World news today

European aviation faced disruption Thursday when at least 25 to 27 commercial flights received bomb threats, marking the second wave in three days. Flights from cities including Dublin, Helsinki, Madrid, Milan, Warsaw and Copenhagen were diverted or landed at their destinations under heightened security. An Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome with 151 passengers was diverted to a military airbase in Evreux, northern France. Finnair confirmed two of its flights received hoax threats. Heathrow and Birmingham airports in the UK also received threats assessed as not credible. All searches found nothing suspicious. Some threats came via emails claiming to be from an anti-feminist group calling itself 'Fighters of the Male State', targeting Rome-bound flights. EU transport commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas said it was too early to determine if incidents were linked, though authorities have not ruled out state-sponsored activity.

Australia's Competition and Consumer Commission has been tasked with developing nationally consistent safety rules for e-bikes and other e-micromobility devices as part of a $4.3 million safety initiative. Assistant Productivity Minister Andrew Leigh said injuries and fatalities from e-bikes cost the economy at least $28 million annually, with the new standards aimed at addressing dangerous devices described as 'motorbikes with a battery'.

Arab-led parties that won a record 19 seats in Israel's 120-seat parliament have endorsed opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot to form the next government. The Joint List alliance announced Thursday it would recommend Eisenkot to President Isaac Herzog, potentially giving him backing from 67 lawmakers, above the 61-seat majority needed. This comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition with 53 seats faces divisions, with one ultra-Orthodox faction saying it would recommend neither candidate over a dispute on military service exemptions.

Donald Trump said on Thursday that a "very big" agreement to end the Ukraine war is being negotiated and could involve all of Europe. He made the comments after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin's envoy Kirill Dmitriev at the White House, where delegations from both Russia and Ukraine were present for an event honouring first lady Melania Trump's role in brokering a recent ceasefire in the Ukrainian city of Oleshky. Trump declined to provide details but said the war was close to being settled.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has awarded US First Lady Melania Trump the Order of Princess Olga, 1st Class, for her role in brokering a six-day ceasefire in the Russian-occupied southern Ukrainian town of Oleshky. Nearly 800 people were evacuated during the truce, which ended on Sunday and marked the longest local pause in fighting since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. Melania Trump said she became aware of the humanitarian crisis in September and worked as an exclusive intermediary between Russia and Ukraine to secure the ceasefire, arrange aid deliveries and plan evacuation routes. On Thursday, she hosted Russian and Ukrainian officials at the White House to celebrate the truce, with both sides praising her diplomatic role, though neither elaborated on the nature or extent of her involvement. The meeting comes ahead of planned three-way talks in Abu Dhabi aimed at ending the wider war.

NSW has seized 68 illegal and modified e-bikes in a three-month crackdown that began in September. The latest operation in the Hunter region on Thursday confiscated 10 bikes, along with two petrol-powered bicycles, two e-scooters and a trail bike. Police say the seized e-bikes exceeded legal speed and power limits and posed safety risks to riders and other road users.

More than 3,000 tarantulas were discovered hidden in socks packed in three suitcases at Callao airport in Peru on 3 November. Two German citizens and one Polish citizen boarding a flight to Germany were detained after the seizure. According to Peru's National Forestry and Wildlife Service, the socks concealed spiders of different species at various stages of development, from eggs to adults. The tarantulas are valuable to collectors and can command prices that drive smuggling attempts. The three travellers now face criminal proceedings led by a specialised environmental prosecutor's office.

Police have launched a search for a 56-year-old man who disappeared after telling a friend he was heading to fish at Trotting Track along the Murray River near Nyah West, Victoria on Thursday morning. An abandoned mobility scooter, fishing camp and personal items were found at the scene, but not the man himself. Witnesses reported seeing him on the scooter at 10.30am, with the fishing setup found unattended by 3pm, suggesting he went missing between those times.

Luis Benítez Alcántara, a Mexican judge, was arrested in Colombia on Sunday and charged with nine counts of being an accessory after the fact. He is accused of accepting $2 million in bribes to release Andrew Clark, a Canadian citizen allegedly second-in-command in a billion-dollar cocaine trafficking organisation run by former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding. Benítez allegedly granted Clark bond and ordered his release on 24 February 2025, the same day he received the $2 million in payments through intermediaries.

Sir Tom Jones, 86, told an audience at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on Wednesday that he feared his life was ending after being admitted to hospital. The singer had initially thought he had flu, but his condition worsened until he could not breathe and paramedics were called. He spent a week at UCLA Medical Center, including two days in intensive care. On stage, he told fans: 'I thought this was it, you've had a wonderful life, Tommy, but it's over right now.' After doctors asked what he wanted to do next, he replied that he had to return to the stage. 'This is where I belong. I can't live without this, believe me,' he said. The BBC reports he had cancelled or rescheduled a number of concerts due to the illness.

