Nvidia spy probe, Russell Brand sentenced, Black Sea tensions (Updated)

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Kim Vinnell

Hi, I'm Kim Vinnell in Whanganui, New Zealand.

Christopher Walljasper

And I'm Christopher Walljasper in Chicago. It's Monday, November 9th.

Kim Vinnell

NVIDIA investigates whether CEO Jensen Huang was targeted by foreign intelligence as he committed to having an affair.

Christopher Walljasper

Russell Brand has been sentenced to more than a decade in prison for rape and sexual assault.

Kim Vinnell

NATO eyes upcoming Russia-Ukraine peace talks warily as the war becomes a challenge in the Black Sea. And the COP31 climate summit kicks off in Turkey. This is Reuters World News, bringing you everything you need to know from the frontlines in 10 minutes.

Kim Vinnell

Seven days a week.

Christopher Walljasper

Newly elected members of Congress have arrived at Capitol Hill to begin orientation and usher in a major power shift in Washington, DC. The incoming class, which includes the largest group of progressive Democrats in history, will be sworn in on January 3rd. But already those progressives are laying out an ambitious agenda.

Melat Kiros

That we fight for and that world that we're fighting for is one where you don't go bankrupt because you got sick, where it doesn't take a mountain of debt for you to send your kid to college, where one job is enough to earn dignity and to be able to raise a family and to retire comfortably.

Christopher Walljasper

That's Democrat Melat Kiros, who was elected last week in Colorado's first congressional district. Newly elected Democrats are also promising oversight of the Trump administration. That includes plans to investigate Elon Musk's role in firing federal workers, as well as the aggressive immigration crackdown that's been championed by new White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.

Christopher Walljasper

British comedian Russell Brand has been sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for rape and sexual assault. The 51-year-old high-profile broadcaster and actor was convicted last week of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others between 2004 and 2009. Brand has denied all charges and was acquitted of two other rape counts, though he's still under investigation for additional rape allegations.

Kim Vinnell

Nvidia has launched an independent investigation into whether CEO Jensen Huang was targeted by a foreign intelligence effort. The probe follows a media report that Huang had a relationship with a Chinese business woman who allegedly passed information on to Beijing. She had worked for a company called Megaspeed, which has faced scrutiny from Washington, over suspicions it helped China gain access to advanced AI chips. Huang did not name any names, but in a message to employees admitted he was unfaithful to his wife and says he takes full responsibility. Nvidia says it has no reason to believe company secrets or US national security were compromised. But as technology editor Ken Li explains, the reports come at a sensitive time.

Ken Li

The US had been investigating a series of claims that high-end Nvidia chips, essentially graphic processor units that are powering the AI revolution, had been diverted through intermediaries, possibly through Singapore into China, where they are banned. And Megaspeed is a Singapore-based company that had been spun off in 2023, according to our reports, from a Chinese, I believe a Chinese gaming company. So. You know, a series of these companies had been under investigation for diverting Nvidia chips into China.

Kim Vinnell

And Ken says it also comes against the backdrop of concerns about how long the AI boom will last.

Ken Li

Let's be clear at the moment, these are allegations and the company is investigating, so nothing is clear at that moment. That said, it's an absolutely lousy time for Nvidia and even more so for the global economy where Nvidia plays such an outsized role. Their chips are the kind of secret sauce powering the entire AI revolution being used by pretty much every company on earth in some way, shape or form. And some of which have been legally imported into China, and it's doing quite good business despite the export control ban. So, you know, at a time when, especially after the midterm elections, there's been such sort of fear in the market over the long-term sustainability of the economics of AI, this couldn't come.

Ken Li

At a worse time.

Kim Vinnell

The suspect in the Kraków Market Square shooting has died in hospital, according to Polish police. A terrorism investigation into the attack, which killed six people, is ongoing. Police also found the bodies of the suspect's parents and sister at his home. The government has said the assailant may have been inspired by far-right ideology without providing further details.

Kim Vinnell

Windows have been blown out of Saudi oil giant Aramco's corporate tower. The heart of Riyadh's financial district. Saudi Arabia's energy ministry says debris from an attempted attack caused the damage, with no injuries reported. The Houthis have claimed responsibility as they step up missile and drone attacks on the kingdom. Meanwhile, President Trump says new US attacks on Iran are highly unlikely to be necessary as talks to end the war make progress.

Christopher Walljasper

Meanwhile, France is accusing Iran's Revolutionary Guard of being behind recent cyber attacks on supermarket refrigerators and says there will be consequences. The October 11th hack overrode temperature controls at hundreds of stores, spoiling tens of millions of euros worth of food and causing some units to even catch on fire. Paris has summoned Iran's ambassador and is threatening more EU sanctions. A second wave this month hit more than 100 sites across Europe, including French blood banks. The Pentagon is also investigating similar fridge failures at US military commissaries. Iran routinely denies such operations.

Kim Vinnell

Representatives from nearly 200 countries are gathering in Turkey for COP31, with conflict, soaring AI power demand and US disengagement putting new pressure on climate action. And locals in one Turkish village are urging delegates to leave the conference venue to first hand, the impact lignite extraction is caused on their community.

Joey Roulette

Let's take these to our feet

Kim Vinnell

Local official Nejla Işık is one of them.

Joey Roulette

Buraya gelsinler. O devlet başkanları Antalya'ya değil, Akbelen'e gelsinler, İkizköy'e gelsinler. Gel

Kim Vinnell

Her home, in İkizköy, is only a few hundred meters behind a lignite mine that's crept nearer over decades of expansion. Lignite is the lowest grade of coal, meaning burning it releases higher amounts of carbon dioxide than more energy-dense coal. Last year, coal was Turkey's largest electricity source, generating over a third of the country's hour, according to energy think tank Ember.

Kim Vinnell

Russia says it struck three cargo ships carrying military goods for Ukraine in and around its Black Sea ports. While Reuters couldn't immediately verify Russia's claims, the attacks appear to be the latest sign of the war spilling into the Black Sea, where strikes on shipping are raising concerns among some NATO members. And with Ukraine and Russia due for US-backed talks in Abu Dhabi this week, NATO will paying close attention. Here's Reuters' Luiza Ilie...

Luiza Ilie

The Black Sea is a vital route for grain, crude oil, and refined oil products. Ukraine and Russia, two of the world's greatest grain exporters, use it. The Black sea is also shared by Georgia and NATO members, Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey. Romania is, in its own right, one of the largest grain exporters in the European Union. NATO officials have said Russian actions aimed at weakening support for Ukraine within NATO and the European Union. Various analysts have said Russia is targeting Ukraine's grain exports, which are a funding lifeline for Kyiv. Reducing Ukraine's export volumes remains Russia's primary goal, while also testing NATO red lines in the Black Sea. Moscow has denied targeting Ukraine NATO neighbors with drones. NATO has said it would deploy maritime patrol aircraft, radars and drones to bolster its on flank in the black seat. We also know that Romanian officials have said they needed additional radar systems and surface-to-air interceptors. It is unclear at the moment what NATO member states will send over here and when. But NATO has said it will deploy additional

Luiza Ilie

capabilities.

Kim Vinnell

For more on any of the stories from today, as well as more analysis and news shaping our world, check out Reuters.com or the Reuters app. There's a link in the description to download it and start getting pure news straight from the source. Don't forget to follow us on your favorite podcast player. If you're listening on a smart speaker, just ask for the latest news from Reuters 7 days a week. We'll be back tomorrow with our daily headline show.