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UNSC Vote Expected Monday on Gaza Peace Plan Resolution + Aircraft Carrier USS Gerald Ford (CVN-78) Enters Caribbean Sea + Russia & Ukraine Negotiating Prisoner Exchange + More Nov 16, 2025

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For review:

1. US Defense Secretary Hegseth announced a new military and surveillance campaign in the Western Hemisphere on Thursday, dubbed “Operation Southern Spear,” to pummel “narco-terrorists.”

2. US SOUTHCOM Release: On Nov. 15, at the direction of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization.

3. CNN Report: The UK has stopped sharing intelligence with the US for its campaign against suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean.

4. The U.S. will not be sending military forces to Mexico or undertaking any unilateral actions in the fight against drug trafficking, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday.

5. UNSC Vote Expected Monday on Gaza Peace Plan Resolution.

6. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday vowed Hamas will be disarmed, following reports that the United States is considering moving ahead with rebuilding parts of Gaza even as the terror group retains its weapons.

7. Russia & Ukraine Negotiating Prisoner Exchange.

8. Aircraft Carrier USS Gerald Ford (CVN-78) Enters Caribbean Sea.

President Trump Considers F-35 Warplanes for Saudi Arabia + US Secretary of State Optimistic About Gaza International Stabilization Force + Russian Intel Ship Operated Near Hawaii Last Month + More Nov 14, 2025

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For review:

1. The body of slain hostage Israeli Meny Godard was returned to Israel by Hamas on Thursday night, officials confirmed. The bodies of three slain hostages now remain held in the Strip — two Israelis and one Thai national.

2. US Secretary of State Optimistic About Gaza International Stabilization Force.

3. Indonesia has trained up to 20,000 troops to take on health and construction-related tasks during a planned peacekeeping operation in the war-torn enclave of Gaza, the defense minister said on Friday.

4. US President Donald Trump urged Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in a phone call last month to normalize relations with Israel following the October 9 Gaza ceasefire.

5. President Trump Considers F-35s for Saudi Arabia.

6. Ukraine President Zelenskyy said Ukraine is facing a “very difficult” situation in the city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region, where Russian forces are attempting to seize control after months of intense fighting.

Speaking in an interview with Bloomberg, President Zelensky said decisions about any troop withdrawals from the area are being left to military commanders on the ground. “Nobody is pushing them to die for the sake of ruins,” he said.

7. The U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday that it had detected and tracked a Russian intelligence-gathering vessel off the coast of Hawaii late last month.

8. Colombia on Friday signed an agreement for 17 Gripen E/F fighter jets, with a value of €3.1 billion ($3.6 billion).

Delivery of the jets will take place between 2026 and 2032.

9. The US Navy has begun efforts to salvage a fighter jet and helicopter from the South China Sea, Breaking Defense has learned.

The MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter and F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter crashed within 30 minutes of each other on the afternoon of Oct 26 while conducting routine operations from the USS Nimitz.

Houthis Indicate a Halt to Military Operations Against Israel and Red Sea Shipping + Dense Fog Enables Russian Forces Entry into Pokrovsk + US Envoys Visit Israel to Discuss Hamas Fighters Trapped in Rafah Tunnels + More Nov 11, 2025

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For review:

1. US Envoys Visit Israel to Discuss Hamas Fighters Trapped in Rafah Tunnels.

2. France hosted Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Paris for a meeting on Tuesday, during which French President Emmanuel Macron committed to helping the PA draft a constitution for a future state.

3. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa threw cold water on the prospect of his country joining the Abraham Accords, saying that conditions were premature for talks on a normalization deal with Israel.

4. Houthis Indicate a Halt to Military Operations Against Israel and Red Sea Shipping.

5. Inspectors of the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) visited Iranian nuclear sites last week, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday.

6. Dense Fog Enables Russian Forces Entry into Pokrovsk.

7. Finland’s former president Sauli Niinistö has called on the European Union to open direct channels of communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin to press for an end to the war in Ukraine.

8. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is keen on ordering more than two dozen Raytheon-produced Patriot air defense systems.

Figures from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) thinktank claim that a Patriot battery costs $1.1 billion — split between $690 million for the weapon systems’ missiles and $400 million for the system itself.

9. The Navy has awarded General Dynamics a $1.7 billion contract to construct two more John Lewis-class fleet replenishment oilers.

The fleet oilers are 742 feet in length with a displacement of nearly 50,000 tons when fully loaded and can carry 162,000 barrels of oil and dry cargo.

IDF Officer's Body Returned After More Than 11 Years in Hamas Captivity; 4 Hostages Remain + Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov Ready to Meet with US Sec of State Rubio to Discuss Ukraine + German Armed Forces counter-Drone Munition + More Nov 09, 2025

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For review:

1. Pakistan said Sunday it was committed to “dialogue” with Afghanistan despite peace talks ending after deadly violence, with Islamabad stressing its security concerns persist.

2. IDF Officer's Body Returned After More Than 11 Years in Hamas Captivity; 4 Hostages Remain.

3. Israel has warned Lebanon’s army that it is not satisfied with the actions taken so far against the Hezbollah terror group, vowing to continue its stepped-up bombing campaign unless the situation changes.

