Morning Premium Edition · Mon, Oct 26 · 7:05 a.m.

The Essential 10 · about 4 minutes

1. Aleksandar Vučić conceded defeat in Serbia's snap parliamentary election

   Serbian Progressive Party leader Aleksandar Vučić conceded defeat in Sunday's snap parliamentary election, projecting the student-led Student List would win 135 to 140 seats against his party's 105 in the 250-seat parliament. The projected result would end the party's 14-year rule. Vučić blamed independent media and alleged foreign interference; turnout reached its highest level in more than 30 years.

   Reporting: Al Jazeera, Reuters, BBC News, Axios, PBS News, CBS News

   Updated since this edition · Read the latest

2. President Donald Trump intensified anti-Muslim attacks on Abdul El-Sayed at a Michigan rally

   President Donald Trump intensified anti-Muslim attacks on Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed at a Port Huron rally Sunday, suggesting Christmas would be canceled if El-Sayed won. Trump called him a “jihadist” and a “Muslim Brotherhood member” while campaigning for Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers. El-Sayed has repeatedly denied the allegations.

   Reporting: The New Arab, Al Jazeera, NBC News, The Washington Post, michiganadvance.com, btpm.org, theoaklandpress.com

   Updated since this edition · Read the latest

3. Israel's military continued a large operation in the occupied West Bank

   The Israeli military continued its operation in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, saying it operated in more than 400 locations and arrested 40 Palestinians it claimed were affiliated with Hamas or Islamic Jihad. It also said crossings into Israel would remain closed until after Tuesday’s election, following Friday’s attack near Hebron that killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three.

   Reporting: Deutsche Welle, Ukrainian National News, morningstaronline.co.uk, jamaica-gleaner.com

4. Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces launched drone attacks on five power stations

   Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched coordinated drone strikes on five power stations Monday, causing widespread power outages. An unnamed government official said two stations were hit in each of Al-Jazira and Gedaref states and one in White Nile. Sudan Tribune separately reported strikes on power stations and fuel depots across four states.

   Reporting: The Guardian, org.eg, jacarandafm.com, sudantribune.com

5. Delegations from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey met Iranian officials in Tehran for talks

   Delegations from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye were in Tehran Monday to seek a deal with Washington and avert renewed fighting involving Iran, Israel and the United States. Participants were Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman Al Saud, Pakistan army chief Asim Munir and Turkiye intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, who were to meet Iranian security officials and negotiators.

   Reporting: New York Post (with Associated Press), Al Jazeera, audacy.com (with Associated Press), cp24.com

   Updated since this edition · Read the latest

6. US forces are positioned to attack Iran within four days of an order from Trump

   CNN reported, citing two US officials, that US forces in the Middle East could begin potentially major operations against Iran within 96 hours of an order from President Donald Trump. Trump has not committed to military action. US planners have prepared a target list, while senior officials urged Israel to delay separate strikes amid plans for possible joint operations.

   Reporting: Iran International, Gulf News, NewsCord, Ynetnews, mezha.net, aninews.in

7. Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won re-election against Senator Flávio Bolsonaro

   Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won re-election Sunday with 51.8% of the vote, defeating Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro by nearly 4.4 million votes, Euronews reported. Bolsonaro said he would seek court annulment, arguing that Supreme Federal Court Justice Cristiano Zanin’s two-hour voting extension was unevenly applied and that the circumstances made the result impossible to recognize.

   Reporting: Euronews, CNN

   Updated since this edition · Read the latest

8. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted Houthi drones and missiles launched toward multiple sites

   The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said Sunday it intercepted missiles and drones it attributed to the Houthis, who claimed seven military operations. Coalition spokesperson Turki Al-Maliki said two drones and a ballistic missile heading toward Riyadh were destroyed, along with 10 ballistic missiles aimed at southern Saudi Arabia and a cruise missile headed for Khamis Mushait.

