US Politics

Rubio’s decision not to meet Narendra Modi last week was seen by some as a snub – but by focusing on business leaders and oil, the secretary of state made American priorities clear. Plus: the artist bringing a female perspective to men’s clothing• Don’t get This is India delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereWhen the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, visited India for the second time this year, headlines concentrated on who he met and where he went.The fact that Rubio bypassed New Delhi and did not meet the prime minister, Narendra Modi, during his trip last week, and instead traveled to the financial capital, Mumbai, where he met India’s foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (pictured top with Rubio), and business leaders, did not go unnoticed. Nor did his decision to travel to Jamnagar, the small Gujarati town that is home to Reliance Industries’ colossal oil refinery complex. Continue reading… More

This live blog is now closed.What are the US midterm elections and why do they matter?Sign up for Breaking News US emailIn a post to social media on Monday, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine was facing dwindling stocks of Patriot interceptor missiles after Pete Hegseth, Trump’s defense secretary, had delayed authorizing new supplies.“We have been waiting for nearly a month for Mr. Hegseth to sign off on missiles for Patriots and NASAMS,” Zelenskyy wrote. “I instructed our team to raise this with the American side once again. Conversations with other countries are also ongoing.” Continue reading… More

This is the latest sign of the administration’s attempts to challenge states with competitive midterm races that could determine control of CongressThe Trump administration on Monday asked Washington state to set aside any ballots received from more than 400 people it alleges are registered to vote without US citizenship, less than two weeks after making a similar demand in California.The announcement is the latest sign of the administration’s attempts to sow doubts about the election or its outcome in states with races that will help determine control of the US Senate and House. Continue reading… More

Newsom accuses Trump of ‘assault on democracy’ as DoJ claims 20,000 registered voters in state are non-citizensA US federal appeals court rejected the Trump administration’s move to block California from counting the ballots of 20,000 registered voters that the justice department claims are non-citizens.The court on Monday ruled 2-1 against Donald ⁠Trump’s ​justice department in the dispute, denying the administration’s demand that election officials segregate the thousands of ballots until people on the list could verify their citizenship. The justice department had given the California secretary of state 48-hours to carry out the order, which state election officials refused – leading to the lawsuit. Continue reading… More

President’s comments come ahead of November midterm elections and follow his claims of widespread voter fraudDonald Trump has announced a $1m reward for reports of voter fraud in past elections and the upcoming midterm elections, with payment contingent on the arrest and conviction of those responsible.In a Truth Social post on Monday, the president wrote: “Anybody reporting Voter Fraud in the past Elections, or the upcoming 2026 Midterm Election, will be paid $1,000,000 upon the arrest and conviction of those that created the Fraud! Thank you for your attention to this matter.” Continue reading… More

Comey, an outspoken critic of Donald Trump, accused of leaking information related to US national defenseThe justice department charged former FBI director James Comey on Monday with two counts of leaking information related to national defense, the third time the Trump administration has filed criminal charges against one of Donald Trump’s most despised foes.The charges, filed in federal court in Washington DC, provide few details about what Comey is alleged to have leaked. The government alleges that the former FBI director leaked the information in 2016 and conspired with an unnamed person to give the information to a national news outlet. Continue reading… More

Last Week Tonight host looked into the rise of bigotry and neo-nazism within the party before critical midterm racesWith just a week to go until the US midterm elections, John Oliver used the entirety of his latest Last Week Tonight episode to focus on a “worrying trend that’s been on the rise” within the Republican party, which has “found itself answering some uncomfortable questions about Nazi references”, from a New York congressional candidate posting a photo of his grandfather in his Nazi uniform to mega-donor Elon Musk’s infamous apparent Nazi salute at a Trump rally in 2025.“Everything about that screams, ‘Nazi!’” Oliver said of Musk’s gesture. “Well, almost everything. To be fair to the Nazis, unlike Elon, they at least looked sharp in their suits.” Continue reading… More

Rapper Nicki Minaj joined Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Michigan on 25 October 2026, a final stretch before the 2026 midterm elections, and doubled down her support for the president, saying she would back him again. Trump has recently seemed to concede that he’s constitutionally prohibited from serving a third term Continue reading… More