The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the US was reviewing the proposal but ​declined to provide further details.

Mediators have intensified efforts to ​end the war between Iran and the United States ⁠amid fears it could reignite after the US midterm ​elections, with Trump on Tuesday declining to rule out a resumption ​of combat operations after the vote and Iran planning wider retaliation if war resumes.

Iran’s top security official Mohsen Rezaei had said earlier on ​Thursday, during a visit to Russia: “On the issue of diplomacy, ​we have announced seven conditions to the Americans.

As long as they ‌do ⁠not execute our seven conditions, we will neither open the Strait of Hormuz nor have negotiations“.

Iran has demanded the lifting of US sanctions, the release of frozen Iranian assets and war ​reparations, among other ​conditions, while Washington ⁠has said nuclear issues must be part of any initial negotiations.

The US and Israel attacked ​Iran on February 28, and Iran responded with ​strikes ⁠on Israel and Gulf states that host US bases.

Conflict also erupted in Lebanon between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel, and more ⁠recently ​spread to Yemen, from where the ​Iran-aligned Houthis have struck energy facilities, airports and other targets in Saudi Arabia.

Bass conceded on Thursday to one of the latest among a new wave of fast-rising democratic socialists and progressives who have dethroned centrist politicians in recent elections across the country.

Raman, ​a city council member, advocate for the homeless and former ally of Bass, stunned the political establishment ​in the second-largest US city when she challenged the mayor.

She is the first ⁠Los Angeles mayoral candidate to defeat an incumbent since 2005. The India-born urban planner first won a seat on ​the Los Angeles City Council in 2020.

Raman has largely embraced comparisons to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who ​was elected a year ago, while rejecting the idea that she is simply a West Coast replica.

“I am different. I am myself,” she told Vanity Fair in an interview.

The issue of homelessness played a major role in the campaign.

About 44,000 people were counted as ​homeless in 2025 in the city of Los Angeles, including about 27,000 living unsheltered on streets, in vehicles ​or in encampments, according to the latest annual tally from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. Nearly 5,000 are concentrated in the ‌downtown ⁠Skid Row district.

In a video statement thanking voters and campaign volunteers, Raman vowed to “build housing that people can afford, parks for our children to play in, a transit system that can get people where they need to go, a city that is safe for its working people and its families.”

She also praised the public service career of Bass, ​a former six-term member of ​Congress, nurse and emergency room ⁠physician’s assistant.

Bass, the first woman elected mayor of Los Angeles, had declared fighting homelessness among her top priorities upon taking office four years ago, but drew criticism ​for making what many affordable-housing advocates considered to be too little progress.

Bass conceded the ​race in a ⁠written statement, congratulating Raman and promising a smooth transition.

Bass’ standing was undermined by criticism of the city’s response to one of the deadliest and most destructive wildfires in its history, the January 2025 Palisades fire, which killed 12 people and ⁠destroyed ​more than 6,800 structures.

The simultaneous Eaton fire, which tore through the community ​of Altadena and nearby neighbourhoods east of Los Angeles, killed 19 people and destroyed more than 9,400 homes, businesses and other structures.

Beyond broad agreement on tackling “affordability,” Democrats disagree over whether voters also gave them license ​to investigate President Donald Trump and his family aggressively, and on progressive priorities such as government-run “Medicare for All” healthcare.

This week, consensus emerged on a handful of big-ticket items Democrats aim ‌to pursue once the new Congress convenes in January: making Obamacare health plans more affordable, reversing some of Trump’s cuts to Medicaid, the government health insurance program for the poor, and ending his unpopular tariffs and the war in Iran.

But deep fault lines remain within the party in the wake of Tuesday’s decisive results, which ushered in a class of more traditional, centrist candidates as well as a new class of progressives who railed against the Democratic Party establishment.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer celebrated the victory as ​a “generational” realignment, but also issued a warning that his party does not have a blank check to pursue legislation that goes beyond Americans’ appetites.

“These voters did not give us the majority so we ​can do whatever we want,” he said at a press conference on Wednesday.

He and Hakeem Jeffries, who is on track to become the speaker of the House in ⁠January, stressed that fixing America’s “affordability crisis” is Democrats’ top priority.

“I haven’t had a single member of the House Democratic Caucus talk to me about impeachment,” Jeffries said in response to a reporter’s question about Trump.

A mandate for ‘medicare for all’ or not?

Many Democrats viewed Tuesday’s political earthquake as a stunning repudiation of Trump and believe voters responded to their relentless focus on affordability.

But throughout the campaign, Democratic strategists and campaign officials cautioned that simply running against Trump ​was not enough and urged candidates to offer voters a policy agenda of their own.

Healthcare costs emerged as a major issue, particularly after Republicans let pandemic-era enhanced Obamacare subsidies lapse last year.

That caused premiums to rise more than 50% and forced millions of people to drop their health plans just months before Election Day.

Democratic leaders believe extending the Obamacare subsidies and reversing Medicaid cuts could attract some Republican support and would be difficult for Trump to veto.

But many Democrats believe the party needs to go further and start taking steps toward “Medicare for All,” which would replace all or most private health insurance and has long been a lightning rod in the party.

Incoming House freshman Randy Villegas, a progressive who ​flipped a Republican seat in California, said there’s danger in doing too little on big issues such as healthcare.

“We have to be willing to offer people a vision for something more,” he said at a virtual press conference for incoming ‌members who flipped ⁠competitive seats. “And to me, that means fighting for things like universal healthcare.”

Accountability for ‘corruption’

Democratic leaders have not disclosed their plans for the Congress that convenes the first week of January, but interviews with both new and returning members found agreement on accountability for Trump and reining in corporate money in politics.

US Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat who has hinted at a possible 2028 presidential campaign, said Democrats need to simultaneously advance multiple goals, including holding the administration “accountable for its gross corruption,” trying to end the Iran war and uniting behind an aggressive economic agenda targeted at working-class Americans.

He said in an interview with Reuters that Democrats should not be overly cautious in going ​after corporations, billionaires and special interests that voters blame ​for making it harder to get by.

But divisions ⁠are likely to emerge over how best to address growing wealth inequality and corporations that have raised their prices on consumers.

Van Hollen and many other Democrats have supported a tax on billionaires. But a California ballot measure that would have imposed a one-time 5% tax on the net worth of billionaires failed on Tuesday in ​a heavily Democratic-leaning state and faced opposition from Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat and another potential 2028 presidential candidate.

US Senator-elect James Talarico, a Texas Democrat, who was ​specifically targeted by $230 million in campaign ⁠spending from the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, said in a victory speech on Wednesday that the party’s mandate ought to include campaign finance reforms to get “big money out of politics.”

Interest groups push immigration reform, minimum wage

On the day after the watershed election, interest groups already were laying out the agendas they will take to Capitol Hill next year.

A group that includes labour unions, immigration advocates such as America’s Voice and the Latino Community Foundation and the American Civil Liberties ⁠Union produced data it ​said demonstrated minorities’ strong support for Democrats in Tuesday’s elections, after many moved toward Republicans in 2024.

Among the top concerns of minority ​voters were restrictions on the use of force by federal immigration officers, an increase in the federal minimum wage to $17 per hour, from the current $7.25 set in 2009, and universal childcare.

“It’s a stunning result in its sweep and scope,” Van Hollen said in summing things up. “Midterms ​are a referendum on the party in power, but I also think this was a plea for a new kind of politics.”

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is also facing growing pressure over the war, with Democrats planning congressional action while some Republicans blame the conflict for their party’s election losses.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held talks with regional counterparts on security and efforts to de-escalate tensions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also met Iran’s security chief.

Separately, Saudi air defences intercepted a Houthi ballistic missile targeting Najran and the Medina region, along with a drone over the Eastern Province.

Since the outbreak of the Iran war in late February, Tehran has severely restricted traffic through the strategic waterway, which normally carries about one-fifth of global oil consumption.

It regularly attacks ships it accuses of transiting without its authorisation.

The United States military has, in response, imposed a blockade on Iranian ports and helped tankers travel the strait.

“Last night… a large oil tanker attempting to pass through the illegal passageway south of the Strait of Hormuz suffered a fire after striking a mine and was brought to a halt,” the Guards told Fars news agency.

“Another supertanker was halted by a massive fire while exiting the eastern Strait of Hormuz. A tugboat that had approached the supertanker to extinguish the fire also caught fire,” the Guards said.

The Iranian army later said three more tankers were hit by naval mines.

“Early this morning, a violating oil tanker — navigating through an unsafe area east of the Strait of Hormuz — caught fire and came to a halt after striking a naval mine,” the army said, according to the official IRNA news agency.

“Today at around noon, two more oil tankers struck naval mines and caught fire in the unsafe waters east of the Strait of Hormuz,” said another army statement carried by IRNA.

There has been no confirmation of the incidents from maritime officials.

British monitor UKMTO reported a tanker being struck by “two unidentified projectiles” around 50 nautical miles (90 kilometres) off the north coast of Qatar, without providing details on any damage or casualties.

That area is around 500 kilometres west of Hormuz, in the centre of the Gulf.

Fars also reported that the IRGC navy’s electronic warfare unit had taken control of two LUCAS drones, a US-developed model whose name is short for Low-cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System.

Last month, the US military said it had helped Gulf countries export 1.5 billion barrels of oil via Hormuz since the summer.

Leo, who is 71 and underwent lung cancer surgery last month, will visit Uruguay, Argentina and Peru through November 17 on one of the most demanding overseas tours undertaken by a Catholic leader in decades.

The Vatican said this week that the pope had completely healed from his operation and no special precautions were being taken for the tour, on which Leo will ​travel some 31,000 km across 10 cities and give 36 speeches.

The pope, who was born in Chicago but spent decades in Peru and became a ​Peruvian citizen, considers the tour a “homecoming to places where he spent a long time and to which he feels closely connected,” ⁠said Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni.

Leo told pilgrims at his weekly audience in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday that during the trip he was hoping to “strengthen the faith, ​renew hope, and rekindle the fire of charity”.

Pope expected to address regional instability

The pope, departing Rome early on Friday morning, is due to arrive in Uruguay at 4:30pm.

He will stay in the country until Sunday, visiting three cities before continuing for three days in Argentina and six days in Peru.

Leo, who has forcefully decried the direction of global leadership in recent months, will address the governments in each country in closely watched speeches. He will also lead outdoor Masses at major local sites, visit a prison in Argentina and head ​to remote Andean communities in Peru by helicopter.

On Sunday, Leo will give an address to Argentine President Javier Milei, a right-wing libertarian seen as a close ally ​to US President Donald Trump, who lambasted Leo earlier this year after the pope criticised the Iran war.

Bruni said the pope’s speeches during the tour would address a range of issues facing the ‌continent, including ⁠environmental destruction, arms trafficking and regional political instability.

“The pope brings a message of communion and unity, an invitation to recognise one another … as members of one same family,” he said.

The late Pope Francis, who was Leo’s predecessor and from Argentina, visited Peru in 2018 but never returned home. A pope has not visited Argentina or Uruguay since the late 1980s.

Argentine officials have said some 7 million people will attend events with Leo.

Vatican not taking additional precautions

Latin America has long been the world’s largest Catholic ​region in absolute numbers, but the Church ​has been losing ground recently to fast-growing ⁠evangelical denominations and has struggled to respond to progressive social attitudes and individualised forms of worship.

Local Catholic leaders hope Leo’s visit can reenergize the faith across the region and also help repair the Church’s standing after abuse scandals have tarnished its reputation.

The Indian government has also simplified identification and travel requirements for citizens of India, Nepal and Bhutan travelling directly between the three neighbouring countries.

The changes were introduced through the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) (Amendment) Order, 2026, issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and published in the Gazette on Thursday, according to The Indian Express.

Who is exempt from passport requirements?

The amended order provides exemptions to specific groups of foreign nationals, subject to eligibility conditions.

These include:

• Certain Pakistani nationals: Those who entered India on or before December 31, 2009, intending to settle permanently and are unable to renew their Pakistani travel documents because they do not have a Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC).

• Religious minorities: Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who entered India on or before December 31, 2024, after fleeing religious persecution or fear of persecution.

• Sri Lankan Tamils: Registered Sri Lankan Tamil nationals who took refuge in India on or before January 9, 2015.

• Tibetan nationals: Certain Tibetans who entered India using permits issued by the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu between 1959 and May 30, 2003, or special entry permits at designated immigration posts along the India-Nepal border.

• People of Indian origin: Certain individuals who acquired Malaysian or Singaporean citizenship and returned to India on or before December 31, 2009, using passports that have since expired and cannot be renewed.

Conditions for Pakistani nationals

The exemption for certain Pakistani citizens comes with additional requirements.

Applicants must have entered India by December 31, 2009, with the intention of settling permanently and must be unable to renew their Pakistani travel documents because they do not possess a CNIC.

They must also have left family members who are Indian citizens when they travelled to Pakistan. Applicants must not have married while in Pakistan or acquired immovable property there.

In addition, they must have no adverse reports from police or security agencies and must undertake not to return to Pakistan.

Relief for religious minorities

The amended order also covers six religious communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan: Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians.

It applies to those who entered India on or before December 31, 2024, after being compelled to seek shelter because of religious persecution or fear of persecution.

The exemption covers individuals who entered without valid travel documents as well as those whose passports or other travel documents have expired.

However, they must obtain the appropriate visa to continue residing in India, where required under applicable rules.

New travel rules for India, Nepal and Bhutan

The government has also eased documentation requirements for citizens of India, Nepal and Bhutan travelling directly between the three countries by land or air.

Under the revised rules, citizens can use specified identification documents listed in the government’s Visa Manual instead of standard passports when travelling directly between the neighbouring countries.

The relaxation does not apply to journeys involving certain third countries.

Indian citizens travelling to or returning from countries other than Nepal and Bhutan through the India-Nepal or India-Bhutan borders must carry valid passports and use designated immigration checkpoints.

Similarly, Nepalese and Bhutanese citizens entering or leaving India after travelling through or transiting via China, Macau, Hong Kong or Pakistan must carry valid passports and visas.

Other categories covered by exemptions

The amended order also provides exemptions for certain Indian military personnel and foreign military crew members.

Indian Army, Navy and Air Force personnel travelling on official duty are exempt from passport and visa requirements. The exemption also covers family members accompanying them on government transport.

Crew members aboard foreign military vessels visiting India for repairs are exempt from passport requirements if they hold Military Ship Repair Permits issued by immigration authorities and carry valid military identification.

The order defines foreign military vessels as warships and other government-operated ships used for non-commercial purposes by another country’s armed forces.

Do the exemptions allow indefinite stay in India?

The revised provisions do not automatically permit foreign nationals to remain in India indefinitely.

Those covered by the exemptions must obtain the appropriate visa to continue their stay wherever required under the applicable rules.

The new order sets out eligibility based on nationality, date of entry, travel history and individual circumstances.

A week after an inconclusive Israeli election, US voters delivered a setback to Trump and elected a Congress led by Democrats who want a tougher approach to Israel on issues including Iran, Gaza and settler violence in the occupied West Bank.

The results have prompted observers to describe a possible turning point in relations, with Israel facing uncertainty over whether it can continue to rely on support from its most powerful ally.

“This is a new era. The confluence of the Gaza war and the war with Iran have really changed how mainstream Americans - not people particularly concerned with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict - see Israel,” said Yael Sternhell, a United States expert at Tel Aviv University.

Vice President JD Vance, discussing the reasons behind the Republicans’ poor performance, listed four ways to win voters back. These included ending the Iran war and changing “our relationship with Israel”.

Trump also linked the future of US military assistance to the political mood at home. On Tuesday, he said he had agreed with Netanyahu to end the $3.8 billion in annual US military aid to Israel by the end of this year.

Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, had actively sought Trump’s endorsement while acknowledging that his country was becoming increasingly isolated.

In the final days of the campaign, he suggested Israel could turn to cryptocurrencies to bypass international sanctions that he expected to intensify. Netanyahu has not commented on the US election results or Trump’s remarks about military aid.

Amit Segal, a journalist known for his close ties to Netanyahu, described the political situation in the United States as a “catastrophe” for Israel.

Can Eisenkot restore ties?

Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot, who is seeking to form a coalition to remove Netanyahu from power, has presented himself as someone capable of repairing relations with Washington.

In a statement in English, the former military chief said he believed in “liberal values” and wanted to work “closely and constructively” with Trump.

Yair Golan, the main left-wing leader in Eisenkot’s bloc, called for Israel to restore a bipartisan approach to relations with the United States. He accused Netanyahu of promoting a “destructive Israeli narrative of eternal war and authoritarian rule”.

Netanyahu has often highlighted his confrontations with Democratic presidents, including Barack Obama. A decade ago, he openly aligned himself with Republicans to oppose Obama’s diplomacy with Iran.

“Netanyahu certainly rubs Democrats the wrong way and has made every effort to alienate them,” Sternhell said.

However, she said Eisenkot would need more than a different approach to Trump to secure a softer position from the new Congress. He would also have to introduce new policies.

Sternhell said Eisenkot could find public support in Israel for taking action against extremist settlers accused of attacking Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

However, Israel has shifted to the right, and the Gaza war initially received broad public support.

Criticism of Israel widens

The new Congress will include progressive Democrats such as Abdul El-Sayed, the first Muslim elected to the Senate, who has described the devastation in Gaza as genocide, a claim Israel rejects.

Netanyahu had placed a bet not only on the Republican Party but also personally on Trump, said Eli Kowaz, senior policy director at the Economic Cooperation Foundation, an Israeli think tank that supports a two-state solution with the Palestinians.

“These results show that bet had an expiry date,” Kowaz said, adding that concerns about the relationship with the United States now extend beyond the Democratic Party.

