Netanyahu claims foreign meddling as Israel's final vote tally approaches

Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party have intensified claims that Israeli Arab-led parties stole the recent election, a charge that complicates the final vote count scheduled for Thursday evening. The opposition argues the prime minister is demonizing the Arab population following a historic turnout for those parties. If the remaining opposition groups form a coalition with them, they will govern, a rare and politically risky move for Israeli politics.

The controversy centers on a new request from the country's elections committee to the Shin Bet intelligence service. The committee asked the Shin Bet to investigate alleged interference by unspecified foreign entities acting against the Israeli interest. The request did not mention Arab-led parties, yet Netanyahu and his aides argued no party should join forces with them.

Final results are expected to confirm that Netanyahu's bloc has lost its parliamentary majority. This outcome sets up a difficult negotiation period. The prime minister's camp is using the foreign interference allegation to pressure potential coalition partners. The Shin Bet investigation adds a layer of technical scrutiny to an already contentious political moment.

In Spain, search teams with sniffer dogs continued looking for victims of a high-speed rail collision in central Spain on Thursday. The crash occurred one day prior, when one train struck another from behind. Regional leader Emiliano Garcia-Page confirmed that one more body was found overnight, bringing the death toll to 69. This is the second deadly rail disaster in Spain this year, raising safety questions ahead of a national election.

The U.S. economy expanded at a 3.4% annual rate from July through September, the Commerce Department reported. This marked an acceleration from the 2.2% growth recorded in the previous quarter. The surge was driven by a 3.8% rise in consumer spending and sharp increases in business investment, largely due to the artificial intelligence boom. The economy has remained strong despite higher energy prices resulting from the conflict with Iran.

The Senate is expected to hold up legislation passed by the House that would make daylight saving time permanent. This move defies President Donald Trump, who has pushed for the change. Several senators are delaying the bill as the country prepares to turn clocks back an hour on Sunday. Supporters of permanent daylight saving time argue it provides more evening light, while opponents note that commuters in some states will not see sunlight until after 9 a.m.

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered an investigation into the Senate campaign of Democrat Mary Peltola. The probe follows reports that her campaign helped recruit a third candidate with the same name as Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan. Trump called for the criminal prosecution of Peltola the day after directing the Department of Justice to sue to block the certification of her win. The dispute could determine control of the U.S. Senate.