I'll gather today's top headlines for you — pulling the latest news now.
Most important events and topics in the news for today, Thursday, November 5, 2026:
1. U.S. Midterm Elections - Aftermath and Democratic Wave
The dominant story in the U.S. is the fallout from the November 3 midterm elections . All 435 House seats, 35 Senate seats and 36 governorships were on the ballot .
Media is reporting a sweeping Democratic victory:
•Democrats win majority in both House and Senate, returning to full control of Congress for the first time since 2023
•Projected wins include Democrats taking control of both the House and Senate with upsets even in deep red states
•Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer heralded a "generational remake" of the Senate after flipping control
•House Speaker Mike Johnson will not stay on as minority leader next Congress after the bruising defeat for Republicans
•Historic firsts: voters elected the nation's first Black woman governor and the nation's first Native American woman governor , including Keisha Lance Bottoms becoming Georgia's first Black woman governor , and Gina Hinojosa set to be Texas' first Democratic and first Latina governor since 1995 , and Michigan's Abdul El-Sayed becomes the first Muslim American to serve in the Senate
World reaction and next steps are also in focus, with Democrats planning investigations into Trump administration, Elon Musk/DOGE, and other issues now that they will have subpoena power , and foreign powers weighing how a flipped Congress will affect international relations .
2. Record U.S. Government Shutdown
The U.S. federal government shutdown continues to be a major headline:
•The Senate on Tuesday again failed to pass a temporary funding bill, marking the 14th unsuccessful attempt
•The shutdown is on track to surpass the 35-day record set during 2018-2019 and become the longest in U.S. history
•The Republican-held Senate voted 54-44 on a House-approved "clean" continuing resolution to fund government through Nov. 21, but needed 60 votes to overcome filibuster
•Today is day #36 of the partial shutdown , with no government jobs report expected on Friday due to the shutdown
•Disruptions are hitting aviation, food assistance and health care, with pressure on livelihoods and the economy expanding
3. Supreme Court Hears Challenge to Trump's Tariffs
A major economic and legal story today:
•The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments on the legality of President Donald Trump's unilateral tariffs
•On November 5, 2026, the Court heard oral arguments in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump on whether the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) grants President Trump authority to impose reciprocal and country-specific tariffs
•Justices are weighing whether the president's sweeping global tariffs under IEEPA without congressional approval are lawful, as well as tariffs on Canada, China and Mexico
This is related to Trump's trade policy, including:
•President Trump threatening Canada with 100-per-cent tariffs over its new trade deal with China
•The administration's previous imposition of 10-50% duties on most imports plus additional levies on Canada, Mexico and China
4. International - Politics, Security and Diplomacy
•Pentagon Defense Strategy: The Pentagon's new defense strategy flags Iran as a major U.S. security concern as tensions rise
•Gaza Ceasefire: Hamas handed over the body of an Israeli hostage to the Red Cross as part of the ceasefire deal , while Israeli forces carried out airstrikes in Gaza despite the fragile ceasefire that took effect Oct. 10, saying they targeted a militant who crossed the "Yellow Line"
•Peru - Mexico: Peru decided to break diplomatic relations with Mexico after Mexico granted asylum to former Peruvian Prime Minister Betssy Chavez at its embassy in Lima
•China Space: China's Shenzhou-20 crew has completed its in-orbit handover with the Shenzhou-21 crew and is scheduled to return to Earth on Nov. 5 to the Dongfeng landing site in Inner Mongolia
5. France - Nationwide Strike and Protests
A major European story today:
•French trade unions vowed further industrial action after three hours of talks with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu ended without concrete measures to address wages and cost of living
•Major unions CFDT, CGT, FO, Unsa and FSU have formally called a national day of strike and demonstrations for Thursday, 5 November
•Rail passengers face possible nationwide disruption after the four principal SNCF unions called a joint strike that could affect TGV, Intercités and TER connections
6. Other Top Global Briefings for Nov. 5
•Canada: The Liberal budget changes the political math in the House of Commons as Conservative MP Chris D'Entremont crossed the floor, and the Carney government signals it intends to scrap the oil and gas emissions cap
•Indonesia/Vietnam: An early-morning landslide in Indonesia killed at least eight with more than eighty still missing , and Vietnam's central floods death toll rose to 40 with six missing
•Economy this week: Markets are also watching the Riksbank Policy Announcement, RBA Policy, and upcoming U.S. jobs data (ISM PMIs, NFP) which are part of the Week in Focus for Nov 2-6