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World

Russian bombing of Ukrainian aid point kills 40 people

Officials said 59 people are still missing after Russian aerial bombs hit an underground school used to hand out aid in Komyshuvakha, in the Zaporizhzhia region, on Monday. Russia's defence ministry said it targeted Ukrainian soldiers.

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Ivan Fedorov, co-head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Defence Council, gave the number of missing people. President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces first dropped aerial bombs on the school building, then struck the shelter with more bombs. Ukraine's national police said several strikes hit the area, including one from a 3 tonne FAB glide bomb.

Russia's defence ministry said the attack targeted Ukrainian military units around Komyshuvakha and two other settlements. It said up to 25 Ukrainian servicemen were killed. Russia and Ukraine both deny deliberately targeting civilians.

Delegations from Ukraine and Russia will hold talks in Abu Dhabi on 10 and 11 November, convened by the United States. US first lady Melania Trump brokered a six-day local ceasefire to evacuate civilians from Oleshky. She said nearly 800 people were evacuated.

WorldCrime

Palestine Action co-founder challenges terror ban at UK Supreme Court

Lawyers for Huda Ammori told the court on Wednesday that the ban on Palestine Action is disproportionate and weakens counter-terrorism laws. Some protesters were arrested outside the court, and more than 300 people were arrested outside the US embassy in London last weekend.

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Ammori's lawyers said only three of 385 actions over five years met the definition of terrorism when the group was banned. Lawyer Raza Husain said the suffragettes and other groups used tactics similar to those of Palestine Action, or more extreme ones.

The Home Office argues that the group's escalating actions amounted to terrorism and justified the ban. It said a 2024 attack on the Elbit site involved violence and weapons used against security staff and police officers. The damage from that raid was estimated at £1m (R22m).

Home Office statistics show more than 3,600 arrests linked to support for the group between the ban in July 2025 and June. Total arrests linked to Palestine Action now exceed 4,000.

WorldPolitics

Iran welcomes Democratic wins in US midterm elections

Iranian officials said US voters rejected the war launched by President Donald Trump after the Democrats won both the Senate and the House. Tehran stayed on high alert for possible new US strikes.

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Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who is also Iran's chief negotiator, posted on X after the vote. He said Americans had chosen peace, whether out of conscience or because of the cost of living, and that Iran supported that message.

Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said in a written statement that US hostility would continue whichever party held power. He said Washington thought the end of its dominance was far off, while Iran thought it was close.

Iranian media ran triumphant and mocking coverage. At a state-organised rally in Tehran, a demonstrator who gave only his family name, Nazari, said the power of the Republicans had been broken.

Senior Iranian officials said Tehran had deliberately prolonged talks with the US to weaken Trump politically before the vote. Two senior Iranian sources said Trump could try to make up for the result with a military strike.

Trump told Fox News that Iran was part of the reason for the result. He said voters also understood the importance of what he had done on Iran. The US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February, and the war is in its ninth month.

WorldPolitics

Indonesia's president sacks chief of staff over wiretap arrests

President Prabowo Subianto sacked Listyo Sigit Prabowo, a former national police chief, a day after he and two other senior police officers were detained. The military said thousands of troops were being mobilised in Jakarta.

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Police detained three senior officers on Tuesday over alleged illegal tapping of the phones of the president and others. One was Listyo, who became chief of staff a few weeks earlier. Reports said the taps also targeted journalists, politicians, officials and business people since early 2025.

Presidential spokesperson Prasetyo Hadi said rogue individuals carried out the taps. He said their acts pointed to treason and threatened state interests and the safety of the head of state. Sugiono, secretary-general of the Gerindra party, called the affair insubordination within the government.

Legal affairs minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra said the government had not yet found the motive. Navy spokesperson Tunggul said the troop deployment was meant to protect security and stability. He also linked it to training planned near Jakarta.

Researcher Sana Jaffrey of the Australian National University said the scandal raises questions about how the government handles the matter. She also warned of possible tension between the military and police loyal to Listyo. Amnesty International in Indonesia urged authorities to name the wiretap targets. It warned that unchecked, the scandal might allow a secret police to be used against opponents.

