Stay informed without the news wearing you out.
Leave it on. You'll know what happened. · About 8 minutes
Want this waiting in your inbox? Get the weekly brief — free, one email a week.
Donald Trump threatened renewed strikes on Iran as the United States entered the final day before midterm elections, while conflict and economic pressure shaped news across several continents.
Monday, November 2, 2026. Donald Trump threatened renewed strikes on Iran on the eve of the United States midterm elections, while Europe faced protests and businesses weighed the costs of conflict, fuel and new technology.
In the United States, President Donald Trump said at a campaign rally on Sunday that the country might strike Iran again, without specifying when. He had previously said the United States would not strike before the midterm elections. The change came one day before voters go to the polls. In Texas, Democrat James Talarico is seeking a Senate seat against Republican Ken Paxton. No Democrat has won a Texas Senate race in 38 years. Talarico’s campaign has attracted some voters who supported Trump, but the reports do not offer a forecast for the race. Young voters in Austin described frustration with the political establishment; whether that discontent can change the state’s political direction remains uncertain. Republicans are also spending heavily to defend Senate seats in Kansas, South Carolina and Mississippi, races party officials had expected to be safe. National Republicans have spent tens of millions of dollars. Some Republican officials blamed weak fundraising and preparation by the candidates, while others cited outside spending and personal challenges. A separate review of the midterm races said polls did not point to a likely Democratic landslide. Beyond the campaign, the United States faces a winter in which weather could put pressure on its changing electricity grid. A strong El Niño is expected to continue into spring 2027. More solar, wind and battery storage may help meet shifting demand, but poor conditions for solar or hydropower could increase reliance on other sources, including natural gas. Across Europe, protests continued on several fronts. In France, high school students returned to demonstrations after a two-week autumn break, but the school blockades were smaller than before. Students said the government’s proposed measures did not meet their demands. In Portugal, the United States State Department issued a security alert as demonstrations over housing costs and living expenses continued in Lisbon and Porto. More than 30 German cities also saw demonstrations, with clashes, looting and injuries reported. In Sudan, the military-led council filed complaints with the United Nations Security Council and the African Union’s Peace and Security Council. Sudan accused Ethiopia of allowing the Rapid Support Forces to launch deadly drone attacks from Ethiopian territory. Sudan’s council said the attacks killed or wounded hundreds of civilians and caused military casualties. Ethiopia has in turn accused Sudan of supporting rebels, an allegation Khartoum denies. In Ukraine and Russia, authorities said emergency alert apps were targeted by cyberattacks late Sunday. People in Kyiv received false warnings of high nuclear radiation. Russian officials said hackers used access to the Emergency Ministry’s app to send fake alerts. Turkey’s pro-Kurdish lawmakers said Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed founder of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, had been moved to a newly built section of Imrali island prison. They said the transfer should lead to progress in a peace process that has been stalled for two months. Ocalan remains in prison. The Trump administration’s pressure on Cuba has not removed the government there. The United States has expanded sanctions and cut off Venezuelan oil supplies to the island since January. The war in Iran has shifted United States military attention and made action against Cuba more politically risky. Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have described different timelines for the Cuba policy. In business, the cost of fuel is forcing Ryanair to consider cuts. The airline is reviewing possible temporary pay freezes, fewer crew on flights and greater use of artificial intelligence. It expects fuel costs to rise by about two billion euros in the financial year ending March 2028. Ryanair also expects European short-haul fares to rise materially, though it has said higher fares may not cover the extra expense. Its quarterly profit fell as passenger numbers increased. The cryptocurrency exchange Binance saw customers withdraw about $3.4 billion on Sunday after it reopened trading. The exchange had suspended operations following a cyberattack that compromised more than $6 billion in digital assets. Drugmakers are pursuing specialized medicines as they face major patent expirations. The treatments include biologics, medicines for rare diseases and therapies tailored to individual patients. They could bring in new revenue, but high prices, manufacturing difficulties and insurance coverage may limit access for patients. Technology also featured in questions about public services and surveillance. A Guardian investigation found that 29 National Health Service trusts listed by NHS England as benefiting from Palantir’s Federated Data Platform said it was not live or that they were not using its applications. NHS England said nearly 140 trusts had reported benefits. The statistics watchdog said it would examine the claims through its casework process. In Western Australia, police scanned more than 1.38 million faces during a five-month real-time facial recognition trial. They reported 122 arrests, nine incorrect alerts, 146 interactions with registered sex offenders and ten people found during welfare checks. Civil liberties advocates challenged how police described the error rate and questioned the basis for scanning people in public. The surveillance vans have been withdrawn while authorities evaluate the trial. In China, dozens of robots raced up more than 3,000 steps on Mount Tai. The events tested speed and the ability to carry fragile goods. A four-legged robot from a Unitree subsidiary won the full-course speed race, and a humanoid robot recorded the fastest time on a shorter course.
Kimi Antonelli became Formula One’s youngest world champion at the Mexico City Grand Prix. The 20-year-old Italian finished third behind Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, enough to secure the title. Antonelli joined Mercedes’s junior programme at 11 and called the championship a starting point for further improvement. In the National Football League, Tampa Bay beat Atlanta 16 to nothing in heavy rain after Baker Mayfield attempted just three passes and completed none. The Buccaneers relied on a record-setting rushing performance. Cincinnati beat Tennessee in overtime, with Joe Burrow throwing six touchdowns. Detroit ended Minnesota’s unbeaten start, and Denver rallied past Kansas City to take the AFC West lead. Buffalo beat Baltimore 36 to 10 after both Ravens quarterbacks were injured. In Major League Baseball, former Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz are due to face a jury in Brooklyn over alleged bribery and bets on individual pitches. Both have pleaded not guilty. The trial is expected to last about a month. At the New York City Marathon, Sweden’s Andreas Almgren won the men’s race for his first victory there. Kenya’s Shelia Chepkirui won the women’s race for the second time. Golden State beat the Los Angeles Clippers 124 to 112. Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg scored a career-high 37 points. Australia, meanwhile, left pace bowlers Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc out of its white-ball squads for the series against England after their recent Test series against South Africa. Mitchell Marsh will captain both teams. Coventry City is investigating footage that appears to show a supporter using an image of late Sunderland fan Bradley Lowery to taunt Sunderland during Saturday’s match. British media reported that a 14-year-old boy handed himself in to police. Lowery’s mother said the incident hurt her, but urged people not to direct hate at the boy and said she hoped he would learn from it. That's the day. The Actual News.
The week's biggest stories, told calmly — one free email every Monday morning. Five minutes to read, no spam, no spin, one-click unsubscribe.
Prefer a full account? Sign up free
Create a free account to keep these preferences permanently — they'll be here every time you visit.