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The Breakfast Table

Tuesday 03 November 2026 · No. 19

Top Story United States

Americans Vote on Tuesday to Decide Who Controls Congress

Gas prices and the cost of living have been big topics as the last day of campaigning ends.

📍 Washington DC · United States

Americans vote on Tuesday 3 November in the midterm elections. The results will decide who controls the House and the Senate, the two parts of Congress, for the last two years of President Trump's term.

On Monday, Mr Trump gave a nearly hourlong closing speech at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. He said Tuesday's elections could be the most important midterms in his lifetime. He admitted that sitting presidents usually lose midterms.

Prices are a big reason why. The U.S.-Iran war is in its ninth month, and rising gas prices have been a major issue. The Associated Press says high gas prices, grocery costs and inflation have made things harder for Republicans. Democrats could win at least one chamber, which would give them subpoena power.

For grown-ups: sources

World Bulgaria

Bulgaria Looks Set to Elect Its First Woman President

Exit polls show Iliana Yotova well ahead in Sunday's runoff, and her rival has accepted the result.

RUNOFF EXIT POLLS Share of the vote, % (lowest estimate)

Exit polls, not final results. Polling institutes gave Yotova 57.4% to 58.2% and Gyurov 38.6% to 39.6%.

Bulgaria, a country in Europe on the Black Sea, voted on Sunday 1 November in a runoff for president. A runoff is a second vote between the two candidates who did best the first time.

Exit polls, which ask people how they voted as they leave, showed acting President Iliana Yotova, 62, ahead with between 57.4% and 58.2%. Her rival, Andrey Gyurov, had between 38.6% and 39.6%, and he conceded, saying the results must be accepted. If official results confirm it, she would be Bulgaria's first elected female head of state.

The two wanted different things on the war in Ukraine. Yotova called for a peaceful end through talks with Russia. Gyurov signalled closer alignment with Western partners and stronger support for Ukraine. The presidency is largely ceremonial, but the president leads the armed forces, can veto laws and signs international treaties. A president serves five years and can serve two terms.

🗺️ Where in the world?

📍 Sofia · Bulgaria
For grown-ups: sources

United States Courts

Who Counts as a Voter? A Court Fight Reaches Washington

California ballots from about 20,000 people are at the centre of an argument days before the count.

Voting rules can end up in court at the last minute. On Monday the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court for emergency help with about 20,000 California mail ballots. It suspects they came from people who might not be U.S. citizens.

Judges have so far said no. An appeals court turned the request down, and Chief Judge James Boasberg denied it too, warning that citizens could lose their votes.

California officials call the list highly unreliable and say it likely includes many citizens. A group says over 40% of the names are not in the state voter file. The Justice Department defends the list.

🗺️ Where in the world?

📍 California · United States
For grown-ups: sources

Talk About It

TALK ABOUT IT

Why might the price of gas or groceries change how a family decides to vote, or what it thinks about the news?

Why do you think courts are asked to decide arguments about ballots instead of the politicians themselves?

Bulgaria's president is mostly ceremonial but leads the armed forces. Why might a country want a leader who has some jobs but not all of them?

India Weather

Chennai Shuts Schools as Cyclone Murasu Nears India's East Coast

Schools were shut in Chennai, and families along the coast were waiting for the storm to arrive.

A severe cyclonic storm called Murasu was heading for the east coast of India. It was expected to cross the southern coast of Andhra Pradesh, between the towns of Nellore and Narsapur, near Ongole. The forecast time was between 11:30 PM on 2 November and 4 AM on 3 November, so many families would be awake or sleeping through it.

The winds were forecast at 100-110 kmph, with gusts up to 120 kmph. That is why Chennai, a big city in Tamil Nadu, closed its schools on 2 November. Delhi and the area around it were reported to be spared.

Families can plan better when a storm is announced in advance. A forecast tells people where and about when it will arrive, so they can decide what to do and where to go. Remember that this is a forecast written before the storm arrived, so the real time and strength may differ.

🗺️ Where in the world?

📍 Ongole · India
For grown-ups: sources

Sport

SPORTS CORNER: RECORDS ABROAD

Cricket: Ishan Kishan scored 1,220 runs in 37 T20I innings in 2026, an Indian record for a calendar year, passing Suryakumar Yadav's 1,164 from 2022. Badminton: PV Sindhu won the Hylo Open women's singles in Saarbrucken, beating Denmark's Line Kjaersfeldt 21-12, 21-14. Lakshya Sen won the men's title.

In brief

More news

  • India: Gross GST collections rose nearly 23% in October to over Rs 2.31 lakh crore, the Finance Ministry said.
  • Space: NASA's twin ESCAPADE spacecraft pass Earth on 7 and 9 November, firing engines for about nine minutes to speed toward Mars.

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