WorldCrime

Ukraine anti-corruption bureau targets senior officials in fraud cover-up

Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (Nabu) said top staff of the security service, national police and prosecutor general's office allegedly took bribes to shield a call centre that scammed victims. Nabu also said it finished its energy-sector money-laundering probe.

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Nabu said the call centre fraud probe, made public in September, led to the resignation of former prosecutor general Ruslan Kravchenko. He was not charged. Investigators said his resignation followed an accusation that a subordinate helped run the ring. They said the ring targeted both Ukrainians and foreigners.

Nabu also said it completed its investigation into an alleged money-laundering scheme in the energy sector. The scheme involved a former deputy prime minister and energy minister. It also forced out the former chief of staff of President Volodymyr Zelensky. All of them denied wrongdoing.

In Transparency International's latest Corruption Perceptions Index, Ukraine ranked 104th out of 182 countries.

ScienceWorld

England trial tests blood checks for earlier cancer diagnosis

A clinical trial in England will test whether family doctors can use simple blood tests to spot some common cancers sooner. At least 200 GP practices will take part, covering more than 20,000 patients.

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The University of Birmingham developed the tests. They look for signs of several cancers in a blood sample and suggest where in the body the cancer comes from.

Patients aged 45 and over who visit a GP with abdominal symptoms can take part. The practices belong to the National Health Service (NHS) in England.

The trial will measure how well the tests support the judgment of GPs. The results will help decide whether to roll the tests out nationally. Reports described it as a world first, and noted that cancer mortality in Britain is among the highest of OECD countries per person.

WorldPolitics

Democrats win US Congress in midterm vote, projections show

Democrats won back the US House and Senate in Tuesday's midterm elections, according to media projections. Exit polls showed voters angry about high prices and the direction of the country, and a rebuke of President Donald Trump.

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Democrat James Talarico beat Republican attorney general Ken Paxton in the Texas Senate race. Annie Andrews, a paediatrician, beat Republican senator Darline Graham in South Carolina. Reports said Democrats also won Senate races in Ohio, Kansas and North Carolina, and flipped eight Republican House seats.

Exit polls showed three-quarters of voters were angry or dissatisfied with the direction of the country. Half saw the vote as a chance to rebuke the president. 70% wanted Congress to provide more checks on him. Reports linked the anger to fuel price rises after Trump launched a war against Iran in February.

Trump wrote on social media that he was not on the ballot and would have won in a landslide if he had been. He also told media outlets he would accept the results and work with Democrats. Senator Jon Ossoff said voters had rebuked Trump after his projected win in Georgia.

Before the vote, the Justice Department deployed 1,000 monitors to all 50 states. Democrats criticised the plan as possible voter intimidation. Analysts said winning Congress could bring Democrats pressure to address economic worries.

WorldPolitics

Spain's transport minister resigns after two deadly train crashes

Oscar Puente quit after a four-hour grilling by a caretaker parliament body over rail accidents that killed 115 people combined. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez named Deputy Prime Minister Carlos Cuerpo, also economy minister, to run the ministry on an interim basis.

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Puente resigned six days after the second accident. Sanchez announced the change in a brief televised address on Wednesday. He said Cuerpo had shown great capacity for management and integrity in this legislature.

Opposition People's Party (PP) leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo said on X that Sanchez should do the same and resign. He wrote this in reply to a post in which Sanchez praised Puente.

Independent political analyst Eduardo Bayon said the resignation took away the main target of the PP. He said the debate would now move from who should go to what should be done. Bayon said the government must act with concrete railway security and investment measures, and that trust in high-speed rail will stay a campaign topic ahead of the election on 29 November.

WorldPolitics

World leaders react to Democrat wins in US midterms

President Cyril Ramaphosa said the Democrats' win in the US midterm elections will introduce a new era in world relations. Leaders in Europe, Asia and the Middle East also gave views, and some warned of political gridlock in Washington.

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Ramaphosa said the Democrats had taken control of the Senate and the House, and that the people of America had spoken. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Americans voted against policies that impoverish people, and against hatred, sexism and climate denial.

Bernd Lange, head of the European parliament's international trade committee, called the result a crushing blow to US President Donald Trump and his policies. Ines Schwerdtner, joint leader of Germany's Left Party, called it a defeat for the global right. Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer said Americans had said no to war.

