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Friday 23 October 2026
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Politics, diplomacy, security, elections and the forces reshaping the world.
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Serbians elect all 250 members of parliament on Sunday, October 25. Aleksandar Vučić's United Serbia list and the student-backed Student List lead a field of 18 lists, and the final published polls disagree on which of the two is ahead.
The EU's diplomatic service has proposed sanctions on 12 individuals and 105 entities, including 31 listings covering Russian oil refining and export capacity and 52 banks and financial institutions, according to draft documents seen by the Kyiv Independent.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said European politicians blaming Russia for their internal problems showed "the level of madness". Italy's defence minister has spoken of a "hybrid war", while President Emmanuel Macron said there was no evidence of foreign interference in the events themselves.
President Donald Trump said talks with Iran were continuing only "a little bit" and that an outcome would come soon. The White House told ABC News the US would not attack Iran before the 3 November elections, as Israeli sources described joint plans for renewed strikes after the vote.
Lebanon's National News Agency said Israeli warplanes and artillery hit several areas of southern Lebanon on Thursday while a force of about 20 soldiers and four tanks moved towards Habbariyeh, as US-sponsored Lebanese-Israeli military talks continued in Florida.
Gaza hospitals reported four deaths in 24 hours, including a young girl shot near the Jabalia refugee camp. The Gaza Health Ministry says 1,538 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire took effect in October 2025.
The IRGC Navy said four ships transferring oil were struck and three hit mines near the Strait of Hormuz, without naming them, and warned that continued US escorts would extend the conflict to US bases. President Donald Trump accused Tehran of inventing the attacks.
Finland's government said the visit was meant to show its support for Ukraine as the country prepares for winter. Finland's Foreign Ministry announced €2 million in humanitarian aid, and a ballistic missile alert was issued in Kyiv during the visit.
A federal magistrate judge in Florida ordered President Donald Trump to give a deposition in his defamation case against the BBC by 11 December or face the possibility of the case being dismissed, and ruled that it can be videotaped.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Abu Dhabi is for now the likely venue for three-way talks, that Vladimir Putin sent no written proposals through US envoy Steve Witkoff, and that no decision has been made on Putin attending the G20 summit in Miami.
