Lead Story
Serbia votes in snap parliamentary election pitting Vucic against a student-led movement
Serbians went to the polls on October 25 in an early parliamentary election that pits President-turned-prime-ministerial-candidate Aleksandar Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party against the youth-backed Student List, headed by Ilija Srdanovic, in what observers call the most serious challenge to Vucic's 14-year hold on power. The vote follows nearly two years of protests that began after a railway station canopy collapse killed 16 people in November 2024, a disaster the student movement has blamed on government corruption and lax oversight. Vucic resigned the presidency on September 27 to lead his party's campaign for prime minister, while pre-election polling was split, with one survey putting the Student List narrowly ahead at 44.5% to the SNS-backed list's 42.7% and another showing Vucic's side leading 47% to 40%. Vucic has said he would concede if his side lost, but state election officials cautioned the official tally might not be released until Monday, and analysts have warned a close result raises the risk of unrest if both sides claim victory.
Read more →Lead Story
Serbia votes in snap parliamentary election pitting Vucic against a student-led movement
Serbians went to the polls on October 25 in an early parliamentary election that pits President-turned-prime-ministerial-candidate Aleksandar Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party against the youth-backed Student List, headed by Ilija Srdanovic, in what observers call the most serious challenge to Vucic's 14-year hold on power. The vote follows nearly two years of protests that began after a railway station canopy collapse killed 16 people in November 2024, a disaster the student movement has blamed on government corruption and lax oversight. Vucic resigned the presidency on September 27 to lead his party's campaign for prime minister, while pre-election polling was split, with one survey putting the Student List narrowly ahead at 44.5% to the SNS-backed list's 42.7% and another showing Vucic's side leading 47% to 40%. Vucic has said he would concede if his side lost, but state election officials cautioned the official tally might not be released until Monday, and analysts have warned a close result raises the risk of unrest if both sides claim victory.
Brazil votes in knife-edge runoff between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro
Brazilians cast ballots on October 25 in a presidential runoff between incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, seeking a fourth term at nearly 81 years old, and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the son and anointed political heir of imprisoned former president Jair Bolsonaro. Flavio led the October 4 first round with about 47% of the vote to Lula's 45%, and final pre-runoff polling was essentially tied, with Datafolha putting Flavio at 51% of valid votes to Lula's 49% and a roll-up of 45 national surveys averaging 51-49 in Flavio's favor. Flavio, a little-known senator before his father anointed him earlier this year, has aligned himself with Donald Trump's politics, while Lula's campaign has leaned on a Senate-passed cut to the working week from 44 to 40 hours and appeals to protect Brazilian sovereignty. The winner takes office January 5 to lead Latin America's largest economy, with the official count from Brazil's electoral court expected later Sunday night.
Read more →Brazil votes in knife-edge runoff between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro
Brazilians cast ballots on October 25 in a presidential runoff between incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, seeking a fourth term at nearly 81 years old, and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the son and anointed political heir of imprisoned former president Jair Bolsonaro. Flavio led the October 4 first round with about 47% of the vote to Lula's 45%, and final pre-runoff polling was essentially tied, with Datafolha putting Flavio at 51% of valid votes to Lula's 49% and a roll-up of 45 national surveys averaging 51-49 in Flavio's favor. Flavio, a little-known senator before his father anointed him earlier this year, has aligned himself with Donald Trump's politics, while Lula's campaign has leaned on a Senate-passed cut to the working week from 44 to 40 hours and appeals to protect Brazilian sovereignty. The winner takes office January 5 to lead Latin America's largest economy, with the official count from Brazil's electoral court expected later Sunday night.
US enters final stretch before November 3 midterms as both parties brace for close fight
With nine days left before the November 3 midterms, Republicans hold a narrow 218-214 House majority and a 53-47 Senate edge, and Democrats need a net gain of seats in each chamber to retake control. A record $3.8 billion had been spent on political advertising as of October 12, with the most intense spending in Senate battlegrounds in Texas, Ohio and Michigan, while recent polling, including a Marist survey, has shown Democrats favored nationally less than a month out. The race has also been shadowed by a legal fight over redistricting after a federal court blocked Texas from using its newly drawn, more Republican-favorable congressional map, and by a Reuters-reported intelligence briefing to lawmakers describing Russian efforts to spread misinformation targeting Democratic candidates. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent argued separately that even a Democrat-controlled Congress would have limited power to block President Trump's agenda.
