Exit polls from Israel’s election show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc and the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot tied at 51 seats each, below the 61 needed for a majority. Vote counting is still underway, and the results could change; turnout exceeded 77%, the highest in more than two decades.
Key Facts
More than 30% of votes had been counted when the report was published.
Israel’s major television networks’ exit polls put both blocs at 51 seats.
A governing coalition needs at least 61 of the Knesset’s 120 seats.
Exit polls in Israel are often revised and can differ from final results by several seats.
More than 77% of eligible voters cast ballots, about 7 percentage points above turnout in 2022.
Palestinian parties were projected to win as many as 18 seats, up from 10.
Eisenkot could seek support from Palestinian parties or attempt to govern as a minority if his bloc falls short of a majority.
The Central Elections Committee said it had seen no evidence of systematic election tampering after Netanyahu alleged efforts to steal the election.
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Rogerio Marinho, a former campaign manager for Flavio Bolsonaro, said the senator did not tell him he planned to leave Brazil. Reports allege Bolsonaro secretly went to Florida after losing Sunday’s presidential election, while police investigate possible money laundering.
Key Facts
Rogerio Marinho previously served as Flavio Bolsonaro’s campaign manager.
Marinho said Flavio Bolsonaro did not tell him about plans to leave Brazil.
Reports allege Bolsonaro secretly left Brazil for Florida.
The reported departure followed Sunday’s presidential election loss.
Police are investigating possible money laundering.
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A ginkgo planted in Geelong Botanic Gardens in 1859 was named Victoria’s 2026 Tree of the Year. It won 27% of 4,435 public votes and is a popular wedding spot in the gardens.
Key Facts
The National Trust of Australia (Victoria) announced the award on Tuesday.
Geelong’s ginkgo beat eight other finalists.
A smooth bark apple myrtle in Prahran placed second, and an Apollo Bay myrtle beech placed third.
The tree stands 20 metres tall and may be the largest ginkgo in Victoria and Australia.
Its seeds were brought from China, possibly by a ship’s captain stopping at Geelong’s port.
The tree has stalactite-like growths found on older female ginkgos.
The National Trust is calling for stronger legal protection for significant trees and a planning approach that makes tree removal a last resort.
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Syria will reopen the Nassib border crossing with Jordan on Wednesday, restoring regular passenger and commercial traffic after a brief closure. The countries agreed to investigate Jordanian airstrikes in southern Syria that killed at least seven people and to set up a security committee to coordinate responses to militant threats.
Key Facts
Nassib is Jordan’s only border crossing with Syria.
The crossing was briefly closed after Jordan carried out airstrikes in southern Syria on Monday.
The strikes targeted sites Jordan described as ISIL hideouts and killed at least seven people in Deraa and Suwayda.
Five of those killed were members of one family, including three children.
Syria and Jordan agreed to form a security committee to investigate the strikes and improve field and intelligence coordination.
Jordan said the airstrikes responded to a church shooting in Karak, Jordan, on Friday; ISIL claimed responsibility for the attack.
The church shooting killed at least nine people and wounded 34.
Jordanian security forces arrested two brothers and their brother-in-law on suspicion of carrying out the shooting.
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Human rights groups urged countries to oppose UAE diplomat Lana Nusseibeh’s bid to become UN secretary-general, citing allegations that the UAE supports Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The UAE denies the allegations, while Nusseibeh says ending the war and supporting accountability for abuses would be priorities for a new secretary-general.
Key Facts
Nusseibeh, 48, is seeking to become the first woman to lead the United Nations.
The UAE has been accused of funding the RSF, which has fought Sudan’s army since 2023; the UAE denies the accusation.
Human Rights Watch head Ken Roth criticized Nusseibeh’s responses to questions about the UAE’s alleged support for the RSF.
Protection Approaches co-director Kate Ferguson questioned whether Nusseibeh would be independent of the UAE government.
Nusseibeh said she had taken leave from her UAE minister-of-state post to respect the independence expected of a secretary-general.
Nusseibeh said the RSF’s abuses should be addressed and called for the conflict to end.
A candidate needs at least nine votes on the 15-member UN Security Council and must avoid a veto by any of its five permanent members.
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Israeli television exit polls showed a close race between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc and an opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot, with neither projected to reach the 61 seats needed for a Knesset majority. The article says voters considered Netanyahu’s leadership and his government’s response to the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attacks; official results were still pending and could differ from the exit polls.
Key Facts
Channel 12’s exit poll projected 52 seats for Netanyahu’s bloc and 49 for Eisenkot’s opposition bloc.
Channel 13’s earlier exit poll projected 51 seats for each bloc.
The polls projected Likud as the largest single party, with about 27 seats, compared with 21 for Eisenkot’s Yashar party.
Arab parties were projected to win 19 seats collectively.
Israeli voters elect parties, which then form coalitions; a governing majority requires 61 of the Knesset’s 120 seats.
Eisenkot said the vote signaled a desire for change, while Netanyahu called for a right-wing government and said his bloc had a majority.
Bezalel Smotrich said his party was projected to win seven seats and pledged to continue expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The exit polls were unofficial; preliminary official results were expected the following day.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said forming a government with Arab parties would be “a disgrace and a shame.” Exit polls indicate that neither his party nor the opposition is projected to win the 61 Knesset seats needed for a majority.
Key Facts
Netanyahu is Israel’s prime minister.
Netanyahu called the prospect of governing with Arab parties “a disgrace and a shame.”
Exit polls project that Netanyahu’s party will not secure a majority.
Exit polls also project that the opposition will not secure a majority.
A majority in the Knesset requires 61 seats.
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Exit polls in Israel’s general election show no clear majority for either Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc or the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot. Arab parties may hold the balance of power, and official results and coalition talks will determine who can form a government.
Key Facts
Two broadcasters projected 51 seats each for Eisenkot’s bloc and Netanyahu’s bloc; a third gave Netanyahu’s bloc a three-seat lead.
Later exit-poll updates showed the blocs tied at 51 seats or gave Netanyahu’s bloc a narrow lead.
The Knesset has 120 seats, and a governing coalition needs at least 61 to hold a majority.
The United Arab List and Joint List were projected to win a combined 18 or 19 seats.
Turnout was 77.7% when polls closed, the highest at that hour since 1999, according to the Central Elections Committee.
About 600,000 absentee ballots, mostly cast by military personnel, were not expected to be fully counted until Thursday.
After final results, Israel’s president will consult political factions and invite the leader considered most likely to form a coalition.
If a candidate fails to form a government, Israel may hold another election.
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Naveed Akram’s case over his alleged role in the Bondi Beach attack has been adjourned until 24 February. Prosecutors say they need more time to consult victims and their families and complete the formal process of confirming which charges will proceed to trial.
Key Facts
Akram, 24, faces 78 charges, including 15 counts of murder and one count of committing a terrorist act.
He has not entered a plea.
The attack at a Hanukah festival on 14 December killed 15 people and injured 40, according to the article.
Akram’s father, Sajid Akram, was shot and killed by police at the scene.
Prosecutor Danielle New said the case brief includes thousands of witness statements, medical and financial records, purchase records, and video footage.
The judge granted the adjournment after the defence did not oppose the prosecution’s request.
Prosecutors allege the attack may have been inspired by Isis; police also alleged the pair planned it for months and visited Bondi two days beforehand.
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Thick fog is forecast in parts of the UK, with poor visibility likely to disrupt Thursday morning commutes. High pressure and lighter winds are expected to bring further mist and fog into next week, while rain will be limited in many areas.
Key Facts
Wednesday will bring showers mainly to southern Scotland, northern England and north Wales before drier weather and sunny spells develop.
Temperatures on Wednesday are forecast to reach 12 to 16C, slightly above average.
