Israelis are set to vote on October 27, 2026, in the country’s first national election since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack. The election is widely seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership; he has rejected International Criminal Court war-crimes claims and denied corruption allegations.
Key Facts
The Israeli national election is scheduled for Tuesday, October 27, 2026.
It is the first national election in Israel since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack.
The election is widely viewed as a referendum on Netanyahu’s leadership.
Netanyahu rejected war-crimes claims by the International Criminal Court.
Netanyahu denied corruption allegations.
FRANCE 24 correspondent Noga Tarnopolsky reported from Jerusalem.
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Israelis vote on October 27 in an election that could determine whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can remain in power. Poll averages differ, but several show no bloc with the 61 seats needed to form a majority government, making coalition negotiations central to the outcome.
Key Facts
Israel’s Knesset has 120 seats, and a government needs support from at least 61 lawmakers to hold a majority.
The election is Netanyahu’s first electoral test since the Hamas-led attacks of October 2023 and the conflicts that followed.
An Israel.com average of nine polls put Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party at 22.1 seats and Likud at 20.6.
The same average gave parties in the outgoing coalition a combined 50.2 seats, below the 61-seat majority threshold.
A separate average by the State of Israel website projected 53 seats for the ruling coalition and two more than for the opposition bloc it measured.
The final pre-election polls were published by Friday; Israeli law bars further polling before the Tuesday vote.
Other contenders include former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, and Arab party blocs.
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Lula defeated Flavio Bolsonaro in Brazil’s presidential runoff on October 25, 2026. Flavio Bolsonaro called for the result to be annulled rather than conceding, raising questions about Donald Trump’s influence and how political allies respond when voters reject them, according to France 24’s analysis.
Key Facts
Brazil held its presidential runoff on October 25, 2026.
Lula defeated Flavio Bolsonaro in the runoff.
Flavio Bolsonaro called for the election result to be annulled instead of conceding.
The report examines possible implications for Donald Trump and his political influence.
The report links the issue to the approaching U.S. midterm elections.
France 24 International Affairs Editor Douglas Herbert provided the analysis.
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Nearly a kilometre of Oxford Street in central London is now pedestrian-only. The first phase of the street’s overhaul is expected to be completed by spring 2027, with plans for more trees, seating and public squares next year, according to Mayor Sadiq Khan.
Key Facts
The pedestrian-only section covers almost a kilometre of Oxford Street.
Oxford Street is a major shopping area in central London.
The pedestrianisation is the first phase of a larger overhaul.
The first phase is expected to finish by spring 2027.
Mayor Sadiq Khan said the street would be safe and spacious during the lead-up to Christmas.
Khan said plans for next year include more trees, seats and public squares.
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Israelis are voting in an election that could decide whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stays in power. The campaign has focused on his leadership after the October 7 attacks, his handling of conflicts in Gaza, Iran and Lebanon, and his proposed judicial changes.
Key Facts
Netanyahu has led Israel for almost 17 years, with brief interruptions.
The election is scheduled for Tuesday, October 27, 2026.
The article describes the vote as a referendum on Netanyahu.
Netanyahu’s latest term has deepened divisions in Israeli society, according to the article.
The October 7 attacks have shaped the election campaign.
His handling of conflicts in Gaza, Iran and Lebanon is a major issue.
Controversial judicial reform is another focus of the campaign.
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Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won a fourth term as Brazil’s president after overcoming a first-round defeat, according to the article. It traces his path from a poor childhood and metalworking to trade union leadership and the founding of the Workers’ Party, and describes social programs and economic growth during his earlier presidencies.
Key Facts
Lula grew up in a poor peasant family and learned to read at age 10.
He trained as a metalworker and lost the little finger of his left hand in an industrial accident in the 1960s.
He became leader of Brazil’s Metalworkers’ Union in 1975.
Lula helped found the Workers’ Party in 1980.
He was first elected president in 2002 and served two terms, leaving office eight years later.
His government expanded social programs, including Bolsa Familia, which the article says helped about 44 million people.
The article says Lula won a fourth presidential term after turning around a first-round defeat within three weeks.
Lula was convicted of corruption in 2017 in connection with the Operation Car Wash scandal and sentenced to prison.