The Israel Defense Forces has recently stepped up these strikes, killing three Hezbollah members in two separate strikes on Saturday, after an intense bombing campaign on Thursday.

4. In a late Friday interview, John Hurley, the undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said Iran has managed to funnel about $1 billion to Hezbollah this year despite a raft of Western sanctions that have battered its economy.

5. Another Israel-Iran war is “only a matter of time,” according to a report by The NY Times, which says Iran still has a stockpile of enriched uranium and is racing to build thousands of missiles.

6. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov Ready to Meet with US SEC of State Rubio to Discuss Ukraine.

7. German Armed Forces counter-Drone Munition.

Dubbed SADM, the Small Anti-Drone Missile will be fitted onto Rheinmetall-made Skyranger 30 anti-aircraft vehicles. The missile will extend the Skyranger’s effective engagement range from 2 to about 6 kilometers

Secretary of War Hegseth Speech to Defense Industry Leaders + US to Establish Presence at Airbase in Syria + B-52 Warplanes Fly Along Venezuelan Coast + More Nov 07, 2025

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For review:

1. Secretary of War Hegseth Speech to Defense Industry Leaders.

2. Ukrainian forces continue to stubbornly defend the pocket around Pokrovsk despite relentless Russian assaults, leading to an ever-increasing threat of encirclement.

3. US to Establish Presence at Airbase in Syria.

4. The US has added the entire text of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for ending the Gaza war to the UN Security Council Resolution.

5. US President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the Central Asian, Muslim-majority country of Kazakhstan will be the first country to join the Abraham Accords in his second term.

6. Senate Republicans blocked a war powers resolution on Thursday aimed at preventing President Trump from conducting strikes against Venezuela.

The vote to advance the resolution failed with 49 supporting it and 51 senators opposing.

7. A pair of US B-52 bombers flew over the Caribbean Sea along the coast of Venezuela on Thursday, in the fourth such show of force by American military aircraft in recent weeks.

Saudi Arabia Requests Purchase of F-35 Fighters from US + Ukraine General Staff: No Encirclement of Units & Divisions in Pokrovsk + Hamas & PA Agree on Temporary Committee to Manage Gaza + More Nov 06, 2025

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For review:

1. Hamas & PA Agree on Temporary Committee to Manage Gaza.

2. Saudi Arabia Requests Purchase of F-35 Fighters from US.

The Trump administration is considering a Saudi Arabian request to buy as many as 48 F-35 fighter jets.

3. US President Donald Trump will host Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa for talks on November 10, the White House announced Tuesday.

4. Ukraine General Staff: No Encirclement of Units & Divisions in Pokrovsk.

The important hub in Ukraine’s Donetsk region lies on a major supply route for the Ukrainian army and has been in Moscow’s sights for over a year.

5. North Korea has dispatched around 5,000 military construction troops and 1,000 engineers to Russia since September, according to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS).

6. Ukraine has signed up approximately 2,000 Colombian nationals as contract soldiers to help fill critical manpower gaps according to German media (Die Welt).

7. A Russian Il-76 cargo plane that recently arrived in Venezuela- later made several stops in other Kremlin-aligned Latin American countries before returning to Russia, flight records show.

US Draft UNSC Resolution to Establish Gaza International Stabilization Force + IRGC Says Precision Missile Killed Hamas Leader Haniyeh; Not Remote Bomb + Australian Navy Receives First Ghost Shark AUV + More Nov 03, 2025

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For review:

1. US Draft UNSC Resolution to Establish Gaza International Stabilization Force.

International Stabilization Force will be in charge of securing the borders with Israel and Egypt, ensuring the safety of civilians and humanitarian zones, and training new Palestinian police officers who it will partner with.

The force’s mandate will apparently include disarming Hamas.

2. Gaza’s future must be Palestinian-led and avoid any new system of foreign hegemony, Turkey and six of its top Muslim allies said Monday, after talks in Istanbul.

3. IDF said Monday that it killed two Hezbollah operatives in separate strikes within an hour in southern Lebanon.

4. IRGC Says Precision Missile Killed Hamas Leader Haniyeh; Not Remote Bomb.

5. Renewed US Nuclear Testing: President Trump alleged Sunday that countries including Russia and China have conducted underground nuclear tests unknown to the public, and that the United States would follow suit.

6. Washington Post Report: Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has asked Russian President Vladimir Putin for military assistance as the U.S. concentrates forces in the Caribbean.

According to the report, President Maduro requested help to strengthen air defense systems, including the delivery of 14 missile units, and the restoration of several Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30MK2 fighters. Plus, the overhauls of eight engines, five radars, and unspecified “logistical support.”

7. A Russian transport aircraft (Ilyushin Il-76) has landed in the Venezuelan capital over the weekend, signaling heightened Russian interest in the Latin American country.

8. Australian Navy Receives First Ghost Shark Extra-large Autonomous Underwater Vehicle.

Australia plans to use the platform for stealthy long-range intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and strike operations.

