Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan Senate race, becomes first Muslim senator
Progressive Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has won Michigan’s open U.S. Senate race, defeating Republican Mike Rogers and becoming the first Muslim elected to the United States Senate. The 42-year-old physician, who ran as an antiestablishment figure on the left, prevailed in one of the most bitter and expensive contests of the midterms, a race marked by Islamophobic attacks from Republicans and by his primary opponent’s endorsement of Rogers. El-Sayed’s victory keeps a crucial seat in Democratic hands and adds to the party’s decisive Senate majority.
Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong sentenced to ten more years
Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong, 30, was sentenced on Thursday to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to foreign collusion, his second conviction under Beijing’s national security law. Wong, who became the global face of the 2014 Umbrella Movement as a teenager, has been imprisoned since 2020 and has now spent nearly six years behind bars. Prosecutors accused him of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces, a national security offense that critics say has been used to silence political opposition in the city.
Democrats flip Senate seats in North Carolina and Maine
In North Carolina, former Democratic governor Roy Cooper defeated Republican Michael Whatley, the former Republican National Committee chair, to win the open U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring GOP Senator Thom Tillis. The flip gives Democrats their first North Carolina senator in a decade and was called a key win in the party’s push to reclaim the chamber.
In Maine, Democrat Troy Jackson, a former state Senate president and fifth-generation logger, defeated five-term Republican incumbent Susan Collins, ending her nearly 30-year Senate career. Collins conceded the race, which Democrats counted as one of their most sought-after victories of the night and a crucial step toward retaking the Senate majority. Jackson had replaced Graham Platner as the party’s nominee in July and had just over 100 days to campaign.
Mississippi Senate race remains too close to call
The Mississippi Senate race remained unresolved, with Democrat Scott Colom holding a razor-thin lead over Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith as votes continued to be counted. Mississippi election law does not provide for automatic or requested recounts, leaving the deep-red state’s contest in a prolonged nail-biter that could deliver a historic upset for Democrats.
Hakeem Jeffries launches bid to become House speaker
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries has officially launched his bid for speaker, with the caucus set to hold leadership elections on Nov. 18. If Democrats control the House and he wins the post, Jeffries would become the first Black speaker of the House and second in the presidential line of succession, after the vice president. He has pledged to focus on affordability and holding the administration accountable.
Republicans blame Iran war for midterm election losses
President Donald Trump said the war in Iran likely contributed to Republican setbacks, while Vice President JD Vance publicly blamed the conflict for the party’s midterm defeats and appeared to distance himself from the administration’s agenda. “If you’d like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, then do so,” Vance said. Trump, for his part, said he would “do it again.” An ABC News voter poll found that 34% of voters said the war was “crucial” to their vote.
South Africans vote in municipal elections testing ANC
Millions of South Africans voted Wednesday in local elections widely viewed as a crucial test for the ruling African National Congress. Polls suggested the former liberation movement could fall below 40% of the vote, and possibly even below a third, as voters expressed deep frustration over water outages, power cuts, crumbling infrastructure, corruption and high crime.
South Korea plans to expand naval patrols near Strait of Hormuz
South Korea plans to expand the operating area of its anti-piracy Cheonghae unit to waters near Oman’s Duqm, roughly 650 kilometres from the Strait of Hormuz, and to deploy maritime patrol aircraft and an explosive-ordnance disposal team. Seoul said the mission would protect commercial shipping and energy supplies while ruling out military intervention in the ongoing U.S.-Iran war. The government is expected to seek parliamentary approval after pressure from the Trump administration for greater support.
Celebrity hairstylist John Frieda dies at age 75
British celebrity hairstylist and beauty entrepreneur John Frieda has died at 75. His salon announced on Instagram that he died peacefully surrounded by his family. Frieda styled stars including Twiggy, Madonna and Joanna Lumley before creating the global hair-care line Frizz Ease, and tributes described him as a true icon of the hair industry.
German Bavarian politician Hubert Aiwanger found dead in Berlin
Hubert Aiwanger, 55, the deputy leader of Bavaria state and chairman of the right-wing populist Free Voters party, was found dead in a Berlin hotel on Wednesday. Police and prosecutors have opened an investigation into the circumstances of his death, which were not immediately clear.
UK police arrest Palestine Action supporters outside Supreme Court
Police arrested supporters of Palestine Action outside the UK Supreme Court in London on Wednesday as the court began a two-day appeal against the government’s ban on the pro-Palestinian protest group. Rights activists argue the proscription is a misuse of terrorism powers. The government designated Palestine Action a terrorist organization last year, prompting the legal challenge.