US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow as efforts to end the war in Ukraine continue.

The meeting

The envoys spent more than two hours with Putin in the Kremlin on Thursday, 12 November 2026. Kushner reportedly pushed for European countries to join the talks so they could become multilateral, something Moscow has so far resisted. Putin said Russia has never opposed dialogue with Europe but insisted there could be only one dividing line with Ukraine, a state border. No breakthrough was announced, and a Kremlin adviser said Putin would continue the discussion with President Donald Trump at the APEC summit in China later this month.

Abu Dhabi talks

The meeting came a day after talks in Abu Dhabi, the first direct negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in nine months, which produced a prisoner exchange deal but no agreement on territory.

What happens next

The envoys were due to travel to Dublin to brief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has spoken of a window of opportunity for a deal. The European Union is preparing a new package of sanctions against Russia.

Shirley U. Emehelu, a lawyer born in Nigeria, has been appointed lieutenant governor of New Jersey in the United States.

The appointment

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill appointed Emehelu on Monday, 9 November 2026, making her the state's fifth lieutenant governor and the first immigrant to hold the office. She was sworn in at the Statehouse in Trenton by the state's Chief Justice, Stuart Rabner. The appointment also means that, for the first time in New Jersey's history, women hold the state's two highest executive offices at the same time. Emehelu will also serve as Secretary of State, a role that covers government administration and oversight of elections.

Why she was chosen

Sherrill described Emehelu as an experienced public servant and pointed to her record prosecuting financial crimes, protecting consumers, defending civil rights and tackling government waste. The governor also praised her leadership as acting Secretary of State, including overseeing the state's recent elections.

Her Nigerian roots

Emehelu, who moved from Nigeria to the United States as a child, said she was proud of what the appointment means for Black women, immigrants and people who share her Nigerian heritage, and expressed hope that it would inspire young people to serve. She said she would work with the governor on the cost of living and economic opportunity.

At least 20 people have reportedly been killed in an operation involving Salvadoran troops targeting suspected gang members in Haiti.

A country held hostage

The reported incident comes as Haiti continues to struggle with widespread gang violence, kidnappings and insecurity, particularly in areas where armed groups have taken control of communities and forced thousands of residents to flee.

For years, ordinary Haitians have lived under the constant threat of armed gangs, with many families unable to go about their daily lives without fear.

Foreign forces on the ground

Soldiers from El Salvador have been in Haiti since early 2025 as part of an internationally backed mission to help the Haitian police fight the gangs, alongside forces from other countries.

The reported operation has raised fresh questions about the growing role of foreign security forces in efforts to restore order in the troubled Caribbean nation.

What we don't know

The circumstances of the reported deaths, including the identities of those killed and the exact role played by the Salvadoran troops, have not been independently confirmed.

Over to you

Can foreign military intervention finally help Haiti regain control from armed gangs, or will it only lead to more bloodshed?

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will be bound by the final court decision on whether Atiku Abubakar can contest the 2027 presidential election.

What INEC said about Atiku

Speaking in London on Thursday, 12 November 2026, where he was briefing an audience at Chatham House on election preparations, INEC chairman Professor Joash Amupitan said the commission would follow whatever final ruling the courts give in the dispute over Atiku's nomination. A Federal High Court in Abuja on 5 November nullified the David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and reportedly voided the primary that produced Atiku as its candidate. The ADC has appealed, and its lawyer has argued that the judgment contained no express order invalidating Atiku's candidacy.

Materials on the move

Separately, INEC National Commissioner Professor Rhoda Gumus said on Thursday that the commission had begun moving non-sensitive election materials to some geopolitical zones. Speaking while receiving a delegation from Kenya's electoral commission, she said INEC had completed nine of the 14 activities on its election timetable, finished producing Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and sent the first two batches to most states. She urged registered voters to collect their cards and said staff training was under way.

Background

The presidential election is scheduled for 16 January 2027. Amupitan recently completed a tour of the six geopolitical zones to assess readiness. Separately, a Federal High Court in Kaduna on Thursday nullified an ADC primary in the state, adding to the party's legal troubles.