Israel attacks on Syria: What happened, who did Israel claim it was after?
On Friday, Israel killed at least 13 people, including two children, in the Damascus countryside town of Beit Jinn. The latest air raids came after locals tried to repel an Israeli military incursion into Beit Jinn, leading to clashes. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list Israel claimed it was going after members of the Jamaa al-Islamiya, Lebanon’s branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. However, rubbishing the Israeli claim, the group said it was not active outside Lebanon. Here’s everything you need to know about the attack in Beit Jinn and the context behind it. What happened? The Israeli army’s 55th Reserve Brigade raided Beit Jinn in the early hours of Friday morning, ostensibly to take three Syrians who live there, claiming they were members of Jamaa al-Islamiya and that they posed a “danger to Israel”. However, the incursion did not go to plan. Locals resisted, and six Israeli soldiers were wounded in the resulting clashes, three of them seriously, according to the Israeli army. Israel then sent in its warplanes. “We were asleep when we were woken up at three in the morning by gunfire,” Iyad Daher, a wounded resident, told the AFP news agency from al-Mouwasat Hospital in Damascus. “We went outside to see what was happening and saw the Israeli army in the village, soldiers and tanks,” Daher said. “Then they withdrew, the air force came – and the shells started falling.” This was the deadliest of Israel’s more than 1,000 strikes on Syria since the fall of the Assad regime Why were Israeli forces in Syria? This was not the first time Israel raided Syrian territory. Advertisement Israeli officials and government-aligned media say Israel can no longer respect its enemies’ borders or allow “hostile” groups along its borders after the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, and Israel has sought to use force in other countries to create buffer zones around itself, in the Gaza Strip, Syria and Lebanon. Since the fall of the Assad regime last December, Israel has launched frequent air raids across Syria and ground incursions in its south. It set up numerous checkpoints in Syria and detained and disappeared Syrian citizens from Syrian territory, holding them illegally in Israel. It invaded the buffer zone that separated the two countries since they signed the 1974 disengagement agreement, setting up outposts around Jabal al-Sheikh (Mount Hermon in English). The new Syrian government, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, said it would abide by the 1974 agreement. Israel occupied the Syrian Golan Heights in 1967. A demilitarised zone was later established, but when President Bashar al-Assad was ousted, and his army was in shambles, Israel invaded to take outposts on Syrian-controlled land. What did the Syrian government say? That the attack is a war crime. The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement, condemning “the criminal attack carried out by an Israeli occupation army patrol in Beit Jinn. The occupation forces’ targeting of the town of Beit Jinn with brutal and deliberate shelling, following their failed incursion, constitutes a full-fledged war crime.” What is Israel claiming? Israel’s public broadcaster said the operation was an “arrest raid” targeting Jamaa al-Islamiya members. An Israeli army spokesperson said three people linked to the group were “arrested”. Israel claims the group is operating in southern Syria to “recruit terrorists” and plays a role in what it calls the “northern front” – Israel’s northern border with Lebanon. Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid reported from Syria that Israel has yet to offer any proof of the claim that the people it was after were involved with the group. What is Jamaa al-Islamiya? The group is the Lebanese branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. It was founded in 1956 and has a stable presence in Lebanon, though it has never been as popular as some of its regional counterparts. It has one member of parliament and was historically aligned with the Future Movement, founded by former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. However, the group moved closer to Iran and Hezbollah politically in recent years. Its armed wing, the Fajr Forces, took part in some operations against Israel in 2023-24. Advertisement After Israel’s claims that it was involved in southern Syria, the group released a statement on Friday stating that it was “surprised” Israeli media had involved it in what happened in Beit Jinn. Denouncing the attack, it said it conducts “no activities outside Lebanon”. The group added that it has abided by and committed to the ceasefire agreement from November 2024 between Lebanon and Israel. Has Israel claimed it was attacking this group before? Yes. In March 2024, Israel attacked al-Habbariyeh in southern Lebanon, killing seven emergency relief volunteers. It claimed the attack targeted a member of the group, calling him a “significant terrorist”. However, the alleged target was never named, the director of the Lebanese Emergency and Relief Corps’ Ambulance Association told Al Jazeera. Adblock test (Why?)
