“The United States will spurn a UN meeting on Tuesday where its human rights record under President Donald Trump was due to be examined, drawing criticism from rights groups who say violations have surged to levels not seen in decades. Washington disengaged from the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council last year, citing an anti-Israel bias, and this is the second year in a row that it has skipped its own review — a process that even dictatorships take part in. The US no-show will likely mean the event is postponed until January, according to a draft UN document and diplomats. A US State Department spokesperson said participation would imply endorsement of the council’s work.” (11/10/26)
“Climate activist Greta Thunberg arrived at U.N. climate talks on Tuesday, condemning the annual proceedings as hypocritical and urging leaders to put people and the planet ahead of profits and power. The COP31 conference is being held in the Turkish resort city of Antalya following a year of deadly climate-related disasters, including heat waves and floods, and another energy shock caused by the Iran war. ‘It’s a hypocrisy every year that the host countries are given an opportunity to whitewash themselves and we know that these negotiations are filled with lobbyists, paid by the very destructive industries which are benefiting from our extremely violent status quo,’ Thunberg said as she arrived. ‘Our political and economic systems that have become incompatible with human nature.’ COP31 co-hosts Turkey and Australia are promoting renewable energy and rooftop solar installations, but both still rely heavily on fossil fuels, especially coal, to generate electricity.” (11/10/26)
“Amnesty International on Monday urged El Salvador and Haiti to release the agreement governing the mass deployment of Salvadoran troops into the gang-plagued Caribbean nation, and for both countries to ensure that rights are respected. Some 2,000 troops have been sent by El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele to Haiti since the mid-October disappearance of four Salvadoran personnel. The vast majority of the Salvadoran soldiers are not participating in the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF), raising concerns about their rules of engagement. … Bukele initially stated the deployment aimed at bringing home the missing personnel. However, he has subsequently hinted at a broader goal of eliminating Haiti’s powerful gangs, as he did in his own country with a campaign that has raised allegations of rights abuses.” (11/10/26)
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“The United States, Ukraine and Russia have started talks in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday aimed at ending the war in Ukraine that began in 2022 when Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of his country’s neighbor. The two-day session is the first such meeting since February and will focus on security guarantees, a long-running demand from Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. … Ukraine argues that an immediate ceasefire is the necessary first step toward negotiating a wider settlement and says a direct meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy is the only way territorial issues can be settled.” (11/10/26)
“California voters have rejected a first-in-the-nation tax on the net worth of billionaires following a contentious ballot fight that generated huge spending by some prominent tech leaders eager to stop their taxes from going up. The measure’s failure is a win for Democratic leaders who opposed it, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, who may run for president in 2028. Critics of the tax, known as Proposition 40, said it would have prompted ultrawealthy taxpayers to leave the state. Most Californians vote by mail, and any ballot postmarked by Election Day that arrives within a week is counted, meaning it often takes days or even weeks for close races to be settled. The Associated Press determined Monday that ‘no’ had received enough votes to win.” (11/09/26)
“Israel’s new parliament will be sworn in Tuesday, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set to lose his majority even as rival Gadi Eisenkot still works to form a new government. President Isaac Herzog will deliver a speech at 4:00 pm (1400 GMT) for the swearing-in of the 120-seat parliament, in which neither Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc nor Eisenkot’s opposition will hold a majority. The opposition hopes to use its newfound legislative power to move quickly on key priorities, including a commission to investigate security failures under Netanyahu that allowed the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, the deadliest day in Israel’s history. Herzog on Sunday gave Eisenkot the initial mandate to form a government, starting the clock for him to cobble together a coalition within 28 days, with a possible 14-day extension.” (11/10/26)
“Donald Trump has said that the war in Iran is ‘effectively over’ as he played down concerns that the US would escalate its military campaign against Tehran after the midterm elections. During a White House press conference, Trump said that Israel and Gulf allies in the region were well protected from Iran and that an escalation was not needed. … ‘We’re seeing momentum toward the end of this conflict. I think it’s going to be ending fairly soon,’ he added. Trump has frequently exaggerated claims about the status of negotiations with Iran, saying a final peace deal was imminent dozens of times during the nearly nine-month long war.” (11/09/26)
“Russell Brand, the comedian, actor and conspiracy-minded YouTuber, was sentenced on Monday to 10 and a half years in prison for the rape and sexual assaults that he was convicted of last week. The presiding judge, Joel Bennathan, said in a sentencing hearing at Southwark Crown Court in London that Mr. Brand, 51, was ‘a sexual predator’ with a ‘casual, arrogant disregard’ for women’s wishes. … The decision came four days after a jury found Mr. Brand guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault, in a trial in which six women testified about episodes that they said occurred between 2004 and 2009.” (11/09/26)
“Hungarian police took nationalist ex-leader Viktor Orban’s brother into custody on Monday, according to a press report shared by Prime Minister Peter Magyar. Pro-EU conservative Magyar won a landslide election victory in April to end 16 years in power for Orban, promising to investigate alleged corruption and abuse of office during his rival’s rule. ‘According to press reports, Viktor Orban’s brother, Aron Orban, has been taken into custody on suspicion of human trafficking,’ Magyar wrote on social media. The original report comes from Kontroll, a news site owned by Magyar’s brother Marton Magyar.” (11/09/26)