Israel has a major domestic arms industry and retains a military advantage against non-state groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, said Ehud Eilam, a former researcher for Israel’s defence ministry.

But without US assistance, Israel could have to rely more heavily on cheaper artillery and less sophisticated bombs, potentially increasing the risk of civilian casualties and further fuelling international criticism, he said.

Israel could adapt to losing some or even all US military aid, but the shift would be difficult and could force the country to consider major loans or tax increases, Eilam said.

Kowaz said Eisenkot was seeking to demonstrate an interest in regional stability and strategic agreements rather than an indefinite state of war.

Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya, who quit the party after stepping down in September from her role as deputy chairperson, was accused by an opposition politician of making a ​large profit on shares just before the crisis triggered a ​major stock market selloff.

An Istanbul court arrested Kaya, who was ⁠minister of family and social services from 2016 to 2018, on charges ​of “violating the law on capital markets” and “membership of an organisation established for ​the purpose of committing a crime”, Anadolu said.

The move followed her questioning by the bureau that investigates money laundering crimes for the Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office, it added.

Her ​husband, Ilyas Kaya, was released under judicial measures banning travel abroad ​in the same investigation.

The prosecutor accused Kaya of possessing undisclosed information likely to influence ‌the price ⁠or value of a capital market instrument.

The official added that she had contacts with Emre Tezmen, a former executive of one of the asset managers at the centre of the turmoil, according to Anadolu.

In September, a spokesman ​of the main ​opposition Yeni Party ⁠accused the couple of receiving about 2.17 billion lira ($43.27 million) from sales of investments to the tune of ​a combined 163 million lira ($3.25 million), mainly in shares ​of shipbuilder ⁠Ozata Denizcilik, made in April this year.

Ozata Denizcilik shares traded at around 220 lira at the start of April and rose to 4,980 lira on ⁠September ​15, before the turmoil in the investment ​fund industry.

Suspected share-price manipulation in thinly traded stocks triggered a liquidity crisis and sent share prices ​tumbling on September 16.

Najib, prime minister from 2009 to 2018, was found ​guilty of corruption in relation to the embezzlement of ​billions of dollars tied to 1Malaysia Development Berhad, a ⁠state investment fund he co-founded while in power. He has ​consistently denied wrongdoing.

Malaysia’s king agreed in September to allow jailed ​Najib to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest, in a second royal pardon over his conviction.

It was not immediately clear when ​the transfer to Najib’s home would take place, and ​an aide to the former premier did not immediately respond to a request ‌for ⁠comment.

Under the terms of the pardon, Najib was required to pay a 50 million ringgit fine, which his political party, the United Malays National Organisation, said had been ​paid after a ​fundraising campaign.

“UMNO ⁠has completed all payment processes to the Kuala Lumpur High Court this morning,” it said.

In ​the 1MDB scandal, more than $1 billion allegedly ​made its ⁠way into accounts linked to Najib, who says he has been made the scapegoat for a complex, globe-spanning scheme that ⁠siphoned ​away as much as $4.5 billion in ​funds, according to US investigators.

President Isaac Herzog was holding a second day of consultations with political parties after the October 27 election, in which neither Netanyahu — a polarising right-winger who has led Israel through three years of war — nor Eisenkot secured enough votes for a majority.

United Torah Judaism, which backed Netanyahu after the previous five elections, in its meeting with Herzog declined to recommend Netanyahu again as prime minister, although it also did not side with Eisenkot.

The party informed Herzog “that it has decided not to recommend any member of Knesset to form a government,” the president’s office said in a statement, referring to the 120-member parliament in which United Torah Judaism has won seven seats.

The party, which represents ultra-Orthodox Jews of Ashkenazi origin, who mostly hail from or have roots in Europe, as well as Shas, which represents the same community but of Sephardic, or mostly Middle Eastern and North African descent, have both been backed by Netanyahu as they push to maintain the exemption from military service for religious students.

Netanyahu has preserved the exemption but stopped short of enshrining it in law, in the face of major resentment from many other Israelis as reservists serve multiple tours due to the wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.

“In whatever government is next formed, our immediate item is sorting out the status of Torah students,” United Torah Judaism lawmaker Isaac Pindrus said.

Eisenkot, a former military chief seeking to unite the centre and centre-right, has been adamant about closing exemptions to military service, with some of his opposition allies harshly criticising the ultra-Orthodox as self-serving.

Observers say United Torah Judaism’s approach may be aimed more at punishing Netanyahu and showing that their votes cannot be taken for granted, while they could still serve in a government if he were to form one.

Herzog will meet representatives of the major parties later on Thursday before tasking one lawmaker with forming a government. He generally bases his decision on which person receives the most party recommendations, making it likely he will ask Eisenkot.

Once Herzog gives the mandate, that lawmaker will have 28 days to form a government, with a potential 14-day extension. If the lawmaker fails, Herzog will then task someone else.

Netanyahu’s bloc — including United Torah Judaism — has 53 seats in the new parliament, as opposed to 48 for Eisenkot’s bloc.

Israeli-Arab parties soared in strength on the back of anger over Netanyahu’s hard-right government, winning 19 seats.

Eisenkot could form a government with the Arab parties but would risk losing support from some in the opposition.

The announcement came just minutes after the kingdom’s civil defence agency warned of potential danger in the area near the strategic port of Yanbu.

It was unclear if the two events were connected.

“Air defence intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the terrorist Houthi militia toward the Madinah region,” coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki said in a post on X.

The Houthis rejected any suggestion that they were targeting the city, saying such accusations were a “blatant and grave falsehood”.

“Our operations target only its oil facilities and military bases,” the group said in a statement.

The Houthis have repeatedly said their forces would not target the holy cities of Makkah or Madinah in their ongoing campaign against the kingdom, which has seen the group attack airports, energy infrastructure and military sites.

They have targeted the port of Yanbu on several occasions in recent months.

“A warning has been issued by the National Early Warning Platform in Yanbu Governorate to alert of a potential danger,” read a statement published by the agency online.

Yanbu, on the Red Sea, is the terminus of the East-West Pipeline that allows Saudi oil to bypass the blockaded Strait of Hormuz.

The port and pipeline have played a key role since the outbreak of the Middle East war, helping Riyadh ship crude and fuel to global markets.

Houthis reject Saudi claim

Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree has rejected a claim by Saudi Arabia that the Yemeni group targeted the kingdom’s Madinah region with a ballistic missile.

He brands the claim “a continuation of … great and immense lies against our dear Muslim people”, claiming that the group only targets military and oil facilities.

Democrats seized control of ​both the Senate and House of Representatives in Tuesday’s midterm elections, in which tens of millions of voters delivered a rebuke to President Donald Trump.

They wasted no time putting Republicans ‌on notice.

“LAWYER UP,” US Representative Robert Garcia, who is set to become chairman of the House Oversight Committee, posted on X late on Tuesday.

“Subpoenas,” Senator Ron Wyden, who is expected to lead the Senate Finance Committee, wrote an hour later.

“Clear your schedule,” US Representative Delia Ramirez said in a post addressed to several Trump administration officials.

Democratic committee leaders began outlining an oversight agenda on Wednesday that targets both the Trump administration and major corporations. Wyden said he plans to scrutinise agreements between the ​Trump administration and pharmaceutical companies on drug pricing.

The Trump administration has denied any wrongdoing, and on Wednesday it pushed back against the looming probes.

“If Democrats choose to pursue sham investigations and radical left ​policies, they are choosing to work against the American people,” said White House spokesperson Lauren Bis.

Another White House official, speaking on the condition of ⁠anonymity, said of the comments by Democrats: “They should be reminded that we still control the federal government and all of its powers,” the official said.

Investigations could dominate

Tech CEO and Republican mega-donor Elon Musk, Trump’s sons ​and a swath of other Republican donors and contractors are likely to be swept up in investigations that could dominate the second half of Trump’s term, according to Reuters interviews with around a dozen lawyers, members ​of Congress, congressional aides and political consultants.

A representative for Musk did not respond to a request for comment.

A representative for Donald Trump Jr., one of the president’s sons, declined to comment, while one for Eric Trump, another son, did not respond to a request for comment.

Democrats have opted for investigations rather than trying to impeach Trump immediately, Reuters previously reported.

“We expect a huge volume of aggressive and expansive investigations that will target both the administration and the private sector,” said lawyer Rachel Cotton, a congressional oversight ​specialist at the Arnold & Porter law firm.

Analysts say that Democrats will have to walk a fine line between seeking to expose what they call unprecedented corruption under Trump and addressing voters’ concerns about higher prices for ​consumer goods and gasoline.

Whether Democrats succeed will have major implications for a so far wide-open race to succeed Trump in the 2028 presidential election.

“The Democrats will be less concerned with Trump and more about tying the corruption to the ‌whole administration ⁠and ultimately to the entire,” the Republican party, said Sarah Longwell, a former Republican strategist and longtime Trump critic, adding that part of the aim will be to erase a political path for Trump administration officials.

