After two Jordanians were killed while fighting in the Russian military, Jordan has pressed the Russian government to stop illegally recruiting its citizens.
On Thursday, the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a warning to Moscow and other “entities” who work online to recruit people for Moscow.
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The ministry made no mention of Russia’s nearly four-year-old conflict with Ukraine, where thousands of paid foreign fighters have joined Moscow’s side.
The Jordanian Foreign Ministry stated in a statement posted on X that it would “take all available measures” to stop Jordanians from furthering their recruitment and that Moscow should void its current enlisted citizens’ contracts.
According to the ministry, the recruitment “endangers the lives of]its] citizens” and violates both Jordanian domestic and international law.
Although Russia has a history of attracting foreigners to fight in Ukraine, the statement did not provide any further identifying information or specify when or where the two citizens were killed.
According to Brigadier General Dmytro Usov, the Ukraine claims that Moscow has recruited at least 18, 000 foreign fighters from 128 nations. He claimed that 3 388 foreigners have died fighting for Russia in a post on the Telegram messaging app.
The majority of the foreign soldiers fighting for Russia in Ukraine were likely from North Korea, Usov did not provide a breakdown of the soldiers.
According to Western officials, Pyongyang sent between 14 000 and 15 000 soldiers to Russia’s defense in 2024, according to the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations.
According to Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Andrii Sybiha, Moscow has also recruited at least 1,400 Africans from more than 30 nations using various methods ranging from deception to duress.
According to Sybiha, signing a contract with the Russian military “equivalent to signing a death sentence” for foreign recruits.
“The Russian army’s foreigners are facing a depressing fate. In a post on X on November 9, Sybiha said that the majority of them are immediately sent to the so-called “meat assaults,” where they are quickly killed.
In the most recent escalation in tensions with Venezuela, which has accused Washington of planning to overthrow its president Nicolas Maduro, the US president has stated that the country will start targeting it “by land.”
As a result of Washington’s attacks on so-called “drug trafficking vessels” and other international military exercises, dozens of people have died in international waters as a result of US forces’ deployments to the Latin American region, including an aircraft carrier group, stealth fighter jets, and thousands of troops.
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In a video message he delivered to US forces over the Thanksgiving holiday, Trump said, “You really are the backbone of America’s air force, and you’ve been working in recent weeks to deter Venezuelan drug traffickers, of which there are many.
Trump remarked, “Of course, there aren’t any coming in by sea any more.” We will start preventing them by landing on land as a result of the people’s refusal to deliver goods by sea.
The land is simpler, but that will start very soon. We issued a warning. Stop poisoning our nation.
“But we’re going to handle that,” he said. Already, we are exerting a lot. Nearly stopped, we think. The US president continued, “It’s about 85 percent stopped by sea.”
At least 83 people have been killed by US military strikes on ships in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean since September, totaling more than 20. The campaign of attacks has been characterized by legal experts and governments in Latin America as extrajudicial killings.
Regional leaders claim that the attacks have resulted in the deaths of primarily fishermen despite Washington’s lack of proof that the vessels attacked were drug traffickers.
Trump claimed Maduro and senior Venezuelan government officials are involved in the drug trade and previously warned of potential military action against sites there.
Officials in Caracas claim that the US is using drug trafficking as a pretext to impose military rule in Venezuela in order to overthrow Maduro.
Despite weeks of US threats, Maduro said Venezuelans wouldn’t be intimidated.
Foreign and imperialist forces have been threatening to end the peace in Venezuela, the Caribbean Sea, South America, and Venezuela for 17 weeks using false and extravagant claims that no one believes, including in the powerful Venezuelan public opinion.
In his speech, which was broadcast on national television, Maduro stated, “Today, we say that there is no threat or aggression that frightens our people or takes us by surprise.”
On Friday, November 28, this is how things are going.
Fighting
According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian forces have “completely surrounded” and “controlled” the troubled Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk.
Additionally, Putin asserted that the fighting would stop once Ukrainian troops left their posts in crucial areas. However, Russian forces will forcefully accomplish their goals if they don’t.
The Russian president added that it was “noticeably increasing” the pace of Russia’s rapid advance on the front line from all angles.
