Independent · Printed Daily · Est. 2026

The Daily Dispatch

Late EditionTHURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2026Edition: Good News

Lead Story

Trump vows to press on as Democrats demand an end to the Iran war; markets whiplash on midterm fallout

A day after Democrats' sweeping midterm win flipped both chambers of Congress, South Korean broadcaster SBS reported on November 5 that President Trump vowed to keep pursuing his agenda despite the defeat, even as emboldened Democrats pressed for an end to the ongoing US-Iran conflict. Financial markets whipsawed in response: SBS reported South Korea's KOSPI fell sharply in early Thursday trading, led down by semiconductor shares, amid fresh worries about tighter US rules on AI data centers, while crypto markets rallied on the opposite read of the election — CoinGabbar reported Bitcoin rose roughly 5.4% and Ether about 7.5% over 24 hours as traders bet a Democratic Congress could slow stalled crypto-market-structure legislation such as the CLARITY Act. The split reaction underscored how differently investors are pricing the same result depending on the sector.

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Death toll from Russian strike on Ukrainian aid center and shelter climbs past two dozen

Ukrainian officials say the toll from Russia's bombing of a humanitarian aid distribution center and a neighbouring shelter in Komyshuvakha, in the Zaporizhzhia region, has continued to rise since the November 2 attack, with the Kyiv Independent reporting at least 24 dead — including two rescue workers and four police officers — and a wire report carried by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The Week citing officials putting the count as high as 26, with additional people still missing. President Volodymyr Zelensky said a second wave of roughly nine aerial bombs hit the shelter where people had taken refuge after the first strike, calling it proof Russia does not want de-escalation. The strike adds to a string of attacks on aid infrastructure in the region as the war grinds into its fourth winter.

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Binance breach confirmed as the biggest crypto heist in history, with losses near $6.3 billion

Analysis firm DeFiLlama's tally of the late-October attack on exchange Binance now puts losses at roughly $6.36 billion — about 73% of all crypto hacking losses recorded so far in 2026 — eclipsing the previous record set by the February 2025 Bybit breach (about $1.4-1.5 billion), according to Khaleej Times. Early estimates from Axios had put the Binance loss nearer $5.7 billion before the figure was revised upward. DeFiLlama's year-to-date data show roughly $8.74 billion in total crypto-hack losses through October 2026, meaning the Binance incident alone dwarfs every other hack combined this year; Binance has said it is covering the losses, and reports suggest a sizeable share of the stolen funds has since been frozen.

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Nationwide strike grips France as unions overshadow SNCF's showcase TGV M debut

Five French union confederations and four SNCF rail unions walked out nationwide on Thursday, November 5, as planned, over wages, pensions and the 2027 budget bill, disrupting TGV, Intercités, regional TER and Paris-area RER and Transilien services, according to Connexion France and SortiraParis. The action lands awkwardly just a day before SNCF's new TGV M train is set to make its showcase inaugural run between Paris Gare de Lyon and Marseille Saint-Charles on November 6; organizers had indicated there was no plan to scrap that launch event even as the strike added to a run of mobilizations against the government's budget plans that have continued since late October.

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Bank of England weighs first rate move since September as decision looms

The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee is due to announce its latest rate decision at noon UK time on Thursday, November 5, alongside a new Monetary Policy Report, after holding Bank Rate at 3.75% in a split 6-3 vote on September 17. Forecasters tracked by economic calendar site ForexFundamentals put consensus expectations around a move to 4.00%, while other recent previews noted the Bank had more recently been described as holding at 4%, reflecting how finely balanced the committee's recent votes have been as it weighs still-elevated inflation against a budget set to land in the weeks ahead.

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Earlier This Week

Wednesday, November 4, 2026

Democrats seize control of both the House and Senate in a sweeping 2026 midterm rebuke of Trump

Networks called a decisive night for Democrats on November 3: CNN projected the party had won at least 51 Senate seats shortly before midnight Eastern time, flipping the chamber, while MS NOW and NBC News projected a House takeover just before 10 p.m. The Senate pickups included Sherrod Brown defeating Jon Husted in Ohio, James Talarico ousting Ken Paxton in Texas, Troy Jackson unseating longtime incumbent Susan Collins in Maine, and a win in Kansas, on top of flips in North Carolina, Iowa and South Carolina and holds in New Hampshire, Minnesota and Georgia. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the result 'a vindication' for Democrats, who also flipped several governorships, as Variety and other outlets framed the outcome as a broad backlash to President Trump two years into his second term — a pattern consistent with the historical struggles of a sitting president's party in midterm years.

