6 November 2025

Mexico’s President, Claudia Sheinbaum, spoke out strongly after she was groped at a public event in Mexico City. The assault, carried out by a drunken man, brought the issue of widespread violence against women to the forefront of national attention. Sheinbaum is pressing charges and calling for stricter laws to protect women across Mexico from similar attacks. Authorities reported the suspect had targeted other women earlier the same day. The incident has sparked a bigger conversation in Mexico about women’s safety and the need to fix the legal system.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned Wednesday that flights will be cut at 40 major US airports starting Friday if the government shutdown doesn’t end. Air traffic controllers working without pay for a month report they’re too tired. Flight cancellations start at 4% Friday and rise to 10% next week, affecting 3,500-4,000 daily flights. Controllers haven’t been paid since October 1, when government money ran out. FAA chief Bryan Bedford said safety pressures are building. Airlines are waiting for details on which flights get cancelled.

Western Australia is undertaking a million-dollar advertising blitz to defend the contentious GST distribution deal that gives the state about $6 billion extra annually. The 2018 deal set a floor to ensure no state received less than 75 cents for every dollar of GST it raises. It would get a mere 18 cents without it. The cost has blown out to more than $50 billion, way above the initial estimate of $8.95 billion. Economists have described it as the worst public policy decision of the century. The Productivity Commission is reviewing the GST arrangements, with final recommendations due at the end of 2026.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered top officials on Wednesday to prepare proposals for a possible nuclear weapons test. Russia hasn’t conducted such a test since 1990 when it was still the Soviet Union. Defence Minister Andrei Belousov said that Russia’s Arctic testing site at Novaya Zemlya could host tests at short notice. The order comes after President Trump announced last week that the US would start testing nuclear weapons. Security analysts warn resuming testing would destabilise the world and trigger an action-reaction cycle with other nuclear powers likely following suit. No country except North Korea has tested since 2017. 

At least nine people are dead after a UPS cargo plane crashed and exploded during takeoff at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky Tuesday evening. The freight aircraft was carrying 38,000 gallons of fuel and hit nearby businesses, including an auto shop. Eleven people were injured and at least 16 families reported loved ones missing. Officials warn the death toll could rise. A massive explosion sent thick black smoke into the air and authorities ordered people near the airport to shelter in place.