Andrej Babis, the populist billionaire and former prime minister of the Czech Republic, has won the country's parliamentary elections, securing a projected 34.6% to 35% of the vote and earning 80 seats in the 200-member lower house.

The populist leader's ANO party, which campaigned on economic promises and a "Czechs first" approach, emerged as the leading force, though it fell short of an outright majority, necessitating coalition talks with smaller right-wing and eurosceptic parties like the Motorists for Themselves and the Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party.

Babis has vowed to end the Czech-led initiative supplying artillery shells to Ukraine, a move that could significantly alter the country's military support for Kyiv, and has rejected calls for a referendum on EU and NATO membership, despite SPD's demands. He argues that the ammunition initiative which has supplied 3.5 million shells to Ukraine since 2022, lacks transparency and benefits private arms dealers, though he said he would discuss the matter with Ukrainian President Zelensky.

President Petr Pavel is expected to begin consultations with party leaders to determine the next prime minister, with Babis likely to be invited to lead the formation of a new government.

A self-proclaimed "Trumpist" and former prime minister (2017–2021), Babis has promised economic reforms, including higher wages, lower taxes, and tax discounts for young families, appealing to voters frustrated by inflation and stagnant incomes. He has also rejected the SPD’s push for a referendum on EU and NATO membership.

Meanwhile, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu resigned on Monday, October 6, 2025, after serving less than a month in office, making his government the shortest-lived in the history of France’s Fifth Republic.

Lecornu, a close ally of President Emmanuel Macron, was appointed less than a month prior, marking the third prime minister to resign in under a year, a level of political instability previously rare in France. His resignation followed the formation of a cabinet that was seen as unstable, with an uneasy coalition between centrists and conservatives, and raised concerns about the government’s ability to pass a budget.

The resignation has intensified pressure from opposition parties on the populist right and far-left for Macron to call snap elections or consider stepping down, though the president has so far ruled out such options.

The political turmoil has sparked debate over the the incompetence and upopularity of the liberal French establishment and its witch hunt and politcal maneuver against the populist leaders like Marine Le Pen, who have  been advocating for a change in leadership and policy direction of the country.

Japan also elected a conservative populist over the weekend. Sanae Takaichi, 64, was elected as the new leader of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), making her the first woman to hold the party's presidency and positioning her to become Japan's first female prime minister.

Alex Pereira reclaimed the UFC light heavyweight title with a first-round technical knockout of Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 320, which took place Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The fight ended just 80 seconds into the bout after Pereira dropped Ankalaev with a powerful right hook and followed up with a barrage of punches and elbows, leading to the referee stopping the fight. This victory marked Pereira's return as a two-time UFC light heavyweight champion and was a stunning reversal of their previous encounter at UFC 313 in March 2025, where Ankalaev had defeated Pereira by unanimous decision.

Here are the results of the matchups at UFC 320.

Main Event: Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev

- Pereira defeated Ankalaev via first-round TKO at 1:20.

Co-Main Event: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Cory Sandhagen

- Merab Dvalishvili successfully defended his bantamweight title against Cory Sandhagen via unanimous decision (49-45, 49-45, 49-46).

- Dvalishvili, who had a shaky start, dominated the second and third rounds with relentless pressure and wrestling, recording a UFC record 20 takedowns in the fight. This win extended Dvalishvili’s winning streak to 13 consecutive victories.

Other Notable Fights at UFC 320:

- Jiri Prochazka vs. Khalil Rountree Jr.: Prochazka defeated Rountree Jr. via third-round TKO (punches) at 3:04 The fight was a comeback victory, as Prochazka was losing before finishing Rountree Jr. with a powerful strike.

- Youssef Zalal vs. Josh Emmett: Zalal won via first-round submission (armbar) at 1:38.

- Joe Pyfer vs. Abus Magomedov: Pyfer secured a second-round submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:44.

- Ateba Gautier vs. Tre'ston Vines: Gautier won via first-round TKO (elbows) at 1:41.

- Daniel Santos vs. Yoo Joo-Sang: Santos won via second-round TKO (punches) at 0:21.

- Jakub Wiklacz vs. Patchy Mix: Wiklacz won via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).

- Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Andre Muniz**: Shahbazyan won via first-round TKO (punches and elbows) at 4:58.

- Punahele Soriano vs. Nikolay Veretennikov: Soriano won via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

- Macy Chiasson vs. Yana Santos: Santos won via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

- Farid Basharat vs. Chris Gutierrez: Basharat won via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

- Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Austin Vanderford: Brahimaj won via second-round submission (guillotine choke) at 2:24.

- Veronica Hardy vs. Brogan Walker: Hardy won via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

Sanae Takaichi, 64, has been elected as the new leader of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in October 2025, making her the first woman to hold the party's presidency and positioning her to become Japan's first female prime minister.

The 64-year-old defeated Shinjirō Koizumi in a runoff election, securing 185 votes to his 156, and is expected to be formally appointed prime minister by the Diet, as the LDP holds a majority in the lower house.

Takaichi is known for her hardline conservative and nationalist views, including opposition to same-sex marriage, separate surnames for married couples, and an empress regnant, and she supports revising Article 9 of Japan's Constitution to strengthen military capabilities.

“I’m abandoning the phrase ‘work–life balance.’ I will work, work, work, work, and go on working!” she declared in a speech.

Born on March 7, 1961, in Yamatokōriyama, Nara Prefecture, Takaichi is the daughter of a Toyota-affiliated automobile company employee and a police officer. She graduated from Nara Prefectural Unebi High School.

Despite qualifying for prestigious private universities like Keio and Waseda, Takaichi chose to attend Kobe University, where she studied business management, because her parents refused to fund her education if she moved out of home or attended a private institution. She commuted six hours daily to attend university and later studied at the Matsushita Institute of Government and Management.

To fund her education, Takaichi worked part-time jobs  In 1987, she was sponsored by the Matsushita Institute to spend a year in the United States as a congressional fellow for Democratic U.S. Representative Pat Schroeder, gaining experience in American politics. Upon returning to Japan, she became a legislative analyst and author, and later worked as a TV anchor for TV Asahi.

Takaichi was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1993 as an independent candidate. She joined the LDP in 1996 and has been re-elected nine times since.

A protégée of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Takaichi held several ministerial roles, including Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications and Minister of State for Economic Security. She is a staunch conservative and ultraconservative, affiliated with the ultranationalist group Nippon Kaigi, and has visited the controversial Yasukuni Shrine multiple times.