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France braces for nationwide strike Thursday as unions overshadow the TGV M's planned debut

Five French union confederations, joined by four SNCF rail unions (CGT-Cheminots, UNSA-Ferroviaire, SUD-Rail and CFDT-Cheminots), are set to walk out nationwide on November 5 over wages, pensions and the 2027 budget bill, with possible disruption to TGV, Intercités and regional TER services as well as Paris-region RER and Transilien lines. SNCF and other operators typically publish final Thursday timetables around 5 p.m. on the eve of the action — meaning Wednesday, November 4 — so travelers were still waiting on confirmed schedules as the strike call stood. The walkout falls awkwardly on the eve of the showcase inaugural journey of SNCF's new TGV M train, planned for November 6 between Paris Gare de Lyon and Marseille Saint-Charles; organizers said as of late October there was no indication the launch event itself would be scrapped, even as the strike adds to a string of mobilizations against the government's budget plans that have included large demonstrations since late October.

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Spain's Puente still refuses to resign over deadly Urda rail crash as political pressure keeps building

More than a week after a Renfe high-speed train slammed into a stationary Iryo train near Urda, Toledo, killing around 69 people, Transport Minister Oscar Puente continues to reject calls to step down, saying he retains Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's full confidence. Puente maintains the crash followed a control center's order to restart the train despite an active red signal, and insists rail staff were not at fault — an account still being tested by Spain's Railway Accident Investigation Commission (CIAF) and a parallel judicial probe. The conservative People's Party has joined earlier resignation demands from the CSIF union and the far-right Vox party, which has lodged a formal Supreme Court complaint against Puente, while protesters have repeatedly clashed with police outside the Transport Ministry in Madrid. High-speed services on the Madrid-Andalusia line remain suspended, and the crash — the second fatal collision involving the same operators on the same route in under a year — has become a fresh complication for Sanchez's government ahead of upcoming elections.

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Israel's coalition deadlock drags into a decisive week as Herzog denies any Netanyahu-Eisenkot breakthrough

With Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc holding roughly 53 seats and Gadi Eisenkot's opposition about 48 after the October 27 election — both short of the 61 needed to govern — President Isaac Herzog's office is pushing back hard on reports that he is brokering a Netanyahu-Eisenkot unity government, calling such claims 'a complete lie.' Eisenkot, a former military chief, has repeatedly said Netanyahu 'cannot serve as prime minister, minister or deputy minister' in any coalition he joins, and formal presidential consultations with party representatives — bound by the Basic Law's one-week window — are running this week without a clear path to a stable majority. Arab-led parties hold 19 seats that neither main bloc has moved to incorporate, leaving Israel facing the prospect of prolonged negotiations or another election if no government can be formed.

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Turkiye puts final touches on COP31 as Antalya prepares to host over 100,000 delegates from November 9

With the COP31 UN climate conference set to run November 9-20 in Antalya, Turkish officials say preparations are nearly complete, with local reporting describing hotel availability tightening across the city as organizers expect more than 100,000 participants and representatives from 196 countries. Turkiye is hosting under a partnership model with Australia, which ceded hosting rights but continues co-leading negotiations; a leaders' summit is planned for the conference's third and fourth days, expected to convene in Istanbul, following a pre-COP gathering held in Fiji. Turkish officials have framed the summit as an opportunity to open 'a new era of climate cooperation,' with negotiators aiming to shift the global agenda from pledges toward implementation of existing climate commitments.

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Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Americans vote in decisive 2026 midterms as control of Congress and dozens of governorships hang in the balance

Polls opened across the United States on Tuesday for midterm elections that will decide all 435 House seats, 35 of the 100 Senate seats and 39 governorships, capping a campaign in which President Trump pledged to spend more than $400 million and made a closing appeal at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, acknowledging that a president's party historically struggles in midterm years. Pre-election trackers showed no races called as voting began, with Fox News' tallies putting Democrats at 34 and Republicans at 31 of the Senate seats not up this cycle and 223 Democratic-leaning versus 195 Republican-leaning House seats heading into the count. Analysts continue to frame the vote as a referendum on Trump's second, non-consecutive term — the first midterm held under those circumstances since 1894.

