Formula One: Verstappen takes pole as Bottas crashes

MEXICO CITY (REUTERS) – Max Verstappen put himself on pole position for a third successive Mexican Grand Prix win on Saturday (Oct 26) in a qualifying session that ended with Mercedes’ title contender Valtteri Bottas crashing heavily.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc joined the Dutchman on the front row with team mate Sebastian Vettel third and Lewis Hamilton, who needs to finish on the podium to clinch his sixth title on Sunday, qualifying fourth for Mercedes.

Bottas, the only driver who can deny Hamilton the title, will line up sixth on the grid barring any penalties.

Vatican synod proposes ordination of married men as priests in Amazon region

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – An assembly of Roman Catholic bishops from the Amazon on Saturday proposed that married men in the remote area be allowed to be ordained priests, which could lead to a landmark change in the Church’s centuries-old discipline of celibacy.

The proposal, made in a final document of a three-week assembly, known as a synod, passed by a vote of 128 in favor and 41 against. Pope Francis will consider it, along with many others on issues including the environment and the role of women, in a future document of his own.

French luxury group LVMH in talks to buy Tiffany: Bloomberg

NEW YORK (REUTERS) – Louis Vuitton owner LVMH is in talks to buy Tiffany & Co, Bloomberg reported on Saturday (Oct 26), citing people familiar with the matter.

The discussions, which could help the Paris-based luxury group expand in the US jewellery market, are not guaranteed to end with an agreement being reached between the companies, Bloomberg added.

LVMH and Tiffany were not immediately available for comment outside regular business hours.

Iraq suspends Saudi Arabian broadcasters: Al-Hadath TV

BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iraq has suspended Saudi Arabian state-owned broadcasters Al-Hadath TV and Al Arabiya, Al-Hadath said on Saturday, amid renewed anti-government protests that saw scores killed over two days in clashes with security forces and militia groups.

“The Iraqi government suspends the work of Al-Hadath and Al Arabiya,” Al-Hadath TV said on its news ticker while it carried footage of the protests.

Over 60 people were killed on Friday and Saturday.

3 GOP challengers take roadshow to pro-Trump Tennessee

Three Republican longshots challenging President Donald Trump in 2020 made a roadshow stop in the liberal-leaning capital of pro-Trump Tennessee.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford and former Rep. Joe Walsh of Illinois drew a sparse crowd Saturday at the Politicon conference in Nashville. The event attracted several hundred people in a room with more than 2,000 seats.

The three disagreed on the impeachment inquiry. Weld and Walsh expressed support for impeachment. Sanford said a censure could be a better option, contending that a likely acquittal in the GOP-led Senate could benefit Trump politically.

Each is opposing decisions by several states to cancel 2020 GOP presidential primaries, a move that’s not unusual for the party of the White House incumbent seeking reelection.

Elite troops deployed in southern Iraqi city Nasiriya to break up protests

NASIRIYA, Iraq (Reuters) – Iraq’s elite counter-terrorism service (CTS) deployed to the southern city of Nasiriya where protesters clashed with security forces on Saturday, broke up demonstrations by beating and arresting dozens, local police and security sources said.

Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi earlier ordered the CTS to deploy in the streets of Baghdad and use any means to end protests against his government, two security sources told Reuters on Saturday.

Iraqi PM orders deployment of elite troops to end Baghdad protests -sources

BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi has ordered elite counter-terrorism troops to deploy in the streets of Baghdad and use any means to end protests against his government, two security sources told Reuters on Saturday.

The security sources read out a memo from Abdul Mahdi to the commander of Iraq’s elite Counter-Terrorism Service telling him to deploy his forces and “use all necessary measures” to end protests in Baghdad.

Microsoft: "appreciate" winning JEDI contract- statement

Oct 26 (Reuters) – Microsoft Corp. said in a statement on Saturday that the company appreciates being chosen by the U.S. Defense department (DoD) for the Pentagon’s $10 billion Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure Cloud (JEDI) contract.

“We look forward to expanding our longstanding partnership with DoD”, the company said.

Microsoft was chosen for the contract over favorite Amazon.com Inc. (Reporting by Rishika Chatterjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Sandra Maler)

At least seven Iraqi protesters shot dead by militia in Hilla: sources

HILLA, Iraq (Reuters) – At least seven protesters were killed and 38 wounded in the Iraqi city of Hilla early on Sunday when members of the Iranian-backed Badr Organization militia opened fire on demonstrators, police and health sources said.

Protesters had gathered across Iraq on Saturday in a second day of anti-government protests, in which at least 65 people have died.

Torn California Rep. Katie Porter Now ‘Proud’ To Endorse Elizabeth Warren

After some suspenseful months, Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) announced Saturday that she’s endorsing Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren to be the Democratic presidential candidate. “I’m excited to continue this fight for the middle class with my friend and mentor,” Porter declared Saturday.

“Elizabeth is the person I trust to take on corruption in Washington and I’m proud to announce my endorsement. See you in Iowa next Sunday, @ewarren,” Porter added in a tweet, indicating the two may be stumping together.

Warren responded that she was “grateful down to my toes” for Porter’s endorsement, adding: “I’m glad we’re in this fight together.”

Porter had been holding off on her endorsement because she considers both Warren and home state Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris as her mentors. (She quipped in an appearance with Seth Myyers in the video above that Warren was “terrifying” as her professor at Harvard Law School.) When Harris served as attorney general of California, she appointed Porter to be the state’s independent monitor of banks. 

“I adore Elizabeth and Kamala,” Porter told HuffPost recently. “I think either of them would be terrific presidents. I’m very enthusiastic and supportive of both of them, and that’s where it stands,” she said at the time.

Porter received endorsements from both senators in her long-shot 2018 bid for Congress in California’s Orange County, which used to be a conservative bastion before Donald Trump moved into the White House.