December 2, 2025

MIDDLE EAST | Update from regional conflicts:

• Palestinian officials say Israeli forces shot and killed one man near a refugee camp in Gaza and two suspected Palestinian assailants in the West Bank today. Israeli authorities say the actions were taken in response to attacks on Israeli soldiers and citizens. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 1,375 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• In a continuation of efforts to reach a cease-fire agreement in Ukraine, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow today for talks on a U.S.-authored peace framework. [more]
• Following two similar strikes by Ukraine last week, Turkish authorities say a third Russian tanker – this one carrying sunflower oil from Russia to Georgia – was attacked in the Black Sea today about 80 miles off Turkey's coast. [more]

U.S. MILITARY OPERATIONS | The White House suggested yesterday that Navy Vice Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley ordered the second strike on two survivors of a U.S. military strike on an alleged drug-carrying boat in the Caribbean Sea in September that lawmakers are currently investigating. Reports note that White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed the strikes were carried out in accordance with the laws of war and that "Secretary Hegseth authorized Admiral Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes." Bradley, the commander of the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command at the time of the strike, is scheduled to provide a classified briefing later this week to lawmakers overseeing the military. Reports further note that the Department of Defense's own Law of War Manual states, in a section entitled "Clearly Illegal Orders to Commit Law of War Violations," that "orders to fire upon the shipwrecked would be clearly illegal." [more]

U.S. AIR TRAVEL | The Transportation Security Administration announced yesterday that, beginning February 1, 2026, air travelers in the U.S. who do not have a REAL ID or other acceptable form of identification, such as a passport or military ID, will be charged a non-refundable fee of $45 to have their identities verified through an alternate method. [more]

NEW JERSEY | Upholding a lower court ruling, a panel of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found yesterday that President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer Alina Habba has been serving unlawfully as New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor and affirmed Habba's disqualification by the lower court. The Justice Department has said it intends to appeal the court rulings. [more]

U.S. HOLIDAY SHOPPING | Data firm Adobe Analytics estimates that U.S. consumers spent between $13.9 billion and $14.2 billion yesterday on the holiday shopping season's Cyber Monday – about 6% more than on the same day last year. [more]

U.S. AND U.K. | Under an agreement announced yesterday, pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical ingredients, and medical technology imported into the U.S. from the U.K. will be exempted from tariffs for at least three years in exchange for U.K. medical companies agreeing to invest more in the U.S. and a pledge from the U.K.'s National Health Service to increase spending on new treatments. [more]

GLOBAL ECONOMY | In an update to its 2025 outlook, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development forecasts that the global economy will grow 3.2% this year – down from 3.3% growth in 2025, but an improvement over the groups' June prediction of 2.9% growth. For 2026, OECD analysts predict a small decline in global economic growth to 2.9%. [full report] [more]

INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT | At the institution's annual summit yesterday, the president of the International Criminal Court said the ICC would not bow to pressure from the United States and Russia, which have sanctioned Court officials over investigations into U.S. and Israeli officials and the war in Ukraine, respectively. [more]

CANADA | Amidst ongoing efforts to reduce its reliance on U.S. military cooperation, Canada has joined the European Union's Security Action for Europe defense fund, according to a statement yesterday from Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office. [more]

ASIAN FLOODING | Authorities across South and East Asia say the death toll from last week's flooding and landslides has surpassed 1,200, with more than 800 people still considered missing. [more]

CONGO | Congolese Health Minister Roger Kamba said yesterday that no new cases of Ebola have been reported in the African country for 45 days and declared the nation's outbreak of the disease, in which there were a reported 43 deaths among 53 confirmed cases, to be over. [more]

INDIA | Sparking concerns over data privacy and user consent issues, India's Ministry of Communications directed domestic telecommunications firms yesterday to pre-install a government-run cybersecurity app on all new smartphone devices. [more]

BULGARIA | Following days of widespread protests and clashes between police and demonstrators, Bulgaria's government announced today that it is withdrawing its controversial 2026 budget proposal, which called for higher taxes, increased social security contributions, and spending increases. [more]

TECHNOLOGICAL INEQUALITY | A new report from the United Nations Development Program suggests that the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence and other technologies by wealthy nations could lead to another "Great Divergence" in which, similar to that seen in the Industrial Revolution, many Western countries could see rapid modernization while others fall behind. Study authors say it is important to "ensure it's not technology first, but it's people first," and that the goal should be to "democratize access to AI so that every country and community can benefit while protecting those most at risk from disruption." [full report] [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1982, in the first operation of its kind, doctors at the University of Utah Medical Center implanted a permanent artificial heart in the chest of retired dentist Dr. Barney Clark, who lived 112 days with the device. [more history]