Pope Leo insists on two-state solution to resolve Israel-Palestine conflict
The pontiff is set to meet Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun and deliver a speech to authorities and diplomats later today. Pope Leo XIV has reiterated the Vatican’s insistence on a two-state resolution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying it’s the “only solution” that can guarantee justice for both sides. Leo made the comments as he flew from Turkiye to Lebanon on Sunday for the second and final leg of his maiden international voyage as pope. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list On the flight, the pontiff was asked by reporters about his private talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan upon his arrival in Ankara, and whether they discussed the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. Leo confirmed they had and said Turkiye has an “important role to play” to end both conflicts. On Gaza, he repeated the Holy See’s longstanding position supporting a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians. The creation of a Palestinian state in East Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank and Gaza has long been seen internationally as the only way to resolve the decades-long conflict. “We know that in this moment, Israel doesn’t accept this solution, but we see it as the only one that can offer a solution to the conflict that they are living in,” said Leo. “We are also friends with Israel, and we try with both sides to be a mediating voice that can help bring them closer to a solution with justice for all.” The pope has avoided any direct mention of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza while in Turkiye. There was no immediate response from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He has long asserted that creating a Palestinian state would reward the Palestinian group Hamas and eventually lead to an even larger Hamas-run state on Israel’s borders. Advertisement Earlier this month, Netanyahu said Israel’s opposition to a Palestinian state has “not changed one bit” and isn’t threatened by external or internal pressure. “I do not need affirmations, tweets or lectures from anyone,” he said. ‘Glimmer of hope’ The American pontiff landed in Beirut and is now set to meet Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun, the Arab world’s only Christian head of state, and deliver a speech to authorities and diplomats at the presidential palace later in the afternoon. “Many people are meeting him on the side of the road towards the presidential palace and he’s expected to meet Lebanese officials. He’ll also hold a huge mass in the centre of Beirut, and then visit several cities across the country,” reported Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem from the scene. About 30 percent of the population of Lebanon is Christian, while the vast majority are Muslim, roughly half of whom belong to the Shia and Sunni branches of Islam. Travelling abroad has become a major part of the modern papacy, with popes seeking to meet local Catholics, spread the faith, and conduct international diplomacy. People gather to welcome Pope Leo XIV as he arrives in Lebanon [Louisa Gouliamaki/Reuters] ‘For the sake of peace’ Lebanon’s diverse communities have also welcomed the papal trip with leading Druze cleric Sheikh Sami Abi al-Muna saying Lebanon “needs the glimmer of hope represented by this visit”. Reinforcements from the Lebanese army and internal security forces were deployed to the airport before Leo’s arrival. His convoy will pass through Beirut’s southern suburbs, an area where Hezbollah holds sway and where the terrain was battered in last year’s Israeli air strikes. Hezbollah’s Imam al-Mahdi Scouts are to hold a welcoming ceremony by the roadside as the convoy passes. Leo’s schedule includes a prayer at the site of a 2020 explosion at the Beirut port that killed 200 people and caused billions of dollars worth of damage. He will also lead an outdoor mass on the Beirut waterfront and visit a psychiatric hospital, one of the few mental health facilities in Lebanon, where healthcare workers and residents are eagerly anticipating his arrival. Leo will not travel to the south, the target of Israeli attacks. Despite a United States-brokered ceasefire in November 2024, Israel continues to launch near-daily air strikes on southern Lebanon. The pope “is coming to bless us and for the sake of peace”, said Farah Saadeh, a Beirut resident. “We have to wait and see what will happen after he leaves, and we hope nothing is going to happen after his departure,” Saadeh said. Advertisement Before Leo’s arrival, Hezbollah urged the pope to express his “rejection of injustice and aggression” that the country is being subjected to, a reference to the Israeli attacks. Adblock test (Why?)
Is US President Donald Trump preparing to strike Venezuela?