A teenager was taken to Royal Perth Hospital after a serious late-night crash in Perth's outer north-east brought down a power line. Emergency services were called to Neaves Road in Mariginiup about 10.40pm on Thursday following reports of a two-car collision between a black Ford Falcon and a silver Holden Commodore. The impact caused one vehicle to strike a power pole, bringing down the live power line and prompting Western Power crews to attend alongside emergency responders.

Former Israeli generals have offered help to Palestinian olive farmers in the occupied West Bank, expressing frustration at settler violence. Palestinian farmers have been granted limited access to their olive groves under Israeli military restrictions, with soldiers present during harvests. Euronews reports that Israeli troops fired tear gas near olive pickers in the village of al-Mughayyir on Thursday, where residents can access only about 100 of their 4,300 hectares of land and require prior military approval to harvest.

Jesus de Miguel, a 30-year-old Tenerife striker, died on Tuesday morning after suffering cardiac arrest following a collision with FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono during a match on Monday. Owono was sent off for the incident, which occurred in stoppage time when the goalkeeper ran from his goal and struck De Miguel heavily in the chest. De Miguel was taken to hospital in intensive care but died the following morning. A preliminary autopsy report confirmed he died from "accidental chest trauma". Spanish police opened a routine investigation into the death as a potential involuntary manslaughter case, though criminal proceedings are considered unlikely under Spanish law. De Miguel's funeral took place on Thursday in his hometown of Navahermosa, Toledo, attended by Spain coach Luis de la Fuente, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez and other football figures. His family issued a statement saying they were grateful for the support and tributes received from across the football world.

Australia's deputy prime minister Richard Marles says the country will maintain its existing approach to the Trump administration despite Democrats retaking the US Congress. Marles told ABC TV on Friday that the US alliance remains crucial regardless of which party controls Washington. He said Australia must be 'custodians of the alliance' in the challenging strategic landscape facing the world.

An 11-year-old boy identified as Dre Cooper died after jumping into the Broken River near Shepparton in regional Victoria on Monday. Emergency services were called about 5pm after reports he had jumped into the river and not resurfaced. His body was found on Tuesday following an extensive search. An investigation is under way but the death is not being treated as suspicious.

The Canary Islands are being promoted as good value for British winter holidays, with Tenerife ranked eighth globally and top among the islands for cost, according to Post Office research. Temperatures reach 24C in November. However, travellers heading to Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura on 11 November may face disruption from a planned Spanish general strike, with potential effects on airport security and public transport, though no flight cancellations have been confirmed.

Australian police have announced a $250,000 reward for information on Anthony Pele, 25, a fugitive accused of killing one person and wounding two others in a mistaken identity shooting in southwest Sydney in July 2023. Pele allegedly fled Australia in August 2023 after the attack at Greenacre, in which Ahmed Al Azzam, 25, died in hospital three days later. Two others—a 22-year-old man and 19-year-old woman—were injured in a separate car nearby. NSW Police said Pele faces four outstanding warrants for murder, shooting with intent to murder, conspiracy to murder, conspiracy to kidnap and supplying commercial quantities of drugs. NSW detectives are working with the Australian Federal Police and international authorities to locate and extradite him, though his exact whereabouts remain unknown.

The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted a ballistic missile fired by Yemen's Houthis towards Medina, one of Islam's holiest cities, on Thursday. The announcement came minutes after Saudi civil defence warned of potential danger near the strategic port of Yanbu. The Houthis denied targeting the city, with military spokesman Yahya Saree stating their operations target only oil facilities and military bases.

NSW Police have offered a $250,000 reward for information on the whereabouts of Anthony Pele, 25, an alleged Coconut Cartel leader wanted for murder. Pele fled Australia in August 2023 after allegedly conducting a mistaken-identity shooting in which Ahmad al-Azzam was shot multiple times in his car in Greenacre and died in hospital a week later. Pele is wanted for numerous alleged crimes including murder, shooting with intent to murder and conspiracy to murder. Despite postings on Instagram from May and April this year showing his location as Albania, near Palase Beach on the Albanian Green Coast, his whereabouts remain unknown to detectives from State Crime Command who have been working with the Australian Federal Police and overseas services.

Huge crowds took to the streets across France on Thursday as students, workers and retirees joined protests demanding higher wages and supporting the student movement. France's Interior Ministry said more than 600,000 people participated, while the CGT union estimated nearly 1.6 million took part in over 200 demonstrations nationwide. The Paris march proceeded peacefully, with some demonstrators carrying signs about inequality and cost of living.

