Associated Press, via U.S. News · Published October 25, 2026, 1:00 a.m. (timezone not specified)
Brazilians are voting today in the presidential runoff between Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro, the former president’s son. Pre-election polls indicate a neck-and-neck race; no result is established in the reporting checked.
The stakes extend beyond a left–right alternation in Latin America’s largest economy. The candidates differ on climate policy, welfare and relations with the United States. Bolsonaro advocates closer agreements with Washington, including on rare minerals. The winner will also appoint at least three of the Supreme Court’s 11 justices as retirements fall due. Today’s choice could therefore reshape both Brazil’s international alignment and its domestic institutions well beyond one presidential term.
Associated Press · Updated October 25, 2026, 05:59 UTC
Serbia is holding an early parliamentary election today, pitting Aleksandar Vučić’s ruling party against the student-backed Students’ List. The movement grew out of protests after the Novi Sad railway-station canopy collapse killed 16 people. Protesters allege corruption contributed to negligence in the renovation; that allegation is not itself a judicial finding.
The question is whether sustained civic mobilisation can become institutional power. Students assembled a slate of outside candidates and campaigned in rural areas traditionally favourable to Vučić. Yet monitors have raised concerns about detentions, media control and attacks on activists in this EU-candidate country. A close contest does not establish a fair electoral process: the count and acceptance of the result matter too. AP expects an official tally no earlier than Monday.
Associated Press · Updated October 25, 2026, 07:30 UTC
Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport opened terminals 1 and 2 to domestic and international flights today, expanding beyond the limited domestic service restored last week after deadly Houthi strikes. Saudi Arabia separately said it intercepted a Houthi ballistic missile and drone early Sunday.
Restored infrastructure is not restored security. Reopening expands civilian connectivity, while continued attacks leave that recovery exposed. The fresh development is a partial operational recovery—not a ceasefire or confirmation that the entire airport is back to normal.