MADRID, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Another wave of protests swept across major European cities on Saturday, with demonstrators voicing grievances over issues ranging from living conditions to disputes involving public institutions. Meanwhile, calls for gatherings on social media prompted police to step up security in several cities.

Public services, the cost of living and housing affordability remained key concerns in many of the protests. In France, around 320,000 people took part in a new round of protests on Saturday, including about 70,000 in Paris, according to Interior Ministry figures. Organizers put the nationwide turnout at nearly 500,000, including 200,000 in the capital.

Around 70,000 police officers and gendarmes were deployed nationwide. Most marches passed off peacefully, although clashes with police and other disturbances were reported in several cities. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told reporters that, according to a preliminary tally, 422 people had been arrested nationwide.

In Germany, demonstrations took place in more than 30 cities on Saturday. Protesters called for greater investment in public services, measures to address the rising cost of living, and opposed compulsory military service. By late afternoon, organizers reported more than 68,000 participants, based on figures from 12 cities.

As in France, the demonstrations in Germany were largely peaceful, but clashes broke out in several cities in the evening. German news agency dpa reported that police officers were injured in Frankfurt, barricades were set ablaze in Hamburg, and officers came under attack in Bremen.

In Italy, protesters remained camped near Rome's Colosseum on Saturday following nationwide demonstrations over living costs and public services. Workers and other groups had joined rallies in more than 60 cities on Friday during a general strike called by Unione Sindacale di Base (USB), Italian news agency ANSA reported. The union estimated 1.5 million people took part, while the Interior Ministry put the figure at about 255,000.

In Portugal, housing protests drew more than 1,000 people each in Lisbon and Porto on Saturday. In Lisbon, demonstrators marched toward Rossio Square, where they planned to camp overnight. Police had dispersed protest encampments in both cities on Oct. 25.

Political grievances also dominated protests in various countries. In Albania, protests demanding better education, improved living conditions and Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation continued for a 19th consecutive day in Tirana on Saturday, according to the Albanian Telegraphic Agency. Some protesters threw stones and Molotov cocktails at police, who responded with tear gas and water cannons. The opposition Democratic Party backed the movement.

In Poland, an escalating dispute over the composition and leadership of the Constitutional Tribunal brought demonstrators onto the streets of Warsaw. Protestors gathered outside Warsaw's Constitutional Tribunal from Friday evening into Saturday, with police reporting four detained during overnight operations around the building, local media reported. Polish President Karol Nawrocki returned early from a foreign trip and announced urgent political consultations.

Elsewhere, social media calls for gatherings prompted heightened security measures. In the Netherlands, police dispersed a crowd near The Hague Central Station on Saturday afternoon and urged the public to avoid the city center. Local police reported 34 arrests during the day.

The gathering followed online calls for demonstrations in several Dutch cities, some of which encouraged looting and vandalism. Some businesses boarded up their storefronts ahead of the planned gatherings.

In Spain, police stepped up security in cities including Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia on Saturday following online calls for gatherings, local media reported.

The deployments aimed to prevent a repeat of the previous weekend's unrest in Barcelona, which left 15 officers injured and led to 128 arrests. Spanish news agency EFE reported on Friday that police had arrested 10 people nationwide on suspicion of inciting unrest and violence through online channels.

WARSAW, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- A leadership dispute at Poland's Constitutional Tribunal has sparked a political confrontation, with the court's top two officials declared suspended and opposition supporters taking to the streets to accuse Prime Minister Donald Tusk's government of trying to take control of the court.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki cut short a visit to Senegal and returned to Warsaw amid the dispute, calling for urgent talks with parliamentary parties. Tusk accused Nawrocki and the main opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party of undermining the rule of law and vowed to ensure that the tribunal could operate independently and in accordance with the constitution.

What has happened in recent days? What triggered the dispute? And what impact could it have?

WHAT HAPPENED?

The row began on Friday evening, when a notice appeared on the Constitutional Tribunal's website announcing the one-month suspension of its president and vice-president and naming judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska to temporarily oversee the court.

A statement subsequently posted on the tribunal's social media account said its website had been "illegally taken over" and accused those involved of staging a "coup."

The announcement prompted opposition supporters to gather outside the court, where some clashed with police. Three protesters who entered the tribunal's grounds were detained, and several people were reportedly injured.

Nawrocki arrived at the tribunal in the early hours of Saturday and became involved in a heated confrontation with several judges. The confrontation escalated into pushing and shoving at the building's entrance.

Nawrocki's chief of staff, Pawel Szefernaker, read out a statement outside the tribunal in which the president accused those involved of violating Poland's constitutional order and taking over a constitutional institution "by force." Nawrocki also called for urgent talks with parliamentary parties to stabilize the political situation and restore constitutional order.

Nawrocki's office said he met representatives of several parties on Saturday, including the Polish People's Party, a member of Tusk's governing coalition, and the opposition PiS. Tusk's Civic Coalition did not attend.

In a televised address on Saturday evening, Tusk accused PiS and Nawrocki of undermining the rule of law, saying no politician, not even the president, had the right to give orders to judges or intimidate them. He pledged to ensure the tribunal's security and provide the conditions necessary for it to function independently.

The dispute will face another test on Tuesday, when Korwin-Piotrowska plans to convene an assembly of judges to discuss the tribunal's budget.

Under Polish law, at least two-thirds of the tribunal's judges must attend for the assembly to adopt valid resolutions. Polish media reported that some judges planned to stay away because they disputed the meeting's legality, potentially leaving it without the required quorum.

WHY DISPUTE ERUPTED?

The dispute stems from Nawrocki's refusal to accept the oaths of five of the eight Constitutional Tribunal judges elected this year by the Sejm, Poland's lower house of parliament, where Tusk's coalition holds a majority. The five, including Korwin-Piotrowska, have not been recognized by the president or the tribunal's existing leadership and have been unable to take part in hearings.

The row is part of a long-running dispute over judicial reforms introduced by PiS, which governed Poland from 2015 to 2023. Changes to judicial appointments and the tribunal's procedures, along with the government's refusal to publish some court rulings, sparked controversy.

Since taking office in 2023, Tusk's government has sought to reverse some of those changes. But tribunal judges serve nine-year terms, leaving some elected under PiS in place at a court that has the power to rule on the constitutionality of legislation.

The government's plans for judicial reform have also faced opposition from Nawrocki, an ally of PiS who became president in 2025. Although Tusk's coalition holds a parliamentary majority, it lacks the three-fifths majority in the Sejm needed to override a presidential veto. The two have repeatedly clashed over major policies.

Inflation and economic pressures linked to the Russia-Ukraine conflict have also fueled public discontent, putting pressure on Tusk's coalition to deliver results before the 2027 parliamentary elections, Wang Hongyi, a researcher at the Center for Central and Eastern European Studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told Xinhua.

Wang said Tusk's tough stance in the tribunal dispute was aimed at breaking the deadlock over judicial reform.

WHAT IMPACT COULD DISPUTE HAVE?

The proposed changes to the tribunal's leadership have raised legal questions in Poland. Przemyslaw Rosati, head of the Polish Bar Council, questioned the legal basis for suspending the tribunal's president and whether Korwin-Piotrowska had the authority to assume the post. Marcin Matczak, a law professor at the University of Warsaw, also questioned the legal basis for the move, saying it would "solve nothing" from a legal standpoint.

Li Zhiqiang, a professor at the Center for Polish and Central and Eastern European Studies at Sichuan University, told Xinhua that the dispute could disrupt Poland's judicial system, deepen political divisions, make it harder for the government to carry out its policies and strain unity within the ruling coalition.

The European Commission said on Saturday it was closely following developments and stressed that the tribunal should operate in accordance with Poland's constitution and European Union (EU) court rulings. It also noted that the Sejm has the constitutional authority to elect tribunal judges. The European Conservatives and Reformists Group in the European Parliament, meanwhile, accused Tusk's government of undermining judicial independence.

Judicial independence has long been a source of friction between Poland and the EU, which previously withheld some funding over rule-of-law concerns during the PiS government's time in office. Tusk has sought to improve relations with Brussels since taking office, but the latest dispute could bring fresh uncertainty to those ties, said Li.

Li also pointed out that prolonged political turmoil could divert Poland's attention from regional security issues and hinder coordination between the president and government on foreign policy.

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Security Council on Friday failed to renew the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO).

The Security Council voted on two separate draft resolutions on the renewal of MINURSO's mandate.

A U.S.-drafted resolution, which would make significant changes to the mission's mandate and future presence, won 11 votes in favor, but was vetoed by Russia.

In a subsequent vote on a Russian-drafted resolution for a straightforward one-year renewal of MINURSO's mandate, the draft failed to obtain the nine positive votes needed for adoption. The Russian draft won three votes in favor, one vote against, with 11 abstentions. The United States voted against it.

Following the 1975 Madrid Accords, Spain transferred administrative responsibilities for Western Sahara to Morocco and Mauritania before withdrawing from the territory in 1976. When Mauritania, under pressure from Polisario guerrillas, abandoned all claims to its portion in August 1979, Morocco subsequently took control of the areas vacated by Mauritania and has since controlled most of the territory. Fighting broke out between Morocco and the Polisario Front, which is fighting for the independence of Western Sahara.

A cease-fire was signed in 1991. The UN mission was deployed that year to monitor the cease-fire and to organize, if possible, a referendum on self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Department of State announced Friday that it had approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles and related equipment to Ukraine, valued at 2.1 billion U.S. dollars.

"The Government of Ukraine has requested to buy five hundred PATRIOT Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missiles. The following non-major defense equipment items will also be included: PAC-3 MSE classified and unclassified spare parts; and other related elements of logistics and program support," it said.

Ukraine will pay for this purchase with donations from Canada, Germany and Norway via the JUMPSTART program and national funds, financed by the European Union's Ukraine Support Loan. No U.S. funds are involved in this sale, according to the statement.

The principal contractor will be American defense and aerospace manufacturer Lockheed Martin.