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Serbia’s Republic Election Commission reported that the student-led Student List received 52.54% of votes counted so far in the snap parliamentary election, enough for a projected majority in the 250-seat assembly. The movement says it will prioritize anti-corruption efforts and public services; the final results, prime minister, and government formation timeline remain unsettled.
Key Facts
The commission’s figures covered 8,077 of 8,392 polling stations.
The Student List received 52.54% of counted votes, while the United Serbia list led by the Serbian Progressive Party received 39.29%.
Reported voter turnout was 68.78%, the highest in more than 30 years, according to the article.
The Student List is projected to win 140 seats, above the 126 needed for a majority; United Serbia is projected to win 103.
The Student List did not name a prime ministerial candidate during its campaign; professor and cardiologist Ilija Srdanovic is described as a likely candidate.
The new National Assembly must be established within 30 days of the final results, and a government must be formed within 90 days after that.
Ana Brnabic is temporarily holding the presidency and must call a presidential election no later than December 27, following Aleksandar Vucic’s resignation on September 27.
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October’s full Moon, known as the Hunter’s Moon, appeared in skies around the world this weekend. Photos showed it over locations including San Francisco, New York, Baghdad, Istanbul and parts of the UK; the Moon can look orange or red near the horizon because the atmosphere scatters blue light.
Key Facts
The October full Moon is known by several names, including the Hunter’s Moon.
The name Hunter’s Moon comes from historical traditions in the Northern Hemisphere.
The Hunter’s Moon is traditionally said to remain visible in the sky for a long time, providing extra light for hunters.
Photographs showed the Moon over San Francisco Bay and Manhattan in the United States.
Images also captured the Moon over Baghdad, Istanbul and Molfetta, Italy.
UK locations in the photographs included Stoney Middleton, Kimmeridge and Felixstowe.
The Moon can look orange or reddish when low in the sky as its light passes through more of the atmosphere, which scatters shorter-wavelength blue light.
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President Donald Trump's Board of Peace appointed Shelley Greenspan to lead outreach to Congress and Washington think tanks in support of Trump's Gaza peace plan. The board is seeking bipartisan backing as the plan remains stalled and may receive renewed attention after the U.S. midterm elections and the formation of a new Israeli government.
Key Facts
Greenspan served as the White House Jewish community liaison during the Biden administration.
She has worked at the State Department and the White House National Security Council.
At the Board of Peace, Greenspan will lead external affairs and outreach to Congress and Middle East experts.
The board said bipartisan congressional support is essential to its work.
The article says the plan has stalled because Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to take steps in Gaza before the October 27 elections.
The article says the plan's implementation is expected to receive a renewed push after the U.S. midterms and the formation of a new Israeli government.
Hillary Clinton endorsed Trump's plan in June and called it the most viable proposal.
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Storms Austen and Boelo killed two people and caused flooding, travel disruption and power cuts across parts of the UK. About 90,000 customers remained without power on Monday, and forecasters warned that further strong winds could cause more disruption.
Key Facts
The Energy Networks Association said operators restored power to about 700,000 customers over the weekend.
A 60-year-old man died after a tree fell on him in Dumfries and Galloway, and a man in his 20s died in Finchley, north London.
The association said strong winds of 50–70 mph, with gusts up to 85 mph in northern Scotland, hampered repair work.
The Met Office issued two yellow warnings for strong winds, covering parts of western Britain and most of Scotland from Monday evening through Tuesday.
Flooding affected Largs town centre and a care home in Saltcoats; police said everyone at the care home was accounted for.
Flights were diverted or cancelled, train services faced disruption, and Sunday racing at Aintree was cancelled.
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Jordanian security forces arrested three suspects in a dawn raid in Karak on Monday, two days after gunmen attacked a Greek Orthodox church during a funeral procession. Eight people were killed and 34 were wounded; authorities said the suspects were injured during the arrest operation.
Key Facts
The attack took place at St George’s Church in Hamoud village, Karak governorate, on Friday.
Gunmen opened fire during a funeral procession, killing eight people and wounding 34 others.
Interior Minister Mazin al-Farrayeh said all three suspects are Jordanian citizens.
Police found the suspects in an abandoned house in al-Jadeeda village and said they resisted arrest.
The Public Security Directorate said all three suspects were injured in the raid, including one who was critically injured.
Security forces recovered firearms and ammunition at the suspects’ hideout, state news agency Petra reported.
