Pete Hegseth under pressure after US elections

Pressure grows on the US defence secretary following the Republicans' midterm losses. The war in Iran, which Pete Hegseth supported, is being blamed for the defeats - but President Trump said he intended to keep Mr Hegseth on. The defence secretary issues a defiant video statement defending his record. Also: Melania Trump hosts Russian and Ukrainian representatives at the White House. US tech stocks lose hundreds of billions of dollars over fears the Democrats could slow down AI development. Paraguay's president faces impeachment over the collapse of a bank that he had connections with. And the blind Nigerian woman hoping to retain her martial arts title.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: [email protected] Photo: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks in a video statement, in Arlington, Virginia, US in this still image from handout video released November 5, 2026. Credit: X/Reuters

French riot police have fired tear gas at protesters in several cities in the latest day of demonstrations over the rising cost of living and public services that began with student strikes in September.French riot police have fired tear gas at protesters in several cities. A school near the southern city of Toulouse has been set on fire. Unions, who've called a general strike to demand higher pay, say they expect 800,000 people on the streets across France.Also: Flights across Europe have again been disrupted by a series of bomb threats, with at least twelve planes affected. British comedian and actor Russell Brand has been found guilty of rape and sexual assault and told he faces jail. The Portuguese striker, Cristiano Ronaldo, has announced he is retiring from international football. New Zealand's party leaders have been making their final appeals to voters, before a general election with no clear frontrunners. Was an Italian chef really fired over refusal to put pineapple on pizza? And... we speak to Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw about their favourite moments from filming the second series of the hit Netflix spy thriller Black Doves.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment.Get in touch: [email protected] Photo: A masked protester holds a red flare during a demonstration in Paris Credit: REUTERS/Hannah McKay

President Trump said it was "largely true" that the Republicans' defeat in the US midterm elections was because of the war on Iran. The Vice-President, JD Vance, went further, suggesting the political fallout from the conflict wasn't worth it. We'll also have the latest on the Senate race in Alaska, in which a winner has yet to be declared. Also: tens of thousands of secret police files are released in Hungary. A Hong Kong activist is sentenced to 10 years in prison. And there's outrage in Denmark after a man was tricked into being filmed for a reality TV show. The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: [email protected]: President Trump addresses White House construction workers, 04 Nov 2026 Credit: Photo by Annabelle Gordon/Pool/EPA/Shutterstock.

Democrats have stormed to success in the US midterm elections, capitalising on voter anger about the Iran war, the economy and threats to democracy under Donald Trump. Both the Senate and the House have been flipped by a wide margin. Senate seats turned from Republican to Democrat in Texas, Ohio, Iowa, Kansas and Maine, as well as North and South Carolina. Many of the seats had been held by Republicans for decades. In a first reaction, Iran's supreme leader said he doesn't expect US policy to change, although his chief negotiator earlier said the results showed Americans didn't want war. Also; Israel's president has begun consultations with party leaders on who can form a government after last week's inconclusive vote, and President Zelensky has given Ukraine's highest civilian award for women to the American first lady, Melania Trump, for a ceasefire which she's credited with brokering in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky. The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: [email protected] Photo: Democratic US Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed walks onto the stage after his victory in the US midterm elections in Detroit, Michigan Credit: Reuters/Brian Snyder

The Democratic Party inflicted a huge upset on the Republicans in the US midterm elections. In the Senate race in Texas, the Democrat James Talarico is projected to beat the Republican Ken Paxton. He'll join Democratic Senators from South and North Carolina, and Ohio, who've flipped seats in a change that will see the Republicans lose control of the Senate. The Democrats are already expected to win a majority in the House of Representatives - a victory which will have a major impact on President Trump's ability to govern. Writing on social media, the president said that if he'd been on the ballot, the Republicans would have won 'in a landslide'.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: [email protected] Photo: Supporters react after media outlets projected Democratic US Senate candidate and Texas State Representative James Talarico's victory in the US midterm elections in Austin, Texas, US, November 3, 2026. Credit: Reuters

US voters decide whether Donald Trump keeps control of Congress in the midterm elections. The Democrats are predicted to win back control of the House, and possibly the Senate, although many key contests are within the margin of error.Also: several flights land at airports around Europe after all being targeted by suspected bomb threats; Tenerife footballer, Jesus de Miguel, dies after on-field collision; King Charles calls the slave trade a "shameful chapter" in Britain's history; hundreds of garment factories in Bangladesh are forced to close after several days of violent protests; North Korea denies role in the massive theft of cryptocurrency in a major cyberattack on Binance; and the new word of the year for 2026. The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight.Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment.Get in touch: [email protected]: Voters fill out their ballots to vote in the midterm election on Election Day in Detroit, Michigan, USA, 03 November 2026 Credit: EPA/Shutterstock

