Naija & Western gistNews · Celebs · Trends

Trend Naija

Home › World & West

World & West
Reported

Russia's ambassador to the US, Alexander Darchiev, dies at 66

A globe of the Earth
Stock image: Zde / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

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.

More gist

World & WestReported
A globe of the Earth
Stock image: Zde / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Nigerian-born lawyer Shirley Emehelu becomes New Jersey's lieutenant governor

Nigerian-born lawyer Shirley Emehelu has been appointed lieutenant governor of the US state of New Jersey, becoming the first immigrant to hold the post. She will also serve as Secretary of State.

Read more

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.

World & WestReported
A globe of the Earth
Stock image: Zde / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Prison Break and Mike Hammer actor Stacy Keach dies at 85

American actor Stacy Keach, known for playing detective Mike Hammer and for his role in Prison Break, has died at 85 after a long battle with heart disease, his wife said.

Read more

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'.

World & WestReported
A man in a gold chain seated in an ornate chair, above armoured vehicles on a street in Haiti
Photo: Trend Naija

Salvadoran troops reportedly launch deadly operation against Haitian gang, leaving 20 dead

At least 20 people have reportedly been killed in an operation involving troops from El Salvador against suspected gang members in Haiti, where armed groups have taken control of large areas and forced thousands from their homes.

Read more

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?

World & WestReported
A globe of the Earth
Stock image: Zde / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

US bars travellers who have been in DR Congo in the last 21 days over Ebola

The US CDC has temporarily barred anyone who has been in the Democratic Republic of Congo within the past 21 days, including US citizens and transit passengers, from boarding flights to the United States because of Ebola.

Read more

The United States has imposed a temporary travel restriction on people who have recently been in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) because of Ebola.

The rule

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said anyone who has been in the DRC in the past 21 days may not board a flight to the United States, according to reports on Wednesday, 11 November 2026. The rule applies to American citizens as well as foreigners, and covers passengers whose aircraft stopped at a DRC airport even if they did not leave the plane. Affected travellers must wait until 21 days have passed since they left the DRC. The US Embassy in Kinshasa announced the measure on social media.

Why 21 days

The period matches the maximum incubation time of the Ebola virus.

Background

The restriction comes amid an Ebola outbreak in Central Africa. Nigeria is currently monitoring contacts of one imported case of Bundibugyo virus disease, a species of Ebola, and says no further cases have been confirmed.