Venezuelan interim president Delcy Rodriguez derided the dramatic return from exile of opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, signaling immediate tensions despite Machado saying she was open to talks. u.afp.com/Syir

Microsoft is offering voluntary buyouts to about 60,000 employees, the company said on Monday, roughly a quarter of its workforce, as the tech giant seeks to cut costs while pouring money into artificial intelligence. u.afp.com/Syih

#BREAKING: Trump slams 'rigged' Brazil election after ally loses

AFP REPORTAGE: Each year, Gabon's lush rainforests yield the discovery of previously unknown plant species to botanists who are striving to make a sliver of tropical forest in the heart of the capital a ‘museum of plants’ for his central African country. u.afp.com/Syid

AFP REPORTAGE: Democrats in the largely rural, conservative US state of Kansas are hoping they can exploit voter discontent with President Donald Trump and send a Democrat to the Senate -- a feat that hasn't been achieved since 1932. u.afp.com/Syif

Malaysia will ask Myanmar about reports that hundreds of returned migrants are in military detention, the foreign minister said. Malaysia in late September sent back 1,500 migrants to the war-torn country despite opposition from rights groups. u.afp.com/Syip

Anthropic, one of the world’s leading artificial intelligence companies, made public its plans to sell shares on the stock market, revealing soaring sales but also political and safety risks in a major test of whether the AI boom can deliver profits. u.afp.com/Syiq

#BREAKING: Microsoft offers voluntary exit packages to 60,000 staff

🏏 🇿🇦 🇦🇺 Fast bowler Gerald Coetzee will replace injured fellow paceman Anrich Nortje in the South Africa team for the series-deciding third Test against Australia, starting in Cape Town on Tuesday ➡️ u.afp.com/SywK

🇫🇷 📲 🗳️ French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday accused social media of "damaging our democracies", six months before an election to pick his successor, as authorities grapple with nationwide cost-of-living protests that have spilled over into violence ➡️ u.afp.com/Syw2Mostrar mais

🎤 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 ⚖️ American singer Chris Brown avoided jail when sentenced by a UK court on Monday after pleading guilty to a public order offence during a 2023 brawl at a London nightclub ➡️ u.afp.com/SywM

🇷🇸 🗳️ Serbian student movement ousts longtime leader in election Serbia's student-led movement declared victory in parliamentary elections on 25 October, ending 14 years in power for Aleksandar Vucic's right-wing populist party. Vucic conceded defeat less than two hours afte…Mostrar mais

⚽ 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Winless in eight games and hovering just above the Premier League relegation zone, struggling Manchester United are facing the prospect of yet another managerial change, with Michael Carrick likely to pay the price ➡️ u.afp.com/SywS

🇮🇱 🇵🇸 Israel has committed the crime against humanity of "extermination" in the West Bank, while continuing to commit "genocide" against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, United Nations-mandated investigators said on Monday ➡️ u.afp.com/SywJ

🇻🇪 Venezuela's Machado returns from exile to jubilant crowds Maria Corina Machado, Venezuela's opposition leader and a Nobel Peace Prize winner, has made a surprise return home after nearly a year in exile. Her return to Caracas is a direct challenge to the US-backed interim g…Mostrar mais

🇧🇷 🗳️ Brazil's Lula defies odds to clinch election victory Leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva pulled off a dramatic comeback as he clinched re-election in a runoff victory as his rival Flavio Bolsonaro refused to accept the loss and said he would seek an annulment.…Mostrar mais

🇸🇪 Swedish Centre Party leader Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist on Monday said she had failed to form a government uniting left and right wing parties, leaving the Nordic country no closer to a new government after its September 13 election. ➡️ u.afp.com/SyU9

🇫🇷 France's Constitutional Council has rejected a demand by Marine Le Pen's far-right party that its president be removed, according to a letter seen by AFP. ➡️ u.afp.com/SyUz

🇺🇸 🗳️ Republicans face Latino backlash ahead of midterms For nearly two years, US President Donald Trump's heavy-handed deportation drive has sowed fear in immigrant communities. Now, many Latino voters who helped propel Trump to power in 2024 say they are fed up.

🇷🇸 Serbia's student-led movement declared victory in parliamentary elections Sunday ending 14 years in power for Aleksandar Vucic's right-wing populist party. ➡️ u.afp.com/SyU8

🇮🇱 Israel's defence minister has denied reports of a rift between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the army over Iran, as the premier's rivals seized on the story as a line of attack a day before close elections. ➡️ u.afp.com/SyUe

🇨🇳 China's President Xi Jinping opened a key meeting of Communist Party elites in Beijing on Monday, state media said, which observers will be closely watching for clues as to the country's direction and future leadership. ➡️ u.afp.com/SyUn

🇧🇷 Brazil's leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was re-elected against all expectations on Sunday, but his conservative rival Flavio Bolsonaro refused to accept the loss and said he would seek to have the vote annulled. ➡️ u.afp.com/SyUN

🇲🇽 Mexican artisans preserve traditional decorations for Day of the Dead As Mexico prepares for the Day of the Dead, artisans in the town of San Salvador Huixcolotla continue to craft the "papel picado" decorations by hand despite growing competition from mass-produced version…Mostrar mais

🇻🇪 Maria Corina Machado, Venezuela's opposition leader and a Nobel Peace Prize winner, has made a surprise return home after nearly a year in exile, drawing jubilant crowds in a direct challenge to the US-backed interim government. ➡️ u.afp.com/SyUJ

🇪🇬 Belgian equestrian takes first place at Cairo Grand Prix With the pyramids of Giza as a backdrop, 40 equestrians compete at the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix in Cairo.

