French far-right leader Marine Le Pen launched her presidential campaign before a cheering crowd. She said she could restore order and stability after weeks of protests in France.
Key Facts
Marine Le Pen launched her campaign for the French presidency.
Le Pen is described as a far-right leader.
A crowd cheered as she launched her campaign.
Le Pen presented herself as able to restore order and stability in France.
The campaign launch followed weeks of protests.
Virginia Pietromarchi reported from Orleans.
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Serbia’s Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat in the Oct. 25 parliamentary election, saying the student-backed Students’ List had won. He said early projections gave the movement 135 to 140 seats in the 250-member Parliament, compared with about 105 for his Serbian Progressive Party.
Key Facts
The election followed two years of student-led protests against Vucic’s government.
Vucic said the Students’ List received about 2.2 million votes and his party about 1.7 million.
The Students’ List was shaped by university students, but its candidates were experts, athletes, farmers and artists rather than students.
The protests grew after 16 people died when a train station canopy collapsed in Novi Sad in 2024.
Protesters blamed corruption and problems with renovation work for the station collapse.
Vucic resigned as president the month before the election to lead his party’s campaign for prime minister.
Supporters of the Students’ List celebrated in Belgrade and other cities after Vucic conceded.
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Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat in the early parliamentary election, saying the student-backed Students' List was projected to win a majority of seats. The result followed years of protests over corruption and democratic concerns, and prompted celebrations in Belgrade and other cities.
Key Facts
Vucic said the Students' List was projected to win 135 to 140 of the 250 parliamentary seats.
He projected that his Serbian Progressive Party, or SNS, would win about 105 seats.
Vucic said the Students' List received about 2.2 million votes, compared with about 1.7 million for SNS.
The election pitted SNS against an opposition movement shaped by university students, whose candidates included experts, athletes, farmers and artists.
The student movement grew after 16 people died in 2024 when a concrete canopy collapsed at a train station in Novi Sad.
Protests blamed corruption and misconduct during renovation work for the disaster.
Vucic resigned as president the previous month to campaign for prime minister.
Supporters of the Students' List celebrated in Belgrade and other Serbian cities after Vucic conceded.
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Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić conceded defeat in the country’s snap parliamentary election, saying preliminary results showed his party had lost to a student-led protest movement. The election followed two years of protests over a 2024 train station canopy collapse that killed 16 people.
Key Facts
Vučić said final results were not yet available but that it was clear his party had lost.
Serbia’s Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat in a snap parliamentary election to a student-led movement, ending his party’s hold on power. Turnout reached nearly 70%, the highest since Yugoslavia broke up in 1992, after almost two years of protests sparked by a deadly train station canopy collapse.
Key Facts
A representative sample by CESID-IPSPS projected 138 seats for the Student List and 104 for Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party in the 250-seat parliament.
Vucic said preliminary results showed the Student List had won and conceded the election.
Ethnic minority parties are expected to take the remaining seats.
Nearly 70% of eligible voters turned out, according to the article.
The protests began after a canopy collapsed at a train station in Novi Sad in 2024, killing 16 people.
Student-led demonstrations against perceived corruption and authoritarianism continued for almost two years before the snap election.
Police cordoned off an area near the election commission headquarters in Belgrade, and local media reported several violent incidents during voting.
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A bus carrying mourners collided with a cement truck near Mtito Andei in southeastern Kenya on October 25, killing at least 24 people and injuring 24 others, police and hospital officials said. The crash’s cause remains under investigation, while officials cited dangerous overtaking as a possible factor. After a similar fatal crash on the same highway earlier in October, the government said it would increase road-safety enforcement and inspect public transport vehicles.
Key Facts
The crash occurred around 7:45 a.m. on the highway between Nairobi and Mombasa.
The bus belonged to Power of the Word Church International and was carrying people returning from their pastor’s funeral in western Kenya.
A Makueni County official said the bus driver tried to overtake several vehicles before hitting the oncoming truck; the NTSA also cited dangerous overtaking as a possible cause.
