Serbia's Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat in an historic election on Sunday following a near to 70% turnout at polling stations – the highest since the break-up of Yugoslavia in 1992. The snap election followed nearly two years of student-led demonstrations against perceived corruption and authoritarianism triggered by the deaths of 16 people when a train station canopy collapsed in the ‌city of Novi Sad in 2024.  

From student protests across France over the weekend and presidential elections in Brazil pitting leftist incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva against right-wing challenger Flavio Bolsonaro to wildfires in Indonesia, FRANCE 24 looks back at some of the most striking images from the past week.

Serbia votes on Sunday in what is set to be its most contested parliamentary election in more than 14 years, as a student-led movement seeks to oust the party of populist leader Aleksandar Vucic. The vote comes after nearly two years of student-led protests sparked by the 2024 collapse of a canopy that killed 16 people.

Ukraine has regained a "stable" connection to the Starlink and Starshield satellite communications systems, Kyiv's defence minister said on Saturday. Recent disruptions to the connection led to tensions with Washington over the SpaceX-made network crucial to the Ukrainian army's operations.

Italy is preparing for another day of protests on Saturday against budget cuts and the high cost of living in eight cities, including Rome and Milan. Following last weekend’s unrest, authorities announced heavy security measures, including the use of drones and helicopters to monitor the marches.

Ukraine on Friday said it was still experiencing restrictions with the Starlink communication system despite a claim by US President Donald Trump made earlier this week that the country’s access had been fully restored. Trump said he had not yet spoken to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk about the problem, but that he would “straighten it out”. 

Representatives from French high school student groups called for “continued mobilisation” after meeting with President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée palace for the first time since protests started more than a month ago. Earlier, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said some 70,000 security forces would be deployed to keep order throughout France for planned protests on Saturday. Read our blog to see how the day's events unfolded.

Russia’s latest attacks on Ukraine show there has been “no real change” in Moscow’s attitude towards the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday. The deadly strikes came just hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin told US envoy Steve Witkoff his country was ready to resume trilateral talks with Washington and Kyiv.

The International Criminal Court, which US President Donald Trump's administration has threatened to dismantle "brick by brick", has been awarded the European Union's Sakharov human rights prize.

Local prefects on Thursday banned all protests in France’s second- and third-largest cities Marseille and Lyon for Saturday in an attempt to prevent a repeat of last weekend’s violence and looting on the margins of demonstrations over the cost of living and education funding. Read our liveblog to see how the day's events unfolded.

Russia and Ukraine traded major drone and missile strikes on each other's capitals overnight, hours after Moscow signalled readiness to resume US-mediated peace talks. President Donald Trump said negotiations were closer than ever to ending the war, though the Kremlin expressed doubts over Ukrainian and European proposals.

Irish lawmakers voted Wednesday to scrap a requirement for UN approval before deploying military peacekeepers overseas, approving the controversial legislation by 79 votes to 71. Opposition lawmakers warned the move threatened Ireland’s longstanding military neutrality. Ireland is not a NATO member but has traditionally participated in international peacekeeping missions.

Pope Leo XIV, 71, will require no further treatment for lung cancer after tests confirmed the disease was localised, the Vatican said Wednesday. The pontiff underwent surgery last week to remove part of his right lung after being diagnosed with adenocarcinoma. He was discharged Saturday and will gradually resume activities.

EU prosecutors on Wednesday searched offices belonging to the far-right Patriots parliamentary group as part of a graft probe into the bloc’s dissolved predecessor, Identity and Democracy, which brought together several European far-right parties including French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen’s National Rally.

Ukraine and Russia on Wednesday said they are both ready to resume trilateral talks with the United States. The news comes after US envoy Steve Witkoff separately met with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on two consecutive days.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg on Wednesday after talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Oslo. Putin said during the meeting that Russia had released US citizen Stephen Hubbard, who had been imprisoned for years in Russia after being charged of fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine.

Local authorities on Wednesday banned protests planned in several French cities in the next few days – from Toulon in the south to Le Havre in the north – and also imposed night-time curfews in many of them. Read our blog to see how the day's events unfolded.

Italy announced tougher security measures on Tuesday after weekend riots in Milan left more than 100 police officers injured and shops looted. The government will deploy 500 additional soldiers, impose harsher penalties for violent protesters and hold parents financially responsible for damage caused by minors.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has wrapped up talks with US envoys in Norway Tuesday where he was determined to put diplomacy back on a "more constructive path”, Oslo officials said.  Zelensky told a post-meeting press briefing that Ukraine was not losing the war but was “losing people and time”, adding that he was hopeful moving forward because “we have some clear ideas of how to get peace”.

The European Union unveils its new "strategy for the Arctic" on Tuesday, aiming to step up its presence in the far north as melting ice opens new maritime routes, and tensions with Russia and the United States increasingly put the region in the geopolitical spotlight.