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Bolsonaro's own party recognizes Lula's runoff win as son's bid to annul Brazil's election loses steam

In the days after the October 25 runoff, in which President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva defeated Flavio Bolsonaro by roughly 51.8% to 48.2%, Flavio Bolsonaro vowed to seek annulment over a two-hour extension of voting hours at some polling stations — a move the electoral court's president said did not affect the outcome. A judge appointed by his own father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, rejected the annulment case, and reports say Flavio dropped the push after US President Donald Trump signaled he would not intervene on his behalf. His Liberal Party, led by Valdemar Costa Neto, has now issued a statement recognizing Lula's victory, clearing the way toward Lula's inauguration for a fourth, non-consecutive term on January 5, 2027, even as Flavio Bolsonaro himself has yet to formally concede.

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Herzog's office denies progress toward a Netanyahu-Eisenkot unity government as Israeli coalition deadlock drags on

A week after Israel's October 27 election left Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc with roughly 53 seats and Gadi Eisenkot's opposition with about 48 — both short of the 61-seat majority needed to govern, with Arab-led parties holding 19 — reports citing sources close to Eisenkot said President Isaac Herzog was floating a Netanyahu-Eisenkot unity arrangement to avoid another election. Herzog's office has pushed back hard, calling the reports of progress toward such a government 'a complete lie.' Eisenkot, a former military chief, has repeatedly said Netanyahu 'cannot serve as prime minister, minister or deputy minister' in any government he joins, leaving Herzog's formal consultations with party representatives — set to run this week under the Basic Law's one-week deadline — without an obvious path to a stable coalition.

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Spain's transport minister rejects resignation calls as Vox lodges Supreme Court complaint over deadly Urda train crash

Pressure has intensified on Transport Minister Oscar Puente over the October 28 collision near Urda, Toledo, in which a Renfe high-speed train struck a stopped Iryo train, killing dozens. Puente has refused to step down despite opposition demands, maintaining that a central control center's 'inexplicable' order to restart the train after a signaling failure was to blame, while rail drivers have staged strikes and the far-right Vox party has filed a formal complaint against him with the Supreme Court. Spain's Railway Accident Investigation Commission (CIAF) and a separate judicial inquiry are both still working to establish an official cause, and high-speed services between Madrid and Andalusia remain suspended as the political fallout continues ahead of upcoming elections.

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French unions call nationwide strike for November 5 over wages, pensions and budget cuts, with rail workers joining

Five French union confederations have called a nationwide strike for Thursday, November 5, 2026, to pressure lawmakers debating the 2027 budget bill over wages, pensions, public services and proposed cuts. Four SNCF rail unions — CGT-Cheminots, UNSA-Ferroviaire, SUD-Rail and CFDT-Cheminots — have joined the walkout, which falls on the eve of the inaugural journey of the new TGV M train, raising the prospect of significant disruption to trains, schools and other public services in Paris and nationwide. It follows weeks of earlier protests, including large demonstrations on October 24 and a fresh mobilization on October 31, as unions keep up street pressure while the budget debate moves through parliament.

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Monday, November 2, 2026

US enters final day of campaigning as voters brace for decisive November 3 midterms

With early voting having run for weeks, Republicans and Democrats made their last pushes on November 2 ahead of Tuesday's midterms, which will decide all 435 House seats, 35 of the 100 Senate seats and 39 governorships. President Trump, who has pledged to spend more than $400 million on the campaign, and Vice President JD Vance spent the final day rallying in battleground states, while former President Obama made closing appearances for Democratic candidates. Analysts describe the vote as a referendum on Trump's second term, noting it is the first midterm since 1894 held during a non-consecutive presidency, with control of Congress and dozens of governor's mansions on the line.

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Israel's President Herzog set to open formal coalition consultations this week after deadlocked election

After the October 27 Knesset election left Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing bloc with 53 seats and Gadi Eisenkot's opposition bloc with 48 — both short of the 61 needed to govern — President Isaac Herzog is expected to receive the final certified results and begin formal consultations with party representatives this week, with Basic Law: The Knesset giving him one week from Wednesday to decide whom to task with forming a government. Eisenkot is widely expected to get the first mandate, but he has repeatedly ruled out serving in any Netanyahu-led government, even under a rotation deal, while Netanyahu allies keep floating a Netanyahu-Eisenkot unity arrangement that Herzog's office says it has not discussed.

