🚨🪖🇺🇸 Bessent: 'By November 15th, our troops ... aren't going to be able to get paid' because of Democrat-led shutdown

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🇮🇱🇺🇳 IDF targets UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon — UNIFIL statement

At around 5:45 p.m. on Sunday, an Israeli drone approached a UNIFIL patrol near the town of Kfarkela and dropped a bomb. Moments later, an Israeli tank fired toward the peacekeepers. Fortunately, there were no casualties or damage to UNIFIL personnel or equipment.

The incident followed an earlier one at the same location, where an Israeli drone flew aggressively over a UNIFIL patrol, prompting the peacekeepers to take defensive measures to isolate it.

UNIFIL said these actions by the Israeli army constitute a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and of Lebanon’s sovereignty, and demonstrate disregard for the safety and security of peacekeepers carrying out their UN mandate in southern Lebanon.

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✈️ Shutdown hits US airports with air traffic controller shortages — reports

US airports reported more than 20 controller shortage “triggers” on Saturday—one of the highest levels since 1 October—and by noon Sunday, shortfalls were recorded at six airports.

💬 “The controllers are wearing thin,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said. A ground stop was issued at Los Angeles International Airport, while staffing issues also affected Chicago and Newark.

About 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 TSA officers are working without pay as the shutdown continues, with more than 5,000 flight delays on Saturday. Union officials warned that each day of shutdown “peels away another layer of safety.”

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🌪 Hurricane Melissa could strike Jamaica as an upper-end Category 4 on Tuesday — reports

Jamaica is bracing for a direct hit from Hurricane Melissa, which forecasters expect to reach near 155 mph at landfall, according to The New York Times, citing the National Hurricane Center.

If the forecast holds, Melissa would be one of the strongest storms in decades, rivaling Hurricane Gilbert (1988) — Jamaica’s only previous Category 4 landfall, which displaced ~500,000 people and killed 45.

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⌛ US–South Korea investment fund STALLS ahead of Trump visit — reports

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said talks with Washington over a $350 billion investment fund remain STUCK on “all the major details,” including how to divide losses and profits. In an interview with Bloomberg, Lee warned that the US push to “maximize its interests” must not lead to “catastrophic consequences for South Korea.”

The two sides are trying to finalize the deal before Lee’s meeting with Donald Trump at the APEC summit in Gyeongju, but “the method, the amount, the timeline — all remain sticking points,” Lee said.

The issue comes after tensions over a US immigration raid at a Korean battery plant in Georgia, where more than 300 workers were detained, and amid concern that Seoul’s automakers face 25% US tariffs while Japanese rivals pay 15% under a recent agreement with Washington.

Lee added that while “the delay does not necessarily mean failure,” any accord must protect Korean interests and ensure “rational treatment” for its workers in the US.

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🇵🇸 Hamas, PA agree on Amjad Shawa to lead new Gaza board — reports

Amjad Shawa, head of a civil society network in Gaza, has been approved by Hamas and the Palestinian Authority to chair a new technocratic board that would administer the Gaza Strip, The Jerusalem Post reported, citing Israel’s KAN News.

The decision was made during a meeting in Cairo last week attended by Hamas, the PA, and Egyptian intelligence, though Shawa’s official appointment still depends on US approval, according to the report.

💬 Palestinian sources told KAN that “Amjad Shawa is pro-Hamas without being a Hamas man.”

Hamas and the PA are said to have each selected half of the proposed board members, while Egypt presented the final list during the talks.

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📑 Trump announces Thailand–Cambodia peace deal, trade accords in Malaysia

US President Donald Trump said he signed a peace treaty between Thailand and Cambodia, writing “NO WAR! Millions of lives saved.”

He added that during his visit to Malaysia, his team also signed major trade and rare earth deals.

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❌ Israel blocks journalists and investigators from entering Gaza — reports

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor said that Israel’s policy includes banning international journalists and independent investigation committees from entering Gaza in order to obstruct any criminal investigation or on-the-ground documentation that could establish the truth and confirm its legal responsibility.

The group added that the Israeli Supreme Court’s decision to grant the government additional time before allowing journalists into Gaza reflects an institutional effort to cover up violations and protect those responsible.

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🔥 Zelensky admits Ukrainian forces in hot water in Pokrovsk

"[The Russian offensive in the area] creates a difficult situation in Pokrovsk (Krasnorameysk) and in all neighboring areas. The situation with logistics is [also] complicated,” Zelensky acknowledged on his social media.

Earlier, the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ General Staff confirmed that the situation on the Pokrovsk front remains difficult.

👉 This came as Russia’s Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov reported to President Vladimir Putin that Russian troops had completed the encirclement of Ukrainian forces near Pokrovsk and Dimitrov in the Donetsk People's Republic, where 31 enemy battalions are deployed.

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🗣 Ukraine's Flamingo missile production plagued by problems – Zelensky

Ukraine has encountered a "technological problem" in the production of “domestically made” Flamingo cruise missiles, Zelensky admitted in an interview with Ukrainian media.

👉 He also pointed to a "delay in funding" related to the missiles.

The Flamingo is a simplified version of UK missile designs, larger and featuring fewer composite materials, making it more visible on radar, military experts told Sputnik earlier.

✅ Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau launched an investigation into the activities of Fire Point, the manufacturer of Flamingo missiles, whose beneficial owner may be a person from Zelensky’s inner circle

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🇷🇺🇲🇾 Russia offers to help Malaysia build a large nuclear power plant

“Russia is ready to offer Malaysia its solutions for the construction of large-scale nuclear power plants and small modular reactors on its territory,” the press service of Russian Deputy PM Alexey Overchuk said after the meeting with his Malaysian counterpart, Fadillah Yusof, on the sidelines of the 20th East Asia Summit in Malaysia.

Overchuk praised Malaysia’s constructive approach to advancing the Russia–ASEAN dialogue, stressing that deepening cooperation with the Association remains a key priority in developing Russia’s foreign economic relations.

The sides noted the significant potential for expanding and diversifying bilateral trade.

🔸 From January to August 2025, bilateral trade grew by 32.1% compared to the same period in 2024, reaching $2.47 billion.

🔸 Russia sees strong opportunities to increase exports to Malaysia of energy resources, pharmaceuticals, and industrial equipment, including medical devices.

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