🇺🇸🇸🇾⚡- Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa had been secretly working with the United States against the Islamic State and al-Qaeda since 2016, The New York Times reports.

Al-Sharaa, who was Emir of Idlib at the time, was widely accused then by most of the rival Islamist factions of working with Washington. HTS led one of the largest anti-ISIS campaigns in the early to mid 2017s in the Afrin area.

🇺🇸🇻🇪⚡- US destroyer USS Stockdale and guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg are currently operating well within Venezuela's EEZ, less than 50km from Caracas.

Gettysburg is capable of launching Tomahawk missiles.

🇺🇸⚡️- October’s jobs report will be released without the unemployment rate. - National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett on Fox News.

🇺🇸🇻🇪⚡️- Venezuelan President Maduro's plane has departed Caracas, headed north; likely towards Cuba.

🇺🇸🇵🇷⚡- Aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford seems to be arriving at San Juan, Puerto Rico, from a northeast direction.

🇺🇸🇻🇪⚡️- The plane is now descending a few miles to the west of Santiago, Cuba.

🇺🇸🇵🇷⚡- Scenes from San Juan, Puerto Rico, with two C-2A Greyhounds overhead, marking the arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford.

🇨🇳🇹🇼⚡- Three of China's Shiuqiao landing barges were spotted at Xiangshan, Zhejiang Province – just opposite northwest of Taiwan.

Imagery from Capella Space’s satellite.

🇺🇸🇻🇪⚡- "US military commanders briefed President Trump on updated options for action in Venezuela," - CBS.

🇸🇾⚡- BREAKING: Clashes in the western As Suwaida countryside between the Syrian government forces and allied groups against the Druze factions.

🇸🇾⚡- Scenes from western As Suwaida region, southern Syria. Video shows Druze factions firing upon Syrian government positions.

🇸🇾⚡- Druze sources report the attacks are led by the Bedouin Arab tribes, who are attempting to breach the defenses of al-Majdal and Kanakir - west of As Suwaida, southern Syria.

Both towns are still under complete Druze control.

🇸🇾⚡- Syrian government backed forces have also begun attacking Nijran, Druze-controlled northwest As Suwaida region, southern Syria.

🇺🇸🇻🇪🇷🇺⚡- "Russia avoids commitment to Venezuela amid tensions with the US.

The relationship between Caracas and Moscow has remained strong for over two decades. While Caracas celebrates the alliance, Moscow's response has been subdued," - The Atlantic.

🇺🇸🇻🇪🇷🇺⚡- "The Kremlin has not issued any public statements of support for Maduro nor has it suggested that it would intervene if the crisis escalates.

Lavrov recently said their strategic cooperation agreement does not imply mutual defense obligations," - The Atlantic.

🇺🇸🇻🇪🇷🇺⚡- "The war in Ukraine has drastically limited Russia's ability to assist its allies, as has already happened with Armenia, Syria, and Iran.

Russia's allies instead receive symbolic support rather than effective in critical moments," - The Atlantic.

🇵🇸🇮🇱⚡- Hamas have handed over the body of a deceased Israeli hostage, leaving just 3 within the Gaza Strip.

🇺🇸⚡️- BREAKING: US SOUTHCOM launches Operation Southern Spear!

🇺🇸🇻🇪⚡- "President Trump ordered action — and the Department of War is delivering.

Today, I’m announcing Operation SOUTHERN SPEAR.

Led by Joint Task Force Southern Spear and SOUTHCOM, this mission defends our Homeland, removes narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere, and secures our Homeland from the drugs that are killing our people. The Western Hemisphere is America’s neighborhood – and we will protect it," - Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

🇺🇸🇻🇪⚡- "The US administration is the aggressor by militarizing the Caribbean region and threatening the Venezuelan people," - Yvan Gil, Venezuela's Foreign Minister.

🇺🇸🇻🇪⚡- "We reaffirm our commitment to Bolivarian diplomacy for peace and our legitimate right to defend our sovereignty," - Yvan Gil, Venezuela's Foreign Minister.