In Tanzania, opposition leader Tundu Lissu was convicted of incitement, and in Kenya a court sentenced cult leader Paul Mackenzie to 200 years for the Shakahola killings of 191 people, most of them children.  🔗 🔗 🔗 🔗

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In the Americas and Asia Pacific, California Governor Gavin Newsom commuted all 548 death sentences in the state, and a US judge paused construction of Donald Trump's proposed triumphal arch in Washington for 14 days even as a separate federal approval had already been reported. In Asia, China condemned new US sanctions on Cuba that included two Chinese firms, Macao sentenced former pro democracy politician Au Kam-san to 12 years and six months, and China and Russia were said to be exploring a possible Trump Xi Putin meeting on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen.  🔗 🔗 🔗 🔗 🔗 🔗

On the diplomatic and policy front, Iran's security chief met Vladimir Putin in Moscow and delivered a message from the supreme leader, Turkiye ratified the Saudi Pakistan defence pact, and Azerbaijan and Ukraine signed expanded energy, defence, trade, transport and technology agreements in Uzhhorod. The EU and Western Balkans also met in Budva to focus on cybercrime, migration and sanctions, while COP31 opened in Turkey amid warnings from UNHCR that nearly 90 million displaced people live in countries highly exposed to climate hazards.  🔗 🔗 🔗 🔗 🔗 🔗

On the US political and tech front, the White House denied shake up rumours as Pete Hegseth and Marco Rubio faced scrutiny after Republican losses, Rubio separately denied exit plans, and Trump backed a buildout of so called Super Intelligence while also framing the election reaction as a market shock. Trump also said a Russia Ukraine deal could be close after meeting Kirill Dmitriev, and the administration faced a separate resignation from the top civil rights official at the Justice Department.  🔗 🔗 🔗 🔗 🔗 🔗

In health and transport, a British health worker who tested positive for Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo was repatriated to a UK hospital for specialist treatment, and Qantas warned of fare rises and a 4 percent cut to domestic flights as fuel costs stayed elevated because of the Middle East war.  🔗 🔗

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