US carries out limited strikes on Iran as talks continue via mediators

Voting began at 11:00 UTC after more than 58 million early ballots were cast. Democrats needed four Senate seats and at least 218 House seats to take control of Congress. Floods and tornadoes moved polling sites in several states, and a judge barred armed DOJ poll monitors. The first polls closed at 23:00 UTC in Indiana and Kentucky; an AP poll found about 6 in 10 voters deeply disapprove of Trump.

A double strike on a school used as an aid centre in Komyshuvakha, Zaporizhzhia region, killed at least 33, with over 50 missing. A missile hit a hospital in Kharkiv. Russia's overnight barrage of 59 missiles and 289 drones killed at least 38 people nationwide and also hit Dnipro, including a hospice, and Kryvyi Rih. Ukrenergo called it the biggest attack on the grid this year; three thermal plants stopped generating and Kyiv lost its water.

US envoy Steve Witkoff announced working-level talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US in Abu Dhabi on November 10-11. The Kremlin said Medinsky will lead its delegation and security guarantees will be discussed, with no seat for the EU. Zelensky met Merz in Berlin and said US, European, NATO and Ukrainian teams meet in Brussels on November 4. About 2,800 troops from 10 European countries will rehearse supporting Ukraine after a ceasefire in southeastern Poland from November 9 to 22.

Trump told Fox News he and Netanyahu agreed months ago that the $4bn-a-year US payments would stop after this year, calling it 'a wasted thing'. He said the US will 'help Israel if they need it'. Netanyahu said in May he wanted to phase out US military aid gradually over the next decade. Israeli finance and defence officials said they were surprised, and Eisenkot said it shows Netanyahu must go.

Netanyahu's bloc won 53 seats, 27 of them Likud, against 48 for Gadi Eisenkot's bloc. Haaretz reported Likud was considering not recognising the results after party figures claimed the vote was 'stolen'. Netanyahu said voters chose him, while opposition leaders met and backed Eisenkot. Shin Bet chief David Zini demanded a probe of Arab party leaders over alleged interference, but the attorney general said no evidence had been submitted. The 120 Knesset members will be sworn in on November 10.

Haley Stevens, who lost the Democratic primary to Abdul El-Sayed, endorsed Republican Mike Rogers, and Vance said it will 'certainly' help by giving some voters 'permission' to back Rogers. DNC chair Ken Martin called it a 'betrayal'. Speaking in Detroit, El-Sayed said his name and faith are 'not the reason' for the country's problems, blaming Trump administration policies and the 'immoral war' on Iran.