PRAGUE (AP) — A political group led by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš faced a strong challenge from the opposition in the Czech Republic’s first round of voting to fill one-third of the seats in Parliament’s upper house, the Senate, according to the final results released on Sunday.
With all the votes counted by the Statistics Office, the centrist ANO (YES) movement led by the populist billionaire has the most, 13, candidates advancing to next week’s runoffs.
But the parties and groups of parliamentary pro-Western opposition that joined forces in many districts in broad coalitions, have altogether 26 candidates making the next round.
Also, of the five candidates who reached the 50% threshold to win seats outright, none of them was from ANO, while four represent opposition parties.
ANO hopes to make gains in the 81-seat Senate, which is controlled by the opposition. Twenty-seven Senate seats are up for grabs with 22 left to be decided in the runoffs between the top two finishers in each race.
Parliament’s lower house dominates the legislative process, but the Senate plays an important role in passing constitutional amendments and approving Constitutional Court judges.
In separate local elections, various independent candidates and groupings appeared to be winning most seats nationwide, a traditional result. ANO won in six regional capitals, two fewer than at the previous 2022 vote, and not in Prague.
The elections are the first test for Babiš since he returned to power after a decisive victory in parliamentary elections in October 2025.
Babiš has formed a governing coalition with two small political groups whose agenda includes reducing support for Ukraine and rejecting some key European Union policies.
His coalition partners have no candidate in the Senate runoffs.
Czech Republic's Prime Minister Andrej Babis casts his vote during senate and local elections in Pruhonice, Czech Republic, Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
A resident casts a vote during senate and local elections in Pruhonice, Czech Republic, Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Czech Republic's Prime Minister Andrej Babis arrives to cast his vote during senate and local elections in Pruhonice, Czech Republic, Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico (AP) — The eye of Hurricane Simon was just off the Pacific coast of Mexico early Sunday and was expected to move inland later in the day as an extremely powerful storm.
Simon has strengthened to 155 mph (250 kph), only just below the threshold for becoming a Category 5 storm, the highest on the Saffir Simpson scale. It was about 60 miles (100 kilometers) west-southwest of Manzanilla and moving north-northwest at 6 mph (9 kph).
The hurricane could bring 10 to 20 inches (25-50 cm) of rain over parts of southwestern Mexico, with some areas in the states of Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco receiving up to 30 inches (76 centimeters).
“This rainfall will produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain,” the center warned.
Jalisco state suspended classes on Friday and Monday in 22 coastal municipalities and began evacuating dozens of people from at-risk areas. It also asked the tourism sector in Puerto Vallarta, a popular destination for U.S. tourists, to ensure that both workers and visitors were fully accommodated in shelters or safe zones.
Convenience stores, hotels and other businesses in Puerto Vallarta were boarding up their windows Saturday, and few were walking the streets under overcast skies.
“Let’s hope it doesn’t hit us, right? That it doesn’t affect us," Jesús Gómez said as he stood outside a shop and handed out free samples of candied peanuts to passersby. “We’ll be working as usual throughout the day, but when Civil Protection officials come and tell us we need to close, then we’ll close and take shelter until the storm passes.”
The hurricane center expected a dangerous storm surge along the immediate coast near and to the east of where the center makes landfall. The agency warned that near the coast, large and destructive waves will accompany the surge.
Canadian tourist Ed Currie, who along with his wife still has five more days to enjoy Puerto Vallarta, said the hurricane had not yet affected his plans.
“Just stay in the hotel and look out the window hopefully,” he said of what the couple would do. “I just don’t know what to expect.”
Workers place sandbags outside a restaurant as Hurricane Simon approaches Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
This satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA shows Hurricane Simon in the Pacific on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration via AP)
A man boards up a shop as Hurricane Simon approaches Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
The Flying Men of Papantla perform the "Danza de los Voladores" on the beach as Hurricane Simon approaches Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
A man places a window covering on his boat as Hurricane Simon approaches Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
