Quebec separatists eyed a return to power in Canada's majority French-speaking province Monday in an election that could test Prime Minister Mark Carney's message of national unity to confront the United States. Carney is popular in Quebec, and the possible success of the separatist Parti Quebecois (PQ) is not seen as a repudiation of his stance toward President Donald Trump, whose trade war and annexation threats have infuriated Canadians. FRANCE 24's Christopher Guly reports from Ottawa.

Conservative Senator Flavio Bolsonaro pulled off a surprise on Sunday in the first round of Brazil’s presidential election by finishing ahead of the incumbent left-wing President Lula, whom he will face in the runoff on October 25. Suspicions of U.S. interference have been hanging over the campaign, even as Donald Trump has never hidden his closeness to the far-right former president Bolsonaro - Flavio’s father - and his animosity toward Lula da Silva. FRANCE 24's Emerald Maxwell reports.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday called an early election for November 29, aiming to increase his parliamentary support after lawmakers last week rejected proposals to address a housing crisis that has drawn nationwide protests. Speaking with FRANCE 24's Mark Owen, Javier Carbonell, Policy Analyst at the European Policy Centre, explains that Sanchez has chosen "the best moment in a sea of troubles" to call snap elections as he is likely to capitalise on the mobilisation of left-wing voters during the housing protests.

Erin Ogunkeye is pleased to welcome Letta Tayler, Senior Counterterrorism Advisor at Human Rights Watch. She warns of the detention of suspected Islamic State members transferred from northeast Syria to Iraq as part of a much wider "global detention crisis". The men and boys now held in Iraq are living in 'dire' conditions, including deaths from illness, allegations of torture, and serious questions surrounding access to effective legal representation. Can accountability be achieved through legal proceedings that respect the rule of law and provide genuine justice to both detainees and victims?

Two people have ⁠died and ​another is missing after heavy rains and flooding in Spain's ​Catalonia region, authorities said on Sunday.

Eve Irvine is pleased to welcome Felipe Krause, the head of Oxford University's Brazilian Studies Programme. Brazil's election reflects a political landscape that has become increasingly polarized, explains Krause. And he describes the current mood as one of “tired polarization: People are just exhausted. They feel that the political class is just kind of offering more of the same". The first round reveals a significant consolidation of the Brazilian right in government. Brazil's expanding middle class is increasingly attracted to entrepreneurialism and individualism, constituencies that "Bolsonarismo" has proved particularly effective at reaching.

Brazilians began casting their votes on Sunday in a closely watch presidential election pitting incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva against right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. Nearly 160 million voters will also pick lawmakers, senators and governors in an election that will determine whether Latin America's biggest nation follows a regional swing to the right championed by US President Donald Trump. France24 International affairs commentator Douglas Herbert shares further insights.

Brazilians began casting their votes on Sunday in a closely watch presidential election pitting incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva against right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. Mara Nogueira, Senior Lecturer in Urban Geography at Birbeck, University of London, says the tight race reflects the consolidation of two political camps, with many Brazilians voting not out of support for a candidate, but to keep the other out of power. She points to the cost of living, religion and social media echo chambers as key factors shaping the vote, alongside a major banking scandal that has so far had limited impact on Flavio Bolsonaro’s campaign.

Brazilians began casting their votes on Sunday in a closely watch presidential election pitting incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva against right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. Nearly 160 million voters will also pick lawmakers, senators and governors in an election that will determine whether Latin America's biggest nation follows a regional swing to the right championed by US President Donald Trump. France 24 correspondent Jan Onoszko tells us the latest from Rio de Janeiro.

Twelve candidates are on the ballot, but the presidential race is centred on two rivals: President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Flavio Bolsonaro. Lula is seeking a fourth and final term, warning that Brazil’s sovereignty is at stake amid pressure from Donald Trump. Bolsonaro, meanwhile, has highlighted his ties to the White House, saying Brazil needs better deals with the US, including over its rare mineral resources. Nick Rushworth has more on the controversial senator. Dr Andrea Aruska de Souza Santos, Director of King's College Brazil Institute in London, shares further insights.

Cornell University remains at the centre of controversy over an alleged gang rape at a fraternity on campus, with the university president now breaking his silence. In an eight-minute video statement released Saturday night, Michael Kotlikoff called the allegations, made by a woman known as Jane Doe, deeply disturbing and said the university must do better. Shirli Sitbon has this report.

Brazilians are voting for governors and lawmakers, but the biggest stakes are in the presidential race. Twelve candidates are on the ballot, but the contest is seen as a toss-up between President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Flavio Bolsonaro. Lula is seeking a fourth and final term, warning that Brazil’s sovereignty is at stake amid pressure from Donald Trump. Bolsonaro, meanwhile, has highlighted his ties to the White House, saying Brazil needs better deals with the US, including over its rare mineral resources. Nick Rushworth has more on the controversial senator.

In Bulgaria, the remains of medieval ruler Tsar Samuel have been laid to rest in the capital Sofia, after being flown back from the border with Greece by Bulgarian fighter jets. Their return follows decades of negotiations with Athens, in exchange for the return of religious artefacts. Nicholas Rushworth has more.

Alison Sargent is pleased to welcome Dr Marieke Riethof, Senior Lecturer in Latin American Politics at University of Liverpool. She sees parallels with the Brazil's 2022 election even if Flávio Bolsonaro does not have the same charisma or mobilizing capacity as his father. His programme remains a hardline political agenda that focuses on security and a reduction in the role of government. Lula, by contrast, offers a more interventionist vision, particularly in areas such as education, and socioeconomic policy. It could weaken multilateralism and reshape the country’s relationships with the United States, China, the European Union and the BRICS nations.

In the US, Flock Security cameras form an AI-powered surveillance network that records licence plates and other vehicle information. Their controversial use has become a political issue ahead of the midterm elections, and the cameras are increasingly being targeted by vandals. Caitlin Brown explains.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in Ukraine's capital Kyiv on Sunday on an unannounced visit in a show of support for the country in its war with Russia. Merz's visit comes just a day after Russia warned foreigners and diplomats to leave the Ukrainian capital, saying that "massive" new airstrikes would hit the city. FRANCE 24's correspondent in Kyiv Gulliver Cragg has more.

Bosnia is heading to the polls on Sunday after a general election campaign dominated by parties that identify closely with the ethnic divisions of its 1990s war. Voters will elect a vast number of officials across multiple tiers of government, in a complex system that has held the partitioned country together since the 1995 peace deal. FRANCE 24's correspondent in Belgrade Laurent Rouy has more.

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his main challenger Flavio Bolsonaro made their final pitch to voters Saturday with rallies in the pivotal state of Sao Paulo ahead of a nail-biter election that has been marred by scandals and mudslinging.

He was still relatively unknown in Brazil just a few months ago. The 45-year-old senator is now neck and neck with incumbent President Lula in the polls for the upcoming presidential election. Flavio Bolsonaro's victory would add Brazil to the long list of Latin American countries that have shifted to the right or far right in recent months.

Delano D'Souza is pleased to welcome Carlos Mascarell Vilar, political scientist based in Spain. From his own perspective, Emmanuel Macron's visit to Spain needs to be understood by European power, political legacy, and geoeconomics. France and Spain are seeking to reinforce their bilateral relationship at a moment when the balance of power within Europe is changing rapidly, particularly with the growing importance of countries in the east such as Poland. For Macron, strengthening the Madrid-Paris axis is also part of a broader effort to advance European defence and strategic sovereignty.