World News · Monday, 26 October 2026

01 Briefing what happened

Serbia's Vucic concedes after 12 years as a student-led movement wins a majority in parliament

Aleksandar Vucic admitted defeat about 90 minutes after polls closed, as the Student List won about 141 of 250 seats on the highest turnout since 1992. In Brazil, Lula won a fourth term and his rival refused to concede.

141 of 250

seats for the Student List in the updated projection

A majority needs 126, and Vucic's party was put on 103. [3]

~70%

of voters turned out, the most since Yugoslavia broke up in 1992

Independent monitors counted 67.8% by 7pm, against 58.8% at the 2023 election. [6][4]

people killed when the Novi Sad station canopy fell in November 2024

Their deaths started the protests that ended in Sunday's vote. [1]

The lead story — what happened

Aleksandar Vucic, Serbia's most powerful politician for 12 years, conceded defeat on Sunday night to the Student List, a movement that grew out of two years of student protests. [1][2]
"It is clear that we have lost these elections," he told his party about 90 minutes after the polls closed. [10][4][7]
An updated projection by the pollsters Ipsos and CeSID, an election-monitoring group, gave the Student List 141 of the 250 seats in parliament and 52.9% of the vote. [3]
Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) was put on 103 seats and 38.8%. A majority needs 126 seats. [3]
Turnout was close to 70%, the highest since Yugoslavia broke up in 1992, and Serbs abroad queued for up to three hours in London to vote. [4][5][3]
The protests began in November 2024, when a concrete canopy at the railway station in Novi Sad, a northern city, fell and killed 16 people. [1][2]
Protesters blamed corruption and shoddy building work. Vucic and his party deny any wrongdoing. [4][1]
Vucic could not run for a third term as president, so he resigned the presidency last month to lead his party and try to return as prime minister. [1][2]
The Student List has no single leader. Its 250 candidates were mostly doctors, engineers, academics, athletes and farmers. [6][2]
It has promised to remove officials who cracked down on protesters, free the state broadcaster from party control and review big contracts such as the $2.4bn Expo 2027. [1][10]
Vucic blamed independent media and what he called the American deep state, without offering evidence, and said he would beat the students much sooner than they think. [4][10]
Ursula von der Leyen, head of the EU's executive, said the EU stood ready to advance Serbia's membership bid, which has been frozen over the rule of law and Serbia's refusal to sanction Russia. [11][6]

Student List141 seats · 56%
Vucic's party (SNS)103 seats · 41%
Minority parties6 seats · 2%

The updated Ipsos and CeSID projection of Serbia's 250-seat parliament. A majority needs 126 seats.

Who is involved

Aleksandar Vucic

Serbia's leading politician since 2014, first as prime minister and then as president; he conceded on Sunday
The Student List

a movement with no single leader that grew out of student protests; it won a majority
Radomir Saicic

a Belgrade University professor who spoke for the students on election night
Ursula von der Leyen

head of the European Commission, the EU's executive; she offered to help Serbia's bid to join
Peter Magyar

Hungary's prime minister since beating Viktor Orban in April; the first EU leader to congratulate the students

How it unfolded

Nov 2024 A station canopy falls in Novi Sad and kills 16 people [1]
Mar 2025 More than 300,000 people march in Belgrade [8]
Sep 2026 Vucic resigns as president to lead his party into a snap vote [6]
22 Oct About 150,000 attend the students' last rally in Belgrade [9]
25 Oct Record turnout, and Vucic concedes about 90 minutes after polls close [10]
Next The official count, then a new government and a presidential election within months [12][3]

Where this points

Serbia's official count is due from Monday, and the next tests are whether the Student List names a prime minister and who runs for president within months. [12][3][10]

Signals on this beat

The bar and the word are our reading of how hard each one is pushing, and the arrow is where it is heading.

Losers fighting the count High↑

Flavio Bolsonaro lost Brazil's presidential runoff by 4.4 million votes and asked for the result to be annulled. [14] The US Justice Department has sued over Alaska's Senate race before any vote is cast, and critics say it is preparing to block a Democratic win. [80] In India, the opposition leader Rahul Gandhi says votes are being stolen by deleting names from voter lists. [82]

Young people protesting in the streets High→

More than 1,300 people were arrested in France on Saturday in protests that began with high-school students. [33][29] In Barcelona, 128 people were arrested after a gathering copying the French students turned into a night of looting. [36] Police in Portugal tore down housing protest camps in Lisbon and Porto and arrested 31 people. [37]