Some leaders expected a hard period for the US government. Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said the rest of Trump's term would be about impeachment, vetoes and paralysis. Belgian defence minister Theo Francken said governing the US would be almost impossible in the coming years.

Alice Weidel, co-leader of Germany's far-right AFD, said Trump had broken a promise to avoid an interventionist foreign policy. French National Rally president Jordan Bardella said US intervention regarding Iran would carry heavy consequences for the US and European economies. One report said the result could affect global trade, security and energy prices.

EconomyWorld

Qatar's energy firm set to top US LNG buyers

War in the Middle East curtails Qatar's gas exports and pushes its state-owned energy company to look for new supply. The company is on course to be the largest buyer of US liquefied natural gas by the early 2030s.

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The company is state-owned and is based in Qatar. Its push for new sources follows the conflict in the Middle East, which limits what Qatar can export.

The reports give no figures for the planned purchases.

World

Spain readies aid for rail crash victims as minister faces MPs

Spain's government plans an emergency aid package for victims of a high-speed train collision that killed 69 people, according to the confirmed toll so far. Transport Minister Oscar Puente has refused calls to resign and was due to face lawmakers on Tuesday.

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Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the package would double payouts for victims under compulsory passenger insurance. He said it would also advance compensation payments and improve cover for temporary incapacity. He spoke on Monday at a forum in Barcelona, where he said the government wanted to win back public trust in high-speed rail as fast as it could.

Puente said a computer failure knocked out the signalling system. He called the control centre's later order for the train to resume its journey inexplicable. Investigators estimate the impact speed at 160km/h to 200km/h.

Reports citing unidentified sources said the government is considering a 40km/h limit when drivers must rely on sight if signals fail. It may also hire more staff and improve conditions in rail control centres. Several railworkers' unions rejected blaming human error before the investigation ends.

A crash on the same line in January killed 46 people. Spain holds an election on 29 November.

WorldPolitics

Thousands protest in Prague as public media staff strike

Czech public television and radio workers held a one-day strike on Tuesday against a government plan to cut media funding by 15% and move it to the state budget. The strike also led to broadcast curbs.

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Thousands of people rallied in Prague, including on Wenceslas Square, and in other Czech cities. The coalition also wants to cancel the monthly household broadcasting fee of 205 crowns ($9.43). The bill passed a preliminary vote last month and awaits more debate in parliament.

Jan Molacek, a Czech TV reporter and strike committee member, said the plan would give the coalition tools to influence the content of both public media. Critics said it would cut the link between the media and paying viewers and expose funding to political pressure. Opposition parties compared the changes to reforms in Hungary under former Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Prime Minister Andrej Babis said on Monday that the government was keeping a promise to ease the financial burden on the public. He denied that the government wants to control public media or that democracy is at stake.

WorldPolitics

Trump says US will stop $4bn yearly funding to Israel

US President Donald Trump said he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed months ago to end the payments by the end of 2026. He said Israel no longer needs the money. It is not clear which funding he meant.

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Trump spoke on Tuesday in an interview with Fox News. He said some Democrats and left-wing politicians use US financial support to Israel as a talking point against Republicans. He said the US cannot allow that to continue. Netanyahu's office had not commented.

The US gives Israel $3.8bn a year in military aid under a memorandum of understanding that nears expiry in 2028. Netanyahu said in a May interview that he hoped to wean Israel off US military support within a decade.

A Quinnipiac University poll in June found that 48% of voters believe the US is too supportive of Israel. Among Democrats the figure was 66%. When the question was first asked in 2017, the figures were 16% for voters and 20% for Democrats.

TechWorld

Accenture faces accusations over AI report with false citations

A report on artificial intelligence that Accenture co-authored contains incorrectly attributed research and apparently non-existent case studies. Unnamed critics accuse the consultancy of publishing information marred by AI hallucinations, which are false details that AI tools generate.

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Critics say the report was littered with false citations. They also say it credited research to the wrong authors. The critics were not named.

The claims are accusations, and the fact sheet gives no response from Accenture.

