Covering democracy's slow-motion retirement tour. Strongmen, stolen votes & historic elections. Daily briefing, sourced, no spin https://xitter.cf/t.co/hn0SFKCsfS
Joined March 2026
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Israel votes tomorrow, in what may be its most divided election ever.
The rawest question: will Netanyahu, openly backed by Trump, ever be held accountable for October 7, the worst security failure in Israel’s history?
#Israel #Elections
More Israelis are leaving than arriving, many renewing foreign passports. Those leaving are the doctors and engineers.
The ultra-Orthodox double their share every 25 years, mostly outside the army and modern jobs.
39% of Israelis now fear violence between Israelis, as many as fear a nuclear Iran.
#Israel #Election
Kyiv calls that “physically impossible”: the speed cap ruled such strikes out, and Starlink is blocked over Russia, says Zelensky adviser Serhii Beskrestnov.
Ukraine says Starshield access is now restored, and Zelensky confirms technical talks with the US and Russia in November.
The story keeps changing.
#Ukraine
Serbia woke up to a new majority.
A sample count by CeSID and Ipsos gives the Student List 138 of 250 seats, against 104 for Vučić’s party. A majority needs 126.
Turnout was 67.6%, the highest since 1992.
#Serbia #Elections
Now the hard part. They inherit a state run by one party for 14 years, and voters expect accountability for the 16 deaths in Novi Sad.
On Russia, the EU and Kosovo, they differ little from Vučić’s party.
“Tonight we celebrate victory, tomorrow we build the future.” Today is tomorrow.
#serbiaelections
We asked if the Bolsonaros would concede. Now we know.
Flávio Bolsonaro says it’s “impossible to concede” and his lawyers will seek to annul Brazil’s election, which he lost by 4.3 million votes.
His reason: a judge, once Lula’s lawyer, kept polls open two extra hours after rain and bus failures. “Changing the rules of the game while the game was being played.”
He didn’t mention his own campaign asked for an extension too.
#Brazil
Lula did it. Brazil’s electoral court says he beat Flávio Bolsonaro and won a fourth term.
He is the first candidate in Brazil’s history to win a runoff after losing the first round.
Flávio promised to free his father, serving 27 years for plotting a coup after losing in 2022.
Before the result, a top ally in his party posted: “Either we win. Or we win. You’ve been warned.”
Hours earlier, Serbia’s strongman conceded. Now it’s Brazil’s turn to show how a loser behaves.
#Brazil #Election
Lula did it. Brazil’s electoral court says he beat Flávio Bolsonaro and won a fourth term.
He is the first candidate in Brazil’s history to win a runoff after losing the first round.
Flávio promised to free his father, serving 27 years for plotting a coup after losing in 2022.
Before the result, a top ally in his party posted: “Either we win. Or we win. You’ve been warned.”
Hours earlier, Serbia’s strongman conceded. Now it’s Brazil’s turn to show how a loser behaves.
#Brazil #Election
Brazil votes today too, and the name on the ballot is Bolsonaro again.
Senator Flávio Bolsonaro faces President Lula. His father Jair is under house arrest, serving 27 years for plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election. Flávio has promised to free him.
#Brazil #Elections
The students did it.
"We still do not have final results... it is clear that we have lost these elections," Vučić told his party tonight.
After 14 years in power, he lost to a movement born from a station canopy collapse that killed 16 in Novi Sad.
#Serbia #Elections
Serbia is voting right now, and for the first time in 14 years nobody knows how it ends.
Vučić, in power since 2012, against a student movement born from the Novi Sad station collapse that killed 16.
Polls disagree: Ipsos has his party ahead 47% to 40%, others put the students in front.
#Serbia #Elections
Turnout hit 67.6% by 7 pm, the highest since 1992. Belgrade is celebrating with fireworks.
Monitors still flagged vote-buying and pressure on voters during the day. Official results come Monday.
Hungary in April, Serbia tonight. Two of Europe's strongmen, voted out in one year.
#serbia
Brazil votes today too, and the name on the ballot is Bolsonaro again.
Senator Flávio Bolsonaro faces President Lula. His father Jair is under house arrest, serving 27 years for plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election. Flávio has promised to free him.
#Brazil #Elections
Flávio came first in round one, 47% to 45%. No candidate has ever won Brazil’s presidency after finishing second. Polls show a tie.
Reuters reports a campaign inside Trump’s State Department to help the Bolsonaros back to power. Washington denies it.
#Brazil
Serbia is voting right now, and for the first time in 14 years nobody knows how it ends.
Vučić, in power since 2012, against a student movement born from the Novi Sad station collapse that killed 16.
Polls disagree: Ipsos has his party ahead 47% to 40%, others put the students in front.
#Serbia #Elections
It also threatens to sink US warships and cut the internet cables under the Strait of Hormuz.
The Pentagon says it destroyed up to 90% of Iran’s missile industry. Yet two ships sank last week, and interceptor stocks are running low.
#Iran
Not fully back. Trump says Musk “put it back.” Zelensky says it’s “still limited.”
Ukraine built fast interceptor drones to catch Russia’s jet-powered Shaheds.
“When an Iranian drone goes with a speed of 450 or 500 kilometers per hour, and you limit [the speed] one night to 70 or even 100, you cannot intercept anything.”
US missile-warning intelligence is back after talks with Rubio, he says. The satellite link isn’t.
Who ordered the slowdown? He doesn’t know. The Pentagon says it wasn’t them.
#Ukraine #USA
Trump called Musk this week to lift the Starlink cap crippling Ukraine’s drones, per WSJ, the same slowdown he spent days denying he knew about.
Hours later it started working again.
Vance says Washington should’ve controlled Musk.
Hegseth and Rubio say Musk alone had that power.
Nobody agrees who’s in charge.
#USA #Ukraine
About 150,000 people filled Belgrade’s Slavija Square last night for the Student List’s final rally before Sunday’s vote.
Across town, Vučić spoke in a sports hall and called the students a foreign funded coup.
After 14 years in power, a poll this week has them neck and neck.
#Serbia #Elections
Aleksandar Vučić has been in Serbian politics since 1998, as Milošević’s propaganda minister. He’s been at the top since 2012, as prime minister or president.
On Sunday, for the first time in 14 years, nobody can say for sure he wins.
#Serbia #Elections
The campaign hasn’t been fair. 24 Serbian civil society groups warn the conditions for a free vote are lacking.
Press freedom has hit its lowest ranking ever, and student activists have found Pegasus spyware on their phones.
Still they came. “For the first time in my life, I believe that it is possible.”
#Serbia #Europe