Trump admin disputes claim that Ukraine peace plan was Russia ‘wish list’
President Donald Trump‘s administration is rejecting claims that its most recent plan for a peace deal in Ukraine was really a Russian “wish list.” Confusion arose regarding the deal after lawmakers on Capitol Hill claimed they were told by White House officials that the deal was a proposal from the Russian side. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has since pushed back on that claim, however. “[Rubio] made it very clear to us that we are the recipients of a proposal that was delivered to one of our representatives,” Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said at a press conference. “It is not our recommendation. It is not our peace plan. It is a proposal that was received, and as an intermediary, we have made arrangements to share it — and we did not release it. It was leaked.” According to The Associated Press, Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, said that Rubio told him and his colleagues that it “was not the administration’s plan” but a “wish list of the Russians.” Rubio responded to this narrative with a post on social media, writing that the peace proposal “was authored by the U.S.” US AND RUSSIA DRAFT PEACE PLAN FOR UKRAINE REQUIRING MAJOR CONCESSIONS FROM KYIV “It is offered as a strong framework for ongoing negotiations. It is based on input from the Russian side. But it is also based on previous and ongoing input from Ukraine,” he added. Rounds released another statement through his press office after Rubio’s response. “I appreciate Secretary Rubio briefing us earlier today on their efforts to bring about peace by relying on input from both Russia and Ukraine to arrive at a final deal,” Rounds wrote. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. WITKOFF MEETS UKRAINE OFFICIALS IN NEW YORK AHEAD OF EMERGENCY UN SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING: ‘VERY PRODUCTIVE’ Rubio traveled to Geneva on Sunday to meet with Ukrainian officials alongside Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, where they are expected to hash out Kyiv’s misgivings regarding the deal. Trump himself lashed out at Ukraine over the peace talks in a Sunday statement. “UKRAINE ‘LEADERSHIP’ HAS EXPRESSED ZERO GRATITUDE FOR OUR EFFORTS, AND EUROPE CONTINUES TO BUY OIL FROM RUSSIA,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. While the current agreement has not been made public, a leaked draft has been reported to include terms that would halt the fighting in Ukraine while giving Russia concessions like control over Ukrainian territory that the Russian military does not yet control, as well as barring Ukraine from membership in NATO. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not reject the plan outright in an address last week, but he insisted on fair treatment while pledging to “work calmly” with Washington and other partners in what he called “truly one of the most difficult moments in our history.” Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump caps week of surprises — signing release of Epstein files, embracing unlikely allies at White House
President Donald Trump kicked off the week meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and closed the week meeting with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. He also signed legislation ordering the Justice Department to release files related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Here’s a look at what happened this week. Trump announced Wednesday evening that he put his stamp of approval on a bill instructing the Justice Department to release files related to Epstein — after Congress passed the measure Tuesday. TRUMP SAYS WHETHER HE WOULD SIGN EPSTEIN FILES BILL “I HAVE JUST SIGNED THE BILL TO RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES!” Trump wrote in a lengthy message on the Truth Social platform. “As everyone knows, I asked Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, to pass this Bill in the House and Senate, respectively. Because of this request, the votes were almost unanimous in favor of passage. “At my direction, the Department of Justice has already turned over close to fifty thousand pages of documents to Congress. Do not forget — The Biden Administration did not turn over a SINGLE file or page related to Democrat Epstein, nor did they ever even speak about him.” Trump’s ties to Epstein had faced increased attention after Trump’s Justice Department and FBI announced in July it would not unseal investigation materials related to Epstein, and that the agencies’ investigation into the case had closed. TRUMP CALLS ON HOUSE REPUBLICANS TO VOTE TO RELEASE EPSTEIN FILES: ‘WE HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE’ However, Trump announced Nov. 16 that he backed releasing the documents, claiming that he had “nothing to hide.” Ultimately, the House voted Tuesday to release the files by a 421–1 margin, following pressure for months from the measure’s ringleaders, Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and other Democrats. The Senate passed the measure by unanimous consent later Tuesday. BIDEN’S SAUDI FIST BUMP DREW HEAT IN 2022 — TRUMP JUST ROLLED OUT THE RED CARPET Mamdani visited Trump at the White House Friday, and the two appeared chummy and ready to launch a fresh start in their relationship. The two said they discussed