With 90.4% of ballots counted in Israel’s parliamentary election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc had 53 seats, while the opposition had 67. Israel’s president urged parties to form a coalition and avoid another election.
Key Facts
The results were based on more than 90% of ballots counted as of Thursday, October 29, 2026.
Netanyahu’s bloc had 53 seats in the projections.
The opposition had 67 seats, including 48 for Gadi Eisenkot’s centrist bloc and 19 for Arab-majority parties.
The Central Electoral Commission began counting mail-in ballots at 1 a.m. Thursday.
Israel’s president called on parties to do everything they could to form a government coalition.
Protesters in Tel Aviv called for Arab parties to be included in the next government coalition.
Netanyahu’s Likud party accused Arab parties of stealing the election, according to the article.
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Sanrio apologized and ended its merchandise collaboration with the Japanese spy drama Vivant after criticism in China. The backlash focused on scenes in the show’s second season depicting Chinese agents torturing a Japanese spy, amid strained relations between China and Japan.
Key Facts
Sanrio said it ended the collaboration because the project contained elements inconsistent with its core values.
Hello Kitty, My Melody and Cinnamoroll appeared in merchandise dressed as characters from Vivant.
Vivant’s second season premiered in July and depicts Chinese agents cutting a Japanese spy’s fingers and stabbing his abdomen.
Chinese state media and social media users criticized the show’s portrayal of Chinese agents.
Sanrio said it would strengthen reviews of future collaborations.
TBS president Masamine Ryuho said the drama was fictional and was not intended to disparage any country.
China-Japan relations have been strained since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments about Taiwan last November.
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Activist Adele Shoko said Israeli settlers assaulted her, U.S. journalist Jasper Nathaniel, and activist Andrey X in Umm al-Khair in the occupied West Bank. She said Nathaniel and Andrey X were detained by Israeli authorities, and that Andrey X was injured and denied hospital care; videos she posted appeared to show men beating the two activists.
Key Facts
Shoko said settlers beat and threatened her and her two colleagues and took equipment and personal belongings.
Shoko said Nathaniel was pepper-sprayed and taken away by Israeli forces.
Shoko said Andrey X suffered a concussion, lost consciousness several times, and was taken to a police station instead of a hospital.
Videos posted by Shoko showed men beating Nathaniel and Andrey X, and authorities leading Nathaniel away.
The article also describes an October 16 attack on Palestinian olive harvesters in Abu Falah, northeast of Ramallah.
Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine said settlers beat and robbed her during that attack; she was hospitalized.
A Palestinian man was shot in the leg by Israeli soldiers who arrived at the scene and fired live ammunition and tear gas.
The Washington Post’s executive editor condemned the attack on Levine, and several U.S. lawmakers called for an investigation and an end to settler violence.
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Student activists in Serbia backed a slate of candidates that won an election, ending Aleksandar Vučić’s 12-year rule, according to the article. The podcast examines how the movement achieved its victory and how it might choose a prime minister and govern the country.
Key Facts
Record numbers of voters went to the polls on Sunday.
Voters chose candidates put forward by student activists.
The Student List’s candidates included people with PhDs.
Student protests had shaken Serbia for two years.
The article describes Vučić’s government as increasingly authoritarian.
The podcast features journalist Ana Milosavljevic, student activist Tara Blagojević and incoming MP Milica Jovanović.
The movement faces the challenge of choosing a prime minister and governing despite having no leader.
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Military strikes hit a market and a nearby civilian neighbourhood in Nyala, Sudan, on Monday. Rights and medical groups reported widely differing casualty figures, and the total could not be independently verified amid limited access to the city.
Key Facts
Emergency Lawyers reported more than 100 people killed and 113 wounded in Monday’s attacks, saying most victims were women and children.
Sudan Doctors Network preliminarily reported 21 deaths and more than 40 injuries, and said shelling caused most of the deaths.
Doctors Without Borders said a hospital it supports received 36 bodies, 21 in civilian clothing, and treated more than 150 wounded people.
Witnesses told the Associated Press that RSF fighters and civilian vendors were at the market when a drone struck around 8 p.m.
An army-aligned official said more than 150 RSF recruits were killed in a targeted air strike at Dumaya camp, west of Nyala.
Doctors Without Borders said a second strike hit a civilian neighbourhood and urged all sides to protect civilians.
Nyala is the de facto capital of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
Sudan’s war between the RSF and the army has caused severe poverty, food shortages and mass displacement.
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Videos circulating on social media appear to show Israeli settlers assaulting three foreign journalists near Hebron in the occupied West Bank. Andrey X reportedly lost consciousness, was taken to a police station and remained detained without receiving medical care.
Key Facts
The incident reportedly took place near Hebron in the West Bank.