Ukraine has run out of missiles for the Patriot air defense system, a source familiar with the situation told CNN earlier this month.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told media this week that Ukraine receives an average of 12 missiles a month for its Patriot air defense systems this year, according to Ukrinform, Ukraine's state news agency.

The Ebola outbreak in Africa risks spreading further and causing more loss of life, the director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, or Africa CDC, has warned.

Speaking at a ministerial meeting on the outbreak on Wednesday, Jean Kaseya called for stronger coordination among African countries and international partners to contain the outbreak.

He highlighted persistent gaps in surveillance, insecurity, population movements and a worsening humanitarian situation as major obstacles to containing transmission, particularly in the outbreak's epicenter, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or DRC.

According to figures presented by Kaseya, more than 80 percent of new cases were emerging outside known contact lists, while fewer than 15 percent were coming from known contacts, against a target of at least 95 percent.

Kaseya said DRC was recording an average of 400 to 550 confirmed cases per week, based on the dates when symptoms began, with no sustained decline in transmission over the preceding 11 weeks. As of Sunday, 50 of the country's 66 health zones had reported cases within the previous 21 days, while eight of the country's 26 provinces had been affected.

Deaths occurring outside treatment centers are another major concern. About 65 percent of confirmed deaths were occurring in communities, where patients might not receive timely medical care, making it harder to identify infections and prevent further transmission.

"When we say death at community level, it means someone is sick, is at home, is taking care by some people. Till when he will die? They will touch the body. They will even wash the body," Kaseya said.

Such circumstances can expose family members and caregivers to infection before health authorities become aware of a case, he said. They can also complicate contact tracing and safe burial procedures.

Kaseya said insecurity, population movements and limited access to essential services were complicating efforts to reach affected communities.

Residents also questioned the focus on Ebola when they were facing cholera, malaria and violence, he said, underscoring the need to address broader humanitarian and healthcare needs alongside outbreak control.

The outbreak's cross-border spread has further heightened concerns, reinforcing the need for countries to share information promptly and coordinate investigations and contact tracing.

The meeting also highlighted the need to strengthen diagnostic capacity, shorten delays in detecting infections, improve access to healthcare and ensure frontline teams receive the resources they need.

Kaseya underscored that containing the outbreak will require coordinated action across borders and closer engagement with affected communities to identify infections earlier and prevent further transmission.

sharon@chinadailyafrica.com

KHAN YOUNIS — In Gaza and the West Bank, many Palestinians were less focused on who would win Israel's election than on whether anything would really change.

According to preliminary results, neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies nor the array of parties seeking to unseat him secured a majority in parliament.

Israel's Channel 12 reported that after counting all regular ballots, Netanyahu's bloc was projected to win 53 seats, compared with 48 for the opposition bloc led by Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot and 19 for Arab-led parties.

None of the main blocs were projected to reach the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-member Knesset, Israel's parliament.

Adding to the uncertainty, the Central Elections Committee chief asked the Shin Bet intelligence service to investigate alleged foreign interference. The letter noted alleged funding by "foreign entities against the Israeli interest", but did not elaborate on the validity of the claims.

It requested findings within the week. Israeli law requires election results to be certified by Wednesday.

"We fear these elections could bring an even worse leader," said Huda al-Houli, a displaced resident of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

Such an outcome, she said, would only bring "more destruction and devastation" to the Palestinian territory.

Still, Houli said she hoped a more "human voice" would emerge in Israeli society and demand an end to the conflict, regardless of who forms the next government.

In Ramallah, in the West Bank, Ahmed Awad, 67, was equally skeptical. "Whatever the result, and even if the politicians change, I don't think there will be any radical or dramatic shift in policies toward the Palestinian-Israeli conflict," he told AFP.

The election comes after years of right-wing and far-right rule marked by the conflict in Gaza and rising settler violence in the West Bank.

For Netanyahu, fighting for his political survival, several paths remain open, renewing his alliance with the far right, building a broader coalition or facing yet another political deadlock.

Far-right Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has already signaled that, if the current coalition survives, he would seek the defense portfolio and push for the expulsion of Gaza's population.

Not everyone has given up hope.

"Whatever happens, it will surely be better than what we've lived through in recent years," said Abdallah Abu Rahma, 54, from Ramallah.

But if Netanyahu remains in office, he added, "any coalition he forms, he will continue down the same path".

A government led by Eisenkot, a former army chief, could rein in the influence of the pro-settlement far right, said researcher Beth Oppenheim of the European Council on Foreign Relations.

It could also ease pressure on the Palestinian Authority and take a more flexible approach on aid and a ceasefire in Gaza.

But she warned against expecting too much. There would be "nothing transformative", she said, and certainly no major shift on Palestinian statehood or the peace process, issues that have largely disappeared from Israeli political debate since Oct 7.

A renewed Netanyahu coalition with far-right partners would likely mean more of the same, including settlement expansion and impunity for settler violence, Oppenheim added.

"I think we need to have quite low expectations when it comes to seeing any major changes in policy from a different government," she said.