President Trump Directs Department of War to Prepare for Action in Nigeria + Kyiv Closes Embassy in Havana; Cuban Citizens Fighting Alongside Russia in Ukraine + Secretary of War to Give Speech to Top Defense Industry Leaders on 07 Nov + More Nov 01, 2025

Show notes

For review:

1. President Trump said Friday he is not considering strikes on Venezuela, which fears that a major US military buildup in the region is aimed at regime change in Caracas.

2. President Trump Directs Department of War to Prepare for Action in Nigeria.

President Trump on Saturday announced the US will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria if its government continues to allow the killing of Christians.

3. Jordan and Germany said on Saturday that the International Stabilization Force expected to deploy in Gaza under US President Donald Trump’s postwar governance plan should have a UN mandate.

4. US Ambassador Tom Barrack had blunt words for Lebanon on Saturday, repeatedly calling the country a “failed state,” dubbing its leaders “dinosaurs” and saying that it probably won’t be able to comply with the central US demand that it disarm Hezbollah.

5. At least 59 UN personnel are being held by Houthis in Yemen, according to the United Nations, which has condemned what it calls arbitrary detentions.

Forty-three detained local United Nations staff will face trial on suspicion of links to an Israeli airstrike that assassinated top Houthi leaders in August.

6. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has no desire for direct talks with the US over its nuclear or missile program, insisting that the Islamic Republic would not give up its ability to enrich uranium.

7. Kyiv Closes Embassy in Havana; Cuban Citizens Fighting Alongside Russia in Ukraine.

Ukraine’s military intelligence reported that at least 1,076 Cuban Nationals have joined or are currently fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.

8. Anduril’s prototype bid (YFQ-44A) for the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program achieved its first flight, the USAF announced today.

9. US Secretary of War to Give Acquisition Speech to Top Defense Industry Leaders on 07 Nov.

President Trump Meets Chinese President in S. Korea; Discusses Ukraine + President Trump Directs Renewed Nuclear Testing + IAEA Estimates Iran Still Has 400kg of 60% Enriched Uranium + US Senate Confirms New USAF Chief of Staff + More Oct 31, 2025

Show notes

For review:

1. President Trump Meets Chinese President in S. Korea; Discusses Ukraine.

2. President Trump Directs Renewed Nuclear Testing.

3. Qatari Prime Minister al-Thani indicated on Wednesday that Hamas violated the US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza on Tuesday when it attacked IDF soldiers- but did not specifically blame Hamas, referring instead to “the Palestinian party.”

4. Hamas on Thursday returned to Israel the remains of two deceased hostages, Amiram Cooper, 84, and Sahar Baruch, 25, with Israeli authorities confirming their identities within hours.

The remains of 11 deceased hostages are still being held in Gaza.

5. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Thursday that Hamas will be disarmed and the Gaza Strip demilitarized, asserting that if the international community doesn’t do it, then Israel will.

6. IAEA Estimates Iran Still Has 400kg of 60% Enriched Uranium.

7. Officials in Budapest on Thursday said that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday, November 7.

8. President Donald Trump in a social media post Wednesday said the United States will share sensitive nuclear submarine propulsion technologies with South Korea,

“South Korea will be building its Nuclear Powered Submarine in the Philadelphia Shipyards, right here in the good ol’ U.S.A. Shipbuilding in our Country will soon be making a BIG COMEBACK,” Trump said on Truth Social.

9. US Senate Confirms New USAF Chief of Staff- General Kenneth Wilsbach.

President Trump Meets Japan's Prime Minister; On to S. Korea for Meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping + Gaza Ceasefire Holding Despite Violations & Reprisals + UK & Turkey Agree to Eurofighter Deal Worth $11 Billion + More Oct 29, 2025

Show notes

For review:

1. President Trump Meets Japan's Prime Minister; On to S. Korea for Meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

2. Russian President Vladimir Putin received North Korea's top diplomat at the Kremlin on October 27.

North Korean media said Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui discussed "many future projects to constantly strengthen and develop" the bilateral relationship while also passing on leader Kim Jong Un's "brotherly regard" to Putin.

3. Gaza Ceasefire Holding Despite Violations & Reprisals.

4. Lebanon’s army has blown up so many Hezbollah arms caches that it has run out of explosives, as it races to meet a year-end deadline to disarm the Shiite terror group in the south of the country under a ceasefire agreed with Israel, two sources told Reuters.

5. UK & Turkey Agree to Eurofighter Deal Worth $11 Billion.

6. Germany’s navy could have a fielded laser weapon ready by 2029, following nearly a decade of work between contractors Rheinmetall and MBDA, the companies said today.

7. General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) is pushing its railgun program forward, positioning it as a potential modern air defense solution for saturation attacks and high-speed threats.

General Atomics said it has three scalable railgun designs.

The smallest, a 3-megajoule demonstrator dubbed “Blitzer,” is roughly the size of a 35mm gun.

A 10-megajoule medium-caliber model is comparable to the size of a howitzer, while the more powerful 32-megajoule variant is larger than a 155mm artillery system.

8. The US Navy is investigating the fuel supply of aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) as a possible cause for two U.S. aircraft crashes in the South China Sea.

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