World brief 2026-10-26: Korean trip, Iran tensions, Brazil vote

1. KIM JONG-UN MAKES SURPRISE VISIT TO CHINESE BORDER CITY
Kim Jong-un made a one-day visit to Dandong on 25 Oct, met China's top political adviser Wang Huning, paid tribute at a Korean War memorial and said he would carry forward DPRK-China friendship. He returned via the newly opened New Yalu/Amnok River Bridge; this was his first known trip to China since September 2025.

2. TRUMP: NO STRIKE ON IRAN ON 25 OCT
US President Donald Trump said there would be no strike on Iran on 25 Oct and that Washington was weighing a deal with Tehran against further military action; he also claimed US forces control the Strait of Hormuz. Qatari mediators were in Tehran for de-escalation coordinated with Washington, while Qatar's prime minister discussed regional stability with Turkey's foreign minister. The claim of control over Hormuz remains unverified independently.

3. BRAZIL RUNOFF VOTING EXTENDED BY TWO HOURS
Voting in Brazil's presidential runoff closed at 7pm Brasilia time on 25 Oct after the Supreme Federal Court extended polling by two hours because of heavy rain and transport problems. Incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva faced Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro; early counts showed Lula narrowly ahead. Final results have not been announced.

4. HEBRON: OVER 2,670 PALESTINIANS DISPLACED
According to the Palestinian Authority, an Israeli military operation in Hebron in the occupied West Bank forcibly displaced more than 2,670 Palestinians, mostly women and children. On the same day in Gaza, seven Palestinians were killed in bombardment and gunfire; Israeli authorities had not yet issued an official response.

5. TEL AVIV: MORE THAN 100,000 DEMAND INQUIRY COMMISSION
More than 100,000 people rallied in Tel Aviv on 24 Oct, three days before Israel's election, demanding an independent state commission of inquiry into the failures surrounding the 7 Oct 2023 attack and accountability from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. Netanyahu separately posted an AI-generated image of a nuclear explosion over Tel Aviv to warn about Iran's nuclear ambitions; the use of that image drew controversy two days before the vote.

6. RUSSIA READY FOR TRILATERAL TALKS AFTER 4 NOV
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Russia is ready to resume trilateral talks with the US and Ukraine after 4 Nov, though the first meeting would be preparatory. Elon Musk claimed Ukraine's military had used Starlink to control attack drones in violation of terms and that the loophole was closed; President Zelensky also described changes in US military support. Musk's claim has not been fully confirmed by all sides.

7. SAUDI ARABIA PARTIALLY REOPENS RIYADH AIRPORT
Saudi Arabia partially reopened Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport on 25 Oct after a roughly two-week closure caused by Houthi attacks. Operations remained limited; according to Saudi civil defence, two people were injured by shrapnel after two Houthi ballistic missiles were intercepted near Khamis Mushait and Ahad Rafidah.

8. FRANCE: 410,000 PROTEST OVER LIVING COSTS
France's Interior Ministry said about 410,000 people demonstrated nationwide on 24 Oct against living costs and underinvestment in public services, including about 110,000 in Paris; 1,314 arrests were reported nationwide. The scale of the protests signals significant social pressure on the government.

What to watch today: Final count in Brazil's presidential runoff.
*This summary is for reference, reflecting multiple sources at the time of publication.*