Even a Netanyahu defeat could leave Palestinians worse off in the short term, argued Yousef Munayyer, head of the Palestine-Israel program at Arab Center Washington DC.

"There is every reason for Palestinians to be concerned," he said.

Eisenkot himself served in Israel's wartime cabinet during the Gaza offensive, Munayyer noted.

In the West Bank, violence could rise if the far right loses power, with settlers potentially acting out against a new government, he explained.

"It's important to understand that most settler violence in the West Bank is structural. It's not about the government in charge," Munayyer said.

AGENCIES VIA XINHUA

Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with his Icelandic counterpart Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir in Beijing on Thursday and called for bilateral ties to be elevated to new heights as the two countries mark the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

He noted that Iceland has always been pioneering in developing relations with China, that Iceland clearly supported the restoration of China's lawful seat at the United Nations, and that Iceland was the first European country to sign a bilateral free-trade agreement and a local currency swap agreement with China.

These milestones carry great significance in the history of both China-Iceland and China-European Union relations, and have played an exemplary role in China-EU engagement, he added.

Wang said the key to the success of China-Iceland relations lies in upholding the principle that all countries, large and small, are equal, respecting each other's independently chosen paths of development, and achieving win-win cooperation based on mutual trust.

The two sides should continue to consolidate friendly mutual trust, and support each other in safeguarding their respective sovereignty, security, and development interests, Wang said.

Highlighting China's huge market and strong commitment to high-level opening-up, he said China is ready to share development opportunities with Iceland, tap cooperation potential, and strengthen collaboration in trade, geothermal energy, green transition, marine affairs, and Arctic affairs.

The two sides should also boost exchanges in tourism, joint research, and personnel training to enhance people-to-people bonds, he added.

Amid the current volatile international landscape, the two sides should enhance coordination and make new contributions to global peace and stability, he added.

Gunnarsdottir said Iceland admires China's tremendous development achievements, attaches great importance to bilateral relations, and will continue to uphold the one-China principle.

Iceland appreciates China's valuable support in safeguarding its core interests such as fisheries, she said, adding that both countries are open economies, and that cooperation has yielded fruitful results since the signing of the free-trade agreement in 2013.

The successful launch of direct flights between the two countries, she said, will further facilitate people-to-people exchanges.

Iceland is willing to strengthen cooperation with China, uphold the rule of law, free trade, and multilateral mechanisms, and jointly address global challenges, she added.

MOSCOW, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- Russia will continue to support Cuba in seeking the lifting of the U.S. economic, commercial and financial embargo, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Thursday.

In a statement published on its website, the ministry said that the UN General Assembly on Wednesday adopted a resolution calling for an end to the embargo, with 130 votes in favor, 17 against and 25 abstentions.

Russia supported the resolution, said the ministry, adding that the outcome of the vote once again confirmed "the international community's near-unanimous and resolute condemnation of the illegal and inhumane embargo against Havana."

The ministry said an unprecedented escalation of economic and military pressure on Cuba this year, coupled with an energy blockade, has pushed ordinary Cubans to the brink of survival.

A socioeconomic collapse in Cuba could trigger a mass exodus to neighboring countries and a major regional migration crisis, the ministry warned.

Russia praised the Cuban government and people for their resilience in defending the country's sovereignty and independence, saying Havana continues to pursue an independent foreign policy despite massive U.S. pressure.

Moscow's principled position on the issue remains unchanged, the ministry said, pledging to work with Cuba and the international community to seek a swift, complete and unconditional lifting of the embargo on the island.

BRUSSELS, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- European Union (EU) member states have pledged to accelerate the release of 42.6 million barrels of strategic oil reserves over the coming months, nearly half of which will be diesel, European Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jorgensen said Thursday.

EU energy ministers met in Luxembourg to discuss energy security ahead of the winter, energy prices and measures to stabilize diesel supplies.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Jorgensen said relevant EU member states had reaffirmed their commitment to accelerating the release of 42.6 million barrels from strategic reserves.

Jorgensen warned that the EU faced a difficult winter. While he did not expect problems with energy supply security for the time being, he acknowledged that the situation remained challenging for people struggling to pay their energy bills.

Diesel prices across the EU remain elevated. According to the European Commission's latest Weekly Oil Bulletin, the EU's average retail diesel price stood at around 2.15 euros (about 2.4 U.S. dollars) per liter on Oct. 26, up roughly 35 percent from late February, before the outbreak of the conflict in the Middle East.

In March, members of the International Energy Agency (IEA) agreed to release 400 million barrels of emergency oil stocks in response to supply disruptions caused by the conflict in the Middle East.

Global energy markets remain under pressure amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East. In its October Oil Market Report, the IEA said global diesel markets remained tight, with prolonged disruptions to supplies from the Middle East and Russia contributing to declining inventories, while diesel prices in Europe and other regions remained elevated.

BRASILIA, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Flavio Bolsonaro, the presidential candidate of Brazil's Liberal Party and son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, reportedly left Brazil for the United States on Tuesday after failing to meet a Supreme Court deadline to surrender his ordinary and diplomatic passports, which were subsequently canceled amid a money laundering investigation in which he denies wrongdoing.

