Politics News: 1 November 2026

Nationals leader Matt Canavan said he will seek preselection for the Capricornia House seat, which will be vacated by retiring LNP member Michelle Landry before the next election. His move could set up a high-profile contest with One Nation, whose party director James Ashby has not ruled out a run. Canavan said he wants to run for the lower house during a volatile climate.

RNC Chair Joe Gruters acknowledged that Republicans are facing issues with voter turnout, saying Democrats tend to turn out early. He made the comments amid pressure for the GOP to maintain control of Congress.

President Trump on Sunday commended Rep. Haley Stevens for endorsing Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers in Michigan's Senate race. He called her a highly respected Democrat who narrowly lost the primary to Abdul El-Sayed.

With one day left before the midterms, President Trump rallied for Senate races, including Texas, where polls suggest a close race. The Texas contest between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico has become the most expensive US Senate race ever, with combined advertising spending above $500 million. Elon Musk gave $158 million to a group backing Paxton, while Talarico has argued Musk wants his own senator in Congress.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called Rep. Haley Stevens' endorsement of Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan a despicable betrayal. Writing on X, he reiterated support for Democrat Abdul El-Sayed in the competitive Senate contest. The comments followed Stevens' eleventh-hour endorsement of Rogers.

A key invoice for Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate's three-day stay at Mar-a-Lago was not supplied in a freedom of information request because the mayor took a paper copy out of the office. Council officers said they had no practical ability to obtain the receipt, which is central to conflict-of-interest questions over a proposed $1.5 billion Trump Tower. Tate had changed his declaration to say he personally paid for the trip.

DNC Chair Ken Martin defended Democratic Senate candidates Abdul El-Sayed and former Rep. Mary Peltola against recent GOP attacks, saying what El-Sayed has said is true and that most Michiganders care about more than the dispute. The party is bracing for post-election legal fights.

Tens of thousands protested in dozens of German cities over education and living costs, but Frankfurt became the main flashpoint after rioters damaged 17 stores and looted five. Police deployed 1,300 officers and said more than 100 were injured, with 54 arrests. Hesse Interior Minister Roman Poseck and German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt warned of a crackdown and said many involved were of immigrant background.

From Sunday, some licensed gun owners in New South Wales can hand in firearms at police stations in exchange for money under a national buyback scheme announced after the Bondi terrorist attack. Only NSW and the ACT have agreed to join, while Western Australia conducted its own in 2024. The scheme runs for 12 months, with caps limiting sporting shooters, farmers and pest controllers to 10 firearms and recreational hunters to four.

Michigan Senate Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed brushed off his former rival Haley Stevens's late endorsement of Republican Mike Rogers, saying Sunday it did not matter and that he was focused on issues in his state. El-Sayed told reporters: 'At the end of the day, I actually don't think about Haley Stevens.'

Israeli President Isaac Herzog urged parties to set aside divisive rhetoric as coalition talks are set to begin after an inconclusive election. The Joint List and United Arab List won 19 of 120 Knesset seats, giving them a key role because neither Benjamin Netanyahu nor challenger Gadi Eisenkot appears willing to talk to them. Official results will be presented to Herzog on Wednesday, starting talks on who can form government.

Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens defended her last-minute endorsement of Republican Mike Rogers in the Michigan Senate race, saying she was not turning her back on Democrats. Stevens, who lost the primary to Abdul El-Sayed, said El-Sayed made it clear she was no longer welcome in his campaign. The decision has been described as a despicable betrayal by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

President Trump said his strategy if the Republican Party loses control of the House and Senate would be to become Mr. Veto. In a Fox News interview, he said he would not let legislation through. The comment set out how the president would respond if Republicans lose both chambers.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will announce Monday rules that would double the standard wait for UK settlement from five to 10 years, with some care workers facing 15 years. Ministers and MPs warn the plans could worsen health and social care shortages and repeat Windrush-era injustices, though some care workers already in Britain may get exemptions. Longer waits could be reduced through community contribution or higher income.

