Latest Politics News Today: 8 November 2026

President Donald Trump told CNN that new US strikes on Iran are highly unlikely if the two sides sign a strong agreement, while saying the US military is ready and has three aircraft carriers. He said the US had 38 bridges in its sights and could knock them down in one hour. Trump ordered an attack on Iran in late February after Israel launched a preemptive strike, and the conflict has been unpopular with the US public.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has told CDU party heads that he intends to nominate Ilse Aigner as Germany's next federal president. Aigner, a CSU member and president of the Bavarian state parliament, would replace Frank-Walter Steinmeier when his term ends early next year and would be the first woman to hold the office if elected on January 30. SPD and Green Party representatives have already voiced support.

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has lost all off-site power and is relying on emergency diesel generators for reactor cooling and other essential nuclear safety and security. The cause of the latest disconnection is still unknown.

Jan Marsalek, the fugitive former Wirecard executive suspected of spying for Russia, claimed in messages to a convicted Russian spy that he helped bring down Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. Kurz stepped down in 2021 amid corruption allegations. The documents contain no independent evidence of Marsalek's role, but if substantiated they would show Russian interference in an EU government.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Sunday that he is a hard yes to impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Jeffries, who is likely to be Speaker of the House in January, said Hegseth has abused his power and undermined national security.

Republican Representative Virginia Foxx requested nonpartisan election observers in her House race as she trails Democratic opponent Chuck Hubbard. She said election integrity is the keystone of free and fair elections that have guided the nation throughout history.

At least four people were killed and 88 injured on Sunday after two trains collided in Al Ayyat, Giza province, about 52 kilometres south of Cairo. The Ministry of Transport said a train heading to Fayum struck the rear of another train travelling to Aswan, and one train derailed. President Abdelfatah al Sisi ordered an immediate investigation, and emergency teams were sent to clear wreckage.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said there is still a problem with exploitation and abuse in media and public life after Russell Brand's conviction. She said women who come forward are too often not protected by institutions, and power imbalances make speaking up costly. Nandy told the industry time is up to bring in systems to protect whistleblowers, while praising the BBC for signing up to a whistleblowing body.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy rejected accusations of politicising Remembrance Sunday after linking the day to the UK rejoining the EU's Erasmus scheme in January. Conservatives and Reform criticised the timing, with Kevin Hollinrake calling the comments tone deaf and Nigel Farage saying it was poor taste. Nandy said the expanded scheme would help young Britons recognise wartime sacrifice and stood by her remarks.

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy said the state's closely watched Senate race is very close as vote counting continues. The Republican governor gave an update in an interview with John Catsimatidis on WABC radio on what lies ahead in the counting process.

Voters in Texas, Iowa and Georgia elected Democratic governors for the first time in decades, setting up a major shakeup in education policy in historically red states. The states have seen years of fights over school choice, LGBTQ topics in classrooms and diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

Russian attacks on Ukraine's power grid on Saturday left more than 600,000 people without electricity in the Dnipropetrovsk region, DTEK said. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for further synchronized sanctions on Russia ahead of US-brokered peace talks in Abu Dhabi next week. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant also lost power overnight and is relying on emergency diesel generators.

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck central Japan on Sunday at 1:04am local time, injuring at least 22 people and shattering store windows. The quake affected areas near Aichi Prefecture, including Kyoto, Nara, Hamamatsu and Yamanashi, where Mount Fuji is located. Japan's Meteorological Agency warned of possible strong quakes in the coming week, especially the next two to three days.

At least 21 people died after a migrant boat capsized off Senegal's northwest coast, the interior ministry said. Search and rescue operations were underway, and one survivor had been found. The government said it would work with neighbouring countries to combat people smuggling networks, while the IOM said controls in traditional departure points have pushed some migrants to longer, riskier Atlantic crossings.

Americans under 30 voted decisively for Democrats in this year's midterms, after Republicans made gains with young voters in 2024. The result helped fuel a blue wave, and Democrats are now preparing to challenge President Trump's tariffs as part of a pledge to lower the cost of living.

Democrats picked up more than 500 state legislative seats and flipped at least 12 chambers, redrawing the map of state power. The results brought a youth quake, with younger candidates defeating senior opponents in states including Texas, Michigan, South Carolina and Colorado. The gains in historically red legislatures such as North Carolina and Arizona are drawing attention to what is on their agenda.

Poland began two days of mourning on Sunday after a Saturday shooting in Krakow's main market square killed six people and wounded 15. The 24 year old suspect is in critical condition after being wounded by police, and police said three bodies found at his home were his sister, mother and father. Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the attack far right terrorism, while authorities said it is a suspected terrorist offense.

Delhi awoke Sunday morning in smog after Saturday's Diwali eve had the worst air quality in 10 years. The Central Pollution Control Board said the capital had a very poor air quality index of 362 on Saturday.