United States President Donald Trump declared on Saturday that Venezuelan airspace had been “closed”, without offering any further details, spiking tensions between Washington and Caracas amid months of military build-up in the Caribbean. Venezuela has accused the US of a “colonialist threat” in Latin America, as millions of people in the country remain on edge. President Nicolas Maduro had earlier warned that Washington was fabricating claims as a pretext to justify military intervention in Venezuela. Venezuela has been conducting regular drills over the past few weeks and has announced a large-scale mobilisation in preparation for any possible attack. The Trump administration has deployed massive naval assets in the Southern Caribbean since launching a series of strikes on alleged drug boats in early September. Washington has not provided any proof that the targeted boats were involved in drug trafficking. At least 83 people have been killed in those attacks. Ramping up pressure on Maduro last week, Washington designated what is known among Venezuelans as the Cartel de los Soles, or Cartel of the Suns in English, as a “foreign terrorist organization”. The Trump administration says it is targeting Venezuela as part of a push to combat drug trafficking. However, political analysts and human rights observers warn Washington against laying the groundwork to unlawfully remove Maduro from power. So, will Trump strike Venezuela after announcing the closure of Venezuelan airspace? Can the US military action be legally justified? And what is driving Trump’s hostile policy against Maduro? Will the US go to war against Venezuela? Since returning to power in January, Trump has ramped up rhetoric against Maduro, blaming Caracas for drug trafficking and the flow of immigrants from Venezuela. Advertisement Within a few weeks into his second term, Trump nixed Venezuelan oil concessions granted by his predecessor, Joe Biden, imposed 25 percent tariffs on countries buying oil from Venezuela, and doubled the reward for the arrest of Maduro to $50m, designating him a “global terrorist leader”. In recent weeks, Trump confirmed that he has authorised the CIA to carry out secret operations in Venezuela, as his administration deployed the world’s largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R Ford, other warships, thousands of troops, and F-35 stealth jets to the Caribbean. Last Thursday, Trump said land strikes inside the country could come imminently. Amid heightened military tensions, Trump reportedly spoke with Maduro last week, as per reporting by The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, before sanctions against Cartel de los Soles came into effect. On November 25, Trump, on board Air Force One, was asked by reporters if he planned on speaking with Maduro. “I might talk to him. We’ll see. But we’re discussing that with the different staffs. We might talk,” Trump told reporters. When asked why Trump wants to talk to a leader of the designated “foreign terrorist organization”, he took the moral high ground. “If we can save lives, we can do things the easy way, that’s fine. And if we have to do it the hard way, that’s fine, too,” he replied. Can the US military action be legally justified? Critics of the Trump administration have argued that the administration’s military actions violate the US Constitution in addition to international laws. Rights observers and legal scholars have said the deadly boat strikes amount to “extrajudicial killing” and violation of human rights. A report in The Washington Post says that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the military to kill all the passengers on board a boat suspected of carrying drugs. Hegseth has rejected allegations, calling the report “fake news”. The “fabricated and inflammatory” report, he said, was aimed at “discrediting our incredible warriors fighting to protect the homeland”. The defence secretary has said the strikes in the Caribbean are “lawful”. Meanwhile, the US Congress on Saturday ordered an inquiry into the incident. “At this point, I would call them extrajudicial killings,” Republican Senator Rand Paul told Fox News Sunday in October. Bruce Fein, a US constitutional expert, concurred with Paul. “Trump is acting extra-constitutionally and committing murder,” said Fein, who served as associate deputy attorney general under Republican President Ronald Reagan. Advertisement “Only Congress can authorise the offensive use of the military,” said Fein, adding that Trump’s executive orders in this matter do not have a legal standing. “The victims are engaged in warfare against the United States, except in Trump’s fantasyland – a page from George Orwell’s 1984.” By designating the Cartel de los Soles, which now Washington equates with the Venezuelan state, as a “foreign terrorist organization”, the Trump administration is posing that this is no longer a war between two nations that requires congressional declaration, but a counterterrorism operation against a non-state actor. Cartel de los Soles emerged in the 1990s when Venezuelan generals and senior officers were investigated for drug trafficking and related crimes. In Venezuela, it is not a cartel, but rather a common reference to military officers and officials involved in corruption and other illegal activities. Maduro delivers a speech while holding the Venezuelan independence hero Simon Bolivar’s ‘Sword of Peru’ during a military ceremony in Caracas on November 25, 2025 [Federico Parra/AFP] How has the Venezuelan president responded? Caracas has denounced Trump’s announcement that effectively closed the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that Trump’s statement sought “to affect the sovereignty of [Venezuelan] airspace, constituting yet another extravagant, illegal and unjustified aggression against the Venezuelan people”. Meanwhile, Maduro, whose win in July’s election was not recognised by Washington, has called for peace, rejecting war, and advocated for harmony as he continues to appear frequently on state television broadcasts. In a mix of Spanish and English, Maduro declared, “No war … Yes peace, forever.” On November 15, Maduro invoked singer John Lennon’s peace anthem “Imagine” during a rally of supporters. “Do everything for peace, as John Lennon used to say. Imagine all the people,” he said. Two days later, condemning the use of force or military threats, Maduro said, “Dialogue, call, yes.
