SOC

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.

Azerbaijan's state oil company Socar has announced it will lower fuel prices at its service stations across Italy, following a similar cut by Eni. The price reductions ease pressure on Premier Giorgia Meloni's coalition, which faces calls to impose a windfall tax on energy companies ahead of the next election.

Manchester City, England's dominant soccer club, is at the center of a Premier League case involving 115 alleged breaches of financial rules. The charges, brought by the league, accuse the club of breaking financial fair play and profit and sustainability regulations across multiple seasons. The case is one of the biggest in English soccer history, with a potential points deduction or other sanctions hanging over the club. News outlets are publishing explainers on what the charges mean.

DW News examines whether Australia could follow Canada in seeking an 'associate member' status with the European Union. The discussion comes amid growing talk of the EU forging closer ties with like-minded partners outside Europe. Canada has been floated as a candidate for such a relationship, and attention is now turning to whether Australia might pursue a similar arrangement, raising questions about what associate membership would involve.

Distributor Bleecker Street says major platforms including YouTube, TikTok and Meta have rejected paid ads for Alex Gibney's documentary 'Musk', set for release on October 9, citing their policies on political content. X has reportedly refused to respond to the distributor's inquiries entirely, and Bleecker Street is appealing the ad rejections ahead of the film's debut.

Donald Trump posted a message in all capital letters declaring that 'Iran can't have a nuclear weapon,' reaffirming his hardline stance on Tehran's nuclear program. The emphatic phrasing drew attention amid ongoing tensions over Iran's nuclear ambitions and debate over how the US would respond if Iran moves toward a bomb.

Singapore has crossed the threshold of a super-aged society, with 21.4% of citizens aged 65 or older in 2026, up from 20.7% last year and 13.7% a decade ago. The milestone puts it among countries like Japan where more than one in five residents is a senior, raising questions about healthcare costs, the shrinking workforce and support for the elderly.

NASA is increasing its support for Boeing's Starliner capsule as the spacecraft works toward returning to flight, with a cargo-only mission to the International Space Station planned next. A crewed test flight is targeted for around 2028. The push follows the widely criticized 2024 test flight that left astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams stranded on the station for months while their capsule returned empty over safety concerns.

A new survey finds 43% of US adults hold a favorable view of socialism, a record high. The finding is drawing attention to shifting political attitudes in the United States, particularly among younger voters, and reigniting debate over how Americans define socialism and capitalism.

The European Union is moving to restrict social media use for children under 15. The proposal would set a bloc-wide minimum age for platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat, part of growing EU efforts to protect minors online. Officials argue age limits are needed to address risks to children's mental health and safety, though enforcement and the response of major platforms remain key questions.

An international NGOs conference organised under the Council of Europe framework has opened with a wide-ranging agenda covering climate risks, violence against women and social rights. Delegates are expected to debate how civil society can respond to environmental threats, protect women from gender-based violence and defend social protections, making the gathering a key forum for human rights advocacy in Europe.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have traded sharply worded remarks over deaths associated with a measles outbreak. Shapiro invoked the 'real-life consequences' of the outbreak and criticized Kennedy's handling of the response, while Kennedy pushed back on the criticism. The exchange has drawn national attention to ongoing disputes over vaccine policy and public health messaging.

New Guardian analysis shows some of the most affluent areas of England have recorded the sharpest increases in the proportion of young people claiming disability benefits for ADHD and autism. The findings are prompting debate about rising diagnosis rates, better recognition of neurodevelopmental conditions, and pressure on the personal independence payment system.

President Donald Trump shared more than 13 social media posts attacking Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida on Saturday, escalating a feud that began after she broke with his immigration crackdown earlier this month. The volume of posts underscored Trump's willingness to target members of his own party over dissent on immigration policy, drawing attention to tensions within the GOP.

A New Mexico jury on Friday found Facebook liable for deceiving users about privacy protections on its platform, delivering another legal setback to the social media company. The Associated Press reported the verdict, which adds to the company's mounting legal troubles over how it handled user data and its privacy claims, and observers are weighing its implications for future privacy litigation against major tech firms.

Meta is building a transoceanic submarine cable capable of petabit-per-second speeds, intended to connect multiple continents. The project, shared by researcher Gabriele Romano, would rank among the largest private internet infrastructure efforts ever undertaken. Interest centres on how the cable could boost global bandwidth and what it signals about major tech firms building their own backbone networks rather than relying on telecom consortia.

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has put forward a proposal to create an NHS-style social care system for England, arguing that care should be provided free at the point of use in the same way as health services. The idea reignites a long-running debate over how England funds and organises adult social care, an issue that has defied successive governments' reform attempts.

Israeli and Palestinian peacebuilders spoke at the UN Security Council, urging governments to make support for civil society a permanent commitment rather than an ad hoc effort. The appeal highlights the work of grassroots organisations on both sides that continue cooperation and dialogue despite conflict, and calls on member states to provide sustained funding and political backing for such peacebuilding initiatives.

Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, says he will make social care reform a central pledge at the next election, according to Reuters. Burnham has long campaigned for overhaul of England's funding and provision of adult social care, an issue successive governments have promised but failed to resolve. The announcement puts pressure on national political parties ahead of the next UK general election.

French lawmakers have adopted a law banning children under 15 from social media, making France one of the first European countries to impose such a restriction. The move is part of growing global concern over the effects of social platforms on young people's mental health and safety, and other governments are watching closely as they consider similar measures.

Spanish Social Security reforms will take effect in 2027, according to Expansión. The legal retirement age will be pushed back further, the way pensions are calculated will change, and the intergenerational equity mechanism (MEI), the extra contribution funding the pension system, will increase. The changes stem from the phased 2021-2027 pension reform agreed with the EU, and are drawing attention as workers assess how their future retirement benefits will be affected.

The US Supreme Court has ruled that Social Security data can be used to help identify noncitizens on voter rolls, a victory for officials pushing tighter election verification measures. The decision is drawing strong reactions, with supporters calling it a step toward election integrity and critics warning it could enable improper voter purges and discourage eligible voters from registering.