Oct 31, 2026, 03:30 AM UTC

Record voter turnout was reported across Serbia on Sunday as citizens cast ballots in high-stakes snap parliamentary elections. A student-led movement, which emerged from two years of anti-corruption protests following a fatal railway canopy collapse in Novi Sad, presents the most significant challenge to President Aleksandar Vučić and his ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) since 2012.

Moving beyond civil disobedience, student activists organized formal candidate lists to challenge the government through democratic channels. However, opposition supporters and election observers continue to express widespread concerns over potential ballot theft and election manipulation. Polling stations closed on Sunday evening, with official results expected in the coming days.

Sources: Balkan Insight, Bloomberg, Cyprus Mail, OCCRP, Politico Europe.

Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has suffered a major cyberattack resulting in an estimated loss of $6.3 billion (€5.6 billion), marking potentially the largest theft in crypto history. Investigations indicate attackers compromised an operations engineer's laptop to execute unauthorized withdrawals during a 20-minute window. Binance reported freezing roughly $3 billion of the targeted funds to mitigate total losses.

Initial reports placed losses around $2 billion, while co-founder Changpeng Zhao initially assured users that funds remained secure. Security firm TRM Labs attributed the breach with high confidence to TraderTraitor, a cybercrime group linked to North Korea.

Sources: ANSA, El Mundo, Il Messaggero, Jornal Económico, La Vanguardia.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced during a visit to Kraljevo that the national government plans to secure two major foreign investors for the municipality within the next 12 months. According to Vučić, the incoming commercial projects are expected to create approximately 1,000 new local jobs, forming a key component of regional economic development efforts.

Concurrently in Belgrade, the Serbian National Assembly wrapped up its daily legislative session shortly after 6:00 PM local time on Monday. Parliamentary lawmakers completed their scheduled agenda items for the day and are set to resume deliberations on Tuesday morning at 10:00 AM.

Sources: Tanjug

North Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski has declared that his country serves as a vital anchor for American interests in the Western Balkans. Speaking to US outlet Breitbart News, Mickoski affirmed his administration's support for US President Donald Trump's policy agenda spanning foreign affairs, energy, and geopolitics.

Mickoski highlighted that North Macedonia shares US diplomatic positions regarding nations like Iran, Venezuela, and Cuba. He also pointed to active bilateral military cooperation, noting that US military aircraft utilize domestic airports for transit to the Persian Gulf. Furthermore, the prime minister cited polling data indicating that public approval for Trump within North Macedonia ranks higher than in other European countries. Following his attendance at the United Nations General Assembly, Mickoski published a photo with Trump, describing the relationship as an "alliance based on trust, support and friendship."

Sources: Kanal 5, Makfax, MIA (Media Information Agency), N1, SDK

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva secured reelection in Sunday's presidential runoff, obtaining 51.78% of the vote against challenger Flávio Bolsonaro's 48.22%, according to official figures from the Superior Electoral Court. The voting process was marked by logistical disruptions after election authorities extended voting hours by two hours following reports of public transit shortages that Lula claimed left some voters "prevented from voting."

Following the announcement of the official count, Flávio Bolsonaro filed a legal petition requesting that electoral authorities annul the election results. The challenge is currently undergoing judicial review by the Superior Electoral Court. The election capped a tense campaign that left voters deeply polarized across the South American nation.

Sources: Le Figaro, Le Monde, Le Soir, Libération, RTBF Info.