The 20:00 report · 27.10.2026
Election day for the 26th Knesset takes center stage with unprecedented voter turnout, a sharply strengthening shekel, and a heated dispute over extending polling hours. Concurrently, political turmoil in Brazil deepens following Lula's victory as Flavio Bolsonaro disappears, while in the United States major tech developments emerge around Donald Trump's statements and an expanded partnership between Oracle and OpenAI.
Trump Vows to Ban Term 'Artificial Intelligence' in Favor of 'Super Intelligence'
US President Donald Trump stated his intention to ban the use of the term "Artificial Intelligence" (AI) in documents, demanding that the field instead be referred to as "Super Intelligence." The announcement was reported by several international media outlets, including The Independent, ANI News, Yahoo, and Deadline. However, the exact scope of the move and the practical manner of its implementation have not yet been released. The initiative seeks to redefine the official language surrounding one of the world's most critical technological sectors, though without clear details on enforcement mechanisms or the bodies subject to the ban, its full consequences for governance and the tech industry remain to be seen.
Fears Flávio Bolsonaro Fled Brazil as Whereabouts Unknown and Passport Revoked
Fears are mounting in Brazil that far-right Senator Flavio Bolsonaro has fled the country after failing to report to the Federal Police to surrender his passport, with his current whereabouts unknown. A Supreme Court justice ordered his passport revoked and barred him from leaving the country following a money-laundering investigation, just hours after his defeat in the presidential election to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. That electoral loss had already triggered severe political and economic fallout, including double-digit drops on the local stock market and concerns in Israel over a cooling of bilateral ties. While reports claimed Bolsonaro crossed into Argentina, authorities in Buenos Aires stated they have no record of his entry, and his aides have refused to disclose his location.
Clash Over Voting Hours: Yashar Opposes Extension as Committee Presidium Meets
The dispute surrounding election day for the 26th Knesset intensified as the Yashar! party announced its opposition to extending voting hours, arguing that no extraordinary circumstances justify the step. Conversely, right-wing parties—Likud, Shas, and Otzma Yehudit, joined by Amcha Yisrael—demanded the extension of polling hours due to heavy congestion and long queues across the country. Following these submissions, the presidium of the Central Elections Committee convened to deliberate on the matter. Sole authority to decide on the request lies with the committee chairman, Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, and his ruling could directly influence final voter participation levels in this national race.
Oracle and OpenAI Expand Enterprise AI Computing Partnership
Oracle announced the expansion of its artificial intelligence product suite for the enterprise sector in collaboration with OpenAI. As part of the move, the tech giant will integrate ChatGPT and Codex into its corporate software applications to align enterprise computing systems with the AI era. In addition, the company will broaden the range of cloud chips available to its enterprise clients. The partnership highlights the ongoing integration of artificial intelligence models into large-scale corporate IT infrastructure, although full schedules for rolling out the services and the complete scope of investment involved have not yet been made public.
Shekel Strengthens Sharply on Election Day Amid High Voter Turnout
The shekel strengthened sharply against the US dollar and the euro during election day for the 26th Knesset, with the dollar falling by over one percent to trade around 3.02 to 3.05 shekels—a three-week high for the Israeli currency. This rally coincided with record voter turnout, which reached an unprecedented 44.9% by 14:00, alongside a surge in credit card spending that exceeded a quarter of a billion shekels on the morning of the election holiday. Capital market observers assess that high voter participation reduces political uncertainty, directly boosting investor confidence and reinforcing the domestic currency against foreign counterparts.
Written automatically from the Tevel reports linked in it.