   Reporting: CNBC

   Updated since this edition · Read the latest

9. Ukrainian officials disputed Elon Musk's claim that the military violated Starlink terms

   Ukrainian officials disputed SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's claim that Ukraine's military violated Starlink's terms of service. Musk said using civilian Starlink for offensive drone strikes was never permitted, while Starshield is a separate system controlled by the U.S. government. Ukrainian officials said both systems had returned to previous operating speeds. Technology journalist Kara Swisher renewed her criticism of Musk.

   Reporting: ibtimes.co.uk, post-gazette.com, iheart.com

10. Nobel laureate María Corina Machado returned to Venezuela after nearly a year abroad

    Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado returned to Venezuela after nearly a year abroad, appearing in Barquisimeto before traveling to Caracas, Tovima reported. Reuters said U.S. officials had asked Machado to delay her return. Her top foreign affairs adviser, David Smolansky, said she plans to meet victims of June's earthquakes and families of political prisoners.

    Reporting: U.S. News & World Report (with Reuters), Reuters, The Jerusalem Post, Fox News, Latin Times, El País, Bozeman Daily Chronicle, tovima.com

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11. Israel Defense Minister Israel Katz rejected allegations of political and military discord over Iran

    Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Monday called reports of a rift between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir over possible Iran-related military action “completely baseless and false.” Katz said Israel had no intention of launching an attack on Iran before Tuesday’s election. Netanyahu also denied a confrontation.

    Reporting: The Times of Israel, The Jerusalem Post, The Times of India, Ynetnews, thedefensewatch.com, rte.ie, israelhayom.com

12. The Dutch TTF benchmark rises above €97 a megawatt-hour

    European natural-gas prices climbed to their highest level since 2022 on Monday, with the Dutch TTF benchmark reaching €97.50 per megawatt-hour, The Wall Street Journal reported. The Journal cited colder weather that could boost demand and Iran-war disruptions to global supplies. OilPrice.com reported an earlier-session TTF high of €95.73.

    Reporting: OilPrice.com, The Wall Street Journal, energyconnects.com

13. Jordanian security forces arrested three suspects linked to the fatal Greek Orthodox church attack

    Jordanian security forces arrested three suspects Monday in connection with Friday’s deadly attack on a Greek Orthodox church during a funeral in Hamoud, Karak governorate, the Public Security Directorate said. Interior Minister Mazen Al-Faraya said all three are Jordanian nationals and authorities had found no indications of ties to outside parties. No group has claimed responsibility.

    Reporting: Kurdistan24, ABC News, United Press International, CBS News, Al Jazeera, Deutsche Welle, thenewregion.com, bnd.com (with Reuters)

14. United Arab Emirates officials closed beaches following an expanding tanker oil spill

    Satellite images showed that an oil spill from a damaged tanker off the UAE has widened, prompting further beach closures. Images dated October 24 showed oil nearing the shores of northern Umm Al Quwain. The environment ministry said beaches and coastal areas around the city were temporarily closed, while Sharjah restricted access to Al Hamriyah Beach.

    Reporting: Reuters

15. China’s Communist Party began a meeting to discuss strengthening party discipline

    China's leaders began a four-day, closed-door Communist Party Central Committee meeting Monday as Chinese President Xi Jinping pushes for tighter discipline and loyalty among officials. The committee will discuss a draft decision on “full and rigorous party self-governance,” Xinhua reported. The plenum comes about a year before Xi is widely expected to secure a fourth five-year term as party leader.

    Reporting: Newsday, seymourtelegraph.com.au, news9live.com

    Updated since this edition · Read the latest

16. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited China across a newly opened border bridge

    North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made his first China visit in about a year Saturday, crossing the newly opened Yalu River bridge into Dandong. South Korea’s Unification Ministry and Xinhua reported his arrival. He visited a Korean War memorial and met Wang Huning, a member of the Chinese Communist Party Standing Committee. CNN said analysts saw deepening ties.