War around Iran and the Gulf High→

Donald Trump said he must decide whether to finish off Iran or make a deal, and a third US aircraft carrier group has moved toward the Gulf. [55] The Houthis, an armed group in Yemen backed by Iran, fired at Riyadh's airport hours after it reopened. [54][51] A barrel of Brent oil cost about $114.50 on Sunday, against $72.48 the day before the war began. [59]

Governments tightening control of news Building↑

Czech lawmakers voted at 4:36am to pay for public radio and television from the state budget, with about 15% less money. [40] Instagram hid an Indian cartoonist's whole account inside India twice in three weeks under government rules. [83] Gabon lifted its eight-month social media ban, but users must now show formal ID. [74]

The rest of the day

40 more stories on this beat.

Each with its own sources. None of these is a link to the story above.

02
Lula wins Brazil, and his rival will not concede

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Brazil's 80-year-old left-wing president, won a fourth term on Sunday with 51.79% of the vote to 48.21% for Flavio Bolsonaro, a right-wing senator. [15] No candidate who came second in a first round had won the runoff since democracy returned in the 1980s. [14] Bolsonaro said it was impossible to concede and that his lawyers would seek to annul the vote. [15][17] He objected to a two-hour extension ordered by a Supreme Court judge, although his own campaign had also asked for more time. [16][18]

Lula51.79%
Flavio Bolsonaro48.21%
Brazil's runoff with every vote counted. Lula's lead was about 4.4 million votes.

Why it matters — His father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, refused to accept his 2022 defeat by Lula and is serving 27 years for plotting a coup. [14] Analysts expect Brazilian shares and the real, Brazil's currency, to fall on Monday after rising on bets of a right-wing win. [15]
03
Voters turned away in Brazil's late extension

Justice Cristiano Zanin of Brazil's Supreme Court ordered polls to stay open two extra hours, to 7pm, at around the scheduled 5pm close. [16][15][18] Lula's campaign had said buses were cut in cities that favour him, and Bolsonaro's had asked for time in rain-hit areas. [18] Some stations had already shut their voting machines, and some voters were turned away. [16][18][20] Federal Police are investigating transport cuts in five states, and a court ordered the arrest of Salvador's transport chief. [16]

Why it matters — Bolsonaro's case for annulment rests on this confusion, and he points out that Zanin was once Lula's lawyer. [15] Donald Trump Jr, the US president's son, also attacked the extension. [19]
04
Trump weighs strikes or a deal with Iran

Donald Trump said on Sunday he must decide whether to finish off Iran or make a deal, then said there would be no strike that day. [55][56] He has said he will not strike before the US midterm elections on 3 November. [55] Central Command, the US military's Middle East headquarters, has plans ready for new strikes, the website The Hill reported. [57] Qatari mediators reached Iran the same day, and Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said a new war would not change Iran's policies. [56][58]

Why it matters — The US and Israel began bombing Iran on 28 February, and an April ceasefire has held only loosely. [58] US officials warn that the weeks between the midterms and the new Congress could be the most dangerous. [55]
05
Israel votes on Tuesday amid talk of war

Israel holds a general election on Tuesday, and the last polls on Friday showed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's camp and the opposition almost level. [41] Netanyahu warned Iran not to disrupt the vote, saying "Don't test us". [42] Donald Trump again urged Israelis to re-elect him. [43][44] Israel's army chiefs fear Netanyahu may order an attack on Iran before polling day, Haaretz reported. [44] His main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, a former army chief, promised an inquiry into the failures before the 7 October 2023 attack. [43]

Why it matters — About 70,000 Israelis are reported to be flying home to vote, and half a million will vote for the first time. [41] Israel's top court has banned polling-station staff from passing turnout figures to parties on the day. [44]
06
Hebron's displaced pass 2,600, the city says

Hebron's municipality said on Sunday that more than 2,600 people had been forced from their homes. [47] The city's mayor, Yousef al-Jabari, said all entrances were sealed and no one could enter or leave its 200,000 people. [48][45] Israel's army began the operation after two Palestinian gunmen killed two soldiers at a checkpoint on Friday. [45] It said it had searched more than 400 places and arrested 40 people it linked to Hamas or Islamic Jihad. [47]

Why it matters — Hebron is the biggest city in the occupied West Bank, and the mayor says the operation is driven by Israel's election. [45] The army says no civilians were forced to leave and that the buildings it demolished posed a threat. [46]
07
Houthis fire at Riyadh's airport after it reopens

Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport reopened on Sunday after a two-week closure, and Yemen's Houthis said they attacked it hours later. [52][54] The Saudi-led coalition said it shot down a missile aimed at Riyadh and 10 more fired at the south, and destroyed two missile launchers in Sanaa, Yemen's capital. [51][53] Debris hurt two people and damaged three homes. [53] An attack on the airport this month killed 13 people and injured more than 300. [51]

Why it matters — The closure forced Saudi Arabia to postpone its flagship investment conference to 2027. [51] Greece agreed to keep its Patriot air-defence battery in Saudi Arabia. [51]
08
Machado returns to Venezuela

Maria Corina Machado, Venezuela's opposition leader, returned home on Sunday after more than 10 months in exile. [21][23] She left in December 2025 to collect the Nobel Peace Prize, weeks before US forces seized President Nicolas Maduro. [23] Her movement is widely believed to have beaten Maduro in the 2024 election, but he refused to hand over power. [22] She had tried to return seven times in three months, and was greeted by crowds at a church in Lara state. [23][21]

Why it matters — Venezuela is now run by Maduro's former deputy, Delcy Rodriguez, who was meant to serve 90 days and has called no election. [24] Machado has demanded a date, while the US has backed Rodriguez and won access to up to 65 billion barrels of oil. [23][25]
09
Russia hits Dnipro as talks are set

Russian drones and bombs killed four people and injured 22 in Ukraine's Dnipro region on Saturday night, local authorities said. [64] Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, said a double strike in Kharkiv hit a hardware store and then the rescuers who arrived. [64] He said Russia fired about 1,600 guided bombs, 48 missiles and 2,300 drones in a week. [64] He also confirmed three-way talks with Russia and the US in November, after Russia agreed to resume after 10 November. [65]

Drones2,300
Guided bombs1,600
Missiles48
What Russia fired at Ukraine in one week, by Zelensky's count.

Why it matters — Zelensky said Ukraine will not discuss limits on its army or forced neutrality, and that land can only be discussed by leaders. [66] Russia occupies nearly a fifth of Ukraine. [66]
10
Ukraine gets US missile warnings back

Zelensky said US warnings of incoming Russian ballistic missiles, which Ukraine's air defences rely on, have been fully restored. [66] He said Starshield, the military version of Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet, has worked at full speed since Saturday after being slowed earlier in October. [66] Musk said SpaceX had restricted Starlink because Ukraine used it for attack drones. [67] Serhii Beskrestnov, a defence adviser to Zelensky, said limits already in place made that impossible. [67]

Why it matters — Zelensky credited his meeting with the US envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo for both changes. [66] Who ordered the slowdown is still unclear: Musk says the US government controls Starshield. [67]
11
Le Pen launches her run for president

Marine Le Pen, leader of France's far-right National Rally, launched her campaign before about 8,500 supporters in Orleans on Sunday. [29][30] She promised to restore order and said vandals would pay for damage for their whole lives if needed. [34][31] She vowed to scrap a 2017 law that bans new permits to search for oil in France. [32] A poll of polls puts her on 34%, against 16% for the centre-right's Edouard Philippe. [30]

Why it matters — The election is in April 2027, and France's borrowing costs rose above 5% last week for the first time since 2002. [30] She is appealing a conviction for misusing European Parliament funds. [34]
12
France arrests 1,300 as Macron pushes a protest law

More than 1,300 people were arrested in France on Saturday as about 410,000 people marched, by the interior ministry's count; unions said 800,000. [33] Police used tear gas and water cannon in Paris, and barricades burned in Marseille. [33] France's Senate debates a bill this week that could make a protester pay up to EUR 10,000 for damage done by others in the same group. [34] Trade unions say it threatens the right to protest. [34]

Why it matters — The protests began with high-school students angry about teacher absences and crumbling schools. [34] The Yellow Vests have called for more marches on 31 October. [35]
13
Bulgaria's president faces a runoff

Bulgaria's president, Iliana Yotova, won about 35-36.5% in Sunday's first round, according to exit polls. [26][28] She faces Andrey Gyurov, a former caretaker prime minister on about 32%, in a runoff on 1 November. [28] Turnout was below 40%, short of the 50% needed to win in one round. [27] Yotova favours talks with Russia and opposes military aid to Ukraine, while Gyurov signed a security pact with Ukraine. [28]

Why it matters — The presidency is mostly ceremonial, but it commands the army and can veto laws. [26] Drone attacks on ships off Bulgaria's Black Sea coast dominated the campaign. [26]
14
China's leaders meet behind closed doors

