Morning Briefing: Nov. 1, 2026

By Seyit Kurt

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here's a rundown of all the news you need to start Sunday, including G20 foreign ministers concluding their Atlanta meeting with a focus on energy security, supply chains and geopolitical tensions; clashes during nationwide protests in France; the Yemeni army’s capture of a strategic mountain range from the Houthis; and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying he agreed with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to work on establishing a new Black Sea grain corridor.

TOP STORIES

- G20 foreign ministers conclude Atlanta meeting with focus on energy security, supply chains, geopolitical tensions

G20 foreign ministers concluded two days of discussions in the US city of Atlanta focusing on energy security, global supply chain resilience and geopolitical tensions affecting international trade and economic stability, according to a statement by the US presidency.

The meeting, held Oct. 30 - 31 during the 250th anniversary year of US independence, was part of Washington's effort to refocus the G20 on its core mission of addressing global economic challenges and promoting prosperity.

In the chair's statement, the US presidency said the foreign ministers held "candid discussions" on Washington's priorities, including disruptions affecting strategic maritime routes such as the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Energy security emerged as a central theme, with the statement emphasizing the importance of affordable, abundant, and reliable energy supplies for economic growth and improved living standards.

- Clashes reported in several French cities during nationwide protests

Clashes between protesters and police were reported in several French cities during nationwide demonstrations, with police using tear gas in Lyon and Grenoble, as 15,000 people took part in 65 actions in France, according to media reports.

In Lyon, tensions emerged after some demonstrators tried to leave the authorized route and move toward the city center near Place Jean Mace, prompting police to use tear gas, broadcaster France info reported.

In Grenoble, southeastern France, police also used tear gas after initial tensions near Place Gustave Rivet, where a march was split into two.

In the port city of Marseille, clashes broke out at the front of an unauthorized march, with protesters throwing paving stones at riot police blocking Boulevard Chave. Officers responded by charging the crowd, while the march continued toward Saint-Charles train station.

Scuffles between protesters and police were also reported in Toulouse, Rennes, and Nantes.

- Yemeni army captures strategic mountain range from Houthis in Al-Jawf

The Yemeni army has completed its capture of a strategic mountain range in the northern province of Al-Jawf following battles with Houthi forces, according to a field commander.

Col. Rabie al-Qurashi, an army field commander in Al-Jawf, told Anadolu that government forces secured the entire Huwayshian mountain range east of Al-Hazm, the provincial capital.

He said the advance followed fighting with the Houthis and was backed by warplanes that destroyed dozens of vehicles belonging to the group. The military operation remains underway, he added.

The mountains form the first line of defense for Al-Hazm, which remains under Houthi control, said al-Qurashi.

- Zelenskyy says he agreed with President Erdogan to work on establishing new Black Sea grain corridor

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had agreed with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to work on establishing a new Black Sea grain corridor.

“Today, I reached an agreement with President Erdogan to work on the Black Sea grain corridor,” he said during a joint news conference in Istanbul, following talks with Erdogan.

Zelenskyy said Türkiye supports efforts to ensure safe navigation in the Black Sea and restore normal living conditions.

NEWS IN BRIEF

- Türkiye's nomination of Ambassador Feridun Sinirlioglu for the position of the UN’s new secretary-general is intended to help overcome a deadlock in the selection process, said Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

- Gen Z youth protests escalated in several German cities, including Hamburg, Stuttgart, Cologne and Frankfurt, according to police.

- French student unions have called for renewed blockades of universities and high schools starting next Tuesday as anti-government protests continue across the country, broadcaster BFMTV reported.

- An opposition candidate for governor in northwestern Nigeria escaped death after gunshots were fired at his convoy near an airport in Sokoto State, prompting a police investigation following another apparent instance of campaign violence.

- Israeli opposition Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot said he would work to form a broad new government and head off the need to hold another election.

- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Washington is examining proposals, including one put forward by Türkiye, to facilitate grain shipments through the Black Sea, stressing that efforts to protect food security must continue despite the Russia-Ukraine war.

- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that diplomatic contacts with Iran have continued despite escalating tensions in the Middle East, stressing that Washington remains open to a peaceful solution provided its core security concerns are addressed.

- Iran’s foreign minister said that Tehran has no plans to hold talks with US officials, dismissing reports suggesting otherwise as unfounded.

- British police arrested 48 people during a demonstration in London in support of Palestine Action, a proscribed terror organization in the UK, Sky News reported.

- US President Donald Trump expressed optimism about reaching a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, saying a deal could be close ahead of the December G20 summit at his Trump National Doral resort in Florida.

- Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said that Tehran would determine “the time and conditions” for ending the conflict “if the enemies resume attacks.”

- Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said that "discussions are underway to evaluate Syria's entry into the Mecca alliance," a regional pact that brings together Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

- Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said that Israel had carried out more than 1,000 attacks on his country in less than two years, killing dozens of people.

- The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said it intercepted and destroyed a "hostile" drone over Saudi Arabia's Riyadh region, with no casualties reported.

- British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he was open to a formal state apology for Britain's role in the transatlantic slave trade but rejected financial reparations.

- One person was killed and six others injured in a shooting at a Halloween store inside a shopping mall in California, US media reported.

SPORTS

- Golden State Valkyries beat Atlanta Dream to win first WNBA championship

The Golden State Valkyries defeated the Atlanta Dream 68-63 to win their first Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) championship in their second season.

French international Gabby Williams led Golden State with 30 points in the decisive Game 7 at Chase Center in San Francisco, helping the team secure a 4-3 victory in the best-of-seven Finals series.

Williams scored 28 of her points in the second half, including a crucial 3-pointer with just over two minutes remaining that put Golden State ahead for good.

Atlanta led 30-24 at halftime, but the Valkyries rallied in the third quarter, outscoring the Dream 21-14 to take a narrow lead into the final period.

Kiah Stokes contributed 13 rebounds for Golden State, while Veronica Burton made two late free throws to seal the victory.

The game marked the first Game 7 in WNBA Finals history, with the championship series expanded to a best-of-seven format in 2025.

- Chelsea beat 10-man Manchester United 2-0 to extend Red Devils’ winless run to 9 games

Chelsea defeated 10-man Manchester United 2-0 at Stamford Bridge in Week 9 of the English Premier League, extending the visitors’ winless run to nine matches in all competitions, their longest since 1988.

Morgan Rogers opened the scoring early in the second half before Cole Palmer doubled Chelsea’s advantage from the penalty spot after United defender Lisandro Martinez was sent off for a second yellow card.

The defeat increased pressure on United head coach Michael Carrick, whose side entered the match in 16th place with seven points in eight league matches, one point above the relegation zone.

CULTURE AND LIFE

- Macklemore gives ‘us a glimmer of hope’: Britons hail rapper at sold-out London concert

US rapper Macklemore performed to a sold-out crowd at London’s OVO Arena Wembley, bringing his three-city European “Free Palestine Tour” to a close with a lineup of musicians, activists and speakers expressing solidarity with Palestinians.

The concert, which followed stops in Dublin and Paris, featured performances by British singer Paloma Faith, alternative hip-hop group Cure for Paranoia, political hip-hop duo Dead Prez and Palestinian and Arab artists Nemahsis, Lina Makoul, Shadia Mansour and Dana Salah.

Aja Monet and DJ Habibeat also joined the lineup.

The event combined musical performances with political speeches and messages of solidarity, featuring Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, Holocaust survivor Stephen Kapos and Palestinian activist Arab Barghouthi.

Salem, a British-Palestinian concertgoer whose parents were displaced during the 1948 Nakba, said: “He’s done a fantastic job for the Palestinians. […] But people like Macklemore give us a bit of hope, give us a glimmer of hope that we can change things around a bit.”

The evening also included a screening of a short film by Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda and contributions from Nadia Greenspan.

BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY

- Dutch professor with terminal cancer creates AI version of himself to give lectures after death

Dutch professor Jan Rotmans, who has terminal cancer, is developing an artificial intelligence version of himself to preserve his knowledge and deliver lectures after his death, according to media reports.

The 65-year-old professor of transition studies said his digital twin would be developed using his books, scientific publications and recorded lectures, Dutch public broadcaster NOS reported.

The first online version is expected to become available by the end of 2026, with plans to eventually develop a hologram capable of appearing on stage.

Rotmans said recordings of his voice, image and facial expressions had already been made to help create the digital version.

- Alibaba partners with Apple to integrate Qwen AI model into Apple Intelligence for Chinese market

Chinese tech company Alibaba Group has partnered with Apple to integrate its Qwen AI model into Apple Intelligence for the Chinese market, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The feature will be available for testing in the latest iOS developer beta starting Nov. 4 and will launch with the official iOS 27.3 release in December, said Alibaba.

Qwen’s AI capabilities will be integrated into several Apple features, including Siri, Writing Tools and Visual Intelligence.

Users can choose whether to enable the integration and what information to share. Alibaba said it would not use user requests and generated responses to train its AI models.

Seyit Şamil Kurt