Staffers for Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) are reportedly resigning over her decision to endorse former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) in Michigan's competitive Senate race. An automated email from her former communications director said the director was no longer with her office as of November 1.

Former US intelligence chiefs John Brennan and James Comey warned that President Trump could take unprecedented action to interfere in the midterms or reject the results. Brennan said Trump is willing to go beyond limits, while Comey called the midterms the most important in his lifetime because of an out-of-control presidency. Polls suggest Democrats may win the House and possibly the Senate.

Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) said there is a big possibility that former Rep. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska) would not be seated even if she wins Alaska's Senate race. He made the comments on Fox News's Sunday Morning after reports that her campaign participated in a ballot-stacking scheme.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) had a stroke, his office said in a Sunday statement, adding that he is responding well to treatment. The statement said he started experiencing numbness in his arm while at his son's hockey game yesterday afternoon and was taken to a local hospital, where the stroke was discovered.

A federal judge on Sunday dismissed a Trump administration lawsuit that sought to block certification of Alaska's U.S. Senate results if Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan lost. U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason ruled the administration had not shown how she could rectify concerns that the second Dan Sullivan on the ballot could cause voter confusion and lead Democrats to flip the seat. The dismissal removed a legal challenge to certification.

Serbia's criminal police chief Marko Kricak was arrested and charged with abuse of office after the opposition Student List defeated President Aleksandar Vucic's camp. He is accused of manipulating a murder investigation and of brutality during anti-Vucic protests, while Belgrade's chief prosecutor said the arrest was not linked to the election result. The arrest is seen as a sign that strongholds of the Vucic system are eroding.

The UK is prepared to spend up to £450m a year allowing EU students to pay the same fees as British students, but only if Brussels admits Britain to its Made in Europe industrial programme. Officials say the protectionist scheme would impose trade restrictions on countries outside the bloc and is the biggest prize in talks for a 20 November summit. The fee concession could be controversial as graduates seek student loan changes.

California voters will decide in this midterm cycle whether to impose a wealth tax on billionaire residents. A yes vote on Proposition 40 would support a one-time 5 percent tax on billionaires' wealth, as wealthy Californians organize against the measure and experts describe its broader economic impact as nuanced.

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) dodged a question on Sunday about whether he would accept the Alaska Senate election results if Democrat Mary Peltola wins. The question was asked by Kristen Welker on NBC News's Meet the Press in the race against Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska).

President Trump called his former lawyer Alina Habba Mildon's alleged $50 million presidential pardon deal obnoxious and outrageous while at a Halloween party at Mar-a-Lago. The remarks followed a recent New York Times report accusing Mildon of accepting a $50 million deal.

Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan said he would accept the results of the upcoming 2026 elections even if he lost, after a Justice Department lawsuit sought to invalidate the vote if his opponent, former Rep. Mary Peltola, won. Sullivan made the comments on CNN's State of the Union.

Data analysts have flagged mismatches on a Trump administration list concerning California voter eligibility and citizenship status. More than 40 percent of names the administration labeled as potential California voters who are not U.S. citizens were not on Golden State voter rolls.

Some Democrats are criticizing Iowa Democratic Senate candidate Josh Turek over a recent ad on transgender sports and gender affirming care. Turek, a Paralympian, said that as a child in a wheelchair he faced bullying, that no Iowan should face discrimination, and that rules are important.

French prosecutors opened an attempted murder investigation after rioters threw a petrol bomb at police and gendarmes during Saturday protests in Paris. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said some gatherings ended in extraordinary violence, and more than 770 people were arrested over the weekend. Investigators are still working to identify those responsible, with no suspects in custody.

