Latest Politics News Today: 14 November 2026

Passengers travelling to and from the United States continued to face delays and cancellations on Saturday morning after the FAA lifted a nationwide ground stop. The agency said it had tested its systems before resuming some departures, while US Transport Secretary Sean Duffy blamed an incredibly old air traffic control system. FlightAware said more than 8,860 flights were cancelled on Friday and around 2,650 more on Saturday so far.

The Home Office rejected a fast track application for indefinite leave to remain by Comfort, a blind Nigerian pensioner who has lived in the UK for 26 years. The letter said she could return to Nigeria in one part and India in another, citing services for blind people. Some waits have increased sixfold under the new rules. She may need to renew her visa for 20 more years before becoming eligible.

Alan Milburn, author of a major review of youth unemployment, said young people should have a legal guarantee of a job, training or employment support. He proposed shifting spending from benefits to employment support, arguing the current ratio is 25 to one and should become two to one. Those who refuse help could lose benefits, he said.

More than 600 kayakers took to Newcastle Harbour to protest coal exports after a court dismissed NSW Police's attempt to block the event. Organisers said more than 900 registered, and no arrests were made despite police citing safety concerns. Rising Tide accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of hypocrisy while he attends COP31, and Greens linked the protest to the March 2027 NSW election.

Air Space Intelligence, the company behind the FAA's recently deployed SMART AI tool, denied any link to Friday's nationwide ground stop. The company said the stop was not based on or a result of the SMART system, any ASI product, or its integration with the FAA and air traffic control, a position Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin called for a $50 billion investment to update the United States' air traffic control systems. They said the systems are incredibly old and accused Congress of kicking the can down the road on improvements that could have prevented Friday night's nationwide ground stop.

The NSW Labor government pledged to open 100 new long-day childcare centres if re-elected in March, providing 5,000 places for about 8,000 families. The centres would be publicly owned and built on existing public primary school sites and in childcare deserts, with many expected in Western Sydney and regional NSW. The pledge is in addition to a promise to build 100 new preschools and have them operational from January.

One person was arrested after heavily armed police searched a rural property on Scarp Road in Keysbrook, southeast of Perth. The property, which appeared to be an orchard, was searched by officers, with at least seven police vehicles and three St John ambulance crews at the scene. Police said there was no ongoing threat to public safety and the investigation remained ongoing.

A private exchange between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen was recorded at the COP31 summit in Antalya, Turkiye. They joked about phone radiation and where to keep a phone, with Bowen saying a pants pocket was arguably more important than the heart. The prime minister's office said the pair were joking between meetings.

President Trump plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the APEC summit in China next week, the first trilateral meeting between the three leaders. A White House spokesman said nuclear weapons reduction would be discussed. A senior US official said Iran would also be a topic, but Ukraine would not, and no agreement is expected. New START, the last US and Russia nuclear arms pact, expired in February.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio promoted an inspirational vision of the United States during off-script remarks at a conservative law conference on Friday. He invoked an ambitious attitude binding Americans and striving to live up to founding ideals, as 2028 speculation grows.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will hold a White House press briefing on Friday night to provide an update on the FAA's nationwide ground stop. The FAA issued the stop for all U.S. airports after a communication issue.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed Pentagon comptroller Jules Hurst III to transform military pay systems, saying the current process has created a growing backlog of pay challenges. Hegseth called delayed benefits and payment errors unacceptable and said the department should stop doing manual tasks. The new rule puts the warfighter first while the Pentagon investigates disputes, instead of withholding pay until resolved.

Velvet ropes and gold posts were installed at parliament to separate arriving politicians from waiting media, after Labor MPs tried to guide Riverton MP Jagadish Krishnan past reporters. No MP who spoke that morning supported the barriers, and the premier's office admitted a staffer asked two unnamed MPs to support Dr Jags. Krishnan is sued in the United States over a million-dollar loan he says he will vigorously defend.

The FAA lifted a nationwide ground stop hours after halting departures Friday, citing a telecommunications outage and safety concerns. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blamed outdated air traffic control technology, and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was no indication of a cyberattack or AI. More than 4,500 flights were canceled Friday and over 10,000 delayed, the first nationwide stop since January 2023.

Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, a former state legislator, is projected to win Alaska governor, becoming the first Democrat to hold the office in more than 20 years. He defeated Republican Bernadette Wilson and two other candidates in a four-way ranked-choice general election. At 37, he will be the youngest governor in Alaska's history, having campaigned on bipartisanship in a state that usually votes Republican.

An inquest into the Floreat murders in Perth revealed police errors and missed opportunities in the deaths of Jennifer Petelczyc and her daughter Gretl. Mark Bombara killed the women in May 2024 after forcing into their home while searching for his estranged wife, then shot himself. The inquest cited unreviewed gun licences, ignored pleas for help, and emergency calls left on hold, with officers arriving 11 minutes after a priority two call.