election campaigns

A new NBC News poll shows President Donald Trump's approval rating falling to 41% among registered voters, a second-term low, with 55% disapproving. More voters are also criticizing his handling of the economy, a shift that matters as the closely watched midterm elections approach and both parties gauge voter sentiment heading into the campaign season.

Meta has blocked Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's Facebook page and campaign advertising just two weeks before Brazil's election. The restriction, affecting a sitting head of state's official channels at a critical moment in the campaign, is drawing widespread attention and debate about platform power over political speech in Brazil.

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is seeking a final presidential term in Brazil's closely watched election, with reporting highlighting his lifelong focus on social issues as the core of his appeal. The vote is seen as a defining moment for the country, with Lula's track record on poverty reduction and social programmes central to his campaign message.

A Hamas leader has said that the suffering in Gaza will be used as an issue in Israel's upcoming election, according to Dawn. The remark points to how the humanitarian situation in the Gaza strip has become entangled with Israeli domestic politics, with parties expected to stake out positions on the war and its aftermath as campaigning proceeds.

Aleksandar Vučić has resigned, with the move coming as Serbia prepares to hold both parliamentary and presidential elections. The announcement lands at a pivotal moment for the country's politics, since Vučić has dominated Serbian public life as president. Details of the exact post he is vacating and the timing of the vote remain the focus of attention as parties begin positioning for the campaign.

Fresh warnings received ahead of the October 7 Hamas attack have put Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's responsibility for the failures of that day back at the center of Israel's election campaign. Commentators argue the new material reignites debate over whether the government ignored advance intelligence, turning security accountability into a central election issue.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has criticised opposition parties for uniting against him ahead of national elections. His comments reflect growing concern within his camp over a joint electoral challenge, as rival parties seek to pool support to end his long tenure in office. The remarks intensify what is shaping up as a sharply contested campaign in Israel.

Israel's Supreme Court is expected to decide this week whether Arab parties can be barred from running in the upcoming elections. The attempt to exclude them has triggered anger and uncertainty among Arab citizens and their representatives, adding a contentious dimension to an already heated election campaign in Israel.

Several Democratic candidates are making Christian faith a prominent part of their midterm election campaigns, a strategic shift aimed at countering Republican dominance among religious voters. NPR reports the trend, noting candidates are openly discussing their faith on the trail. Observers see it as an attempt by the party to broaden its appeal and blunt attacks portraying Democrats as hostile to religion.

An Iranian-linked influence operation has been discovered in Israel in the run-up to elections, according to reporting by The Jerusalem Post. The revelation is drawing attention to foreign meddling concerns during the campaign period, with observers likely to debate the operation's scale, its targets, and its potential impact on voters ahead of the vote.

With crime dominating Brazil's election campaign, residents of Rio de Janeiro are organizing their own responses to gang activity in neighborhoods where state protection falls short. The issue has become central to the presidential race, with candidates' security policies under scrutiny amid persistent violence in the city's favelas and peripheries.

Israel is one month away from its latest national election, which commentators are once again calling the country's 'most important in history'. With campaigning entering its final stretch, attention is turning to whether the vote will break the political deadlock that has defined recent Israeli elections and produce a government capable of governing.

Several Democratic congressional candidates are openly campaigning on their Christian faith, arguing it can connect with religious voters who have leaned Republican in recent elections. The approach tests whether Democrats can narrow the GOP's advantage among churchgoing Americans in upcoming races, and observers are watching closely to see whether faith-forward messaging translates into electoral gains.

A Hamas leader has dismissed Israel's upcoming election, saying the vote will bring no change for Palestinians, according to a report by Le Monde. The remarks come amid ongoing accusations tied to the Gaza war, with the Knesset election campaign raising questions about Israeli policy toward Palestinians and prospects for a ceasefire or political settlement.

Opinion polls ahead of Israel's upcoming Knesset election are showing widely divergent results, leaving the likely outcome uncertain. With surveys differing on party support and potential coalition scenarios, analysts and voters are watching closely as campaigning intensifies and the vote approaches.

Civil rights and Black voting organizations have launched a national campaign to mobilize 100,000 Black male voters ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. Organizers say jobs, affordability, education and voting rights are the key issues driving the push, as groups work to increase turnout among a demographic they see as pivotal in close races.

Food safety has moved into the political spotlight as a series of major outbreaks and product recalls raise public concern. Campaign discussion now includes regulatory oversight, inspection capacity and how agencies respond to contamination events, with voters and commentators weighing which candidates offer credible plans to protect the food supply ahead of the election.