The localized ceasefire in the Kherson region ended on Sunday after Russia refused an extension, with Ukrainian officials confirming the truce expired at 11 p.m. local time. Russian strikes on energy infrastructure left tens of thousands of households across Ukraine without power, including in the capital Kyiv.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said preparations for talks with the US and Russia are underway following a meeting with Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The final weekend of campaigning for Tuesday's midterm elections closed Sunday as Democrats held a unity rally in Michigan amid internal divisions and Trump campaigned in Kansas and Iowa. Control of Congress is in balance, and Decision Desk HQ currently favors Democrats to retake both chambers, giving them an 83 percent chance.

Former Green co-leader Adrian Ramsay said the party is at a crossroads weeks after members declared Zionism a form of racism. The motion backed a single democratic Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine and drew criticism from Jewish groups, senior Greens and the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Israel banned leader Zack Polanski, while Labour said it would end power-sharing unless councillors disowned the policy.

Switzerland formally reopened its diplomatic office in Pyongyang, and Ignazio Cassis became the first Swiss foreign minister to visit North Korea since 2003. The office restarted operations on 19 October and falls under the Swiss embassy in Beijing, while Bern said it aims to restore direct political dialogue. Cassis met Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui and Jo Yong Won, and South Korea said it hopes the office will help engagement.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned in July that it is only a matter of time before the International Criminal Court interferes with American military and law enforcement operations. He said such meddling would mean the death of the United States as a sovereign and independent nation.

Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens endorsed Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers for the Michigan Senate seat, a move that escalates her feud with Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed. Stevens, who lost to El-Sayed in the Democratic primary earlier this year, said El-Sayed had told her she was no longer welcome in his campaign. The endorsement lands in the final days of the race.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei warned that any threat must be met with an immediate, impactful and geographically unrestricted response. He met top military commanders on Saturday and ordered preparations for possible new US and Israeli action, IRNA said. The warning could extend targets to Europe and the South Caucasus, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran could reopen the Strait of Hormuz in two days.

Chancellor John Healey did not guarantee Labour's pledge to equalise minimum wage rates for younger workers before the next election. The budget raised the adult rate to £13.21 and the under-20 rate to £11.27, a 3.9 percent rise for both bands. Healey said the timing is a trade-off between jobs and wages and that he would keep planned spending cuts before the next election.

The 2024 manifesto promised to close the pay gap for 18- to 20-year-olds.

Russia opened a terrorism case over a Ukrainian drone attack on an industrial facility in the Nizhny Novgorod region, which Ukrainian media reported was the Kstovo oil refinery. No casualties were reported, and regional authorities said they were ensuring fuel remained available at petrol stations. Zelenskyy said hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian households lost power after Russian strikes on energy infrastructure in four regions.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said an apology for Britain's role in the transatlantic slave trade would be a navel-gazing distraction and a lever for financial compensation. She questioned the value of future leaders attending the Commonwealth summit, as Andy Burnham considers a formal apology but not financial reparations.

Chancellor John Healey's budget introduced PDEL, a category for preventative departmental expenditure, to ringfence money for preventive policies. The move comes ahead of a spending review that the Institute for Fiscal Studies has described as brutal, and it ringfences spending that may save money later. A 2023 Demos paper said 22bn pounds of government costs could have been averted by preventive programmes.

Police in Portugal cleared protest camps in Lisbon and Porto on Sunday after marches against a rental bill that would ease evictions and end rent caps on new leases. Officers used shields and batons, arresting 13 people and injuring 13 police, while activists said more than 30 protesters were hurt. Prime Minister Luis Montenegro ruled out withdrawing the bill but said modifications could be made before the final vote.

Far-right activist Tommy Robinson was found guilty of harassing two journalists, a verdict that could send him to prison for up to 10 years. The case followed intimidation of Daily Mail reporters Andrew Young and Jacob Dirnhuber, and Robinson will learn his fate on 16 December. His conviction threatens to leave Britain's anti-migrant movement without its most effective leader, with heir apparent Danny Tommo also in custody.

Republicans are set to clash over how far to push President Trump's agenda during the lame-duck session. Midterm voters are widely expected to give Democrats control of the House and possibly the Senate, which would halt Trump's legislative agenda beginning next year.

