Latest Politics News Today: 9 November 2026

British comedian Russell Brand was sentenced Monday to 10 years and 6 months for rape and three counts of sexual assault. Judge Joel Bennathan called him a predator and said he must serve at least two-thirds of the sentence. Brand was found guilty by a jury after a four-week trial, with victims describing shame and calling him remorseless.

The EU will send Commission and Council representatives to Ukraine peace talks starting Tuesday in Abu Dhabi. Ursula von der Leyen's chief of staff Bjoern Seibert and Council President António Costa's adviser Anna-Maria Boura will attend, with national security advisers from France, Germany and the U.K. An EU official said the Europeans would not be inside the room.

Five-time Olympic gold medalist Teddy Riner said in Le Parisien that he will enter the crowded race to succeed President Emmanuel Macron. The judoka, who lit the Olympic cauldron at the Paris 2024 opening ceremony, said he is not running as a left or right candidate but to combat a rising sense of dread and resignation. He has no political experience and had hinted at a possible presidential run last year.

Senate Republicans returning to the Capitol on Monday are furious with President Trump, whom they blame for last week's big losses in Senate and House races. GOP aides and strategists say the anger is raising the chances that the party could pivot away from the lame duck president before the 2028 presidential election.

President Trump defended Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang after reports linked him to a woman suspected of spying for China. Trump said he had not spoken to Huang about the allegations and called him an honorable guy who probably has an excuse. Huang acknowledged to Nvidia's board that he had been unfaithful to his wife with a business executive suspected by US intelligence of gathering information for Beijing.

Party sources said the executive committee of Germany's Social Democrats supports the nomination of Bavarian parliamentary speaker Ilse Aigner as next German president. Aigner, a member of the CSU, already has support from her party and the CDU, and would become Germany's first female head of state if elected by the Federal Convention on January 30. Germany also marked the 37th anniversary of the Berlin Wall being breached on November 9, 1989.

President Trump said on Sunday he expects to meet Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping at an Asia-Pacific summit in Shenzhen, China, scheduled for November 18 and 19. He said the talks could include denuclearisation and efforts to end the war in Iran. The Kremlin acknowledged on October 21 that a trilateral meeting was being prepared.

The 24-year-old man suspected of driving onto Krakow's main square and killing six people died in hospital on Monday, police said. The number of wounded is given as 15 in one account and 16 in another, with 12 in critical condition. Investigators are treating the attack as a terrorist offense and are examining the deaths of his parents and sister found at their home.

The Queensland government is investigating potential fraud in Victim Assist Queensland, a scheme that pays victims for expenses related to recovery from crime. It paid almost $244 million in 2024-25, up from $100 million the previous year and just under $40 million in 2022-23. Youth Justice Minister Laura Gerber said she has not ruled out tightening criteria to clamp down on possible fraud.

Homelessness minister Florence Eshalomi said the government hopes to offer a bed to every rough sleeper in England by Christmas but cited a chronic shortage of suitable housing. Official figures show 8,748 rough sleepers in England in June, the highest since November 2025, with only 15% found accommodation.

Councils say demand is rising because of a housing shortage and record temporary accommodation use, while early prison releases are a concern.

The UK government is expected to reduce its electric vehicle targets, a move likely to be welcomed by carmakers and opposed by environmental groups. Current rules require 80% of new cars to be electric by 2030, with all new car and van sales zero emission by 2035. A government source said ministers would act in a pragmatic and balanced way, while environmental groups warn any weakening of the 2030 target could threaten climate goals.

French presidential frontrunner Marine Le Pen wants to dismantle or drastically reduce the EU's diplomatic arm if she wins the 2027 election. National Rally officials said EU diplomatic chief Kaja Kallas's usefulness is limited and duplicates member-state diplomacy, putting pressure on the European External Action Service. The comments come as Kallas and the service are in a turf war with the European Commission over foreign policy.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said he would be cautious about the outcome of Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi, calling the meeting a stepping stone. He warned that Europe's defenses must not become a bargaining chip in negotiations to end Russia's war with Ukraine. Støre said the agenda could include a Black Sea grain ceasefire, an energy infrastructure ceasefire, a front line freeze and prisoner swaps.

President Trump said during a Sunday appearance on 60 Minutes that the hatred between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin is one of the primary obstacles to resolving the Russia-Ukraine war. CBS News's Ross Douthat questioned Trump about his promise to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

A 16-year-old boy has been spared jail for preparing a terror plot after being exposed to extremist content on social media. He was 14 when arrested in August 2024 after researching how to make a pressure-cooker bomb and potential target locations. A Supreme Court judge gave him a three-year community corrections order, finding the planning was at the least serious end of the scale and there was very little chance of reoffending.

President Trump said on Sunday that he offered UFC CEO Dana White the White House press secretary job as a joke. He told reporters in West Palm Beach, Florida, that Dana loves the idea and is great.

An independent inquiry into educational outcomes said action from across society is needed to help white working-class children in England. Its first report found the system is not serving their interests, and the next phase will focus on early years children and teenagers aged 14 to 19. Education Secretary Lucy Powell said she is backing the inquiry to reach the barriers holding children back.

Pope Leo XIV arrived in Argentina on Sunday, urging President Javier Milei to put people before the economy and safeguard democracy. The 71-year-old pope, who had lung cancer surgery less than a month ago, said growth must help the poor and that leaders must act with prudence. Milei, whose austerity cuts have drawn criticism from the Catholic Church, praised Pope Francis as an exceptional figure and the most important Argentine in history.

President Trump said Sunday his deportation policies might have been too tough and contributed to the Republican Party's historic midterm losses. On 60 Minutes, he told Ross Douthat that immigration policy both helped and hurt his party.

Adelaide 36ers 16-year-old Raheim Brown Jr hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer on debut as the team beat Illawarra by 28 points in the NBL on Saturday. Brown Jr, who turned 16 a week ago, had been on the court for 73 seconds when he made the shot. The 36ers, who have played 46 consecutive sellout games, are fifth with a 6-6 record.

Australian Michael Betteridge and New Zealander Hugh Page survived after their helicopter nosedived into a river in South Kalimantan province while collecting water to fight fires on Borneo. Indonesian navigator Yayan Supyansuri died, and Indonesia's disaster agency said it would facilitate an investigation and review aerial operations. The crash occurred during Indonesia's worst forest and land fire season in more than a decade.

Democratic Rep.-elect Richard Ojeda said Sunday the Democrats' upcoming majority in Congress gives President Trump a chance to work with the party to improve Americans' lives. He warned that if they do not start pushing legislation that elevates people's lives, they will lose.