About 300 members of the Chinese Communist Party's Central Committee began a four-day meeting in Beijing on Monday, called the fifth plenum. [70][72] Xi Jinping presented a plan to tighten discipline in the party. [70] Eight seats are empty and 15 members are under investigation after Xi's 14-year campaign against corruption. [70] Last year party investigators opened cases against more than a million people. [71]

Why it matters — It is likely the last big meeting before a party congress next year where Xi, 73, is expected to win a fourth term. [70] Only two of 44 military members named to the committee in 2022 have not been purged or vanished, the Asia Society Policy Institute says. [70]
15
US court doubts Trump's California ballot suit

A US appeals court heard the Justice Department's case on Sunday to set aside mail-in ballots in California that it says went to likely non-citizens. [79] Judge Mark Bennett, a Trump appointee, said states, not the US federal government, run elections under the US Constitution. [79] The department sent California a list of 20,000 names. [79] Separately, Attorney General Todd Blanche defended a suit over Alaska's Senate race, which Trump said he ordered. [80]

Why it matters — Both cases come before the midterm elections on 3 November. [79] Critics from both parties say the Alaska suit lays groundwork to block a Democratic win. [80]
16
Trump calls a Senate candidate a jihadist

Donald Trump called Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate candidate in Michigan, a jihadist at a rally in Port Huron on Sunday. [81] He falsely said El-Sayed wants Islamic law in the US, and said Christmas could be cancelled if he won. [81] El-Sayed is a US-born doctor and former public health official, and there is no evidence he belongs to any foreign group. [81] Republicans hold 53 of the US Senate's 100 seats. [81]

Why it matters — Michigan is one of about seven close Senate races. [81] Petrol there costs $4.83 a gallon, up from $2.91 before the war on Iran. [81]
17
India's opposition calls a rally over voter lists

Rahul Gandhi, leader of India's opposition Congress party, called a Save the Vote march in New Delhi on 1 November. [82] He accuses the ruling BJP of stealing votes by removing names from voter lists. [82] A review by India's Election Commission has so far removed more than 130 million names from draft voter rolls. [82] Hundreds formed a human chain in Hyderabad against the review. [82]

Why it matters — The Election Commission runs India's elections, and its review decides who can vote. [82] A cartoonist's post criticising the same review was restricted on Instagram. [83]
18
US says Gulf oil is flowing again

US Central Command said on Sunday it has helped Gulf states export more than 1.5 billion barrels of oil since June through the Strait of Hormuz. [59] It said more than 3,000 ships crossed with its support, and over 95% sailed safely. [59] The tracking firm Kpler says 16.5 million barrels a day left the region in September, the pre-war average. [59] Brent oil still cost about $114.50 a barrel, against $72.48 before the war. [59]

Why it matters — Iran claims control of the strait and attacks ships that cross without its permission. [58] The figures came as Trump weighed new strikes. [55]
19
North Korea says the South faked a mine blast

North Korea wrote to the UN Security Council accusing South Korea of faking a landmine blast in the border zone on 21 September, state media said. [68] South Korea and the UN Command say a North Korean mine caused the blast, which seriously hurt two South Korean soldiers. [68] The letter warned that breaches of North Korea's land could bring self-defence. [69] South Korea proposed military talks again on Friday. [68]

Why it matters — North Korean troops have been building roads and fences and laying mines near the line between the two Koreas. [68] South Korea's unification ministry said the letter tries to justify that work. [69]
20
Thousands protest a Czech media plan

Thousands of people filled Prague's Old Town Square on Sunday against a plan to fund public radio and TV from the state budget instead of licence fees. [40][39] The lower house fast-tracked the bill in a vote at 4:36am on Saturday. [39] The broadcasters would get about 15% less money. [40] Public media staff plan a strike on 3 November. [39]

Why it matters — The coalition of Prime Minister Andrej Babis, a billionaire, says it is about clear funding, and critics say it would let Babis's government control the media. [39] The bill must still pass the upper house. [39]
21
Portugal's police clear housing camps

Police with dogs and batons cleared housing protest camps in Lisbon and Porto in the early hours of Sunday. [37] They arrested 31 people and removed 171 structures, and said 11 people were hurt. [37] The campaign group Casa Para Viver said more than 20 were hurt and that police fired rubber bullets. [37] Protesters had camped in central squares against housing costs that have outrun incomes. [37][38]

