Lead Story
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.
Read more →Lead Story
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.
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.
Read more →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.
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.
Read more →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.
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.
Read more →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.
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.
Read more →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.