With the US midterm elections taking place on 3 November, we answer audience members’ questions about strange and obscure American political jargon – from Blue Waves, to Pacs to Purple States – and how these phenomena could play into the vote.

The Global News Podcast is joined by Sumi Somaskanda and Anthony Zurcher of BBC’s Americast in Washington. They tell us these elections will be crucial in deciding how the last two years of Donald Trump’s presidency plays out. Will Republicans maintain their majorities in the House and Senate? Or will Democrats gain enough seats to curtail President Trump’s political agenda? Plus, could the redrawing of electoral maps backfire? And will Elon Musk’s campaign donations help sway things for the GOP?

1:02 What are the midterms and why do they matter?
03:51 What does it take to be an “informed voter”?
05:59 How does gerrymandering work?
09:39 What is a stump speech?
11:38 How has social media changed political campaigning?
12:16 How do lobbyists, Pacs and Super Pacs influence US politics?
16:45 Could we see a Blue Wave in the midterms?
17:32 What makes a state purple?

The Global News Podcast brings you the best of the BBC’s news coverage and analysis from around the world.

New audio episodes of the Global News Podcast are published twice a day. You can listen here: https://link.mgln.ai/GNP-YT

And you can find more of our YouTube episodes here: https://bbc.in/GlobalNewsPodcast

If you would like to get in touch, you can email us at globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk.

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Russia and Ukraine have both praised a surprise statement from US First Lady Melania Trump.

The first lady “successfully secured” a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky, the White House said.

It said the truce in the “front-line war city on the brink of disaster” without medicine, food and clean water would begin on 29 October.

Ukraine and Russia confirmed the deal was agreed to evacuate residents and deliver aid. They both said their forces would stop firing at 02:00 GMT on 27 October.

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Chris has been stalked for six years. The Metropolitan Police said a man was arrested at his home address last year and subsequently bailed.

However, Chris says she is not aware of an arrest relating to her experience and disputes that she has been provided with a dedicated officer.

There were more than 80,000 stalking offences in England and Wales last year – one every six seconds.

But numbers of arrests increased at just half the rate of the rise in incidents.

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Meghan Markle says she was informed about “disturbing allegations” about her estranged father Thomas Markle in 2018. He is being investigated by the authorities in the Philippines over allegations relating to images of child abuse.

In a statement, Meghan said a letter containing allegations against Thomas Markle was sent to the UK police that year and subsequently shared with her. She described the allegations as “more sickening than one could ever imagine” and said her “sincerest hope is that justice will be fully served and that the priority remains the safety and protection of innocent children”.

Her comments come after reports that images of child sexual abuse allegedly belonging to her father had been found at his former home in the Philippines. Thomas Markle, who is 82 and based in the US, denies possessing any such images and describes the claims as “sick lies”.

Meghan Markle said: “I am deeply distressed at the news that has come to light in the last 24 hours, and my thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed.”

She said that when she received the letter outlining allegations against her father, she was “given assurance that these were being investigated”. She added she hoped it could be understood why she had kept her distance from her father and did “not allow him to have contact with our children”.

This was “to protect them”, Meghan said, adding that she had “trusted that the authorities were doing the same for other families”.

Meghan’s half-brother, Thomas Markle junior, told the Sun newspaper that he had found child abuse images at his father’s home in the Philippines and reported it to the police.

The Philippines Department of Justice told the BBC that “the matter is currently being investigated” by an anti-human trafficking and child sexual exploitation task force. The country’s interior minister told the BBC that national police had secured Thomas Markle’s computer to conduct a comprehensive digital forensic examination.

Harry and Meghan and their two children returned to the UK in August after six years in the US.

Clive Myrie presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Jonny Dymond..

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Yemen’s president has asked US President Donald Trump for support in the escalating conflict with the Houthis, but no direct promise of military support has yet been given.

BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner is also in Djibouti, reporting on the growing humanitarian crisis in Yemen itself – and learns of the thousands of people fleeing across the sea to Djibouti.

We discuss the role energy concerns will play at the United Nations General Assembly, and the scrutiny President Trump is coming under as consumers globally face higher oil, gas and diesel prices.

And finally BBC Persian’s Bahman Kalbasi provides his insight into the delegation arriving in New York from Tehran, as world leaders meet at the United Nations General Assembly this week.

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