Democrats regained full control of Congress in the US midterm elections held on 3 Nov, winning sweeping victories that were widely described as a historic defeat for President Donald Trump. In Texas, James Talarico, Gina Hinojosa and Bobby Pulido won their races, giving Democrats all key state offices there for the first time in 30 years. Attention has now shifted to the 2028 presidential race, where no Democrat has emerged as a clear favourite and Democrats remain divided over whether to move toward the centre or further left.
Tokyo
3 stories since 29 October 2026, newest first
4 November 2026
30 October 2026
Waymo plans to start a fully autonomous ride‑hailing service in Tokyo in 2027 using Toyota’s bZ4X electric SUVs, which will be assembled with Waymo’s self‑driving hardware at Toyota’s Takaoka plant in Aichi Prefecture. The partnership, first announced in April 2025, also includes testing of the vehicles in Japan beginning next year and future deployment in other right‑hand‑drive markets such as the United Kingdom. Waymo continues to test Jaguar I‑Pace robotaxis in London and Japan while exploring integration of its technology into privately owned Toyota cars.
29 October 2026
North Korea fired roughly a dozen short‑range ballistic missiles from the Wonsan area on 29 Oct, each traveling about 250 km toward the East Sea, according to South Korean military sources. Seoul’s National Security Office labeled the launches a breach of UN Security Council resolutions and convened an emergency meeting, while the United States and Japan receive shared intelligence. The same day, South Korea accused North Korea of placing landmines south of the Military Demarcation Line, a claim Pyongyang denied and warned could provoke retaliation.