News brief: Big stories of the day

For many Americans, Tuesday's congressional midterm elections are a referendum on Republican President Donald Trump’s divisive persona, hard-line policies and pugnacious politics.

The Pakistani lawyer who saved a Christian woman convicted of blasphemy from death row said Monday that the UN and EU made him leave the country "against my wishes" because his life was at risk.

US President Donald Trump on Monday said he wants to impose sanctions on Iran's oil gradually, citing concerns about shocking energy markets and causing global price spikes.

Fox News, NBC and Facebook have pulled a Trump campaign ad branded racist, which equates a convicted Mexican murderer with Central American migrants en route to the US border.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday laid the foundation stone for the kingdom's first nuclear research reactor, state media said, as the kingdom seeks to diversify its energy mix.