The top commander of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskii, claimed on social media that Ukrainian troops had been preventing Russian forces from launching fresh assaults on Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad. Additionally, Smyrskii claimed that Russia had to use reserve forces.
Over the course of one day, Russia’s air defenses shot down 118 Ukrainian drones, including 52 over the country’s Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, according to the Moscow-based Ministry of Defense.
Process of peace
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, stated that Ukrainian delegations and Americans will work together this week to find a solution to the conflict in Geneva and offer security guarantees for Kyiv.
Putin claimed that Russia would continue to fight if the draft peace proposals that the US and Ukraine discussed could serve as the foundation for upcoming agreements to end Moscow’s conflict with Ukraine.
Putin also referred to the Ukrainian leadership as illegitimate and said signing any peace agreements with them was absurd.
After Zelenskyy’s elected term expired, the Ukrainian leadership, according to the Russian president, ceased to hold elections. Under martial law and defending its territory from Russian attacks, Kyiv claims it cannot hold elections.
Andriy Yermak, the chief of staff for the Ukrainian president, told the US magazine The Atlantic that Zelenskyy would not agree to give up land to Russia in exchange for peace.
No one should bet on us giving up territory as long as Zelenskyy is president. He won’t leave any territory unmarked, Yermak said.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz argued that Ukraine will still require strong security guarantees and strong armed forces even after a peace deal with Russia, and that no territorial concessions should be made.
“We are very pleased with the US government’s efforts to solve this problem. However, Merz added that both the security interests of Europeans and Ukraine must be protected.
Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that Moscow finds NATO membership unacceptable.
She told reporters, “The threat is still the NATO expansion,” for us. “We are still concerned about NATO’s desire to bring Ukraine into its orbit.”
Sanctions
Companies can continue doing business with Lukoil International, a subsidiary of Russia’s sanctioned Lukoil, which has its headquarters in Austria, thanks to the United Kingdom’s temporary license. Payments and other transactions are permitted under certain conditions, including that Lukoil’s funds remain frozen, as per the licence’s effective date of February 26.
The EU’s plan to use frozen Russian state assets to aid Ukraine’s solvability, according to Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, could stifle the development of a potential peace deal to put an end to the nearly four-year conflict.
In a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, which the Financial Times obtained, De Wever stated that “having to advance the proposed reparations loan scheme would have as collateral damage that we as EU are effectively preventing reaching a final peace deal.”
Putin claimed that Russia is developing a series of retaliatory measures in response to potential European asset seizures. He warned that any attempt to seize Russian assets would constitute “a theft of property” and harm the world financial system.
Regional security
German federal prosecutors reported that a Ukrainian man who is alleged to have organized the Nord Stream gas pipeline’s sabotage in 2022 has arrived in Germany following his extradition’s approval last week. Russian gas was largely cut off from Europe by the explosions that destroyed the Baltic Sea pipeline three years ago.
Viktor Orban, the president of Hungary, announced plans to discuss the situation on Friday to ensure that Hungary receives sufficient Russian crude and gas supplies, which would also allow it to supply the neighboring Serbia.
Russia announced at the end of December that it would retaliate against Warsaw’s decision to close the Russian consulate in Gdansk by closing the Polish consulate in Irkutsk.
Russian politics
Eight men allegedly participated in a deadly Ukrainian truck bomb attack on a Russian bridge that connects southern Russia and Crimea, and were given life sentences by a Russian military court.
The eight men who had been found guilty of terrorism-related terrorism ties to an organized crime organization that assisted Ukraine in carrying out the bombing are charged with helping.
The attack, which left five people dead and damaged what was a crucial supply route for Russian forces fighting in Ukraine, was blamed on Ukraine’s SBU domestic intelligence agency.
One of the two National Guard members who was shot close to the White House has died, according to Donald Trump, president of the United States, while the other is “fighting for his life.”
After being ambushed, Trump claimed that Sarah Beckstrom, a member of the West Virginia National Guard, was shot in the double shooting on Wednesday evening and later died from wounds.
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Beckstrom, 20, was described by President Trump as a “highly respected, young, magnificent person.”
