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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the last 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:
U.S. CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC OPERATIONS
The Treasury Department yesterday announced new sanctions on six Venezuelan shipping companies that transport oil and three nephews of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s wife. The Trump administration is also seeking the legal authority to seize the oil from the Skipper, a tanker seized by U.S forces near Venezuela on Wednesday. President Trump yesterday reiterated past warnings about a greater escalation, saying that strikes against Venezuela are “going to be starting on land pretty soon.” Nicholas Nehamas, Tyler Page, Farnaz Fassihi, and Alan Rappeport report for the New York Times.
The United States is preparing to intercept more sanctioned oil vessels off the Venezuelan coast as part of the Trump administration’s campaign to pressure Maduro, according to three sources. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said yesterday, “We’re not going to stand by and watch sanctioned vessels sail the seas with black market oil, the proceeds of which will fuel narco-terrorism of rogue and illegitimate regimes around the world.” Samantha Schmidt, Karen DeYoung, Matt Viser, and Meg Kelly report for the Washington Post.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR – INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said yesterday that the United States has suggested creating a demilitarised “free economic zone” in the areas of the Donbas held by Ukraine. “If someone withdraws from one side — as they want Ukrainians to do — why doesn’t the other side of the war withdraw the same distance in the other direction?” Zelensky told reporters, adding “when you talk to us about a compromise, you have to offer a fair compromise.” Zelenskyy said that ultimately the question of territory would be for “the people of Ukraine” to answer, either through an election or a referendum. Christian Edwards and Kosta Gak report for CNN; Yuliia Dysa reports for Reuters.
“The president is extremely frustrated with both sides of this war and he is sick of meetings just for the sake of meeting,” Leavitt said yesterday when asked whether the U.S. would take part in a meeting in Paris this weekend with Ukrainian and European officials. Zelenskyy said yesterday that the Trump administration has not issued a firm ultimatum but wants a “full understanding of where we are with this agreement by Christmas.” Barak Ravid reports for Axios.
“Russia is already escalating its covert campaign against our societies,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned yesterday, adding “we must be prepared for the scale of war our grandparents and great-grandparents endured.” Rutte also said that supporting Ukraine was a guarantee for European security and called for a rapid increase in allied defense spending and production. Frank Gardner and Paulin Kola report for BBC News.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR – CEASEFIRE
The Trump administration is planning to appoint a U.S. two-star general to command the International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza, according to two U.S. officials and two Israeli officials. The Israeli officials said U.N. Ambassador Mike Waltz told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week that the Trump administration is committed to leading the ISF. The White House officials stressed there will be no U.S. boots on the ground. Barak Ravid reports for Axios.
Torrential rain in Gaza yesterday flooded hundreds of tents and led to the death of a baby girl, local health officials said. “Cold, overcrowded, and unsanitary conditions heighten the risk of illness and infection,” UNRWA said yesterday, adding “this suffering could be prevented by unhindered humanitarian aid, including medical support and proper shelter.” Nidal Al-Mughrabi and Ramadan Abed report for Reuters; Wafaa Shurafa and Bassem Mroue report for AP News.
OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
“More than 413 civilians [have been] killed by bullets, grenades, and bombs, including many women, children, and young people” in the South Kivu province in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in a recent surge of fighting, a spokesperson for the South Kivu government said late Wednesday. The spokesperson added that the forces present in the cities in South Kivu are composed of Rwandan special forces and some of their foreign mercenaries. Rwanda-backed M23 rebels announced on Wednesday that they had taken control of Uvira in South Kivu. Justin Kabumba and Monika Pronczuk report for AP News.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters he would speak to Trump this evening to give him “an update” about the ongoing conflict with Cambodia, as fighting continues for a fifth day. The clashes this week have killed at least 20 people, with more than 260 wounded, according to reports by both countries. Panarat Thepgumpanat reports for Reuters.
Venezuela’s national assembly yesterday unanimously voted to repeal a law ratifying the Rome Statute, paving the way for Venezuela to withdraw from the International Criminal Court. Maduro is expected to sign the repeal so that the country can formally notify the ICC that it intends to withdraw. Reuters reports.
