Global Express | November 11, 2026: Spain Holds First General Strike in 14 Years as Housing Crisis Dominates Election Run-Up

Source: NPR, China News Service, Kyiv Post, NBC News, DW, ABC News, CNBC, Yahoo Finance

1. Spain holds first general strike in 14 years over housing crisis

Workers across Spain staged a nationwide general strike on Wednesday, the country's first in 14 years, less than three weeks before a national election that could bring the far right to power. The walkout demanded that the government remedy the housing crisis, causing delays in public transport and slowing factories, while many schools and universities closed or ran at minimal capacity. In Madrid it added to a teachers' strike that began nearly a month ago.

The two main unions, UGT and CCOO, said participation was widespread, with work stoppages of 90% in the automotive and port sectors, 85% in the meat industry, 82% in waste collection and 75% in the energy sector. Public transport in Barcelona was at a standstill or facing long delays in the morning rush hour, while city buses were hardest hit in Madrid amid heavy rain. Unions called Madrid workers to march through the city centre later on Wednesday, with rallies also planned in Barcelona and elsewhere. Minor incidents were reported, including roadblocks with burning tires in Barcelona and scuffles between picketers and police near Madrid's main wholesale market.

Average rent in Spain has almost doubled in the last 10 years. "There is one issue that is dividing the country: the struggle to access housing," CCOO secretary general Unai Sordo said on Cadena Ser radio. Public anger boiled over last month after an 87-year-old woman was evicted from her Madrid home on national television and later died. Housing activists used the uproar to call the strike, demanding an end to tourist apartments, a crackdown on real estate speculation and automatic lease renewals for renters. The government pushed through emergency measures to limit evictions, but right-wing parties refused to ratify them, and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the election on Oct. 5.

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2. Iran designates Argentina's navy and air force as 'terrorist organizations'

Iran's foreign ministry said in a statement on the 11th that it has designated Argentina's navy and air force as "terrorist organizations," adding that the Argentine government bears all consequences. The statement said the move was based on the principle of reciprocity, responding to Argentina's "hostile action" of listing Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization.

The ministry said the decision was made under Iranian law, which stipulates that any country supporting the U.S. designation of the IRGC will face reciprocal countermeasures. On Nov. 1, Iran's foreign ministry designated Britain's navy and air force as terrorist organizations in the same manner.

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3. Zelensky challenges Russia's Donbas claims at Abu Dhabi talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Nov. 10 that Russian military and intelligence negotiators made false claims about controlling Ukrainian-held territory in Donbas during peace talks in Abu Dhabi, saying Russian representatives asserted they controlled roughly half of the remaining Ukrainian-held area. Ukrainian negotiators challenged them with video and photographic evidence.

Zelensky said Putin "lives a little bit in another different information... a different reality," and that Putin was telling American negotiators Russia could seize the remaining eastern territories within one to three months. He said U.S. representatives had confirmed Ukraine's assessment of the battlefield, calling it an important development. He cited Kherson, divided by the Dnipro River, as an example of how complex territorial questions are.

Speaking at a press conference in Copenhagen after meeting Nordic leaders, Zelensky said he was ready to discuss territory directly with Putin with U.S. and European mediation, and that Ukraine would raise the possibility of a leaders' meeting at the next round of talks on Nov. 11. He argued for more economic pressure on Moscow and "less business with these guys," while saying even a prisoner exchange would count as success. Asked whether he could forgive Putin, he said: "No, of course not... I'm just a human. I'm not God."

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4. Three arrested after protesters pelt objects at Biden outside Trinity College Dublin

Three men have been arrested after protesters pelted objects at former U.S. President Joe Biden outside Trinity College Dublin, Irish police said on Wednesday. Videos showed protesters, some waving Palestinian flags, chanting "blood on your hands" and scuffling with officers, while white liquid believed to be milk was seen flying through the air. Biden was attending a ceremony honoring his son Hunter alongside former first lady Jill Biden.

Police said the three adult males were arrested "in relation to a public order incident." One man in his 50s has been charged and is due to appear before court, while the other two were released without charge. The college said the protest escalated as the Bidens were leaving and that the family "left without incident" after Gardaí arrived. In his acceptance speech, Hunter discussed his addictions and family life, saying "we are living in an age of bullies."

Biden, 83, is scaling back public tours to promote his upcoming memoir "Promise Me, America" as he continues treatment for cancer. He also met Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin during the visit.

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5. Four grizzlies put down in western Canada after killing mother and daughter

Four grizzly bears have been killed in western Canada after DNA tests linked them to the deaths of a mother and her adult daughter, according to the British Columbia Conservation Officer Service. Investigators confirmed that a female grizzly and her three yearling cubs were responsible for the deaths of Jenny Balcarras, 48, and her 20-year-old daughter Selah Reed.

The two women had gone for a walk near their home close to the town of Bella Coola, a remote community about 1,000 kilometers north of Vancouver. Their remains were found about 150 meters apart near a walking trail, and the family alerted authorities when Reed missed her usual Saturday night call with her sister. "This attack likely involved predatory behavior, which I can tell you is very rare," Inspector Jeff Tyre told an online briefing. "We don't know how it started, but we know how it ended."

Investigators ruled out the bears' involvement in a separate grizzly attack last November in the same area, when a bear charged a group of about 20 elementary school students and teachers, injuring four. The group was from Acwsalcta School, run by the Indigenous Nuxalk Nation, whose elected chief councillor Tlhmtimut Samuel Schooner said the latest attack had been "deeply re-triggering for our community members."

