Russia: Pause in Ukraine talks due to Kyiv
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump have not ruled out the possibilit...
Andrej Babis’s ANO party won the Czech Republic’s parliamentary election on Saturday with 34.7% of the vote, prompting coalition talks as it fell short of a majority.
With nearly all precincts counted, ANO secured 34.7% of the vote, followed by the centre-right Spolu alliance with 23.2%, according to the Czech Statistical Office. Projections suggested ANO would hold about 80 of the 200 seats in the lower house, requiring support from other parties to form a government.
Babis said he aimed to establish a one-party cabinet and would consult smaller groups, including the Motorists party and the Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) movement. Leaders of both parties said they were open to talks. President Petr Pavel is expected to begin consultations with party leaders on Sunday before appointing a prime minister.
During the campaign, ANO pledged faster economic growth, higher wages and pensions, and tax cuts for students and young families. The proposals, which would increase public spending, gained traction among voters facing rising living costs.
Babis denied suggestions that his leadership would distance Prague from the EU or NATO, saying “we are clearly pro-European and pro-NATO.” However, he has said future aid for Ukraine should be coordinated through NATO and the EU, and has criticised the Czech-led ammunition initiative for Kyiv funded by Western partners.
Among smaller parties, SPD received 7.8%, while the far-left Stacilo! party failed to pass the 5% threshold. Outgoing Prime Minister Petr Fiala of Spolu conceded defeat and congratulated Babis.
Babis still faces challenges, including conflict-of-interest laws related to his business holdings and fraud allegations over an EU subsidy, which he denies. In European politics, he has aligned with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban within the Patriots for Europe group and has been a vocal critic of the EU’s Green policies.
The outcome now hinges on whether ANO can secure parliamentary backing to form a functioning government, pending President Pavel’s decision on the next prime minister.
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
A tsunami threat was issued in Chile after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Drake Passage on Friday. The epicenter was located 135 miles south of Puerto Williams on the north coast of Navarino Island.
The war in Ukraine has reached a strategic impasse, and it seems that the conflict will not be solved by military means. This creates a path toward one of two alternatives: either a “frozen” phase that can last indefinitely or a quest for a durable political regulation.
A shooting in Nice, southeastern France, left two people dead and five injured on Friday, authorities said.
Snapchat will start charging users who store more than 5GB of photos and videos in its Memories feature, prompting backlash from long-time users.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has condemned U.S. military operations against vessels in the Caribbean, which have resulted in dozens of deaths and heightened tensions in the region.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump have not ruled out the possibility of a future summit.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Friday (24 October) that trade talks with Washington are progressing well. She declined to comment on U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to halt negotiations with Canada over Ontario’s anti-tariff advertisement.
The French Socialist Party which holds a swing position in the hung parliament has threatened to trigger a no-confidence motion on Monday.
Chinese and US. officials are holding trade talks in Malaysia this week, seeking to stabilise relations between both countries ahead of the highly anticipated Trump - Xi meeting in South Korea next week.
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