addressing affordability issues and improving conditions in New York. Trump said the two had more in common than he anticipated, and that he would be “cheering” for Mamdani as he leads the city. “I expect to be helping him, not hurting him — a big help,” Trump said. EPSTEIN REFERENCED TRUMP IN PRIVATE EMAILS TO GHISLAINE MAXWELL AND OTHERS, NEW RECORDS SHOW Trump also brushed off Mamdani’s comment labeling him a despot in his victory speech following the Nov. 4 election, with the president claiming Friday he’s encountered worse and that he believes Mamdani will change his tune as the two work together. “I’ve been called much worse than a ‘despot,’ so it’s not, it’s not that insulting,” Trump said. “I think he’ll change his mind after we get to working together.” Trump also met with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House Tuesday, an occasion that included a red carpet rolled across the South Lawn, military honor guard, and an Air Force flyover to elevate the formal state-level welcome. During bin Salman’s visit, the U.S. announced that it would sell F-35 jets to Saudi Arabia, and that it would now be a “major non-NATO ally” to facilitate military cooperation between the two countries. “President Trump approved a major defense sale package, including future F-35 deliveries, which strengthens the U.S. defense industrial base and ensures Saudi Arabia continues to buy American,” the White House said in a statement. Trump’s reception of bin Salman is a departure from the Biden administration, who said in 2019 during his presidential campaign that he would make Saudi Arabia “the pariah that they are” because of the death of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. U.S. intelligence agencies concluded in 2021 that bin Salman gave the green light on the operation that took Khashoggi’s life. Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident, was brutally murdered in Istanbul at the Saudi consulate in 2018. But Trump defended bin Salman Tuesday, and accused a reporter who asked about U.S. intelligence reports linking the prince to Khashoggi’s death of embarrassing bin Salman. “A lot of people didn’t like that gentleman that you’re talking about,” Trump said Tuesday. “Whether you like him or didn’t like him, things happen, but he knew nothing about it. And would you leave it at that? You don’t have to embarrass our guest by asking a question.” Even so, bin Salman has dismissed the reports as false. When asked Tuesday about Khashoggi, bin Salman said it’s “painful” to hear of the death of anyone for “no real purpose,” and “we are doing our best that this doesn’t happen again.”
Trump administration expands efforts to stop Christian violence in Nigeria with aid threat
President Donald Trump’s administration is picking up steam in addressing violence against Christians in Nigeria this week, after Trump lashed out at the nation’s government for having “done nothing” to stop the killings. “I’m really angry about it,” the president told Fox News Radio on Friday. “What’s happening in Nigeria is a disgrace.” War Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Nigerian National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu last week amid threats from Trump to cut off aid to Nigeria if it “continues to allow the killing of Christians.” Nigerian officials have pushed back on the accusation. “Hegseth emphasized the need for Nigeria to demonstrate commitment and take both urgent and enduring action to stop violence against Christians and conveyed the Department’s desire to work by, with, and through Nigeria to deter and degrade terrorists that threaten the United States,” the Pentagon said in a statement. TRUMP THREATENS TO HALT ALL US AID, CONDUCT ‘VICIOUS’ MILITARY ATTACK IN NIGERIA OVER CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION Jonathan Pratt, who leads the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, also testified before Congress on Thursday and said any Pentagon involvement would be part of a broader strategy. “This would span from security to policing to economic,” he said. “We want to look at all of these tools and have a comprehensive strategy to get the best result possible.” GUNMEN ATTACK CHURCH IN NIGERIA, KILLING TWO AND KIDNAPPING OTHERS Recent incidents in Nigeria have included the mass abduction of over 300 children and 12 teachers from a Catholic school on Friday, as well as a shooting at another church that left two people dead. The gunmen also abducted several congregants from the church. The primary threat comes from the Islamist radical group Boko Haram, as well as its splinter Islamic State of West Africa Province. The groups target primarily Christians, though Muslims of other sects also face attacks. On Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz held an event highlighting the ongoing violence in Nigeria. During the event, Waltz called the killings of Christians in Nigeria a “genocide wearing the mask of chaos.” He was joined by rap superstar Nicki Minaj, who called for religious freedom for all. Fox News’ Rachel Wolf and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump says Dems who told military to defy illegal orders committed ‘sedition at the highest level’