Flavio Bolsonaro was defeated by incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Sunday's presidential runoff and his reported departure from Brazil has sparked heated reactions.

AFTER ELECTION

Brazil's 2026 general election culminated in a presidential runoff on Sunday, following the first round of voting on Oct. 4. Neither candidate won outright in the closely contested first round. With all votes in the runoff counted, Lula received 51.79 percent of the valid votes, compared with 48.21 percent for Bolsonaro, according to the official tally.

Lula's victory secures him a fourth term as Brazil's president, with his inauguration scheduled for Jan. 5, 2027, for a four-year term.

After Lula's victory, Bolsonaro, speaking in the Brazilian capital of Brasilia, said it is "impossible" to recognize the results and called for the annulment of the election, alleging unequal treatment of voters following a two-hour extension of voting hours at polling stations affected by public transport disruptions and heavy rain.

Bolsonaro argued that the decision had disadvantaged voters in areas where polling stations were not reopened and that his legal team would challenge the results.

However, the Liberal Party, to which Bolsonaro belongs, formally acknowledged Lula's victory on Monday. Other right-wing and center-right parties that had supported Bolsonaro during the election, including the Republicans, the Brazilian Democratic Movement and the Progressives, also acknowledged Lula's victory, making clear that they did not support calls to annul the election results or hold a new election.

PASSPORT OR U.S. VISA

Brazilian media reported Monday that Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes had ordered Bolsonaro to surrender his passports to the Federal Police and barred him from leaving the country.

The ruling is part of an investigation involving Bolsonaro and lawyer Willer Tomaz, according to Brazil's public news agency Agencia Brasil. The probe reportedly involves suspected money laundering and financial links to businesses connected to the sports betting industry.

Additionally, Bolsonaro is under investigation over the financing of a biopic about his father. The probe examines the source of funds for the film's production.

Bolsonaro confirmed on the same day that he intended to comply with a request to surrender his passports and denied plans to flee the country following a visit to his father, who is under house arrest, serving a 27-year-and-three-month sentence for plotting a coup after his 2022 election defeat and remains under investigation in related cases.

However, he failed to surrender the documents before the deadline expired on Tuesday, and the passports were subsequently canceled. Bolsonaro was then reported to have left Brazil for the United States, though his exact route remained unclear.

Meanwhile, U.S. media reported Tuesday, citing a senior State Department official, that the department would issue visas to Bolsonaro and his family, allowing them to enter the United States.

POLITICAL REACTIONS

In response to the news, Lula told supporters who gathered outside the Alvorada Palace: "I regret that he left Brazil ... And his decision to leave Brazil is shameful."

Lula also criticized Bolsonaro for failing to comply with the court order to surrender his passports, saying he should have stayed in Brazil to address the allegations against him. Recalling that he had surrendered his own passport when ordered to do so in 2018, Lula said he had chosen to remain in Brazil to prove his innocence.

Bolsonaro's departure has not been officially confirmed.

Brazilian media reported that there was no record in the country's immigration control system indicating that he had left Brazil through regular border controls. The Federal Police were investigating whether and how he might have left the country.

Argentina's migration department reportedly said on Wednesday that Bolsonaro and his family boarded a private plane bound for Ecuador late on Tuesday, but the Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to the statement.

The current location of Bolsonaro and his family remains unclear.

Earlier Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump said Brazil's presidential election "looked like another rigged election" and that the decision to extend voting hours was "very strange."

Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin on Monday rejected Trump's claim that Brazil's presidential election appeared to have been "rigged," saying there was no evidence to support the allegation.

"First, one does not interfere in the politics of another country. That is a fundamental principle," Alckmin said. "Brazil, in fact, is an example to the world in terms of electronic voting and legal safeguards. This is how democracy works: you win an election, you lose an election, and it is the people who decide."

Brazil's Supreme Federal Court ordered the Federal Police on Tuesday to open an investigation into possible foreign interference in the country's electoral process.

The decision issued by the court's Justice Flavio Dino points to signs that algorithms on digital platforms were manipulated to benefit the conservative candidate Bolsonaro.

MADRID, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Just nine months after a deadly railway accident near Adamuz in southern Spain, another high-speed train collision occurred on Wednesday on the same Madrid-Seville railway line, raising renewed concerns about the safety of Spain's high-speed rail network.

The collision between two high-speed trains near Urda station in Toledo province, central Spain, has killed at least 68 people and injured 180 more.

WHAT HAPPENED AND WHY?

At around 8:54 a.m. local time (0754 GMT) on Wednesday, a Renfe-operated AVE train carrying 378 passengers struck the rear of a stationary Iryo train with 147 passengers aboard near Urda station. Both trains were heading from Madrid to Seville, according to Spain's Ministry of Transport and railway operator Renfe.

At least 68 were killed, according to the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha. More than 180 people were reported injured, with some in critical condition.

Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente said at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon that the LZB train safety system had failed at around 8:30 a.m. due to a communication problem involving three computers, affecting a 63-km section of the railway and automatically bringing several trains to a halt.