Authorities have not named the suspects or identified any affiliations, and no group has claimed responsibility.
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A wastewater analysis cited by The Guardian estimates that people in England consumed about 2.5 billion lines of cocaine in one year. The report links rising use to more cocaine-related crimes and points to low prices, high demand and high purity as contributing factors.
Key Facts
The analysis estimates cocaine consumption in England at about 2.5 billion lines in one year.
The article says cocaine use and cocaine-linked crime are rising across Britain.
Reported crimes linked to cocaine include assaults, domestic abuse and dangerous driving.
The article cites low prices, overproduction, high demand and high purity as factors behind the rise in use.
Cocaine use has spread beyond what the article describes as middle-class settings, including pubs, festivals and workplaces.
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Defence ministers from France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom met in Paris to discuss further support for Ukraine, European defence and conflict in the Middle East. The meeting came as Russian and Ukrainian attacks caused casualties and damage, and as Kyiv and Washington disagreed over conditions for Ukraine to stop strikes on Russian oil refineries.
Key Facts
A Russian strike in Zaporizhzhia injured four people, according to the regional governor.
Ukraine’s emergency service said Russian strikes injured two people in the Chernihiv region.
Voronezh Governor Alexander Gusev said a Ukrainian drone attack killed two people and wounded 17; some wounded passengers were on a commuter train hit by falling debris.
Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed its forces struck power stations in Kharkiv and the Khmelnytskyi region, port infrastructure in Chornomorsk, and a cargo vessel bound for Odesa.
French officials said the five ministers would discuss additional support for Ukraine, European defence and the Middle East conflict.
Ukraine and Russia, along with the United States, are expected to hold talks in Abu Dhabi in the first half of November.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv would stop striking Russian oil refineries if Moscow stopped attacks on Ukraine’s power infrastructure.
Ukraine said Starlink and its military version, Starshield, were fully functional after more than a week of restrictions.
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Jordanian security forces arrested three men suspected of attacking a funeral at St George’s Greek Orthodox Church in Karak governorate. The shooting killed nine people and injured 34; officials said the suspects were wounded in a shootout and no security personnel were hurt.
Key Facts
The attack took place on Friday during a funeral at St George’s Greek Orthodox Church in Hmoud, Karak governorate.
Nine people were killed and 34 were injured in the shooting.
Security forces found the three suspects in an abandoned house before dawn.
The suspects refused to surrender and opened fire; security forces returned fire and wounded all three.
No security personnel were injured in the shootout.
No group had claimed responsibility for the church attack at the time of the report.
Eight victims were buried beside the church on Sunday, and the ninth was buried near Amman on Monday.
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Residents of Jilib and nearby villages in southern Somalia say repeated airstrikes have made it difficult to leave as the Juba River rises, forcing some people toward flood-prone areas. The article reports allegations that the U.S.-coordinated campaign against al-Shabaab is exploiting the risk of El Niño-related flooding; U.S. Africa Command denies using weather or flooding to displace civilians or cause harm.
Key Facts
Cayni Ali, a Jilib resident and mother of six, said floodwater reached her waist and airstrikes were making it difficult to leave the city.
Asho Omar, from a village near Jilib, described airstrikes as constant and said many people had been killed.
The article describes Jilib as an al-Shabaab stronghold and says residents reported civilian casualties and bodies in the streets.
A source monitoring the Juba floodplain alleged that airstrikes were pushing people toward areas at risk of flooding.
Researchers raised concerns that information used to map flood risk could be misused to cause harm rather than reduce civilian casualties.
El Niño-related flooding in Somalia in 2023 displaced more than 1.2 million people, according to the article.
U.S. Africa Command said it does not target civilians or use weather or flooding as a method of warfare, and said it takes feasible measures to reduce civilian harm.
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President Donald Trump said he is weighing a deal with Iran or renewed U.S. strikes, while Iranian officials said indirect negotiations continue and Tehran will not change its positions under threat. Officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan are due to meet Iranian officials in Tehran to discuss regional security and de-escalation. Brent crude traded near $115 a barrel early Monday amid concerns about global supply.
Key Facts
Trump said Sunday that he is deciding whether to reach an agreement with Iran or take action to “finish them off.”
Iranian officials said indirect negotiations with the United States are continuing.
Iran said it would not change its positions if the United States resumes attacks.