A separate multi-vehicle crash on the same highway on October 3 killed 17 people.
President William Ruto ordered inspections of vehicles used for public transport.
Transport Minister Davis Chirchir said the government would step up enforcement against speeding and unsafe overtaking, improve dangerous road sections, and strengthen commercial-driver checks and training.
Kenyan media reported NTSA figures of 5,009 road-crash deaths in 2025 and 2,150 deaths in the first half of 2026.
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Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić conceded defeat in the parliamentary election after preliminary results showed the student-backed movement ahead. The movement grew out of protests following a 2024 railway station roof collapse that killed 16 people.
Key Facts
Vučić said a stratified sample of preliminary results showed his side had lost.
The student-backed movement challenged Vučić’s Serbian Progressive Party (SNS).
CeSID and Ipsos estimated voter turnout at 67.6% by 7 p.m., the highest since 1992, according to the article.
The movement named 250 candidates for the 250-seat parliament.
Protests began after a concrete canopy collapsed at Novi Sad railway station in November 2024, killing 16 people.
The article says allegations of poor construction and corruption helped fuel the protests.
Vučić called snap elections after resigning the presidency the previous month, according to the article.
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Lorne Doerkson will become premier of British Columbia after his Conservatives won a majority in a snap provincial election. The result ended nearly a century without a Conservative provincial victory and dealt a major defeat to Premier David Eby’s New Democratic Party, which won 27 of 93 seats.
Key Facts
The Conservatives are projected to win 64 seats in the 93-seat legislative assembly, while the Green Party won two.
Doerkson took over as Conservative leader just weeks before the election, after Kerry-Lynne Findlay resigned amid internal party conflict.
Doerkson was first elected to the provincial legislature in 2020 and previously worked as a rodeo announcer and newspaper publisher.
Eby called the election two years early, saying he wanted a larger majority to pass his party’s policies.
Eby said he accepted full responsibility for the NDP’s defeat and resigned as the party’s provincial leader.
Doerkson has pledged to speed up forestry and mining permits and triple natural gas production by 2035.
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Australia’s parliament has resumed amid calls for MPs to pay tribute to independent MP Helen Haines, who was allegedly attacked last week. The session is also expected to address political safety and conduct, while a Victorian audit examines the use of police cells to hold prisoners for extended periods.
Key Facts
Speaker Milton Dick plans to call for civility in parliament, and some politicians are expected to sign a civility pledge.
The pledge says signatories will act with honesty, respect and compassion in their political lives.
Pauline Hanson said One Nation cartoons would remain despite criticism.
Cabinet minister Mark Butler said threats of violence and death against MPs, their families and staff have changed dramatically during his nearly 20 years in parliament.
Victoria’s auditor-general is examining whether police and justice agencies manage cell and prison capacity in ways that support human rights and the justice system.
Reports said people held in Victorian police cells sometimes spent more than the recommended 14 days there, with some transported hundreds of kilometres.
The audit is underway and is expected to be tabled early next year.
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Bulgaria’s presidential election ended without a winner, setting up a Nov. 1 runoff between incumbent Iliana Yotova and opposition candidate Andrey Gyurov. The campaign focused on Bulgaria’s ties with Russia and the West, security concerns in the Black Sea, and rising energy costs and inflation.
Key Facts
Election officials said the presidential race would be decided in a runoff on Nov. 1.
Incumbent President Iliana Yotova is backed by Progressive Bulgaria and the Socialist Party.
Andrey Gyurov, a former caretaker prime minister and deputy central bank governor, is backed by pro-Western opposition parties.
The election drew record-low turnout, which observers linked to mistrust of politicians and voter apathy.
The campaign addressed Russia’s war in Ukraine and drone attacks on commercial vessels near Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast.
The Bulgarian government asked its partners for help strengthening maritime security.
Candidates also addressed rising energy prices and inflation.
