US Midterms open, Iran shoots down three drones in November 2026

WORLD TEMPERATURE
3.9/5. Millions of Americans cast in-person midterm ballots while direct military confrontations between the US and Iran over the Strait of Hormuz escalate sharply.

BRIEFING
Updated from 12:08 to 19:10 on November 3, 2026 (Hanoi time), covering only new events and fresh developments.
1. Tens of millions of American voters head to the polls nationwide on Midterm Election Day to decide control of both chambers of Congress.
2. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announces the shoot-down of three US military drones in the Strait of Hormuz.
3. Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever submits his resignation to King Philippe following a total collapse of 2027 budget negotiations.
4. The death toll from a Russian strike on a Zaporizhzhia humanitarian shelter rises to 31 as nationwide strikes trigger blackouts across 10 regions.
5. Chinese Premier Li Qiang warns at the Wuzhen Summit that erecting a digital iron curtain will disrupt global high-tech supply chains.
6. The Governor of Florida declares a state of emergency across seven counties after historic rainfall dumps over 700 millimeters on the Space Coast.
7. Vietnam's benchmark VN-Index closes the November 3 session at 1,699.62 points, marking its fourth consecutive decline under heavy blue-chip selloffs.

1. US VOTERS CAST IN-PERSON BALLOTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ON MIDTERM ELECTION DAY
On the morning of November 3 Eastern Time, polling stations across the United States officially opened to welcome tens of millions of voters casting in-person ballots in the 2026 Midterm Elections, according to CBS News.

The earliest in-person ballots were cast in Vermont starting at 5:00 a.m., followed closely by critical eastern battlegrounds including Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia. Election Day arrives after more than 57 million Americans completed early voting by mail or at designated polling stations. Republicans are fighting to preserve narrow majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives amid voter concerns over living costs and foreign policy commitments. Today's vote also decides 36 state governorships and hundreds of state legislative seats. President Donald Trump is monitoring election updates and returns from the White House.

Midterm elections traditionally serve as a nationwide referendum on the party holding executive power in Washington, holding the potential to reshape the political landscape for the remaining two years of the presidential term.

Strategic significance: The balance of power in Capitol Hill will directly govern the approval of federal budgets, debt ceiling agreements, and the scope of international security assistance over the next two years. If Democrats flip either chamber, Washington will face divided government, significantly slowing down both domestic economic initiatives and foreign policy agendas.

2. IRAN CLAIMS DOWNING THREE US DRONES OVER THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ
Hours after US strikes hit Qeshm Island, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on the afternoon of November 3 that its air defense units shot down three US military drones in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Tasnim News Agency.

The IRGC Aerospace Force stated that advanced electronic warfare systems forced down two low-altitude MQM-170 reconnaissance drones intact south of Qeshm Island. Additionally, Iranian air defense missiles destroyed a heavy armed MQ-9 Reaper drone over the eastern portion of the strait. Iranian commanders warned that any further airspace incursions would face comprehensive retaliatory fire. The US military has not issued an official comment regarding the reported drone losses. International Brent crude prices quickly rebounded over 1.2% above 106 dollars per barrel following Tehran's retaliatory announcement.

Qeshm Island and the Strait of Hormuz represent the world's primary maritime energy choke point, facilitating roughly one-fifth of global daily petroleum consumption.

Strategic significance: Direct retaliatory strikes demonstrate that both Washington and Tehran are willing to accept tactical risks to re-establish deterrent boundaries, even while back-channel Qatari mediation remains active. Discharging live fire adjacent to vital commercial shipping corridors pushes the danger of unintended military escalation to its highest level this year.

3. BELGIAN PRIME MINISTER TENDERS RESIGNATION OVER TEN BILLION EURO BUDGET DEADLOCK
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever submitted his resignation to King Philippe after his five-party coalition fractured over irreconcilable differences regarding the 2027 draft budget, according to Anadolu Agency.

Negotiations aimed at closing a 10 billion euro fiscal shortfall collapsed following heated disputes between the Flemish socialist party Vooruit and the Francophone center-right Reformist Movement over spending cuts versus tax increases. After a 90-minute audience at the Royal Palace in Brussels, King Philippe decided to hold the resignation in abeyance. The Royal Palace stressed that Belgium cannot afford a protracted political crisis amidst broader European economic stagnation. The King immediately initiated emergency consultations with governing party leaders in an attempt to salvage the coalition and avert snap elections.

Belgium has a history of linguistic political fragmentation between Dutch-speaking and French-speaking communities, previously holding the world record for the longest post-election government formation crisis.

Strategic significance: Political instability at the heart of the European Union threatens to weaken fiscal discipline standards that Brussels is enforcing on high-debt member states. A protracted deadlock in Belgium would also disrupt approval timelines for joint defense and security commitments across the bloc.

4. DEATH TOLL IN RUSSIAN STRIKE ON ZAPORIZHZHIA AID CENTER RISES TO THIRTY-ONE
On the afternoon of November 3, the civilian death toll from a Russian glide-bomb strike on a humanitarian aid center and shelter in Komyshuvakha, Zaporizhzhia region, rose to at least 31 people, according to The Washington Post.

Ukrainian emergency crews reported that rescue workers continue digging through the rubble of the collapsed shelter, with more than 20 people still listed as missing. Concurrently, Russian armed forces unleashed a massive wave of missile and drone strikes against power infrastructure across nearly 10 Ukrainian regions, compelling grid operator Ukrenergo to enforce emergency blackouts in Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Vinnytsia. In retaliation, Ukrainian long-range drones struck and ignited a major oil refinery in the Russian city of Yaroslavl.