    Reporting: Facebook, the-independent.com, asahi.com

17. Prosecutors indicted Ballard for strangling a woman in a Naha hotel

    Japanese prosecutors indicted U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, over the death of 39-year-old Japanese woman Anna Yagi in Okinawa. Prosecutors allege Ballard strangled Yagi with a telephone cord at a hotel in Naha on Oct. 3 and stole her backpack. Japan's premier condemned the alleged killing as a “heinous crime.”

    Reporting: Türkiye Today, CBS News, United Press International, CNN, galvnews.com (with Reuters), asahi.com

18. The San Juan River in New Mexico reached its highest crest since 1935

    Heavy rain flooded the Four Corners, and New Mexico's San Juan River reached its highest crest since 1935, ABC News reported. The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for much of the region, where more storms threatened Sunday, CBS News reported. ABC said rainfall rates could reach 2 inches per hour in parts of the Southwest.

    Reporting: CBS News, ABC News, kjzz.com, journalarta.com

19. The CDC tallied more than 4,580 U.S. measles cases

    U.S. measles cases have topped 4,580, more than double the total for all of 2025, according to new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data; the articles describe the surge as the country’s worst resurgence in decades. Pennsylvania has confirmed at least 1,338 cases across 44 counties this year.

    Reporting: kazu.org, prairiepublic.org

20. Uganda imposed a 21-day quarantine on citizens returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo

    Uganda will quarantine citizens returning from the Democratic Republic of the Congo for 21 days at their own expense, Health Minister Chris Baryomunsi said Sunday. He told the BBC only essential travellers from the DRC would be allowed in. Uganda says its latest outbreak ended in July. Screening has intensified at Entebbe International Airport and land border crossings.

    Reporting: UA News, Internazionale (with Reuters), Nairametrics, BBC News, beninwebtv.bj, trtafrika.com, co.ug

21. Algerian lawmakers approved a military mission to guard energy facilities in Niger

    Algeria’s parliament approved sending troops to neighbouring Niger to protect energy facilities, in the country’s first foreign military deployment since the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, France 24 reported. The deployment is reportedly aimed at protecting oil installations belonging to state-owned Sonatrach. Algerian Senator Belkacem Boulghiti told the Associated Press it would safeguard Algeria’s economic and strategic interests.

    Reporting: Bloomberg, France 24, Al Jazeera

22. Amnesty International said Tanzanian dissident Twaha Mwaipaya was abducted in Kenya

    Amnesty International said Tanzanian dissident Twaha Mwaipaya was abducted in Kenya on Sunday while travelling by taxi. Bloomberg reported that Mwaipaya was abducted in Nairobi, while Amnesty Kenya’s post placed the abduction in Kamulu, Machakos County. As of Sunday evening, Mwaipaya’s whereabouts and the abductors’ identities remained unknown, and the Linda Mwananchi Movement called for a probe.

    Reporting: Bloomberg, Streamline, clubofmozambique.com, capitalfm.africa, eastleighvoice.co.ke, taarifa.rw, mwanzotv.com

23. Merck and Moderna's experimental mRNA vaccine cut melanoma recurrence or death by 42%

    A personalized mRNA melanoma vaccine, intismeran autogene, reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 42% when combined with pembrolizumab, compared with pembrolizumab alone, in a Phase 3 trial. Moderna and Merck developed the vaccine. Global principal investigator Georgina Long of Melanoma Institute Australia presented the results at the 2026 European Society for Medical Oncology Congress in Madrid.

    Reporting: UA News, Vietnam.vn, newatlas.com, sciencealert.com, liga.net, boldnewsonline.com

24. France is coordinating with European partners to expand its nuclear deterrent against Russia

    France is working with European partners on a “forward deterrence” plan intended to expand its nuclear capacity and deter Russian aggression, The Jerusalem Post reported, citing The Wall Street Journal. French President Emmanuel Macron announced the initiative in March; it includes new infrastructure, communications and intelligence links, plus plans to deploy nuclear-capable Rafale fighters across Europe.