According to Puente, Adif's control center subsequently authorized the AVE train to resume normal operations at around 8:36 a.m., despite a red signal and the presence of the stationary Iryo train ahead. The AVE traveled approximately 25 km before crashing into the Iryo at around 8:53 a.m..

Under Spanish railway safety regulations, trains must remain stopped when the LZB system fails and the track ahead is occupied. Any authorized movement must follow restricted operating procedures requiring drivers to maintain a speed that allows them to stop upon detecting an obstacle ahead.

Puente described the control center's decision as "inexplicable," while railway engineering expert Ramiro Aurin told Spanish news agency EFE that human error was the most likely explanation for the collision. However, the exact circumstances and responsibilities remain under investigation.

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE AND PUBLIC SCRUTINY

The tragedy prompted the Spanish government and several major political parties to suspend their scheduled activities on Wednesday.

During a visit to the accident site in Urda, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez stressed that rescuing victims and supporting their families remained the government's top priority. He pledged a thorough investigation into the collision, saying that any negligence or failures in railway safety systems would be addressed. "We will get to the bottom of this," Sanchez said.

The government also declared three days of national mourning from Oct. 29 to Oct. 31, while the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha activated an emergency response plan and mobilized additional rescue and medical resources. Several hospitals suspended scheduled activities to accommodate the injured, while psychological support teams were deployed to assist victims and their families.

The accident also triggered calls for accountability. Opposition People's Party (PP) leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo said Spain had the right to know what was happening with its railway infrastructure. He called for immediate government and judicial investigations, as well as a comprehensive and independent review of the country's entire railway network.

In Madrid, hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the Ministry of Transport on Wednesday evening, demanding the resignation of the Transport Minister Puente.

Railway unions also called for stronger safety safeguards. The Independent Trade Union and Civil Servants' Central (CSIF) demanded an urgent explanation of the accident, accountability for those responsible, and greater investment in railway infrastructure and maintenance.

The Spanish train drivers' union Semaf said it would proceed with a strike scheduled for Thursday, calling for stronger railway safety guarantees and structural reforms. The union also said it was considering further action following the latest tragedy.

GROWING CONCERNS OVER RAIL SAFETY

The collision marks Spain's second major fatal high-speed rail accident this year, with a crash near Adamuz, in the southern province of Cordoba, claiming 46 lives on Jan. 18.

While investigations into both accidents remain ongoing, experts have pointed to different possible causes. Jordi Vinolas Prat, a mechanical engineering professor at Francisco de Vitoria University, told Europa Press that the Adamuz disaster appeared to be linked to railway infrastructure problems, while the latest collision raised questions about signaling systems.

Jose Trigueros, president of the Association of Civil Engineers, told Spanish national broadcaster RTVE that the latest collision was particularly concerning because high-speed rail safety systems were designed to prevent two trains from occupying the same section of track. He questioned the reliability of automated safety protections and the extent to which railway operations depended on human intervention.

Concerns over railway safety had already been raised following the Adamuz disaster. Rafael Escudero, secretary-general of the Sindicato Ferroviario railway union, told Spanish radio station Onda Cero that the union had called for an audit of renovation works on the Madrid-Seville high-speed line after the January accident. He urged a review of how the more than 700 million euros (770 million U.S. dollars) allocated to upgrading the line had been spent, while stressing that the cause of Wednesday's collision remained under investigation.

The latest tragedy has also unsettled some railway passengers. Daniel, a frequent traveler between Malaga and Madrid, told Spanish radio station Cadena SER that the accident had left him feeling angry and insecure, saying recent railway incidents had undermined his confidence in train travel.

Civil engineer Martin Perea, a transport specialist and master's program director at Universidad Europea, also warned of serious damage to the reputation of Spain's railway system, calling for a thorough investigation, support for victims and their families, and a broader reassessment of the country's high-speed rail operations.

CAIRO, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's parliament on Monday approved authorizing President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to take measures to support Saudi Arabia, according to a statement by the parliament's general secretariat.

The parliament approved the authorization by a two-thirds majority during a plenary session, the statement said.

The authorization allows the president to take necessary measures to support and defend Saudi Arabia, its sovereignty and its holy sites against any external attacks, in accordance with a decision adopted by Egypt's National Defense Council on Oct. 18, the statement added.

On Oct. 17, Sisi said Egypt was prepared to take "any measures" requested by Saudi Arabia to defend the kingdom's security and sovereignty, but stressed that such action "requires parliamentary approval."

He called for an emergency parliamentary session to authorize intervention if requested, while stressing that he was speaking "strictly in terms of defense" rather than waging war.

Later on, Egypt's official MENA news agency reported that Egypt's parliament postponed a vote on authorizing the military to defend Saudi Arabia until Oct. 26.

The development came amid escalating hostilities between Yemen's Houthis and Saudi Arabia, with both sides exchanging attacks and military warnings in recent days.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Pentagon is prepared to launch new and potentially major military operations against Iran "within 96 hours of receiving" an order from U.S. President Donald Trump, CNN reported on Monday.