Archaeologists from Germany, Russia, Sweden and Switzerland excavated a royal tomb in southern Siberia and found evidence suggesting people used cannabis for psychoactive purposes at least 2,800 years ago. The discovery, at the Tunnug 1 site in the Uyuk Valley, predates previously known cannabis use in China by about 300 years. Analysis of preserved hair and seeds from the tomb showed both plant matter and human tissue contained active compounds in the same context, according to Gino Caspari of the University of Bern. Whether the cannabis was consumed through inhalation or ingestion remains unclear.

Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief, has received backing from 67 of 120 Israeli MPs to be given the first opportunity to form a government following the October 27 election that ended in deadlock. Benjamin Netanyahu's position has weakened after the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party withheld support and two Arab-led parties endorsed Eisenkot instead. Israeli President Isaac Herzog will decide by Wednesday which candidate to pick.

An Italian court has convicted American Francis Kaufmann of murdering his Russian partner Anastasia Trofimova and their infant daughter Andromeda in Rome, sentencing him to life in prison. The bodies of Trofimova, 28, and 11-month-old Andromeda were discovered in Villa Pamphili park in June 2025. Kaufmann fled to Greece but was extradited back to Italy for trial.

Davide Tamburella was fired from La Costa restaurant in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley on 20 May after refusing to put pineapple on pizzas, saying it was an insult to his culture. At a meeting two weeks earlier, management raised his refusal to provide ham and pineapple pizzas for a function as a performance concern. This was the third time in four years he had refused such a direction. Tamburella took his case to Australia's Fair Work Commission, claiming unfair dismissal, but the commission dismissed his application. Management also cited other issues including his use of foul language and escalation of frustration in the workplace.

France saw more than 600,000 people take to the streets on Thursday in a nationwide day of strikes and demonstrations called by five trade unions. The protests, which took place across around 260 cities and towns, were organised to demand higher wages, an increase in the minimum wage, tax reforms and better public services, particularly in education. The demonstrations merged student protests that have been ongoing since September over poor school conditions with broader worker action over rising living costs. About a third of France's high schools closed or could not operate due to student blockades or teachers striking. Authorities deployed around 70,000 police and gendarmes nationwide. While most demonstrations were largely peaceful, clashes occurred in several cities including Lyon and Paris, where police used tear gas. A school near Toulouse was set on fire. The Interior Ministry's initial figures suggested 600,000 participants, though the CGT union claimed 1.6 million.

Eight people were killed and one seriously injured in multiple shootings across villages in Turkey's Afyonkarahisar province on Thursday. A suspect was later arrested following a manhunt. Two of the victims were teachers.

New Zealand will hold a general election on 7 November with neither the ruling right-wing National Party nor the opposition left-leaning Labour Party expected to win enough seats to govern alone. Both parties are polling below 30 per cent, with the outcome likely to depend on minor parties, particularly the centrist Opportunity party. The campaign has focused on the rising cost of living, healthcare and unemployment.

Comedian Shane Jacobson, known as the Dunny Man, has partnered with Kleenex to find Australia's worst roadside toilet through a campaign called The Great Aussie Dunny Rescue. The winner will receive a full makeover. Jacobson, who earned his nickname from his role in the 2006 film Kenny, said roadside dunnies were vital to communities and recounted encountering a frog in an outback toilet.

Healthcare unions have told a NSW parliamentary inquiry that enshrining the right to health in human rights legislation would benefit both patients and healthcare workers. The proposed bill would establish a right to access physical and mental health services without discrimination, along with emergency medical treatment. Union representatives argued this could force public authorities to consider health rights when making decisions about service suspensions due to unsafe staffing levels.

Paraguay's President Santiago Peña resigned on Thursday following the collapse of Ueno Bank, which froze the accounts of approximately three million customers, including pensioners. The lower house of congress voted unanimously to impeach him minutes after his resignation. Lawmakers accused Peña, who sold his shares in the company controlling the bank in April 2025, of conflicts of interest, misuse of pension funds and institutional cover-ups. The central bank intervened in Ueno on Tuesday after finding it had breached minimum solvency requirements. Vice President Pedro Alliana is set to take office as his replacement.

Philippine authorities have widened their investigation into child sexual abuse allegations against Meghan Markle's father, Thomas Markle Sr, 82, to include her half-brother Thomas Markle Jr, 60. Interior and local government secretary Jonvic Remulla announced at a press conference in Manila that there are 'signs that point that the son is involved in the crime as well', though he is not yet being treated as a suspect. A witness alleged that underage girls had been brought to Markle Jr's house; he claimed the girls were involved in making TikTok videos. The original investigation was triggered after Markle Jr found and reported more than 7,000 child sexual abuse images on devices in their father's former home in the Philippines. Markle Sr, who has returned to the United States and entered a care home for dementia patients, has denied the allegations, calling them 'sick lies'.