He claimed that Andrew Wolfe, a 24-year-old fellow service member, is still in critical condition.
Trump addressed troops in a video call to mark the US Thanksgiving holiday, telling them, “He’s in very bad shape.”
The main suspect in the shootings of the two National Guard members is Afghan national Rahmanaullah Lakanwal, 29.
Before emigrating to the US in 2021, shortly after the withdrawal of Western forces from Afghanistan, Lakanwal was reportedly employed by the US spy agency there.
Beckstrom left high school and joined the West Virginia National Guard two years ago, according to Rosiland Jordan, Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Washington, DC.
She and her partner were ambushed by a man, according to Jordan, who was also a member of the West Virginia National Guard, on Wednesday afternoon, mid-afternoon.
If either or both of the victims did not survive the gun attack, according to US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro, who confirmed on Thursday that Lakanwal would face first-degree murder charges against her.
According to Pirro, “We are praying that they survive and that the first-degree murder will not be the highest charge.”
Make no mistake, she said, “But if they don’t, that will undoubtedly be the charge.”
The Trump administration announced following the attack that it was reexamining all green cards issued to people who immigrated to the US from 19 nations, including Afghanistan.
According to Joseph Edlow, the head of US Citizenship and Immigration Services, the president ordered a “full scale, rigorous re-examination of every green card for every alien from every country of concern” on Thursday night.
Umaro Sissoco Embalo, the country’s ambassador to Senegal, has arrived in Senegal, the ministry of foreign affairs reported the day after a group of military officers in Guinea-Bissau seized control in a coup.
Embalo arrived in Senegal after authorities engaged with actors in Guinea-Bissau in an effort to extort him, according to a statement released on Thursday night by the country’s foreign ministry.
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Embalo boarded an aircraft that the Senegalese government had authorized, according to the statement.
The Republic of Senegal’s government reiterates its commitment to working with ECOWAS, the African Union, and all relevant partners to promote dialogue, stability, and the establishment of a peaceful, brotherly nation, according to the statement.
After military personnel announced their seizure of “total control” of Guinea-Bissau ahead of the anticipated release of the results of the West African nation’s presidential election, Embalo was removed from office on Wednesday.
Embalo and Fernando Dias, his main rival, had been vying for re-election. Both candidates had won before the preliminary results were released.
Civil society organizations, which claimed the election was unlawful, criticized the main opposition party PAIGC, which was barred from presenting a presidential candidate.
The military officers issued a statement on Wednesday, calling themselves the “High Military Command for the Restoration of Order,” informing viewers that they had ordered the immediate suspension of the electoral process “until further notice.”
Additionally, they mandated an overnight curfew and the closure of Guinea-Bissau’s borders.
General Horta Inta-A, who defended the military takeover, sworn in as the nation’s transitional president on Thursday, claiming that the operation had received “sufficient] evidence to support it.”
However, the coup, one of several that has affected Guinea-Bissau since it seceded from Portugal in 1974, has sparked widespread concern, including from regional bodies.
The African Union Commission’s chair earlier on Thursday urged Embalo and all other detained officials to be released immediately and without condition.
Voters in Honduras, a central American nation, are scheduled to cast ballots for Sunday’s general election because they weigh issues ranging from corruption to national and economic security.
The left-wing Liberty and Refoundation (LIBRE) party’s Xiomara Castro is currently in office for a term, according to law.
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However, it’s anticipated that Castro’s election will be a nail-biter. None of the candidates have a clear lead in the polls despite having swept to the front of the race with a decisive lead.
Rixi Moncada from the LIBRE party, Nasry Asfura from the center-right National Party, and Salvador Nasralla from the center-right Liberal Party.
However, allegations of fraud, election tampering, and andnbsp have jeopardized the election.
Honduras’ political system is still recovering from the effects of a US-backed 2009 military coup that followed a period of repression and contestable elections, according to those allegations.
As a result of mounting political pressure on electoral authorities, widespread allegations of fraud from all political parties, and paralysis in key electoral bodies, according to Juanita Goebertus, director of Human Rights Watch’s Americas division.
“The integrity of the process is genuinely uncertain because of these dynamics.”