President Zelensky described as utterly horrific a Russian attack in the southern Ukrainian region of Zaporizhzhia that killed at least 26 people. He said the first air strike was on a school building which was being used as an aid distribution centre. It was followed by nine more bombs targeting a shelter where people were taking cover. Among those killed in the second attack were police and rescue workers who had gone to help. Also: final campaigning has been taking place in the United States on the eve of the midterm elections, which President Trump has described as the most important "in our lifetime". We hear from a man in the Netherlands whose parents opted for duo-euthanasia, where a person receives a lethal injection at the same time as a loved one. Snapchat settles a multi-million-dollar lawsuit following claims that its app was designed to be addictive. And the million-pound game show on British television that wasn't quite what it appeared to be.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: [email protected] Photo: General view of a compound of a local school where a Russian air strike hit an underground shelter, which was used as a humanitarian aid hub in the frontline town of Komyshuvakha, in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, November 2, 2026. Credit: Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Zaporizhzhia region.

Ukraine reported late on Sunday that an air alert app had been compromised - with citizens receiving several false notifications about chemical and radiological threats. A few hours later, the authorities in Russia said a similar app had been hacked after fake messages appeared about nuclear warheads being launched towards the country. The apparent cyberattack came on the same day the humanitarian ceasefire in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky officially ended. Also: Monday is the last day of campaigning before the US midterm elections - we speak to voters in a key state. In Florida, investigators are on the scene of a plane crash that killed nine people and left a burning crater in a residential area. The BBC secures rare access to people inside Iran whose lives have been changed after a year of widespread protests, a brutal crackdown by the authorities and the war with the US and Israel. Dozens of supermarkets across Europe - particularly in Belgium and Luxembourg - have been hit by a suspected cyberattack affecting refrigerators and freezers. Sudan has complained to the UN against Ethiopia over drone attacks which it says were launched from Ethiopian territory... and⁠ police in Finland have launched a criminal investigation into possible breaches ⁠of the country’s environmental ⁠laws ​at the site of a planned Google data centre.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment.Get in touch: [email protected]: A woman holding a mobile phone.Credit: PA

A shock endorsement in Michigan just days before the US midterm elections has been welcomed by President Trump. Democratic Congresswoman Haley Stevens backed Republican, Mike Rogers, rather than her own party's candidate, Abdul El- Sayed. Also: Hamas says at least eight people have been killed during Israeli air strikes on Gaza. Thousands participate in demonstrations in Germany over the cost of living and spending on education. Buddhists in Bhutan gather to build 108 structures in 24 hours in order to bless a "mindfulness" city. We hear from Karl Bushby, the British former paratrooper who is finally home after 28 years. And 20-year old Kimi Antonelli becomes the youngest champion in the history of Formula One at the Mexico Grand Prix.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: [email protected] Photo: US Representative Haley Stevens speaks with the media next to Republican US Senate candidate Mike Rogers who she endorsed, after attending church in Michigan. Credit: RUTERS/Rebecca Cook

The French interior ministry says that more than 500 people were arrested during riots across the country. Paving stones and petrol bombs were thrown at the police after trouble broke out following mainly peaceful demonstrations about falling living standards. Also: anti-government protests have broken out again in Albania where water canon was used to try to disperse protestors. Emotions run high in Ukraine where people evacuated from the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky were reunited with friends and family they haven't seen for more than four years. Andy Burnham goes further than any previous British prime minister by saying he is "open" to calls for the UK to formally apologise for its role in the transatlantic slave trade, but he rules out financial reparations. Wikipedia's co-founder, Jimmy Wales, speaks to the BBC on the 25th anniversary of the free online encyclopaedia. And the medieval knights on electric bikes jousting in a park in London after footage of their first showdown attracted millions of views online.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: [email protected] 1: Protesters kick back tear gas canisters, during a demonstration against the cost of living and rising fuel prices, in Paris, France, October 31, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Pedro NunesPhoto 2: A protester holds a firework during a demonstration over the cost of living and rising fuel prices, in Paris, France, October 31, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Pedro Nunes