Former US President Joe Biden says he would not have run for a second term if he had known he had cancer.

What he said

In an interview ahead of the release of his memoir, 'Promise Me, America', reported on Thursday, 12 November 2026, Biden said he had felt unwell before his diagnosis but did not know he was ill while he was campaigning. He also played down his June 2024 debate against Donald Trump, saying everyone makes mistakes in debates and that, in his view, it was not very consequential. He said he had expected there to be another debate.

Background

Biden's poor debate performance triggered intense pressure from fellow Democrats and led him to withdraw from the 2024 race and endorse Vice-President Kamala Harris, 107 days before the election. Harris went on to lose to Trump. About four months after leaving the White House, Biden was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer.

Alexander Darchiev, Russia's ambassador to the United States, has died at the age of 66.

What happened

The Russian Foreign Ministry announced his death on Wednesday, 11 November 2026. Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said he died in Moscow from an unspecified chronic illness. The ministry praised him as an outstanding diplomat and an expert on the United States, and said details of a memorial service would be released later.

His career

Darchiev became ambassador in Washington in early 2025, succeeding Anatoly Antonov. Before that, he headed the Foreign Ministry's North America department, served as Russia's ambassador to Canada and worked as a senior diplomat at the embassy in Washington. In February 2025, he led Russia's delegation at talks with the United States in Istanbul.

Background

In 2017, Russia's UN envoy Vitaly Churkin also died suddenly in New York.

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.

American actor Stacy Keach has died at the age of 85.

What happened

Keach reportedly died on Tuesday, 10 November 2026, at his home in Poland after a long battle with a serious heart condition and heart failure. His wife, Małgosia Tomassi Keach, announced his death and described him as a brave man who stayed strong despite his health problems.

His career

Keach began acting on Broadway in the 1960s before moving into films in the following decade, and drew attention starring alongside Faye Dunaway in the 1971 film 'Doc'. He became best known for playing private investigator Mike Hammer in the television series 'Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer' and 'The New Mike Hammer'. Younger audiences knew him as the prison warden in the hit series 'Prison Break'.