The United States has sent additional forces, including a third aircraft carrier group, to the region.
Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani officials are scheduled to meet Iranian officials in Tehran on Monday.
Saudi Arabia said the visit aims to promote dialogue and diplomatic solutions amid the regional crisis.
Brent crude traded around $115 a barrel early Monday after rising the previous week over supply concerns.
Iran’s foreign ministry said the result of Israel’s legislative elections would make no difference to Tehran.
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Saudi Arabia’s coalition said it struck Houthi missile facilities and supply routes in Yemen, while Saudi officials and the Houthis reported further missile and drone attacks. The strikes come as fighting has intensified after a truce collapsed and Yemen’s government forces launched a counteroffensive.
Key Facts
Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said the operation destroyed four missile launchers and five tunnels used to store missiles.
Al-Maliki said coalition forces also struck a missile depot and Houthi positions, equipment, and supply routes in Yemen.
The Houthis claimed they attacked Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport with a ballistic missile; Saudi Arabia said its air defences intercepted a missile launched toward Riyadh.
The article says a Houthi attack on the airport earlier this month killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.
The airport reopened on Sunday after a temporary closure, while the Houthis warned travellers to avoid it.
The Houthis also claimed drone attacks on Saudi oil pumping stations and missile attacks on forces and weapons depots in Yemen.
A 2022 truce collapsed last month, and Yemen’s government forces launched the Operation Yemen Dawn counteroffensive this month.
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U.S. envoy Tom Barrack’s comments on Suwayda suggest Washington favors Syrian government control over the governorate, while Israel is seen as backing a Druze armed group linked to local leader Hikmat al-Hijri. The article describes a gap between President Donald Trump’s effort to build ties with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Israel’s actions and security demands in southern Syria.
Key Facts
Suwayda is a majority-Druze governorate in southern Syria where the government does not have full control.
Barrack discussed Suwayda in a Friday interview with Australian X personality Mario Nawfal.
The National Guard, a Druze armed group linked to Hikmat al-Hijri, has been accused of receiving Israeli support and pursuing separatist aims.
The article says Israel has seized land in Quneitra and other areas, bombed Syria’s Ministry of Defence, and carried out incursions in southern Syria since Bashar al-Assad’s government fell in December 2024.
The United States has gradually rebuilt relations with Damascus since Assad’s fall.
Protests against the Assad government began in Suwayda in 2023 and continued until its collapse in December 2024.
Deadly sectarian violence followed fighting between Bedouin tribes and Druze in Suwayda in July 2025.
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Amnezia Pulse recorded 80 internet-disruption incidents across 36 Russian regions from September 15 to October 20, 2026. The VPN provider says some shutdowns now affect multiple regions or telecom operators at once, while residents report losing access to everyday services and relying on workarounds.
Key Facts
Krasnodar Krai had nine recorded incidents, the most of any region in the period.
Samara Oblast and Nizhny Novgorod Oblast each had six incidents.
Including data from April and May, Amnezia Pulse has recorded disruptions in at least 45 Russian regions.
Amnezia said it paused its project after what it described as an attack by Russia’s internet regulator, Roskomnadzor.
The provider reported synchronized shutdowns in Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk regions and an outage affecting three operators in St. Petersburg.
Amnezia said mobile internet is most often affected; disruptions may last hours or two to three days, and wired connections often remain available.
Residents interviewed by Newsweek said outages or whitelist restrictions disrupted grocery orders, taxi calls, navigation, and work.
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UK Chancellor John Healey plans to introduce a new tax allowance for low-income pensioners in his first Budget on Wednesday. The measure is intended to ensure people whose only income is the state pension do not pay income tax as the full state pension is expected to rise above the personal allowance.
Key Facts
The full, flat-rate state pension is expected to rise by 3.9% to £13,036.40 a year from April.
The current personal tax allowance is £12,570.
The government had pledged not to tax people whose only income is the state pension.
The Treasury has not confirmed how many pensioners the proposed allowance would affect.
The Budget is due to be printed on Monday evening, and Healey is expected to deliver it on Wednesday lunchtime.
The Conservatives and Reform UK published alternative Budget proposals that include cuts to welfare spending.
The Liberal Democrats called for a growth and defence partnership with the EU, while the Green Party proposed ending tax relief for data centres to fund energy bill support.
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