- Pavlidis dedicates 'special' Greece win over England to tragic Baldock
- Wall Street stocks retreat from records on US inflation data
- 'Like a quake': Beirut shaken after deadliest strikes on centre
- Fallen giants Ghana in AFCON trouble after Sudan draw
- Asian leaders meet in Laos with US, Russia on world turmoil
- England gamble backfires as Pavlidis fires emotional Greece to victory
- Obama stumps for Harris, Trump talks US protectionism
- New-look France ease past Israel in Nations League
- Belgium fight back to draw with 10-man Italy in Nations League
- 'Get a life': Hurricane whips up US election storm
- Japan stay perfect in World Cup qualifying
- Relief as Lebanon evacuees dock in Turkey
- Lebanon says 22 dead in Israeli strikes on central Beirut
- NBA boss Silver sees games back in China 'at some point'
- Israel strikes central Beirut, killing 22
- Table tennis and Netflix push Ukraine teen into French Open contention
- Civilians flee Gaza's Jabalia in tightening Israeli siege
- Israel strikes central Beirut, killing 18
- At least 10 dead in Florida from tornadoes caused by Hurricane Milton
- Warhol's rare 'Queen' collection opens at Dutch museum
- Three-time NBA champion Green retires
- MLB Twins up for sale after 40 years
- S.Sudan floods affect 893,000, over 241,000 displaced: UN
- Solar storm could impact US hurricane recovery efforts: agency
- Windies sweat on injury to 'crucial' Taylor at World Cup
- Lebanon says 11 dead, 48 injured in Israeli strikes on Beirut
- Panama lashes out at EU over tax haven 'outrage'
- Erdogan says Gaza 'shame of humanity', calls for permanent ceasfire
- TD Bank to pay more than $3 bn to US in money-laundering case
- SAfrica prosecutors drop criminal complaint against president
- 'Good opportunity': Nagelsmann upbeat despite Germany's long injury list
- Hurricane whips up bitter US election battle
- Cameroon bans media talk of president's health amid rumours
- NFL MVP Jackson and rookie phenom Daniels set for showdown
- Chad's capital under threat as floodwaters rise
- Lebanon state media says Israeli strikes hit central Beirut
- No answers on strike on reporters in Lebanon one year on: watchdog
- Ramharack picks four wickets as Windies beat Bangladesh in Women's T20 World Cup
- France's City of Light switches to climate-resilient power cables
- Djokovic hails Nadal 'legacy' as Alcaraz in 'shock' over retirement
- Obama hits campaign trail for Harris
- Delta eyes Election Day travel pullback as profits climb
- Djokovic tells Nadal: 'Your legacy will live forever'
- Ethel Kennedy, wife of RFK, dead at 96
- Zelensky denies ceasefire with Russia under discussion on trip
- Florida battered by hurricane, floods but spared 'worst-case scenario'
- After long fight for glory, Nadal leaves with a legacy of memories
- Home hopes Zheng and Wang through to last-eight in Wuhan Open
- UN peacekeepers say Israel fired on Lebanon HQ, injuring 2
- UK's William and Kate in first joint public engagement since cancer treatment
Opposition defeat of Erdogan redraws Turkey's political map
Turkish opposition candidates and voters on Monday celebrated inflicting a stinging defeat on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's party in municipal elections.
"You know how it feels when the sun rises? Now it's like a second sun has risen. We are so happy," said Murat Akgun, 46, a small business owner in Istanbul where Erdogan had hoped to re-establish his Justice and Development Party (AKP).
With almost all ballots counted but no official results announced, the Republican People's Party (CHP) claimed all major cities and expanded into some Anatolian provinces that were considered Erdogan territory.
It took 35 of Turkey's 81 provincial capitals to just 24 for the president's AKP, with pro-Kurdish party DEM taking 10 and two for Islamist party Yeniden Refah -- a new appearance on the political scene that helped sap AKP support.
Istanbul, the capital Ankara, Adana, Bursa and Antalya were among cities to elect CHP mayors Sunday, less than a year after the knockback of a failed presidential challenge last May.
Observers called it Erdogan's worst election defeat since his party took power in 2002.
Many blamed inflation running at 67 percent and a crashing devaluation of the lira currency over the past year.
There are "price hikes for everything," said Zulfiye Durtek Durmaz, a 28-year-old housewife in Istanbul, calling the government's response "merciless" with "taxes on everything".
"I am a mother of two children, what can we offer our children? Buy a loaf of bread, see how much it costs... we need (Erdogan) to go away," she added.
The result "can only be explained by the economy," wrote Abdulkadir Selvi, a commentator for pro-government paper Hurriyet seen as close to the Erdogan camp.
"A new wind has blown" through Turkey and the government now faces "a new political equation", he added.
The European Union's top diplomat Josep Borrell praised the "calm and professional manner" of the election, in a message on X, formerly Twitter. He added that it points to the public "commitment to local democracy".
"Looking forward to working together on reforms bringing Turkey closer to the EU," he added.
The EU is seeking better ties after negotiations to join the bloc were frozen in 2018. Turkey has been a candidate since 1999.
- 'Turning point' -
Erdogan himself acknowledged a "turning point" and vowed to "respect the decision of the nation".
His finance minister Mehmet Simsek wrote on X that the government aimed to "permanently reduce inflation to single digits" with measures including public spending curbs and tight monetary policy.
The Turkish central bank has already increased its headline interest rate to 50 percent, from eight percent in less than a year.
Pro-government dailies Hurriyet and Yeni Safah highlighted the voters' "message" to the government.
Secular nationalist daily Sozcu, which opposes Erdogan, splashed "revolution at the ballot box" across its front page, while major opposition paper Cumhuriyet hailed a "historic victory".
The CHP victory may have been expected in Istanbul and Ankara, the economic and political capitals which the party claimed in 2019, but observers saw the broader anti-Erdogan surge as redrawing the electoral map.
Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, the opposition's champion since taking the mayor's seat five years ago in a hard-fought battle, now looks set for a presidential run in 2028.
- 'Resurgence of democracy' -
The vote "marks the end of democratic erosion in Turkey and the resurgence of democracy," Imamoglu told supporters, saying his victory had "immense significance".
"Imamoglu is Erdogan's opponent in the country's next national elections," Soner Cagaptay of the Washington Institute posted on X.
The Istanbul mayor "has a chance to become Turkey's president... Turkey never fails to surprise -- (the) game is on," he added.
Erdogan, who became prime minister in 2003 and president in 2014, said in early March that these municipal elections would be his last.
The 70-year-old leader nevertheless told dismayed supporters overnight that they "must not waste" the four years remaining before the next presidential vote.
D.Kaufman--AMWN