Fog is expected to develop overnight into Thursday, especially in east Wales and central and southern England.
The fog could be dense and may persist in some places until lunchtime Thursday.
Rain is likely on Friday and Saturday across Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern parts of England and Wales.
Mist and fog may also form in eastern and southern England on Friday and Saturday.
High pressure is expected to bring light winds and further morning fog through much of the first week of November.
The article says some reservoirs remain exceptionally low despite England and Wales receiving around average October rainfall.
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Exit polls projected that Arab-led parties would win 18 seats in Israel’s 120-seat Knesset, while voter turnout among Palestinian citizens of Israel reached a reported record. The two largest blocs, led by Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party and Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud, were each projected to win 51 seats, leaving government formation uncertain.
Key Facts
Exit polls projected 18 seats for the Joint List and Ra’am, a record total for Arab-led parties.
The opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party and the bloc led by Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud were each projected to win 51 seats.
The reported turnout among Palestinian citizens of Israel was about 80 percent, higher than the previous record set in 1999.
Overall turnout reached 77.7 percent, the highest level since 1999, according to Israel’s Central Elections Committee.
Ra’am leader Mansour Abbas said his party hoped the final results would help the anti-Netanyahu bloc reach the 61 seats needed to form a government.
Abbas said both main political blocs had contacted Ra’am before and after the election.
Palestinian citizens of Israel make up about 21 percent of the country’s population of 10 million.
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Exit poll projections in Israel showed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition and the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot tied at 51 seats each in the 120-seat Knesset. Neither bloc was projected to reach the 61 seats needed for a majority, while Arab parties were expected to hold 18 seats and could influence coalition talks.
Key Facts
Israel’s Channel 13 updated exit poll projections put both major blocs at 51 seats.
The Knesset has 120 seats, and a governing majority requires 61.
Opposition leaders called the projections a defeat for Netanyahu’s government.
Netanyahu allies said opposition claims were premature and noted that Likud remained the largest single party.
Arab parties were projected to hold 18 seats and highlighted their potential role in coalition negotiations.
The Central Elections Committee reported voter turnout of 77.7 percent.
Formal coalition talks were expected to begin in the coming days, with smaller parties likely to matter.
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A senior U.S. State Department official told CBS News that the United States will issue visas to Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro and his family. The report says Bolsonaro faces corruption charges in Brazil; it does not provide details about the charges or the visas.
Key Facts
A senior State Department official said the United States will issue visas to Flávio Bolsonaro.
The visas will also be issued to Bolsonaro’s family.
Flávio Bolsonaro is a Brazilian senator.
The report says Bolsonaro faces corruption charges in Brazil.
CBS News reported the information from a senior State Department official.
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New South Wales will abandon rules requiring cafes to offer mugs or glasses to dine-in customers and take part in a reusable-cup scheme. The government reversed course after criticism from businesses and media, but other rules on reusable cups and recyclable takeaway cups will remain.
Key Facts
The rules would have required cafes to offer mugs or glasses to dine-in customers from 2028.
Businesses that did not join a reusable-cup scheme could have faced fines of up to $110,000.
Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said the government would repeal the mug-and-glass rules and the potential fine.
Customers will still be able to bring their own clean reusable cups, and businesses must accept them.
A requirement for single-use takeaway cups to be recyclable by 2028 will remain.
The government has asked the NSW Environment Protection Authority to clarify that it will not proceed with the rules being dropped.
The legislation will not be repealed until after the March 2027 election.
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Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot said millions of Israelis had voted for change and were tired of what he called Benjamin Netanyahu’s lies. In his first public comments after polls closed, Eisenkot warned Netanyahu against using Israel’s security for political interests.
Key Facts
Gadi Eisenkot is an Israeli opposition leader.
Eisenkot said millions of Israelis voted for change.
He said voters were tired of what he called Netanyahu’s lies.
Eisenkot made the comments after polls closed.
He warned Benjamin Netanyahu not to use Israel’s security for political interests.
