New numbers on the coming US midterm elections have shown a slight shift in favour of Democrats, as party strategists voice cautious optimism that Republican momentum is slowing.
Analysis from leading election-tracker the Cook Political Report (CPR) moved five US House of Representatives race projections in favour of Democrats, while other Senate and state-level races have increased in competition.
The numbers are welcome news to Democrats, who have been bracing for a Republican "red wave" of wins in the critical elections.
The Republican Party has long been associated with the colour red, the Democrats with blue.
Democrats currently hold a razor-thin majority in the US House and Senate, and opposition parties historically see major gains in US midterms.
"Three months ago, it looked like a Category Five hurricane was heading for President [Joe] Biden and House Democrats clinging to a flimsy 221-214 seat edge," said David Wasserman in a new analysis for CPR.
"Today, not only has it weakened to a tropical depression, but Republican primaries have thrown Democrats enough sandbags to give them a plausible, if still unlikely, scenario to stave off a Republican majority."
Democrats have seen improved performances in special elections since the conservative-majority Supreme Court revoked the federal right to abortion by overturning 1973's Roe v Wade decision in June.
"I think that's the day when the 'red wave' turned in to the 'red riptide'," Brad Bannon, a Democratic pollster and chief executive of Bannon Communications Research, told The National.
"It's clear American voters by about a two-to-one margin think overturning Roe v Wade was a bad idea."
That decision unleashed a wave of women registering to vote, which led to abortion-rights victories in a Kansas special election.
Data from analytics group TargetSmart showed that 70 per cent of newly registered voters in Kansas are women. It also showed that among Kansans who registered to vote on or after June 24, Democrats have an eight-point advantage.
A reinvigorated Democratic electorate, polling shows, has not been matched by Republicans.
An NBC poll found that 68 per cent of Republicans express a high level of interest in the coming elections, versus 66 per cent for Democrats. That two-point Republican advantage is down from 17 points in March and eight points in May.
For Mr Bannon, the abortion issue is not the only reason for this shift; in some cases, it also reflects "bad candidates" that came out of former president Donald Trump-endorsed primaries.
He pointed to celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania and right-wing author JD Vance in Ohio, states where Republicans should be winning but are in close races or outright losing.
"Celebrity candidates turned out to be bad candidates. And those are all races where the Republicans thought they were going to win the Senate seats," said Mr Bannon. "But now Democrats have a definite shot."
Mr Trump has something of a mixed bag in his endorsements, with several picks losing in primary races.
And the former president is under intense pressure from several lawsuits and a criminal probe into his handling of classified documents after he left the White House.
"I think Trump's stamp of approval has becomes the Trump curse," Mr Bannon said.
But Republican pollsters and campaigners remain cautiously optimistic that between Mr Biden's low polling and persistent inflation, voters will repeat history and deliver losses for the Democrats in the midterm elections.
Conservative candidates have hit Democrats hard on the economy, as inflation hits a near 40-year high. The US Federal Reserve has increased interest rates in an effort to curb record prices.
The August jobs report released on Friday indicated US hiring had slowed, with 315,000 jobs added compared to 526,000 in July. The unemployment rate also rose slightly to 3.7 per cent from a half-century low in July.
Melissa Brown, a board member of Republican Women for Progress, said Democrats may be enjoying a streak of legislative wins, but any surge in support is likely to be short lived.
"Americans are facing sky-high inflation, rising crime in major cities and a humanitarian border crisis," Ms Brown told The National.
"These are kitchen table issues that are impacting every single American."
Mr Biden's approval rating hit a summer plunge, falling below 40 percent, though it has begun to tick upwards since July, as record-high petrol prices began to temper.
Republican pollster Bill McInturff, who works on the NBC midterm polling, said that more than 70 per cent of Americans believe the country is "on the wrong track".
"I anticipate that the Republicans will still take the House and consider the Senate to be a toss-up at this point in the cycle," Ms Brown said.
"As the summer winds down, I expect Republicans to double down on the significance of the Biden administration’s failures at home and abroad as we get closer to November."
The CPR's Amy Walter said in The New Yorker that "all the fundamentals are telling us not that much has changed".
“There is not a blue wave, no," she said. "The question is: how big is the red wave?”
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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Asia Cup 2018 final
Who: India v Bangladesh
When: Friday, 3.30pm, Dubai International Stadium
Watch: Live on OSN Cricket HD
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Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
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'Panga'
Directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Jassie Gill, Yagya Bhasin, Neena Gupta
Rating: 3.5/5
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Full list of brands available for Instagram Checkout
Adidas @adidaswomen
Anastasia Beverly Hills @anastasiabeverlyhills
Balmain @balmain
Burberry @burberry
ColourPop @colourpopcosmetics
Dior @dior
H&M @hm
Huda Beauty @hudabeautyshop
KKW @kkwbeauty
Kylie Cosmetics @kyliecosmetics
MAC Cosmetics @maccosmetics
Michael Kors @michaelkors
NARS @narsissist
Nike @niketraining & @nikewomen
NYX Cosmetics @nyxcosmetics
Oscar de la Renta @oscardelarenta
Ouai Hair @theouai
Outdoor Voices @outdoorvoices
Prada @prada
Revolve @revolve
Uniqlo @uniqlo
Warby Parker @warbyparker
Zara @zara
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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match info
Union Berlin 0
Bayern Munich 1 (Lewandowski 40' pen, Pavard 80')
Man of the Match: Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich)
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20Profile
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