Latest news for 2 November 2026

UNITED STATES

Final stretch.

Take this with the requisite quarry of salt, but final national polling averages now put the Democrats ahead by somewhere between seven and nine points, with modellers forecasting they’ll flip the House though the Senate will see tighter margins. (BBC)

Comment: Insiders got our special US midterms edition over the weekend, exploring what this all means for the US and its place in the world. Not already an Insider? Join us today!

WESTERN SAHARA

UN gridlock ends peacekeeping.

The UN’s 35-year peacekeeping mission in the disputed Western Sahara will now wind down after a UN Security Council showdown saw competing US and Russian resolutions collapse over the weekend: Russia vetoed the US text leaning more into Morocco’s claims over the territory, but then exasperated Council members mostly abstained on Russia’s proposal to just roll the mission over for another 12-months. (MEE)Comment: While grim news for those Western Saharans preferring independence, not to mention a broader world depending on a functioning Security Council, the end of the UN mission is good news for both Morocco (one less obstacle to annexation) and the US (which has backed Morocco’s claims since 2020 as part of the Abraham Accords to normalise ties with Israel).

ISRAEL

Stalemate?

Israel’s mostly-ceremonial president (Herzog) is urging parties to enter coalition talks with “an open heart” now that neither PM Netanyahu nor Eisenkot’s opposition have a majority. Meanwhile, Israeli electoral officials have dismissed Bibi’s rhetoric that Arab-Israelis stole the election. (NBC)

Comment: While Netanyahu won the most seats, it’s up to Herzog to determine who is best placed to cobble together a coalition, with initial consultations starting this Wednesday. And Eisenkot is now flagging he’d be willing to partner with Israel’s Arab-majority parties to oust Bibi if they accept Eisenkot’s conditions (like acknowledging Israel as a Jewish state, and Hamas as a terrorist group). In parallel, outlets keep reporting that Netanyahu wants President Trump to resume hits on Iran ASAP.

NORTH KOREA

Crypto heist.

The FBI is blaming North Korea for history’s biggest crypto hack, seizing $6.3B from the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance. (AP)

Comment: The hermit state’s hackers have form here, so there’s nothing really surprising beyond the sheer scale. Perhaps more intriguing is the way some stablecoin issuers immediately froze crypto assets out of precaution, simultaneously leaving us to wonder about the whole “decentralised” raison d’etre for crypto. Turns out a crypto-bro can just switch your coin off? Binance is pledging to cover all client losses.

BULGARIA

Steady as she goes.

The ceremonial presidency’s more Moscow-sympathetic incumbent (Yotova) has won Bulgaria’s runoff with ~57% of the vote, comfortably beating her more pro-Western challenger. (Bloomberg $)

Comment: A mostly symbolic role, though we’ve seen in the Poland story above how quickly a bit of re-interpretation can convert routine oath-swearing into a constitutional crisis. For Bulgaria, though, it’s more wind in the sails for the like-minded PM Radev, still officially toeing the line as an EU and NATO member while safeguarding friendlier Moscow ties (partly anchored in history).

BANGLADESH

Garment protests.

Garment factories across the country reopened on Monday after widespread worker protests for higher wages. Authorities are bracing for further unrest in the nation responsible for ~7.5% of the world’s apparel exports. (Reuters)

Comment: Global impact aside, the Bangladeshi garment sector also accounts for ~10% of GDP and ~80% of national export earnings, so it’s a rumble posing big implications.

RUSSIA

Grinding gear change.

The respected ISW think tank is reporting that Russia just lost net-territory in Ukraine for the second consecutive month, even as Ukraine claims it inflicted a record 54,000 Russian casualties the same month. (Al Jazeera)

Comment: If losing both land and troops seems an unsustainable trajectory, that’s because it is, but Putin continues to bank on the West ditching Ukraine’s self-defence first.