Quick Hits

• Israel votes in a pivotal election Oct. 27, with Netanyahu's leadership hanging in the balance amid coalition debates and his camp tied with rivals (Al Jazeera). Both sides are waging an online war of bots, deepfakes and data, and Israel says it will close all West Bank land crossings for the vote.
• Brazil's election is a tight race between President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, with Indigenous communities warning the outcome could affect environmental protections (Al Jazeera).
• Ukraine and Russia have signaled willingness to resume U.S.-brokered peace talks and are backing a humanitarian mission led by first lady Melania Trump — though MPR News reports steep obstacles remain.
• Obama campaigned in Ohio and Michigan ahead of the Nov. 3 midterms, warning of rising costs, corruption and threats to democratic values (Al Jazeera); Al Jazeera separately posted video of President Trump sarcastically dismissing a reporter's question about possible renewed attacks on Iran, while Tehran says the U.S. derailed talks.
• Clashes erupted in France during protests over rising living costs, with 70,000 officers deployed and nearly 1,000 arrests made (Al Jazeera).

Top Stories

Israel's pivotal election. Israelis face Tuesday's vote with Netanyahu's leadership hanging in the balance amid coalition debates, and Al Jazeera runs down the possible outcomes. On the ground, Al Jazeera reports Israeli forces have turned homes in locked-down Hebron into military posts, with evictions, raids and outpost expansion continuing across the occupied West Bank. Two Al Jazeera opinion essays frame the stakes: one argues a new government would not end the occupation but could rein in the far right and ease regional tensions; the other contends political change in Israel "can only come from the outside."

U.S. midterms, with an Iran shadow. Al Jazeera distills Obama's Ohio and Michigan speeches — key takeaways on Trump, the Iran war and the midterms — and the former president's warnings ahead of the Nov. 3 vote. Separately, Al Jazeera posted video of Trump sarcastically responding to a reporter asking about possible renewed attacks on Iran, as Tehran says the U.S. derailed talks. Tangle, meanwhile, examines whether a new Vivek Ramaswamy ad "crossed a line," arguing it could backfire.

Brazil to the wire. Al Jazeera is live-blogging the election as Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro square off in a closely watched, tight race.

Left Perspective

MPR News is the lone lean-left outlet in today's supplied feed.

• Ukraine-Russia: MPR News reports both sides have signaled willingness to resume U.S.-brokered peace talks and are backing a Melania Trump-led humanitarian mission, but cites deep disagreements over territory as a central obstacle.
• Native voters: Ahead of the midterms, MPR News covered Native voters laying out their priorities after state candidates met Native and non-Native community members at Duluth's American Indian Community Housing Organization to discuss their stances on housing.
• ATV deaths: MPR News reports 18 people have died in all-terrain-vehicle crashes in Minnesota this year, including six in October alone.
• Sports: MPR News reports the Timberwolves dominated the glass and beat the Magic 115-93 on Friday despite low output from Anthony Edwards, who tied Jaden McDaniels with 15 points; Rudy Gobert added 14 points and nine rebounds.

Note: No lean-right sources were included in today's supplied feed.

International View

• Serbia: Serbs vote in an election pitting populist longtime leader Aleksandar Vucic against an anticorruption, antirepression student movement; polls show a tight race (Al Jazeera).
• Saudi-Houthi fighting: The Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted a drone and missile launched toward Riyadh, plus 10 missiles targeting the southern region (Al Jazeera). An Al Jazeera analysis asks why Egypt is wary of getting involved — as it considers defending Saudi Arabia against Houthi attacks — noting memories of its 1960s war in Yemen loom large.
• Northern Ireland: Thousands of Protestant Orange Order members marched through Portadown ahead of a court ruling on the parade's legal challenge (Al Jazeera).
• Qatar: The minister of state for trade says peace and security are essential for prosperity in trade and investment (Al Jazeera).
• Weekend sports (Al Jazeera): El Clasico features a Yamal-vs-Mbappe showdown in Barcelona-Real Madrid on Mourinho's return to La Liga; Volkanovski retained his UFC featherweight title with a TKO of Evloev in the closing seconds of round two at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi; and the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island was cancelled after a two-hour delay, with low visibility persisting despite a sellout crowd.

Underreported

• Nigeria's disappeared: Families across the northeast are still searching for loved ones who went missing during years of violence, Al Jazeera reports.
• Israel's footprint in Cyprus: An Al Jazeera feature traces election posters, mass tourism and property, with Cypriots saying fast-moving Israeli money is shutting them out even as their government embraces Israel as a key ally.
• Do U.S. journalists know Europe? Tangle asks whether American journalists know as much about Europe as Europeans know about America.

Sources

• MPR News: "Ukraine and Russia eye new peace talks, but steep obstacles remain"; "Native voters share priorities ahead of elections"; "Deadly ATV crashes surge in Minnesota"; "Despite low output from Edwards, Timberwolves dominate glass and roll Magic 115-93."
• Al Jazeera: Israeli election coverage ("What are the possible outcomes?"; "Bots, deepfakes and surveillance"; "Israel to close occupied West Bank crossings"; "Israeli forces turn Hebron homes into military posts"; op-eds "Who Israel elects matters" and "Elections cannot produce change in Israel"); Brazil election live blog and Indigenous-environment video; "Obama's Ohio, Michigan speeches"; "Trump mocks reporter asking about Iran strikes"; France protest photo gallery; Serbia election; Saudi intercepts and Egypt-Yemen analysis; Northern Ireland parade; Qatar trade remarks; Nigeria's missing; Cyprus feature; El Clasico preview; UFC 333; Australian Grand Prix cancellation.
• Tangle: "Did this ad cross a line?"; "How Much Do US Journalists Actually Know About Europe?"