Why it matters — The campers want a cap on rents and a new tenancy law, and have called more protests for Wednesday. [38][37] Similar camps began in Spain. [37]
22
128 arrested after a night of looting in Barcelona

Police arrested 128 people, about a quarter of them under 18, after clashes and looting in central Barcelona on Saturday night. [36] The gathering was promoted online to copy France's high-school protest movement and drew about 600 people. [36] About 14 shops were looted and 15 police officers were hurt. [36] Barcelona's mayor said parents of the minors could face consequences. [36]

Why it matters — Catalan leaders said the violence had nothing to do with the housing camp in the same square. [36] Catalonia's leader, Salvador Illa, said protest is a right but violence cannot be justified. [36]
23
Israeli strike hits a Gaza university

An Israeli drone strike on the Islamic University in Gaza City killed three staff and wounded eight students on Sunday, the university and Al Shifa hospital said. [49][50] Israel's army said it was aiming at a Hamas fighter and the incident is under review. [49] Gaza's civil defence said four more people were killed elsewhere. [50] More than 1,500 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire began over a year ago, health officials say. [50]

Why it matters — Gaza's education ministry says 95% of university buildings have been damaged in the war. [49] It says 10 students and teachers were killed in six days. [49]
24
Jordan arrests three over the church attack

Jordanian security forces arrested three suspects in the attack on a Greek Orthodox church in Hamoud, a village in Karak province, the state news agency said on Monday. [62] The three were found in an abandoned house and wounded in a gunfight. [62] The attack on a funeral killed nine people and wounded 40. [62] It was the biggest attack on Jordan's Christians since the 1950s. [63]

Why it matters — No group has claimed it, and the suspects' links have not been named. [62] Queen Rania attended the funeral on Sunday. [63]
25
Iran and the UAE clash over a UN candidate

Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf, questioned the agenda of Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE's candidate to lead the UN. [60] Anwar Gargash, a senior UAE adviser, said his remarks lacked objectivity. [60] Nusseibeh replied that she would engage with Iran if chosen. [60] Latin American and Caribbean states also objected to her late entry, saying a consensus was forming behind their region. [61]

Why it matters — The UN Security Council has held six rounds of votes without a clear leader to replace Antonio Guterres. [61] Critics also point to the UAE's alleged arming of a militia in Sudan, which it denies. [61]
26
Gabon restores social media

Gabon's media regulator restored access to Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and Instagram on Saturday after an eight-month ban. [74][73] The ban began on 17 February, when President Brice Oligui Nguema faced strikes by teachers and civil servants. [73] Users must now show formal ID, which ends anonymity online. [74] The regulator said it is working with Meta, TikTok and YouTube on moderation. [74]

Why it matters — About 2.5 million people live in Gabon, and many young people use these apps to sell things and keep in touch. [73] Downloads of one VPN, a tool to get around blocks, rose 60,000% the day after the ban. [74]
27
Bodies in Haiti are not the hostages, Bukele says

El Salvador's president, Nayib Bukele, said four bodies handed over in Haiti are not those of four Salvadoran air technicians taken by gangs. [77] He said one was a child's and another wore a different army's uniform. [77] The four belonged to the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force and were ambushed in Croix-des-Bouquets, an area held by gangs near Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. [77] El Salvador has sent about 450 soldiers to find them. [77]

Why it matters — Gangs killed or injured more than 5,700 people in Haiti from January to September, the UN says. [77] The New York Times had reported the bodies were thought to be the missing men. [77]
28
Bus crash kills 22 in Kenya

A bus hit a truck on the highway between Nairobi, Kenya's capital, and the port of Mombasa on Sunday, killing at least 22 people. [75] The passengers were reportedly coming back from a funeral. [75] Three weeks earlier, 17 people died in another crash on the same road. [75] Kenya's road safety agency calls that stretch an accident black spot. [75]

Why it matters — Speeding and poor roads are often blamed for crashes in Kenya. [75] A local official said the toll could rise. [75]
29
Pakistan's governor says a chief minister is detained

Faisal Karim Kundi, governor of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said its chief minister, Sohail Afridi, is under house arrest and in safe hands. [84] Afridi has not been seen since Pakistan's federal government imposed governor's rule and an emergency on 11 October. [84] The assembly speaker is also held. [84] Kundi said Afridi would be charged if there were cases against him, or freed. [84]

Why it matters — Afridi's brother has asked the Peshawar High Court to find him. [84] Kundi said the emergency would be reviewed after six months. [84]
30
Sri Lanka treats stranded Iranian sailors

