From a historic election in Brazil to protests in Prague and France, a tense standoff over Iran, and health and diplomacy developments in Africa and Asia, here are the biggest global stories of the last two days.
Brazil: Lula wins a historic fourth term
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won Sunday's runoff against Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, securing a fourth, non-consecutive term due to begin on January 5, 2027. With all votes counted, Lula led by roughly 4.2 to 4.4 million votes, about 51.7 percent to 48.3 percent, according to Reuters and other outlets. The result defied polls and precedent: Lula finished second in the October 4 first round, the first candidate since Brazil's return to direct elections in 1989 to win after placing second. A Supreme Court order extending voting by two hours amid transport and flooding problems has raised the prospect of legal challenges from Bolsonaro's camp.
Czech Republic: Thousands protest public media plan in Prague
Thousands gathered in Prague's Old Town Square on Sunday to protest a bill that would abolish licence fees for public television and radio and replace them with state-budget funding. The lower house fast-tracked the bill in an overnight vote on Saturday, October 24. Protesters chanted "4:36", the hour of the vote, and demanded the bill be withdrawn. The government, led by Prime Minister Andrej Babis, says funding will be guaranteed by law and editorial independence will not change; critics, including press-freedom groups and the opposition, warn the change would cut budgets by about 15 percent and give the coalition leverage over public media. A larger protest is planned for November 15.
France: More than 1,300 arrested as cost-of-living protests turn violent
More than 1,300 people were arrested and 53 police officers injured as cost-of-living protests across France turned violent for a second weekend, according to reports of Saturday's marches. Interior Ministry figures put turnout at more than 400,000, while unions put it closer to 800,000. The unrest comes as France heads toward a presidential election in six months, with far-right leader Marine Le Pen launching her campaign in Orleans on Sunday and counter-protesters marching against her party in the same city. Unions have vowed to keep marching in the weeks ahead.
United States and Iran: Trump rules out a strike on Sunday as mediators step in
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday there would be no strike on Iran that day, while keeping the prospect of renewed military action open. "The answer is no, there will not be a strike today," he said, while also telling Fox News he was deciding between making a deal with Tehran or taking action to "finish them off". Qatari mediators arrived in Iran on Sunday as part of a US-coordinated de-escalation effort, months after an April ceasefire halted the most intense phase of the US-Israeli war on Iran. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that a new war would not change Iran's policies.
Nigeria: Hunt widens for possible Ebola cases
Nigeria has widened its hunt for possible Ebola cases, according to Agence France-Presse reporting on October 26. Health authorities are tracing contacts as part of the response, in a region on alert after recent Ebola developments in West and Central Africa. No confirmed case count was reported in the latest update, and officials are urging vigilance while tracing continues.
Asia: Kim Jong Un visits China as regional diplomacy continues
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited China, according to Associated Press reporting on October 25, to inaugurate a new cross-border bridge. The visit underlines the close, if carefully managed, relationship between Pyongyang and Beijing at a time of heightened regional tension. South Korea, meanwhile, has proposed holding border talks with the North, another sign that diplomacy, however tentative, remains active on the peninsula.
What to watch next
Watch for the Czech upper house and constitutional court on the media bill, for whether Bolsonaro's camp formally challenges Brazil's result, for the next round of French marches, and for whether Qatari mediation produces any US-Iran talks. Each of these stories could move quickly in the next 48 hours.
Sources: Reuters, Free Malaysia Today, Dawn, Dawn.