    Reporting: The Jerusalem Post

25. Thousands rallied in Prague against a plan to overhaul Czech public media funding

    Thousands rallied in Prague Sunday against the Czech government's proposed public-media funding overhaul after lower-house lawmakers advanced the bill in an overnight vote. It would replace household and business licence fees with state-budget funding, potentially cutting broadcasters' funding by about 15%. Critics warn this could weaken independence; public-media staff plan to strike Nov. 3.

    Reporting: Bloomberg, The Times of India, Demokratis, Newsday, Around Prague, The Nation Thailand, ABC News, europeaninterest.eu

26. Ukrainian drones and missiles killed five people in Belgorod and Lipetsk, officials said

    Russian officials said Ukrainian drone and missile attacks killed five people in Russia’s Belgorod and Lipetsk regions on Sunday, while an attack in Perm injured five workers at an industrial facility. Belgorod governor Alexander Shuvayev said three people were killed and 13 injured in Belgorod city. Lipetsk governor Igor Artamonov said a security guard was killed in Yelets.

    Reporting: Demokratis

27. Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli won the United States Grand Prix in Austin

    Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli, 20, won the United States Grand Prix in Austin from pole position, claiming his ninth victory of the season. He finished 13.078 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen third. Antonelli leads Mercedes teammate George Russell by 123 points and can clinch the title next weekend in Mexico City.

    Reporting: Türkiye Today, NewsCord, The National, The New York Times, Anadolu Agency, skysports.com, formula1.com

28. Owners of rights to 274 Elvis Presley songs sued Anthropic over AI training

    Rights holders to 274 Elvis Presley songs, including Authentic Brands Group, sued Anthropic in San Francisco federal court Friday. They allege it used the songs without permission to train Claude and that the AI generates infringing versions. The plaintiffs seek $41.1 million in statutory damages and a permanent injunction. Anthropic disputes the claims, The New York Times reported.

    Reporting: Los Angeles Times, NBC News, The New York Times, com.tw, pastemagazine.com

29. Trump predicted a near-term agreement with Canada at a Michigan campaign event

    President Donald Trump said a trade agreement with Canada would be reached “pretty soon” at a campaign rally in Port Huron, Michigan, on Sunday, without offering specifics. He said Canada was willing to give the United States anything and defended his tariffs on Canadian goods, accusing Canada of “ripping off” the United States for years. Talks broke down in August.

    Reporting: The Straits Times, Agence France-Presse, The Hindu, Instagram, centraloregondaily.com (with Reuters), rte.ie, barrons.com (with Agence France-Presse)

30. Donald Trump and Barack Obama campaigned at dueling Michigan rallies for opposing Senate candidates

    Former President Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama held dueling Michigan rallies for opposing Senate candidates, NewsNation reported. Trump campaigned for Mike Rogers in Port Huron. Trump called Abdul El-Sayed a “jihadist”; El-Sayed denied that he or his family had Muslim Brotherhood ties, calling the accusation “an insane thing to assume.”

    Reporting: The New York Times, Fox News, NewsNation, whio.com, wnem.com

31. Alaska Senate candidate Mary Peltola is rescheduling campaign events after an Anchorage car crash

    Alaska Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola is postponing stops in Fairbanks and Bethel after another driver struck a vehicle carrying her and her family Saturday in Anchorage, her campaign said. Campaign manager Cheryl Bruce said Peltola and her family sustained minor injuries and were in good spirits. The crash delayed her Alaska Always Tour before the Nov. 3 election.

    Reporting: MEAWW (Media Entertainment Arts WorldWide), Around Prague, Newsweek, The Hill, The New York Times, Times Now, wcbm.com, jacksonville.com