Here's a rundown of all the news you need to start Sunday, including Brazil heading to the polls in a deeply polarized presidential election, the Yemeni army striking Houthi military targets in Sanaa and repelling attacks in Taiz, Russia and Ukraine trading strikes that left one dead and several injured, and Egypt hosting a four-way summit with Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan amid the conflict in Ethiopia.
- Brazil heads into polarized vote with competing visions for country’s future
About 159 million Brazilians are eligible to head to the polls Sunday to elect their next president in a deeply polarized race marked by security concerns and bitter exchanges between the leading candidates.
At the center of the 12-candidate race are two ideological polar opposites: incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of the left-wing Workers’ Party, and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro representing the conservative Liberal Party.
Recent polls show Lula leading in first-round voting intentions, while surveys on a potential second-round runoff indicate a tight contest between the two candidates. A Quaest poll released Monday put Lula at 39% and Bolsonaro at 34%, while showing them tied at 42% in a runoff.
Under Brazilian election law, if no candidate secures more than 50% of valid votes Sunday, the top two will advance to a runoff on Oct. 25.
- Yemeni army bombs Houthi sites in Sanaa, repels attacks in Taiz
The Yemeni army announced airstrikes on “vital military targets” in the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa and repelled Houthi assaults on several fronts in the southwestern Taiz province.
“Our armed forces are carrying out an attack on legitimate, vital military targets in Sanaa,” military spokesman Majed al-Nuzaili said in a statement on US social media company X.
He gave no details about the targets or the results of the operation.
In a separate statement, the army’s Taiz Military Axis said its forces thwarted Houthi attacks on Jabal Han, Hadhran and the western fronts of Taiz city following several hours of fierce fighting.
- 1 dead in ship strike, another Kyiv bridge hit as Russia, Ukraine trade attacks
Russia and Ukraine exchanged overnight strikes, with one killed and at least nine injured, said officials from both sides.
Four people were injured in a Russian drone attack in the town of Hostomel, northwest of the capital, said Kyiv regional military administration head Timur Tkachenko on Telegram.
In Kyiv, Russia attacked the Pivnichnyi Bridge, injuring two people, targeting key bridges in the capital for the third consecutive day, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram.
He added that cross-bridge traffic from the Left Bank to the Right Bank was blocked, and that the attack damaged the surface and overhead trolleybus lines.
In the Odesa region, Russia struck a "civilian cargo ship" flying the Liberian flag, killing one person and injuring three.
- Egypt to host 4-way summit with Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan amid Ethiopia conflict
The leaders of Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia, and Sudan will hold a summit in the northern Egyptian city of New Alamein to discuss regional developments amid the ongoing conflict in northern Ethiopia.
An Egyptian presidency statement said the summit comes as part of “consultation and coordination about regional issues of mutual concern.”
It will bring together Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Sudan's Sovereign Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
· Israeli assessments indicated that an attempt to assassinate senior Hamas figure Ali al-Amoudi in an airstrike on Gaza City likely failed, said Israeli Army Radio.
· The Houthi group said it targeted Saudi oil company Aramco in Riyadh with ballistic missiles and drones in response to attacks on the Yemeni capital Sanaa.
· Ten people, including three children, were injured after a car crashed into a crowd of rugby league fans in the Australian city of Newcastle, according to authorities
· Portugal prosecutors have opened an inquiry into the legality of the US military use of Lajes Air Base ahead of its war against Iran, according to media reports.
· The Sudanese army said it dealt a “knockout blow” to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the allied Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) in Blue Nile state, inflicting heavy losses in personnel and equipment.
· At least 16 Palestinians, including a woman, were injured and 55 olive trees were burned in attacks by Israeli occupiers on olive harvesters in the occupied West Bank, according to medical and local sources.
· A majority of EU member states came together to oppose EU budget cuts and demand that the Irish presidency protect farm funding.
· Some 70,000 people in Madrid protested Spain’s housing crisis in Spain, according to government estimates, as organizers demanded a general strike after parliament rejected measures to protect tenants.
· Moldova said a bomb threat had been issued at Chisinau International Airport in the capital.
· Catalan leader Salvador Illa warned that a "Mediterranean mini-hurricane" could form in the northeastern Spanish region as weather agencies issued red alerts for torrential rain.
· The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said its chief was negotiating a localized ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine to allow repairs at a facility near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
· Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi rejected the use of the Nile water for political gains and urged peaceful solutions to Africa’s conflicts, amid escalating tensions with Ethiopia.
· More than 5,000 people have been arrested since Monday amid student protests in France, said Interior Minister Laurent Nunez.
· The US Embassy and consulates in Brazil said consular services were suspended due to security concerns.
· India said five of its nationals had been rescued after a Kuwaiti-flagged tanker was hit by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz.
· Russia urged foreigners and diplomats in Kyiv to leave the Ukrainian capital and refrain from traveling to the country, while advising residents to avoid military and administrative facilities.
· Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said heavy rains have brought "severe damage," to parts of the country, saying the night was "especially tough" in Madrigueras.
· The Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, mourned two Palestinian Christian women killed by Israel in an airstrike on Gaza City.
- Industrial robots working in factories top 5M worldwide
Ever-growing developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and supply chains drove global factory automation adoption to historic highs, with the global active industrial robot inventory surpassing 5 million last year, according to a report.
The International Federation of Robotics said the operational robot stock rose 9% on an annual basis and global installations jumped 11% to more than 600,000 units.
China boasts an overwhelming dominance in the field, expanding annual robot installations by 20% to 354,000 units, making up 59% of the global deployment, while domestic firms secured 55% of the market share in the country.
Japan’s installations fell 19% to 36,219 units, falling from second place to be replaced by the US, which posted a 12% surge to 38,500 robots.
- Ex-OpenAI safety leader warns smarter AI could evade safety tests: Report
A former OpenAI safety leader who resigned this week warned that increasingly capable AI models could recognize when they are being tested and behave differently after deployment.
David Robinson, who spent 3 1/2 years at OpenAI and oversaw safety reports for 12 frontier-model launches, said in The Atlantic that the industry's approach to safety would lead to further failures unless changes are made.
"Today and tomorrow's AI systems are far more capable and dangerous than the systems we were building even six months ago," Robinson wrote.
His warning comes amid growing concern over increasingly autonomous AI systems, following recent incidents involving agents bypassing safeguards and calls from researchers for companies to slow the development of more powerful systems until safety measures improve.
- White House forms task force to assess AI risks, opportunities: Wall Street Journal
The White House has formed a task force to assess the risks and opportunities posed by artificial intelligence and examine the federal government's role in overseeing the rapidly developing technology, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.
The "Super Intelligence Force," chaired by Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton, will have 120 days to prepare its findings.
It will examine existing laws and potential steps Congress could take while working with the technology industry to identify risks and opportunities.
- Stray Kids join BTS in boycotting 2027 Grammys
South Korean K-pop group Stray Kids will sit out the 2027 Grammy Awards after choosing not to submit music for consideration, the group's agency JYP Entertainment confirmed.
Stray Kids is joining BTS as debate continues about a newly introduced category for Asian pop.
"Stray Kids did not submit any work to the Grammys," JYP said on Friday, without providing a reason for the decision.
The move comes amid controversy about the Recording Academy's new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category, which will make its debut at next year's awards.
- US country music star Zach Bryan wears 'Free Palestine' shirt at concert
US country music star Zach Bryan showed support for Palestine at a concert in the state of Massachusetts, taking the stage in a T-shirt bearing the words "Free Palestine," according to footage and images shared from the venue.
Bryan wore the black shirt during his performance on Friday at Gillette Stadium near Boston, with some members of his band also appearing on stage wearing clothing with messages or symbols in support of Palestine.
The appearance drew attention as it came weeks after rapper Macklemore's controversial removal from Ed Sheeran's US tour over his onstage remarks in support of Palestine. Several supporting acts subsequently withdrew from Sheeran's tour.
- Verstappen takes 1st 2026 pole in Malaysia as Hamilton grabs 2nd
Max Verstappen claimed his first pole of the 2026 Formula 1 season, beating Lewis Hamilton in qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.
Verstappen topped all three qualifying segments at the Sepang International Circuit, setting a 1 minute, 35.130 second lap in Q3 to finish 0.298 seconds ahead of Ferrari's Hamilton.
The result gave Red Bull its first pole of the season and Verstappen his first of the 2026 campaign.
- Korean pilot Choi Wonkyun wins World Drone Cup at TEKNOFEST Southeast
South Korean FPV drone pilot Choi Wonkyun won the World Drone Championship after four days of competition at the TEKNOFEST Southeast World Drone Cup.
Choi claimed the title ahead of compatriot Kim Minjae, who finished second. Bulgaria's Dimo Shterev took third. They were awarded their prizes by T3 Foundation Board of Trustees Chairman and TEKNOFEST Executive Board Chairman Selcuk Bayraktar, Turkish Defense Industries Secretariat head Haluk Gorgun, and Secretariat General Manager Ozgur Guleryuz.
“I’m really happy to win this competition,” said Choi, thanking his coach and uncle for helping him prepare.
- Manchester City whistleblower offers UK cooperation in exchange for protection: Report
Football Leaks founder Rui Pinto, whose disclosures helped trigger the Premier League investigation into Manchester City, is prepared to cooperate with UK authorities in exchange for protection from threats, according to a media report on Saturday.
The 37-year-old Portuguese whistleblower could make further documents relating to City's financial affairs available as part of his cooperation, The Guardian reported.
Pinto's priority remains to cooperate with authorities, provided adequate security arrangements are in place, according to the newspaper.
The report came a day after Pinto announced that he was preparing to leave Portugal for an undisclosed location after being informed that his participation in the country's witness protection program would end on Oct. 10.
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