Saturday, November 30
The Republican presidential debate in Alabama saw former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley face scrutiny from fellow candidates Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy. DeSantis accused Haley of not supporting a ban on gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth. Ramaswamy targeted her with corruption accusations. Haley defended herself and mocked her rivals. Meanwhile, former Governor Chris Christie criticized candidates for not taking on absent front-runner Donald Trump. The debate revealed divisions within the party regarding Trump, and candidates are aware of the need for a breakout moment in the upcoming Iowa caucuses.
Iran and Cuba announced their commitment to enhancing relations in a joint statement in Tehran. They emphasized the need for cooperation to counter the economic challenges posed by U.S. sanctions. The two countries expressed their shared opposition to the system of domination. Seven memorandums of understanding and cooperation were signed, covering sectors such as science and technology, health, agriculture, energy, mining, communications, and medicine. Meanwhile, the United States charged a former U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia, Victor Manuel Rocha, with spying for Cuba over a span of 40 years.
Former Jacksonville Jaguars employee Amit Patel is facing charges of embezzling over $22 million through wire fraud in a scheme involving the team's virtual credit card program. Patel, who served as the coordinator of financial planning and analysis, allegedly exploited his authority to divert funds for luxury purchases, including a condominium, luxury vehicles, and a high-value watch. He is also accused of using the stolen money for online gambling. If convicted, Patel may be required to forfeit the stolen funds and assets acquired through the fraudulent activities.
Former president Donald Trump is poised to return to his civil business fraud trial again, first to watch and then to serve as star witness for his own defense. With testimony winding down after more than two months, court officials and Trump's attorneys and aides have indicated that the Republican 2024 presidential front-runner is expected to show up voluntarily as a spectator Thursday, when his legal team is calling an accounting professor to testify about some financial topics important to the case.
Peru's former President Alberto Fujimori was released from prison on humanitarian grounds despite a request from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights to delay his release. The court ruled in favor of a humanitarian pardon granted to Fujimori in 2017 by then-President Pablo Kuczynski. Fujimori, who was serving a 25-year sentence for human rights abuses, governed Peru from 1990 to 2000 and was accused of being the mastermind behind the slayings of 25 Peruvians by death squads in the 1990s.
A top European Union official told Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday that China and the EU must address both the imbalances in their trading relationship and Russian aggression against Ukraine. The two are divided on both issues. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, meeting Xi in the Chinese capital, said they need to manage their differences responsibly. "China is the EU's most important trading partner," von der Leyen said in opening remarks posted on the commission's website. "But there are clear imbalances and differences that we must address."
In a deepening standoff between House Republicans and Hunter Biden, the GOP warns of contempt charges if the president's son fails to appear for a closed-door deposition scheduled for December 13. Hunter Biden, facing pressure from an impeachment inquiry seeking ties to his father's business dealings, insists on public testimony, citing concerns about selective leaks. The exchange escalates as Republicans assert the non-negotiable nature of their subpoena, challenging Hunter's assertion of manipulation in closed-door sessions.
Putin, 71, hasn't yet announced his intention to run again, but he is widely expected to do so in the coming days now that the date has been set. Under constitutional reforms he orchestrated, he is eligible to seek two more six-year terms after his current one expires next year. Neither the costly, drawn-out military campaign in Ukraine, nor a failed rebellion last summer by mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin appear to have affected his high approval ratings reported by independent pollsters.
A new study warns that five major global tipping points are in danger of being crossed at current levels of warming, leaving humanity at an inflection point. These tipping points include ice sheets, rainforests, mountain glaciers, ocean currents, and coral reefs. The report also highlights positive tipping points such as the rapid improvement in battery technologies as electric cars become more popular. The study calls for countries to commit to phasing out fossil fuels and prioritize triggering positive tipping points.