About 40 Iranian sailors stuck on US-sanctioned oil tankers off Sri Lanka were taken ashore for urgent medical care on Saturday, Sri Lanka's foreign ministry said. [85] Iran's embassy paid the costs, and the sailors left the island the same night. [85] A month ago The Wall Street Journal reported that US sanctions had left the ships stranded there. [85] Sri Lanka had earlier said it would not help the sanctioned ships. [85]

Why it matters — Sri Lanka says it acted on humanitarian grounds and organised the transfer alone. [85] It says the sanctions come from a broad US order, not one aimed at Sri Lanka. [85]
31
Bangladesh asks Saudi Arabia about two executions

Bangladesh asked Saudi Arabia for details of the execution of two of its citizens, a man and a woman, on 14 October. [86] They were convicted of an indecent act inside a mosque in the Makkah region. [86] Bangladesh's consulate asked how they were executed, where the bodies are and whether they had lawyers. [86] Its officials said they had no details of the trials. [86]

Why it matters — Bangladeshi officials say they got no detailed information from Saudi Arabia before the executions were carried out. [86] The letter also asks whether the bodies will be sent home or were buried in Saudi Arabia. [86]
32
Niger rations petrol at night

Niger's government banned petrol sales between 9pm and 6am, except at chosen stations, so suppliers can restock during a national shortage. [87] Selling fuel in jerry cans outside stations is also banned. [87] Queues have grown in Niamey, the capital. [87] A taxi driver said he could not make his payments for two days, and the taxi union asked for the curfew to be eased. [87]

Why it matters — The taxi union says transport makes a big contribution to the country's economy. [87] The state oil company, Sonidep, is meant to use the night hours to refill stations. [87]
33
Erdogan fires an adviser to please Azerbaijan

Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, sacked his chief adviser Oktay Saral on Sunday, Middle East Eye reported. [88] Saral had criticised Azerbaijan for banning headscarves in its schools. [88] Azerbaijan had demanded his removal. [88] Turkey wants Azerbaijan's president, Ilham Aliyev, to attend a summit of Turkic states in Turkey this week. [88]

Why it matters — Turkey and Azerbaijan share ethnic, cultural and religious ties. [88] An Azerbaijani source said the sacking made Aliyev more likely to come. [88]
34
Instagram blocks an Indian cartoonist again

Instagram blocked the account of Satish Acharya, a political cartoonist, inside India for the second time in three weeks. [83] Users saw a message saying it was unavailable under India's IT Rules, which let officials and courts order posts taken down. [83] Another cartoonist, Manjul, had a post restricted that criticised India's Election Commission. [83] Meta, which owns Instagram, said it may restrict accounts to obey the rules. [83]

Why it matters — Artists say they get little reason when their work is blocked. [83] India's government says the rules are needed to take down posts that break the law. [83] [83]
35
US bans BYD cars from an Okinawa base

The US military barred cars made by BYD, a Chinese carmaker, from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, from Monday. [93] It gave no specific reason. [93] Western governments worry that cameras, microphones and GPS in Chinese cars could be used to spy; the Dutch government warned of this in September. [93] In June the US Defense Department added BYD to a list of 188 Chinese military companies. [93]

Why it matters — Kadena is one of the largest US air bases in Asia. [93] It is not clear whether the ban will spread to other bases. [93]
36
Britain doubles money for rough sleepers

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said spending on ending rough sleeping will double to almost GBP 900m by the end of this parliament. [89] He has promised every rough sleeper in England a way off the streets by Christmas. [89] The budget will add GBP 432m to GBP 442m already set aside. [89] He holds a summit with charities and businesses on Monday. [89]

Why it matters — Outreach teams and new beds are running in Coventry and spreading to Plymouth and Camden. [89] The deadline is two months away. [89]
37
Britain set to miss its aid target

Britain is on course to miss its goal of spending 0.3% of national income on foreign aid by about GBP 400m in 2027, the Center for Global Development calculates. [90] It says the gap could reach GBP 580m. [90] The target was cut from 0.7% to pay for defence. [90] The researchers want ministers to add money in this week's budget. [90]

Why it matters — One researcher said GBP 400m would halve cuts to Africa that are likely to cost thousands of lives. [90] Higher inflation is one cause, because it raises the national income the target is measured against. [90]
38
Paris attack suspect sent for psychiatric checks

