The fifth plenary session of the CPC's 20th Central Committee opened in Beijing on Monday morning. Xi Jinping delivered a work report on behalf of the Political Bureau and explained a draft decision on persistently strengthening full and rigorous Party self-governance.

Communist Party of ChinaplenumParty self-governance

China’s ruling Communist Party is holding its most important meeting of the year from Oct. 26 to 29. The closed-door gathering of hundreds of senior officials is expected to prioritize party ideology and governance, including its anti-corruption campaign, over the economic policies that usually dominate a fifth plenum.

Chinese Communist Partyfifth plenumparty controlanti-corruption

China's ruling Communist Party began its fifth plenum in Beijing on Monday, with major issues including the sustained advancement of full and rigorous party self-governance on the agenda, state television CCTV reported.

ChinaCommunist Partyfifth plenum

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group said it struck Saudi Arabia’s East-West crude oil pumping stations and Riyadh airport on Monday. Saudi Arabia had not immediately confirmed the claim.

HouthisSaudi Arabiaoil infrastructureRiyadh airport

People in Belgrade celebrated after Serbia’s Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat in a historic election to a student-led protest movement, ending his long grip on power and heralding a new political era in the Balkan country.

SerbiaAleksandar Vucicelectionstudent movement

Aleksandar Vučić conceded defeat in Serbia’s October 25 snap parliamentary election, saying a stratified sample showed the student-led list winning 135 to 140 seats and his side about 105. He later allowed that some national minority lists might also have won seats. People across Serbia celebrated the Student List’s victory after his concession.

Serbiaparliamentary electionAleksandar Vučićstudent movement

Celebrations broke out across Belgrade after the student-backed movement scored a major victory over Aleksandar Vucic’s long-ruling party. The result follows nearly two years of protests sparked by a 2024 railway station collapse in Novi Sad that killed 16 people.

Serbiaelectionstudent movement

People celebrated in Belgrade after President Aleksandar Vučić acknowledged that his ruling party had lost Serbia’s snap parliamentary election, following nearly two years of student-led demonstrations.

SerbiaBelgradeparliamentary electionstudent protests

Former Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat in the Oct. 25 parliamentary election. He said the Students' List, backed by the protest coalition, was projected to win 135 to 140 seats, while his Serbian Progressive Party was expected to take 105. Student-led protests have opposed the ruling party for nearly two years, after a Novi Sad station canopy collapse killed 16 people.

Serbiaparliamentary electionstudent protestsAleksandar Vucic

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat on Sunday in what was described as a historic election, with turnout nearing 70%—the highest since Yugoslavia broke up in 1992. The snap vote followed almost two years of student-led protests over perceived corruption and authoritarianism, sparked by the deaths of 16 people in a 2024 train station canopy collapse in Novi Sad.

SerbiaelectionAleksandar Vucicstudent protests

International leaders and politicians congratulated Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva after he defeated right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro to secure a fourth non-consecutive term. Bolsonaro called for the vote to be annulled, citing an “unacceptable” two-hour extension of voting time granted by Brazil’s Supreme Court.

Brazil electionLulainternational reactions

Brazil’s electoral court said President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva prevailed in the October 25 runoff, securing an unprecedented fourth term.

BrazilLulapresidential election

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won reelection for a fourth, nonconsecutive term, receiving 51.79% of the vote against Flávio Bolsonaro’s 48.21%. Bolsonaro refused to concede and vowed to challenge the result and seek annulment. Electoral authorities recognized Lula’s victory. Lula has pursued diplomacy aimed at positioning Brazil as a potential mediator between Kyiv and Moscow.

Brazil electionLulaFlávio BolsonaroUkraine peace mediation

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva won an unprecedented fourth term, crediting young voters with helping him defeat right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro. Lula received more than 51% of the vote. Bolsonaro said he would not concede and would seek to annul the result.

Brazil electionLulaFlavio Bolsonaro

Lula won a fourth non-consecutive term after a dramatic runoff, securing more than 51 percent of the vote against Flavio Bolsonaro’s 48 percent. Confusion followed a last-minute extension of voting hours, and Bolsonaro pledged to seek annulment, alleging the decision confused voters.

Brazil electionLulapresidential runoffelection dispute

Brazil’s left-wing President Lula won a fourth term after narrowly defeating right-wing Flávio Bolsonaro in a close vote. BBC correspondent Ione Wells explains the result from Brasília.

BrazilLulaFlávio Bolsonaroelection

Jordan’s state television says three people have been arrested in connection with an attack on a church.

Jordanchurch attackarrests

Jordanian security forces arrested three suspects linked to a church attack that killed nine people in the US-allied country, state television reported on Monday.

Jordanchurch attackarrests

Senator Flavio Bolsonaro refused to recognize the presidential election outcome and called for it to be annulled, objecting to a two-hour extension of voting that he said changed the rules. The Superior Electoral Court said Lula won the runoff with 51.74% of the vote and was re-elected.

Brazil electionFlavio BolsonaroLulaelection dispute

Flavio Bolsonaro called for Brazil’s presidential runoff to be annulled after losing to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The chaotic vote was marred by allegations of voter suppression and a last-minute extension of voting hours.

Brazil electionFlavio BolsonaroLula

Flavio Bolsonaro refused to accept defeat after incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won by nearly 4.4 million votes on Sunday. The vote followed a chaotic delay in polling-place closing times ordered by a Supreme Court justice.

Brazil electionFlavio BolsonaroLula

A magnitude-7 earthquake in Baqen County, Nagqu, has killed 16 people and injured 76, while more than 12,000 residents were evacuated. Rescue teams are providing medical care and disease-prevention measures, and mobile kitchens, water purification stations and eco-friendly toilets are operating at resettlement sites.

earthquakedisaster reliefpublic healthresettlement

A court in Victoria dismissed Andre McKechnie’s challenge to the prison ban on Vegemite. He argued that being denied the spread breached his right to enjoy Australian culture, but the judge found the restriction justified by prison management and security needs.

VegemiteVictoria prisonshuman rightscourt ruling

At a rally in Michigan, Trump spoke out against El-Sayed and urged people to vote, saying, “essentially we are all on the ballot.”

Donald TrumpMichiganUS midterm elections

With the US midterms just over a week away, Trump has launched another fierce anti-Muslim attack on Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. His race against Republican Mike Rogers could help decide which party controls the US Senate.

Donald TrumpAbdul El-SayedUS midtermsanti-Muslim rhetoric

President Trump attacked Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate nominee, who is in a dead heat with Republican Mike Rogers.

U.S. politicsDonald TrumpMichiganIslamophobia

President Donald Trump escalated his attacks at a campaign rally on Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, his Muslim faith and Egyptian heritage. Trump repeatedly portrayed the Michigan-born Democrat as sympathetic to Islamic extremism, without providing evidence for the allegations.

Donald TrumpAbdul El-SayedMichigancampaign rally

Elon Musk said in a post on X that SpaceX has completed $40 billion in debt financing to buy GPUs.

SpaceXElon Muskdebt financingAI chips

Elon Musk said SpaceX has completed a $40 billion debt deal to buy chips needed to advance its artificial intelligence ambitions.

SpaceXElon Muskartificial intelligencedebt financing

Elon Musk said SpaceX had completed $40 billion in debt financing for graphics processing units. He said the company’s investment-grade status and revenue from Starlink satellite internet and launch operations helped it retain access to credit.

SpaceXElon Muskdebt financingGPUs