Daily briefing · Tuesday, October 27

Lula wins Brazil’s presidential runoff

Brazil’s electoral court declared Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva the winner of Sunday’s presidential runoff with 51.8% of the vote, securing a fourth term. Senator Flávio Bolsonaro rejected the outcome and sought annulment after confusion surrounding a last-minute extension of voting hours. AP reported that both candidates had requested extra time. Lula will face a legislature where Bolsonaro’s party and allies hold majorities in both congressional chambers. His spending proposals and other legislation will therefore depend on negotiations with lawmakers, despite his presidential victory. AP: Lula wins fourth term as Brazil’s president, but Bolsonaro rejects results · Reuters: Analysis—Brazil’s Lula hangs on, but his final term promises to be toughest yet

Oil falls as regional diplomacy continues

Brent crude settled Monday at $115.81 a barrel, down 91 cents, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate fell $1.51 to $101.76. Reuters linked the retreat to hopes that regional diplomacy could ease tensions, alongside continuing concerns about Saudi supplies and commercial shipping. Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani officials held talks with Iranian leaders in Tehran, and Iranian state media said discussions would continue. Prices remained near six-month highs. Brent had gained 6% the previous week, putting Monday’s 0.8% decline in the context of a much larger recent rise. Reuters: Oil settles lower on peace hopes, Saudi attacks limit losses

Israel prepares for first national vote since October 7

Israel votes Tuesday in its first national election since the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023. Reuters reported Monday that opinion polls suggested neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s allies nor the opposition had a clear path to a governing majority. Accountability for the attacks, including demands for an independent investigation that Netanyahu has resisted, remains a prominent issue. Polling describes the contest before voting, rather than its outcome. Coalition negotiations could continue for months afterward, potentially leaving Netanyahu heading a caretaker administration while parties seek enough support to govern. Reuters: Netanyahu faces reckoning for October 7 in Israel’s first vote since attack

Serbia’s student-backed list heads toward a majority

Serbia’s student-backed electoral list had won 52.7% of the vote and 139 seats in the 250-seat parliament with almost 99% counted Monday, Reuters reported, citing the election commission. Aleksandar Vučić conceded defeat Sunday after nearly two years of protests. The provisional seat total would give the movement a majority of its own, but its governing leadership remains unsettled. The constitution allows up to 90 days to form a government once parliament convenes after final results. Choosing a prime minister and assembling an administration are the next practical steps. Reuters: After Vučić defeat, Serbia waits to learn how student-backed leaders will govern

Humanitarian ceasefire begins in occupied Oleshky

A local humanitarian ceasefire took effect early Tuesday in Russian-occupied Oleshky in southern Ukraine, NBC News reported. The White House said the arrangement, coordinated by Melania Trump, would allow aid into the town and preparations for civilian evacuation. Residents have faced shortages of food, medicine and clean water. The start of the pause moves Friday’s agreement into its implementation phase. Deliveries and evacuations still depend on safe routes, including mine clearance, and neither military had specified when the temporary truce would end. Ceasefire brokered by Melania Trump goes into effect in Russian-occupied town ‘on the brink of disaster’

France pledges to replace university admissions platform

France’s government promised Monday to replace Parcoursup, its national university admissions platform, in 2028 after weeks of protests over education and living costs. For 2027, institutions would publish clearer selection criteria, with more information accompanying rejections and detailed reasons available on request. The platform handled a record 1.05 million applicants this year. Ministers also pledged 15,000 additional higher-education places across 2027 and 2028. The replacement still needs to be designed and may require legislation, with delivery extending beyond next year’s presidential election. AP: France promises to replace its university admissions system after riots and thousands of arrests

NASA tracks autumn pigments from orbit

NASA published maps Monday showing how its PACE satellite tracks changing leaf pigments across the planet. Measurements from September 29 through October 11 show vegetation redness spreading southward across parts of the Northern Hemisphere. The instrument separates wavelengths associated with green, yellow-orange and red pigments, allowing repeated comparisons of seasonal change. Reading the maps requires care: aging crops and stressed vegetation can also appear red, and clouds leave gaps. Ground photographs help scientists interpret those signals, supporting research into seasonal timing and plant health. NASA: Hunting Red Leaves with Satellites

Walter Koenig, Star Trek’s Chekov, dies at 90

Walter Koenig, who played Pavel Chekov in Star Trek, died Sunday at his North Hollywood home, his agent announced Monday. He was 90. Koenig joined the television series in 1967 and appeared in six films featuring the original cast. Chekov’s arrival placed a Russian navigator aboard an American science-fiction series during the Cold War, giving the character a place in television’s cultural history. Koenig later played the telepath Alfred Bester in Babylon 5, a substantial second chapter in his science-fiction career. He also wrote books and screenplays. CNN: Walter Koenig, Chekov of Star Trek fame, dies at 90

Brewers move one win from first World Series title

Milwaukee beat Tampa Bay 10–1 Monday to take a three-games-to-none World Series lead. An eight-run fifth inning broke open the game, while starter Robert Gasser pitched six scoreless innings. The victory leaves the Brewers one win from their first World Series championship. In the best-of-seven format, Milwaukee has four opportunities to secure that remaining win. Tampa Bay must win every remaining game to take the title, beginning with Tuesday’s Game 4. Brewers: Un Juego 3 para los libros de historia

Jumping spiders show two stages of sleep

Jumping spiders show two distinct stages of sleep, including one with eye movements and muscle twitches resembling REM sleep, according to research announced Monday by the University of Bonn. The team filmed Australian Portia fimbriata spiders, tested their responses to sound and checked whether they made up for interrupted sleep. Those experiments help distinguish sleep from simply keeping still, extending research into animals with very different nervous systems. Brain activity was not measured, so the findings do not establish that the spiders dream or experience the same REM state as humans. University of Bonn: How deeply do spiders sleep?