The man suspected of Friday's shooting in Trappes and La Verriere, near Paris, which killed one person and hurt five, was moved to psychiatric observation. [78] France's anti-terrorism prosecutors said doctors will judge within about 48 hours whether he can be questioned. [78] President Macron had called it a racist terrorist attack. [78] The victim's lawyer said the move could be used to paint the suspect as not responsible. [78]

Why it matters — The man killed was Pengo Bossio Wangi, a 26-year-old French-Congolese martial artist. [78] The attack targeted people of migrant origin. [78]
39
Israel frees the doctor of the poor

Israel released Mazen al-Rantisi, a 71-year-old Palestinian doctor, from Ofer prison on Sunday after nearly four months. [91] A photo showed him gaunt, with a wound on his forehead. [91] He was known for waiving fees and running a clinic for poor patients in Ramallah. [91] He was charged over chairing a Palestinian health charity, and told lawyers he was abused and denied medicine. [91]

Why it matters — Rights groups say Israel still holds nearly a hundred Palestinian health workers. [91] Another doctor freed in January lost almost a third of his weight in custody. [91]
40
Bullet left on an Australian minister's car

Paul Edbrooke, emergency services minister in the Australian state of Victoria, found a bullet on his car engraved with RAT and his old firefighter number. [92] He said it means someone has been following him. [92] He said the only aggressive threats he gets online come from members of a firefighters' union. [92] It came days after an alleged attack on the federal MP Helen Haines. [92]

Why it matters — There was no suggestion the two cases are linked. [92] The firefighter number was known mainly to firefighters. [92]
41
Bus crash near Barcelona injures 83

A bus went off a winding road and fell 20 metres down a slope at Fogars de Monclus, near Barcelona, on Sunday. [76] Catalan emergency services said 83 people were hurt, seven seriously. [76] Twenty-three ambulances and two medical helicopters were sent. [76] The cause is being investigated. [76]

Why it matters — Catalonia's health minister said rescuers were searching the area for more victims. [76] Three teams were sent to give the survivors psychological support. [76]

02 Lesson why it matters

Why a vote changes who rules only when the loser says he lost

A count names the winner, but the losing side's voters believe their own leader, so his words decide whether they accept it.

The twist

The votes decide who won, but whether the losing half of a country accepts it depends on one person: the man who lost.

The picture

Serbia: VucicConceded

Brazil: BolsonaroSeeks annulment

Both men lost clear votes on Sunday. Vucic told his side he had lost, and Bolsonaro asked for the result to be cancelled.

How it works

Officials count the votes and announce a winner
The losing side's voters trust their own leader more than the people counting
If he says he lost, his voters accept it and power changes hands
If he says the vote was stolen, millions of his voters doubt the result
The fight then moves to the courts and the streets, and the winner must govern people who think he cheated

The same force, elsewhere today

Where this chain is also running, in today's other stories.

Bolsonaro's refusal in Brazil

He lost by 4.4 million votes and told his voters the result should be annulled, so the next step is a legal fight instead of a handover.
Machado's return to Venezuela

Maduro would not accept the 2024 vote her movement is believed to have won, so she ended up in exile and Venezuela still has no election date.
The Alaska Senate lawsuit

The US Justice Department sued before any votes were cast, which critics say prepares the ground for refusing a Democratic win.

Where you've seen this

Chess

a player who resigns ends the game at once, while one who disputes the result sends it to an arbiter

Company boards

a boss who loses a board vote and leaves lets the firm move on, while one who sues can freeze it for months

Sport

when a losing captain shakes hands the fans calm down, and when he blames the referee they blame the referee too

The catch

A concession only settles things if the count was fair, and a refusal does not always win: Jair Bolsonaro refused to accept his 2022 defeat and is now in prison for plotting a coup.

And the whole of it

Every voter, the reader included, depends on a stranger on the losing side to say a sentence he does not want to say. On Sunday Serbia's voters heard it within 90 minutes. Brazil's voters did not hear it at all, and nobody in either country knew beforehand which kind of loser they would get.

