Latest Politics News Today: 5 November 2026

Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice, resigned Thursday. Attorney General Todd Blanche said she led the division for 18 months and defended civil liberties, while critics said she decimated it. Dhillon is the first major post-midterm exit from the administration.

The EU's top court ruled that foods containing cannabidiol, or CBD, cannot receive organic certification without first being authorized for sale in the bloc. The court said an organic label could mislead shoppers into thinking CBD foods had been approved, even though organic standards do not remove the need for market authorization. It covers CBD-based or CBD-enriched foods lacking EU authorization, not all cannabis-derived foods.

Paraguayan President Santiago Peña resigned Thursday over Ueno's collapse, as lawmakers debated his removal. Ueno's accounts, used for pension payments, are frozen, leaving millions unable to access money; the bank held hundreds of millions of dollars in public funds. Congress President Basilio Nunez and Colorado Party leader Horacio Cartes withdrew support, while impeachment articles cited conflicts of interest and pension fund misuse.

A jury at Southwark Crown Court found British comedian and actor Russell Brand guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault, while acquitting him on two rape counts and one attempted indecent assault. The cases involved six women in the United Kingdom between 1999 and 2009. Judge Joel Bennathan revoked bail, saying the rape verdict would mean a significant custodial sentence, with sentencing due Monday next week.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Vladimir Putin will not be invited to the G20 summit in Manchester next November, citing outstanding sanctions against senior Russian figures. The decision contrasts with US President Donald Trump, who invited Putin to the G20 summit in Miami this December. Burnham also expressed interest in hosting Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss global agreements on artificial intelligence.

Former Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said the United Kingdom should be given the option to rejoin the European Union without adopting the single currency or joining the passport-free travel zone. Speaking at POLITICO's European Pulse Seminar, Barnier stated that if the British sovereignly choose to seek closer ties with the EU, it should not be mandatory for them to adopt the euro or rejoin Schengen.

He also described the current atmosphere in French politics as pre-insurrectionary.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has been accused of causing distress to hundreds of thousands of refugees by quietly introducing plans to force them to wait up to 30 years before being granted the right to settle in the UK. The Refugee Council said the hardening of plans contradicted Mahmood's previous reassurances that only illegal entrants who are not refugees would face the 30-year wait.

A cohort of 200,000 successful asylum applicants will now face reviews of their status every 30 months.

Democrats said they will use their historic midterm gains in Congress to flex their investigative muscles. Incoming House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chair Robert Garcia issued a two-word statement, 'Lawyer up,' to Trump administration officials Democrats say have dodged oversight.

Reported secret US military attacks on Iran in the lead up to Tuesday's midterm elections have raised concerns about public transparency. A US strike on Monday hit Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz, including an anti-aircraft facility on Qeshm Island.

Polish authorities arrested six people, including five Poles and a Russian woman, over alleged military component shipments to Russia, with four charged with espionage. Investigators said the group illegally supplied Moscow with parts for ammunition and weapons systems despite an embargo. The suspects face pretrial detention or non-custodial restrictions, while Poland continues to accuse Russia of sabotage following its invasion of Ukraine.

United Nations-appointed human rights experts contacted the Irish government over concerns about the independence of its privacy regulator and financial barriers to class actions. They cited risks of undue influence from Big Tech firms, noting that many tech giants have European headquarters in Ireland. The experts said regulators must decide without undue influence and that appointment processes should identify conflicts of interest.

North Korea told the European Union to mind its own business after the bloc submitted a draft UN resolution addressing human rights in the country. Pyongyang described the move as a politically motivated provocation and a farce, arguing that human rights are not a monopoly of the West. The resolution is expected to be adopted by the UN General Assembly's Third Committee later this month.

A Finnish court convicted the Russian captain and a senior crew member of the cargo ship Fitburg for damaging two undersea telecommunications cables in the Gulf of Finland. The captain was sentenced to three and a half years in jail, while the Azerbaijani crew member received a sentence of two years and 10 months. The defendants, who denied wrongdoing, were found guilty of aggravated criminal damage after the vessel was seized in December.

France's National Assembly unanimously rejected the 2027 state budget bill, a move that increases the likelihood Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu will force the €43 billion savings package through without a parliamentary vote. The rejection follows amendments that left lawmakers from both the government and opposition dissatisfied, with the deficit projected to reach 5.9 percent.

The draft will now go to the Senate, where debate is scheduled to begin on November 20.

The UK government launched a consultation proposing on-the-spot fines for people riding e-bikes drunk, dangerously, or through red lights. The plan also requires shared e-bike operators to manage fleets better, provide designated parking, and take out insurance to compensate those hit by shared bikes. The measures aim to end a patchwork of local rules and keep pavements clear for pedestrians, wheelchair users, and families with prams.

Reform UK appointed former Royal Air Force wing commander Angus MacIntyre as its new defense spokesperson, a move aimed at developing a comprehensive military policy ahead of the next election. MacIntyre, who served in the military for 40 years, will help the party address concerns about Russia and challenge the current government's defense spending surge.

The announcement comes more than two years after the last election, during which the party lacked a dedicated defense figure.

A federal panel will meet Thursday to consider final approval for Trump's arch, and the government said it may begin construction later that day. Critics hope a judge will intervene at the last minute to block construction.

A South Korean container ship completed a 50-day round trip from Busan to Rotterdam via the Arctic Ocean, saving at least 10 days compared to the Suez Canal route. The voyage highlights the economic potential of the Northern Sea Route, which is shorter and avoids the Middle East, but has raised concerns among Western allies about Seoul's growing economic ties with Russia.