President Donald Trump on Saturday purported that Democrats who urged the military to defy illegal orders engaged in “sedition at the highest level” and “should be in jail right now.” This comes after one of the lawmakers who appeared in the video calling on troops to ignore unlawful orders, Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, was targeted with a bomb threat just days after the clip and Trump’s subsequent statements suggesting the Democrats be executed. In a Truth Social post on Saturday, Trump argued that the “traitors” who appeared in the video “should be in jail right now, not roaming the fake news networks trying to explain what they said was OK.” “It wasn’t, and never will be!” he claimed. “It was sedition at the highest level, and sedition is a major crime. There can be no other interpretation of what they said!” SEN. SLOTKIN’S HOME TARGETED WITH BOMB THREAT DAYS AFTER SHE TOLD TROOPS TO DEFY ‘ILLEGAL’ ORDERS Trump initially responded to the video message by saying, “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” He also shared a post from another account that said, “Hang them George Washington would.” The White House and the president himself later attempted to walk back his comments, saying he did not wish to execute the Democrat lawmakers. In another post on Saturday, Trump alleged that “many great legal scholars” agree with his position that “the Democrat traitors that told the military to disobey my orders, as president, have committed a crime of serious proportion!” Slotkin, who previously worked at the CIA and Defense Department, shared the video on Tuesday of herself and other Democrat lawmakers who formerly served in the military and intelligence community encouraging troops and members of the intelligence community to ignore illegal orders from officials. “This administration is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens,” the lawmakers said. “Like us, you all swore an oath to protect and defend this Constitution. Right now, the threats coming to our Constitution aren’t just coming from abroad but from right here at home. Our laws are clear. You can refuse illegal orders. You must refuse illegal orders. No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution.” SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN ACCUSES TRUMP OF ‘DANGEROUS RHETORIC’ Other lawmakers in the video included Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Reps. Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, as well as Reps. Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire and Jason Crow of Colorado. Trump administration officials and other Republicans criticized the video, which affirms that refusing unlawful orders is a standard part of military protocol. Slotkin’s office said on Friday that police responded to her Michigan home following a bomb threat, but that she was not home at the time. U.S. Capitol Police told her that she would have security at all hours of the day. “We’ve got law enforcement out in front of my house,” she told MS Now. “It changes things immediately. And leadership climate is set from the top. And if the president is saying you should be hanged, then we shouldn’t be surprised when folks on the ground are going to follow suit and say even worse.” The lawmakers in the video have vowed not to back down despite the threats. “What’s most telling is that the President considers it punishable by death for us to restate the law. Our servicemembers should know that we have their backs as they fulfill their oath to the Constitution and obligation to follow only lawful orders. It is not only the right thing to do, but also our duty,” they said in a joint statement on Thursday. “In these moments, fear is contagious, but so is courage. We will continue to lead and will not be intimidated,” the statement added.
Texas National Guard to return from Illinois ahead of Thanksgiving, Gov Abbott says
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Saturday that Texas National Guard troops will return home before Thanksgiving after they were deployed to Illinois last month to support federal immigration agents. “They’ve already been ordered to return before Thanksgiving,” Abbott told Nexstar. Hundreds of Texas National Guard troops were sent to Illinois on Oct. 7 after Abbott authorized their deployment to protect U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and buildings amid protests against federal raids targeting illegal immigrants in Chicago and other Illinois cities. PRITZKER SAYS TRUMP ORDERING 400 MEMBERS OF THE TEXAS NATIONAL GUARD TO ILLINOIS, OREGON AND OTHER LOCATIONS Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker blasted Abbott’s deployment, calling it an “invasion” and urging the Texas governor to withdraw the troops. It is unusual for a governor to deploy the National Guard to another state without an invitation from that state’s governor. Democrat officials have argued that such a deployment is unconstitutional and violates state sovereignty. A legal battle over the deployment of the troops to Chicago prompted a federal court to rule that the troops could not be activated, but could remain in the state. The case was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which has not yet issued its ruling. TEXAS NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERS REMOVED FROM 60-DAY ILLINOIS DEPLOYMENT FOR FAILING ‘MISSION REQUIREMENTS’ Due to the court ruling, the Texas National Guard never performed active duties beyond securing their base at a U.S. Army Reserve training center.
