The most important world events of the past 24 hours
Jensen Huang Resigns as Nvidia CEO; Colette Kress Named Interim Chief
🐱 Scout scientist · Jensen Huang resigns as Nvidia CEO
Nvidia announced on Thursday morning that founder Jensen Huang has resigned as president, chief executive and board member, effective immediately, ending his 33-year tenure at the helm; CFO Colette Kress will serve as interim CEO, and Harvey C. Jones becomes the company's first board chair. Shares opened down 13% at $150.99 and closed at $166.19, down 4.34%, roughly 35% below the record closing high of $239.24 on October 6. The company gave no reason for the resignation, and earnings are still scheduled for November 17.
Background: The board opened an independent investigation on November 8, the same day Huang admitted to an extramarital affair in an email to staff; The New York Times later reported a second affair.
Sources: The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Reuters, Bloomberg, Fox Business (5 outlets)
Two More Tankers Hit Mines in Strait of Hormuz, Four Struck in a Day
🐱 Scout rescue worker · Two more tankers hit mines in Strait of Hormuz
Iran's military said on Thursday that two more oil tankers caught fire after striking naval mines in the eastern Strait of Hormuz that afternoon, hours after two supertankers carrying more than 4 million barrels of crude were disabled by explosions on an "unauthorised route" on Wednesday night — four vessels struck in a single day. Iran said the ships ignored warnings and switched off their radar systems; Reuters said it could not independently verify the Iranian account. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency separately reported a vessel hit by an unidentified projectile about 14 nautical miles northwest of Ras Al-Khaimah on Wednesday. At least 10 ships have been hit in the first 10 days of November, after 37 attacks in October, the highest monthly tally since the conflict began, according to Washington Institute data.
Background: The US-Iran war has lasted more than eight months, and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen to about a fifth of pre-war levels.
Sources: Reuters, UK Maritime Trade Operations (2 outlets)
US Envoys Meet Putin: Trilateral Ukraine Talks Restarted, Territory Still Deadlocked
🐱 Scout diplomat · US envoys meet Putin
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin for about two hours on Thursday, and Witkoff said afterward that trilateral talks had been restarted and a new meeting set, though no date or venue was given; Kushner said one aim was to win Putin's blessing for European representatives to join the negotiations. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov called the talks constructive and said Putin will continue discussions with President Donald Trump at the APEC summit later this month. The envoys then flew to Dublin to brief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who called the moment a "window of opportunity" and said a result could come by early 2027.
Background: Two days of talks in Abu Dhabi agreed in principle on a large prisoner exchange, but made no breakthrough on a ceasefire or territory, which Kyiv firmly refuses to concede in the Donbas.
Israeli Strike on Gaza's Nasser Hospital Kills 6 as Netanyahu Orders Iran Attack Preparations
🐱 Scout field reporter · Israeli strike on Gaza's Nasser Hospital
An Israeli airstrike hit the surgery building of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis early on Thursday, killing six people, including a general surgeon and a child, and wounding about 28 others, according to Gaza's Health Ministry; the Israeli military said it targeted Muhammad Abu Ismail, commander of Hamas's Khan Younis Brigade. It was the seventh Israeli strike on the hospital complex. On the same day, Israel's security cabinet ordered the military to step up preparations for a possible new attack on Iran, while Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, warned that every US military base involved in a new war, "from West Asia to Europe," would be a legitimate target.
Background: A US-brokered ceasefire has formally held since October 2025, but Israeli strikes on Gaza have continued; health authorities say 1,622 people have been killed by Israeli attacks since the truce took effect.
Political developments and international relations
Democrats Prepare Probes of Trump Administration; White House Warns of Criminal Liability
With the midterms over, the Democratic-controlled incoming Congress is preparing a barrage of investigations into the Trump administration, targeting the Iran war, immigration policy and the handling of spy agencies, while the White House has warned Democrats that investigating the administration could be criminal. Vice President JD Vance is using the moment to build his own 2028 brand, and Democrats are gathering in Denver from November 12 to 14 for a "What's Next" convention to set their agenda.