🇨🇺 Cubans seek alternative water sources amid worsening shortages Water shortages affecting nearly 29 percent of Cuba's 9.4 million inhabitants are forcing residents to seek alternative sources of supply. From hand-dug wells to long lines at water distribution points, many C…Mostrar mais

⚽ Kylian Mbappe struck twice to earn Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid a 2-1 Clasico victory over La Liga leaders Barcelona on Sunday at Camp Nou, cutting the gap to three points. ➡️ u.afp.com/SyUo

⚽ England captain Harry Kane is the favourite to win a wide open race to be crowned Ballon d'Or winner at a glitzy London ceremony on Monday, with Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe also in the running to be named the world's best footballer. ➡️ u.afp.com/Sy3v

🇨🇳 🇰🇵 People in Chinese border city react to Kim Jong Un's unexpected visit Locals and visitors to the Chinese border city of Dandong react to an unexpected visit from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

🇸🇹 Sao Tome develops a niche for vanilla, boosting income for local farmers It’s the second most expensive spice in the world after saffron which makes vanilla a lucrative plant to cultivate in Sao Tome and Principe.

AI "slopaganda". The video looks hyper-real, depicting a US Senate candidate laughing at cards that read "Death to America" and "Celebrate 9/11." But it is part of a multimillion-dollar blitz of AI-generated political ads ahead of the midterm elections u.afp.com/SyJK

EU to slap a two-euro ($2.25) handling fee on packages from outside the 27-nation bloc as of November 1 in a bid to curb the influx from China. The new levy -- coming just weeks before the Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas season shopping rushes -- will be on top of the…Mostrar mais

Amid a sea of contrasts. A boat sails out of murky waters off Banda Aceh on October 26, 2026, as monsoon conditions affect Indonesia’s coastal areas 📸 Chaideer Mahyuddin

Trump's tariffs on Canada -- and Ottawa's retaliation -- have taken center stage in timber-producing Maine, walloped by the economic fallout perhaps more than any other state u.afp.com/SyJ6

From Carnegie to Claude: AI wealth could reshape philanthropy. Anthropic says it will commit 5% of its shares to a new Anthropic Public Benefit Fund, a stake that could be worth around $100 billion if the company reaches the $2 trillion valuation investors are eyeing for a stock…Mostrar mais

Saudi-led military coalition says it intercepted a ballistic missile fired by Yemen's Houthis, after the Iran-backed group claimed a new attack on the international airport in Riyadh u.afp.com/SyJV

Supporters of Serbia's student-backed protest movement celebrate in the streets of Belgrade as veteran leader Aleksandar Vucic concedes defeat for his ruling party in snap elections. The vote is the culmination of nearly two years of student-led protests after the 2024 collapse…Mostrar mais

People dressed as a Catrinas take part in the Paseo de las Catrinas Festival, a parade marking the upcoming Day of the Dead celebrations, in the historic center of Guatemala City 📸 Johan Ordonez

Brazil's leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva pulled off a dramatic comeback on Sunday as he clinched a re-election victory, but his rival Flavio Bolsonaro refused to accept the loss and said he would seek to annul the vote u.afp.com/SyJz

First international flight took off Monday from a new, multi-billion-dollar airport in the fast-growing western suburbs of Sydney. After more than four decades of planning, Western Sydney International Airport offers the first alternative to the city's main airport, which has be…Mostrar mais

BREAKING Brazil's defeated presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro refuses to recognize President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's victory on Sunday. "It is impossible to acknowledge the result," he said from Brasilia, adding that "I am going to request the annulment of these electio…Mostrar mais

Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado greets supporters from an open-top vehicle in Valencia after returning to her home country following nearly a year in exile

Brazil's leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva pulled off a dramatic comeback on Sunday as he clinched election victory against right-wing senator Flavio Bolsonaro, who trounced him in the first round u.afp.com/SyJ8

BREAKING Brazil's Lula clinches victory over Bolsonaro to win fourth term: official results show

Kimi Antonelli moves to within striking distance of his first world championship title as he powers to an emphatic victory at the US Grand Prix in Austin. u.afp.com/SyJp

Serbia's student-led movement declares victory in parliamentary elections, ending 14 years in power for Aleksandar Vucic's right-wing populist party. u.afp.com/SyJJ

Israeli election contender Gadi Eisenkot vows to unite the country as he holds his final major rally before the vote, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks to tar his main rival as soft on Iran. u.afp.com/SyJc

Marine Le Pen, France's far-right candidate to succeed President Emmanuel Macron, kicks off her presidential campaign vowing to "restore the rule of law" if elected next year. u.afp.com/SyJU

Serbians vote in droves in a snap parliamentary poll, raising hopes for its student-led movement seeking to unseat veteran leader Aleksandar Vucic’s ruling party. u.afp.com/SyJJ