The US midterms take place in just a few days' time: on 3 November the House of Representatives and a third of the Senate will be up for election. According to the polls it cannot be ruled out that the Democratic Party will win a majority in one or even both chambers of Congress, which would make governing the country considerably more difficult for US President Donald Trump. Commentators are on tenterhooks.
Sixty-eight people lost their lives on the high-speed railway line from Madrid to Andalusia on Wednesday, when one train crashed into another that was stationary on the open track. This is the second serious train accident on the route this year. The media examine the causes and consequences for the country, where a snap election is due to take place in a month's time.
The grassroots Student List movement, which stood for the first time for election, has won a clear victory in Serbia's snap election, securing 54 percent of the vote and thus an absolute majority in the parliament. Former President Aleksandar Vučić has conceded defeat. Europe's media assess the challenges and the foreign policy implications of the change of government in Belgrade.
Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finland's President Alexander Stubb have had a phone conversation with Vladimir Putin for the first time since the war began. Their initiative has drawn sharp criticism from their Nordic partners. Who should negotiate with Moscow, and what role can Europe play? Nordic media discuss diplomatic solo efforts and how to deal with Russia.
With all the votes counted in Israel's general election, it is now clear that neither of the two major blocs has secured a sufficient majority to form a government: Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party and its allies won 53 seats in the Knesset, while the electoral bloc led by his challenger, Gadi Eisenkot secured 48. Arab parties won 19 of the 120 seats.
A ceasefire has come into force in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky in southern Ukraine, to allow humanitarian aid to be delivered and the remaining civilian population to be evacuated. Residents of the city are starving because they have had little access to food, water or other supplies for a long time due to landmines and drone attacks. Melania Trump played a key role in securing the truce.
The president of the Hellenic Basketball Federation, Vangelis Liolios, has been arrested on suspicion of bribery and match-fixing. Arrest warrants have also been issued for several referees. Liolios has stepped down from his post but denies the allegations. Around 50 matches are under investigation, with the alleged irregularities dating back to 2016. The Greek press discusses the scandal.
The conservative Partido Popular (PP) and the far-right Vox have agreed to present joint lists of candidates in a bid to secure a right-wing majority in the upper house of the Spanish parliament, the Senate, in the run-up to the general election. Under the deal, Vox will refrain from fielding its own candidates in 14 provinces and instead place an independent candidate on each of the PP's lists. In exchange, the PP will stand aside in three constituencies.
Israelis elects a new parliament today. Following the devastating Hamas massacre on 7 October 2023 and three years of war, a deeply polarised country will decide which direction its politics take. According to polls, it looks set to be a close race between Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing religious bloc and the more moderate opposition alliance led by Gadi Eisenkot, former chief of staff of the Israel Defence Forces.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has narrowly won the presidential election in Brazil. His victory against Flávio Bolsonaro is making waves across the globe. How will Lula's fourth non-consecutive term impact relations with the US, Europe and China? And what does his re-election mean for global climate action? The international press sizes up Brazil's future role in global politics.
According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the Trump administration is pushing former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán as a candidate for the post of UN Secretary-General. There is speculation that Orbán could even be nominated as a joint candidate by the US, Russia and China. The reports have sparked a lively debate among commentators in Hungary.
The Czech Republic's governing parties passed a bill on Friday night reforming the funding of the country's public service broadcasters. Under the new legislation, radio stations and TV channels will see their funding cut by 15 percent – and the money will no longer come from licence fees but from the state budget. The opposition has described the reform as an attack on freedom of expression and protests have been held in Prague and other cities.