Americas

Antonelli clinched the title – but who shone most in Mexico? Driver ratings

• Verstappen won in Mexico after two restarts.
• Antonelli became Formula 1’s youngest world champion.
• Penalties and incidents reshaped several drivers’ results.

Max Verstappen won the Mexico City Grand Prix, holding off Lewis Hamilton after a late safety car restart. Kimi Antonelli finished third and clinched the Formula 1 world title with four races remaining, becoming the youngest champion in the sport’s history. The driver ratings cover the full weekend,…

Copilot maternity review questioned as Juan Atkins dies and US-Turkey tensions rise

The English maternity care review faces questions over omitted concerns, while Washington criticises a Turkey-Libya maritime deal. Detroit techno pioneer Juan Atkins has died aged 64, and London City Lionesses’ European hopes suffer a setback.

Democrats edge out Republicans in 7 heated Senate races: NYT polls 

• Democrats led in seven final Senate polls, including by 11 points in Michigan and seven in Texas.
• Five of the seven races remained close enough for sampling error to affect the apparent lead.
• Democrats needed a net gain of four seats to win Senate control.

Final polls published on 1 November by The New York Times and Siena University put Democratic candidates ahead in seven closely watched US Senate races. Their leads ranged from 11 percentage points in Michigan and seven in Texas to two in Alaska and one in Iowa. Democrats also…

Newsom on possible Democrat ‘tsunami’ on Election Day: ‘That’s a word I haven’t used lightly’

• Newsom said a sweeping Democratic midterm victory was possible.
• He acknowledged uncertainty in the Senate races.
• Republican Mike Lawler rejected the ‘tsunami’ prediction.

California Governor Gavin Newsom said ahead of the 3 November 2026 US midterm elections that Democrats could achieve a sweeping victory and regain control of one or both chambers of Congress. Speaking on a Sunday election preview programme, he said a ‘blue tsunami’ was possible and that he…

Tokyo: ‘Diamond Diplomacy’ Doc Tracks the History of Baseball in Japan and Its Impact on U.S. Relations

• A documentary links baseball’s history to Japan-US relations.
• It spans 150 years, from 1872 to Shohei Ohtani’s era.
• A $300,000 donation helped finish the film after grant cuts.

*Diamond Diplomacy* explores 150 years of Japan-US relations through baseball, tracing how the sport became part of Japanese life and a point of cultural exchange. Directed by Yuriko Gamo Romer, the documentary connects baseball’s history to geopolitics, race and the experiences of Japanese-Americans, showing how the game has…

Forget ‘Bosch,’ Titus Welliver Stole the Show in One of Sci-Fi’s Greatest Franchises

• Titus Welliver plays an Imperial captain in “The Heiress”.
• His brief role makes the Empire feel more threatening.
• The episode helps set up Din and Bo-Katan’s alliance.

Titus Welliver, best known for leading the crime drama Bosch, made a brief appearance as an Imperial captain in The Mandalorian episode “The Heiress”. The article argues that his performance strengthens the episode by making the Empire feel like a more credible threat and giving its action a…

Democrats eye congressional gains despite uncertainty in polling

• Polls point to Democratic gains, but close races could turn on small errors.
• Pollsters say reaching and modelling voters has become harder.
• Midterm surveys were more accurate in 2022 than recent primary polling.

Democrats are entering the US midterm elections with hopes of gaining control of the House and making progress in the Senate, helped by polls showing close or favourable races. Their prospects matter because a shift in Congress could constrain President Donald Trump’s agenda, but past polling errors mean…