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US midterms: Polls show Democrats ahead in battle for Congress

Democrats lead Republicans in national polling ahead of Tuesday's United States midterm elections, with new surveys showing the party gaining ground in several closely contested Senate races as voters express dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump's handling of the economy. With all 435 House of Representatives seats and 35 Senate seats on the ballot, the elections will determine whether Republicans retain control of Congress for the remaining two years of Trump's second term. A RealClearPolling average of surveys conducted through October 30 shows Democrats leading Republicans 52% to 43.1% on the generic congressional ballot, an 8.9-percentage-point advantage. An NBC News survey conducted October 28-30 found Democrats ahead 52% to 45%, while an Emerson College poll conducted October 24-26 put the gap at 10 points. The generic ballot measures nationwide preferences for congressional candidates rather than support in individual districts, meaning a nati...

US State Dept denies reports of travel ban list

The US State Department has dismissed reports suggesting that the government is preparing a list to impose new visa restrictions on several countries. Reaffirming its commitment to resettling Afghans who assisted the US mission in Afghanistan, the department clarified that no such list exists. At a recent news briefing, State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce acknowledged that the Trump administration was conducting a broader security review of visa policies, following an executive order issued on January 20. However, Bruce refuted claims that Afghanistan was on a list of nations facing a full suspension of visa issuance. “There is no list. What people are looking at over these last several days is not a list that exists here that is being acted on,” she stated. She further explained that the review is part of an ongoing process to evaluate visa policies and improve US security. The spokesperson's response follows the emergence of a draft list that reportedly includes 41 countries, such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran, categorised into three groups, each subject to different levels of travel restrictions. The memo, which was seen by Reuters identifies 41 countries, proposes a full visa suspension for a first group of nations, including Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Cuba, and North Korea. In the second group, five countries would face partial suspensions that would impact tourist and student visas as well as other immigrant visas, with some exceptions. In the third group, a total of 26 countries that includes Belarus, Pakistan and Turkmenistan among others would be considered for a partial suspension of US visa issuance if their governments "do not make efforts to address deficiencies within 60 days", the memo said.

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