A mother and daughter were found dead on the Snooka West Trail near Bella Coola, British Columbia, following a suspected grizzly bear attack. Jennifer Balcarras, 48, an art therapist, and her daughter Selah Reed, 20, were reported missing on Sunday after failing to return from a walk on Saturday. Balcarras' body was discovered on Monday and Reed's on Tuesday. Her brother Josh Balcarras told the CBC the attack was shocking given they were familiar with the trail, just five minutes from their home, and it was 'just a casual walk'. Conservation officers said it is not yet clear whether one or multiple bears were involved, and are working to locate and assess any captured animals.

Bob Dylan, 85, met Pope Leo at the Apostolic Palace in Rome on Wednesday during the singer-songwriter's Rough and Rowdy Ways tour. The encounter was brief, with Leo presenting Dylan a rosary and Dylan giving the Pope a copy of his autobiography, Chronicles: Volume One. Leo had previously quoted Dylan's unreleased 1963 anti-nuclear song 'Go Away You Bomb' in his 2026 book Disarmed and Disarming: Peace Is a Gift. Both men are American and from the Midwest. Dylan performed at the Palazzo dello Sport in Rome on Thursday. This was Dylan's second meeting with a pope; he performed for Pope John Paul II in 1997.

South Korea will expand its Cheonghae anti-piracy unit's operations to waters near Oman's port of Duqm, about 650 kilometres from the Strait of Hormuz, its defence ministry said Thursday. The government will seek parliamentary approval to extend the unit's mandate, set to expire at the end of 2026, and widen its operational area. Seoul said the deployment would protect commercial shipping and energy supplies while remaining strictly non-combat and independent of allied forces.

Australia's David Jones, founded in 1838 and recognised as the world's oldest continuously operating department store still trading under its original name, has entered voluntary administration. The 188-year-old retailer employs about 6,000 staff across 38 stores in Australia and New Zealand. The collapse follows years of financial losses and comes after the retailer failed to pay rent to Westfield owner Scentre Group, leading to a breakdown in negotiations. Stores will continue operating under receivers FTI Consulting while administrators McGrathNicol seek offers for recapitalisation or sale. Dozens of stores, particularly underperforming suburban locations, are expected to close, though flagship CBD stores in Sydney and Melbourne are considered more likely to survive.

Hubert Aiwanger, 55, Bavaria's deputy premier, economy minister and leader of the Free Voters party, was found dead in a hotel room in Berlin-Mitte on Wednesday evening. He had been in Berlin to attend the opening of a party office but cancelled his appearance after feeling unwell. Police and prosecutors launched an investigation to determine the cause of death and rule out foul play. A spokesperson for Berlin's public prosecutor's office said there was 'no initial suspicion of a crime' but 'nothing can be ruled out'. Bavarian premier Markus Söder described the death as an 'absolute tragedy'. Aiwanger had led the Free Voters in Bavaria since 2006 and nationally since 2010, and served as deputy premier and economy minister since 2018.

An Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome was diverted to a military base in Evreux, France, after a bomb alert on Thursday. The French prime minister's office said it was monitoring the situation closely. This is the latest in a series of similar incidents affecting European flights this week.

Joshua Wong, the prominent face of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement, was sentenced on Thursday to 10 years in prison for colluding with foreign forces under the city's national security law. Wong, 30, pleaded guilty in September to conspiring with exiled activist Nathan Law to seek foreign sanctions against Hong Kong and China. He is the only activist prosecuted twice under the law. Wong had already spent nearly six years in jail and was due for release in January 2027, but will now remain imprisoned until late 2036. The UK and US have condemned the sentence as an example of the law being used to silence political opposition.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has committed Britain to 'structured, time-bound, inclusive and good-faith' dialogue with Commonwealth nations affected by the slave trade, according to a joint communique from the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua. The UK is open to issuing a formal apology, with Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband suggesting it could come by the time Britain hosts the G20 summit in Manchester next November. Burnham has announced £40 million for Caribbean infrastructure projects over three years but has ruled out paying reparations. Miliband stated the apology will not cost British taxpayers 'a penny more', though outlets conflict on whether the infrastructure package represents additional spending.

Hackers attacked temperature control systems at three sites belonging to France's national blood service (EFS) on Monday, attempting to raise storage temperatures from -30°C to 110°C. The incident was detected quickly by monitoring systems, allowing staff to move blood products to unaffected refrigerators before supplies were damaged. No blood stocks were lost and distribution operations continued uninterrupted. The attack targeted a refrigeration equipment supplier rather than the EFS directly, according to the organisation. The incident mirrors a broader wave of cyberattacks on supermarket refrigeration systems across at least eight European countries between Sunday and Monday, which caused millions of euros of food spoilage. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, and investigations are underway.