Bipartisan support expressed for congressional review of U.S. military strikes on vessels suspected of smuggling drugs, South Korea warns of North Korea becoming more hostile next year, and Rubio says more work to be done following talks with Ukraine.
1. , citing a published report that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order for all crew members to be killed as part of a Sept. 2 attack. The lawmakers said they did not know whether last weeks Washington Post report was true, and some Republicans were skeptical, but they said attacking survivors of an initial missile strike poses serious legal concerns. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, when asked about a follow-up strike aimed at people no longer able to fight, said Congress does not have information that happened. He noted that leaders of the Armed Services Committee in both the House and Senate have opened investigations.
2. , the Souths unification minister has warned while urging renewed efforts to restart talks with Pyongyang. Unification Minister Chung Dong-young delivered the assessment Friday during a session of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee, saying Seoul hopes to mend ties despite rising tensions. Based on their movements and indications, it seems more likely that they will strengthen their two states policy, he said of Pyongyang, according to a video of the meeting posted on YouTube. The minister said South Korea must work to clear confrontation, hostility and hate while restoring respect, acceptance, peaceful coexistence and reconciliation.
3. , just days before a U.S. envoy is due in Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters afterward that the session with the Ukrainian team in Florida was productive but work remains in the search for a peace deal. Its not just about the terms that ends fighting, Rubio said. Its about also the terms that set up Ukraine for long-term prosperity. ... I think we built on that today, but theres more work to be done. President Donald Trumps special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is scheduled to meet with Putin in Moscow in the next few days.
4. , unable to hold a job and flipping between long, lightless stretches of isolation and taking sudden weeks-long cross-country drives. His behavior deteriorated so sharply that a community advocate reached out to a refugee organization for help, fearing he was becoming suicidal. Emails obtained by The Associated Press reveal mounting warnings about the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an asylum seeker whose erratic conduct raised alarms long before the attack that jolted the nations capital on the eve of Thanksgiving. The previously unreported concerns offer the clearest picture yet of how he was struggling in his new life in the United States.
5. , which have implications for how it partners with militaries worldwide. The 2nd Security Force Assistance Brigade, which focused primarily on training counterparts in the Middle East and Africa, ended its mission Wednesday during a ceremony at Fort Bragg, N.C., Security Force Assistance Command said in a statement. Activated in 2018 and most recently under U.S. Africa Command, the unit carried out its first overseas mission in Afghanistan in 2019, the command said. The units end is likely a harbinger of more changes to come for the SFAB command structure. The Army launched the advisory brigade initiative back in 2017.
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