Background: Democrats won control of Congress in last week's midterm elections and take over in January 2027.
COP31 Leaders' Summit Closes as Nations Pitch Climate Action as Economics
The two-day COP31 leaders' summit closed on Thursday with governments trying out a new sales pitch for climate action: frame it as a way to bolster the economy and bring down the cost of living, rather than only as an emissions duty. UN Secretary-General António Guterres said three-quarters of humanity live in countries that import fossil fuels and are hostage to price shocks they did not create; UN climate chief Simon Stiell made the same point, and former US Secretary of State John Kerry praised the reframing. Technical negotiations continue until November 20.
Background: The conference opened on Monday; the United States, having formally left the Paris Agreement early this year, is absent for a second consecutive year; the summit's flagship initiative is the "35x35 global electrification pledge."
Iran Sends Nuclear Proposal to US via Qatar in Exchange for Confidence-Building Steps
Iranian officials told Reuters that Tehran has sent a nuclear proposal to the United States through Qatar, and a Qatari confidence-building proposal — including reopening the Strait of Hormuz on the second day of the measures — has been discussed over two days. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, tied reopening the strait to ending the war "on all fronts," specifically naming Lebanon, and said Iran would not allow any enriched uranium to leave its territory. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington had asked its G7 counterparts for help protecting shipping in Hormuz but received no response.
Background: The US-Iran war began on February 28; President Trump agreed on November 9 to pause new strikes on Iranian air defences.
US Stocks Fall Across the Board as 10-Year Treasury Yield Tops 5.1%
US stocks closed lower across the board on Thursday, with the S&P 500 down 0.35% at 7,592.40, the Nasdaq down 0.39% at 25,366.09 and the Dow down 0.36% at 52,297.09, while the small-cap Russell 2000 tumbled 1.66%; the 10-year Treasury yield rose 10.5 basis points to 5.10% and the 30-year to 5.43%, lifting the market-implied probability of a 50-basis-point December hike above 15%. AMD and Broadcom each climbed nearly 6% even as Nvidia slid, Apple hit an intraday record just below $360, gold fell 2.96% to $3,882 an ounce, and the dollar index rose to its highest since April.
Background: October CPI rose 0.4% month on month, above expectations, and markets have fully priced in at least a 25-basis-point Fed hike in December; the next FOMC meeting is December 8-9.
Oil Jumps More Than 4% on Strait of Hormuz Attacks
Oil prices surged on Thursday after four tankers were struck in the Strait of Hormuz, with WTI crude up 4.02% at $88.70 a barrel and Brent up 4.91% at $95.77. The oil rally, combined with rising bond yields, weighed on risk sentiment, and investors now await Friday's US October producer price index for a read on whether inflation pressure persists.
Background: Brent settled at $92.76 on Wednesday and has climbed steadily since Tehran rejected a US proposal to transfer its stockpile of 60%-enriched uranium to a third country.
Tech companies, research breakthroughs and digital policy
Anthropic Launches Claude Workplace Suite as IPO Pricing Nears
Anthropic on Tuesday unveiled a suite of Claude workplace tools, including Claude Meetings, which can join Google Meet calls as a visible participant, collaborative whiteboards and spreadsheets, and Claude Data dashboards for paid subscribers, with connectors now covering more than 9,000 third-party apps. The company is expected to price its IPO on November 18 and list on the Nasdaq on November 19 under the ticker ANT at $70 to $78 a share, targeting a valuation of up to $1.4 trillion, alongside a $26 billion private placement involving Google, Nvidia, AMD and Microsoft.
Background: Anthropic reported third-quarter revenue of $17 billion and annualised revenue of $81 billion as of the end of October; TSMC's board has approved buying up to $500 million of shares at the IPO price.