Bangladesh’s Khaleda Zia hospitalised in ‘very critical’ condition
Ex-prime minister’s family calls for prayers for her early recovery after hospitalisation for a lung infection. Bangladeshi former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has been hospitalised in “very critical” condition, according to members of her party, as her family and supporters urged well-wishers to pray for her speedy recovery. Zia’s personal physician, Dr A Z M Zahid Hossein, told reporters late on Saturday that the 80-year-old politician, who was taken to the Evercare Hospital in Dhaka on November 23, remains in intensive care. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list She was admitted with symptoms of a lung infection and Hossein said she appeared to be responding to the treatment. “At this moment, I can say her condition has been in the same stage for the last three days. In doctors’ language, we say ‘she is responding to the treatment’,” he was quoted as saying by the Daily Star news website. “Please pray so that she can continue to receive this treatment.” Hossein’s comments came a day after the secretary-general of Zia’s Bangladesh National Party (BNP), Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, told reporters that her “condition was very critical”. According to the Daily Star, Zia has “heart problems, liver and kidney issues, diabetes, lung problems, arthritis, and eye-related illnesses”. She has a permanent pacemaker and previously underwent stenting for her heart, the outlet reported. Activists in support of Bangladesh’s former prime minister, Khaleda Zia, hold a banner with her portrait as they pray for her recovery in front of the Evercare Hospital in Dhaka on November 29, 2025 [Munir UZ Zaman/AFP] Earlier on Saturday, BNP’s vice chairman, Ahmed Azam Khan, told reporters that an air ambulance was on standby to take Zia abroad for advanced treatment if her medical condition stabilises. Advertisement Zia’s eldest son, Tarique Rahman, who has been based in London since 2008, called on the people of Bangladesh to pray for his mother’s recovery. “We express our heartfelt thanks and gratitude for all your prayers and love for the highly respected Begum Khaleda Zia,” Rahman, 60, said in a social media post on Saturday. “We fervently request you to continue your prayers for her early recovery.” Zia, who served three terms as prime minister, was jailed for corruption in 2018 under recently ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government, which also barred her from travelling abroad for medical treatment. She was released last year, shortly after Hasina’s removal. Despite her ill health, Zia has promised to campaign in elections expected in February 2026, in which the BNP is widely seen as a frontrunner. Waiting in front of the hospital since morning, Liton Molla, a driver for a private company, said he rushed there after hearing about Zia’s condition, describing her as his “dear leader”. “I just pray she recovers and can contest in the election,” Liton, 45, told the AFP news agency. “At this moment, Bangladesh needs a leader like Khaleda Zia.” Bangladesh’s interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, also issued a statement. “During this transitional period to democracy, Khaleda Zia is a source of utmost inspiration for the nation. Her recovery is very important for the country,” he said on Friday night. Adblock test (Why?)
