Republicans and Democrats spend big on ads for US midterms

The rival parties have outspent the 2020 presidential election on ads addressing abortion, crime and the economy

As the US midterm elections loom, Republicans and Democrats have spent almost $10bn (8.6bn) so far on ads. It's a staggering figure, one that exceeds even the spending on the 2020 presidential election, and is almost triple the amount spent during the last midterms.

Both parties - and their dark money backers - have splashed exorbitant amounts on TV, digital and print advertising, but their focus has been very different.