Google Ships Gemini Decision Model and AlphaGenome 2; Apple's Local-AI App Surfaces
Google launched the Gemini Decision 1 model, which scores up to 1,000 yes/no, choice or rubric questions in a single forward pass with 150-250ms latency, while DeepMind's AlphaGenome 2, trained on more than 100 million single-cell profiles across 68 tissues, can parse DNA at cell-level resolution. Apple subsidiary Claris briefly listed Harbor, a Mac app for running open-weight models locally that pools unified memory across Thunderbolt 5 Macs for larger inference, before removing it.
Background: Google has already rolled out Gemini 4 Hydrogen to all users this month; Apple is accelerating work on an agentic Siri expected as early as next year.
Military developments, security situations and conflicts
US Moves Aircraft from RAF Mildenhall in England over Iran Threat
The Associated Press reported that the US Air Force has moved aircraft from RAF Mildenhall in eastern England "because of a threat," while The Wall Street Journal linked the threat to Iran. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, had warned that US bases in Europe would be targets if Washington launched another war on Iran; Vice President JD Vance is weighing a meeting with Rezaei in Doha.
Background: The United States operates several air bases in Europe, and Mildenhall is a key hub for air refuelling and special operations in Britain.
Sources: Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal (2 outlets)
Houthi Missiles Target Riyadh; Saudi Air Defences Intercept
Saudi air defences intercepted three Houthi cruise missiles near Riyadh on Thursday and shot down drones over Mecca Province and southern Saudi Arabia; the Houthis also fired three ballistic missiles at Marib City, targeting visiting Yemeni government leaders. No casualties were reported in Saudi Arabia, and the attacks came as the US-Iran war continues and shipping in the Strait of Hormuz comes under fire.
Background: The Houthis have repeatedly struck Saudi territory and Red Sea shipping, while the Saudi-led coalition continues air strikes inside Yemen.
Bangladesh Court Sets November 17 for Hasina Verdict
Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal-1 announced on Thursday that it will deliver its verdict on November 17 in the crimes against humanity case against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and two others, as the country remains on high alert with troops and police deployed at airports and key sites. The banned Awami League called a dawn-to-dusk lockdown for Thursday, and arson attacks on vehicles and crude bomb blasts have hit several areas over the past two days. Prosecutors have sought the maximum punishment on five charges, and the chief prosecutor said the trial "has entered its final phase."
Background: Hasina fled to India in August 2024 after a student-led uprising toppled her government; the case accuses her of ordering the crackdown during the July uprising last year, and the trial began on June 1.
SWISS Suspends Zurich–Dubai Flights Until Next March
SWISS announced it will suspend flights between Zurich and Dubai until the end of the winter schedule on March 27, 2027, citing the tense regional security situation. Swiss broadcaster SRF said it is the first time a European carrier has suspended a Gulf route long-term because of the Middle East conflict.
Background: Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen to about a fifth of pre-war levels, and several airlines are reassessing the risks on Middle East routes.
China-related news (international media coverage only)
China's Han Zheng Attends COP31 Leaders' Summit, Urges Developed Nations to Lead on Climate Finance
Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng, attending COP31 as President Xi Jinping's special representative, told the leaders' summit that China will reach a 35% electrification rate by 2030, urged developed countries to "take the lead" on climate finance, and described the green transition as "not a solo, but a chorus." Han also met UN Secretary-General António Guterres; China sent 1,021 delegates to Antalya, up from 789 at the last COP in Belém.
Background: China is the world's largest greenhouse gas emitter; the United States is absent from COP for a second consecutive year, and the BASIC group of Brazil, India, South Africa and China reaffirmed its opposition to unilateral protectionist measures.
APEC Summit in Shenzhen Next Week; Trump to Meet Xi
President Donald Trump travels to the Philippines on November 16 for the ASEAN summit, then attends the APEC summit in Shenzhen on November 18-19, where he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. Reuters noted that Shenzhen, China's Silicon Valley, will host a key face-to-face session for the two leaders on trade and tariffs.
Background: Trump first travels to the Philippines on November 16 for the ASEAN summit; the US and China are negotiating over trade and tariffs.
