On the eve of the midterm elections, US President Donald Trump's unpopularity is impacting Republicans across the board. Many states with seats once considered Republican strongholds are now on shaky ground. One of them is North Carolina, a rural state where one in five jobs is tied to agriculture.
A prominent Michigan Democrat endorsed Republican Mike Rogers on Sunday, giving President Donald Trump's Republicans an unexpected boost in a critical US Senate race two days before midterm elections that will decide control of Congress.
Trump called Democratic candidate a ‘jihadist’ as El-Sayed’s defeated primary opponent backs Republican Mike Rogers. Plus an Australian fish worth its weight in gold Good morning. Congresswoman Haley Stevens, who lost the Michigan Democratic Senate primary to Abdul El-Sayed, has endorsed his Republican rival in an extraordinary rebuke of her party’s nominee on the eve of the midterm elections. Tensions between El-Sayed and Stevens had already led to him asking her to stay away from his campaign events , and her endorsement of Mike Rogers comes as the US president unleashed a racist tirade against El-Sayed in Iowa . What did Stevens do? Her endorsement came in a video posted to X after she attended an event with Rogers at the predominantly Black Perfecting church in Detroit on Sunday. Stevens’s endorsement was the culmination of an escalating feud between the former primary rivals – primarily over support for Israel – that has roiled one of the most fiercely contested Senate contests of the cycle. What did Trump say? The president bashed El-Sayed, a practicing Muslim, in brazenly racist terms, saying that Congress would have to “get a special metal detector for Abdul” if he were elected. “If you vote for this jihadist lunatic that wants to destroy you, you’re crazy. Mike Rodgers is apple pie. And you know what this country needs? A little apple pie. We don’t need the communists or jihadists, the Muslim Brotherhood. We need apple pie.” Continue reading...
Democrats sought on Monday, November 2, to contain a rift in Michigan's US Senate race after one of their own crossed party lines to endorse the Republican candidate, as both parties made final pitches before midterm elections that will decide control of Congress. FRANCE 24's International Affairs Editor Philip Turle has more.
US President Donald Trump on Sunday reiterated his threat to resume strikes against Iran, telling a campaign rally that he may have to give Tehran "the hammer" at some unspecified time. Trump had previously said he would not strike Iran again before the upcoming US midterm elections.
Texas has long been a Republican stronghold. But could that be starting to change? On the eve of themidterm elections, some younger voters are expressing growing frustration with the political establishment. In Austin, the state capital, our special correspondent Tarek Kai spoke to young voters to hear about their expectations and concerns, and to find out whether they think Texas could turn blue.
South Africans head to the polls for local government elections that will determine control of major cities and test the electoral strength of the African National Congress (ANC)
A high-profile Democratic defection shook Michigan's Senate race on the eve of US midterm elections as Representative Haley Stevens threw her support behind Republican Mike Rogers rather than backing the Democratic candidate, Abdul Al-Sayed, who beat her in the primary race. The move exposed divisions within the party as control of Congress hangs in the balance.
Only twice in the past 20 midterms has the president’s party gained House seats. Polls suggest 2026 won’t be the third.
A prominent Michigan Democrat endorsed Republican Mike Rogers on Sunday, giving President Donald Trump's Republicans an unexpected boost in a critical US Senate race two days before midterm elections that will decide control of Congress. FRANCE 24's Caroline Baum brings us more with this report.
India's election consultants are exporting covert campaign tactics to manipulate elections worldwide, including the US.
Artificial intelligence emerged as a major issue on the 2026 US midterm campaign trail, with opposition to data centres drawing supporters across partisan divides united over ecological worries, increased utility bills and business interests outweighing citizen concerns. Georgia, the top US market for data centre construction, has been on the front line of the struggle.
Yousef Jabareen says he is ready to join forces with opposition bloc to oust Benjamin Netanyahu after winning record number of seats in Knesset The leader of Israel’s main Palestinian coalition, which holds the balance of power after Tuesday’s elections, has said the country is facing a historic opportunity to change direction. Yousef Jabareen, the head of the Joint List, said he was ready to join forces with the “Change” bloc to oust Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right coalition, and to wrest control of the Knesset. Continue reading...
The US president rallied in states that Republicans previously won - showcasing how tight Tuesday's elections could be in determining control of Congress.
Iran warned on Sunday that a renewed war with the United States could last longer than the previous conflict, as President Donald Trump suggested Washington still had targets to strike. Tehran threatened retaliation without geographical limits while diplomatic efforts continued to avert a fresh escalation ahead of Tuesday's US midterm elections.
President again took aim at progressive Senate candidate and lauded Haley Stevens for endorsing Mike Rogers Donald Trump railed against Democratic US senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed at a campaign event in Iowa Sunday, repeatedly referring to the Michigan progressive as a “jihadist”. Trump’s comments aimed to influence a neck-and-neck race that will play an outsized role in determining which party controls the senate after Tuesday’s midterm elections. Continue reading...
Qatar has been leading intense mediation efforts over the past 72 hours to prevent a new round of possible U.S. attacks on Iran after Tuesday's midterm elections. The uncertainty has the entire Gulf region on edge.
Canadian PM Mark Carney announces progress in Canada-US trade deal talks ahead of Tuesday's US midterm elections.
The conflict has become a central issue ahead of Tuesday's polls.
Voting is particularly high in states with tight Senate races that could determine which party controls the chamber US citizens are casting ballots in record numbers ahead of the midterm elections on Tuesday, another potential indication, analysts say, of voter dissatisfaction with Republicans and Donald Trump. Voting was particularly high in states that feature tight Senate races that could determine which party controls the chamber. Continue reading...
Indirect talks run into third day with Qatar trying to negotiate release of $6bn in Iranian assets that could lead to reopening of strait Officials from the Gulf states are “braced for the worst” as they wait for Washington’s response to an Iranian proposal that could reopen the strait of Hormuz before the US midterm elections on Tuesday. Indirect talks in Doha ran into a third day on Sunday, with Qatar trying to negotiate the release of more than $6bn in Iranian assets, which could lead to the reopening of the strait of Hormuz and the restart of negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme. Continue reading...
Stevens lost the party’s Michigan primary by a close margin and had refused to endorse El-Sayed, with tensions between the two high Congresswoman Haley Stevens, who lost the Michigan Democratic Senate primary to Abdul El-Sayed, endorsed his Republican rival, Mike Rogers, in an extraordinary rebuke of her party’s nominee on the eve of the midterm elections. Her endorsement came in a video posted to X after she attended an event with Rogers at the predominantly Black Perfecting church in Detroit on Sunday. The event marks a stunning political moment in Michigan, where control of the seat could be crucial to Democratic party. Continue reading...
Reported strikes on two refineries risk angering the US president days before his country’s midterm elections Ukraine has resumed its attacks on Russian oil refineries in defiance of pressure from Donald Trump ahead of the US midterm elections, with a ceasefire in the occupied town of Oleshky due to end late on Sunday. Russian state media said on Sunday Ukrainian long-range drones had set fire to the Kstovo refinery in Nizhny Novgorod oblast overnight, following soon after a major strike against another big refinery in Samara oblast, owned by the Russian state energy giant Rosneft. Continue reading...
The opposition leader returns after months in exile. Elections are possible in July.
Belgrade's chief prosecutor says arrest of Marko Kricak 'has no link' to elections that saw Aleksandar Vucic step down.
All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the Senate’s 100 seats are being contested on Tuesday.
A record number of early votes is cast as both parties campaign before Tuesday's polls.
From Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's reelection in Brazil's presidential polls, to razor-sharp margins in the Israeli general elections, to a deadly high-speed train collision in Spain, FRANCE 24 looks back at some of the most striking images from the past week.
India’s opposition parties have renewed calls for the resignation of the country’s elections chief, staging fresh protests in the latest display of public dissent against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government
Senate races in Texas, Michigan and Ohio rank among the most expensive in this year's midterm cycle.
Flavio Bolsonaro failed to gain power, Aleksandar Vucic was voted out of office, and even Benjamin Netanyahu's position has weakened. An unhappy US President Trump is crying electoral fraud.
Ranked-choice voting in Alaska could shape a key 2026 race, amid a US lawsuit involving two candidates named Dan Sullivan.
Democratic doctors aim to convert the backlash against the Trump administration’s health policies into midterm votes.
Record number of early votes cast, with Democrats outnumbering Republicans in states which collect that information There has been a surge of early voting for the US midterm elections, with millions more Americans going to the polls compared with the last such election amid a series of tight contests that will determine control of Congress. More than 50.5m early votes have been cast across the US as of Saturday morning, according to an analysis by the University of Florida . This is already nearly 5m more votes than the total number of early votes made in the last midterm elections, in 2022. Continue reading...
