Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida dissolved the lower house of the country’s Parliament on Thursday, clearing the way for elections on Oct. 31, Reuters reports.

“Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis lost his re-election bid on Saturday, a major upset against a billionaire businessman who had personified the rise of populist nationalism in Central Europe,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“A candidate for the Communist Party in Russia’s parliamentary elections, Mikhail Lobanov, went overnight from being an obscure university math lecturer to being the new face of a rising threat to the Kremlin,” the Washington Post reports.

“He nearly derailed a high-profile, pro-Putin candidate in southwest Moscow in last month’s voting. Then Lobanov claimed his victory was stolen by authorities via an opaque new system of online voting.”

“Russia’s Communist Party has long been known for its compliance, never threatening the Kremlin, in return for state funding and perks. But some young communists and leftist allies did not get that memo. They are starting to behave like a genuine opposition.”

“The son and namesake of the late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who was toppled in a 1986 revolt, announced Tuesday that he would seek the presidency in next year’s elections in what activists say is an attempt to whitewash a dark period in the country’s history marked by plunder and human rights atrocities,” the AP reports.

“President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines said on Saturday that he would retire rather than pursue the vice presidency next year, in a surprise reversal of a plan meant to keep him in national politics after his presidential term ends,” the New York Times reports.

“Iceland briefly celebrated electing a female-majority parliament Sunday, before a recount produced a result just short of that landmark for gender parity in the North Atlantic island nation,” the AP reports.

“The initial vote count had female candidates winning 33 seats in Iceland’s 63-seat parliament, the Althing, in an election that saw centrist parties make the biggest gains.”

“Japan’s ruling party votes on Wednesday for the country’s next prime minister in an election that has turned into the most unpredictable race since Shinzo Abe made a surprise comeback almost a decade ago, defeating a popular rival in a runoff,” Reuters reports.

“The winner of the Sept. 29 contest to lead the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is almost certain to succeed unpopular Yoshihide Suga as premier because the party has a majority in parliament’s powerful lower house.”

“As Germany’s election results came into sharper focus on Monday, no party won decisive majority but the loser was clear: Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats,” the New York Times reports.

“After 16 years in power under Ms. Merkel’s leadership, they saw their share of the vote collapse by nearly nine points, garnering only 24.1 percent of the vote. It was the party’s worst showing in its history, and the election signaled the end of an era for Germany and for Europe.”

“The Social Democratic Party defeated Ms. Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union by 1.6 percentage points, according to preliminary official results reported early Monday. Their candidate, Olaf Scholz, insisted the party’s gain of five points from 2017 — giving them 25.7 percent of the vote — provided them a mandate to form the next government.”

“The first exit poll from Sunday’s German elections showed the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) and the center-right Christian Democrats (CDU) in a dead heat at 25%, leaving the race to succeed Angela Merkel too close to call,” Axios reports,

“A second exit poll showed the SPD narrowly ahead.”

Iceland has elected its first female-majority parliament, with women holding 33 seats in the country’s 63-seat parliament, AP reports.

Washington Post: “Germany’s parliamentary elections are underway with just one thing certain: the era of Chancellor Angela Merkel is coming to an end after 16 years in power. The race for her successor remains wide open.”

“Two parties are battling it out on top: Merkel’s center-right Christian Democratic Union and the center-left Social Democratic Party. The Greens appear behind in the polls, but remain a big factor in possible post-election efforts to craft a coalition government.”

New York Times: A changed Germany sees the end of an era as Merkel nears the exit.

Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro further toned down his rhetoric in an interview, dismissing concerns that he wouldn’t accept a possible defeat in next year’s election and promising fiscal restraint in the run-up to the vote, Bloomberg reports.

He said there’s “zero chance” he would seek a coup to remain in power.

With just two days until Election Day, Germany’s election is wide open, the Financial Times reports.

“Never before have Germans faced such a broad spectrum of possible electoral outcomes. Angela Merkel is quitting the political battlefield and the army of voters the chancellor once commanded is now up for grabs. Her departure, after 16 years in power, has disrupted a system that once seemed the model of stability.”

Reuters: “A potential lurch to the left in Germany’s election on Sunday is scaring millionaires into moving assets into Switzerland.”

Deutsche Welle: “Not only is the German election race wide open — many voters say they’re yet to decide whom they will support. Complex coalition numbers, a lackluster campaign and the Angela Merkel vacuum help explain why.”

“Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau fell short on his gambit of capturing a parliamentary majority in national elections and now faces demands from a left-wing rival party to shore up healthcare spending and raise taxes on the wealthy,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“The preliminary results from Monday’s election indicate Canadians have reservations about the prime minister that include a record of ethical breaches and his decision to hold a snap vote during the Covid-19 pandemic. But the results also suggest voters weren’t enamored with Mr. Trudeau’s rivals, as opposition parties made no discernible gains relative to the 2019 election.”

“President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party maintained its tight grip on the nation’s parliament in three-day elections criticized by opposition parties and independent observers for ballot stuffing and tampering,” the Washington Post reports.

Financial Times: Russia’s election apathy bodes ill for the country’s future.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government has been reelected in the national election, the CBC reports.

“In the end, the final seat tally may not look very different from the composition of the House of Commons when it was dissolved in early August.”

“The three major party leaders spent their last hours on the campaign trail Sunday stumping in key battlegrounds, making their final pitches to voters in a short and divisive campaign in which no party has managed to swing momentum its way,” the Globe and Mail reports.

“Heading into election day, Justin Trudeau’s Liberals and Erin O’Toole’s Conservatives are in a dead heat nationally, according to Nanos Research polling released on Sunday.”

Polls open today at 8:30 am in each of the country’s time zones and close 12 hours later.