⚡ Today in History

On October 25, 1415, Henry V’s outnumbered English army defeated France at the Battle of Agincourt. In 1983, US forces invaded Grenada two days after a truck bomb killed 241 American troops in Beirut. Today, voters in Brazil and Serbia head to the polls in elections shaped by protest and rising costs.

Top News

Brazil votes in presidential runoff — polls show 2-point race 51-49

More than 150 million Brazilians vote today in a runoff. President Lula da Silva faces Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro led the first round 47% to 45%, and the final poll shows Bolsonaro ahead 51–49.

Serbia holds snap election — student movement takes on Vucic 250 SEATS

Serbia votes today for all 250 seats in its National Assembly. The election follows two years of street protests over corruption. Former President Aleksandar Vucic resigned in September to run for prime minister. A student-led list could block his return to power.

France deploys troops for Yellow Vest “Act II” marches 212 ACTIONS

Soldiers from Operation Sentinelle — France’s counter-terrorism force — guarded key Paris sites on Saturday. Yellow Vest protesters marched from the Bastille to Nation. Organizers listed 212 actions across the country, though police banned some after the October 17 round left over 2,000 arrested and nearly 1,000 officers hurt.

Nasdaq posts second straight weekly loss as AI selloff deepens

Chip stocks tried to rally Friday but lost steam by the close. The S&P 500 ended at 7,646, about 2.2% off its October 6 record. The Nasdaq fell over 5% in two weeks, led by Thursday’s 2.6% plunge on AI spending fears.

Israel votes Tuesday — neither bloc near a Knesset majority

Israel holds its first election since the Iran war began in February. Final polls show neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc nor Gadi Eisenkot’s centrist group reaching 61 seats in the 120-member Knesset. A coalition deal, a unity pact, or fresh elections are all on the table.

World

Finland pledges $336M for Ukraine energy and satellite system $336M

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo announced the package during a Kyiv visit on Thursday. The deal includes €5 million for energy and 10 rail locomotives. Finnish tech firm ICEYE will also help Ukraine build its own satellite system to cut its reliance on SpaceX’s Starlink.

Iran’s IRGC Navy claims attacks on four ships in the Gulf

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it struck four vessels on Wednesday in the Persian Gulf. The attacks widened beyond the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for a quarter of global oil shipping. At least 10 ships have been hit near the waterway since October 11.

Trump accuses Iran of faking ship strikes to inflate oil prices

President Donald Trump said this week that Iran was making up reports of ship attacks to push oil prices higher before the November 3 midterms. Brent crude closed Thursday at $113.17 a barrel, up 74% from about $65 a year ago.

India’s Modi pledges to back Ukraine peace efforts

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday that India would back all efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Three-way talks between the US, Russia, and Ukraine are planned for mid-November in Abu Dhabi. India’s support could add weight to the push for a deal.

Czechs vote in second-round Senate elections — 22 seats at stake

Czech voters cast ballots this weekend in runoff elections to fill 22 Senate seats. No one won outright in the first round a week ago. The results will test support for Prime Minister Petr Fiala’s coalition.

Politics

Trump rallies in Iowa for Hinson, heads to Lubbock TX on Tuesday 7 DAYS OUT

President Donald Trump rallied Thursday in Sioux City, Iowa for Senate hopeful Ashley Hinson. New polls give Democrat Josh Turek a slight edge in the race. Trump heads to Lubbock, Texas on Tuesday, one week before the November 3 midterms.

Trump defends Ramaswamy ad with opponent’s estranged mother

Ohio governor candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s team confirmed it made an ad where Amy Acton’s estranged mother calls the Democrat “a liar.” The campaign plans to spend $4 million to air it. Trump told Ramaswamy to “thank God” for the ad, but several Ohio Republicans have broken with it.

Early voting surges across key states

Harris County, Texas — home to Houston — broke its first-day early voting record. Turnout is up about 60% from the same point in 2022. North Carolina ran 38% ahead of its 2022 pace. An ABC/Washington Post poll found 72% of Democrats said they were certain to vote.

Krugman: Take Starlink away from Musk

Nobel Prize–winning economist Paul Krugman said no private citizen should shape national security. The call came after SpaceX slowed Starlink for Ukraine’s armed forces. Vice President JD Vance defended Elon Musk, saying decisions would be made by the Pentagon or the U.S. president.

Vance rallies in Nebraska as Democrats eye rare GOP flip

Vice President JD Vance rallied in Nebraska on Thursday, a sign the state’s Senate seat is at risk. Democrats are trying to flip it as part of their push to gain four seats and take the Senate.

Markets

Stocks cap second straight losing week — S&P at 7,646 -2.2% FROM RECORD

Chip stocks tried to rally Friday but couldn’t hold gains. The S&P 500 ended at 7,646 — about 2.2% below its October 6 high. The Dow held flat near 52,811. The Nasdaq stayed more than 5% below its record of 27,600 after Thursday’s 2.6% drop.

Brent crude at $113.17 — up 74% in 12 months $113.17

Brent rose 4.0% Thursday to $113.17 a barrel, a five-month high. Analysts say the Iran war and Houthi attacks on Saudi oil sites are the main drivers. A year ago, a barrel cost about $65 — making this a 74% jump in 12 months. WTI closed Thursday near $100.

Lockheed Martin jumps 6.7% on earnings beat

Lockheed Martin, the world’s largest defense contractor, rose 6.7% after beating Q3 earnings estimates and raising its full-year profit forecast. The gain shows a broad shift out of tech and into defense and energy stocks.

Gold drops to $4,015 — worst week since August

Gold fell to $4,015 an ounce, down about 3.5% for the week. Investors moved from precious metals into US bonds. The 10-year Treasury yield fell to 4.96%, down from 5.09% a week ago.

Bitcoin holds near $82,400 while stocks slide

Bitcoin traded near $82,400 over the weekend — its third straight week in a broad $80,000–$85,000 range. The calm stood apart from the Nasdaq’s back-to-back weekly losses and gold’s slide.

Entertainment

Antonelli, 20, could become youngest F1 champion today 102 PTS AHEAD

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli leads the Formula 1 standings by 102 points heading into today’s US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. The Italian turned 20 in August. A title win today would break Sebastian Vettel’s record as the youngest F1 world champion.

Clayface opens — DC’s latest from James Gunn $20-25M PROJECTED

Warner Bros.’ R-rated horror film Clayface, based on the Batman villain, opened this weekend in about 3,500 US theaters. Box-office trackers projected a debut between $20 million and $25 million.

NFL plays in Paris: Steelers vs Saints at Stade de France

The Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints kick off today at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, just north of Paris. The Week 7 game comes one day after soldiers patrolled the same city during the Yellow Vest “Act II” marches.

World Series: Brewers and Rays in the Fall Classic

The Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays opened the 2026 World Series on Friday at American Family Field in Milwaukee. The series moves to St. Petersburg for Game 3 on Monday. Neither club has won a title before.

Klara and the Sun opens — Waititi directs Ortega and Adams

Taika Waititi’s film of Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel opened Friday, with Jenna Ortega as an AI companion and Amy Adams as a mother dealing with loss. The Sony drama was tracking toward a $2 million opening weekend.