According to the report, "sufficient" forces are now deployed in the Middle East to carry out the potential strikes.

Some U.S. officials believe Trump's order could come any time before the end of the year, most likely after the upcoming U.S. midterm elections, and the scope of new U.S. military operations would likely go beyond efforts to simply "mow the lawn" or maintain the status quo by striking radars, launchers and other Iranian assets that can be quickly reconstituted, it added.

U.S. intelligence officials believe Iran and the Houthis are unlikely to carry out preemptive escalatory attacks against American personnel or Israel at this point but would not hesitate to respond if Iran is targeted first by U.S. or Israeli forces, the report said.

The New York Times reported last week that the United States and Israel have developed specific plans for renewed strikes against Iran after the U.S. midterm elections, with targets likely to include Iran's energy infrastructure, nuclear facilities, and missile and drone arsenal.

It noted that it is far from certain that Trump will approve fresh strikes, as he has repeatedly canceled plans for a return to major combat this year.

JERUSALEM, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has served 19 years in office across several terms since 1996, is fighting for his political survival in Tuesday's parliamentary election.

Analysts say Netanyahu is seeking to turn military gains into electoral support while facing public anger, economic isolation and a shortage of potential coalition partners.

The vote, Israel's first since the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023 attack, comes after three years of wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran that have reshaped Israeli politics and deepened divisions over the country's future.

LEGACY OF OCT. 7 AND PROLONGED WARS

Analysts note that Netanyahu's central challenge is persuading voters to judge him by Israel's military achievements rather than the failures that allowed the Oct. 7 attack, which the Israeli authorities said killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages.

He has refused to accept personal responsibility or establish an independent state commission of inquiry, instead campaigning on Israel's military achievements against Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran.

Political scientist Ilana Shpaizman at Bar-Ilan University told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) that Netanyahu's campaign sought to avoid discussing the Oct. 7 attack and instead emphasize subsequent military successes.

But victims' families dispute the narrative. On Oct. 20, relatives representing 17 hostages who died in Gaza accused Netanyahu of exploiting their deaths in his campaign.

"Do not use their deaths to ask the public for another term in office," they said.

A Channel 12 poll on Oct. 5 found that 65 percent of respondents held Netanyahu largely responsible for the failures, yet 75 percent of coalition voters attributed him at least some responsibility.

Tamar Hermann, a public opinion expert at the Israel Democracy Institute, said the Oct. 7 attack had reinforced existing political loyalties.

"Most of the facts are already on the table, and it is the interpretation of the events that influences people's decisions," Hermann said.

CHALLENGE FROM EISENKOT

Netanyahu faces an unusual challenger in Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief who served in his wartime cabinet before resigning in 2024. Eisenkot's son and two nephews were killed fighting in Gaza.

Eisenkot questions Netanyahu's ability to turn military operations into strategic gains.

"Never has an Israeli government been given so much room to maneuver and so much legitimacy, from the public and the world, and suffered such a resounding strategic failure," Eisenkot said earlier this month.

He promises an independent Oct. 7 inquiry, broader conscription and restored confidence in state institutions.

Yet their differences on Palestinian policy are narrower. Both oppose Palestinian statehood and demand Hamas's disarmament. Eisenkot criticizes settler violence and some settlement expansion, while Netanyahu governs with parties advocating West Bank annexation.

The contest is therefore less about competing visions of peace than about leadership, accountability and the conduct of war.

ECONOMIC PRESSURE, INTERNATIONAL ISOLATION

Netanyahu faces a growing economic dilemma: military policies presented as essential to security have deepened Israel's international isolation and increased the threat of sanctions.

In a Friday interview with Channel 10, he acknowledged concerns over possible banking sanctions.

"Of course I'm concerned," Netanyahu said, suggesting blockchain technology as a possible workaround.

The Bank of Israel rejected the proposal, while 109 economists, business leaders and former officials warned Sunday that sanctions could cause severe economic damage, according to the Israeli Hebrew-language business newspapers Calcalist and Globes.

The controversy highlights a broader challenge to Netanyahu's security doctrine: military gains may come at an economic and diplomatic cost Israel cannot sustain indefinitely.

DOMESTIC DIVISIONS, ULTRA-ORTHODOX DRAFT

Netanyahu also faces opposition over his corruption trial, attempts to weaken judicial oversight and exemptions from military service for ultra-Orthodox Jewish men.

He denies bribery, fraud and breach-of-trust charges, accusing the justice system of political persecution.

The conscription dispute has intensified after three years of wars and repeated reserve deployments.

An August survey by the Dialog Institute for Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth found that about 70 percent of 509 reservists said the government's handling of ultra-Orthodox conscription would significantly influence their vote. Only 34 percent of former Likud voters surveyed said they would definitely vote for the party again.

Netanyahu risks alienating reservists by protecting his ultra-Orthodox allies, but enforcing broader conscription could jeopardize those alliances, analysts say.

