The key facts

  • Nvidia founder Jensen Huang stepped down over a scandal involving a romance with the director of a Singapore-based company suspected of ties to China.
  • Trump's advisers held a series of meetings with the leaders of Ukraine, Russia and Israel, but achieved no diplomatic breakthroughs.
  • China set a record for foreign trade surplus, exceeding $1 trillion, while Russia doubled its diesel exports, redirecting them to other countries.

Nvidia Chip Scandal and Founder's Resignation

Nvidia founder and former head Jensen Huang announced on November 8 that he was stepping down as head of the company, admitting to an extramarital affair. The resignation was prompted by investigations that uncovered a romantic relationship between Huang and Alice Huang, CEO of the Singapore-based company Megaspeed International. Both have Chinese origins, and their relationship raised concerns in the United States. American intelligence agencies suspect Alice Huang of ties to Chinese intelligence services, which creates risks of technology leaks. The US has a ban on exporting exclusive Nvidia chips to China on national security grounds. The situation is compounded by the fact that Jensen Huang, according to Forbes, owns a fortune of about $145 billion, and his personal life has become the subject of attention not only from the public but also from the authorities. Against the backdrop of the scandal, US President Donald Trump proposed Tim Cook, chairman of Apple's board of directors, for the post of Nvidia chief, in order to exclude the influence of people of Chinese origin over the management of a strategically important company.

Diplomatic Efforts to Settle the Conflict in Ukraine

During the week, advisers to US President Donald Trump — his son-in-law Jared Kushner and friend Steve Witkoff — held a series of negotiations on settling the conflict in Ukraine. The delegation visited Abu Dhabi, where it met with representatives of Ukraine and Russia, and then arrived in Moscow to brief Vladimir Putin. On the way back, they stopped in Ireland for a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Despite the scale of the visits, the diplomats achieved no concrete results. Critics note that the continuation of the war depends on one person who, in the view of observers, feels comfortable in conditions of conflict. Trump continues to rely on his close advisers despite the absence of diplomatic breakthroughs, which is compared to repeated failed attempts to score a penalty.

Political Deadlock in Israel and New Alliances in the Middle East

In Israel, three weeks after the parliamentary elections, a new government has still not been formed, as none of the blocs won enough votes. President Isaac Herzog handed the mandate to form a government to opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot, but he failed to unite the parties. A coalition option with Arab parties is considered unlikely. Eisenkot held a meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu, ruling out the possibility of joining his government, but was unable to assemble a majority. If he fails within the established deadline, new elections may be called. Defensive alliances have also strengthened in the region: Turkey and Qatar signed a mutual defense agreement in Istanbul. The document provides for a joint response to any attacks. This decision was made against the backdrop of declining trust of Arab countries in US military protection after Iran's missile strikes on Qatar. Earlier, a similar alliance was created in Mecca between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

China's Economic Indicators and Russia's Export Flows

China continues to demonstrate record export figures. From January to October 2026, the country's foreign trade surplus exceeded $1 trillion, marking the second consecutive year of reaching that level. Exports grew by 35% compared with the same period last year, especially in the segments of semiconductors and automobiles. Despite trade restrictions from the US, China is strengthening its position in the global market. At the same time, Russia doubled its diesel fuel exports after President Trump announced that an agreement had been reached with Putin on supplies to the world market. However, despite statements about lower prices, American consumers noticed no changes, since after the Democrats' victory in the elections, supplies to the US ceased. Tankers changed their routes, and Russia found new buyers, taking advantage of the lifting of sanctions to redirect flows.