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The UK government has not decided whether to approve drilling at the Rosebank oilfield, and Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh is weighing the application. Chancellor John Healey reportedly supports approval, while Fahnbulleh has questioned Rosebank’s contribution to UK energy security and its environmental impact; a decision is expected before year-end.
Key Facts
Fahnbulleh is responsible for deciding whether to approve the Rosebank licence, though the prime minister could make the final call if ministers disagree.
Healey reportedly backs approval and has said oil and gas revenues could contribute to a new energy wealth fund.
Fahnbulleh said the case for approving the Jackdaw gasfield does not apply to Rosebank, which is an oilfield whose output would mainly be exported.
Rosebank is expected to produce about seven times the emissions of Jackdaw, according to the article.
Fahnbulleh is understood to believe Rosebank would contribute less to UK energy security because most of its oil would be exported.
Labour MPs have warned of significant opposition within the party if the government approves Rosebank, and some have discussed seeking a parliamentary vote.
A final decision on Rosebank is expected before the end of the year.
Fahnbulleh said a planned energy wealth fund would receive £2bn in the budget and support renewables, nuclear power and other clean energy projects.
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France’s Senate is set to debate a government bill that could make people pay up to €10,000 for damage caused by vandals at demonstrations, even if they did not cause the damage themselves. Trade unions and left-wing groups say the measure could deter protests, while Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu says it is needed after looting and fires at recent demonstrations.
Key Facts
The bill could hold protesters financially liable if they were demonstrating nearby or with the same group as those who caused damage.
The legislation also allows greater use of drones over protests.
The government prepared the bill after violent clashes following Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League victory over Arsenal in May.
Recent protests have involved high-school students, trade unions and yellow vest activists, with demands focused on schools, living costs and public services.
Authorities have restricted demonstrations, including by limiting access to city centres and banning some gatherings near schools.
Marine Le Pen has backed making rioters pay for property damage and used a campaign rally to promise to restore order.
Trade unions and the Human Rights League have called the bill an attack on the freedom to demonstrate.
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Brazilian voters are choosing between incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro in a closely contested presidential runoff. The race centers on competing political visions and concerns about living costs, crime, corruption, and Brazil’s ties with the United States.
Key Facts
Polls described the runoff as close; the winner needs more than 50% of the vote.
Flávio Bolsonaro led Lula by more than 2.2 million votes in the first round, while more than 33 million of nearly 160 million eligible voters did not vote.
Flávio Bolsonaro is an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump and the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro.
Lula previously served as president from 2003 to 2010 and defeated Jair Bolsonaro in the 2022 election by a narrow margin.
Flávio Bolsonaro faces an investigation related to allegations of corruption, money laundering, and tax evasion involving money he accepted to produce a film about his father.
Lula’s campaign promoted debt relief for small businesses and free public transportation on weekends.
Flávio Bolsonaro pledged to seek amnesty for his father, who is under house arrest for attempting a coup.
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Marine Le Pen officially launched her campaign for the French presidential election at a rally in Orléans on Sunday, October 25, 2026. She is the candidate for the National Rally (RN).
Key Facts
Le Pen held her campaign launch rally in Orléans.
The rally took place on October 25, 2026.
Le Pen is running as the National Rally candidate.
The article was issued on October 25, 2026.
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Storm Boelo brought severe winds and heavy rain to the UK on Sunday, killing a 60-year-old man in southern Scotland and leaving 161,400 properties without power as of 15:00 GMT. The storm disrupted travel and led to event and venue closures, while weather warnings remained in effect across parts of Scotland, northern England, Wales and the Midlands.
Key Facts
Police Scotland said the man died after a tree fell on him near Castle Douglas at about 10:30 on Sunday.
The Energy Networks Association reported 161,400 properties remained without power at 15:00 GMT.
Storm Boelo and the earlier Storm Austen caused power cuts affecting 838,700 properties in total.
Wind gusts reached 85 mph at Machrihanish and 84 mph at Stornoway and Capel Curig.
An amber wind warning for Scotland and parts of northern England was due to remain in place until 21:00 on Sunday.