Is the global public tuning out the climate change debate?
Divisions mark the last days of the UN climate summit in the Brazilian city of Belem. Division marked the COP30 climate summit in Brazil as countries struggled to reach a consensus on several sticking points, including a push to phase out fossil fuels. As the world seeks to address the climate crisis, experts say scientists, politicians, media and business all have a role to play in keeping the public engaged. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list But are they succeeding? Presenter: Neave Barker Guests: Professor John Sweeney – Contributor to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Nobel Peace Prize-winning assessment report Professor Allam Ahmed – Leading scholar in sustainable development and the knowledge economy Michael Shank – Climate communication expert and former director of media strategy at Climate Nexus Published On 22 Nov 202522 Nov 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,368
Here are the key events from day 1,368 of Russia’s war on Ukraine. Published On 23 Nov 202523 Nov 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Here’s where things stand on Sunday, November 23. Trump’s plan Officials from Ukraine, the United States, and the European Union are set to hold talks in Geneva to discuss US President Donald Trump’s proposed 28-point plan for ending the war with Russia. Trump, who initially demanded Ukraine accept his plan by Thursday, told reporters on Saturday that the proposal was not his final offer. “We’d like to get to peace. One way or another, we’ll get it ended,” he said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that he has signed a decree approving the composition of Kyiv’s delegation to the talks. “Our representatives know how to defend Ukraine’s national interests and exactly what must be done to prevent Russia from launching a third invasion,” he wrote in a social media post, adding that Russia’s “crimes” should not be “rewarded”. European and Western leaders welcomed Trump’s plan in a statement on Saturday, but said the draft requires “additional work”. They also pushed back against some of its elements, including the ceding of territory to Russia and limits on the size of the Ukrainian military. “We are clear on the principle that borders must not be changed by force,” they said. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stressed the need for Ukraine to be involved in any resolution of the conflict and to decide its own fate. “Wars cannot be ended by major powers over the heads of the countries affected,” he told reporters. The leaders of eight Nordic-Baltic countries released a separate statement, reaffirming their commitment to support Ukraine, including by continuing to arm its military. “We have, from the outset of Russia’s war of aggression, stood by Ukraine’s side, and we will continue to do so,” they said. In Washington, DC, Trump’s proposal continued to face opposition from Democrats and some Republican hawks in Congress. Senator Angus King called it one of the worst “geopolitical mistakes” he has ever seen. Advertisement Fighting Russian forces launched more than 60 strikes on the Nikopol district of Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, killing at least one person and wounding five others, according to local officials. Another Russian strike on a store in Ukraine’s Zaporizhia wounded five people, while Russian shelling killed three people, including two women in Kherson, officials said. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine said it ended its search and rescue operation following the deadly Russian missile attack in Ternopil in the west of the country on November 19. The final death toll of that attack was 33, including six children, according to the agency. Ninety-four others were also wounded. Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its forces captured two villages in eastern Ukraine – Zvanivka in Donetsk and Nove Zaporizhzhia in the Zaporizhia region. The claim came as Ukraine’s Kyiv Independent reported that Russian forces appear to have captured more than 15 villages in Zaporizhia. It cited the Finnish open-intelligence collective, the Black Bird Group. The months-long battle for the town of Pokrovsk in Donetsk also continued, with Russia’s TASS news agency reporting that Russian troops have “encircled Ukrainian units” in several neighbourhoods there. For its part, the Ukrainian military said Russian attempts to reach the town’s centre were unsuccessful and that its forces were holding designed lines in northern Pokrovsk. Adblock test (Why?)