France is bracing for a third consecutive weekend of protests, with around 70,000 security personnel deployed to prevent a repeat of the violence seen on October 17. Shops have boarded up their premises as authorities warn of further clashes, with Halloween celebrations adding to security concerns over masked demonstrators. The protests, involving Yellow Vest activists, trade unions and students, initially focused on the rising cost of living, inequality and poor school conditions, but have since expanded to include demands for greater civil liberties and the right to protest. The demonstrations come six months ahead of presidential elections, amid a tense political climate and growing support for the far right. Authorities have restricted marches in several cities, while Paris police have only authorised a demonstration on the capital's outskirts. Curfews have also been imposed in parts of Paris as officials seek to prevent further unrest.
France is preparing for a third weekend of protests, with 70,000 security personnel deployed to prevent a repeat of the violence seen on October 17. Shops have boarded up their premises as authorities warn of further clashes, with Halloween adding to concerns over masked demonstrators. The protests, initially driven by anger over the cost of living and poor school conditions, have broadened to include demands for greater civil liberties and the right to protest. With presidential elections six months away, authorities have tightened security and restricted demonstrations in several cities.
From Texas to Maine, rising prices and the Iran war put key Senate races in play as Democrats fight for control.
As the 2026 midterm elections approach, divisions within the MAGA camp are becoming increasingly visible. From the war in Iran and rising fuel prices to the Epstein files, several of Trump’s decisions are fuelling divisions among his most loyal supporters. Once united by a shared vision of America, MAGA now brings together factions that increasingly disagree over foreign policy, the economy and what “America First” should actually mean. Yet Trump remains the central figure holding this political coalition together – and he is fighting to keep it that way. Why are some of the president’s longtime allies distancing themselves from him? Can MAGA remain united despite these disagreements? And can Trump still mobilise his base ahead of the midterms? 🔍 Our journalist Stella Elgersma breaks down the divisions within the MAGA movement and Donald Trump’s strategy to rally his supporters, once again.
Americans vote on November 3 in midterm elections that could see Republicans lose control of Congress, endangering US President Donald Trump's legislative agenda. Under the US Constitution, elections are organized by the respective states – but that has not halted US President Donald Trump from trying to wield his influence ahead of the vote.
BBC Verify goes to an election centre to get a behind-the-scenes look at how mail-in ballots for the US midterm elections are processed.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is jockeying to stay in power, and President Trump is in a tough midterm fight, yet Iran’s leaders do not expect a major shift in Israeli or U.S. policy.
Vatican confirms the pope submitted a mail-in ballot in his native Chicago ahead of November 3 midterm elections
Fabricated surveys are adding to tensions in the country's increasingly polarised political environment.
France braces for another weekend of unrest as the Yellow Vests return to the streets under the rallying cry of ‘Act III – Halloween’, with 70,000 police and security forces deployed after the riots and looting of recent weeks. A cash-strapped government faces mounting grievances, a rolling protest movement and little room for manoeuvre ahead of elections, as it struggles to restore order while grappling with crippling debt.
From Alaska to Texas, candidates with an eye on Congress are using their personal style to stand out.
In tonight's show, the Senegalese capital is hosting the first Olympic event ever held in Africa, welcoming nearly 2,700 athletes for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games. Also, South Africa’s local elections are set for November 4, with the African National Congress facing growing pressure over its record in local government. And finally we are joined by Muse L'Artiste who's reconnecting to her roots with her latest EP Heritage bringing her father's compositions back to life.
Redistricting in California, the most populous US state, could flip control of US House from Republican to Democrat.
As the 2026 midterm elections approach, divisions within the MAGA camp are becoming increasingly visible. From the war in Iran and rising fuel prices to the Epstein files, several of Trump’s decisions are fuelling divisions among his most loyal supporters. Once united by a shared vision of America, MAGA now brings together factions that increasingly disagree over foreign policy, the economy and what “America First” should actually mean. Yet Trump remains the central figure holding this political coalition together – and he is fighting to keep it that way. Why are some of the president’s longtime allies distancing themselves from him? Can MAGA remain united despite these disagreements? And can Trump still mobilise his base ahead of the midterms? 🔍 Our journalist Stella Elgersma breaks down the divisions within the MAGA movement and Donald Trump’s strategy to rally his supporters, once again.
As a US citizen, Pope Leo XIV is eligible to vote in US elections and has made use of that right with a postal ballot ahead of Tuesday's midterms. The pontiff, a Chicago native, did not reveal who he voted for.
