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The world didn’t ease into Monday—Ukraine pushed for new French air defenses, Japan and China escalated a sharp diplomatic clash over Taiwan, and U.S. politics shifted again as Trump backed the release of long-sealed Epstein files.

Markets steadied after a volatile stretch, scientists unveiled breakthroughs in cancer immunotherapy, and sports delivered record-setting drama. Here are the key developments shaping the day.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Paris to seal agreements for additional air-defense systems and fighter jets as Russian forces push in the southeast.

The deals are expected to include more ground-based air-defense batteries and progress toward a promised delivery of French-built Mirage 2000-5 warplanes, bolstering Ukraine’s ability to counter missile and drone attacks as winter approaches.

French defense talks come amid renewed Russian claims of gains in Zaporizhzhia and intensified strikes on energy infrastructure.

France has been one of Kyiv’s most vocal backers inside the EU, providing Caesar howitzers, long-range missiles, and training for Ukrainian troops.

Paris now aims to position itself as a key supplier of air-defense and aviation solutions as European capitals debate how to sustain support into a protracted conflict.

The new commitments matter because Ukraine’s air defenses are under strain and Western stockpiles are finite.

Fresh French systems would help shield cities and power plants from winter barrages, while fighter jets would give Kyiv more flexibility to respond to Russian strikes and support ground forces.

The deals also signal that, despite political fatigue in some countries, core European allies do not intend to scale back military backing any time soon.

President Donald Trump has urged House Republicans to vote to release sealed files related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, marking a sharp reversal from his earlier resistance to broad disclosure.

In weekend comments, Trump said he now supports making the records public “so people can see what happened,” putting pressure on GOP leaders as a House panel weighs how much material to unseal from a long-running sex-trafficking investigation.

The shift follows months of criticism from transparency advocates who said the White House was shielding powerful figures. Trump’s new stance could alter the political calculus.

The files reportedly include thousands of pages of court records, flight logs, and law-enforcement documents that could shed light on Epstein’s network and any previously undisclosed associates.

Civil liberties groups have argued for years that redactions went beyond protecting victims and instead obscured the role of elite figures who socialized or did business with Epstein.

If Congress moves toward full or partial release, it would underscore a broader post-#MeToo push to unseal records in high-profile abuse cases and test how aggressively lawmakers are willing to challenge privacy arguments when public trust is at stake.

It could also scramble Washington politics if disclosures implicate figures across parties, making this as much about institutional credibility as about Epstein himself.

Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has triggered a sharp downturn in relations with China after comments signaling stronger support for Taiwan’s self-governance.

Beijing denounced her remarks as interference in its internal affairs, while Tokyo said it would not retract statements about ensuring peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

In response to the escalating war of words, Japan is now sending a senior envoy to Beijing in an effort to cool tensions and keep economic and security ties from fraying further. Tokyo’s outreach follows days of diplomatic protests and critical state-media coverage in China.

Takaichi’s government has taken a more hawkish line on Beijing than some of her predecessors, aligning closely with U.S. calls for a “free and open Indo-Pacific” and supporting expanded defense spending at home.

At the same time, Japan remains a major investor in China and depends heavily on Chinese trade, complicating any long-term confrontation. Analyses of the spat note that both governments face domestic political pressures that make backing down difficult.

The standoff matters because it adds another flash point to already fraught regional dynamics around Taiwan.

If rhetoric hardens into economic retaliation or military signaling, businesses could face new uncertainty over supply chains, and the region could see more frequent close encounters between Japanese and Chinese forces at sea and in the air.

The outcome of this dispute will be an early test of how far Takaichi is willing to go in reshaping Japan’s China policy.

Germany will lift a freeze on some weapons sales to Israel on Nov. 24 under conditions tied to the Gaza ceasefire, restarting approved deliveries while keeping limits on offensive-use equipment as Parliament receives ongoing reviews. Government spokespeople say the decision follows weeks of internal debate.

A landslide on the Khanh Le mountain pass buried a bus traveling between Da Lat and Nha Trang, killing six and injuring 19 as storms raise risks of further slides in the region. Local reports say two passengers remain in critical condition.

Iran seized the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Talara in the Strait of Hormuz over an alleged illegal petrochemical shipment, while U.S. officials say the boarding occurred in international waters. U.S. military officials warn the move adds pressure to an already tense shipping corridor.

The FAA is ending an emergency order that forced flight reductions at 40 major U.S. airports, allowing carriers to resume normal schedules as staffing and safety metrics stabilize. Officials say cancellations have already fallen below typical levels.

A light seismic event was reported near Santa Barbara early Monday, with preliminary readings pointing to a minor earthquake and no immediate damage. Early alerts say analysts are still confirming the signal.

Gold prices in major Indian cities slipped as traders reassessed expectations for U.S. rate cuts, with silver also weakening alongside global bullion markets. Market analysts attribute the move to shifting views on inflation and growth.

Global investors are eyeing a cautiously stronger open after a rocky stretch driven by shutdown worries and tech-stock swings, with S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures higher as attention shifts to major AI earnings later this month. Market strategists say those results will help set the tone for the rest of November.

