From mass arrests in France to funerals in Jordan, from rising United States-Iran tensions to fresh strikes on Saudi Arabia, here are the biggest global events of the day — and what to watch next.
France: 1,314 arrested as protests end in clashes
More than 1,300 people were arrested across France on Saturday as a second weekend of mass protests over the cost of living ended in clashes, France's interior ministry said on Sunday. An estimated 410,000 people marched nationwide, including 110,000 in Paris, while organisers claimed around 800,000. Some 70,000 police were deployed. Fifty-three officers were hurt, police responded to 75 fires, and 24 shops were looted. The Paris march proceeded largely peacefully before confrontations at its tail end near Porte de Vincennes. Two protesters were seriously injured, one in Toulouse and one in Clermont-Ferrand. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez blamed "ultra-left" groups for an "extremely elevated level of violence", while protesters denounced the crackdown as an assault on the right to protest. France heads toward presidential elections in April and May.
Jordan: funerals held for church attack victims
Jordan held funeral services on Sunday in the village of Hamoud, in the Karak governorate, for victims of Friday's attack on St George's Greek Orthodox Church, in which gunmen opened fire during a funeral service, killing nine people and wounding 40. Graves were dug beside the church as security forces deployed around the site. Survivor Sahar al-Halsa told Reuters her cousin Assem died before her eyes after she found him wounded outside the church. King Abdullah has ordered security forces to respond with an "iron fist". Authorities are still searching for the attackers, and no group has claimed responsibility. Priest Yuhanna Hamati sent a message of love and peace ahead of the funerals.
France fallout: a movement under pressure
The scale of Saturday's mobilisation underlines how deeply the cost-of-living crisis has cut into French politics. The protests began in mid-September with students demonstrating over dire school conditions in the Paris region, then widened into a national movement over school funding, fuel prices and living standards. The Louvre, the Paris opera house and other cultural landmarks closed for the day, and many shops boarded up in anticipation of trouble. Police searched hundreds of people before the marches and confiscated items including metal balls, fireworks, slingshots and a katana sword. The interior ministry said the rest of Saturday night, after the clashes died down, was calm, and that several investigations had been opened. With a presidential election six months away, the government's handling of the unrest is becoming a defining test for Macron's final months in office.
United States and Iran: strike warnings sharpen
United States President Donald Trump warned the US could strike Iran as soon as Sunday while keeping a deal option open, according to reports on Sunday, as war clouds intensified ahead of the US midterm elections on November 3. Iran has warned of retaliation if struck again, and earlier warned of an "apocalyptic war" if the US strikes. The standoff, now in its eighth month of war, is raising military costs, oil prices and inflation risks, with analysts watching whether diplomacy or escalation wins out in the coming days.
Saudi Arabia: Houthi strikes hit oil sites and airports
Fresh Houthi attacks targeted Saudi oil facilities and airports, prompting travel disruption, according to a global news summary on Sunday. Saudi Arabia claimed missile interceptions near Mecca and Medina, which the Houthis called a "huge lie". Air India and Air India Express suspended flights to and from Riyadh and Dammam until November 7, and to and from Jeddah until October 31. The strikes add a new front to regional tensions already running high over the US-Iran standoff.
Brazil: voters decide between Lula and Bolsonaro's son
Brazil votes on Sunday in a tight presidential contest between Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, 80, who is seeking a fourth term, and Flávio Bolsonaro, son of imprisoned former president Jair Bolsonaro. Opinion polls ahead of the runoff showed Flávio Bolsonaro taking the lead over Lula. A Bolsonaro win would move Latin America's largest economy closer to Donald Trump. Serbia is also voting, with Aleksandar Vucic in a close race against a student-led anti-corruption movement.
Nigeria: Ebola reported as vaccine gaps flagged
A weekly health update reports that Ebola has reached Nigeria, while the Africa CDC's chief criticised shortfalls in vaccine research and preparedness across the continent. Health authorities are watching whether the outbreak spreads beyond initial cases, with vaccine availability and rapid response capacity under scrutiny. The development adds to a week of health alerts that also included Ebola concerns elsewhere on the continent.
Elsewhere: storms, votes and a shifting world
Elsewhere, Storm Boelo brought amber weather warnings across Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England, with travel disruption expected through the evening. In the technology world, several Google DeepMind employees resigned over concerns about the company's AI technology being used in classified US military operations, according to reports — a reminder of how the AI debate is spilling from labs into geopolitics. And in sport and culture, the weekend's headlines ranged from a major Indian air show over Varanasi to fresh tributes for figures lost in the entertainment world. Each of these threads, while smaller than the day's lead stories, shows a world in motion on every front at once.
What to watch next
Watch whether France's protest movement sustains a third weekend of action, whether Jordan's manhunt produces arrests, whether the US-Iran standoff tips into strikes or talks, how Saudi Arabia responds to the Houthi attacks, and the results from Brazil's runoff — each capable of reshaping the week ahead.
Sources: Reuters, The Times, Firstpost, Channel NewsAsia, NDTV, Financial Express, IQMIA global news summary, Michael Brunger daily brief.