Oct 31, 2026, 03:30 PM UTC

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has explicitly rejected a 15-point Gaza peace framework proposed by US President Donald Trump, declaring that Israeli forces will not pull out from the territory until Hamas completely disarms. Speaking in televised remarks to his cabinet, Netanyahu emphasized that Israel "will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed" and vowed to continue counteracting security threats.

The rejection comes despite Israeli military operations in Gaza slowing down recently following pressure from Washington. The initiative, which was endorsed by Hamas in late July, has highlighted growing diplomatic tension between Jerusalem and Washington. Netanyahu faces significant internal political pressures as he prepares for an October 27 general election, navigating demands from far-right coalition partners while trying to preserve relations with the US administration.

Sources: Cyprus Mail, France24, STV News, The Guardian, The Herald.

Brazilian electoral authorities are reviewing a legal challenge filed by Flávio Bolsonaro seeking to annul the results of Sunday's presidential runoff, following the official declaration of incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's victory.

According to the Superior Electoral Court, Lula secured 51.78% of the vote compared to 48.22% for his challenger, with nearly all ballots tallied. Voting operations were extended by two hours after public transportation shortages in several municipalities led to complaints that voters were being prevented from reaching polling stations.

While electoral officials confirmed Lula's narrow victory, Bolsonaro's campaign immediately submitted a petition to contest the outcome, leaving the final resolution to a judicial review amidst heightened political polarization.

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

Ukraine's Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko has accused Semen Kryvonos, director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), of document forgery and orchestrating a fake adoption to evade prosecution. In a video announcement, Kravchenko claimed he signed a notice of suspicion against Kryvonos.

In response, NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) stated Kryvonos was never officially served. They characterized Kravchenko's actions as a distraction to hinder ongoing investigations into a criminal network linked to current and former lawmakers and Presidential Office officials.

Following the announcement, reports indicated Kravchenko crossed the border in a state-owned vehicle. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy subsequently urged parliament to expedite Kravchenko's official dismissal.

Sources: OCCRP, NEXTA, Радіо Свобода, The Insider, Українська правда.

Serbians voted in large numbers on Sunday in a snap parliamentary election that presents the most formidable challenge to President Aleksandar Vučić and his ruling Serbian Progressive Party in over a decade.

The election follows nearly two years of widespread anti-corruption demonstrations, which were triggered by a fatal railway station canopy collapse in Novi Sad. Student activists transformed their civil disobedience movement into formal electoral candidate lists, opting to confront the government directly at the ballot box.

While public engagement remained high throughout polling day, opposition figures and youth activists expressed serious concerns regarding potential electoral fraud and voting irregularities. Political observers described the contest as the most unpredictable election in Serbia since 2012. Official results are expected in the coming days.

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

Firefighters in southern France have made progress against active wildfires in the Aude department. Authorities reported that the blaze in the Corbières massif has been contained, although inaccessible hot spots continue to require monitoring across its 225-hectare perimeter. Meanwhile, emergency services have fully extinguished fires in the Var department and halted the advance of blazes in Drôme and Gironde.

As conditions stabilize, Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu is scheduled to visit Gironde on August 17 to launch regional reconstruction efforts. Official figures from the Interior Ministry confirm that wildfires have consumed 115,000 hectares nationwide since the start of the year.

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