U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth began a round of talks with Asian counterparts on Friday at a defence summit in Malaysia, urging closer cooperation to counter China's growing assertiveness and signing a 10-year military pact with India.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for 31 October, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The ceasefire in Gaza has eased the trauma of Israel's air strikes and blockade but a shortage of cash has left Palestinians unable to spend what little money they have without falling victim to wartime profiteers.
China’s President Xi Jinping took centre stage at an annual gathering of Pacific Rim leaders in South Korea on Friday, expected to hold talks with Canadian, Japanese and Thai counterparts after securing a fragile trade truce with U.S. President Donald Trump.
The United States cancelled a planned Budapest summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin following Russia's firm stance on hardline demands regarding Ukraine, the Financial Times reported on Friday.
Palestinian militant group Hamas handed over two bodies of deceased Israeli hostages on Thursday, a day after the tenuous Gaza ceasefire was shaken by a series of deadly Israeli strikes across Gaza.
Russia launched a barrage of drones and missiles at Ukraine's energy infrastructure and other targets, forcing nationwide power restrictions and killing seven people, including a seven-year-old girl, Ukrainian officials said on Thursday.
Once regarded as Queen Elizabeth’s favourite son and admired as a dashing naval officer, Prince Andrew will now be remembered as the royal who faced accusations of sexually abusing a teenage girl and was stripped of his title.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Thursday warned that a prolonged government shutdown could cause severe disruptions to air travel during the busy Thanksgiving holiday period, urging Democrats to help pass legislation to reopen the government.
The U.S. State Department has ordered the departure of all non-emergency personnel and their family members from Mali, citing escalating security risks as al Qaeda-linked insurgents tighten a fuel blockade on the country.
U.S. President Donald Trump has set the refugee admissions ceiling for fiscal year 2026 at 7,500, the lowest in American history, according to a White House document published on Thursday (October 30). The move is part of a broader effort to reshape global refugee and asylum policies.
A U.S. court has reinstated a $185 million verdict against Bayer’s Monsanto unit over chemical contamination at a Washington state school, reviving a major case involving toxic substances.
Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed on Thursday to extend a ceasefire during talks in Istanbul after the worst border clashes between the neighbours in years, according to Türkiye which mediated the talks along with Qatar.
Argentina has boosted security along its border with Brazil following a large-scale police operation against the Comando Vermelho gang in Rio de Janeiro, which has reportedly left more than 100 people dead since it began on Tuesday.
Sudan has called on the international community to hold the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) accountable for mass killings of patients and medical staff in Al-Fashir, North Darfur.
China’s Vice President Han Zheng met with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Wednesday.
Despite record spending, Canada’s Indigenous communities continue to face deep inequalities in health care, emergency response, child welfare, and basic services, as new audits and court rulings expose persistent structural failures.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed legislation extending martial law and general mobilisation until 3 February 2026.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday in Ankara as both countries explored new pathways for bilateral economic relations.
Central Asia, the South Caucasus and Pakistan have received a significant boost in their fight against the impacts of climate change with the approval of a $250 million grant.
The United Nations Security Council is holding open briefings and closed consultations on Sudan following what it called the "dire situation in El Fasher".
Ukraine has introduced nationwide restrictions on electricity use, enforcing eight-hour daily limits following severe damage to power infrastructure.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Tehran is pursuing what he termed a policy of “provincial diplomacy” to promote Iran’s trade and cultural relations with its neighbouring countries.
Character.AI will ban under-18s from chatting with its AI characters and introduce time limits, following lawsuits alleging the platform contributed to a teenager’s death.
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