World

UN agency says 13,000 pregnant women in Taiz lack healthcare

The UN Population Fund said on Tuesday that blockades and fighting have cut essential healthcare for more than 13,000 pregnant women around Taiz, Yemen. The agency links the crisis to more miscarriages and says the city has been largely isolated for a month.

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The agency said maternal deaths are rising. Clashes between the Saudi-backed government and the Houthi movement have isolated the city, and fighting stops supplies from entering and civilians from leaving. About 147,000 women and girls of childbearing age are cut off from essential healthcare services.

UNFPA Yemen representative Francesco Galtieri said insecurity, shelling and high fuel prices stop many women and medical staff from reaching the main maternal care hospital. He warned that the Yemeni-Swedish Motherhood and Childhood Hospital could shut if officials do not ease access restrictions within days. Daily deliveries there have fallen to around 5 from 10 before the fighting.

Only 5 of 27 emergency maternal and neonatal health facilities in and around Taiz still work, and only in part. The agency expects about 1,500 obstetric emergencies among 6,400 displaced pregnant women. Galtieri also said pregnant women are living on little more than tea, bread or rice.

The latest fighting has displaced 300,000 people across Yemen. The UN World Food Programme said more than 800,000 people in Taiz and nearby areas have had no food assistance since early October.

WorldTravel

Bomb threats hit at least 4 European flights

Some flights diverted and a Polish airport closed briefly on Tuesday after the threats, which followed one on Monday. No confirmed devices were found, and officials said a threat at Murcia airport in Spain was a hoax.

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Modlin airport in Poland closed for a short time while officers searched a LOT flight. A Wizz Air flight from London to Sofia diverted to Budapest after a bomb threat, the Hungarian defence minister, Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi, said.

Bulgaria's interior ministry secretary-general, Lyubomir Nikolov, said a threat came by email for a plane flying from Israel to Sofia. This was according to the BTA news agency.

Officials said the Murcia airport report, about a Ryanair flight from Manchester, proved to be a hoax.

EconomyWorld

Novo Nordisk raises 2026 outlook as Wegovy pill beats forecasts

Novo Nordisk said third-quarter sales of its Wegovy pill reached 5.39-billion Danish crowns, above the 4.62-billion analysts expected. Sales rose 53% on the second quarter, and the drugmaker raised its 2026 outlook for the third time.

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Novo Nordisk now expects 2026 adjusted sales and adjusted operating profit to move between a 2% rise and a 2% fall at constant exchange rates. Its earlier forecast was a fall of 0% to 6%. The company said higher expectations for GLP-1 sales in the US and international markets drove the change.

US sales of the pill were 4.18-billion Danish crowns, and international sales were 1.22-billion. About 3.6-million prescriptions were filled in the US in the quarter, and more than 8-million since launch. Adjusted sales were 79.20-billion crowns, against 73.22-billion expected. Adjusted operating profit was 31.72-billion crowns, against 28.39-billion projected by analysts.

Sales of injectable Wegovy in the US fell 13% at constant exchange rates, but combined US Wegovy sales rose 21%. Chief executive Mike Doustdar said growth was led by the obesity portfolio. Analysts said the pill is the company's main route back to growth.

World

Attacks on Black Sea cargo ships surge near Nato states

Shipping security firm Ambrey counted 317 merchant and other vessels hit in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov between May and October. Analysts say they have little doubt Russia carried out the attacks near Romania and Bulgaria. Russia denies targeting Ukraine's neighbours with drones.

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A Greek container ship was sunk by naval drones in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone last week. Ambrey said 74 vessels were struck in the previous half-year. In the third quarter, Ukraine carried out 137 attacks on ships and Russia carried out 92. In October, Russia hit 38 ships and Ukraine struck five.

Romania's government accused Russia of systematic strikes on civilian ships. Bulgaria did not blame Russia but said some attacks seem to benefit it. Ambrey said a naval drone seen on video of the last strike looked like a Russian type.

Sidharth Kaushal, a senior fellow at the RUSI think tank, called the attacks an escalation. Iulia Joja of the Middle East Institute said Russia is testing red lines. A Nato official said the attacks aim to dissuade allies from supporting Ukraine, and that Nato's duty to defend all members is firm. Russia says European governments escalate the war with military aid.

