Global News Digest: Saudi Oil Giant Evacuates HQ Amid Houthi Attacks, Iran Threatens US Bases

Saudi Aramco has instructed its core employees at its headquarters in eastern Saudi Arabia to evacuate the facility until further notice, amidst ongoing near-daily Houthi attacks. In a related development, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard threatened to target American bases if Washington continues to provide protection to ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz against Tehran's directives. The Saudi-led coalition announced on Thursday the interception and destruction of four drones in the Riyadh and Medina regions, as the Houthis persist in targeting airports and oil facilities in the Kingdom for nearly three weeks. Egyptian Foreign Minister emphasized the necessity of a political solution to end the Saudi-Houthi conflict, expressing Egypt's full solidarity with Saudi Arabia against these attacks and the need to explore all avenues for political resolutions. Talks are scheduled for Friday in Istanbul between the foreign ministers of three major European countries, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Egypt, initiated by Ankara.

In Syria, internal security forces reported the deaths of two members during an operation against an ISIS group in the Damascus countryside. Jordan's King Abdullah II, meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shibani in Amman, affirmed the Kingdom's rejection of Israeli attacks on Syrian territory, coinciding with an increase in Israeli strikes within Syria. In the West Bank, a legal support organization stated that most Israelis arrested by police following settler attacks against an American photographer and a French mayor have been released and placed under house arrest.

French President Emmanuel Macron condemned "provocative acts" by far-left groups, accusing them of seeking to "overthrow the Republic" following violence and looting during large protests against the rising cost of living last Saturday. Authorities have banned all demonstrations in Lyon, France's third-largest city, ahead of nationwide protests planned for next Saturday. Meanwhile, Vienna anticipates thousands of students protesting on Thursday against insufficient university budgets to offset inflation and price increases.

Ukraine and Russia exchanged attacks overnight Wednesday to Thursday, resulting in seven deaths on the Ukrainian side, shortly after talks in St. Petersburg between US President Donald Trump's envoy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Germany's federal prosecutor's office announced the arrest of a Ukrainian citizen accused of spying for Russian intelligence and gathering "military information."

The International Criminal Court, facing US sanctions, was awarded the prestigious Sakharov Prize for Human Rights by the European Union, an expression of support likely to anger US President Donald Trump. In Chad, four people were killed and others injured in a drone attack targeting a border area between Chad and Sudan, according to a government official. China rejected a "Cold War mentality" to ignite a dispute over the Arctic, after the EU linked Chinese-Russian cooperation in the region to security concerns. The South Korean military reported no new weapons deployed by North Korea along the border. In Burma, the son of the isolated leader was allowed to speak with her for the first time in over five years. Norway's sovereign wealth fund reported a Q3 loss of 29.22 billion dollars, impacted by bond investment performance. British bank Barclays plans to cut approximately 5,000 jobs as it adopts artificial intelligence.