Four flood warnings were issued for parts of England and Wales, and 17 were in place in Scotland.
Ferry services were cancelled, some flights were cancelled, and train services were disrupted.
Organizers cancelled events and venues across the country, including Worksop Half Marathon and Knowsley Safari Park.
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Brazil’s 2026 presidential runoff pits incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva against Flávio Bolsonaro, who led the first round. At the article’s 16:00 BRT update, polls had not yet closed and no districts had been counted, so both candidates were listed at zero votes.
Key Facts
Polls were scheduled to close at 17:00 BRT, with initial results expected within an hour.
The runoff was required because no candidate won more than half of the votes in the first round on 4 October.
Lula represents the Workers’ party (PT); Bolsonaro represents the Liberal party (PL).
Flávio Bolsonaro is the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro and a lawyer and former senator from Rio.
Jair Bolsonaro is serving a 27-year prison sentence for plotting a failed coup attempt, according to the article.
Flávio Bolsonaro beat Lula in Minas Gerais in the first round, with 48.43% to Lula’s 43.33%.
Lula served as president from 2003 to 2010 and returned to office in 2023.
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The article examines how media coverage of protests in France has emphasized violence and the identity of demonstrators over their demands. It also discusses Benjamin Netanyahu’s messaging about Iran ahead of Israeli elections and the challenges facing Ukrainian journalists during Russia’s invasion.
Key Facts
The unrest in France began with protests over education and spread to streets across the country.
The article says many mainstream outlets focused on violence and looting rather than demonstrators’ demands.
The article says some coverage highlighted protesters’ identities and appearances, sometimes using racist language.
It says right-wing movements abroad adopted that narrative about the French protests.
The article says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of an imminent threat from Iran ahead of elections and urged the United States to “finish the job.”
The Kyiv Independent has reported on Russia’s invasion while addressing propaganda and government accountability, according to the article.
The Kyiv Independent was founded in 2021, and its editor-in-chief and cofounder Olga Rudenko discussed the pressures of wartime journalism.
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Thousands gathered in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square to mark seven years since Iraq’s 2019 Tishreen protests. They called for action against corruption, justice for demonstrators killed by security forces, and government reforms; the protests led to the resignation of then-Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi.
Key Facts
Thousands gathered in Tahrir Square for the anniversary.
The gathering marked seven years since the 2019 Tishreen protests.
Participants demanded an end to corruption.
They called for justice for demonstrators killed by security forces.
They called for government reforms.
The 2019 protests led to the resignation of then-Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi.
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Many Iranians fear renewed fighting as U.S. and Israeli leaders make threats ahead of elections and U.S. forces move toward the region. A U.S. blockade of Iranian ports and rising prices have added to economic hardship, while residents prepare for possible attacks and Iran warns it could target U.S. bases and other sites.
Key Facts
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a close vote Tuesday and has said Iran's leadership must be eliminated.
U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed to “finish the job” in Iran, and a third U.S. aircraft carrier and thousands of troops are heading to the region.
Some Tehran residents said they were stocking up on food and medicine or considering leaving the capital.
Iran has threatened U.S. military bases and allies in the Middle East and warned it could target undersea data cables in the Strait of Hormuz.
A U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports has restricted oil exports and contributed to medicine shortages.
Iran's currency has reached record lows, and the article reports that rice prices have risen by more than 60% and beef prices by more than 150% since the war began.
Iranian officials have accused the United States of using economic pressure to foment unrest.
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A four-year-old girl died in hospital after falling from a tower block in Barking, east London, on Saturday. Police said the circumstances are under investigation and the incident is not currently believed to be suspicious.
Key Facts
Police were called to an address on St Paul’s Road at 11am on Saturday.
Officers and London ambulance service crews attended the scene.
The child received emergency first aid and was taken to a London major trauma centre.
The girl later died from her injuries in hospital.
Police said their investigation into the circumstances is ongoing.
Police asked anyone with information to call 101.
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