The three journalists are identified as Andrey X, Adele Shoko and Jasper Nathaniel.
Videos circulating on social media show the journalists being assaulted by Israeli settlers.
Andrey X reportedly lost consciousness.
He was reportedly taken to a police station.
He reportedly remained detained without receiving medical care.
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Protesters entered a television studio and confronted its editor-in-chief after a student-led movement took power in national elections. A regional public broadcaster apologized for years of one-sided reporting.
Key Facts
Protesters stormed a television studio.
The protesters confronted the studio’s editor-in-chief.
A student-led protest movement took power in national elections.
A regional public broadcaster apologized for years of one-sided reporting.
The article describes the events as a reckoning for media supportive of Vucic.
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Flavio Bolsonaro said in a post on X that he was Brazil’s “true president-elect.” The article says he made the claim in his first statement after fleeing to the United States, then removed the post; it also reports that he lost Sunday’s vote to Lula da Silva.
Key Facts
Flavio Bolsonaro made the claim in a post on X.
He called himself Brazil’s “true president-elect.”
The post was later taken down.
The article describes this as his first statement since fleeing Brazil.
The article says he fled to the United States.
The article says he lost Sunday’s vote to Lula da Silva.
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Canada and the European Union plan to deepen their ties but have dropped a proposal for Canada to become an EU associate member. A joint declaration ahead of a Montreal summit sets out areas for cooperation, with work on the future relationship continuing until another summit next year.
Key Facts
The joint declaration says Canada and the EU will pursue an “ever closer association.”
The declaration omits the associate-membership proposal after some EU countries objected that the idea lacked a legal basis and clear definition.
The Montreal summit, hosted by Prime Minister Mark Carney, is intended to begin further formal negotiations.
The proposed cooperation includes new undersea cable infrastructure linking Europe, Canada and Asia.
The declaration proposes a feasibility study on Canadian liquefied natural gas exports to Europe and expanded opportunities for young people to work across the Atlantic.
The article says Canada sends nearly 70% of its exports to the United States, while the EU accounts for about 9% of its total trade.
Donald Trump criticized the associate-membership proposal and warned that the United States could stop trading with Europe on some goods if he viewed it as hostile.
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Albania’s government adopted measures setting fines of up to 500,000 lek (about $6,130) for people who remain in a crowd where violence or looting occurs, even if they do not personally take part. The measures also allow temporary limits on gatherings in some areas and penalties for online incitement; they take effect immediately but need parliamentary approval within 45 days to remain in force.
Key Facts
Tirana has seen months of anti-government protests, which recently escalated into clashes between demonstrators and security forces.
The protest movement began in May with rallies against a hotel project in a nature reserve and shifted in mid-October to student-led demonstrations over corruption, health services, and young people’s prospects.
The maximum fine is 500,000 lek, reported as about €5,500 or $6,130.
The measures also allow police to temporarily restrict gatherings in specified areas when there is a risk of violence.
The legislation provides sanctions for online incitement to violence and compensation for small businesses damaged during protests.
The measures took effect immediately and must receive parliamentary approval within 45 days to remain in force.
Prime Minister Edi Rama said he drew inspiration from a French bill addressing protesters’ financial liability for damage.
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Hundreds of demonstrators protested in Madrid after a train crash killed 68 people. Far-right protesters clashed with police and called for the transport minister to resign, amid questions about how authorities handled the disaster.
Key Facts
The train crash killed 68 people.
Hundreds of people demonstrated in Madrid.
The protest was anti-government.
Far-right demonstrators clashed with police.
Protesters demanded the transport minister’s resignation.
The protest followed questions about the authorities’ handling of the crash.
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Israelis rallied in Tel Aviv in support of a Jewish-Arab government after parties representing Arab citizens made gains in Tuesday’s election. The parties are projected to win about 19 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, which could give them influence over who forms the government.
Key Facts
Israelis held a rally in Tel Aviv supporting a Jewish-Arab government.
The rally followed gains by parties representing Israel’s Arab citizens in Tuesday’s election.
The two main Arab parties are projected to win about 19 seats.
Israel’s Knesset has 120 seats.
The projected seat total could give the Arab parties a say in government formation.
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Young people have joined protests in cities across Europe, with demonstrations focused on education problems, inequality and the rising cost of living. Many marches have been peaceful, but some ended in clashes, looting or police use of tear gas and water cannon; protests have spread through social media and student networks.
Key Facts
Protests have taken place in countries including France, Belgium, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Serbia and Albania.
Demonstrations in France drew hundreds of thousands of people, while tens of thousands marched in Lisbon.
A tent encampment has occupied a central Madrid square since late September.
In Barcelona, more than half of those detained after clashes last weekend were under 18, according to the article.
Protesters have raised concerns about education, social inequality and the cost of living, alongside country-specific issues.
