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News Review 28/10/2026
Lula Wins a Historic Fourth Term in Brazil Elections Against the Wishes of Donald Trump
On 25 October 2026, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defeated conservative challenger Flávio Bolsonaro to secure an unprecedented fourth, non-consecutive presidential term. Lula received 51.75% of the vote against Bolsonaro’s 48.25%, according to Brazil’s electoral authorities. The victory preserves left-wing leadership in Latin America’s largest economy and represents a setback for the political movement associated with former president Jair Bolsonaro who was President Donald Trump’s favored candidate. Lula’s return reflects the enduring resistance to Brazil’s increasingly polarised right. His administration must nevertheless contend with fiscal constraints, a divided electorate and a Congress where conservative forces remain influential. Relations with Washington could prove difficult, and Trump has already questioned the election’s legitimacy without presenting evidence, exposing the inconsistency of American rhetoric about democratic values when electoral outcomes displease Washington. Brazil’s challenge is to defend its political autonomy while sustaining economic growth and an independent international position.
UN Commission Finds Continued Genocidal Acts Against Palestinians
On 26 October 2026, a United Nations Commission of Inquiry reported that the Jewish entity continued committing genocidal acts in Gaza after the October 2025 ceasefire. The commission cited continuing attacks, civilian deaths and destruction, concluding that the Jewish entity and its forces maintained the intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza, in whole or in part. It also documented worsening conditions and extensive violations in the occupied West Bank. The Jewish entity rejected the findings, characteristically describing them as part of a campaign to undermine its legitimacy as it unleashes a renewed campaign of terror in the West Bank city of Hebron where it has demolished homes and businesses and displaced 2000 persons as a collective punishment for a recent attack upon its forces at a checkpoint. None of these humanitarian issues are of great concern to voters who are electing a new leadership, but whose indecisive election system will perpetuate the division and doubt that have plagued the entity’s internal politics for years.
China’s Communist Party Leaders Meet Amid Tightening Political Control
On 26 October 2026, China’s Communist Party leadership began a four-day meeting focused on party discipline, anti-corruption measures and political governance. President Xi Jinping continues to demand greater loyalty from officials while tightening oversight of the bureaucracy and military. Beijing presents the campaign as necessary to combat corruption, improve administrative efficiency and ensure officials implement national policy. Critics, however, see the concentration of authority as a mechanism for consolidating Xi’s personal control. The removal of senior military figures and investigations involving numerous officials illustrate the scale of the campaign. China faces considerable economic challenges, including weak domestic consumption, persistent property-sector difficulties and strategic competition with the United States.
Jordan’s Military Found Terrorist Targets in Syria to Attack But Could Not See the Brutal Terrorists to the West of the Jordan River
On 27 October 2026, Jordan continued its security response to a shocking attack on Saint George’s Greek Orthodox Church (Hamoud Church) in Karak, where gunmen killed nine people and wounded dozens during a funeral on 23 October. King Abdullah ordered security forces to respond with an “iron fist”, while authorities arrested three suspects after a gun battle. Jordan’s Airforce subsequently launched airstrikes in southern Syria, claiming to have killed more than 20 Islamic State militants connected to the threat. However, Syrian authorities reported civilian deaths, including children, and disputed Jordan’s account of coordination with Damascus. Jordan expressed regret over the reported civilian casualties. The response highlights the double standards of Arab regimes ready to kill yet more civilians so as to not look impotent, while maintaining the utmost impotence in the face of the Zionist cancer that is brutally killing and repressing their brothers in Palestine and Lebanon and elsewhere.
Riots in Europe Expose Deepening Social and Political Discontent
As of 27 October 2026, Europe faces a growing wave of protests, with violent confrontations reported in France, Italy, Belgium and Albania. Demonstrations have targeted rising living costs, unaffordable housing, deteriorating public services, education cuts and government corruption. In France, mass rallies escalated into looting and arson, while Italian authorities deployed an additional 500 soldiers to Milan following serious unrest. Belgian police also used tear gas against demonstrators in Brussels. The unrest is not a single coordinated movement, but its underlying causes reveal a common crisis. Younger Europeans increasingly face insecure employment, expensive housing and declining confidence that established political institutions can improve their prospects. Governments have emphasised policing and public order, following the path of repression instead of resolving economic grievances. Europe’s claim to political stability and social cohesion looks increasingly fragile when ordinary citizens must protest violently to make their basic concerns heard.