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Push for a Ukraine-Russia summit continues as Zelenskyy and Erdogan coordinate on security guarantees

After US envoy Steve Witkoff's October trip to Oslo and then St Petersburg produced Russian President Vladimir Putin's statement that he 'agrees in principle' to resume three-way peace talks, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has kept pressing for a direct Trump-Putin-Zelenskyy format, which Russia has so far resisted while the Kremlin says it is still reviewing the US-drafted terms. On November 1, Zelenskyy discussed security guarantees and the broader peace effort by phone with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who also condemned recent attacks on Black Sea shipping; both sides say momentum toward a leaders' summit is continuing into this week.

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French unions call a tenth day of nationwide strikes, timed to coincide with King Charles III's state visit

Weeks after protests that turned into some of France's worst riots in years on October 17, and after the Interior Ministry counted roughly 410,000 demonstrators nationwide on October 24-26 (unions put the figure at up to 800,000) over school staffing shortages that broadened into anger about living costs, clashes flared again on the edge of Paris on November 1. French unions have now called for a tenth day of coordinated strikes and marches, which is set to coincide with a planned state visit by King Charles III, raising concerns among officials about security and disruption during the visit as tens of thousands of police remain deployed nationwide.

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Spain's Guardia Civil investigation into deadly Urda train crash intensifies as rail workers challenge official account

In the days since an October 28 collision in which a Renfe AVE high-speed train slammed into a stopped Iryo train near Urda, Toledo, killing dozens, Spain's Guardia Civil has questioned the Adif signal operator who authorized the AVE's departure before the crash, with both a judicial inquiry and the separate CIAIAF rail-accident commission now running formal probes. Engineers and railway unions have continued to publicly challenge Transport Minister Óscar Puente's initial account — which pointed to a signaling failure followed by an erroneous decision to restart the train — calling it incomplete given the line's safety systems, while Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has pledged to 'get to the end' of the investigation and act forcefully if negligence is confirmed.

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Sunday, November 1, 2026

Israel's election deadlock drags into a second week as thousands rally for an Eisenkot-Arab coalition

With final results confirming Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing bloc won 53 seats and Gadi Eisenkot's opposition bloc 48, both short of the 61 needed to govern, President Isaac Herzog is set to begin consultations next week before tasking a candidate with forming a government; Eisenkot is widely expected to get the first mandate. Ultra-Orthodox parties have signaled they would be willing to negotiate joining an Eisenkot-led government, even as Eisenkot has ruled out relying on Arab-led parties and allies close to Netanyahu are pushing for a unity government between the two rivals. On October 31 and into November 1, thousands rallied in Tel Aviv urging Eisenkot to form a coalition with Arab-led parties to oust Netanyahu, while Netanyahu supporters held a counter-demonstration.

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US enters final 48 hours before pivotal midterm elections as both parties make closing pushes

With early voting underway ahead of Tuesday's November 3 midterms, Democrats are fighting to flip control of Congress, with all 435 House seats, 35 of 100 Senate seats and 39 governorships on the ballot and the heaviest spending concentrated in battlegrounds including Texas, Ohio, Michigan and South Carolina. President Trump has said he will spend more than $400 million by Election Day and has been campaigning heavily alongside Vice President JD Vance in the closing days, while former President Obama has made appearances for Democratic candidates nationwide. Analysts note this is the first midterm since 1894 held during a non-consecutive second presidential term, and the campaign's final stretch has been marked by disputes over attack ads, including accusations of AI-generated "deepfake" ads in Minnesota.

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Momentum builds toward a Ukraine-Russia summit as Witkoff ferries proposals between Kyiv's allies and the Kremlin

US envoy Steve Witkoff met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Oslo on October 20 alongside the leaders of Norway and Finland, then traveled to St. Petersburg on October 21 to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, who told him he "agrees in principle" to resume three-way peace talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US; the meeting opened with Russia releasing detained American Stephen Hubbard as a goodwill gesture. Zelenskyy has pushed for a format that includes a direct Trump-Putin-Zelenskyy meeting, which Russia has so far resisted, and the Kremlin says Putin is still reviewing the documents Witkoff presented outlining possible terms. On November 1, Zelenskyy discussed security guarantees and the peace effort by phone with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who separately condemned recent attacks on Black Sea shipping.