One killed in ‘riot’ in Iraq’s Erbil after attack on Khor Mor gas field
Kurdish authorities say one killed, several wounded in riots in Erbil’s Gwer, as authorities try to restore power after attack on Khor Mor. Published On 30 Nov 202530 Nov 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share A group of “rioters” have opened fire at fuel tanker trucks in the northern Iraqi governorate of Erbil, killing at least one person and wounding several others, Kurdish authorities said, days after a rocket attack on the region’s Khor Mor gas field. In a statement carried by the Iraqi News Agency late on Saturday, the Ministry of Interior of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) linked the shooting to the Khor Mor attack. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list The rocket attack hit a storage tank at the gas field, which is one of the region’s largest facilities, late on Wednesday, leading to production shutdown and extensive power cuts. The ministry said the KRG sent liquid fuel to supply power plants following the Khor Mor attack, but that “a group of rioters blocked the road used by fuel tankers and civilians in Gwer, opening fire on passersby and travellers”. The shooting “resulted in the death of one citizen and injuries to several others”, it said. The ministry pledged action against the “riots”, saying “we will put an end to these acts of sabotage”. The ministry statement followed an earlier report by the Iraqi News Agency in which it said there had been armed clashes between the Harkiya tribe and security forces in Erbil, near the village of Lajan on the Erbil-Gwer road. The agency cited security forces as saying that the clashes, adjacent to the Lanaz Company refinery, had “resulted in fatalities and injuries”. Meanwhile, Iraqi Kurdish Prime Minister Masrour Barzani has announced that the KRG has agreed with the company operating the Khor Mor gas field to restart production within hours to restore electricity. Advertisement The attack on Thursday on Khor Mor was the most significant violence since a series of drone attacks in July that cut production by about 150,000 barrels per day. “I have spoken with the company’s [Dana Gas] leadership to thank them and their workforce for their extraordinary resilience and determination amid eleven attacks on the Khor Mor field,” Barzani said in a statement posted in English. “I have urged [Iraqi] Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to hold the perpetrators of this attack accountable to the full extent of the law, whoever they may be and wherever they are,” Barzani added. There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack on Khor Mor, and authorities have not said who was behind the attack. Abdulkhaliq Talaat, a military expert and former official from the Kurdish region of northern Iraq, however, told the Rudaw news channel that the drone attack on the Khor Mor gas field was launched from an area under the control of Iraqi forces. The storage tank at Khor Mor is part of new facilities partially financed by the US and built by a US contractor, an industry source told the Reuters news agency earlier this week. The KRG exercises autonomy in parts of northern Iraq, where US companies have significant investments in energy. Adblock test (Why?)
Tens of thousands rally in Europe, demanding justice over Israel’s Gaza war
Tens of thousands of people have marched in cities across Europe, denouncing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza and demanding tougher global action against its continued and deadly violations of a United States-brokered ceasefire. The demonstrations, held to mark the United Nations International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on Saturday, came as the death toll from Israel’s war on Gaza surpassed 70,000 people. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list The latest victims include two boys, aged eight and 10, who were killed in an Israeli drone attack on the town of Bani Suheila, east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza. In the French capital, Paris, an estimated 50,000 marched along the city’s major streets, chanting “Gaza, Gaza, Paris is with you” and “From Paris to Gaza, resistance!”. They also waved Palestinian flags while denouncing “Israeli genocide”. “This is not acceptable. We are still so far from justice or accountability,” one protester told Al Jazeera. “We, the people, know that this [Israel’s war] is wrong. But why do the people in power not feel that this is wrong?” asked another protester. Anne Tuaillon, head of the France Palestine Solidarity Association (AFPS), one of about 80 non-government organisations, unions and parties behind the call to protest, said that “nothing has been resolved” seven weeks after a ceasefire took effect on October 10. “The ceasefire is a smokescreen. Israel violates it every day, blocks humanitarian aid and continues to destroy homes and infrastructure in Gaza. We are calling for a permanent ceasefire and an end to the genocide,” she told the AFP news agency. Advertisement Protests were also held in London, Geneva, Rome and Lisbon. Al Jazeera’s Sonia Gallego, reporting from Paris, said that for the organisers, the march represents a “sustained pressure” on Israel at a time when negotiations for a more lasting peace in the Palestinian territory remain stalled. “This worldwide mobilisation is not just maintaining focus on Gaza, but also [on] the broader unresolved issue of Palestinian rights.” In the British capital, London, organisers said that up to 100,000 joined the march demanding accountability for Israeli “crimes” against Palestinians and pleading for “protection” of those still suffering under siege despite a ceasefire. In Italy, where mass demonstrations and union-led strikes have repeatedly mobilised against Israel’s war, the UN’s special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory, Francesca Albanese, and climate activist Greta Thunberg, attended the main demonstration in the capital, Rome. The Wanted In Rome news website, in a report ahead of the rally, said some 100,000 were expected to take part. In a statement