Vice President Vance is sharpening his campaign message ahead of Election Day, in what many see as a preview of a likely 2028 presidential bid. Trump has held almost daily midterm rallies in the final month of campaigning.

A growing field of prospective 2028 presidential contenders in both parties faces an early test in Tuesday's midterm elections. The results could show their political strength, influence within their parties and ability to shape the next presidential race, even though some are not on the ballot.

Gen Z regelt said 100,000 people joined its protests in 34 German cities and called for new demonstrations on November 14. The group distanced itself from later riots and looting, while police said the demonstrations were largely peaceful. It is pressing for school, addiction and psychotherapy funding, lower living costs and climate protection, while opposing compulsory military service and expanded surveillance.

UN High Commissioner Volker Türk demanded an urgent investigation after Mohammad el Shami, a UN staff member in Yemen, died after being held by the Houthis since 6 June 2024. His family said he died more than a month ago but was only recently informed, and Türk asked for medical and detention records and independent scrutiny. Yemeni Prime Minister Shaya al-Zindani said the Houthis bear full responsibility, with more than 70 UN staff detained.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ended a five-day trip to Singapore, Japan and South Korea by visiting the Korean demilitarized zone and drawing parallels with Germany. North Korea fired about 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan shortly before his visit. Asian capitals challenged him on security and trade, as Europe's Russia-Ukraine concerns increasingly overlap with Asia-Pacific tensions.

The Home Office is still sending asylum seekers to France weeks after the one in one out scheme ended on 1 October. It is understood to be detaining dozens, with a chartered flight on Wednesday and another scheduled for 17 November. The returns matter because the scheme has faced criticism over detention and abuse, and small boat crossings have fallen by about 40 percent this year.

Polls close on election night as the fight for control of Congress turns to a handful of House battleground districts. Republicans are seeking to defend their 218-214 majority, with all 435 House seats up and 13 contests rated as toss-ups.

The Supreme Court is set to hear a case over whether Colorado can require preschools that receive public dollars to admit the children of same-sex couples. The Archdiocese of Denver wants to turn away LGBTQ families from Catholic preschools that receive state funding. The case puts religious freedom and LGBTQ rights at odds.

Voters in Serbia and Brazil chose left wing parties, costing Donald Trump an important European ally in outgoing Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic and a win the Trump camp had hoped for in Flavio Bolsonaro. The Student List won in Serbia, while incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva won in Brazil. Bolsonaro, under investigation for alleged corruption and money laundering, fled to Florida and refused to concede, and Trump called the vote rigged.

England's children's minister Josh MacAlister visited Copenhagen to study Danish children's homes as the UK seeks to fix a crisis in its own system. Last year, 669 children lived in illegal, unregistered homes in England, with councils paying more than £125m to keep them there. Overall spending on children's homes rose 96 percent in five years to more than £3.1bn in 2023-24, while standards have fallen and private equity firms are cashing in.

Iliana Yotova won Bulgaria's presidential runoff with around 58 percent of the vote, becoming the country's first elected female head of state. Her rival, Andrey Gyurov, conceded defeat after polling showed him trailing at about 38 percent. The election was overshadowed by the war in Ukraine, with Yotova favoring dialogue with Russia and Gyurov backed by pro-Western parties.

Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz declared a national state of emergency to mobilize resources and strengthen disaster response as El Nino threatens severe droughts and floods. The decree allows additional rescue teams and calls for coordination among national and regional authorities, the armed forces and police. UN says the El Nino is heading off the charts, with researchers estimating about 451,000 excess deaths from June 2026 to February 2027.

The European Commission said Poland's parliament can appoint eight new Constitutional Tribunal judges amid a crisis after President Karol Nawrocki tried to enter the court building Friday night. Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the televised confrontation scandalous and vowed rule of law would prevail. The Commission pointed to a European Court of Human Rights ruling requiring Polish authorities not to hinder judges appointed by the Sejm.