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Nationwide unrest continues in France as fresh clashes break out on the edge of Paris

France has been gripped by a wave of protests since October 24-26, when the Interior Ministry counted roughly 410,000 demonstrators nationwide (unions put the figure at up to 800,000, with about 110,000 in Paris alone) over school staffing shortages that broadened into wider anger about school funding and living costs; clashes with police broke out in Paris and Marseille and nearly 1,000 people were arrested. The unrest has carried into the following week, with wire reports describing a march on the outskirts of Paris on November 1 that again turned to clashes between police and some demonstrators, under the watch of tens of thousands of officers deployed nationwide.

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Investigators question Adif signal operator as Spain's deadly Urda train crash probe intensifies

In the days after an October 28 collision in which a Renfe AVE high-speed train slammed into a stopped Iryo train near Urda, Toledo, killing dozens, Spain's Guardia Civil has questioned the Adif operator who authorized the AVE's departure before the crash, and both a judicial inquiry and a separate rail-accident investigation commission (CIAIAF) have opened formal probes. Engineers and railway unions have publicly challenged Transport Minister Óscar Puente's initial account, which pointed to a signaling failure followed by an erroneous decision to restart the train, calling the explanation incomplete given the line's safety systems. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has pledged to "get to the end" of the investigation and act forcefully if negligence is confirmed.

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Saturday, October 31, 2026

High-speed train rams stopped train in central Spain, killing at least 64

A Renfe AVE high-speed train traveling from Madrid to Seville slammed into the rear of a stopped Iryo train near Urda in Toledo province on October 28, derailing two carriages and killing at least 64 people, with figures still rising in early reports and one outlet citing 68 dead. Regional officials said roughly 80 people were injured, about 50 seriously and 15 critically. Transport Minister Óscar Puente said a computer failure in the signaling system near Urda station triggered a red signal that automatically halted several trains in the area, and that an erroneous decision was then made to restart the Renfe train in violation of protocol; authorities are still investigating. It is the second major rail disaster in Spain this year, after 46 people died in a January collision in the south, and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez canceled his schedule to focus on the response.

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Israel's election remains deadlocked days after the vote, with coalition talks underway

Four days after Israel's October 27 parliamentary election, neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing bloc nor the opposition led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot has secured the 61-seat majority needed to govern, with early counts putting the blocs within a handful of seats of each other and Arab-led parties holding roughly 16-19 seats that could prove decisive. Both Netanyahu and Eisenkot have staked rival claims to lead the next government, while Eisenkot would likely need support from Arab-led parties he previously ruled out partnering with, and analysts say a Netanyahu-Eisenkot unity government is one possible outcome of the stalemate. Official results are expected within about a week of the vote, after which President Isaac Herzog will task a candidate with forming a coalition; Netanyahu remains caretaker prime minister in the meantime, and a fresh election would follow if talks collapse.

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US envoy shuttles between Kyiv's allies and Putin as talk of a November summit grows

Trump envoy Steve Witkoff met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Oslo on October 20, alongside Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, with Zelenskyy also briefing Jared Kushner by phone; Witkoff called the talks productive and said they had built momentum toward renewed negotiations. He then traveled to St. Petersburg on October 21 to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, telling him he hoped three-way talks could resume and presenting ideas for a potential peace deal, though Putin has repeatedly refused to meet Zelenskyy face-to-face. Norway's prime minister suggested the Russia visit could pave the way for a leaders'-level meeting, and some reports say the Kremlin is open to resuming trilateral talks in November, even as friction persists between Washington and Kyiv over the shape of any deal.

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US heads into final stretch before Tuesday's midterms with record spending and early voting underway

With early voting underway ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, Democrats are fighting to flip control of Congress, with the heaviest spending concentrated in Senate battlegrounds in Texas, Ohio and Michigan; President Trump has said he will spend more than $400 million by Election Day. Trump and Vice President JD Vance have been campaigning heavily in the closing days, including a Trump rally in Corinth, Mississippi, while former President Obama has made appearances and ads for Democratic candidates nationwide. The campaign's final days have also been marked by disputes over attack ads, including accusations of AI-generated "deepfake" ads in Minnesota and fights over messaging in competitive House races in Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Texas.

