“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)
“More than 2 million people gathered Monday near the Monumento de los Españoles, a landmark along one of Buenos Aires’ main boulevards, to attend Pope Leo XIV’s first mass in Argentina, according to estimates from the Buenos Aires city government. The gathering was the largest of his papacy so far and marked a historic occasion after nearly 40 years without a papal visit to Argentina. … Before celebrating mass, Leo began the second day of his visit to Argentina at the Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione in Claypole, a residential care facility for people with disabilities, where he stressed that a country’s dignity is measured by its commitment to inclusion, newspaper La Nacion reported.” (11/09/26)
“Boeing said Monday that it plans to cut 5% of its commercial airplane workforce as its production ramp-up is moving at a slower pace than the company expected. The cuts will be through a combination of attrition and layoffs, Stephanie Pope, head of the commercial aircraft unit, said in a memo to staff. Pope reiterated that the company is still working to stabilize production rates of its best-selling 737 Max planes, which are made outside of Seattle. CEO Kelly Ortberg told investors last month that the company won’t significantly increase production of the Max aircraft until the second half of next year. He said the company’s wing production has been slower than expected.” (11/09/26)
“French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on Monday he was bringing forward a planned hike in the minimum wage to December from January, as he sought to defuse a cost-of-living crisis that has sparked some of France’s worst civil unrest in years. … The hike falls short of union demands, with the CFDT, France’s largest union, calling for a €100 increase, while the left-wing CGT union is demanding a 10% rise, equivalent to around €150 a month.’ (11/09/26)
“As severe floods ravage Gaza, Israel is continuing to block the entry of tents, repair materials, and mobile homes despite the aid provisions of the October 2025 ‘ceasefire’ agreement. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported Monday that more than 150,000 tents are ready to be sent to Gaza, where it said more vacuum trucks and mobile dewatering pumps were urgently needed. At least 70,000 tents were flooded in a single day this weekend. At least one infant reportedly drowned. A mother and her two children, along with three other children from the same family, were killed when a sandbank collapsed onto their tents. ‘Over the weekend, while families slept, water flooded their tents and engulfed entire camps,’ said Ahmad Alhendawi, Save the Children’s regional director for the Middle East and North Africa.” (11/09/26)
