No U.S. nuclear explosions. Trump’s order last week to resume U.S. nuclear testing was not referring to nuclear explosions but rather to “other parts of a nuclear weapon,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Fox yesterday. Trump called for testing “on an equal basis” with China and Russia, the latter of which recently said it tested a nuclear-capable missile and submarine.
Transfer of hostage remains. Hamas handed over the bodies of three Israeli hostages yesterday as part of an ongoing truce, while an Israeli strike killed one person in Gaza. On Saturday, the U.S. chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff met with Israel’s defense minister to discuss the situation in Gaza.
Floating U.S. force in Nigeria. Trump on Saturday threatened to cut off aid and authorize military action in Nigeria to stop killings of Christians there. Trump accused the Nigerian government of allowing the killings to take place and warned the U.S. military could go in “guns-a-blazing.” Islamist insurgent groups have been active in the country for years, though the majority of their victims are Muslim. An advisor to Nigeria’s president said Abuja welcomed U.S. assistance fighting insurgents “as long as it recognizes our territorial integrity.”
OPEC+ to pause increases. Eight OPEC+ countries announced that they will halt production increases in the first quarter of 2026, as some forecasters warn of an oversupply of oil on global markets. The countries said they will raise production the same amount for December as they did in recent months. It is still not clear how recent U.S. sanctions on Russian oil will affect its global sales.
U.S.-China channel. The two countries agreed to establish military-to-military communication channels in order to “deconflict and de-escalate” any problems, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Saturday. Direct high-level communication between the two militaries has been rare since China pulled back from military talks in 2022 over U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
Lebanon-Syria talks. Senior officials from the two countries held talks yesterday in Bahrain, where Syria’s foreign ministry said they sought to improve both political and security ties. The countries have a history of strained relations, as Syria occupied Lebanon from 1976 to 2005 and Hezbollah fighters participated in Syria’s civil war. With relatively new governments in place in both countries, their leaders have pledged to improve bilateral relations.
Melissa’s aftermath. Twenty-eight people in Jamaica died in the wake of Hurricane Melissa, authorities said Saturday. “The scale of destruction is unlike anything we have seen in decades,” Prime Minister Andrew Holness wrote on social media today. Emergency responders have been blocked from accessing parts of the island due to debris. U.S. disaster relief workers, including at least three army helicopters, have been deployed to the country.
Mexican mayor killed. Carlos Manzo, a mayor who had vocally criticized drug cartels in Mexico’s avocado capital of Uruapan, was shot and killed during a public festival over the weekend. Manzo had already been under federal protection due to threats against him. President Claudia Sheinbaum called an emergency cabinet meeting yesterday and pledged to pursue justice.