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Seoul presses North Korea for apology and talks as DMZ mine dispute drags on

Weeks after a September 21 landmine blast seriously wounded three South Korean soldiers in the western Demilitarized Zone, South Korea's military continues to insist the mines were planted by North Korea as part of extensive border fortification work, estimating Pyongyang has laid roughly 960,000 mines in the DMZ since 2024. Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff have called the mine-laying a violation of the armistice and demanded an apology, and on October 23 the Defense Ministry proposed military-to-military talks on the Military Demarcation Line in a bid to head off further escalation, a move analysts see as an attempt to prevent the standoff from spiraling. North Korea has rejected the South's investigation findings, calling them a "self-staged farce," and the dispute has unfolded alongside a wider rise in tensions, including North Korean ballistic missile launches and signals that Pyongyang will resume loudspeaker broadcasts across the border.

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Friday, October 30, 2026

Iran says tankers struck mines in Strait of Hormuz as US rejects ceasefire framework

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said three oil tankers caught fire after striking mines along what it called an "unauthorized" southern shipping route near the Omani coast, while Iran's army reported a fourth vessel burning further east in the strait, on October 30. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency confirmed a strike on a tanker off Oman. US Central Command said American forces had already cleared mines from the main transit routes, a claim the IRGC rejected, demanding independent verification. The incident comes as Qatari mediators carry a framework proposal from Washington to Tehran's Supreme National Security Council chief Mohsen Rezaei; President Trump has rejected an Iranian offer of a seven-day ceasefire followed by a phased reopening of the strait, while Iranian officials say direct talks could begin as early as next week in Qatar or Turkey.

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Russian drone strike kills at least 14 at Dnipro train station

A jet-powered Russian drone struck a platform at the main railway station in Dnipro on the morning of October 29, as commuters waited to board trains, killing at least 14 people and wounding around 14 others. Ukraine's air force said it intercepted three similar drones overnight but a fourth evaded air defenses and hit the station. Dnipropetrovsk governor Oleksandr Ganzha confirmed the rising toll, and officials said the strike was part of a broader wave of Russian attacks that killed at least 19 people across three Ukrainian cities that day. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the strike "horrific" and urged allies not to ease sanctions on Russia, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described it as "senseless and indiscriminate."

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North Korea fires barrage of ballistic missiles as DMZ landmine dispute escalates

North Korea fired roughly ten short-range ballistic missiles from the Wonsan area toward the sea on October 29, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said, prompting Seoul's National Security Office to convene an emergency meeting with Washington and Tokyo. The launch is Pyongyang's 17th ballistic missile event of 2026 and comes amid an escalating row over a landmine blast in the Demilitarized Zone that injured three South Korean soldiers, two seriously. Seoul has called the blast a "blatant violation" of the armistice and blamed the North, while Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korea's leader, has accused the South of fabricating the findings; Pyongyang has also sent a letter to the UN Security Council claiming the blast was staged by Seoul.

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Israeli election exit polls show no clear winner, dealing blow to Netanyahu

Exit polls from Israel's October 27 election showed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing and ultra-Orthodox bloc deadlocked with the opposition bloc led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, with neither side projected to reach the 61-seat majority needed to govern. Different pollsters gave conflicting figures, with Channel 12 putting Netanyahu's bloc at 52 seats to Eisenkot's 49, while Axios reported Netanyahu's Likud party itself winning around 27 seats to Eisenkot's Yashar party's 21. A strong showing by Arab-led parties could leave them holding the balance of power, though both major blocs have so far refused to partner with them. Official results are due within eight days of the election, and President Trump suggested on social media that the exit polls could still be wrong.

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Ebola cases in DR Congo surpass 10,000 in the country's fastest-growing outbreak

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has passed 10,000 confirmed cases, the DRC Ministry of Public Health said around October 27, with nearly half of those patients having died, making it the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in the country's history. The World Health Organization says it is the 17th Ebola outbreak in DRC and the largest ever recorded there, spanning eight provinces and 66 health zones with Ituri province as the epicenter. The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment; WHO-backed TUMAINI trials are testing whether the Ervebo vaccine, designed for the related Zaire strain, offers protection. Kenya has also reported eight confirmed cases, including one death, as the outbreak spreads beyond DRC's borders.

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