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MIDDLE EAST WAR | Day 185.

• U.S. forces struck Iranian rocket launchers on an island near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday – the first offensive U.S. military action in the region in nearly a month. Iran responded by targeting U.S. facilities in the United Arab Emirates with drones, which were all intercepted. [more]
• According to Iran's official IRNA news agency, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei urged the rulers of Muslim nations over the weekend to stand together against Israel and the United States, saying the Muslim world should "know your real enemy, understand its plans, and confront it." [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 1,647 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here is your update:

• Ukrainian officials say the death toll from a Friday night Russian airstrike on a warehouse west of Kyiv has risen to at least 38, with four people still considered missing. Reports note that the warehouse stored ammunition and the Russian attack sparked fires and explosions that damaged or destroyed dozens of nearby homes. [more]

U.S. FREE SPEECH | In a ruling Friday in a case involving the student newspaper at Stanford University, U.S. District Judge Noël Wise, citing First Amendment and Fifth Amendment protections, said the Trump administration has sought to unconstitutionally silence critics, including those of Israel, Charlie Kirk, and other topics, by seeking to deport legal non-citizen residents over their views. [more]

U.S. SPACE ACADEMY | At a Friday ceremony honoring the four Artemis II astronauts who flew around the moon earlier this year, President Trump announced the signing of an executive order establishing the U.S. Space Academy with the aim of developing a "professional corps of civically grounded leaders prepared to advance American interests within the space domain" at a "NASA-led Federal academy dedicated to combining rigorous technical education with leadership development." [full executive order] [White House fact sheet] [more]

U.S. MEDIA | Various news outlets report that individual reporters from high-profile publishers such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg News have been denied credentials to attend and cover the ongoing Group of 20 finance ministers’ meeting in Asheville, North Carolina. Among news agency responses to the U.S. Treasury Department denial of credentials are the Times saying the move is a "blatant attempt to evade public scrutiny" and Bloomberg News saying it "undermines media freedom and public accountability." [more]

U.S. GOVERNMENT | The House of Representatives reconvened today following a five-week recess, with consideration of a Senate-approved stop-gap spending bill that would fund federal agencies through December 11 high on the agenda for Speaker Mike Johnson. [more]

ARIZONA | At least one person was killed, and 15 others remain missing, following a major flash flood Saturday at the Grand Canyon. National Park Service and Arizona Department of Public Safety authorities airlifted more than 60 people from the canyon floor amidst the flooding, which also, according to reports, disabled the sole water pipeline that serves tourist centers and local residents. [more]

U.S. AND VENEZUELA | U.S. President Donald Trump and acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez have confirmed the signing late last week of a deal under which the U.S. government and an unnamed private operator in Venezuela formed a new company that was given the rights to untapped Venezuelan oil fields for 100 years. Reports say the agreement involves the development of 17 oil fields with an estimated potential of 65 billion barrels. [more]

GLOBAL INFLUENCE | Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are among the heads of state attending this week's summit in Kyrgyzstan of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which has billed itself in recent years as an alternative to Western-aligned organizations such as the G7. [more]

NEPAL AND CHINA | Large-scale search and rescue operations continue today in Nepal and China as the death toll from last week's catastrophic glacial collapse and subsequent flooding and mudslides has surpassed 900 and more than 4,700 people are still considered missing. [more]

JAPAN | The Japanese Defense Ministry released details of an 8.9 trillion yen ($55.6 billion) budget request for the upcoming fiscal year today – a funding level in line with the country's five-year defense strategy set in 2022 that projected a doubling of its defense spending to about 2% of GDP. The Defense Ministry has indicated it plans to adopt new warfare capabilities, including drones and AI, to "drastically strengthen its deterrence and response capability" amidst increased concerns of China's assertiveness in the region. [more]

NIGER | Dozens of soldiers were killed, and numerous others were arrested, over the weekend following what is reported to have been an anti-government mutiny staged by troops in Niger's capital of Niamey that was put down by loyalist forces assisted by Russian troops. [more]

SWITZERLAND | One person was killed, and five others were injured, early yesterday in a shooting a rave in the northern Swiss canton of Aargau. Authorities have arrested a 43-year-old suspect in connection with the incident and investigations are ongoing into motives behind the shooting. [more]

PACIFIC ISLANDS SUMMIT | Regional concerns, including security, trade, climate change, and struggling economies are expected to be among the main topics of discussion at the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, which opens today in Koror, Palau. [more]

ICELAND | In a referendum on Saturday, Icelandic voters rejected a proposal to restart negotiations for their country to join the European Union. [more]

COLOMBIA | In a social media post yesterday, Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella said a key leader of the largely-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia dissident group was killed earlier in the day during a military operation in the country's southwest region. [more]

ITALY | Italian national statistics bureau ISTAT estimates that Italy's population will shrink by almost 4 million by 2050 and says the decrease could well undermine the sustainability of the country's economy and welfare system as ​the proportion of elderly people increases. [more]

GOLF | Scottie Scheffler shot a final-round 4-under-par 66 yesterday to win the Tour Championship at East Lake, capturing his second FedEx Cup title and moving past Tiger Woods for the most career earnings in PGA Tour history. [more]

WEEKEND MOVIES | "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" topped the North American box office over the weekend with an estimated $22.2 million in receipts, followed by "Coyote vs. Acme" and "The Odyssey." [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1991, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan declared independence from the Soviet Union. [more history]