posted on X, Albanese said that Israel is “committing genocide against the Palestinians” not just in Gaza, but in the occupied West Bank, too. “Look at the totality of conduct/crimes against the totality of the Palestinians in the totality of the land slated for ethnic cleansing. Israel must be stopped, and we will,” she wrote. Under the US-brokered ceasefire, Israel has pulled back to a so-called “yellow line” inside the Gaza Strip. But it remains in control of more than half of the besieged territory, and has launched several deadly attacks in breach of the agreement. Since the ceasefire deal, at least 500 Israeli violations have been recorded, resulting in at least 347 Palestinians being killed and 889 being injured. Fadi and Jumaa Tamer Abu Assi were aged eight and 10, respectively. Alaa Abu Assi, an uncle of the two boys, said they were “innocent children who have no rockets and no bombs”. “They were gathering firewood to help their disabled father, who has platinum plates in his legs. We went and found them in pieces, and we brought them back,” he told the AFP news agency. In a statement, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that “the killing of so many civilians, the repeated displacement of an entire population and the obstruction of humanitarian aid should never be acceptable”. Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary, reporting from Gaza City, said that even as Palestinians welcome the international support, most “are simply trying to survive”. Advertisement “It’s a daily struggle,” she said. “Palestinians are suffering to get their basic necessities; they’re suffering to find shelter.” “There are lots of Palestinians still living in tents. They’re saying that they do not have any source of shelter. There’s no medication. Their children are without any education. The Palestinians are still dying slowly, despite the fact that it is ceasefire,” she added. On Thursday, rights group Amnesty International warned that “Israeli authorities are still committing genocide” in Gaza, waging new attacks and curbing critical aid access, despite the declared ceasefire. Adblock test (Why?)
LIVE: Donald Trump says Venezuela airspace now closed as tensions surge
blinking-dotLive updatesLive updates, No immediate response from Venezuela after President Trump’s makes the announcement on social media on Saturday. Published On 29 Nov 202529 Nov 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
Trump says Venezuela airspace to be shut ‘in its entirety’ as tensions rise
United States President Donald Trump has said the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela is to be closed “in its entirety”, as tensions between the countries escalate. There was no immediate response by Venezuela to Trump’s social media post on Saturday. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform. Trump’s post comes amid weeks of escalating rhetoric by senior US officials against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his government. While the Trump administration has said it is targeting Venezuela as part of a push to combat drug trafficking, experts and human rights observers have warned that Washington appears to be laying the groundwork for an attempt to unlawfully remove Maduro from power. The US has deployed an aircraft carrier to the Caribbean and carried out a series of deadly bombings on vessels it accused of being involved in drug trafficking, killing dozens of people in what United Nations experts have described as extrajudicial killings. Earlier this week, Trump also warned that he would start targeting Venezuelan drug trafficking “by land” soon. During a speech broadcast on national television on Thursday, Maduro said Venezuelans would not be intimidated. The Venezuelan president had said the US “was increasing what he called ‘excuses and lies’ to try and justify an intervention in Venezuela, and that was before this announcement was made [on Saturday] by President Trump”, Al Jazeera’s Lucia Newman explained. Fear of attacks Newman said the Trump administration has been “systematically increasing the pressure” on Maduro’s government over several months. Advertisement In August, Washington offered a $50m reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest, doubling a previous sum. And earlier this week, the US announced it was designating the so-called “Cartel de los Soles”, which it asserts is linked to Maduro, as a “terrorist” organisation. Venezuelans began using the term Cartel de los Soles in the 1990s to refer to high-ranking military officers who had grown rich from drug-running. At the same time, there have been reports that the US president has spoken with his Venezuelan counterpart. On Friday, The New York Times reported that Trump spoke with Maduro last week and discussed a possible meeting between the two leaders in the US. Citing multiple people with knowledge of the matter, the newspaper said there were no plans at the moment for such a meeting, which, if it were to take place, would be the first-ever encounter between Maduro and a US president. Trump is “going hot and cold” vis-a-vis Venezuela, said Newman, Al Jazeera’s Latin America editor. She added that while Trump’s statement on Saturday is “an escalation … on paper”, it remains to be seen whether Washington will attack the country, “which is the fear being raised”. “When you tell airlines not to go to Venezuela, when you say that the airspace has now been closed, you’re sending a very, very aggressive message. Whether this will play out is another matter altogether,” she said. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had warned airlines last week of a “potentially hazardous situation” in Venezuelan airspace due to a “worsening security situation and heightened military activity”. Six airlines that account for much of the travel in South America then suspended flights to Venezuela. That drew the ire of Caracas, which suspended the companies’ operating rights and accused them of “joining the actions of state terrorism promoted by the United States”. ‘Scorched earth’ policy Charles Shapiro, a former US ambassador to Venezuela, said Trump’s announcement on Saturday “turns up the pressure on Maduro” “Clearly, what the government of the United States [and] President Trump wants is for Maduro to leave office, and that would mean he’d have to leave the country,” Shapiro told Al Jazeera. He added that while the Trump administration’s claims that its actions are part of a push to stem drug trafficking to the US, the real intention is to remove Maduro. Meanwhile, Francisco Rodriguez, a senior research fellow at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, a US-based think tank, warned of the effects that Trump’s policies will have on the citizens of Venezuela. Advertisement Saturday’s announcement reflects a “scorched earth” policy towards the country, which for years has been grappling with widespread poverty, unemployment and mass outward migration, Rodriguez wrote on X. “A country subject to air isolation is a country where medicine and essential supplies cannot enter, and whose citizens cannot travel even for emergency reasons,” he said, adding that the Venezuelan people are not “chess pieces”. Adblock test (Why?)
Russian strikes on Kyiv kill three as Ukraine envoys travel to US for talks
Two people were killed in the strikes on the capital, and a woman died in a combined missile and drone attack on the broader Kyiv region, officials said. Russian drone and missile strikes in and around Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, have killed at least three people and wounded dozens of others, officials said, as Ukrainian representatives travelled to the United States for talks on a renewed push to end the war. “Russia shot dozens of cruise and ballistic missiles and over 500 drones at ordinary homes, the energy grid, and critical infrastructure,” Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X on Saturday. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list “While everyone is discussing points of peace plans, Russia continues to pursue its ‘war plan’ of two points: to kill and destroy,” he added. The Kyiv City Military Administration said two people were killed in the strikes on the capital in Kyiv. A woman died, and eight people were wounded in a combined missile and drone attack on the broader Kyiv region, according to the regional police. Vehicles burn after being damaged during a Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, November 29, 2025 [Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters] Mayor Vitali Klitschko said 29 people were wounded in Kyiv, noting that falling debris from intercepted Russian drones hit residential buildings. He also said the western part of Kyiv had lost power. Kyiv’s military administration head, Tymur Tkachenko, said in a social media post that a 42-year-old man was killed by a drone, while the man’s 10-year-old son was taken to hospital with “burns and other injuries”. “The world should know that Russia is targeting entire families,” Tkachenko said, adding that the son was the only child recorded among the injured so far. Advertisement Following the attacks on Kyiv, EU Ambassador Katarina Mathernova cast doubt on Russia’s stated interest in a peace deal. “While the world discusses a possible peace deal. Moscow answers with missiles, not diplomacy,” Mathernova said in a post on X. Ukraine team heads to US On the diplomatic front, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that his negotiators had left for Washington to seek a “dignified peace” and a rapid end to the war begun by Russia in 2022. Zelenskyy is under growing pressure from Washington to agree to a US proposal to end the war that critics say heavily favours Moscow. The Ukrainian team is being led by former defence chief Rustem Umerov, following the resignation on Friday of his chief of staff Andriy Yermak amid a corruption probe. “The task is clear: to swiftly and substantively work out the steps needed to end the war,” he posted on X. Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine and head of the Ukrainian delegation Rustem Umerov, together with the team, is already on the way to the United States. Rustem delivered a report today, and the task is clear: to swiftly and substantively work out… — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 29, 2025 “Ukraine continues to work with the United States in the most constructive way possible, and we expect that the results of the meetings in Geneva will now be hammered out in the United States.” At Kyiv’s insistence, US President Donald Trump’s initial 28-point plan to end the war was revised during talks in Geneva with European and US officials. However, many contentious issues remain unresolved. Black Sea attacks Separately on Saturday, an official from the SBU security service said that Ukraine had hit two tankers used by Russia to export oil while skirting Western sanctions with marine drones in the Black Sea. The joint operation to hit the so-called “shadow fleet” vessels was run by the SBU and Ukraine’s navy, the official told the Reuters news agency on condition of anonymity. Turkish authorities have said that blasts rocked two shadow fleet tankers near Turkiye’s Bosphorus Strait on Friday, causing fires on the vessels, and rescue operations were launched for those on board. This video grab taken from images released by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) shows smoke rising from a cargo ship on fire in the Black Sea off the Turkish coast, amid the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict [AFP] The SBU official said both tankers – identified as the Kairos and Virat – were empty and on their way to the port of Novorossiysk, a major Russian oil terminal. Advertisement “Video [footage] shows that after being hit, both tankers sustained critical damage and were effectively taken out of service. This will deal a significant blow to Russian oil transportation,” the official said. They did not say when the strikes took place. Ukraine has consistently called for tougher international measures for Russia’s “shadow fleet”, which it says is helping Moscow export vast quantities of oil and fund its war in Ukraine despite Western sanctions. Adblock test (Why?)
