From two stunning election turnarounds in Europe and South America to a surprise return in Venezuela and fresh street protests in France and the Czech Republic, the last 48 hours have delivered a fast-moving set of global developments. Here are the biggest stories shaping the world right now.
Serbia: student movement topples Vucic after 14 years
Serbia's longtime leader Aleksandar Vucic has conceded defeat in a snap parliamentary election, ending his party's 14-year rule. Vucic told supporters in Belgrade late on Sunday that the student-backed Student List had won the ballot, with preliminary projections giving the movement 135 to 140 seats in the 250-seat parliament. Vucic said the movement received more than 2 million votes in a country of 6.5 million, and officials pointed to record turnout. Celebrations erupted in Belgrade after the concession. The vote followed nearly two years of anti-government protests sparked by the deadly Novi Sad railway station canopy collapse in 2024, which killed 16 people and became a symbol of corruption for protesters. Vucic claimed, without providing evidence, that the Student List won with the help of foreign aid. Attention now turns to how the student movement forms a government and whether it can hold its broad coalition together.
Brazil: Lula wins historic fourth term in knife-edge runoff
In Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has won a fourth term as president, defeating right-wing candidate Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, in a runoff decided by 51.75 percent to 48.25 percent. The result, reported on October 26, reverses Lula's first-round defeat and halts a rightward wave in South America, but it leaves him facing a congress where the centre of gravity has moved right, along with high debt levels. Bolsonaro has called for the result to be annulled and said conceding is impossible, setting up a contested aftermath. Lula inherits an economy under strain and a deeply divided country, and analysts expect fiscal friction rather than a honeymoon period.
Venezuela: Machado returns after months in exile
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has returned to the country after months abroad, in a surprise move that could test both acting President Delcy Rodriguez's political opening and the Trump administration's strategy for post-Maduro Venezuela. Machado posted "I'm here, with you" on October 25, and her party shared photos and videos of her arriving at a church in Lara state, where emotional supporters embraced her and said she would be the next president. She gave no details on how she entered the country. Machado left a month before the United States seized Nicolas Maduro, and her team thanked President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for their support. Trump said he did not know about her return, while her longtime ally Representative Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida called it "the beginning of a new chapter." Analysts expect Machado to push for elections much sooner than Trump had in mind.
France: protests continue as "vandals pay" bill sparks outrage
France has seen renewed demonstrations in Paris and other cities over education, living costs and public services, with figures cited by the Interior Ministry putting nationwide participation at around 410,000 people, including about 110,000 in Paris. Some gatherings turned violent, prompting police intervention, and the government has already introduced restrictions on demonstrations in some city centres and near schools. At the centre of the latest row is a controversial "vandals pay" bill that would allow authorities to fine demonstrators who remain near acts of vandalism or belong to the same group as those responsible. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu defended the bill as "absolutely essential" after looting, fires and property damage during recent demonstrations. Trade unions and human rights organisations warn it could discourage peaceful protest, and campaigners described it in an open letter as "a serious attack on the freedom to demonstrate." Far-right leader Marine Le Pen has backed tougher penalties. The bill is set to be debated in the French Senate this week.
Czech Republic: tens of thousands protest media funding overhaul
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Prague on Sunday to protest a controversial government plan to overhaul the funding of Czech public broadcasters, organised by the civic initiative Million Moments for Democracy. Protesters carried signs reading "We don't want censorship back!" and "Stop the government of arrogance and destruction." The populist government of Prime Minister Andrej Babis wants to abolish household licence fees and fund Czech Television and Czech Radio through the state budget, with funding cuts of more than 15 percent. Critics say the change would leave broadcasters vulnerable to political pressure. The bill passed its first reading in the lower house during an unusual overnight session early on Saturday, after being brought to the floor outside the planned order of proceedings. President Petr Pavel criticised the rush, saying it undermined "faith in the good intentions of its proponents." The bill now goes to parliamentary committees before a later vote.
Israel: election eve overshadowed by Iran warning
Israel heads to elections on Tuesday, October 27, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning Iran and its allies against disrupting the vote and threatening a forceful response. Opposition leader Yair Lapid accused Netanyahu of seeking to escalate the conflict to delay the election, an allegation the prime minister has denied. US President Donald Trump urged voters to pick Netanyahu, calling him "an outstanding Warrior Prime Minister." The vote comes as regional tensions remain high and as Yemen's Houthis threaten further strikes, with Saudi air defences intercepting missiles and drones. The outcome will shape Israel's next government and its approach to both Iran and the wider region.
What to watch next
Watch for Serbia's final election results and the shape of its new government, Brazil's response to Bolsonaro's annulment calls, Machado's next moves inside Venezuela, the French Senate debate on the "vandals pay" bill, the Czech media bill's committee stage, and the result of Israel's Tuesday election.
Sources: The Straits Times, Firstpost, ABP News, DD India, The News.