Russian grain exports through the two seas fell to 300,000 tonnes in September, from 4.74 million tonnes a year earlier. Ukraine's port grain exports were 810,000 tonnes, against 2.1 million tonnes. Naval analyst Andriy Ryzhenko said cutting grain volumes is Russia's main goal, with testing Nato second. Nato has committed $40bn (R666.4bn) to counter-drone capabilities over five years.

EconomyWorld

Rand firms to around R16.55 as dollar hits one-month low

The dollar fell after Democrats won majorities in the US Senate and House in the midterm elections. Analysts linked the drop to fears of tougher regulation of artificial intelligence and gridlock in Washington. The rand also gained on higher gold and platinum prices.

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The dollar index fell 0.6% to 101.27, its lowest level in a month. The euro rose 0.6% to $1.1258, and sterling gained 0.3% to $1.3458. The 10-year US Treasury yield dropped by nearly 5 basis points to 4.915%.

Gold rose 2.2% to $4,017 per ounce in early trading. Platinum rose 2.9% to $1,460. Oil edged down to $102.9 a barrel. Reports said Democrats had flipped six Republican Senate seats so far.

Moh Siong Sim, a currency strategist at OCBC, said the price moves fit concerns about closer scrutiny of AI under a Democratic sweep. He added that passing federal laws would still be hard under President Donald Trump.

Carol Kong, a currency strategist at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, said strong US data should support more rate hikes and the dollar. She said oil could jump if Trump escalates the conflict in the Middle East. Markets expect the Bank of England to raise rates for the first time since August 2023.

WorldPolitics

El-Sayed wins Michigan Senate seat, first Muslim elected to US Senate

Democrat Abdul El-Sayed beat Republican Mike Rogers in the US midterm elections on Tuesday, according to media projections. The win keeps Michigan's seat, left open by retiring Senator Gary Peters, in Democratic hands.

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El-Sayed is 42 and a former public health official. Rogers is 63 and a former congressman and FBI agent. US President Donald Trump backed Rogers.

Republicans held a 53-47 majority in the Senate going into the midterm elections. Democrats needed a net gain of four seats to take control of the chamber.

Rogers tried to portray El-Sayed as a radical sympathetic to Islamic extremism, through alleged ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. Those claims remain unsupported by evidence, and El-Sayed denies them. Democrats said the attacks relied on Islamophobic tropes.

Rogers also said that ending the war in Iran and the US trade dispute with Canada was necessary to help bring down costs for businesses and consumers.

EconomyWorld

Oil prices rise as traders watch US next move on Iran

Brent futures rose 76 cents, or 0.7%, to $104.36 a barrel on Wednesday, and US West Texas Intermediate gained 63 cents to $96.72. Traders weighed the war on Iran and a Democratic win in Congress.

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Democrats won majorities in both chambers of Congress in the US midterm elections, while vote counting was still under way. Trading was volatile. Priyanka Sachdeva, head of market insights at Phillip Nova, said US President Donald Trump's mixed signals made it hard for traders to take a firm view. She said the military strikes continued while he downplayed further escalation.

Sachdeva also said some profit-taking and fewer speculative long positions were justified after the sharp rally in October.

A US official said the US carried out defensive strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island. The official said they targeted surface-to-air missiles used against US assets. Another US official said the strikes appeared limited and did not signal a return to major combat operations. A senior Iranian official said Iran and the US remained far from a deal to end the war.

US crude stocks fell by 5.27-million barrels in the week ended 30 October, according to American Petroleum Institute data. Gasoline stocks rose by 1.43-million barrels, and distillate inventories fell by 1.19-million barrels. Haitong Futures said diesel inventories remain tight and gasoline stocks rose more than expected. It said the data broadly support oil prices.

WorldEconomy

Iran says it remains far from a deal with US

A senior Iranian official said Iran wants oil sanctions waived, the US naval blockade ended and frozen funds released before the Strait of Hormuz reopens. Qatar, the mediator, is stepping up efforts to bridge the gap.

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A US official said American forces carried out defensive strikes on Iran's Oeshm island overnight. The official said the strikes hit surface-to-air missiles used against US assets. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they downed one US MQ-9 drone and two Lucas drones near the Strait of Hormuz.

