Italian driver Kimi Antonelli has become the youngest world champion in the history of Formula 1, according to reports, after sealing the title at the Mexico City Grand Prix on Sunday, 1 November 2026.

What happened

Antonelli, who drives for Mercedes, needed only a ninth-place finish to make sure of the championship. He finished third, behind race winner Max Verstappen of Red Bull and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, which put the title out of reach of his rivals with four races of the season still left. Hamilton and his Mercedes team-mate George Russell had been his closest challengers.

Records broken

At 20 years and 68 days, Antonelli breaks the record set by Sebastian Vettel, who was 23 years and 134 days old when he won his first title with Red Bull in 2010. He is also the first Italian to win the drivers' championship since Alberto Ascari in 1953, ending a wait of 73 years for the country. Remarkably, he is only in his second season in Formula 1.

What he said

Celebrating with his family and the Mercedes team, Antonelli reportedly thanked both, saying he would not be there without them. Verstappen was among the first to congratulate him and said he was very proud of the young driver, adding that it must be an emotional day for his family.

Background

Antonelli was picked by Mercedes as a teenager to replace Hamilton, who moved to Ferrari in 2025. Many questioned whether he was ready for such a big seat, but he has now delivered the team's first drivers' title since Hamilton's last championship in 2020.

What happens next

The remaining four races will decide the other places in the drivers' standings and the constructors' championship.

Several police officers are feared dead after suspected bandits attacked a bus carrying them along the Sokoto–Gusau road in Zamfara State on Monday, 2 November 2026.

What happened

The officers were travelling in a state mass transit bus, known locally as Bazamfara, towards Gusau, the state capital. According to police sources, they were on their way to provide security for the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for the Zamfara North senatorial district, which was taking place in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area. Sources said some officers were killed in the ambush and others were abducted by the attackers. The exact number of casualties had not been confirmed at the time of reporting.

Official response

The spokesman for the police zone covering the area reportedly confirmed the attack, but said he was in hospital and would issue an official statement later. The identities of the victims have not been released.

Background

Zamfara is one of the states worst affected by banditry in north-west Nigeria, with frequent attacks on travellers, villages and security personnel. Police officers are often deployed to provide security at party primaries and campaign events, and several political gatherings have been attacked in recent weeks as the 2027 elections approach. In neighbouring Niger State, gunmen abducted 14 Islamiyya students and their teacher at the weekend.

What happens next

Security agencies are expected to launch an operation to rescue the abducted officers, and the police are expected to release casualty figures.

Suspected bandits have abducted 14 students of an Islamic school and their teacher in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State, police have confirmed.

What happened

The attack happened at about 12.30pm on Saturday, 31 October 2026, in Tungan-Bako village near Pandogari. According to the police, the students were helping their teacher harvest maize on his farm when armed men stormed the area and took them away.

Police statement

The spokesman for the Niger State Police Command, Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the incident on Monday, 2 November. He said the number of students abducted was 14, correcting earlier reports that about 50 pupils had been seized. He said a joint team of security forces had been deployed to rescue the victims and that further updates would be given.

Background

Rafi and nearby local government areas in Niger State have suffered repeated attacks by armed groups in recent years, including mass abductions from schools and villages. Kidnapping for ransom remains a serious problem across north-west and north-central Nigeria, and farmers are often targeted during the harvest season. On the same day the abduction was confirmed, bandits ambushed a bus carrying police officers in neighbouring Zamfara State.

What happens next

Families and community leaders are calling for the quick and safe release of the students.

Veteran rapper Eedris Abdulkareem has released a new song with a pointed political message for President Bola Tinubu, this time delivered through the President's son, Seyi Tinubu.

The song

In a music video posted on Instagram on Monday, 2 November 2026, Eedris reportedly addresses Seyi directly, asking him to plead with his father on behalf of Nigerians. The lyrics contrast the President's role as a good father to his own family with what the rapper describes as hardship for ordinary Nigerians. According to reports, the song also takes aim at the National Assembly over the newly passed tax law and criticises the electoral system.

Background

Eedris, best known for his 2004 hit 'Jaga Jaga', has used music to criticise Nigerian governments for more than two decades. In 2025 he released a song critical of the Tinubu government, which the broadcasting regulator restricted on air. On Monday he also denied claims that he had joined the APC, accusing Isaac Fayose of hypocrisy for saying so. Seyi Tinubu has become a visible figure in his father's re-election campaign, and the Presidency has defended the government's reforms, saying they are needed to fix the economy.

How people reacted

The video drew strong reactions online. Many fans praised the rapper for speaking up about the cost of living, while supporters of the President accused him of playing politics ahead of the 2027 elections.

What happens next

Neither Seyi Tinubu nor the Presidency had responded publicly at the time of reporting.