Longwell said that Democrats could also benefit politically from probing how Republicans handled information around the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

“Even if it’s more political theatre than anything else, any time we’re talking about Epstein, Trump’s popularity is suffering,” she said.

Democrats risk ‘overplaying their hand’

Yet Democrats risk overplaying their hand, said Republican consultant Ron Bonjean.

“Voters are more concerned about affordability,” Bonjean said.

“If the vengeance that Democrats are seeking overwhelms their legislative agenda, then they’re likely ​to have a very short legislative majority.”

Some 48% of ​registered voters in a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted nationwide ⁠from Thursday last week through Monday said cost of living was the top issue determining their vote.

But voters have also expressed concern about Trump’s personal enrichment amid his family’s flurry of crypto and real estate deals. In an August Reuters/Ipsos poll, some 69% of Americans said they thought his private business interests were influencing his presidential ​decisions.

Dems need to make it ‘worth the squeeze’

For any investigations to succeed, Democrats will have to avoid getting bogged down in litigation with a combative White ​House and keep what could ⁠be a raucous coalition in line, lawyers and congressional aides said.

“There will be a lot of pressure on Democrats to issue subpoenas early. But the juice has to be worth the squeeze for whatever they decide to litigate,” said lawyer Kimberly Hamm with Morrison Foerster.

The House, which will likely move faster than the Senate, should be narrow in its asks and strategically try to limit the potential objections from the White House, said Hamm.

Corporations are ⁠prime targets ​for investigations because, unlike the White House, they cannot claim their activities are protected by executive privilege, although the White House ​could step in and claim they are, lawyers said.

Winning the Senate gives Democrats a “broader field” on which to play, said lawyer Mike Fragoso with Torridon Law.

“But there’s only so much time in the day and time in a Congress,” said Fragoso. “The question is ​how willing and able they will be to pick their targets and focus on them.”

Speaking at the White House on Wednesday, Trump said military action against Iran was necessary to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons and insisted he would make the same decision again despite its political and economic costs.

“I do. Yeah. I mean, well, you have no choice,” Trump said when asked whether the war was worth it, adding that the military campaign would continue.

He acknowledged that the conflict had driven up gasoline prices and contributed to Republican defeats, agreeing with Vice President JD Vance’s assessment that the war had alienated voters.

Vance had attributed the party’s losses to public anger over the conflict.

However, Trump insisted that military action was necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, adding that he would make the same decision again under similar circumstances.

He also blamed Republicans’ inability to translate enthusiasm for him into votes for other candidates, saying that despite strong support at his rallies, the party had failed to transfer that popularity to its candidates.

Meanwhile, Trump dismissed the prospect of impeachment following Democratic victories in the midterm elections, saying he was “not even a little bit” concerned.

He warned that any attempt by Democrats to impeach him without justification would damage their own party, while expressing willingness to work with Democratic lawmakers in the next Congress unless they sought to obstruct his administration.

“I’ll get along probably with the Democrats unless they want to be destructive, but I have the power of the veto,” he said.

Trump also told CNBC that he could work with Democratic majorities on more issues than many people anticipated.

While no country has attributed blame for the threats, they come at a time when European officials have been blaming both Russia and Iran for what ​they describe as “hybrid attacks” and acts of sabotage. Moscow and Tehran both deny any such campaign.

Aer Lingus flight ​EI402 from Dublin to Rome landed safely on Thursday at Evreux airport, 100 km (62 miles) west ⁠of Paris, after being diverted as a security precaution, the Irish airline said in a statement.

Bulgarian officials reported three aircraft ​making emergency landings in the Balkan country because of bomb threats.

Aeroplanes flying from Copenhagen and Madrid landed safely in Sofia, ​the interior minister said, according to broadcaster bTV.

A third aircraft, from London, was diverted and landed in Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s second-largest city, local media said. The government did not respond to requests for comment.

Czech, Italian, Polish authorities also report bomb threats

Czech police said on X that four aeroplanes heading ​to Prague had received bomb threats on Thursday and that authorities were making preparations for the landings, although they assessed ​the credibility of the threats as low.

Italy’s air force safely escorted a Finnair plane from Helsinki to its scheduled landing in Rome, a ‌person ⁠close to the matter said. Another Finnair flight from Helsinki, operated by Jettime, landed as normal in Vienna after receiving a bomb threat, the Finnish carrier said.

Polish airline LOT said a flight from Warsaw to Brussels had landed safely at its destination after a security warning, and no suspicious items were found.

It also said a LOT flight to Paris had been stopped as ​it was taxiing towards take-off ​and that its passengers ⁠had then been transferred to another aircraft as a precaution.

Italian media reported that a Wizz Air flight from Milan to Warsaw had to land in Vienna due to a bomb threat.

On ​Tuesday, at least seven flights and a cruise ship received bomb threats, causing disruption at airports ​across Europe, although ⁠no devices were discovered.

This week, unidentified hackers shut down fridges in supermarkets in several European countries. Some experts said hoax bomb threats could be part of a similar pattern of cheap, deniable disruption efforts.

Eliran Almog, CEO of aviation cybersecurity firm Cyviation, said the repeated ⁠threats could ​serve both to disrupt operations and to observe how airlines, airports and ​national authorities respond.

“These aviation threats are also occurring in the same period as cyberattacks on supermarket refrigeration systems across Europe,” Almog said.

“Different essential services are experiencing ​disruption that carries economic costs and can undermine public confidence.”

Democrats won both the Senate and House in Tuesday’s midterms.

Many winning candidates were progressives who ‌campaigned against military aid to Israel and the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Israel’s campaign in Gaza and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s embrace of President Donald Trump and other Republicans had already strained decades of bipartisan support for Israel.

Democratic control could bring greater scrutiny of military aid and West Bank violence, along with hearings and challenges to Trump nominees, although the president’s veto limits the party’s ability to force major policy changes.

One successful progressive was Abdul El Sayed of Michigan, the ​first Muslim elected to the US Senate despite Republican attempts to win over Jewish voters who might have been uncomfortable with his faith and his criticism of Israel.

There were also ​signs that Republicans might reexamine their party’s traditional support for Israel.

Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday blamed the election rout on the war against Iran ⁠and identified Israel as an issue for Republicans.

He said in a social media post that one pollster identified four actions that would bring disgruntled Trump voters back: “1) End the war 2) Focus ​on cost of living/inflation 3) Put America First 4) Change our relationship to Israel.”

Trump announced in a Fox News interview on Tuesday that he had made a deal with Netanyahu that Washington would end ​annual security assistance to Israel.

However, it was not immediately clear that he had the legal authority to stop the billions of dollars in military assistance Washington sends Israel each year.

Policy toward Israel has emerged as a generational divide in US politics. Opinion polls show younger voters, including some Republicans, feel the country has been too supportive of Israel and insufficiently supportive of residents of the Palestinian territories.

Sentiment shifting

Congressional sentiment had already been shifting. In September, 46 ​of the 47 members of the Senate Democratic caucus voted for a resolution to force Trump’s administration to report to Congress on increasing violence against Palestinians by Israeli settlers in the West Bank.

Republicans blocked ​the measure, but the near-unanimous Democratic vote was a sharp departure from decades of reliable bipartisan backing for Israel.

Democrats will likely focus again on West Bank violence.

“We need to make sure that we apply our laws ‌and international law ⁠and our policies uniformly across the board when it comes to the actions of countries. There should not be an Israel exception,” said Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, who has led attempts to put human rights conditions on Israel aid.

Democrats’ power remains limited, however. Trump promised to be “Mr. Veto,” and they are unlikely to muster the two-thirds majorities needed to override his vetoes if the president refuses to sign their bills.

Still, there might be enough resistance to sending US tax dollars abroad, and anger over the Iran war, for the “America First” wing of the Republican Party to also push ​back.

The election result could see “weird bedfellows of left ​and right come together in condemnation of ⁠Israel,” said Price Floyd, a former US official and senior adviser with Argyll Strategy, a London-based strategic communications firm.

Making noise

Majorities also mean Democrats can summon administration officials to public hearings, a rarity under Trump’s Republicans.

“What Congress can do is they can make … a lot of noise. They can threaten to ​hold up nominees. They can create lots of questions about various assistance deals and force the president to do waivers (if he lifts sanctions),” ​said William Wechsler, senior director ⁠of Middle East programs at the Atlantic Council.

Opinion polls showed the Iran war was a top election issue. Many Americans blamed higher prices – especially for gasoline – on the conflict Trump began in February.

Jonathan Schanzer, executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank, which advocates for a strong US-Israel alliance, said Israel’s changing leadership could change the “mood music” of dealings between the two countries.

Netanyahu lost his governing majority ⁠in an October ​27 Israeli election, but denied opponents a clear path to unseat him. Negotiations to form a new government are ​expected to be protracted.

A new Israeli government, particularly one less closely tied to Republicans, could engage in a more cooperative way with Democrats, Schanzer said.

“Nothing is going to change in the United States until January when Congress takes their seats and ​by then, there may be a new Israeli government that would also have an impact on this,” Schanzer said.