Analysts suggest South Korea hopes to use the relationship to sway President Vladimir Putin on weapons supplies to North Korea.

Russia plans to impose a levy on airline tickets from 2027 to fund its civilian aircraft programme, with domestic passengers paying 500 roubles and international passengers 1,000 roubles per ticket. The funds will cover leasing and operating 258 aircraft, including the MS-21 and SJ-100, as the industry struggles with production delays and sanctions.

The measure is being developed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade on President Vladimir Putin's instructions.

Hundreds of thousands of people marched in French cities on Thursday as public workers staged a strike alongside protesting students. Unions demanded higher wages, tax reforms, and better learning conditions, with authorities estimating 500,000 to 700,000 participants nationwide. Police deployed 70,000 officers, and reports indicated some violence in cities including Lyon, Nantes, and Toulouse.

Bomb threats affected multiple flights across Europe on Thursday, with unscheduled or high-alert landings in France, Austria, Italy, Belgium, Czechia and Bulgaria. Reports said at least 12 were targeted, while one report said at least 19. An Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome was diverted to Evreux, France, and officials said all passengers and crew were safe. No explosives had been found, and the source was not yet determined.

US President Donald Trump dismissed the prospect of impeachment after his Republican Party suffered a sweeping defeat in the midterm elections. Speaking to reporters in Washington on Wednesday, he warned that an attempt by Democrats to impeach him when they take control of Congress next year would backfire on the party. He said he was prepared to work with Democrats while stressing he could use his presidential veto to block legislation.

US First Lady Melania Trump will host Russian and Ukrainian officials at the White House on Thursday, ahead of talks in Abu Dhabi aimed at ending the Ukraine war. Russia's Kirill Dmitriev and Yana Lantratova plan to meet her, and Ukraine's human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said he would also meet her.

Zelenskyy awarded her the Order of Princess Olga for brokering a partial ceasefire that allowed civilian evacuation from a Russian-occupied town.

The Department for Transport will consult on national standards for shared bikes, including parking, fleet sizes, insurance and data sharing. The aim is to end a patchwork of local rules that have let bikes block pavements and to address antisocial riding. One estimate says more than 2.6 million Britons used a shared bike scheme in the year to September 2025.

Australia's High Court will hear One Nation leader Pauline Hanson's appeal against a 2024 court ruling that she racially vilified Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi. The case stems from Hanson telling Faruqi to piss off back to Pakistan in 2022 after Faruqi said she could not mourn Queen Elizabeth II. The Federal Court unanimously upheld the ruling in July, and Hanson's appeal challenges the validity of Australia's racial discrimination laws.

Joshua Wong was sentenced to 10 more years in prison for collusion with foreign powers under Hong Kong's national security law. He had already served four years and eight months for subversion and was expected to be freed in January. The judge said the offence was grave but reduced a 13 year starting point because Wong pleaded guilty. He will serve the new sentence concurrently with the two months left on his previous term.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that he spoke for 90 minutes with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Trump's son in law. The conversation came ahead of trilateral talks between Ukraine, the US and Russia slated for November 10 and 11.

More than 1,650 known asbestos items have been identified in the Palace of Westminster and wider parliamentary estate, an increase of 500 since 2021. The discoveries came during surveys for a major refurbishment that could cost up to £40bn and take 61 years. The Commons public accounts committee warned every additional year of delay would cost taxpayers £420m, while almost 200 items are classed as medium risk.

A dispute over calling Canada an associate member of the EU is deepening a split between Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Berlin opposed the phrase after it was removed from a joint statement, while von der Leyen used it at a Montreal summit. The clash reflects wider differences over EU governance, budget and security.

President Trump called on Congress to pass the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent. He made the appeal on Truth Social after calling Wednesday's early sunset ridiculous.

Democrat Scott Wiener is poised to win the California seat to succeed Rep. Nancy Pelosi. His opponent, San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan, conceded Wednesday evening in a statement reported by local Fox affiliate KTVU. Decision Desk HQ had not called the race, but Wiener was leading Chan.

Commonwealth leaders in Antigua recorded UK agreement to engage in structured, time bound, inclusive and good faith dialogue on the transatlantic trafficking of enslaved Africans and its historical harms. Prime Minister Andy Burnham had opened the door to a formal apology while ruling out reparations.

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said talks are likely to conclude in around a year and broadly said the government might reach a formal apology by next November's G20 summit in Manchester.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz warned on Wednesday evening that Texans will be hurt after Democrats flipped a Texas Senate seat and the governor's mansion in the midterm elections. In a statement on social media, the Republican described the result as a blue tsunami that swept across the state and country.

Former Democratic state Representative Amish Shah is projected to defeat Republican Jay Feely in Arizona's 1st District. Shah is leading with 52.5 percent of the vote to Feely's 45.5 percent with over 95 percent of votes reported, flipping a seat Shah narrowly lost two years earlier.

Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is projected to defeat Republican John Braun in Washington's 3rd District House race. Gluesenkamp Perez is leading with about 55 percent of the vote to 44 percent with 81 percent of votes reported.

Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman is projected to become the next mayor of Los Angeles after defeating Mayor Karen Bass. Decision Desk HQ called the race Wednesday evening with Raman leading by about 26,000 votes, roughly 3 percent, out of 784,262 votes cast. The result ends Bass's first term as mayor.

The Milburn review of youth employment will recommend the government create and subsidise paid jobs for disabled and chronically ill 16 to 24 year olds. It will propose Danish style flexi jobs, employment subsidies and skills support to reverse labour market discrimination. About a million young people are Neet, and nearly half are disabled or in ill health.