 "FirstUp: New York City mayoral election and other big news today")
It is set to be a busy Tuesday, with several events lined up.
Firstly, voting for New York City’s mayoral election will take place today.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is visiting South Korea. He is scheduled to hold the annual Security Consultative Meeting today with South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back.
The Canadian government will unveil the federal budget today. In India, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee will hit the streets in Kolkata against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Well-known author Salman Rushdie’s new book, ‘The Eleventh Hour,’ is likely to be released.
Here is all that is set to take place today.
NYC mayoral election
Voting for the mayoral election in New York City will take place today. Polls across the city will be open from 6 am to 9 pm. The main contenders for the ballot are Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, independent candidate Andrew Cuomo, and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa.
The election is being held to find a replacement for the current mayor, Eric Adams. Adams withdrew his re-election bid in September 2025 but will serve out the remainder of his term, which ends on January 1, 2026. The key issues that voters will be concentrating on are the city’s high cost of living, housing affordability, public safety, and the ongoing migrant crisis.
Governor races in Virginia and New Jersey
Voting for the governor election will be held in Virginia, where the polls will be open from 6 am to 7 pm today. The two main contenders are Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger and Republican nominee Winsome Earle-Sears, who is also the current Lieutenant Governor.
New Jersey will also hold voting for the governor’s position today. It is to determine who will succeed the term-limited incumbent, Democrat Phil Murphy. Here, the contenders are the Democratic nominee Mikie Sherrill and former state assemblyman, the Republican nominee Jack Ciattarelli.
US, South Korea to hold annual security talks
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, along with his South Korean counterpart Ahn Gyu-back, will co-chair the annual Security Consultative Meeting, the highest-level forum at which the two countries chart the course of their military alliance and South Korea’s defense against nuclear-armed North Korea.
Ahn and Hegseth will discuss combined defence readiness against North Korea and cooperation on regional security, cyber defence, and missile defence, the South’s Defence Ministry said.
On Monday, Hegseth visited the Demilitarized Zone along the border with North Korea as part of a trip to South Korea. The visit marks the first time since 2017 that the allied defence chiefs have gone to the DMZ together. This action underscores their shared commitment to strengthening their joint military stance as regional threats continue to evolve.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsCanadian government to unveil federal budget
The Canadian government is set to unveil its federal budget today in the Parliament by Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne. This budget marks the first main federal budget under PM Mark Carney, since taking office in March 2025.
It is expected to outline significant spending plans and a wider deficit amidst ongoing trade tensions with the United States. Economists anticipate the deficit will widen, potentially reaching C$70 billion or more, up from approximately C$48 billion the previous year.
The fiscal plan is expected to boost expenditures on key priorities, including defence, housing, and infrastructure. The government has asked all departments to find “ambitious savings” and cut regulations to help manage spending.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee to hit the streets in Kolkata against SIR
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will hit the streets in Kolkata on November 4 to protest against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) today. The Trinamool Congress chairperson will also be joined by party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in a protest rally from Red Road to Jorasanko.
The protest rally is being considered as an attempt to keep the pressure on the ECI, which is conducting SIR in 12 states, including West Bengal. The rally will coincide with the day when the door-to-door enumeration for the SIR will start.
Salman Rushdie’s new book set for release
British-American novelist Salman Rushdie is set to launch his first major work of fiction, ‘The Eleventh Hour’, since the brutal stabbing that blinded him in one eye today.
“The three novellas in this volume, all written in the last twelve months, explore themes and places that have been much on my mind – mortality, Bombay, farewells, England (especially Cambridge), anger, peace, America,” he said in a statement released by Penguin Publishing.
Salman Rushdie’s The Eleventh Hour is a new collection of short stories. The book explores themes and locations of interest to the author. Hadi Matar, the would-be assassin, has been convicted of attempted murder following a trial in upstate New York. The verdict came after Rushdie delivered graphic testimony detailing the incident.
With inputs from agencies
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