Strategic significance: Large-scale bombardments against civil power grids ahead of winter freezing temperatures underscore Moscow's strategy to maximize civilian pressure before trilateral talks convene in Abu Dhabi next week. Both combatants are intensifying deep strikes to secure bargaining leverage prior to entering the negotiating room.

5. CHINESE PREMIER REJECTS DIGITAL IRON CURTAIN AT WUZHEN SUMMIT
Delivering the keynote address at the 2026 World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, Zhejiang Province, on November 3, Chinese Premier Li Qiang warned that artificial technological divisions will undermine global economic progress, according to Xinhua News.

The Chinese Premier emphasized that Beijing firmly opposes erecting a digital iron curtain designed to isolate supply chains, restrict technology transfers, and impede cross-border data exchanges. Premier Li called for open-source collaborative innovation and insisted that human agency must remain central in steering technological development rather than allowing humanity to become subservient to artificial intelligence. The summit drew thousands of global technology industry leaders amidst tightening Western export controls on advanced semiconductor hardware.

Major powers are locked in a race to establish governance standards for artificial intelligence and secure semiconductor manufacturing, raising fears of a bifurcated global technology ecosystem.

Strategic significance: Premier Li's address is a diplomatic overture aimed at rallying emerging economies across the Global South while leveraging divisions between multinational tech corporations and strict Western trade sanctions.

6. HISTORIC DELUGE FORCES SEVEN FLORIDA COUNTIES TO DECLARE STATE OF EMERGENCY
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency for seven counties after an extraordinary rainstorm dumped over 700 millimeters of water across the Space Coast, according to The Washington Post.

A stalled low-pressure weather system unleashed up to 28 inches of precipitation within 36 hours across Brevard, St. Lucie, Martin, Hardee, Highlands, DeSoto, and Indian River counties. The National Weather Service declared rare Flash Flood Emergencies as catastrophic inundations submerged residential neighborhoods, severed highways, and trapped thousands of residents in their homes. Governor DeSantis mobilized the Florida National Guard equipped with amphibious craft and high-volume drainage pumps to assist trapped families. The disaster shuttered schools and civic facilities while complicating voter access to polling stations on election day.

The event represents a 1,000-year rainfall occurrence for Central Florida, where local drainage networks were overwhelmed by rainfall equivalent to half an annual average within two days.

7. VN-INDEX CLOSES BELOW PSYCHOLOGICAL LEVEL DESPITE RALLY IN STEEL SHARES
At the close of trading on November 3, Vietnam's benchmark VN-Index dropped 11.10 points to finish at 1,699.62 points, marking its fourth consecutive declining session, according to the Saigon Giai Phong newspaper.

Downside pressure centered on heavy-weight blue chips, led by VIC which tumbled 3.31% and single-handedly subtracted over 12.5 points from the composite index. Foreign investors recorded net selling of nearly 500 billion VND on the HOSE, while overall market liquidity shrank by more than 30%, reflecting widespread investor caution. Nevertheless, strong support emerged in the steel sector, with market leader HPG gaining over 4.1%, alongside steady rebounds in mid-tier commercial banking shares, helping the index trim morning losses and stay above the 1,696 intraday trough.

NEXT 48–72 HOURS
Preliminary and official results of the 2026 US Midterms will emerge overnight and through November 4, determining which party controls the next Congress.

Maritime security developments in the Strait of Hormuz following Iran's claim of downing US drones, including official Pentagon responses and commercial tanker transit adjustments.

Emergency consultations conducted by King Philippe with Belgian political leaders in Brussels to explore compromise solutions or initiate snap elections.

Search and recovery operations at the Zaporizhzhia strike site alongside urgent repairs to Ukraine's damaged electrical grid ahead of falling temperatures.

SOURCES
CBS News – Millions of Americans head to the polls on 2026 Midterm Election Day – https://www.cbsnews.com
The Washington Post – Voters cast ballots nationwide in high-stakes congressional elections – https://www.washingtonpost.com
Tasnim News Agency – IRGC intercepts and downs three US drones in Strait of Hormuz – https://www.tasnimnews.ir
Iran International – Revolutionary Guards claim electronic warfare capture of US drones near Qeshm – https://www.iranintl.com
Anadolu Agency – Belgian Prime Minister offers resignation to King Philippe amid budget impasse – https://www.aa.com.tr
CGTN – King Philippe holds consultations as Belgian coalition deadlocks on deficit – https://www.cgtn.com
The Washington Post – Russian air strikes batter Ukrainian power grid and aid center death toll rises – https://www.washingtonpost.com
The Guardian – Rescuers search rubble in Zaporizhzhia as Ukraine strikes Yaroslavl refinery – https://www.theguardian.com
Xinhua News – Chinese Premier Li Qiang addresses 2026 Wuzhen World Internet Conference – https://www.news.cn
The Washington Post – DeSantis declares emergency across seven Florida counties after historic deluge – https://www.washingtonpost.com
Báo Sài Gòn Giải Phóng – VN-Index lùi về dưới 1.700 điểm dù nhóm thép giao dịch khởi sắc phiên 03/11 – https://www.sggp.org.vn
VietnamFinance – Thị trường chứng khoán ngày 03/11 và áp lực bán ròng từ khối ngoại – https://www.vietnamfinance.vn
Trading Economics – Brent crude steadies above 106 dollars on Persian Gulf security concerns – https://www.tradingeconomics.com
Bloomberg – Gold and Treasury yields react to US election day and dollar shifts – https://www.bloomberg.com