October 2026

Serbia's student list won Sunday's snap parliamentary election, ending 14 years of dominance by Aleksandar Vucic, who had ruled the Balkan country since 2014. Vucic, the prime minister, conceded defeat after the vote, which drew historic turnout. The student list took on what the opposition called a corrupt and authoritarian government and won.

Polling stations opened in Israel on 27 October for elections to the next Knesset, the first vote since 7 October. The outcome will determine the composition of parliament and the country's political direction, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's future the central question. Netanyahu is the only security official still in his post three years after 7 October, and he has survived the worst disaster in Israel's history by treating war as a resource, hostages as coalition arithmetic and each military victory as judicial respite, Le Figaro writes.

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won Brazil's presidential election with 51.79 percent of the vote, according to results reported on Monday. The result gives Lula a fourth term in office, described as unprecedented.

A collision between two trains in Spain has killed 64 people and injured 58, the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha announced. The death toll remains provisional. The crash has drawn national attention to the victims, among them a former minister reported missing and an actor who survived.

Israel's election commission published final results showing Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition of right and far-right parties ahead in the Knesset vote but without a majority. The outgoing coalition took 53 seats, while the opposition bloc led by centrist Gadi Eisenkot won 48. Neither side can form a government on the results alone.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced localised curfews and the option of a state of emergency in response to the violence that followed the 17 October mobilisations. His announcements also included aid for businesses damaged during the unrest. A second round of action was called for the following Saturday.

A gunman opened fire with an automatic weapon in Trappes and La Verrière in the Yvelines, killing one person and wounding four others. The Parquet national antiterroriste has taken charge of the investigation. A suspect was arrested.

The main suspect in the fire that destroyed Limoges city hall was arrested by the Raid on Tuesday morning in Haute-Vienne. The man is described as a 40-year-old far-left activist who is listed as a fiché S, a person flagged for state security monitoring. The fire was set on the margins of the 17 October demonstrations.

The French government plans to sign a circular that would allow social benefits to be docked from people responsible for the looting during the 17 October mobilisation. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin and Jeanbrun want to hit the looters' wallets by withdrawing their social benefits. The measure targets allocations and the RSA received by those who took part in the pillaging.

The interest burden alone will reach 90 billion euros next year, the Cour des comptes warned. The yield on ten-year French government bonds has climbed above 4 percent, its highest level since November 2008. The surge in borrowing is attributed to the Covid pandemic, the energy crisis, tax choices and interest rates.

Contestatory actions took shape across France on Saturday 17 October, with a heavy police presence deployed. Lycéens were called on to join the Gilets jaunes for the day of mobilisation, and mobilisations were tracked in Pau and the Béarn as well as nationally.

Jurist Olivier Cahn argues that "garde à vue au chalut" — dragnet police custody — is now being used to reduce the number of demonstrators and prevent public disorder, in comments published by Le Monde. His intervention comes amid a wave of lycée blockades and a police response that has drawn scrutiny.

A cyberattack on supermarket refrigeration systems has prompted warnings that the water, energy and food sectors form a vital triangle under threat, with the incident described as a wake-up call for industrial operators and a reminder of European law for France. Distributors are drawing lessons from the shock, with one saying there will be a before and an after.

Emmanuel Macron said Marine Le Pen shows a "lack of humility", a remark reported as the Rassemblement National leader faces criticism over her stance on aid to Ukraine. Le Pen, a candidate for the 2027 presidential election, has been heavily criticised for her position and defends her intention to cut French assistance to Kyiv.

US President Donald Trump exempted Russia from a package of new sanctions adopted by Congress, cancelling planned measures against Vladimir Putin by striking a major law. Moscow welcomed the move, calling it a "historic moment."

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced that France will release 10 million barrels of diesel from reserves over three months. The measure is expected to lower pump prices by between 12 and 18 centimes per litre. Lecornu also said there will be no increase in electricity prices this winter.

A video shows a teenager in Lens leaning toward a stun grenade before the device detonated and amputated his hand, according to franceinfo. The incident occurred during the lycée blockade movement, which has seen students protest across France against a lack of resources and in support of a public-sector strike.

The French government is preparing the 2027 budget, the last before the presidential election, with a focus on reducing public spending. As part of this effort, it plans to save 6 billion euros on pensions in 2027 and is examining measures such as pension deindexation and a tax deduction for retirees. The head of the Cour des comptes, Amélie de Montchalin, warned that each month of inaction worsens France's financial asphyxiation and called for action in the 2027 budget.

A 17-year-old lycéen was injured in the head during a CRS charge outside the Marie-Curie lycée in Marseille, during a blockade of the school. He will file a complaint, and an investigation has been opened.

Suspected plague deaths in Russia, reported in Siberia, have drawn international concern. French outlets are covering the case as a set of unanswered questions about the deaths and the disease's transmission and treatment.

Sophie Binet said the intersyndicale will "continue to mobilise" until it is heard, as public-sector workers struck on 29 September 2026. The CGT published the locations and times of demonstrations across France for that day. Education unions set out their main demands for the strike.

Mediapart published writings it attributes to Jordan Bardella, the president of the Rassemblement National, including the statement that "the banks are all owned by Jews." The outlet dates the writings to 2013. Bardella rejected the material as "crude forgeries" and announced legal action against the outlet.

Rachida Dati faced the final day of her corruption trial, where the prosecution requested a prison sentence and immediate ineligibility. The PNF (Parquet national financier) also sought a sentence that could be served outside prison, such as an electronic bracelet, according to RTL. The prosecution accused her of seeking to 'capitalize on a public mandate to rake in as much profit as possible,' as reported by Le Monde.

France's public debt has risen to 119 percent of GDP, a level not seen since 1946, and the country is at the centre of international concern over its finances. The yield on ten-year French government bonds has climbed above 4 percent, reaching its highest level since November 2008.

Lycée blockades are spreading across France, with students protesting against a lack of resources and in support of a public-sector strike. The movement has pitted La France insoumise against the government. In Paris, the rectorat said fewer than ten lycées were affected.