U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The Trump administration is creating a new “Pax Silica” coalition with Singapore, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and Israel to counter China’s dominance in critical minerals, AI, and other advanced technologies. The partners are set to sign the declaration today, paving the way for joint research and development, manufacturing, and infrastructure development intended to rival China’s Belt and Road infrastructure initiative, Under Secretary for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg told POLITICO. Phelim Kine reports.
The State Department’s Bureau for African Affairs said yesterday it could cut foreign aid to South Sudan, accusing South Sudan’s government of imposing exorbitant fees on humanitarian groups and obstructing their operations. The department’s statement said South Sudan is “driven by poor governance, a failure to spend public revenue for the benefit of the people, the insecurity created by South Sudanese leaders, and predatory rent-seeking directed against humanitarian aid.” The government in South Sudan has yet to respond to these allegations. Deng Machol reports for AP News.
U.S. IMMIGRATION DEVELOPMENTS
A federal judge yesterday ordered the Trump administration to release Kilmar Abgrego Garcia from ICE custody immediately, finding that Garcia has been held in ICE detention unlawfully, given the lack of a lawful removal order. Alan Feuer reports for the New York Times.
Democratic lawmakers yesterday questioned Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement tactics. The hearing, held by the House Homeland Security Committee, opened with Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) urging Noem to resign from her post. Madeleine Ngo reports for the New York Times.
TECH DEVELOPMENTS
The Office of Management and Budget yesterday released guidance requiring federal agencies to ensure any AI systems they purchase adhere to two “unbiased AI principles” – “truth-seeking” and “ideological neutrality.” The guidance is framed as a policy development of Trump’s executive order: Preventing Woke AI in the Federal Government. Maria Curi reports for Axios.
Trump yesterday signed an executive order that seeks to curb states’ ability to regulate AI. Cecilia Kang reports for the New York Times.
U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
A federal grand jury yesterday declined to indict New York Attorney General Letitia James, according to several sources. This is the second time in a week that jurors have refused to charge James. Jonah E. Bromwich, Devlin Barrett, and Glenn Thrush report for the New York Times.
The U.S. Navy has submitted its report on the potential punishments for Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) over a recent video where he and five other Democratic lawmakers told U.S. troops to defy illegal orders. The report has been sent to the Pentagon’s Office of General Counsel, “where they are providing a legal review and input,” a department official told The Hill yesterday. The report’s conclusions remain unknown. Filip Timotija reports.
The head of U.S. Northern Command yesterday contradicted Trump’s assertion that an ‘invasion’ from an ‘enemy within’ justified the deployment of the National Guard to several U.S. cities. “I do not have any indications of an enemy within,” Gen. Gregory Guillot told Senate Armed Services Committee lawmakers when asked about Trump’s comments. Ellen Mitchell reports for The Hill.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS
The Pentagon did not conduct a routine classification review and damage assessment following the Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s disclosure of sensitive military information on the private messaging app, Signal, earlier this year, according to multiple sources. Hegseth did not order an assessment at the time and instead focussed on formally investigating suspected leakers in his own staff, the sources said. The sources added that they would have expected a damage assessment to be carried out separately from the Inspector General probe in order to establish the practical implications of the Signal disclosure and because the watchdog probe had a limited scope. Zachary Cohen and Haley Britzky report for CNN.
The Housing and Urban Development Department said yesterday that it is opening an investigation into Boston’s housing policies to scrutinise whether the city discriminated against white people. “As you are aware, the Trump administration is dedicated to protecting the civil rights of all Americans. At your office’s direction, however, city officials have set out to smuggle ‘racial equity into every layer of operations in city government,’” Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Craig Trainor said in a letter to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. Francesca Regalado reports for the New York Times.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION
A federal judge yesterday ruled that the Trump administration unlawfully terminated a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant program designed to protect states and communities against natural disasters before they occur. The judge sided with 20 states in finding the administration lacked authority to end the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program and use money Congress approved to support it for other purposes. Nate Raymond reports for Reuters.
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