President Donald Trump said Saturday that he has offered UFC boss Dana White the job of White House press secretary, urging him to take it. White said in London that he was flying to Washington and would meet Trump on Monday. The search follows the departures of Katie Zacharia, who quit after less than five days, and Karoline Leavitt, who stepped down in August.

A sharp rise in rejected indefinite leave to remain applications by Turkish nationals on European Community Association Agreement visas has drawn Windrush accusations. Hundreds have been refused since January, and successful applications have fallen from several thousand to a few hundred. The Home Office says the rules have not changed, but former foreign secretary David Lammy said the sudden shift has devastated lives.

The SA government will introduce legislation requiring council inspectors to physically issue parking fines, ending ticketless fines after a camera car passes. The premier cited the City of Adelaide's Park Safe program, while the Local Government Association of SA said it was not consulted and that ticketless systems are more efficient.

A council report showed 25 per cent of contested fines were withdrawn on average after review requests this year.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has faced questions over whether his shift from press conferences to social media is reducing scrutiny. He travelled to the Commonwealth heads of government meeting with one TV crew and a news agency journalist instead of a full press pack, facing seven and a half minutes of media questions over three days. Burnham said he hoped such content connects with younger people.

Delegates from nearly every country will meet in Antalya, Turkey, from November 9 to 20 for COP31, with Australia leading negotiations. The UN has concluded that keeping warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius is no longer possible, and the shift away from coal, oil and gas will be central. Current commitments could limit warming to up to 2.6 degrees, down from 3 to 3.5 degrees before the Paris Agreement.

More than 2.4 million party votes have been counted in New Zealand's election, with Labour ahead of National by 3,650 votes. National is projected to win 42 seats against Labour's 36, but about 400,000 special votes remain to be counted. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said his party has a pathway to form government, while the latest figures point to disenchantment and fracture in the electorate.

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor said on Saturday that she hopes the court's decision granting former presidents broad criminal immunity will be overturned. She made the comments at a civics education talk at George Washington's Mount Vernon estate, saying her colleagues have done some crazy things.

Parents at 18 Northern Territory Catholic schools were told to expect increased police presence after two teenagers were charged with terrorism-related offences within a week. A teenage girl faced court Wednesday charged with collecting or making documents likely to facilitate terrorist attacks, a week after a teenage boy faced the same charge. CENT director Paul Greaves urged families not to speculate. Bishop Charles Gauci called for calm.

Kansas Democrat Adam Hamilton won a Senate seat in a state that has sent Republican senators to Washington for almost a century, as Democrats also took control of the House and Senate in Tuesday's midterms. The result followed a late Trump rally and complaints from farmers about fuel costs and the war in Iran. President Trump's final two years will be more difficult, though he still wields immense power.

Victorian Premier Ben Carroll said community safety is his top priority after a food delivery driver was fatally stabbed in Melbourne's CBD. Jianming Feng, 47, was killed Friday night while delivering for Hungry Panda near Queen Victoria Market, and another rider, 34, was injured. Carroll said he will work with the Transport Workers Union and other representatives to protect gig economy workers, after a 51-year-old Footscray man was arrested.

A US military aircraft fired precision munitions at the stern of the St. Kitts-flagged M/V Huda in the Gulf of Oman on Saturday, disabling the ship after its crew ignored repeated warnings and tried to violate a naval blockade of Iran. The UAE National Guard said 22 people were rescued from a cargo ship in the gulf. Iran's Revolutionary Guard said two oil tankers caught fire after hitting mines around the Strait of Hormuz.

Nationals leader Matt Canavan said Australia should stay in the Paris Agreement but rejected backing a free trade deal with Europe that he says would legally bind the country to net zero. The Queensland senator said the provisional text goes beyond current commitments and would use the deal as a backdoor way to net zero. He said he texted Trade Minister Don Farrell to discuss the deal constructively.

Explosions were heard on Iran's Qeshm Island and tankers in the Strait of Hormuz caught fire after hitting mines. Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it lifted a 2,000 kilometre limit on ballistic missile range, while the US carried out limited strikes on an Iranian air defence system. Iran is reviewing Qatar's proposals on differences with the US over its nuclear program, raising hopes for indirect talks.

A 21-year-old Wisconsin state trooper, Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe, was released Friday after being detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents a day earlier. The South African-born trooper was traveling to visit family when the arrest occurred, his attorney Marc Christopher said.

Cyclist Peter Hatton has recorded four close calls with drivers who did not leave the required gap when overtaking, but police have not issued fines. Since 2017, drivers must leave one metre when passing a cyclist at 60 kilometres an hour or less and 1.5 metres at higher speeds. Six cyclists have died on Western Australia roads this year, and riders want consistent fines rather than cautions.

Dennis McKenna, who abused 29 boys in Katanning while working at St Andrew's Hostel in the 1970s and 80s, will be permanently banned from the town under a Supreme Court release order. The court said his high risk could be managed by 41 conditions, including electronic monitoring, a ban on contact with children and a requirement to avoid his victims. The ban is believed to be a legal first in Western Australia.