THE BATTLE FOR A MAJORITY

Netanyahu's coalition support collapsed after the Oct. 7 attack and has only partially recovered. Final polls by Kan, Channel 12 and Channel 13 project 50 seats for his bloc in the 120-seat parliament, against 52 to 56 for the opposition and 14 to 16 for Arab parties.

Netanyahu relies on ultra-Orthodox and far-right allies, including Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, whose demands for West Bank annexation further strain Israel's relations with Western allies.

Opposition parties, including right-wing factions, refuse to join a Netanyahu-led government, citing his corruption trial and responsibility for the Oct. 7 attack.

In an interview with Radio 103FM, Eisenkot said that he "will not serve under Netanyahu, not even in a rotation agreement," further narrowing Netanyahu's options.

Gideon Rahat, a political scientist at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, told JTA that Netanyahu's bloc had lost support since winning 64 seats in 2022, but the opposition still lacked a majority.

The paradox is that while many opposition parties agree on replacing Netanyahu, their divisions could prevent them from forming an alternative government, leaving Israel facing another electoral deadlock.

BELGRADE, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Former Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat in Sunday's snap parliamentary election, as independent projections and leaders of a student-backed movement born out of anti-corruption protests confirmed an outright parliamentary majority that ends the Serbian Progressive Party's (SNS) 14-year grip on power. Initial projections released by polling agencies Ipsos and CeSID showed the "Student List -- Students Win" winning 52 percent of the vote, well ahead of Vucic's SNS-led coalition, "Aleksandar Vucic -- United Serbia," which stood at 39.3 percent. Speaking at his campaign headquarters in Belgrade before final official results were available, Vucic said a stratified sample indicated that the student-backed list would win between 135 and 140 of the 250 parliamentary seats, compared with around 105 for his coalition. "I want to inform you that based on the stratified sample, it is clear that we have lost these elections," Vucic said.

"The student-backed list has won. They will have between 135 and 140 seats, and we will have around 105." According to Vucic's projections, the student-backed list received approximately 2.2 million votes, while his coalition secured roughly 1.72 million. Former Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic casts his ballot for the early parliamentary election at a polling station in Belgrade, Serbia, on Oct. 25, 2026.

As victory celebrations erupted at the Student List's headquarters, prominent candidate Radomir Saicic, a University of Belgrade professor and member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, declared a historic triumph for Serbian citizens. "Tonight the voice of the people is heard," Saicic said, noting that preliminary results showed the Student List convincingly leading across polling stations. "This is a victory of courage over fear, a victory of hope over apathy, a victory of faith that Serbia can and must be different ... This victory is no one's personal trophy.

It belongs to all of us," he said. Stressing that the electoral will of the public "must be respected without exception," Saicic called on supporters to celebrate peacefully and with dignity, urging citizens not to fall for provocations or enter into conflicts. Sunday's vote determined all 250 seats in Serbia's unicameral parliament, with 126 needed for a majority. About 6.45 million voters were eligible to cast ballots at 8,392 polling stations, with 18 electoral lists competing.

Polling stations closed at 8 p.m. (1900 GMT), though voters already in line at that hour were permitted to cast their ballots. The outcome marks a major shift in Serbian politics, where Vucic and the SNS have held a dominant position since 2012. Vucic resigned as president on Sept.27 to take part in the parliamentary election, with a new presidential vote required by the end of December. The student-backed movement emerged from nearly two years of anti-corruption protests and university blockades following the November 2024 collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad that killed 16 people. The tragedy became a focal point for public anger over corruption and demands for accountability. The movement's electoral list, formally headed by Novi Sad university professor Ilija Srdanovic, campaigned on institutional reform and anti-corruption measures.

It challenged not only the ruling bloc but also established opposition parties, including the Socialist Party of Serbia and other pro-European and right-wing groups. In his concession address, Vucic said he had chosen to announce the projections before official results were released to spare supporters uncertainty and counter claims that he would refuse to acknowledge an electoral defeat. He attributed his bloc's projected defeat to foreign support for the protest movement, describing the result as a "verification of a revolution". Vucic thanked his supporters and pledged that his political movement would remain united and continue its work from the opposition benches.

The projections represent the most significant electoral setback for the SNS since it came to power in 2012 and place the student-backed movement in a position to form a single-party parliamentary majority. ■ Comments Comments (0) Send You may like Autumn harvest in full swing across China Closing ceremony of Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games held in Nagoya Long March heritage along Chishui River fuels tourism in China's Guizhou A window into 20 years of change along the world's highest railway Autumn scenery of populus euphratica forests in China's Xinjiang Red tourism thrives in Liupan Mountain, China's Ningxia More from GLOBALink IRENA chief highlights China's contribution to global energy transition, emissions reduction What impresses global governance forum participants about China's "city of the future" Chinese-built solar project supports Vietnam's green energy transition Follow us on More from GLOBALink IRENA chief highlights China's contribution to global energy transition, emissions reduction What impresses global governance forum participants about China's "city of the future" Chinese-built solar project supports Vietnam's green energy transition Follow us on Serbia's Vucic concedes election defeat as student-led movement claims victory