Some demonstrations in Brussels turned violent after masked young men threw rocks and firecrackers at police; police used tear gas and water cannon.
Organizers and participants have used TikTok and Instagram, and student unions have helped organize marches.
In Albania, demonstrators alleging government corruption have called for Prime Minister Edi Rama to step down.
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With 88% of votes counted in Israel, neither Benjamin Netanyahu’s party nor the main opposition led by Gadi Eisenkot has enough seats to form a majority coalition. Jon Alterman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies discussed what may happen next with CBS News.
Key Facts
Election officials had counted 88% of the votes.
Netanyahu’s party did not have enough seats to form a majority coalition.
The main opposition, led by Gadi Eisenkot, did not have enough seats to form a majority coalition.
Neither side had a clear path to a majority based on the votes counted.
Jon Alterman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies spoke with CBS News about what may happen next.
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At least 68 people were killed when two high-speed trains collided in Spain, according to the report. The crash derailed at least two carriages and was described as the country’s second major train disaster of the year.
Key Facts
At least 68 people were killed in the collision.
Two high-speed trains collided.
At least two carriages derailed.
The report describes the crash as Spain’s second major train disaster of the year.
The report features passengers speaking about the crash.
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With nearly 90 percent of votes counted, neither major bloc has the 61 seats needed to form a government in Israel. Netanyahu’s bloc is projected to win 53 seats and the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot 48, while Arab parties may together hold 19 seats; final results could change as special ballots are counted.
Key Facts
The Central Elections Committee said it had counted more than five million votes by 9 p.m. local time on Wednesday.
More than 500,000 special double-envelope ballots remain to be counted, including votes from soldiers, diplomats and people voting away from their registered polling stations.
The 120-seat Knesset requires 61 seats for a majority.
Final results could be released as early as Thursday evening.
Netanyahu will remain caretaker prime minister until a new government is formed.
President Isaac Herzog plans to consult party leaders about forming a government after official results are released next week.
Eisenkot ruled out forming a minority government with Arab-led parties, and Netanyahu also rejected that option.
Likud accused Arab parties of election-related crimes, while the Joint List said Arab voter turnout helped keep Netanyahu’s coalition short of a majority.
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An experienced zookeeper in the Netherlands died after a leopard mauled her during her morning rounds. The attack happened at the animal enclosures, according to the report dated October 28, 2026.
Key Facts
The attack happened in the Netherlands.
The victim was an experienced zookeeper.
A leopard mauled the zookeeper.
The zookeeper died after the attack.
The attack occurred during her morning rounds.
The zookeeper was at the enclosures when the attack happened.
The report was dated October 28, 2026.
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King Charles III is touring the Bahamas, Guyana, and Antigua and Barbuda as calls grow for Britain to apologize and pay reparations for slavery. The palace says he will acknowledge the suffering and injustice, but he is not expected to apologize; the United Kingdom abstained from a recent United Nations resolution calling for reparatory justice.
Key Facts
The king’s nine-day tour includes the Bahamas, Guyana, and Antigua and Barbuda.
At a youth rally in Nassau, Charles said it was right to acknowledge the suffering and injustices of the past.
Historian Brooke Newman argues that British monarchs profited directly from the transatlantic slave trade.
Newman says Queen Elizabeth I backed John Hawkins’ slave-trading voyage in 1563 and received a share of its profits.
King Charles II granted the Royal African Company exclusive trading rights on the West African coast; he and his brother, later King James II, invested in the company.
Caribbean and African nations have increased calls for reparations from Britain and other countries that profited from slavery.
In March, the United Nations General Assembly approved a resolution calling for reparatory justice, including an apology and compensation.
The United Kingdom abstained from the United Nations vote.
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A Bucharest appeals court extended Calin Georgescu’s pre-trial detention by 30 days, until November 27, as prosecutors investigate an alleged €1.1 million fraud. Georgescu denies wrongdoing and says the investigations are politically motivated.
Key Facts
Prosecutors allege Georgescu and two other suspects persuaded a Romanian businessman to pay €1.1 million by claiming they could help him secure a credit line of up to €15 million.
The appeals court overturned an October 13 lower-court ruling that would have placed Georgescu under house arrest.
Georgescu remained in police custody after Wednesday’s ruling.
Hundreds of Georgescu supporters protested, and some entered the Bucharest court building to call for his release, according to media reports.
Georgescu won the most votes in the first round of Romania’s November 2024 presidential election, but the election was later annulled amid allegations of Russian interference, which Moscow denied.
Georgescu was barred from standing in the rerun election, which pro-European centrist Nicusor Dan won in May 2025.
In a separate case, prosecutors accuse Georgescu of inciting violence, spreading false information, threatening national security and promoting fascist leaders from the 1930s.
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