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Americans vote in historic midterm elections | Morning News Bulletin 4 November 2026

SBS News Australia •
November 03, 2026 • 07:36 PM
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Americans vote in historic midterm elections, Social media giants take their fight against the government's ban to the High Court, Socceroos and Matildas stars sue Football Australia in a multi-million-dollar pay dispute.

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Donald Trump has conceded he expects some seat losses in the midterm elections, during brief remarks ahead of the historic vote.

Nonpartisan analysts generally favour Democrats' chances of winning a majority in the House of Representatives, while control of the Senate is more uncertain.

The US President's statements during his last public appearance before Election Day did not focus on this analysis, instead mainly revolving around his renovations to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

But in his brief reference to the midterms, the US President has downplayed what the outcome could be.

"If the people that voted for me and voted in the last election where we had such a great victory, if they go out and vote, just a good portion of them, we will win in a landslide. Now, that doesn't happen because usually whoever the sitting president is, Republican or Democrat - good or bad, good president, great president, bad - for some reason, the sitting president doesn't win the midterms. But we gave this a very strong shot."

Mr Trump has also told Fox News that Washington would stop $5.7 billion in funding to Israel after the end of this year.

He said Israel no longer needed US funding and accused some Democrats of using the issue to attack Republicans.

At least 38 civilians have been killed and scores more injured in a wave of Russian strikes across Ukraine.

Thirty-three people died when Russian bombs struck an aid distribution centre in southern Ukraine, with dozens more feared trapped beneath the rubble.

A hospice and hospital were also hit, while attacks on energy infrastructure have disrupted power, heating and water supplies across the country.

The strikes come days before US-brokered peace talks in Abu Dhabi, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky saying there's no sign Russia is serious about a ceasefire.

The government is defending its economic management after the Reserve Bank's decision to raise interest rates to an 18-year high.

Governor Michelle Bullock says the bank voted to increase the cash rate to 4.85 percent.

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has blamed the rate rise on what he calls "out of control spending," and says it's a sign the government has lost control of the economy.

Greens leader David Shoebridge, meanwhile, has blamed the hike on what he describes as the Labor government's failure to cut back on corporate expenditure, most notably on AI data centres.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has acknowledged the rate hike will add economic strain to many Australian families, but says the conflict in the Middle East is the primary driver behind the uptick in inflation that has prompted the RBA's decision, not his government's economic decision making.

"We're helping with the cost of living in a really responsible way, at the same time as we manage the budget, uh, responsibly, and we are trying to address Australia's long-standing productivity challenge. The cost of living relief is coming via the wages system, the tax system, the health system, and in other ways, because we know that people are under pressure. We know that budgets aren't the primary driver of prices in our economy, but responsible economic management does play a helpful role."

Online harms on children will be highlighted by government lawyers as they fight a High Court challenge to Australia's world-first under 16s social media ban.

The hearing before the High Court began on Tuesday [[Nov 3]], with Reddit rejecting the US-based social media giant's inclusion as a banned platform.

The court is being asked whether limiting children and young people's political engagement outweighs the harm done by social media platforms.

The Digital Freedom Project, led by NSW MP John Ruddick, launched the legal challenge before the ban began in December 2025.

A second challenge emerged days later from Reddit, which argued the ban raised issues on privacy and political expression and inaccurately captured the forum-based platform.

November 4 marks the anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb, unearthed in Egypt's Valley of the Kings.

King Tut was a young pharaoh whose ancient tomb and opulent artefacts were found by British Egyptologist Howard Carter on this day in 1922.

His tomb remains the star attraction at the Grand Egyptian Museum which opened in Cairo last year.

Tutankhamun ascended the throne at the age of nine, with CT scans and DNA tests later revealing a pharaoh weakened by congenital illnesses and severe brain malaria.

Socceroos and Matildas stars are suing Football Australia in a multi-million-dollar dispute over commercial revenue.

The players' union claims the governing body is failing to pay players their agreed share of sponsorship, broadcast and ticketing deals.

Under existing agreements, players are entitled to between 18 and 20 per cent of relevant commercial revenue.

The national teams generate up to half of Football Australia's revenue, but players argue they're not receiving their fair share.

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