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said the US response to Iran's demands was not convincing. He wrote on X that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen only if Iran's seven conditions were met. The senior official said Tehran would not accept excessive US demands, and that nuclear talks could start only after Iran's conditions were met. Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said Iran will not submit.

Majed al-Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar's foreign ministry, said intensive joint regional efforts were under way to avoid escalation. He said that as a mediator, Qatar cannot lose hope. A draft deal was discussed over eight days, and feedback from Washington and Tehran on the mediators' proposals was expected within 36 hours.

US President Donald Trump told Fox News Channel on Tuesday that he did not want to kill many people, but would if he had to. Kayhan newspaper said US facilities in Britain, Italy, Greece, Romania, Albania and Cyprus could be targeted if war resumed.

WorldPolitics

UK Conservatives turn to David Cameron to lift fundraising

The Conservative Party has given the former prime minister top billing at its events and asked him to approach donors. Cameron has also been speaking with party leader Kemi Badenoch, as the party tries to rally supporters.

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Lord David Cameron, a former prime minister, now takes a leading role at Conservative Party events. He also reaches out to donors for the party.

Cameron led the Conservatives for almost five years in opposition. Kemi Badenoch is the current party leader.

WorldPolitics

Democrats win US Senate majority after Texas and Kansas upsets

The Democratic Party won a majority in the US Senate in the midterm elections, as voters appeared set to rebuke President Donald Trump. AP projected that James Talarico would beat Republican Ken Paxton in Texas.

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Democrats also flipped Senate seats in Iowa, Kansas, North Carolina, South Carolina and Ohio. Paxton was Trump's handpicked Republican candidate in Texas. Jon Ossoff held his Democratic seat in Georgia, and Abdul El-Sayed was fighting to keep the party's hold on a seat in Michigan.

Democrats have flipped eight House seats so far. Analysts began to predict a big Democratic victory in the House. Kansas last elected a Democrat to the Senate in 1932.

Polls pointed to public anger over Trump's handling of the economy after the war in Iran. They said fuel prices rose sharply and the cost of living went up. Columnist Ed Luce wrote that Trump's heavy-handed input backfired in several midterm races.

TechWorld

Nvidia tells data centre partners to cut China exposure

Nvidia has told cloud computing clients they must sell at least 51% of their services to non-Chinese companies, according to five people with knowledge of the matter. The move would further limit China's ability to keep up with US rivals.

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The people said Nvidia gave the instruction to cloud computing clients in recent months. The US chipmaker has not been named as confirming the order in the information available.

The claim comes from one exclusive report that cites unnamed sources. The report frames the order as a way to hold back China's technology progress against US competitors.

WorldEconomy

Italy's ruling coalition proposes 26% exit tax on rich emigrants

The proposed tax would hit unrealised paper profits of people with assets of €800,000 or more who leave Italy. It would start next year. Wealth advisers warn that the plan risks driving away rich expatriates.

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Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's coalition put forward the plan. The tax would apply to paper profits, which are gains on assets that the owner has not sold.

Wealth advisers said the plan risks driving away rich expatriates.

World

Ethiopia suspends The Reporter newspaper indefinitely

The Ethiopia Media Authority suspended the independent newspaper's licence from Monday 2 November 2026. It said The Reporter published content that contradicts national interests and distorted information about foreign investment, tourism and diplomacy.

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The Ethiopia Media Authority announced the order in a statement on Facebook. It bars The Reporter from publication and broadcasting until it meets its legal and professional ethical obligations. The regulator also accused the paper of unbalanced and biased reports.

The Reporter is an independent print and online newspaper. Ethiopia revoked the licence of another independent outlet, Addis Standard, in February, and that outlet has appealed.

Reporters Without Borders ranks Ethiopia 148th out of 180 in its press freedom index. The group says five journalists are detained in the country. Four of them have been held for nearly three years and face terrorism charges that carry the death penalty.

World

MSF says rebel rules cut care for rape survivors in North Kivu

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said the number of people seeking its care for sexual violence in North Kivu fell 41 percent in August compared to January. The charity links the fall to measures imposed by the M23 rebels, who run the area.

