Judge sets date for 9/11 defendants to enter pleas, deepening battle over court’s independence

The U.S. military judge at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has scheduled hearings in early January for alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two co-defendants to enter guilty pleas in exchange for life sentences. That is despite the Defense Department’s effort to scuttle the plea deals.

Haiti police accused of shooting two patients, attacking staff of French medical charity

The French medical charity Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières said Wednesday that at least two patients at its Haiti hospital were executed and its staff violently attacked after one of its ambulances in Port-au-Prince was stopped on Monday by Haitian police officers and members of a vigilante group.

Republican John Thune of South Dakota elected as next Senate majority leader

Republicans have elected South Dakota Sen. John Thune as the next Senate majority leader, completing a momentous shift in their leadership that elevates a top deputy of Mitch McConnell into a key position as President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House.

Hurricane center says 90% chance tropical system will form, forecasts show swing back to Florida

The National Hurricane Center expects the season’s next tropical depression or storm to form in the Caribbean soon, and forecast models predict it will intensify into a hurricane and threaten Florida next week.

Biden to meet Saturday with China’s Xi Jinping

President Joe Biden is planning to meet Saturday with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a trip to Lima, Peru, according to White House officials, in what amounts to a final meeting between two leaders of superpowers amid a period of significant transition that could alter that relationship.

Kyiv’s European allies eye once-taboo ‘land-for-peace’ negotiations

Among Ukraine’s European allies, there is a quiet but growing shift toward the notion that the war with Russia will end only through negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow involving concessions of Ukrainian territory.

Trump makes victor’s return to Washington and pledges smooth transition of power

President-elect Donald Trump made a victor’s return to Washington on Wednesday, visiting the White House for a nearly two-hour meeting with President Joe Biden and committing to a straightforward transition of power.

Indonesia and Australia hold joint military drills after signing a new defense agreement

Although Indonesia is often presented as one of Australia’s most important strategic allies, the relationship has fluctuated. Indonesia has also held military exercises with other countries, including with Russia on Nov. 4.

Niger junta bans French aid group amid tensions with France

Niger’s junta took power in a coup last year and have since pulled the country away from its Western partners, turning instead to Russia for security. The U.S. military completed its withdrawal from Niger in September.

US sanctions Sudanese paramilitary commander for his role in West Darfur violence

The U.S. Department of Treasury said Tuesday that Abdel Rahman Juma Barakallah led the Rapid Support Forces campaign in West Darfur, committing human rights abuses against civilians, including sexual violence and ethnically-motivated attacks.