Read more →US enters final stretch before November 3 midterms as both parties brace for close fight
With nine days left before the November 3 midterms, Republicans hold a narrow 218-214 House majority and a 53-47 Senate edge, and Democrats need a net gain of seats in each chamber to retake control. A record $3.8 billion had been spent on political advertising as of October 12, with the most intense spending in Senate battlegrounds in Texas, Ohio and Michigan, while recent polling, including a Marist survey, has shown Democrats favored nationally less than a month out. The race has also been shadowed by a legal fight over redistricting after a federal court blocked Texas from using its newly drawn, more Republican-favorable congressional map, and by a Reuters-reported intelligence briefing to lawmakers describing Russian efforts to spread misinformation targeting Democratic candidates. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent argued separately that even a Democrat-controlled Congress would have limited power to block President Trump's agenda.
Rubio says Ukraine interceptor delay was not politically motivated as Pentagon package stays stuck
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on October 20, while traveling to India, that a batch of air-defense interceptors purchased for Ukraine through the PURL funding mechanism may not have been delivered, but denied that Washington is deliberately holding back support from Kyiv. Reuters reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has still not approved the latest PURL weapons package, and President Zelenskyy has said the Pentagon delayed missile deliveries, tying it to deteriorating relations between Kyiv and Washington since Trump courted Moscow. In a 45-minute call with Zelenskyy, the two discussed ballistic missile interceptors, early-warning data, and the Starlink and Starshield satellite services Zelenskyy said needed to be restored. Reuters also reported that Washington had at one point threatened to halt the PURL mechanism entirely to pressure Kyiv over its strikes on Russian energy infrastructure.
Read more →Rubio says Ukraine interceptor delay was not politically motivated as Pentagon package stays stuck
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on October 20, while traveling to India, that a batch of air-defense interceptors purchased for Ukraine through the PURL funding mechanism may not have been delivered, but denied that Washington is deliberately holding back support from Kyiv. Reuters reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has still not approved the latest PURL weapons package, and President Zelenskyy has said the Pentagon delayed missile deliveries, tying it to deteriorating relations between Kyiv and Washington since Trump courted Moscow. In a 45-minute call with Zelenskyy, the two discussed ballistic missile interceptors, early-warning data, and the Starlink and Starshield satellite services Zelenskyy said needed to be restored. Reuters also reported that Washington had at one point threatened to halt the PURL mechanism entirely to pressure Kyiv over its strikes on Russian energy infrastructure.
France's Lecornu pledges plan on school protests by month's end as unrest persists
France's student-led protest movement, which began in late September over dilapidated school buildings and teacher shortages, has continued to spread to universities, with blockades reported at around 30 campuses alongside hundreds of high schools. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has called repeated crisis meetings and promised in a televised address to unveil a plan responding to the crisis by the end of October, while insisting security forces have not been ordered to confront the young protesters. Arrest tallies have varied by report, with one count citing more than 6,500 people, mostly minors, detained since the protests began and another citing 164 arrests in a single recent day, and rights groups have raised concerns about the use of force. Student leaders have rejected the government's initial response as offering "not even the crumbs of an agreement" and are demanding a direct meeting with Lecornu, while the unrest has become entangled with opposition anger over a proposed 2027 budget and has turned into an issue in next spring's presidential campaign.
Read more →France's Lecornu pledges plan on school protests by month's end as unrest persists
France's student-led protest movement, which began in late September over dilapidated school buildings and teacher shortages, has continued to spread to universities, with blockades reported at around 30 campuses alongside hundreds of high schools. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has called repeated crisis meetings and promised in a televised address to unveil a plan responding to the crisis by the end of October, while insisting security forces have not been ordered to confront the young protesters. Arrest tallies have varied by report, with one count citing more than 6,500 people, mostly minors, detained since the protests began and another citing 164 arrests in a single recent day, and rights groups have raised concerns about the use of force. Student leaders have rejected the government's initial response as offering "not even the crumbs of an agreement" and are demanding a direct meeting with Lecornu, while the unrest has become entangled with opposition anger over a proposed 2027 budget and has turned into an issue in next spring's presidential campaign.