Netanyahu is described in the article as Eisenkot’s rival.
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U.S. envoy Mike Waltz clashed with Cuba’s delegation at UN headquarters in New York during a vote on the U.S. trade embargo on Cuba. Waltz repeatedly told the Cuban team, “This is America.”
Key Facts
The confrontation took place at UN headquarters in New York.
The clash occurred during a vote on the U.S. trade embargo on Cuba.
U.S. envoy Mike Waltz repeatedly told Cuba’s UN team, “This is America.”
The article says the United States has imposed a fuel blockade on Cuba since January.
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Israelis voted in an election that could remove Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from office. The result could also affect Israel’s approach to the war with Iran and the Gaza Strip, as well as its relationship with the United States.
Key Facts
Israel held a national election on Tuesday.
The election could end Benjamin Netanyahu’s tenure as prime minister.
The vote could shape Israel’s policies toward the war with Iran and the Gaza Strip.
The election could affect Israel’s relationship with the United States.
Exit polls showed no clear winner.
Voter turnout was higher than in recent decades.
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A 2026 Lancet Countdown report, led by University College London with the World Health Organization, says climate-related health harms are growing and accelerating. It estimates that heat was linked to more than 540,000 deaths per year on average from 2016 through 2023, and that heat-related productivity losses cost the world more than $1 trillion in potential income in 2025.
Key Facts
The report draws on findings from 146 researchers at more than 100 institutions in over 30 countries.
Researchers estimated that heat was linked to more than 540,000 deaths per year on average from 2016 through 2023.
The report attributes 68% of those heat-related deaths to climate change.
In 2023, heat was linked to an estimated 710,000 deaths, with more than 71% attributed to climate change, according to the report.
The report estimates that nearly 3 million deaths from 2016 to 2023 could be connected to climate change.
Reduced productivity from heat caused more than $1 trillion in potential global income losses in 2025, the third year in a row losses exceeded that amount.
The pace at which land experienced extreme drought rose by about 700% in 2016–2025 compared with the decade before the Paris Agreement.
The share of land affected by very extreme rainfall rose from 14.8% in 2006–2015 to 17.2% in 2016–2025.
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France’s Senate approved a bill that could make people financially liable for damage linked to demonstrations, including through the seizure of some benefits. The bill now goes to the National Assembly, while critics say its provisions could affect peaceful protesters and weaken the right to protest.
Key Facts
The Senate passed the bill by 229 votes to 105.
The bill would allow fines of up to €10,000 for damage caused during demonstrations.
It would impose joint liability on people found to have knowingly joined a group formed to commit vandalism.
The bill also covers people who continue taking part in a gathering likely to disrupt public order after two police dispersal warnings.
Welfare and housing assistance could be seized to help pay for damages; senators expanded the list to include additional benefits.
The legislation was drafted after riots following Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League final victory over Arsenal in May.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the government needed to respond to damage and violence reported on October 17.
The National Assembly must debate and vote on the bill.
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King Charles said he will discuss slavery’s legacy with Commonwealth leaders at a summit in Antigua and Barbuda during his nine-day Caribbean tour. Caribbean reparations advocates welcomed recognition of slavery’s harms but said the king should offer a formal apology and address reparations.
Key Facts
Charles arrived in the Bahamas and attended a youth rally at Clifford Park, where the country gained independence from Britain in 1973.
The king said the legacy of slavery would be discussed at the Commonwealth heads of government meeting next week.
The Bahamas National Reparations Committee said Charles’s remarks did not meet its call for a full, formal apology and action to remedy past wrongs.
Committee chair Niambi Hall Campbell-Dean described the king’s comments as hollow platitudes while saying she valued his effort to connect with Bahamian culture.
Caribbean Community Reparations Commission chair Hilary Beckles said reparations efforts should begin with remorse.
Charles is due to visit Guyana before traveling to Antigua and Barbuda for the Commonwealth summit.
The article says the British government has not advised Charles to apologize or offer reparations.
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