India's opposition is holding a major march in New Delhi to protest the nationwide revision of electoral rolls, which it says benefits Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party. The INDIA bloc is also seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, after around 130 million names were removed under the Special Intensive Revision.

Justice Thomas Bradley was sworn in as Queensland's 28th governor at parliament, succeeding Dr Jeanette Young, who said she left with gratitude. The former Supreme Court and Court of Appeal judge said he and his partner, Dr Matthew Yoong, aim to engage communities across the state. Premier David Crisafulli called the appointment a significant moment, while Opposition Leader Steven Miles said public roles should reflect the community.

Freedom of information documents show suspended Powerhouse CEO Lisa Havilah made 14 perceived conflict declarations, including a $1.9 million marketing contract to a firm founded by former trustee Mark Hassell. Her spokesperson said she denies wrongdoing and that the disclosures were made for transparency. The findings come as the $915 million Powerhouse Parramatta is due to open on November 7 amid a Minns government investigation.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said President Donald Trump agreed to grant a visa to the mother of Javits Frimpong, 15, from Ghana, who was killed in the Bronx earlier this week. Frimpong was shot in the abdomen on Thursday morning on his way to school and later died in hospital. Mamdani said the mother deserves to say goodbye to her son in person, and Ghana's foreign minister said officials were coordinating with the mother on the visa.

Former Chancellor Rachel Reeves said Britain's future lies in the European Union and that Brexit has made the UK poorer, weaker and less secure. In her first major intervention since leaving the Treasury, she wrote in the Sunday Times that rejoining supporters must show tangible benefits. Labour's 2024 manifesto said it would stay outside the EU, while Prime Minister Andy Burnham has called for an honest discussion.

Australia's finance minister and treasurer refused to promise net savings in December's mid-year budget update as inflation pressure grows. Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said the government would not pre-empt the Expenditure Review Committee process, and Treasurer Jim Chalmers also declined to commit after a 4.3 percent inflation figure for the year to September. The Reserve Bank meets Tuesday, with expectations of another rate rise.

The US embassy in Moscow warned of a credible mass casualty threat at the Tsaritsyno Museum Reserve on Saturday and advised people to avoid the area. Russia's FSB said it had received information from the US about a planned terrorist attack and that appropriate work was underway. European media reported Putin will accept Trump's invitation to attend December's G20 summit in the US. The exchange highlighted the close Trump and Putin relationship.

A federal judge dismissed Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch over a story about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Judge Darrin Gayles said Trump did not prove actual malice and that the suit tried to manufacture flaws. The case was thrown out with prejudice, and Trump's legal team said the president would appeal. It was one of several media lawsuits filed in his second term.

The FBI said North Korea stole more than $6 billion from Binance on or about October 29, 2026, in what is believed to be the biggest cryptocurrency heist in history. It blamed the state-sponsored unit TraderTraitor, which it said converted stolen assets mainly into ethereum and may use DeFi and instant swap services to launder them. Binance said it is using company funds to replenish about 90 percent of the assets, with the rest less liquid.

An advisor to Rep. Jim Clyburn said Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed cannot remove Rep. Haley Stevens from a Sunday Detroit event, saying the invitation still stands. The dispute followed a campaign ad that appeared to blame Israel and Jews for rising costs, and Stevens' fiancé said he would not support El-Sayed. The fight matters ahead of the midterm race against Mike Rogers, with a recent CNN poll showing El-Sayed ahead.

Western Australian rapper Kayps used a photo of his grandfather at the 1979 Noonkanbah protest as the cover of his debut album, Bunuba Baby. The album reached number 2 on the Australian hip hop charts within a week of its August release and has been nominated for a major Australian music award. Kayps said it draws on his family's land rights fight and aims to connect younger people with their culture.

Six people died and four others were seriously injured in crashes on Victorian roads since Friday. Four of the deaths occurred on Saturday, including a pedestrian, a motorcyclist, a car driver and a ute driver. Police said 227 people have died on Victorian roads this year, 20 fewer than at the same time last year.