President Trump hints at discussions with Venezuela president as strike group enters Caribbean, China-Japan tensions rise, and Netanyahu vows to oppose establishment of Palestinian state.
1. , a potential diplomatic avenue as the U.S. further builds up its military presence near the South American country with the arrival of its most advanced aircraft carrier. Trump didnt offer details about the possible discussions with Maduro, but he said Venezuela would like to talk. The U.S. military has been carrying out a series of strikes against vessels suspected of transporting drugs. The arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford and other warships, announced by the Navy in a statement, marks a major moment in what the administration insists is a counterdrug operation but has been seen as an escalating pressure tactic against Maduro. When asked Sunday what he meant when he said Maduro wants to talk, Trump simply said: What does it mean? You tell me, I dont know.
2. , less than 10 days after Japans prime minister warned Tokyo would use military force if China attacked Taiwan. Four Chinese vessels crossed into the 12-mile zone east of the Senkakus around 10:15 a.m. Sunday, according to a Japan coast guard statement released the same day. The uninhabited Senkakus five islets and three rocky outcrops lie about 105 miles east of Taiwan and 254 miles west of Okinawa. They are administered by Japan but also claimed by China and Taiwan. The Japan coast guard said the Chinese vessels, which carried deck-mounted machine guns, were warned to leave the area. The ships exited after about two hours, moving south, according to a second news release.
3. , a day before the U.N. Security Council planned to vote on a U.S.-drafted resolution on Gaza that leaves the door open to Palestinian independence. Netanyahu has long asserted that creating a Palestinian state would reward Hamas and eventually lead to an even larger Hamas-run state on Israels borders. But as the U.S. attempts to push forward with its Gaza ceasefire proposal, he faces heavy international pressure to show flexibility. The Security Council is expected to vote on a U.S. proposal for a U.N. mandate that would establish an international stabilization force in Gaza despite opposition from Russia, China and some Arab countries.
4. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron signed the document on Monday stating that Ukraine is considering the possibility of buying French defense equipment, including Rafale jet fighters, Macrons office said. It did not provide further details. Zelenskyy was on his ninth visit to Paris since Russias full-scale invasion in February 2022. His talks are meant to strengthen Ukraines defenses as the country enters another winter under Russian bombardment of its energy infrastructure and other targets. On Monday morning, Macron and Zelenskyy visited an air base in the Paris outskirts, before heading to the headquarters of a multinational force, dubbed the coalition of the willing, that France and Britain have been preparing with more than 30 other nations to police an eventual ceasefire in Ukraine.
5. U.S. Indo-Pacific Command on Thursday announced the joint relief mission with Philippine forces in response to Typhoon Kalmaegi, which struck Nov. 4, and Typhoon Fung-Wong, which arrived five days later. Kalmaegi devastated Cebu, parts of the Visayas and the southern island of Mindanao, causing massive flooding that killed 232 people. Fung-Wong battered much of Luzon and portions of the Visayas, with at least 26 dead, the Philippines National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council announced Monday. Almost 1.5 million people had been evacuated with more than a million displaced on Nov. 12, the council reported.
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