News Review – 9:06 AM 11/30/2025
Here are some of the top news headlines for today,
Sunday, November 30, 2025:
U.S. News
- California Mass Shooting: Four people are dead and at least ten others wounded after a shooting at a family gathering in a banquet hall in Stockton, California. The suspect remains at large, and authorities believe it was a targeted attack.
- National Guard Shooting: A National Guard member wounded in a recent shooting near the White House is “fighting for his life”. House and Senate committees have launched inquiries into reports that the Defense Secretary ordered a second strike to kill survivors of an alleged drug boat interdiction in the Caribbean.
- Immigration: The U.S. has halted all asylum decisions after the D.C. shooting. Protesters in New York City clashed with police while attempting to block federal agents from conducting an ICE raid.
- Health & Environment: A resident in Northern Arizona has died from the plague. Meanwhile, a bizarre marijuana disorder that causes severe vomiting has received an official medical code as cases spike.
World News
- Middle East Conflict: The death toll in Gaza has surpassed 70,000 since the start of the Israeli offensive, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, as a ceasefire remains fragile.
- Israel: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has formally requested a presidential pardon on corruption charges.
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The U.S. has closed its airspace to Venezuelan flights, and President Trump indicated that land strikes against alleged drug traffickers in the country could begin “very soon”. Venezuela has condemned these actions as a “colonialist threat”. - Asia Disasters: The death toll from a massive apartment fire in Hong Kong has risen to 146 people. Across Southeast Asia, hundreds of people have been killed and millions displaced by severe flooding and mudslides in Indonesia and Sri Lanka.
Other Headlines
- Sports: Inter Miami, led by Lionel Messi, will face the Vancouver Whitecaps in the MLS Cup final.
- Technology: Airbus has grounded thousands of planes globally due to a software glitch that could cause pilots to lose control.
- Business: Black Friday online shoppers spent a record $11.8 billion, a 9.1% jump from last year.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has formally requested a presidential pardon from President Isaac Herzog for his ongoing corruption trial
. The request was submitted on Sunday, November 30, 2025, and has been described as “extraordinary” by the President’s Office due to it being made while the trial is still underway and without an admission of guilt.
Key Details
- Pardon Request: Netanyahu’s request consisted of two documents: a detailed legal letter from his lawyer and a personal letter from the Prime Minister himself.
- Reasoning: In the letter, Netanyahu argues that the pardon would serve the national interest by allowing him to focus fully on Israel’s significant security and diplomatic challenges and help “heal the rifts” within Israeli society, rather than being distracted by court proceedings.
- Denial of Guilt: Netanyahu continues to deny all charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust and insists he would be acquitted if the trial ran its course. A pardon typically requires an admission of guilt, an expression of remorse, and retirement from public life, which he has not offered.
- Trump’s Influence: The request follows a letter from U.S. President Donald Trump earlier in November, which urged President Herzog to grant Netanyahu a full pardon, calling the case a “political, unjustified prosecution”.
- Ongoing Trial: Netanyahu is the first sitting Israeli Prime Minister to stand trial. The trial began in 2020, and the defense case with Netanyahu’s testimony started in December 2024, but it has faced numerous delays. The proceedings are expected to continue for several more years.
Next Steps
The President’s Office has confirmed the request was received and, in accordance with standard procedures, has transferred it to the Pardons Department in the Ministry of Justice. This department will gather opinions from relevant authorities before sending a recommendation to the President’s legal advisor, who will then provide an opinion to President Herzog. Herzog will consider the opinions before making a decision. There is no set deadline for this process.
Reactions
The request has drawn sharp division in Israel:
- Support: Netanyahu’s coalition partners, including Defense Minister Israel Katz and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, supported the request, citing the “complex security reality” and the need for national unity.
- Opposition: Opposition Leader Yair Lapid urged President Herzog not to grant the pardon without an admission of guilt and a withdrawal from political life, arguing that doing so would be a “deadly blow to the rule of law”.
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