What will the results of voting be like, who are the candidates, and what are the election’s stakes? In this brief explanation, we answer all of these questions.
The election will take place when?
On November 30th, a single round of voting will be held for the election. The winner will be announced as the winner on January 25, 2026, with the election date set for January 25.
What is the presidential term?
Each president has the right to hold office for a single four-year term.
Who is able to cast ballots?
About 400, 000 people who live abroad in the United States are eligible to cast a ballot out of about 6.5 million Hondurans. However, that group is only allowed to cast ballots for the president’s nominees.
Hondurans must cast ballots, but those who do not vote are not subject to any fines.
The candidates are who?
The primary rivals in the race have been three of the five presidential candidates.
Rixi Moncada, a close friend of President Castro, who served from 2022 to 2024 as her finance minister and then as her defense secretary, is competing for the left-leaning LIBRE Party.
In May, Moncada resigned to pursue her presidential bid.
She has pledged to “democratize the economy,” fighting against attempts to privatize public services if elected. Her platform also promises stronger corporate corruption protection and greater credit access for small businesses.
Salvador Nasralla, a well-known figure in Honduran politics, is a potential rival. He is running for president for the fourth time as the centrist Liberal Party candidate.
Before resigning in April 2024, Nasralla, a 72-year-old civil engineer, previously held the position of Castro’s vice president.
Nasralla has stated that he will streamline government functions while attempting to integrate informal workers, who make up the majority of the workforce, into the formal sector.
Finally, Nasry “Tito” Asfura is vying to represent the left-leaning National Party.
Asfura, who was previously a mayor and representative for Tegucigalpa’s capital, has stated that he will lead the nation as an “administrator” and “executor” while supporting pro-business initiatives to draw in investors.
Salvador Nasralla’s supporters cheer him at the Liberal Party’s final campaign event on November 23 in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.
What role did foreign relations play in the election?
Moncada is anticipated to continue her predecessor’s efforts to build stronger ties with nations like China and to support other left-wing figures in the area in terms of international relations.
Both Nasralla and Asfura have pledged to help Honduras stand out from the US and its allies, including Taiwan and Israel.
US President Donald Trump endorsed Asfura on Wednesday, in the waning days of the election.
Trump also criticized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro for his role in the establishment of left-wing governments in the region and for his wider campaign against the country’s leader. Trump’s claims have no basis, and the US president has a history of interfering with international politics for the benefit of right-wing allies.
On November 30th, the enchanting country of Honduras will hold its election results. Will Maduro and his Narcoterrorists “take control of another country” like they have done with Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba? Trump’s platform, Truth Social, contained his writings.
Tito Asfura is the man who is fighting Maduro and standing up for democracy.
The polls’ answers: what are they?
No clear frontrunner has emerged despite pre-election surveys indicating that Moncada, Nasralla, and Asfura are in the lead.
According to a survey conducted by the company CID Gallup in September, Nasralla received 27%, Moncada 26%, and Asfura 24. The poll’s margin of error allowed the three candidates to separate their percentages.
In addition, 18% of the survey’s respondents said they were unsure.
Why is it important to maintain election integrity?
Honduras’ fragile democracy has long been plagued by corruption-related issues, and this election season has reinforced those concerns.
For instance, there were “irregularities” in the distribution of election materials during the March primaries, and some polling stations reported long lines, delays, and staff shortages that made the vote last into the night.
The Electoral Justice Tribunal and the National Electoral Council, two of which control the country’s elections, have also been at odds with one another.
For each of the two organizations, Congress chooses the main figures. However, recent investigations have focused on the CNE and the tribunal.
Cossette Lopez, the CNE leader, allegedly planned for an “electoral coup,” and prosecutors launched a criminal investigation into her in October.
Concerns about potential interference by the armed forces have also been raised by the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces asking for a copy of the presidential race’s vote tally sheet.
While the Electoral Justice Tribunal is currently being investigated for voting absent of its members,
The potential for fraud in Sunday’s vote has been raised by both President Castro and opposition figures, thereby heightened scrutiny.
Organizations like Human Rights Watch and the Organization of American States (OAS) have expressed concern about the pressure employed by election officials.