US pauses visas for all Afghan passport holders, halts asylum requests
Pause on visas and halting of asylum applications comes after shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, DC. The US State Department has announced it is “immediately” pausing issuing visas for individuals travelling on Afghan passports to protect “public safety”, as President Donald Trump administration’s immigration crackdown intensifies in the wake of a deadly attack on two National Guard members. The announcement on Friday came as United States immigration authorities said they are also halting decisions on all asylum applications for the foreseeable future. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed in a post on X on Friday that the State Department had “paused visa issuance for ALL individuals traveling on Afghan passports”. The move comes after authorities named Afghan national Rahmanaullah Lakanwal as the main suspect in Wednesday’s shooting in Washington, DC, which killed one National Guard member and left another in critical condition. “The United States has no higher priority than protecting our nation and our people,” Rubio said. President Trump’s State Department has paused visa issuance for ALL individuals traveling on Afghan passports. The United States has no higher priority than protecting our nation and our people. https://t.co/HuR1Lj7F9t — Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) November 28, 2025 Lakanwal is alleged to have ambushed West Virginia National Guard members Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe in an unprovoked attack as they patrolled near the White House. On Thursday evening, the Trump administration confirmed that 20-year-old Beckstrom had died from her injuries, while 24-year-old Wolfe remains in critical condition. Advertisement The CIA confirmed this week that Lakanwal had worked for the spy agency in Afghanistan before emigrating to the US shortly after the withdrawal of Western forces from the country in 2021. The office of US Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, announced on Friday that the charges against Lakanwal had been upgraded to first-degree murder, along with two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. In a separate announcement on Friday, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) director Joseph Edlow said the agency had also paused all asylum decisions in the interest of the “safety of the American people”. “USCIS has halted all asylum decisions until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible,” Edlow said in a post on X. A day earlier, Edlow said he had ordered “a full-scale, rigorous re-examination of every green card for every alien from every country of concern” at the direction of Trump. The moves are the latest in a series of escalating restrictions imposed on immigration into the US at Trump’s urging. Trump, who called the deadly Washington, DC, shooting a “terrorist attack”, has on several occasions over recent days attacked former President Joe Biden’s administration’s immigration policies, including the granting of visas to Afghan nationals who worked with US forces in Afghanistan. Lakanwal came to the US under a Biden-era programme known as “Operation Allies Welcome”, following the US withdrawal in 2021. In a post on his Truth Social platform on Thursday, Trump ordered authorities to re-examine all green card applications from 19 “countries of concern”, before saying he planned to suspend immigration from “all Third World countries”. He did not define the term “Third World”, but the phrase is often used as a shorthand for developing countries in the Global South. Trump also said that he would “remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States, or is incapable of loving our Country”. “[I will] denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquillity, and deport any foreign national who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western civilization,” he said. Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has already taken aggressive measures to restrict immigration, announcing in October his administration would accept only 7,500 refugees in 2026 – the lowest number since 1980. Adblock test (Why?)