Wong was among a group of young people whose protest efforts have effectively ‌been outlawed by a national security law imposed in 2020, after violent demonstrations.

“The punishment must fit the gravity of the crime,” High Court Judge William Tam told a packed courtroom while delivering a sentence shorter than the maximum penalty of life in jail.

“It is also necessary for the court to express the community’s abhorrence of the defendant’s scheme and acts with others to ​collude with foreign forces or external elements to endanger national security.”

Wong, now 30, was accused of conspiring with self-exiled activist Nathan Law and others to ask foreign countries, ​bodies, or individuals outside China to impose sanctions or blockades, or engage in other hostile activities against the government.

He pleaded guilty to the ⁠charge in September.

Wearing a blue shirt and dark-framed glasses, with a short back-and-sides haircut, Wong, flanked by three guards, repeatedly nodded to a public gallery ahead of the sentencing.

“I have never advocated Hong Kong independence, nor have I ever promoted the ‘collapse of China’ or regime change,” Wong said during the trial’s mitigation phase.

“I have also never received foreign funding or spent ​money to hire foreign political consultants.”

Wong, repeatedly detained for his role in organising rallies, said he later realised he had been mistaken in his belief that his activities were ​within the bounds of the law.

“These harsh sentences have left many Hong Kong people deeply fearful,” said housewife ET Wong, one of the dozens who packed public galleries and stood outside court to support ‌Wong.

“We don’t ⁠know what actions might break the law, what we say might break the law, what we write or what we draw. We just don’t know anymore.”

Wong has been in detention since November 2020, when he pleaded guilty to inciting and organising an unauthorised anti-government assembly during protests that roiled the Asian financial hub in 2019. His release had been due next January.

Beijing said the law was necessary to stabilise the city.

Wong was not an “enemy”, but he needed to learn to respect the law and “understand his own country”, said Steve Li, chief superintendent of ​the national security department.

Meetings with foreign politicians

Wong’s meetings with ​politicians from the United States, Europe and ⁠elsewhere have drawn the wrath of Beijing, which calls him a “black hand” of foreign forces.

The offences took place between July 1 and November 23, 2020, a time when Hong Kong was facing a “very high risk” to national security and the rule of law, Tam said.

At a ​September hearing, the prosecution highlighted an international media and political campaign by Demosisto, a now-disbanded political party of ​which Wong was a leader⁠, that sought to bring sanctions and other hostile actions on Hong Kong and China in 2019 and 2020.

Those efforts included lobbying trips to Washington DC and meetings with Nancy Pelosi, then the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was a senator at the time.

The group at one point also backed a referendum on Hong Kong’s sovereignty.

The US Department of the Treasury designated Suniel Kumar Sharma and his wife, Jaspreet Preeti Shahid, accusing them of establishing unauthorised maritime registries and classification societies through websites that falsely claimed to represent countries that had not approved their services.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the department said the couple’s activities dated back to 2014 and involved providing false flag registrations and certifications to vessels carrying Iranian petroleum, including ships linked to Iran’s military and its proxies.

The Treasury said the network operated under the names of several countries, including Guyana, Eswatini and Laos.

It also alleged that a Singapore-based company established by Sharma in 2023 continued offering flagging services despite being publicly disavowed by Eswatini authorities.

The department cited the vessel PING SHUN, which it said had transported Iranian oil in multiple shipments before being sanctioned.

Several India-based companies linked to the couple have also been designated, including Oceaniek Technologies India, Aryavart Ship Management, Precept Trends, Polynesia Maritime, Alexarya Finserv, Alexarya Media and Entertainment, Viharaboating and Aryavart Maritime and Educational Trust.

The measures were imposed under Executive Order 13902, which targets key sectors of Iran’s economy, including petroleum, petrochemicals and aviation.

“No, I think he’s doing a very good job,” Trump said on Wednesday when asked whether he planned to remove Hegseth after Democrats secured control of the House of Representatives and the Senate, along with several governorships.

Trump also suggested that Hegseth could be a strong contender for an open Senate seat in Tennessee, currently held by Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn.

“I think he’s doing a very good job, and I actually think he’d be very popular if he did that. But I haven’t heard that at all,” Trump said when asked whether he would support Hegseth’s potential Senate bid.

According to The Hill, the former Army National Guard major has shown interest in the vacant Senate seat and has been quietly exploring a possible campaign.

However, CBS News reported that Trump had raised questions with advisers and during phone calls about whether Hegseth should remain in his position, although no final decision had been made.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has reportedly emerged as a possible candidate to replace Hegseth.

Media reports suggested he could obtain Senate confirmation during the lame-duck period before assuming the defence post after his gubernatorial term ends on January 5.

Meanwhile, some White House aides have reportedly raised concerns about the roles of Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, and General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in shaping military guidance for the Iran war.

Hegseth had also faced calls for impeachment from Democrats before the midterm elections, with the prospect of congressional action potentially gaining traction following the party’s expected control of both chambers.

The situation is ​being monitored by the prime ​minister’s office, it added.

According to flight-tracking ‌website ⁠Flightradar24, an Aer Lingus aircraft turned near Paris and was circling over the Evreux area ​after ​declaring an ⁠in-flight emergency.

At least seven flights and a ​cruise ship in Europe ​received bomb ⁠threats on Tuesday, disrupting airports, although no devices ⁠were ​discovered.

Republican allies and strategists called ‌for Trump to shake up his White House personnel, restore discipline and scrap policies they blamed for the losses, including the Iran war and tariffs, as his presidency enters its final years.

Veteran Republican strategist John Feehery called the results a “huge disaster” for Trump.

“He needs to clean house,” Feehery said. “Every day from this point forward, he’s becoming more and more lame.”

But ​Trump showed little indication that he viewed the election outcome as a reason to change direction.

“I don’t view it as a hit ​on me,” he told Fox News late on Tuesday.

Democrats will now have the power to block Trump’s legislation, investigate his ⁠administration and challenge his nominees. That is expected to push Trump, who has already used executive authority aggressively, toward an even greater reliance on unilateral ​action.

He will also have to decide whether to double down on an agenda that some Republicans fear has become a political liability, particularly for potential ​successors eyeing White House bids in 2028.

Vice President JD Vance, who is viewed as Trump’s likely political heir, appeared to put some distance between himself and the president on Wednesday, blaming the Iran war for the midterm losses.

Such breaks could become more common if Republicans conclude Trump’s longtime grip on the party’s voters is weakening, strategists ​and party officials said.

White House braces for staff shake-up, investigations

Inside the White House, senior aides were bracing for staff departures, possible Cabinet changes and ​Democratic investigations, according to a senior official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“It absolutely sucks to be here right now,” the official said. “Morale is as low as ‌it can ⁠get.”

The official said internal polling had warned six weeks before the election that Republicans were headed for losses in both chambers. Still, Trump refused to change course on Iran despite warnings about the political consequences.

“Ultimately, he just didn’t care,” the official said. “He refused to listen to anyone.”

Trump acknowledged late on Tuesday that the eight-month-old Iran war had hurt Republican candidates but defended his decision to launch the conflict.

Republican concerns extended beyond the war. In focus groups ​conducted for competitive Senate races in ​places like Michigan and Iowa, ⁠national Republican political advisers grew increasingly concerned this summer as more Republican and independent voters voiced opposition to the president’s focus on the White House ballroom and Washington renovations, a Republican political adviser said.

“If Trump spends the next ​two years talking about this same shit, we will get shellacked again in the next election,” the ​adviser said.

Yet on Wednesday, ⁠Trump gathered reporters for an impromptu visit to the ballroom construction site and defended the time he has devoted to the project.

“For me it’s relaxing,” he said.

The White House also struck a defiant public tone, posting a photograph of Trump on social media with the message: “PSA: TRUMP IS STILL YOUR PRESIDENT.”

Trump still ⁠holds considerable ​power. Reuters previously reported that the White House has spent months preparing executive actions on immigration, ​tariffs, housing and federal spending that could allow him to advance parts of his agenda despite Democratic opposition.

But executive authority will not be able to shield the administration from congressional ​probes.

“Nobody wants to deal with the investigations,” the official said.

Before Abdul El Sayed could make history as the first Muslim elected to the US ​Senate, he endured what critics called one of the most overtly Islamophobic campaigns in modern US politics.

He won anyway. El Sayed cast his victory in Tuesday’s midterm elections as a rebuke to such rhetoric, ‌accusing his Republican opponent Mike Rogers of running what he called a historically ugly, hate-based campaign.

“You chose hate, and Michigan chose hope,” El Sayed said in his victory speech.

The attacks were a defining feature of the race, stirring safety concerns among residents in and around Dearborn, home to one of the nation’s largest Arab American communities, local officials and residents said this week.

El Sayed, 42, a Michigan-born Egyptian American who has a medical degree and formerly served as Detroit’s health director, ran as a progressive focused on healthcare and the cost of living.

David Kolar, a 32-year-old music ​teacher, said the focus on El Sayed’s faith recalled the backlash Muslims faced after the September 11, 2001, attacks, a period he believed the country had left behind.

“We have freedom of religion, and if he is of ​the Muslim faith, so be it,” Kolar said after casting his ballot for El Sayed in the Detroit suburb of Warren.

Rogers said his objections to El Sayed were ideological, not religious. Yet ⁠he portrayed him as a national security threat and campaigned alongside Republicans who went further.

Foremost among them was President Donald Trump, who labelled El Sayed a terrorist and compared him to the September 11 hijackers.

Rogers appeared with Senator John Kennedy, ​a Louisiana Republican who said El Sayed sleeps “in a bin Laden jersey,” and with Senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, when he called El Sayed a “jihadist leprechaun” and warned Americans would die if he won.

The attacks stood out not only for their severity ​but for how readily prominent Republicans embraced them, said Nazita Lajevardi, an associate professor at the University of Michigan who studies the intersection of politics, race and religion.

Unlike after September 11 or during Trump’s first-term Muslim ban, she said, there was little pushback from Republican party elites.

“This is the most egregious and most bigoted Islamophobic campaign I have seen,” she said.

“What you’re seeing is not just hostility, racism and bigotry from the president … but you’re seeing it from rank-and-file members of the Republican Party.”

Anatomy of an attack campaign

Led by Trump, Republicans portrayed Democratic ​candidates as radical, un-American and even communist throughout the campaign.

Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico was derided in Texas as “Talafreako” over his views on gender and sexuality.

In Ohio, ads weaponised Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton’s account of surviving sexual ​assault in her youth.

Voters appeared far more concerned with pocketbook issues than attacks, however, in an election season when Democrats, including Talarico and Acton, chalked up sweeping wins.

Still, perhaps no campaign leaned into identity politics as heavily as the Michigan Senate race.

Republicans sought to ‌link El Sayed to ⁠the Muslim Brotherhood using decade-old writings on political change in Egypt and social media posts by his half-sister.

The United States designated some Brotherhood branches as terrorist organizations this year.

El Sayed disavowed the group and denied any association, and no evidence has emerged linking him to it.

Republicans also seized on El Sayed’s response to the March attack on Michigan’s Temple Israel synagogue.

In a statement denouncing the violence, he said “hurt people hurt people,” drawing anger from some Jewish leaders who criticised the remark as rationalising antisemitic violence.

He later apologised, saying that his comments may have been misconstrued and that “it wasn’t the time for context.”

Rogers’ allies invoked the episode through the campaign’s final hours. On the eve of the election, the Michigan Republican Party held a ​press conference featuring Jewish and Black community leaders opposed ​to El Sayed beside a large red sign accusing him ⁠of offering “SAFE HARBOR TO TERRORISTS.”

Asked by Reuters to substantiate the claim, party communications director Ted Goodman pointed to the “hurt people hurt people” remark, which he said amounted to justifying a terrorist attack against children.

The argument resonated with some voters.

Five of roughly 30 people Reuters interviewed in the Detroit area said El Sayed’s Muslim faith or perceived links to extremism strongly influenced ​their vote for Rogers.

Robin Cook, 73, was one of them. “I don’t think he’s a true American,” he said of El Sayed. “I don’t trust him.”

Dearborn pushes back

Most voters interviewed dismissed the ​attacks as desperate and a ⁠distraction from their economic concerns.

Non-Muslims stressed that Muslims and Arab Americans were woven into their daily lives, pointing to friends, neighbours, colleagues and physicians in their communities.

“I grew up around all nationalities,” said Pamela Johnson, a 72-year-old Catholic, after voting for El Sayed.

“We all matter, regardless of color, race or whatever.”

But Dearborn residents said the rhetoric carried real-world consequences, fueling safety fears.

Imad Soofi, a business owner who immigrated from Yemen two decades ago, said he had seen a rise in anti-Muslim hostility since Trump began targeting El Sayed, ⁠including remarks directed ​at women wearing hijabs in public.

A three-time Trump voter, Soofi, 49, said he might have backed Rogers had the candidate distanced himself from Trump’s ​anti-Muslim rhetoric. Instead, he voted for El Sayed.

Alabas Farhat, who represents parts of Dearborn and Detroit in the Michigan House, said the campaign recycled anti-Muslim tropes Arab Americans in the region had encountered for years.

“There has been this constant questioning of how American can you be as a Muslim? How American ​can you be as an Arab American?” Farhat said in an interview.

“It happens, but time and again, we show how American we are.”

Voters in conservative ​bastions who had propelled the president to his second term in office just two years ago swung dramatically toward Democrats, fueled by deep frustration over the unpopular war with Iran, anxiety over the high cost of living and anger at ‌Trump’s stewardship of the country.

In Texas, the biggest Republican state, Democrats ended a decades-long losing streak in seismic fashion, winning a Senate seat and ousting three-term Governor Greg Abbott.

Kansas elected its first Democratic senator since the Great Depression nearly a century ago, and in South Carolina, a state that Trump carried by nearly 18 points in 2024, Democrats turned aside his hand-picked Senate candidate.

The results will usher in a new era of divided government in Washington, following two years in which the Republican-controlled Congress rarely exercised its power to rein in Trump.

Once seated in January, Democrats are expected to use their power to investigate Trump’s administration, family and allies and demand concessions on major legislation. The Democratic ​Senate can block Trump’s nominees, including any US Supreme Court justices should a vacancy arise.

“There is now a generational remake of the Senate map that is going to change America,” said Chuck Schumer, the party’s Senate minority leader. “Americans voted for change, and now Democrats must ​deliver.”

Trump, who is barred by the US Constitution from seeking a third term, has exercised an iron grip on his party for most of the last decade. But the new balance of power in Washington may ⁠accelerate his lame-duck status, as attention turns toward the 2028 presidential race and potential successors begin competing for political influence in a post-Trump world.

Despite worries from Democrats that Trump might seek to overturn the election results, as he did in 2020, the president accepted the outcome, congratulating Democrats in ​an interview with Fox News. He also said he would work with Democrats on issues such as immigration, though he threatened to veto any “insane” bills they passed.

DEMOCRATIC WAVE

Democrats focused their campaign on corruption and affordability, blaming Trump’s tariff policy and the war with Iran for driving up costs while highlighting the ​billions of dollars the Trump family has made since he returned to the White House.

Republicans, led by Trump, attacked Democrats over culture war issues such as transgender rights while portraying their opponents as radical and extreme. But in poll after poll, voters made it clear they were far more concerned with pocketbook issues.

The Democratic wave flooded huge swaths of the country. Republicans lost ground in all but a handful of the approximately 2,100 counties where most votes had been counted, according to tallies compiled by Reuters and USA Today.

Democrats made gains in the richest counties and the poorest; in counties where more people have college degrees and where fewer do. Democrats’ advances were particularly sharp ​in heavily Latino counties, including the border counties of Texas that shifted toward Trump in 2024 and the agricultural towns of the Kansas prairie.

In Seward County, Kansas, home to one of America’s biggest beef processing plants and where about half of eligible voters are Hispanic, Democrat Adam Hamilton led ​incumbent Republican Senator Roger Marshall by 13 points, two years after Trump won the county by 39 points.

Democrats flipped more than two dozen House seats currently held by Republicans, locking in a majority. Democrats won all the closely contested House races that have been decided so far, and they won about a dozen races ‌in districts that Trump ⁠won by double digits two years ago.

An unprecedented Republican gambit to redraw several House districts to make them more favourable largely failed, with Democrats hanging on to most of the targeted seats.

Midterm elections are typically seen as a referendum on the sitting president, and Trump did little to disabuse voters of that notion. In the campaign’s final weeks, he held dozens of rallies, telling supporters repeatedly to “pretend I’m on the ballot.”

He also intervened in several Republican primaries earlier this year to ensure his preferred candidates reached the ballot, despite concerns from some Republicans that his choices carried significant liabilities.

In Texas, Trump backed Ken Paxton, the scandal-ridden state attorney general, over the incumbent, Senator John Cornyn. In South Carolina, the president anointed Darline Graham, a political neophyte, after her brother, Senator Lindsey Graham, died suddenly earlier this year. Both candidates lost.

But even candidates who sought to distance themselves from Trump were unable to escape ​voters’ wrath. In Maine, Republican incumbent Susan Collins had her 30-year Senate ​career end on Tuesday, despite emphasising her willingness to break with ⁠the president during the campaign.

Progressive Democrat Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan’s open Senate seat, becoming the first Muslim elected to the chamber. He defeated Mike Rogers, a former congressman and FBI agent, who entered the race with Trump’s backing and sought to falsely portray El-Sayed, an Egyptian American born in Michigan, as a religious extremist.

“You chose hate, and Michigan chose hope,” El-Sayed told cheering supporters on Tuesday night, referring to Rogers.

Competitive Senate races in Mississippi and ​Alaska had yet to be called early on Wednesday.

On Tuesday night, as it grew clear Republicans were in danger of losing their congressional majorities, Trump wrote on social media, “I wasn’t on the Ballot and if ​I was, we would have won IN ⁠A LANDSLIDE!”

In media interviews, Trump acknowledged the conflict with Iran had played a role in his party’s losses but stood by his decision to go to war.

VOTERS REBUKE TRUMP

According to exit polls conducted by SSRS on behalf of a consortium of US media outlets including major television networks and the Associated Press, half of voters nationwide said they saw the 2026 midterm elections as an opportunity to rebuke the president, and three-quarters said they are “angry” or “dissatisfied” with the way the country is headed.

In addition, 70% of voters surveyed said they want Congress to provide more checks and balances on the president.

“In sweeping and decisive victories, the American people ⁠have rebuked the depravity, ​corruption and incompetence of the man named President Donald J. Trump,” incumbent Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia told supporters at a victory party.

The night included several historic firsts ​for both parties. In Georgia, Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first Black woman elected governor of any US state, while Byron Donalds won Florida’s gubernatorial race to become the first Black Republican governor in the US. Democrat Gina Hinojosa will become the first Latina governor in Texas, while Democrat Xavier Becerra will be California’s first Latino governor.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told reporters while campaigning in Hawke’s Bay that the election would likely go down to the wire.

“The message is pretty simple – ​it’s going to be tight and close,” he told reporters, “we want to encourage everybody to get out ​, and party vote National,” urging voters to give National another three years to “complete the job”.

Polls ⁠released this week showed no clear majority for either bloc of parties, with the centrist Opportunity Party positioned as a ​potential kingmaker.

Political commentators expect it could take weeks for New Zealand to form a government, with support growing for ​smaller parties as voters lose confidence in the two largest ones.

Opposition leader Chris Hipkins said Labour hoped to form a Labour-led government before Christmas.

“The best way to ensure there is a change in government, and most New Zealanders are indicating to us they want ​a change in government, is to give your party vote to Labour so we are the biggest party,” he ​said.

Early voting began on October 26 and, by Tuesday, 1,250,057 votes had been cast, compared with 1,007,928 at the same point ‌in 2023, ⁠according to Electoral Commission data.

The economy is key

The election is largely a verdict on the government’s handling of the economy. Inflation has eased from earlier peaks, but petrol and other everyday costs have renewed pressure on households.

An Ipsos survey published this week found inflation and the cost of living remained voters’ biggest concern.

Healthcare and hospitals followed at 45%, while ​petrol prices and fuel rose ​to third place at ⁠31%, ahead of the economy at 30% and unemployment at 19%.

New Zealand has emerged only slowly from a prolonged downturn, with growth subdued, household budgets strained and unemployment rising ​to 5.7% in the third quarter, its highest level in 11 years.

“This was very ​much an election ⁠about the economy, so mostly cost of living,” said Mona Krewel, a senior political science lecturer at Victoria University of Wellington.

“This is the one issue that unites all voters. No matter if people are young or old, it’s actually where ⁠they come ​together.”

She said Labour had run a strong campaign on the cost ​of living, while National and other centre-right parties had focused more broadly on the economy.

Krewel said ACT and New Zealand First had sought to ​elevate immigration as a campaign issue but had struggled to dislodge economic concerns.

Democrats flipped control of both the House of Representatives and Senate while winning key statewide races, delivering a series of milestone victories.

Gina Hinojosa became the first Latina elected ‌governor of Texas, Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan the first Muslim elected to the US Senate and Deb Haaland of New Mexico the first Native American woman elected governor.

In Georgia, Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first Black woman elected governor of a US state, while Xavier Becerra was the first Latino elected as governor of California. Chris Pappas of New Hampshire made history as the first openly gay man elected to the US Senate.

The breakthroughs marked a striking expansion of who holds political power ​at the highest levels of American government, in a country where people of marginalised backgrounds have long been underrepresented.

“From coast to coast, voters … spoke with clarity. Democrats must now govern courageously,” former Georgia ​gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams said in a statement.

Pollsters and political analysts said the Democratic gains appeared to stem from a combination of economic frustration and dissatisfaction with ⁠the Iran war, tariffs, aggressive immigration enforcement, perceived government corruption and the country’s broader direction, among other issues.

Democrats made unexpected gains in deeply conservative states, suggesting the party attracted Republicans while rebuilding support within its ​traditional coalition, analysts, civil rights leaders and grassroots voter organisations said.

Black and Latino voters had become increasingly contested constituencies in recent election cycles.

“You can’t take for granted the Hispanic voters in this country, the Black voters ​in this country, the young voters in this country, and if we don’t deliver, they can swing right back,” said Democratic strategist Bakari Sellers.

Democratic victories in Republican-leaning states helped flip the House and Senate and signalled a broader voter backlash against Republican leadership, said Vanderbilt University political scientist John Geer, who studies public opinion.

“It’s an old-fashioned thumping that we haven’t seen in quite a while,” Geer said. Republicans made a series of promises in 2024, “and almost none of them were kept. This is the ​public’s reaction to it.”

Economic concerns, including the rising costs of housing, healthcare, food and fuel, cut across racial and political lines, said Greg Lewis, executive director of Souls to the Polls, a Milwaukee-based civic engagement organisation.

Lewis, ​who voted for Wisconsin Democrat David Crowley, the state’s first Black governor-elect, said voters were frustrated with the economic pressures facing their families.

“When you start getting into people’s pockets, you have a problem,” Lewis said.

In Texas, Hinojosa’s defeat of Governor ‌Greg Abbott ⁠ended a 31-year Republican hold on the governor’s office. Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton in the US Senate race, delivering one of the night’s biggest surprises in a state Trump carried comfortably in 2024.

Democrat Jon Rosenthal won a seat on the Railroad Commission of Texas, becoming the first Jewish candidate elected to statewide executive office, according to the Jewish Herald-Voice.

“We all had hope, but to see it come to fruition is breathtaking,” said Joshua Arce, a Texas resident and president of Partnership With Native Americans. He said the results reflected a Republican Party that had failed to offer voters a compelling policy agenda.

The election’s gains in representation were not ​limited to Democrats. In Florida, US Representative Byron Donalds, ​a Republican, became the first Black governor elected ⁠in the state’s history.

Melik Abdul, a Republican strategist and Trump supporter, said the result underscored tensions between the party’s criticism of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and the growing prominence of Black Republicans.

“Republicans spent the last year linking DEI to Black people and the idea that they were unqualified. How ironic that a Black guy ​ends up being the biggest win that Republicans had,” Abdul said.

From representation to influence

But experts cautioned that electoral breakthroughs do not automatically translate into greater political ​influence, lasting policy changes or ⁠institutional reform.

The ability of newly elected officials to shape legislation, control congressional committee agendas, direct government spending and influence party leadership will depend on the institutions they enter, the coalitions they build and the balance of power within their parties, political experts said.

Within the Congressional Black Caucus and the Democratic Party more broadly, an influx of new lawmakers could expose generational tensions between established members who hold influential leadership and committee positions and younger lawmakers seeking a greater ⁠role in shaping ​the party’s agenda, said Nadia Brown, director of women’s and gender studies at Georgetown University.

“What I think is going to happen, ​what we’ve seen is, unfortunately, that the older members and those in leadership will cannibalise their young, and that’s what I’m really concerned about,” Brown said.

Brown said longstanding barriers facing many communities, especially unemployment for Black women, are unlikely to disappear simply because more ​women and people of colour won office.

“What was broken by a stroke of a pen cannot be fixed with another, and so it’s going to take time to rebuild,” Brown said.

The mobilisation, called by trade unions including the left-wing CGT and backed by student groups, comes ​after demonstrations over living costs, public services and education triggered the worst civil unrest France has seen in ​years.

Authorities have sought to lower tensions after riots and looting on October 17 caught security forces ⁠off guard, leaving damaged shops and public buildings across the country and fuelling criticism of Macron’s handling of the crisis.

“We ​are extremely vigilant because it is out of the question to relive October 17,” government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon told a ​press conference after Wednesday’s cabinet meeting.

French authorities will deploy around 70,000 police nationwide, BFM TV reported. The domestic intelligence service expects between 500,000 and 700,000 people to join demonstrations outside Paris, it said.

The Education Ministry said 17.5% of public primary school teachers were expected to strike, ​while unions warned of likely disruptions to rail and public transport services.

Among those expected to join Thursday’s marches are students ​who say conditions in schools and growing uncertainty over their future remain major concerns.

“We’re trying to keep mobilising as much as possible. Some ‌people ⁠aren’t doing so because they’re afraid. A lot of people are afraid of police violence,” said Irma de Banville, a 19-year-old student in Paris.

The French government has defended police tactics while saying any abuses would be investigated.

‘Get the river back into its bed’

Macron convened a defence and security meeting on Wednesday ahead of the protests, underlining how a movement that began with ​student anger over deteriorating school conditions ​and concerns about opportunities ⁠for young people has evolved into a broader challenge to his government.

“The goal in the coming weeks is to get the river that overflowed back into its bed and to ​launch the presidential election in the calmest possible conditions,” an official close to Macron said, ​pointing to the ⁠lower number of high schools blockaded this week compared with earlier in the crisis.

Nationwide protests last Saturday were generally peaceful, with some clashes on the fringes. Even so, the political atmosphere remains tense, with candidates manoeuvring ahead of the election and opposition parties seeking ⁠to capitalise ​on public frustration over living standards and government policy.

French power unions are ​expected to join Thursday’s strike, state-owned utility EDF said.

A previous power sector strike in mid-September reduced electricity supply in the country and cut delivery capacity ​at France’s biggest liquefied natural gas terminal, Dunkirk LNG.

Trump has recently threatened to renew the war against Iran amid similar rhetoric from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but on Tuesday he suffered a resounding defeat in polls that will strip his Republicans of control over Congress.

The results could constrain Trump’s ability to enact his agenda, though the president retains the power to order new strikes.

“Those who still harbour even the slightest hope that the behaviour of the hegemonic system might change through partisan or factional shifts, or who imagine that making concessions to the United States can dissuade it from hostility towards the Iranian nation, are seriously mistaken,” Iranian supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei said in a written statement Wednesday.

He also warned that if the United States did choose further military action, the scope of the war would widen, without elaborating.

Khamenei has yet to appear in public since he took power in March following the killing of his father and predecessor in US-Israeli strikes, and has communicated through written messages.

Earlier, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s chief negotiator in talks with the US, said Americans had voted against war in the midterms.

“Conscience or the cost of living, Americans said NO TO WAR, and we endorse this message,” he posted on X.

“If the US govt betrays their public will to serve international paymasters and blackmailers, it will learn our NO comes with a Nightmare,” Ghalibaf said.

Iran’s judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei also hailed the election results, saying Trump had been “defeated both militarily and politically”.

The war has proved unpopular among the US public, who have seen the cost of living rise after a spike in energy prices caused by the war.

Trump on Tuesday acknowledged the conflict may have played a part in the defeat of his Republican Party.

“I think a part of it was Iran, but at the same time, people understood the importance of what I’ve done,” Trump told Fox News.

On Tuesday, the US launched strikes on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, with Iranian state media reporting five explosions in rapid succession.

“They built an anti-aircraft facility… As soon as it was completed, we hit it last night very nicely,” Trump told US media, but he called it a “minor attack”.

‘Locked and loaded’

Earlier this week, the president said he still had to “take care” of one or two targets, including so-called Pickaxe Mountain in central Iran, a suspected nuclear site which Tehran denies is such a facility.

However, he told the Financial Times on Tuesday that a full-scale resumption of war may not be necessary.

“We seem to be getting everything we want,” he said. “I’m ready, we’re ready. We’re locked and loaded if we need to go, but there may be no reason for it.”

The president’s remarks come with diplomatic efforts by mediators in full swing in an attempt to prevent any resumption of fighting.

On Tuesday, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said his government was still trying to resolve the crisis through dialogue.

Pezeshkian said Iran’s supreme leader had granted the government new powers to negotiate on issues previously off-limits.

Qatar, a mediator in the protracted wrangling, said it remained hopeful of an interim deal.

Both sides “are currently reviewing the ideas and proposals we have presented”, Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari told reporters.

China also said Wednesday that avoiding a return to hostilities was a top priority in its diplomatic efforts with the countries.

The war, triggered in February when the US and Israel pummelled Iran in a massive wave of strikes, has been at a stalemate for months.

Iranian officials have repeatedly warned of wide-ranging retaliation if Washington resumes the war.

The realignment is notable as many of the leaders celebrated their ideological ties with Trump following ‌his victory in 2024, with some of them visiting Washington, DC, since then and receiving backing from his billionaire ally Elon Musk.

Jordan Bardella, leader of France’s National Rally, which most polls suggest could form the next government, typified the political shift.

Trump’s second term was less isolationist than his first from 2017 to 2021, Bardella said. “American intervention regarding Iran carries very heavy consequences” for economies around the world, ​he added, without mentioning Trump as being behind that intervention.

In Germany, Alice Weidel, co-leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, also attributed the loss to ​Iran. “Trump had promised his voters not to pursue an interventionist foreign policy … This broken promise has now come back to haunt ⁠the Republicans,” she told news outlet T-Online.

Trump acknowledged the war with Iran had played a role in his party’s losses but said he stood by his decision.

Cost of living pressures

In Italy, Matteo Salvini, leader of the far-right League party, which is part of the ruling coalition, said: “The American result was influenced above all by the wars, international tensions ​and the increase in the cost of living, the consequences of which fall directly on families.”

“The hope is that this vote can represent an acceleration towards the end of the conflicts and a return to peace.”

Roberto Vannacci, a former Italian general who leads the far-right Futuro Nazionale party, said the US result showed the political dangers of failing to deliver on electoral promises. Vannacci has ​previously expressed admiration for Trump’s “America First” brand of nationalist politics but has since criticised the president over foreign policy.

“Trump failed to live up to expectations, was unable to ​bring the war between Russia and Ukraine to an end and launched a war against Iran,” Vannacci told ANSA news agency, arguing that the resulting rise in energy prices and economic ‌and stock ⁠market turmoil had hurt the US middle class and contributed to the election result.

Ties with Trump could become an ‘Electoral liability’

Europe’s far-right leaders were distancing themselves from Trump for obvious political advantage, according to analyst Mujtaba Rahman, managing director of political risk consultancy Eurasia Group. “His growing unpopularity, particularly over the cost of living, risks turning what was once a political asset into an electoral liability,” he told Reuters.

Rahman said far-right leaders appeared to want it both ways: to reap the “ideological momentum of Trumpism” without being tarred by the “chaos ​and economic disruption of his presidency”.

“The risk ​is that Trump and his MAGA ⁠allies, who see Europe’s far right as ideological partners in their struggle against the European establishment, could respond by withdrawing their political support or even turning against them,” he added.

One of the few to play down the scale of the Republicans’ defeat was ​Dan Dungaciu, vice-president of the opposition hard-right Alliance for Uniting Romanians, who argued that reports of Trump’s “political death” were “greatly exaggerated”. ​He added, “Donald Trump does ⁠not automatically become a powerless president. Instead, he moves from a presidency backed by Republican majorities to one in which the executive and Congress will check each other much more intensely.”

In Spain, the leader of the far-right party Vox, Santiago Abascal, made little attempt to temper his move away from Trump, telling reporters he was “in Spain and not in Michigan”.

“I care ⁠quite little ​about what happens in other places,” said Abascal, who has in the past touted his alliance with ​Trump and the MAGA movement.

Rupert Lowe, leader of the far-right Restore Britain party, also blamed the decision to attack Iran for the Republicans’ defeat, calling it a “catastrophic mistake.” He added, “What has this war achieved? Absolutely ​nothing of worth.” Lowe did not, though, include in his lengthy X post the name of the president who launched the war.

Speaking in a phone interview with Fox News, Trump acknowledged the Democrats’ efforts, saying they had campaigned hard and deserved recognition for their victories.

“The Democrats did a good job. They fought hard,” he said.

Several Republican candidates endorsed by Trump suffered defeats, including in states he had comfortably won during the 2024 presidential election.

However, the president brushed aside suggestions that the results were a setback for his administration, instead pointing to the candidates themselves as responsible for their losses.

Trump also rejected the idea that voter concerns over issues such as the economy and the war involving Iran had contributed to the Republican losses.

Asked whether he viewed the election outcome as a reflection on his presidency, Trump said he did not believe it was a personal blow.

“I don’t view it as a hit on me,” he said, adding that his administration had delivered what he described as “the greatest two years in the history of the presidency.”

Vance’s extraordinary remarks in a post on X could further complicate Trump’s deliberations as he weighs whether to restart major combat operations ​against Iran, a step US officials have told Reuters is still under consideration.

They ​also raise questions about the political fortunes of senior Pentagon ⁠officials, most notably Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. Hegseth is already deeply unpopular ​in Congress, where some lawmakers are expected to seek his impeachment.

“The reason ​we lost is the war,” Vance said on X.

“If you’d like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, ​then do so.”

Vance also said an earlier recommendation to end the war ​was “sound advice.”

Democrats secured control of both the Senate and House of Representatives on Tuesday, scoring sweeping ‌victories ⁠in Republican strongholds for the first time in generations.

Voters in conservative bastions who had propelled the president to his second term in office just two years ago swung dramatically toward Democrats, fueled by deep frustration over the ​war with Iran, anxiety ​over the high ⁠cost of living and anger at Trump’s stewardship of the country.

Vance sought to play down any difference of ​opinion with Trump, saying the president had also acknowledged ​that the ⁠Iran war cost Republicans the midterm elections on Tuesday. But Trump’s comments were far more measured, saying the Iran war was only one of multiple reasons.

“I ⁠did ​the right thing,” Trump told the Wall Street ​Journal. “I would have done it again.”