Airlines cancel Venezuela flights amid US warnings and military buildup
Six international airlines have suspended flights to Venezuela after the United States warned major carriers about a “potentially hazardous situation” due to “heightened military activity” around the South American country. Spain’s Iberia, Portugal’s TAP, Chile’s LATAM, Colombia’s Avianca, Brazil’s GOL and Trinidad and Tobago’s Caribbean all halted flights to the country on Saturday, the AFP news agency reported, citing Marisela de Loaiza, the president of the Venezuelan Airlines Association. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list TAP said it was cancelling its flights scheduled for Saturday and next Tuesday, while Iberia said it was suspending flights to the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, until further notice. TAP told the Reuters news agency that its decision was linked to the US notice, which it said “indicates that safety conditions in Venezuelan airspace are not guaranteed”. According to the AFP news agency, Panama’s Copa Airlines, Spain’s Air Europa and PlusUltra, Turkish Airlines, and Venezuela’s LASER are continuing to operate flights for now. The flight suspensions come as tensions between the US and Venezuela soar, with Washington deploying troops as well as the world’s largest aircraft carrier to the Caribbean, as part of what it calls an anti-narcotics operation. Caracas, however, describes the operation as a bid to force Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro out of power. The US military has also carried out at least 21 attacks on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and the Pacific, killing at least 83 people. The campaign – which critics say violates both international and US domestic law – began after the administration of President Donald Trump increased its reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Maduro to $50m, describing him as the “global terrorist leader of the Cartel de los Soles”. President Trump, meanwhile, has sent mixed signals about the possibility of intervention in Venezuela, saying in a CBS interview earlier this month that he doesn’t think his country was going to war against Caracas. Advertisement But when asked if Maduro’s days as president were numbered, he replied, saying, “I would say yeah.” Then, on Sunday, he said the US may open talks with Maduro, and on Monday, when asked about the possibility of deploying US troops to the country, he replied: “I don’t rule out that. I don’t rule out anything. We just have to take care of Venezuela.” Days later, on Friday, the US Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) urged all flights in the area to “exercise caution” due to the threats “at all altitudes, including during overflight, the arrival and departure phases of flight, and/or airports and aircraft on the ground”. Ties between Washington and Caracas have been dominated by tensions since the rise of Maduro’s left-wing predecessor, Hugo Chavez, in the early 2000s. The relationship deteriorated further after Maduro came to power following Chavez’s death in 2013. Successive US administrations have rejected Maduro’s legitimacy and imposed heavy sanctions on the Venezuelan economy, accusing the president of corruption, authoritarianism and election fraud. The Trump administration has hardened the US stance. Last week, it labelled the Venezuelan drug organisation, dubbed Cartel de los Soles (Cartel of the Suns), a “terrorist” group, and it accused Maduro of leading it, without providing evidence. In recent weeks, conservative foreign policy hawks in the US have been increasingly calling on Trump to topple the Maduro government. Maduro has accused the US of inventing “pretexts” for war, repeatedly expressing willingness to engage in dialogue with Washington. But he has warned that his country would push to defend itself. “No foreign power will impose its will on our sovereign homeland,” he was quoted as saying by the Venezuelan outlet Telesur. “But if they break peace and persist in their neocolonial intentions, they will face a huge surprise. I pray that does not occur, because – I repeat – they will receive a truly monumental surprise.” Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who recently won a Nobel Peace Prize, suggested that overthrowing Maduro would not amount to regime change, arguing the president lost the election last year and rigged the results. “We’re not asking for regime change. We’re asking for respect of the will of the people and the people will be the one that will take care and protect this transition so that it is orderly, peaceful and irreversible,” she told The Washington Post on Friday. Machado, 58, has called for privatising Venezuela’s oil sector and opening the country to foreign investments. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
PM Modi’s BIG statement after meeting France’s Emmanuel Macron on sidelines of G20 Summit: ‘Force for…’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg.
‘Dedicated, exceptional’: IAF pays tribute to Wing Commander Namansh Syal who died in Tejas crash
Wing Commander Syal was piloting the indigenously-made Tejas aircraft during an aerobatic display at the high-profile exhibition when the crash occurred. The IAF has constituted a court of inquiry to determine the cause of the crash.