U.S. 10-year Treasury yields are hovering just above 4% as traders await delayed economic data that could clarify whether growth is slowing and how long restrictive Fed policy will last. Analysts say the numbers will shape expectations for potential 2026 rate cuts.

Veteran investor Jeffrey Gundlach is warning about “garbage lending” in parts of the booming private-credit market, arguing that years of easy money have produced unsustainable terms for highly leveraged borrowers. His remarks add to scrutiny of non-bank lenders that now play a major role in corporate financing.

Researchers have identified a hidden signal that shuts down cancer-fighting T cells inside tumors and shown that blocking it can re-energize the cells and improve tumor clearance in animals. The study points to new immunotherapies that directly reverse T-cell exhaustion alongside existing drugs.

Scientists who pioneered brain organoids are raising alarms about efforts to use the tiny neuron clusters as biological computers, warning that hype around “organoid intelligence” is outpacing ethical guidelines. A new analysis cautions that pushing organoids to learn and solve problems could trigger a public backlash and tighter rules.

At the Medica 2025 conference, diagnostics firm Fapon is showcasing AI-driven blood tests that quickly analyze complex biomarker panels, including assays aimed at early Alzheimer’s detection from a simple blood draw. Company presentations say machine-learning models help boost sensitivity and cut false positives, potentially shifting more screening into outpatient settings if validated.

The Green Bay Packers snapped a two-game skid with a 27–20 road win over the New York Giants, as Jordan Love threw two touchdown passes and a late end-zone interception sealed the result. Game reports note that Green Bay’s ongoing kicking issues nearly kept the Giants in the game.

Utah outlasted Chicago 150–147 in double overtime in the NBA’s highest-scoring game of the season, with Lauri Markkanen scoring 47 and Keyonte George hitting the decisive three with two seconds left. Box scores show the teams combined for 39 made three-pointers in an up-tempo shootout.

The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cincinnati Bengals 34–12 behind a strong ground game and defense, but quarterback Aaron Rodgers left at halftime with a left wrist injury and did not return. Postgame coverage says imaging will determine how long he might be sidelined.

Tom Cruise, Dolly Parton, Debbie Allen, and Wynn Thomas received honorary Oscars at the Academy’s Governors Awards, a star-packed event that also served as a major early stop on the awards-season circuit. Coverage of the event highlights speeches on mentorship and creative risk-taking amid rising Oscar chatter.

Melissa McCarthy will host “Saturday Night Live” in early December with R&B singer Dijon as musical guest, marking her sixth time anchoring the show. Programming notes tease fresh political sketches and callbacks to fan-favorite characters.

The “Visit Evanston” exhibition has turned the lobby of Lorraine H. Morton City Hall into a showcase for local printmaking, with nine artists depicting neighborhood streetscapes and lakefront scenes. Local coverage says the show is part of a broader push to bring community art into civic spaces.

Novo Nordisk’s chief executive says a new White House deal is designed to bring the company’s blockbuster obesity drug Wegovy to Medicare patients, marking a major shift in how U.S. public programs may treat weight-loss medicines.

In remarks published Monday, the CEO described an agreement that pairs steep list-price cuts with broader coverage in Medicare, building on a package President Donald Trump announced earlier this month to lower federal spending on GLP-1 drugs and expand access.

The latest comments underline how central these medications have become to both health policy and pharmaceutical strategy.

Under the framework unveiled Nov. 6, drugmakers Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly agreed to reduce government purchase prices for injectable GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy and Zepbound from roughly $1,000 a month to about $245, allowing Medicare beneficiaries to pay a $50 monthly co-pay in many cases.

A White House fact sheet emphasizes that the lower prices will enable Medicare to cover obesity drugs for patients with obesity-related conditions — a sharp departure from longstanding rules that largely barred coverage for weight-loss medications.

Financial analyses note that the manufacturers also committed billions in U.S. manufacturing investments in exchange for access to a vast new market.

Wegovy, a once-weekly injection of the GLP-1 agonist semaglutide, has shown double-digit percentage weight loss in clinical trials and is already approved to reduce cardiovascular risk in some patients with obesity.

It works by mimicking hormones that reduce appetite and help people feel full longer, and demand has far outstripped supply since launch. Medical references point out that the same drug class has also been used to treat type 2 diabetes, blurring the line between “weight-loss” and “metabolic” therapies in insurance policies.

Until now, Medicare coverage has generally been limited to narrower indications, such as cardiovascular risk reduction, rather than obesity treatment itself.

The new deal raises big questions for budgets, equity, and public health. Supporters argue that covering GLP-1 drugs could reduce heart attacks, strokes, and other obesity-related complications, ultimately saving money while improving quality of life for older Americans.

Critics worry that even discounted prices could strain Medicare if tens of millions of people become eligible, especially given uncertainties about how long patients must stay on therapy to maintain benefits.

As regulators finalize coverage rules and drugmakers prepare pill versions that may be cheaper and easier to use, the next year will reveal whether the U.S. is entering a new era in which treating obesity pharmacologically becomes a core part of federal health programs — or whether cost concerns will force a more limited rollout.

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—The Five Minute Daily Team