Latest Politics News Today: 12 November 2026

Nvidia co-founder Jensen Huang resigned as president, CEO and board member, with CFO Colette Kress named interim chief. The move followed an independent investigation after Huang acknowledged an affair with Alice Huang, a former Megaspeed director whom US intelligence said was gathering information for China. The exit puts the roughly $4 trillion AI chipmaker, central to US-China rivalry, in transition.

US Attorney Aaron Reitz for the Southern District of Texas warned Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., to preserve records related to his investigations into donors funding President Trump's White House ballroom project. In a letter dated November 11, Reitz accused the senator of using congressional oversight to harass private citizens and threatened significant legal consequences.

The Court of Justice of the EU rejected Poland's challenges to seven major climate laws, including the 2035 target for zero-emission cars and carbon pricing for heating and transport. The court ruled the measures could be adopted by qualified majority rather than requiring unanimous approval. The cases were launched by Poland's previous Law and Justice government and kept alive by Prime Minister Donald Tusk's administration.

Russia attacked Kyiv with ballistic missiles and 123 attack drones hours after US-mediated Russia-Ukraine talks ended in Abu Dhabi. Ukraine reportedly shot down 94 drones and no missiles, with one person killed in Kyiv and five injured, while fires were reported in the Rivne and Zhytomyr regions. The Kremlin said it targeted drone production sites and electricity substations, and said it shot down about 70 Ukrainian drones over eight regions.

FEMA is telling states to prepare for a smaller federal role in disasters. The Trump administration appears to be gearing up for the agency to provide less assistance to states, though it is not entirely clear what will change.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer is moving quickly to quash a brewing rebellion in his caucus. He has told colleagues privately that he has locked up the votes to be majority leader and is laying out a comprehensive plan for the new Democratic Senate in 2027.

Industry Minister Tim Ayres signed an association agreement in Brussels, giving Australian researchers access to the EU's 95 billion euro Horizon Europe program. Australia will join Pillar II, funding advanced computing, critical minerals, health, climate and clean energy research. From January, Australian organizations will be eligible for funding on the same terms as EU countries and can lead project consortia.

The White House is taking an aggressive posture toward new Democratic oversight when the new Congress comes in next year. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., is putting Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on notice as he considers a possible bid for the top role in the upper chamber.

The Netherlands' minority coalition is under severe strain after D66 and CDA struck a deal with opposition parties PRO and Volt to shift about 1 billion euros in tax from wealth to income. The agreement sidelines the coalition's third party, VVD, whose leader Dilan Yeşilgöz called it bad for the Netherlands, ahead of a parliamentary vote on Thursday. Prime Minister Rob Jetten is expected to attend the vote and miss a Dublin meeting.

Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said European Council President António Costa and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas should represent Europe in Russia-Ukraine negotiations. He argued their mandate comes directly from the Council, so no ad hoc plan is needed first. The issue will be discussed at an informal European Council summit in Dublin on Friday, though no formal envoy choice is expected.

A US soldier guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier reprimanded Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and staff during a Veterans Day visit to Arlington National Cemetery. Video shows Hegseth, his wife Jennifer and his team posing for photographs on the steps, with laughter heard before the guard asked for silence. A Pentagon spokesman said the soldier had correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum.

Counsel assisting Victoria's Big Build royal commission has accused the Victorian Infrastructure Delivery Authority of disrupting the inquiry with heavy redactions and last-minute submissions of key evidence.

The commission heard about text messages from 2022 involving former advisor to ex-premier Daniel Andrews, Matt Toner, and other senior public servants, which directly concern work stoppages and the CFMEU at a level crossing removal project in Sunbury. The inquiry also noted that a notebook belonging to government executive Evan Tattersall was initially submitted with all pages blacked out before a less redacted version was provided.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government approved a museum in New Delhi estimated to cost around $340 million. The Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum will reuse the century old North and South Blocks on Raisina Hills and is billed as having the largest display area in the world. The government said it will showcase Indian history and civilization, with a first gallery on adornment opening next year and finalization planned for 2030 or 2031.

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, where Witkoff said President Trump wants a quick end to the Ukraine conflict and Kushner said post-war security talks with Europe had begun. Putin proposed a humanitarian mission to Kostyantynivka and repeated Russia's demand against foreign troops. Ukraine separately reported days of Starshield satellite disruptions, citing speed limits that hindered interceptors.

Indonesia's Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka resigned after court rulings questioned his academic credentials. President Prabowo Subianto accepted the letter, which the MPR will process for up to 60 days, hours before parliament was to consider an impeachment petition signed by more than 120 politicians. The move could end the political alliance between Prabowo and former president Joko Widodo.

