Power struggles dominate the week ahead, starting with Israel, where rival camps backing and opposing Benjamin Netanyahu have entered a critical stage. The new Knesset members will be sworn in on Tuesday, but agreement on which bloc will govern could take weeks due to the complicated mathematics of securing a majority. Former Israeli military chief Gadi Eisenkot begins with the advantage of being asked by President Isaac Herzog to form a government, though betting against Netanyahu is considered risky.
In the United States, President Donald Trump's power has ebbed following the Republican Party's midterm mauling, but he retains significant control over foreign policy, with major implications for the world. This week's key diplomatic event is the trilateral Ukraine peace talks in Abu Dhabi, brokered by the US and involving representatives from Washington, Kyiv and the Kremlin. It will be the first meeting of the three sides since February, raising hopes of real progress toward ending the conflict, now in its fifth year. European officials, however, fear the US may strike a deal with Moscow that undermines Nato and restores Russia's sphere of influence.
At the COP31 climate talks beginning in Turkey on Monday, the hosts are pushing a new global electricity target. Negotiators and ministers have said it is unclear whether there is wide enough support for the goal to be included in the final negotiated outcome.
Economic data will focus on inflation and growth, with key cost of living updates from China and the US. The EU and UK publish first estimates for third-quarter GDP, where the shock of rising energy prices has been offset by surprising resilience. In corporate news, SoftBank's physical AI ambitions took a hit after Beijing blocked its $5.4bn purchase of ABB's robotics unit, while Rolls-Royce continues its strong run.
Source: Financial Times Companies · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing