Nov 4, 2026, 04:00 PM UTC

Democratic candidates have secured control of the US Congress following major victories in the midterm elections, dealing a significant setback to President Donald Trump's second-term agenda.

Driven by voter dissatisfaction over rising living costs and the military conflict with Iran, Democrats flipped historically conservative Senate seats in states including Texas, Iowa, Kansas, North Carolina, and South Carolina. These victories surpassed the four-seat net gain required to dismantle the previous 53–47 Republican majority in the upper chamber.

With majorities in Congress, Democrats now hold the legislative leverage necessary to stall key administration initiatives and judicial nominations over the next two years.

Sources: BBC News, Cyprus Mail, Sweden Herald, The Guardian, The Herald

Russian bombardment targeted five districts across Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region nearly 60 times within 24 hours, according to emergency services. The attacks killed at least five civilians and injured 16 others as the war entered its 1,625th day.

Casualties were concentrated in the Kamianske district, where three people died and five sustained injuries. In Pavlohrad, two residents were killed and seven wounded. Shelling in the Nikopol district damaged civilian infrastructure, injured local residents, and ignited several fires. Emergency crews worked across the affected areas to extinguish blazes and treat victims.

Sources: Ziarul de Gardă

Nearly 800 civilians were successfully evacuated from the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky in Kherson region following a humanitarian ceasefire mediated by US First Lady Melania Trump.

According to reports from both Ukrainian and Russian officials, the operation proceeded without incident. Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets and Melania Trump confirmed that route demining was completed prior to the evacuations and essential aid deliveries. In response to her mediation efforts and broader contributions to humanitarian support, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky awarded Melania Trump the Order of Princess Olga, First Class.

Sources: Mediapool, Nova TV, NV, Радіо Свобода, Українська правда

Authorities in Spain and Turkey are investigating a series of major transport accidents. In central Spain, a collision between two high-speed trains near Los Yebenes in Toledo province left at least 64 people dead after two carriages derailed down an embankment along the Madrid-Seville line.

Concurrently, several fatal traffic accidents occurred across Turkey. A head-on collision between two cars in Ankara's Polatlı district killed three people and injured four others. In Isparta's Keçiborlu district, a midibus transporting seasonal agricultural workers struck a freight truck, leaving 17 workers injured. Additionally, another collision involving freight vehicles resulted in one fatality and three injuries. Emergency services responded across all sites, and official inquiries into the causes remain ongoing.

Sources: Anadolu Ajansı (Anadolu Agency), Bianet, Cumhuriyet, TRT Haber (Turkish Radio and Television Corporation)

Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel has condemned the recent municipal council decision in Istanbul's Üsküdar district, which transferred local administrative authority to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Speaking at a public demonstration in Üsküdar and during a television appearance, Özel described the process as an affront to democratic standards and questioned President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's commitment to democratic principles. The opposition leader emphasized that CHP had legitimately won the district in local elections and accused the governing party of overriding the voters' choice.

Separately, Özel addressed Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş's recent meeting with Erdoğan, stating that the discussion was limited to addressing operational municipal bottlenecks in the capital rather than political bargaining.

Sources: Bianet, Cumhuriyet