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6. At least 300 Italian schools evacuated over bomb threats

At least 300 schools in Italy were evacuated on Wednesday after receiving the same bomb alert message, Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara told the La7 TV channel, adding that the number could rise. Police are investigating. One school in Rome told parents that all students had been taken to a safe area and remained under the supervision of teaching staff.

According to a government source, the email was signed "Mikhail Andropov, leader of the Vilayat of Misoginistan." The alerts came amid rising concerns in Europe about so-called hybrid warfare threats that have targeted supermarkets, blood banks, air traffic and TV broadcasters. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on social media that the threats posed no danger and that she would chair a meeting at government headquarters to take stock and coordinate further action.

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7. Subdued Singles' Day sales signal weak Chinese consumer appetite

Early signs suggest China's biggest annual online shopping festival is failing to persuade anxious consumers to spend more, despite discounts. Retail data platform Syntun said cumulative sales as of Oct. 31 totaled just over 1 trillion yuan ($154 billion), broadly in line with the same period last year. Total Singles' Day sales in 2025 reached a record of almost 1.7 trillion yuan ($254 billion).

China's economy expanded 4.6% from a year earlier in January-September, but much of that momentum came from exports, while retail sales of consumer goods rose just 1.1%. "Optimism over a recovery in domestic demand has faded," said Max Zenglein, Asia Pacific senior economist at The Conference Board. A yearslong property downturn has left households feeling less wealthy, with home prices down roughly 20% or more from their 2021 peak.

E-commerce giants have turned to artificial intelligence to encourage frugal shoppers to spend. Alibaba integrated its Qwen AI into Taobao and Tmall to help shoppers place orders and find products, and plans offering AI tokens were promoted prominently for the first time this year; a livestream by Li Jiaqi, known as the "Lipstick King," sold plans covering roughly 2 trillion tokens within half an hour. Shoppers nonetheless described cutting back. "We're undergoing a consumption downgrade," said Gabby Liang, 24, in the furniture hub of Foshan, who skipped cameras and game consoles this year.

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8. Nvidia shares rebound as Huang faces scrutiny ahead of earnings

Nvidia's stock rose in premarket trading on Wednesday, after falling for two days amid a scandal that has rocked the world's most valuable tech company. Shares closed down 5.47% on Tuesday and fell 4.3% on Monday, and were 5.3% higher in premarket trading as of 5:47 a.m. ET.

Nvidia said on Tuesday it had hired law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to investigate whether company secrets or national security were compromised. The matter involves CEO Jensen Huang's affair with an alleged Chinese spy. People familiar with the matter said Huang was in the office on Monday and Tuesday conducting meetings ahead of quarterly earnings on Nov. 17.

Bank of America outlined three scenarios: a contained impact with leadership continuity, prolonged uncertainty pressuring valuation, and an escalation with adverse findings or leadership disruption requiring an earnings reassessment. Morgan Stanley removed Nvidia as a top pick on Wednesday, noting shares had dropped more than 25% since it was named on Oct. 2 and that Huang's leadership is "crucial" to the company's strategic direction.

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9. Anthropic launches IPO aiming to raise up to $64 billion

Anthropic plans to raise up to $64 billion in its initial public offering, the AI company said in a filing on Tuesday, in a listing that could value it at up to $1.4 trillion. It aims to sell 825 million shares at between $70 and $78 each under the ticker "ANT."

Seven tech companies including Google, Nvidia, AMD and Microsoft have agreed to buy $26 billion of non-voting shares at the IPO price in a separate private placement. Anthropic had been expected to raise up to $100 billion, which would have made it the largest IPO on record; even at the top of its range, the offering would fall short of SpaceX's $86 billion June IPO at a $1.77 trillion valuation. Anthropic is aiming to go public the week of Nov. 16, with shares expected to begin trading on Nov. 19.

The filing showed third-quarter revenue of $17 billion, up from $1.4 billion a year earlier, and an annualized run-rate revenue of about $81 billion as of Oct. 31. It devotes extensive space to risks, warning that advanced AI systems "could pose catastrophic or existential risks to society if not developed and deployed responsibly," and that its public positions on regulation could expose it to political backlash. It also noted the Pentagon labeled Anthropic a national security risk after the company refused to lift restrictions on military use. The seven co-founders, led by CEO Dario Amodei and president Daniela Amodei, will keep just over half of shareholder votes.

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10. IEA chief says China has blazed a trail in clean energy

The 31st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is being held in Antalya, Turkey. On the morning of Nov. 10, a side event on "Ecological Civilization and Beautiful China Practices," co-hosted by China News Service, was held at the China Pavilion. In his speech, IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol focused on the global electrification transition, saying China has blazed a pioneering path and that its role in clean energy is "indisputable."

Birol reiterated his judgment from two years ago that the world is entering an electric era. He said China has made major progress in electric vehicles, renewables and battery storage, with notable supply chain advantages in hydropower, solar, wind, storage and clean fuels, and that his September visit to China, including Tsinghua University, left a deep impression.

He summarized three trends: strong growth in renewables, explosive expansion of the EV market with sales outside China up 60% and countries such as Australia, Brazil, Thailand and Vietnam joining, and a stronger push on energy efficiency. He called on representatives of nearly 200 countries and regions at COP31 to reach consensus on a global electrification goal, saying the signal that "the future belongs to electricity" would give markets and investors clearer direction.

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