03 Truth what's really going on

What is really going on

On Sunday two men lost national votes by clear margins. Serbia's Aleksandar Vucic told his party within about 90 minutes that it had lost, and promised a peaceful handover to the Student List. [10][11] Brazil's Flavio Bolsonaro lost by 4.4 million votes and said he would ask for the result to be annulled, over a voting extension his own campaign had also requested. [14][18]

Why it works on us — Saying the rules were changed in the middle of the game is a simple story about fairness, and it sticks because some Brazilians really were turned away during the confusion, even though both sides asked for the extra time. [16][18]

Who gains

The EU — A Serbian majority elected on promises to fight corruption and free the media fits the conditions the EU has set, and von der Leyen offered to advance Serbia's frozen bid at once. [11][6]
Lula and his Workers' Party — More of their voters turned out in the runoff, with stay-at-homes falling from 21.08% to 19.21%, which turned a first-round loss into a 4.4-million-vote win. [14]
Marine Le Pen's National Rally — Weeks of riots let it sell itself on order: it claims the vandals-pay bill as its idea, and Le Pen leads the polls on 34%. [34][30]
Delcy Rodriguez's interim government in Venezuela — US backing, after a deal giving US firms access to up to 65 billion barrels of oil, lets it stay without setting an election date. [25][24]
Andrej Babis's governing coalition — Moving public broadcasters onto the state budget puts their money in Babis's government's hands, which critics say would let it control them. [39][40]
Gulf oil exporters — With US escorts and mine-clearing they have sent more than 1.5 billion barrels through Hormuz since June, while oil sells near $114.50 a barrel. [59]

Who pays

Those who ran Serbia's big contracts under Vucic — The students promise to review deals like the $2.4bn Expo 2027 and remove officials who cracked down on protesters. [10][1]
Investors who bet on a right-wing win in Brazil — Shares rose almost 7% and the real nearly 5% after the first round, and analysts expect that rally to unwind. [15]
Hebron's 200,000 residents — The city is sealed, more than 2,000 people have lost their homes, and workers are barred from their jobs in settlements. [45][47]
Niger's taxi drivers — A night-time ban on petrol sales means queues by day, and one driver said he missed two days of payments. [87]
Czech public radio and television — They would get about 15% less money under the plan rushed through at 4:36am. [40]

What nobody knows yet

Open questions from across today’s stories — ours included.

01

How many seats the Student List will really hold in Serbia's parliament.

Vucic said 135 to 140, a CeSID sample said 138, and the updated Ipsos and CeSID projection said 141; the official tally was not due before Monday. [2][3][12]
02

Who will lead Serbia's new government.

The Student List has no single leader and had not named a candidate for prime minister. [10] Its representatives were also cautious before the vote on sanctions against Russia and on Kosovo. [10]
03

How clean Serbia's vote was.

CRTA, an independent watchdog, said its observers saw pressure on voters or poll workers at almost a third of the 500 polling stations they watched. [13] Observers from the OSCE, a European security body, were also there to give an independent assessment. [6]
04

Whether a Brazilian court will take up Bolsonaro's request to annul the vote.

He has said his lawyers will file, but no ruling or date has been set. [15] It is also unclear how many polling stations stayed open after 5pm, which is the heart of his complaint. [18]
05

Whether the US will strike Iran again or make a deal.

Trump says he is weighing both and will not strike before the midterms on 3 November. [55] Qatari mediators are in Iran, and neither side has published terms. [56]
06

Who ordered the slowdown of Ukraine's satellite internet earlier in October.

Elon Musk says SpaceX restricted Starlink but that the US government controls Starshield, its military version. [67] Zelensky credits a meeting with the US envoy for the fix, without saying who caused the problem. [66]
07

When Venezuela will hold a presidential election.

Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuela's interim president, has said elections will come but set no date, and has stayed past the 90 days she was meant to serve. [25][24]
08

How many people Israel has driven from their homes in Hebron.

Israel's defence minister says about 2,000, the mayor about 2,200 and the city council more than 2,600; no count has been checked independently. [45][48][47]
09

Who attacked the church funeral in Karak, and for whom.

Three suspects are under arrest, but Jordan has not named any group and none has claimed the attack. [62]
10

Where the four Salvadoran air technicians taken in Haiti are.

El Salvador's president says the four bodies handed over are not theirs, while The New York Times had reported they were thought to be. [77]

04 Hope carry this

Aleksandar Vucic told Serbia he had lost about 90 minutes after the polls closed. Crowds in Belgrade then offered police officers handshakes, high fives and hugs.

Also true today

Nearly 70% of Serbia's voters cast a ballot on Sunday, the most since 1992, and Serbs abroad queued for up to three hours in London to take part.
Maria Corina Machado walked into a church in Venezuela's Lara state on Sunday, home after more than 10 months in exile and seven failed attempts to return.
Gabon switched Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and Instagram back on for its 2.5 million people after an eight-month ban.
Zelensky said US warnings of incoming Russian ballistic missiles, which Ukraine's air defences rely on, are fully working again after recent problems.