Monday, 2 November 2026 New DelhiLondonNew YorkDubaiTokyo
INDEPENDENT THINKING.
SHARED UNDERSTANDING.International edition · Correspondents across India and around the world
RationalTimes●
A little less noise.
A little more perspective. Subscribe
BREAKING
TechBinance hack: about $6.4bn stolen and $2.7bn frozen, analysts say MarketsChristine Lagarde to step down as ECB president on 7 February 2027 UNUN Security Council holds its seventh straw poll for the next Secretary-General IsraelIsrael: near-final count gives Netanyahu’s bloc 53 seats and Eisenkot’s 48; official results on 4 November ClimateCOP31 climate talks open in Antalya, Türkiye, on 9 November USAmericans vote in the midterm elections on 3 November TechnologyNorth Korea-linked hackers steal about $6.4 billion from Binance in the biggest crypto theft on record, analysts say WorldSpain mourns after a high-speed train ploughs into a stationary train near Toledo, killing at least 68 WorldIsrael’s election ends without a clear winner as exit polls leave both blocs short of a majority WorldSaudi Arabia intercepts Houthi missiles and drones as Egypt’s parliament backs military support PoliticsLula wins Brazil’s presidential runoff as Flávio Bolsonaro concedes
Continuing coverage

In focus.

The big stories that run for weeks and months — each with the key facts, the latest coverage, a timeline and the data, in one place.

The Iran war Middle EastThe Iran warSince US and Israeli strikes began on 28 February 2026, the war with Iran has drawn in the Gulf states, choked shipping through the Strait of Hormuz… 4 stories · updated 2 Nov 2026 Israel’s 2026 election Middle EastIsrael’s 2026 electionIsraelis voted on 27 October 2026 in the sixth general election since 2019. Neither Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc nor the bloc led by the former army… 4 stories · updated 2 Nov 2026 US midterm elections 2026 AmericasUS midterm elections 2026Americans vote on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, in midterm elections that decide control of Congress for the second half of Donald Trump’s term. What is… 3 stories · updated 2 Nov 2026 COP31 and the climate crisis ClimateCOP31 and the climate crisisNegotiators meet in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November 2026 for COP31. Two UN reports published just before it show greenhouse gas levels at a… 2 stories · updated 2 Nov 2026 India’s economy: the rupee, rates and markets IndiaIndia’s economy: the rupee, rates and marketsCostly oil, a strong dollar and foreign selling have kept the rupee near 95 to the dollar since March 2026, and the Reserve Bank of India raised… 5 stories · updated 2 Nov 2026 Central banks and interest rates EconomyCentral banks and interest ratesThe war with Iran pushed up fuel prices and inflation in 2026, and central banks turned towards higher rates: the US Federal Reserve and the European… 5 stories · updated 2 Nov 2026 EuropeThe war in Ukraine and the peace talksMore than four and a half years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, Kyiv and Moscow say they are willing to resume US-brokered talks — while the… 3 stories · updated 2 Nov 2026 Choosing the next UN Secretary-General WorldChoosing the next UN Secretary-GeneralAntónio Guterres’s second term ends on 31 December 2026, and the Security Council is narrowing the field through straw polls. How the choice is made… 4 stories · updated 2 Nov 2026