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MSF said the measures target health workers and humanitarian organisations in North Kivu, in eastern DR Congo. It says they caused a sharp fall in consultations. The charity says the rules pressure health workers to reduce the reported number of victims, by limiting recognition of sexual violence to people with visible injuries.

MSF also says the measures include intrusive and medically unnecessary examinations to prove violence. It says victims must report to police within 72 hours of an assault before they seek care. MSF said the rules "raise serious concerns about medical confidentiality, medical ethics, victim and survivor protection and access to healthcare".

The M23 is an armed anti-government group backed by Rwanda. A new group, the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation, took over the M23 last month. Former president Joseph Kabila leads that group.

TechWorld

Apple warns German lawmakers their iPhones may have been hacked

Apple sent notifications to people in Germany, including a filmmaker, warning that their phones may have been infected with spyware. The warnings reached members of the German parliament.

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The notifications told recipients that their iPhones may have been hacked with spyware. Apple sent them on 2 November.

The facts available do not name the spyware or say who is behind the attacks.

World

Russia says it downed nearly 500 drones headed for Moscow

Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defences downed the drones as fighting flared after a truce in the Kherson region ended on Sunday. Ukrainian officials said overnight Russian strikes killed at least 26 people in a Zaporizhzhia village.

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Oleg Synegubov, head of the Kharkiv regional state administration, said a strike hit a passageway between buildings at a medical facility in the Nemyshlianskyi district. Ukrainian authorities said the strike wounded 25 people. Synegubov said 200 patients will be evacuated to other medical facilities.

Kharkiv's mayor, Igor Terekhov, warned on Telegram that the city was "under a combined attack by ballistic missiles and guided aerial bombs".

The strikes came as talks between Russia and Ukraine, led by Washington, were set to resume next week, US special envoy Steve Witkoff said. The flare-up has dashed hopes of progress towards peace.

Elections Hot

What you need to know

Voting in the 2026 Local Government Elections is under way at 23,696 stations, and the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) reported a smooth start on 4 November. Stations opened at 7am and close at 9pm, and by 10am preliminary figures showed 3,523,691 voters had cast ballots.

There were problems: unused ballot papers were stolen from Mnyameni Secondary School near Durban, police opened a case, and the IEC relieved the station staff of duty. Some voters in Tshwane said they were turned away for wearing party shirts, but the IEC denied this and said only mayoral candidates' entourages were barred.

ANC chairperson Gwede Mantashe told members not to query the results or discredit the IEC, while the IEC said false online claims show routine procedures as fraud.

  1. IEC dismisses MK Party worry about dead people on voters' roll
  2. IEC says local election voting went largely smoothly
  3. IEC says about 12 million had voted by 5pm

See every update

AI Hot

What you need to know

Nvidia has told its cloud computing clients to sell at least 51% of their services to non-Chinese companies, according to five people with knowledge of the matter. Anthropic said it has committed to spend close to $900bn on AI infrastructure, and that its computing costs are rising faster than its revenues.

Elsewhere, reports from unnamed sources say OpenAI's latest funding round is falling short of expectations, and a judge let the NAACP pollution case against xAI proceed. In South Africa, the VAST AI investment scheme went offline on 30 October after withdrawals marked approved did not arrive, according to a news investigation.

  1. Accenture faces accusations over AI report with false citations
  2. CrowdStrike to buy two AI security startups
  3. Google lets schools turn off AI tools but limits Search

See every update

US mid-terms Heating up

What you need to know

Democrats won back both the US House and Senate in the midterm elections held on 3 November, according to media projections. Exit polls showed voters were angry about high prices and the direction of the country, and rebuked President Donald Trump.

Before the vote, US forces struck targets on Qeshm Island in Iran, while Republicans struggled to defend the war against Iran on the campaign trail. Iranian officials said US voters rejected the war, and Tehran stayed on high alert for possible new US strikes.

Markets reacted, with the dollar hitting a one-month low and the rand firming to around R16.55, as analysts pointed to fears of gridlock in Washington.

  1. Iran welcomes Democratic wins in US midterm elections
  2. Democrats win US Congress in midterm vote, projections show
  3. Ramaphosa wants US trade deal after AGOA suspension

See every update