October 2026

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the 80-year-old leader of the left-wing Workers' Party, won the second round of Brazil's presidential election. With more than 99 percent of ballots counted, he led Flávio Bolsonaro, the 45-year-old right-wing conservative senator and son of the convicted former president, by more than three percentage points.

The board of Kazakhstan's Samruk-Kazyna removed Kairat Maksutov as chairman of the management board of Samruk-Energo on Wednesday. The government's press service announced the decision. Maksutov had headed the company since June 2023, more than three years in the post.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, delivering his address to the nation of Kazakhstan, told deputies of the kurultai to discuss with the government whether to introduce a new three-year moratorium on inspections of micro- and small businesses starting January 1, 2027. A moratorium of the same kind already ran from 2020 to 2024. He also instructed that local business access to procurement by state bodies and national companies be simplified.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev arrived in Turkey on an official visit on 28 October, his press service Akorda said. He is visiting at the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with the trip scheduled for 28-30 October, presidential press secretary Aibek Smadiyarov said. The visit includes talks with Erdogan and participation in a summit of the Organization of Turkic States.

Binance, the largest cryptocurrency exchange, reported a hack that may have affected assets worth $6.3 billion, and the company has already suspended operations. Analysts at TRM suspect an elite North Korean hacker group of carrying out what is described as the largest cryptocurrency theft in history, with the operation reportedly taking about 20 minutes.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev chaired a Security Council meeting on military reform and instructed officials to draft proposals for reforming the defense sector. He tied the work to what the sources describe as large-scale transformations in the country.

An international arbitration court rejected claims by Kazakhstan against major oil companies totaling about $12 billion over disputed costs at the Kashagan field, Bloomberg reported, citing sources. The court sat in The Hague.

The monetary policy committee of Kazakhstan's National Bank cut the base rate to 15.75 percent from 16.25 percent, with a corridor of plus or minus 1 percentage point. The decision was announced on Friday, 23 October. The bank had already lowered the rate from 16.75 percent to 16.25 percent in early September.

The figure is a preliminary estimate, the bank said. The inventory was described as a forced check of the existing waiting list rather than a new application round.

Kazakhstan's foreign ministry said it welcomes the United Arab Emirates' nomination of its minister of state for foreign affairs, a former permanent representative, as a candidate for UN secretary-general. The ministry issued the statement in support of the Emirati candidacy.