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Monday, November 7, 2022

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Biden will hold his final rally before midterms on friendly terrain, Kyiv's mayor urges the city to prepare for the worst, and North Korea says its missile launches were a simulated attack

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Today's biggest stories

President Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama attend a campaign event for Democratic senatorial candidate John Fetterman and Democratic nominee for Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro in Philadelphia, November 5, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

U.S.

One day before midterm elections that could sharply curtail his power in Washington, President Joe Biden will today hold a rally on friendly terrain in an event that underlines the difficult prospects for the Democratic Party.

How does the president's party usually fare in the midterms? We look at the historical pattern.

Competitive governors contests are on the ballot in about a dozen states, with outcomes that hold far-reaching consequences on issues such as abortion, voting rights and guns. The high stakes have brought increased money and attention to the state-level races, which typically get overshadowed in midterm elections by the fight for control of Congress.

Some senior White House officials have been second-guessing their messaging to voters around abortion in recent weeks, sources familiar with the matter said, as forecasts turned in Republicans' favor.

Here's some advice for anyone following the midterms: Be ready for a long night and maybe days of waiting before it's clear whether Republicans or Democrats will control Congress.

Trump’s stolen-election falsehoods have thrust America’s voting machine suppliers into a national struggle to protect their businesses. Read our special report on the assault on voting machines that is at the center of a broader offensive on the election system.

World leaders pose for a photo during the COP27 climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, November 7, 2022. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

WORLD

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres told countries gathered at the start of the COP27 summit in Egypt they face a stark choice: work together now to cut emissions or condemn future generations to climate catastrophe. Here's what to watch today at COP27.

North Korea said that its recent missile launches were simulated strikes on South Korea and the United States as the two countries held a "dangerous war drill", while the South said it had recovered parts of a North Korean missile near its coast. We look at how sanctions are failing to halt North Korea's accelerating weapons programs.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned against more potential Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, while the mayor of Kyiv urged residents to consider preparing to leave temporarily if the capital lost water and power supplies. Here's what you need to know about the conflict right now.

A British minister will visit Taiwan this week for trade talks and meet President Tsai Ing-wen, his office said, drawing an angry reaction from Beijing to the latest high-level engagement between a Western government and the island.

Pope Francis said European Union member states should share responsibility for taking in migrants and not just leave it to the countries where people arrive. He spoke as migration triggered fresh political tensions in Italy, where there has been a stand-off between the government and charity ships trying to disembark migrants.

BUSINESS

Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein’s rape conviction landed him in prison. But one group of wealthy insiders walked away relatively unscathed — the Weinstein Company’s board of directors. Read our special report on how corporate chiefs dodge lawsuits over sexual abuse and deadly products.

As Elon Musk is engulfed in his overhaul of Twitter, the entrepreneur is headed to trial to defend his record $56 billion Tesla pay package against claims it unjustly enriches him without requiring his full-time presence at the carmaker.

China's exports and imports unexpectedly contracted in October, the first simultaneous slump since May 2020, as a perfect storm of COVID curbs at home and global recession risks dented demand and further darkened the outlook for a struggling economy.

Apple expects lower shipments of premium iPhone 14 models than previously anticipated following a significant production cut at a virus-blighted plant in China, dampening its sales outlook for the busy year-end holiday season.

Marlboro maker Philip Morris is going ahead with its $16 billion takeover of Swedish Match despite securing slightly less than the 90% stake it wanted, as the U.S. group presses on with its shift away from cigarettes.

Airlines around the world are ripping up schedules and bringing in new flights to cope with a COVID-triggered trend in corporate travel - the scrapping of one-day business trips in favor of longer stays.