Emotions ran high in Belgrade on Monday after a student-led movement upset the right-wing populist Aleksandar Vucic's party in Serbia's snap election. A celebratory mood gripped the capital, with drivers honking their horns and passers-by holding up three fingers -- the winning list's ballot number and a Serbian greeting. Many wore badges and other symbols of the student movement, while a large group of residents spent the day cleaning up a park between parliament and the presidency after Vucic loyalists, who had camped there for more than a year, fled. FRANCE 24's Mark Owen speaks with researchers and political activist Aleksandar Matković.

The French government met student representatives on Monday (October 26) following weeks of unrest. Students who had been demanding a meeting for weeks hail progress. Nonetheless they are now calling for fresh demonstrations next Saturday (October 31) to press for further measures. Details by FRANCE 24’s French Politics Editor Marc Perelman.

Climate activists in Brazil are celebrating President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's election victory as good news for the Amazon rainforest. His last four years in power saw a record decrease in deforestation in the world's largest rainforest.

Israel's defence minister denied on Monday (October 26) reports of a rift between PM Netanyahu and the army over Iran, before the vote.  Netanyahu has campaigned heavily on his security credentials, insisting only he can "finish the job" in the US-Israeli war on Iran. His main rival, ex-army chief Gadi Eisenkot, has accused him of playing up the Iran threat when it suits him politically, and of failing to accomplish his war goals. FRANCE 24's Kethevane Gorjestani tells us more.

​President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva won Brazil's presidential election on Sunday (October 25), defeating right-wing ​Senator Flavio Bolsonaro in a runoff to secure a fourth non-consecutive term.

Erin Ogunkeye is pleased to welcome Christopher Sabatini, Director of Chatham House's Latin America Programme. Sabatini examines how Lula's campaign reinvention, youth mobilisation, and the changing dynamics of Bolsonarismo are reshaping Brazil's political landscape. By embracing social media, mobilising younger voters, and shifting attention from his historical achievements to the economic anxieties of ordinary Brazilians, Lula managed to transform the electoral contest. As Sabatini explains, voters were no longer satisfied with hearing about the past. They wanted an answer to a more immediate question: "What are you going to do for us now?

Israelis can’t vote from abroad, so tens of thousands of expats are expected to fly home for the election. At Tel Aviv airport, supporters of opposition figure Gadi Eisenkot are already waiting at arrivals. A “Fly and Vote” initiative helps expats organise their trip, despite a failed petition from Netanyahu’s Likud party to restrict it. With polls predicting a tight race, every vote could count, and the result will decide the Prime Minister’s fate.

The French government sought to draw a line Monday under weeks of protests that have been marred by violence, with President Emmanuel Macron heading to Marseille. France has been rocked by widespread anger over the rising cost of living, with nationwide demonstrations on October 17 degenerating into some of the country's worst rioting in years.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva won an unprecedented fourth term on Sunday (October 25), the country's electoral court said, in a shock result that defied polls.

What does a salamander have to do with US elections? Dating back centuries, gerrymandering continues to play a role in American elections today. Used more often by Republicans in the modern era of voting, Democrats have also resorted to the tactic in the past decade. But what is gerrymandering, and why is it called that? FRANCE 24's Tanishk Saha explains.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the government would announce “concrete measures" on Monday (October 26) to address school students’ demands after weeks of unrest. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu was scheduled to meet with students later Monday. FRANCE 24's Luke Shrago reports from the ground.

Ten days out from the elections that will determine control of the closely divided Congress, Barack Obama took to the campaign trail to accuse the Republican president of corruption, deride his strategy for Iran and skewer the gilded aesthetic he has applied ‌to White House renovations. FRANCE 24's Fraser Jackson tells us more.

Israelis are preparing to head to the polls on Tuesday (October 27). Unable to vote from abroad, tens of thousands of expatriate citizens have been flying in from across the world to cast their ballots. FRANCE 24's Noga Tarnopolsky met some of them at the airport.

Serbia's student-led protest movement won a historic victory in parliamentary ⁠election, ending the ​long rule of Aleksandar Vucic and sparking mass celebrations. But their yet-to-be named leaders face a long list of issues. FRANCE 24's Angela Diffley gives us her analysis.

Brazil's leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was re-elected against all expectations on Sunday (October 25), but his conservative rival Flavio Bolsonaro refused to accept the loss and said he would seek to have the vote annulled. FRANCE 24's Jan Onoszko tells us more.

Annette Young is pleased to welcome Dr Pedro Perfeito da Silva, Latin American specialist at the University of Exeter. For Dr Perfeito da Silva, Lula's stunning success reflects the convergence of digital organizing, grassroots mobilization, targeted socioeconomic appeals and an effective effort to mobilise opposition to the Bolsonaro political project. As he explains, Lula assembled a coalition that "not only energized his supporters but also attracted voters from groups that had been somewhat skeptical of the government in the first round."

Since the beginning of his political career, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, has campaigned on a promise that he is the only one who will keep the Jewish state safe. As Israelis head to the polls for their first election since the October7 Hamas attacks and the start of the war in Gaza, Netanyahu's strategy might be less effective. FRANCE 24's Gabrielle Nadler explains.

Serbia's student-led movement declared victory in parliamentary elections Sunday ending 14 years in power for Aleksandar Vucic's right-wing populist party. Vucic conceded defeat less than two hours after polls closed, triggering raucous scenes in the capital as supporters of the movement celebrated the defeat of a government they blamed for deep-rooted corruption.

Israelis are preparing to head to the polls on Tuesday (October 27) in the first elections since the October 7th attacks in 2023. Unable to vote abroad, expatriate citizens have been flying in from around the world to participate in a vote widely seen as being a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership.

The competition for this year's Ballon d'Or is tougher than ever. Who will succeed Ousmane Dembélé? Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal and Harry Kane lead a star-studded field. FRANCE 24's Emily Boyle has more.