Israeli politician Avigdor Liberman has called for the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority, arguing ahead of the November election that it risks falling to Hamas. The appeal places the future of the Palestinian governing body at the centre of Israeli campaign debate, with concerns that Hamas could take control should the Authority collapse.

Maine Senator Susan Collins is running her first re-election campaign since voting to confirm Supreme Court justices who later helped overturn federal abortion rights. Her 2022 vote for Brett Kavanaugh has become a central issue, with opponents and voters revisiting her assurances that Roe v. Wade would remain settled law. Coverage from Spectrum News and PBS highlights how the abortion decision continues to shape her race.

Recent Supreme Court decisions are being examined for their potential influence on the upcoming US midterm elections. News outlets including KCRA and KOCO are covering how the rulings could affect campaign issues, voter mobilization, and which seats are contested. Analysts suggest the Court's positions on key legal questions may become a focal point for both parties heading into the elections.

Donald Trump's expansion of Immigration and Customs Enforcement has become a defining issue for candidates in US battleground states, who are struggling to craft a clear message on immigration enforcement. The Los Angeles Times reports that the surge in ICE activity has put politicians on both sides under pressure to respond to voters' concerns about deportations and border policy heading into upcoming elections.

The Committee for Judicial Protection (CJP) has issued an ultimatum calling for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, warning that if he does not step down by the deadline, it will launch a nationwide protest movement starting in Mumbai on 2 October — Gandhi Jayanti — before expanding to cities across India, framing the campaign as a pledge to save democracy.

The contest for control of the US Senate is shaping up as the most expensive election in American history, according to Bloomberg. Competitive races keep emerging in new states as the map shifts, drawing surging ad spending and fundraising from both parties. With Senate control hanging on a handful of states, campaigns and outside groups are pouring unprecedented sums into the fight.

Aimee Shalan, head of a Palestine solidarity campaign, says Palestine has become an electoral issue in the UK for the first time, with anger over Israel's war in Gaza mobilising British voters. The Guardian's community affairs correspondent Aamna Mohdin reports that the conflict is now shaping voter priorities and could influence how people cast their ballots in the election.

Democrats are weighing strategy ahead of the US midterm elections, with debate inside the party over whether opposing Donald Trump is a sufficient message for voters. Commentators and party figures argue Democrats have strengths on some issues but risk falling short if they offer no affirmative agenda, warning: 'We can't just be anti-Trump.'

Brazil's government has extended measures providing relief on fuel prices, moving shortly before the country's election. The decision keeps pump prices lower for consumers, and it is drawing scrutiny from analysts who weigh the cost to public finances against the political benefit of easing cost-of-living pressures at a sensitive moment in the campaign.

Rival political rallies have filled streets across Brazil as campaigning reaches its peak one week before national elections. Supporters of competing candidates took to major cities in a show of strength, with campaigns intensifying sharply in the final stretch. The large turnouts underline how closely contested and polarised the race has become ahead of voting day.

Brazil's upcoming presidential election is being shaped in part by Washington, as analysts and voters alike ask what Donald Trump will do next regarding the country. The New York Times reports that Trump's stance toward Brazil — and toward former president Jair Bolsonaro — has become one of the biggest open questions of the race, with observers weighing how US actions could influence the campaign and its outcome.

The Guardian reports that artificial intelligence has emerged as a defining issue for potential Democratic contenders ahead of the 2028 US presidential election, laying out where prospective candidates stand on the technology. Early positioning on AI regulation, jobs and safety is becoming a way for hopefuls to differentiate themselves, showing the debate is moving from policy circles into campaign strategy well before primaries begin.

Republicans are redirecting campaign funds into dozens of US House districts that had previously been considered safe seats, according to Reuters. The spending shift suggests party strategists see unexpected vulnerability ahead of the elections, and are moving resources to defend districts that were once assumed secure rather than focusing only on competitive races.

The Republican primary contest between Ken Paxton and John Cornyn-allied rival-turned-challenger in Texas is on track to break the state's all-time record for campaign spending in a U.S. Senate election. Reporting from Houston Public Media highlights the escalating cost of the race, with both camps pouring unprecedented sums into advertising and outreach as the election draws attention statewide and nationally.

Senator Susan Collins of Maine is facing renewed scrutiny over her Supreme Court votes as she campaigns for re-election, her first race since the court overturned abortion rights. Her pivotal role in confirming justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch has become a central issue, with critics arguing her assurances about abortion precedent did not hold. The issue is shaping voter debate in her closely watched bid.