International News Briefs for Tuesday, November 11, 2025
HAVANA TIMES – We bring you some of the top international news stories compiled by Democracy Now on Tuesday, November 11 2025.
U.S. Senate Passes Bill to End Historic Government Shutdown
Nov 11, 2025
The U.S. federal government shutdown has entered its 42nd day. On Monday night, a group of seven democratic senators ratified a deal with republican senators to approve a bill to reopen the government and end the longest shutdown in U.S. history. The bill notably does not include an extension of the affordable care act subsidies, though Senate majority leader John Thune has agreed to a separate vote on them. The measure now heads to the House, which has not been in session since mid-September. The House vote on the spending package could come as early as Wednesday afternoon. Independent senator Bernie Sanders called the vote a “horrific mistake.” Meanwhile, House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries vowed to stand firm on the issue of healthcare subsidies.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries: “We’re not going to support a partisan Republican spending bill that continues to gut the healthcare of the American people. And we’re going to continue the fight to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. And if it doesn’t happen this week, next week, this month, next month, then it’s the fault of Donald Trump, House and Senate Republicans who continue to make life more expensive for the American people.”
Meanwhile, the Trump administration again informed the Supreme Court that it wants to prevent a lower court ruling requiring full food benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to be disbursed in November. 1 in 8 people in the U.S. rely on SNAP for food assistance. This is Toni Miller, at a food bank in Phoenix, Arizona.
Toni Miller: “Trump is a joke. He’s a joke. I work hard, but those little stamps that we get? It helps out, and he’s starving the American people. I know he had lost a lot of supporters. He’s a joke.”
Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa Meets With President Trump at the White House
Nov 11, 2025
Syria’s President Ahmed Al-Sharaa met with President Trump at the White House yesterday. It was the first visit by a Syrian President to Washington in history, and it comes just days after the U.S. said Al-Sharaa was no longer a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist.” Al-Sharaa once had a $10 million bounty on his head, and was jailed by U.S. forces as an insurgent in Iraq from 2005-2011. He was also the leader of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which was formerly al-Qaeda’s official wing in Syria before breaking off in 2016. In the Oval Office, President Trump promised sanctions relief for Syria and commented on the historic nature of his meeting with Al-Sharaa.
President Trump: “We want to see Syria become a country that’s very successful and I think this leader can do it. I really do. I think this leader can do it. And people said he’s had a rough past. We’ve all had rough pasts, but he has had a rough past. And I think, frankly, if you didn’t have a rough past, you wouldn’t have a chance.”
Reuters: European Officials Express Concern Over Next Phase of Gaza Ceasefire Deal
Nov 11, 2025
European officials speaking to Reuters have expressed concern that the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal was effectively stalled and that reconstruction was increasingly unlikely. It comes as Israel continues to violate the U.S.-brokered truce, killing at least 242 Palestinians and injuring 622 since the deal came into effect on October 10th. Under the agreement, the Israeli military currently controls a little over half of the Gaza strip, including the southern city of Rafah and parts of Gaza City. Nearly 2 million residents of the Gaza strip are crammed into tent camps in the sections controlled by Hamas. This is Hamas’s spokesperson Hazem Qassam calling for the reconstruction phase to begin.
Hamas Spokesperson Hazem Qasem: “We are clearly saying that Hamas won’t be in the picture of ruling the Gaza Strip during the next day, and this has been agreed upon. There will be a social support committee from independent people which will rule everything in the strip. Therefore, we are working on removing all the excuses put by all sides to prevent reconstruction. All the regions of Gaza deserve reconstruction equally. Hamas is ready to hand in power from now, in a way that the process of the Gaza Strip’s reconstruction starts, and this is a right of the people of the Gaza Strip.”
Pentagon Announces Strikes on Alleged Drug Boats in the Eastern Pacific, Killing 6 People
Nov 11, 2025
Image Credit: X/@SecWar
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced yesterday that the U.S. military killed six people on Sunday in two more strikes on boats in the eastern Pacific. Since early September, the Pentagon has claimed responsibility for 19 attacks on boats the U.S. has said, without evidence, are carrying drugs in the Pacific and the Caribbean Sea, killing 76 people. The strikes come as the Pentagon is deploying its largest warship, the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, to join a buildup of U.S. forces in the Caribbean this week.
Supreme Court Declined to Hear an Appeal to Overturn its Decision on Same-Sex Marriage
Nov 11, 2025
The Supreme Court rejected to hear an appeal on Monday to overturn its decision legalizing same-sex marriage. The justices turned away an appeal from Kim Davis, the former Kentucky court clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples after the court’s 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges. Human Rights Campaign president Kelley Robinson praised the decision saying, “the Supreme Court made clear today that refusing to respect the constitutional rights of others does not come without consequences.”
Supreme Court Considers Challenge to Mississippi’s Mail-In Ballot Laws
Nov 11, 2025
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments in a case challenging Mississippi’s counting of mail-in ballots received after Election Day. Under Mississippi’s election law, ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and can arrive days later and still be counted. The Republican National Committee is challenging Mississippi’s law. President Trump has railed against mail-in ballots and blamed them for his loss in the 2020 election.
Private Prison Company Geo Group Seeking Immunity From Lawsuit in Case Before Supreme Court
Nov 11, 2025
In more Supreme Court news, the private prison company Geo Group is seeking immunity from a lawsuit filed by more than 30,000 former detainees of an ICE jail in Colorado who say they were coerced into participating in a $1-a-day detainee work program. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments Monday in the case, with several Supreme Court justices appearing skeptical of Geo Group’s position. Geo Group is claiming “sovereign immunity”–the protection provided to the government from lawsuits–because it was operating under a government contract. The Geo Group is opening more detention centers nationwide, and received more than half of its $2.4 billion revenue from federal contracts.
Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino Reportedly Leaving Chicago
Nov 11, 2025
Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino is reportedly leaving Chicago soon, after months leading President Trump’s contested immigration crackdown on the city. Bovino has been embroiled in controversy for defending his agents’ use of force, and lying about being attacked by protesters. CBS News reports Bovino and several of his agents could depart as early as later this week, though some Customs and Border Protection officials are expected to stay in Chicago.
In related news, federal immigration agents reportedly pepper sprayed a father and his 1-year-old daughter at close range over the weekend in the parking lot of a grocery store in Cicero, a Chicago suburb. Rafael Veraza said his family was in their car when they heard a helicopter and honking. As he attempted to leave the area, a masked agent approached the car and pepper-sprayed them at close range through an open window, hitting Veraza, who is a U.S. citizen, and his toddler who struggled to breathe.
Trump Admin Attempting to Deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Liberia
Nov 11, 2025
The Trump administration is attempting to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the West African country of Liberia. Abrego Garcia’s case has been at the center of Trump’s brutal crackdown on immigration, as officials have repeatedly threatened to deport the Maryland father to several nations where Trump has so-called “third country” agreements, including Uganda and Eswatini, countries Abrego Garcia has no ties to. Abrego Garcia is awaiting trial for human smuggling charges, which he and his legal team say were fabricated by the Trump administration. To see our coverage of Abrego Garcia’s case go to DemocracyNow.org.
British Journalist Sami Hamdi to be Released From ICE Custody
Nov 11, 2025
Image Credit: X/@SALHACHIMI
British journalist and political commentator Sami Hamdi is set to be released from ICE custody according to his lawyer. Hamdi was detained by ICE agents last month at San Francisco International Airport while he was on a speaking tour in the U.S on a valid visitor visa. His visa was later revoked without his knowledge.Hamdi is an outspoken advocate for Palestinian rights. The CEO of CAIR-California, Hussam Ayloush said, “Sami’s case shows how quickly our government officials are willing to sacrifice our First Amendment and free press when a journalist uses his platform to dare put America first before Israel.”
Trump Threatens to Sue BBC for $1 Billion Over Broadcaster’s Edit of Jan. 6 Speech
Nov 11, 2025
President Trump has threatened to sue the BBC for $1 billion over the public broadcaster’s edit of a speech made by Trump on January 6, 2021, before a mob of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. Lawyers for Trump are demanding the BBC retract the Panorama documentary that featured the speech edit by Friday. The threats follow the abrupt resignation of two top BBC executives, which Trump celebrated saying on Truth Social, “These are very dishonest people.”
Whistleblower Claims Ghislaine Maxwell Plans to Seek Commutation From President Trump
Nov 11, 2025
A whistleblower has told House Democrats on the Judiciary Committee that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell is seeking a commutation of her 20-year sentence from President Trump. That’s according to Maxwell’s email to her attorney reviewed by NBC News, with the subject line “commutation application.” The whistleblower also reportedly detailed Maxwell’s “concierge-style” treatment at the minimum security prison camp that she was transferred to. In response, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin wrote a letter to President Trump quote, “You should not grant any form of clemency to this convicted and unrepentant sex offender. Your Administration should not be providing her with room service, with puppies to play with, with federal law enforcement officials waiting on her every need, or with any special treatment or institutional privilege at all.”
Car Explosion in New Delhi Kills At Least 13 People
Nov 11, 2025
In India, a car explosion near the Red Fort in New Delhi killed at least 13 people, and injured 20. Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to find those responsible, saying that his government will quote, “get to the very bottom of this conspiracy.” Police in New Delhi have invoked an “anti-terror” law in their investigation.
Car Explosion in Islamabad Kills At Least 12 People
Nov 11, 2025
In Pakistan, at least 12 people were killed and several injured after a car bomb exploded in the parking lot of a busy judicial complex in Islamabad. Government officials are investigating it as a suicide attack. Pakistan’s Defense Minister said on X Pakistan is in a “state of war.” Witnesses of the bombing described the chaotic scene.
Eyewitness Rustam Malik: “It was 30 to 35 minutes since we parked our vehicles and entered the gate, then there was a loud explosion. It was a big blast. There was fire all over. Body parts were strewn. There was chaos. Then police and security personnel came. It was a big explosion. It looked like a bomb blast.”
Dozens of Prisoners Found Hanged in Ecuadorean Prison
Nov 11, 2025
Image Credit: RTS Canal
In Ecuador, at least 31 people were found dead in a prison in the city of Machala, including over two dozen prisoners who had been hanged. This came just hours after prison guards found another four people killed. Authorities have blamed the deaths on clashes between gangs, as human rights groups sound the alarm on overcrowded and dangerous conditions inside Ecuadoran prisons, causing a series of recent deadly attacks and riots. Meanwhile relatives of those inside have repeatedly urged authorities to step up security and to detain rival gangs separately.
Leaders and Delegates From More Than 190 Countries Gather in Brazil for the Opening of COP30 Climate Summit
Nov 11, 2025
And leaders and delegates from more than 190 countries gathered in the Amazon city of Belém, Brazil Monday for the opening of the U.N. Climate Summit, marking the 30th year nations are gathering to address the climate crisis. The United States, the world’s biggest historical emitter of greenhouse gases, boycotted the climate talks this year. Meanwhile Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva warned against attacks on science and the interests of “denialists” and lobbyists attempting to derail climate negotiations.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva: “It’s time to inflict another defeat on the deniers. Without the Paris Agreement, the world would be doomed to catastrophic warming of almost 5 degrees by the end of the century. We are moving in the right direction, but at the wrong speed.”