Nov 1, 2026, 04:30 PM UTC

Former French presidential candidate Ségolène Royal has officially secured the endorsements required to compete in the left-wing primary ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Organized jointly by the Socialist Party and Place Publique, the primary will take place over two rounds in October, featuring seven declared candidates, including Socialist Party First Secretary Olivier Faure. Royal highlighted her continued ties within the party to gather support, though tension has already emerged following her critique of rival candidate Raphaël Glucksmann as the "chouchou des médias."

Meanwhile, Communist Party leader Fabien Roussel confirmed he will bypass the primary to launch an independent campaign.

Sources: La Tribune, Le Figaro, Le Monde, Libération

Swedish authorities are taking action against the growing involvement of minors in violent crime, online radicalisation, and criminal gang networks.

According to the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Brå), gangs lure children via digital platforms using financial incentives before applying relentless pressure. Police recently identified over 70 young individuals who responded to online recruitment advertisements posted by criminal networks.

At the same time, law enforcement and social care agencies are confronting violent online subcultures where minors idolise mass murderers. In Växjö, a 13-year-old suspect in a school knife attack was placed in emergency locked care after social services assessed him as possessing significant violent capacity. Separately, courts remanded a teenager suspected of plotting a school murder to prevent evidence tampering and further criminal activity.

Sources: 8 Sidor, Dagens Nyheter, Svenska Dagbladet, SVT, Sydsvenskan

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will miss the upcoming Organization of Turkic States (OTS) summit in Turkey, marking his first absence from an official gathering of the regional bloc in 17 years. The decision comes as reporting highlights differing interpretations of Baku's current relationship with Ankara and its broader regional agenda.

State-aligned coverage emphasizes Azerbaijan's strategic ambition to expand the OTS into a key platform for security, energy, and transport coordination across the region. According to this perspective, Baku continues to drive the alliance's evolution beyond traditional cultural cooperation. Conversely, independent reports suggest Aliyev's absence points to underlying political strains between Azerbaijan and Turkey following recent diplomatic friction. Officials in Baku have not provided an explicit explanation for the decision, while observers closely monitor the implications for regional diplomacy.

Sources: OC Media, Trend News Agency

Former Serbian leader Aleksandar Vučić has conceded defeat in Sunday’s snap parliamentary election, ending twelve years of dominance over national politics. Speaking in Belgrade before official results were finalized, Vučić acknowledged preliminary projections indicating that the opposition Student List is set to secure a decisive majority with 135 to 140 seats in the 250-member assembly.

The ruling coalition is projected to hold roughly 105 seats following a vote characterized by record voter turnout. The election followed two years of widespread anti-government protests, concluding in large street celebrations across the capital as opposition supporters gathered to mark the projected outcome. Official electoral authorities are expected to release certified final figures in the coming days.

Sources: Telex, HVG, 444.

Rights monitoring groups and independent outlets in Turkey have released monthly figures on gender-based violence for August.

The We Will Stop Femicide Platform recorded 22 femicides and 33 suspicious female deaths, noting that over 50 percent occurred within victims' residences. Meanwhile, independent news outlet Bianet reported that at least 25 women were killed and 71 others injured by men during the same period across the country.

In judicial developments, state broadcaster TRT Haber reported that a high criminal court in Siirt accepted an indictment against five suspects regarding the 2024 murder of a mother of four. Prosecutors relied on telecommunication records and digital forensic evidence to charge the victim's former husband, former father-in-law, former brother-in-law, and two additional individuals.

Sources: Bianet, Cumhuriyet, TRT Haber