Daily Brief: Brazil Heads to Runoff, Spain Calls Election

Welcome to your Monday brief from Bilig. Two elections lead the day: Brazil's presidential race goes to a runoff after Flavio Bolsonaro finished ahead of President Lula, and Spain's prime minister has called a snap vote for November. In the Middle East, Yemen's government has launched an offensive to retake Sanaa, while Iran's oil minister has resigned.

Bolsonaro leads Lula as Brazil heads to runoff

Brazil's presidential election will go to a runoff on 25 October after Senator Flavio Bolsonaro finished ahead of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Sunday's first round. With 99.99% of ballots counted, Bolsonaro had 47.03% of valid votes and Lula 45.16%, state news agency Agencia Brasil reported. "I was convinced I was going to win the election in the first round," Lula said. Bolsonaro's Liberal Party became the largest force in the lower house, Al Jazeera reported.

Sanchez calls Spanish snap election for 29 November

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday called a snap general election for 29 November, three days after parliament rejected two government housing decrees. "We need to renew people's support," Sanchez said in a televised address, according to Reuters. "We need to mobilise and win a much larger progressive majority in parliament." Tens of thousands of people marched over housing on Saturday. Opinion polls show the conservative People's Party ahead of Sanchez's Socialists. The legislature had been due to run until 2027.

Yemen's government launches offensive to retake Sanaa

Yemen's internationally recognised government said on Monday it had begun an offensive to retake the capital, Sanaa, from the Houthi movement. Operation Dawn of Yemen "has begun to restore state institutions, liberate the capital Sanaa", Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi said, according to Anadolu Agency. The army said it had seized the Dhubab district near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Saudi-led coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki pledged continued support for the government. The Houthis have held Sanaa since 2014.

Iran's oil minister resigns under US blockade

Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad resigned on Sunday, state media reported. Hamid Bovard, chief executive of the National Iranian Oil Company, was named acting minister. State media gave no reason, Reuters reported. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday there was "no military solution" to the conflict with the United States, but that Iran was more prepared than before if Washington chose force. A US naval blockade has restricted Iranian crude exports during the seven-month war.

Merz pledges 1.3 billion euros on Kyiv visit

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited Kyiv on Sunday and announced support worth 1.3 billion euros: 1 billion euros in military aid and 350 million euros for Ukraine's energy sector. "You can continue to count on our help," Merz told President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Zelenskiy said the two governments signed 15 agreements worth more than 8.5 billion euros. He also said Ukraine was ready to join trilateral talks with Russia that the United States has proposed holding by the end of October.

Trump names intelligence chief to lead AI task force

US President Donald Trump on Sunday announced a "Super Intelligence Force" to coordinate federal policy on artificial intelligence (AI), led by Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton. Trump wrote on Truth Social that the group would "ensure that America continues to lead the World in Super Intelligence". Its other members are Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson, Pentagon research chief Emil Michael and Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor. Clayton has opposed calls to pause AI development, saying other countries continue to advance the technology.

OPEC+ keeps November oil output targets unchanged

Seven members of the OPEC+ group of oil producers, including Saudi Arabia and Russia, agreed on Sunday to keep production targets unchanged for November, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries said in a statement. They next meet on 1 November. The seven pumped 25 million barrels per day in August, about 5 million below pre-war February levels, Reuters reported. Saudi Aramco separately cut its November Arab Light price for Asian buyers by $3 a barrel, industry reports said.

Asian shares rise as Fed rate bets ease

Asian shares rose on Monday after Friday's weaker than expected US jobs report reduced bets on a Federal Reserve rate rise. Japan's Nikkei gained more than 2%. Markets priced a 22% chance of a Fed increase this month, down from 64% a week earlier, Reuters reported. The 10-year US Treasury yield stood near 5.26%. The euro touched its weakest level since May 2025, below $1.12. Brent crude was down 0.6% at $101.62 a barrel at 0700 GMT, Investing.com data showed.

Schneider Electric to buy PTC for $22.6 billion

France's Schneider Electric said on Monday it had agreed to buy US industrial software company PTC in an all-cash deal valuing its equity at about $22.6 billion. The offer of $205 a share is a 42.3% premium to PTC's last closing price and implies an enterprise value of $23.7 billion, Reuters reported. Schneider will finance the purchase with equity and new debt and expects to complete it in the third quarter of 2027. In June it agreed to buy AI software provider Cognite.

US pulls bombers from British base after alleged plot

The Pentagon confirmed on Sunday that all US bombers deployed to RAF Fairford in southwest England had returned to the United States. About a dozen B-1 aircraft were moved, Al Jazeera reported. British police arrested five men after vans carrying petrol were found near the base on 27 September, and later a 25-year-old British-Iranian dual national. All were released on bail. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said there were "strong indications" of Iranian involvement. Iran denies any role.

Dodik ally wins Serb seat on Bosnian presidency

Zeljka Cvijanovic, an ally of Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik, won the Serb seat on Bosnia and Herzegovina's three-member presidency in Sunday's general election, preliminary results showed. She had 55.33% with 94.65% of ballots counted, Bulgarian news agency BTA reported, citing the election commission. Social Democrat Denis Becirovic kept the Bosniak seat and Darijana Filipovic of the Croatian Democratic Union won the Croat seat. Dodik, who is barred from office, declared victory for his party. Turnout fell to about 42% from 51% in 2022.