City governments in Brussels, Munich, Dublin and Genoa are calling on the EU to ban cigarette filters, saying plastic stubs have no health benefits and are a major cause of urban litter. They argue extended producer responsibility schemes have failed to curb pollution and that an outright ban is needed. The campaign comes as the EU revises the Tobacco Products Directive and Single-Use Plastics Directive, which could ban filters or their plastic.

Tasmania's environment department has closed commercial rock lobster and dive fisheries in parts of the state's south-east for three months to mitigate international trade risks linked to the use of the antibiotic oxytetracycline in salmon farms.

The closures are tied to salmon company Tassal's recent use of the antibiotic at its farms in the lower D'Entrecasteaux Channel, which could trigger export bans by countries with zero tolerance for antibiotic detections in wild seafood. Tassal is also seeking an emergency permit to use the antibiotic florfenicol, which could lead to further closures.

An Alaska judge denied former Rep. Mary Peltola's campaign request for a list of rejected absentee ballots in the state's competitive Senate race, which has not yet been called. Superior Court Judge Thomas Matthew said Alaska's Division of Election is currently busy processing ballots from the 2026 general election.

Poland is relying on its state-owned Polish Armaments Group, or PGZ, to supply more of its rapidly expanding military, though the conglomerate's fragmented structure raises questions about its efficiency. PGZ, which was formed in 2013 from about 50 smaller companies, has won billions of zloty in new orders and is building ties with European defense firms like BAE Systems and MBDA.

Defense analysts note that while PGZ makes a wide range of products, its complex management structure and political exposure could hinder its ability to turn the spending surge into a stronger industry.

Community preschools in New South Wales are opposing a new funding model that will increase overall funding but require individual centres to take on more enrolments to maximize their share. Operators fear the move will affect the quality of care, as many centres are already full based on their preferred staff-to-student ratios.

An e-petition highlighting concerns about the model has garnered more than 40,000 signatures, and families and directors held a protest outside NSW Parliament on Thursday.

Democrats rallied around Sen.-elect Scott Colom, D-Miss., after his historic victory in the Mississippi Senate race, in which he defeated outgoing Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R. Former President Bill Clinton wrote on social media that Blue Mississippi has a nice ring to it.

WA premier Roger Cook chided Labor MPs who shielded Riverton MP Jags Krishnan from journalists as he entered parliament. Krishnan has been under scrutiny over a United States lawsuit involving an allegedly unpaid million dollar loan. A motion to refer his business dealings to a parliamentary committee was later voted down, and rope barriers appeared outside parliament.

Fewer Queensland high schools are offering senior drama subjects as student enrolments drop sharply, with 42 fewer schools offering the subjects in 2026 compared to 2019. Drama Queensland president Scott Andrews said students are avoiding the subjects in pursuit of high ATAR scores due to severe subject scaling, which can significantly lower their final grades.

Advocates for arts education argue that the short-term focus on high scores is robbing the state of future artists and arts workers, particularly as Queensland prepares to host a cultural Olympiad in the lead-up to the Olympics.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has told his Cabinet that Britain ended up with a harder Brexit than people voted for, as he prepares to meet European leaders in Dublin and sign UK-EU agreements in Brussels. His openness to rejoining the single market or the EU is dividing his Cabinet and Labour, with some ministers backing a bolder line and others warning of the costs. The next week will test how far the government is willing to go on Europe.

The Tech Oversight Project has shared a memo offering Democrats a 100-day blueprint for the new Congress. The group described the push as a response to what it called the first AI and tech accountability election.

Queensland Opposition Leader Steven Miles apologised for Labor's Best Practice Industry Conditions policy after an interim CFMEU inquiry report found it raised construction costs by at least 20 per cent on three major projects. Commissioner Stuart Wood called the policy damaging and urged urgent reform, including a new building code and a dedicated regulator. Miles accepted responsibility and said the government should have acted sooner.

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., became the first Republican senator to call for a nationwide data center moratorium, urging Senate Republicans to act before they lose their majority. He listed the measure among five priorities, including defunding Planned Parenthood, suspending the gas tax, funding rural hospitals and passing a major voting bill. Data centers became a midterm issue that did not fall cleanly along party lines.

Incoming Rep. Zach Dembo, D-Ky., said it is premature to discuss impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after House Republicans shelved eight impeachment articles against him. The former Navy judge advocate general said he wants accountability in the 120th Congress but will not speculate before seeing the articles, which focused on Hegseth's leadership during the war with Iran and other Pentagon operations.