☕ National Guardsmen shot in D.C.

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Wishing all our readers a wonderful Thanksgiving - whether you are celebrating lifelong traditions today, or find yourself in a new place with new people, we hope it is a special day.

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Some headlines from this morning:

• Hong Kong authorities have arrested three men over major apartment fires that killed 55 people. Seven high-rise buildings were engulfed in flames on Wednesday, forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate. Authorities are investigating whether bamboo scaffolding on the towers was a factor. The city’s leader, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said an independent review will investigate whether the building’s exterior walls met fire standards. Almost 300 people remain missing as crews continue to fight the fires. Among the deceased is a local fireman Ho Wai-ho, who was responding to the blaze. The three suspects are being investigated on suspicion of manslaughter.

• A top Campbell's executive was fired on Tuesday after being caught making racist remarks and mocking customers in a recording revealed in a lawsuit. Former employee Robert Garza filed a complaint alleging retaliation and a hostile work environment, including a 90-minute recording of a meeting. In it, Martin Bally, then-vice president of information technology, is heard calling Campbell's food "highly processed" and "for poor people," while also referring to Indian workers as "idiots." Campbell's said it's proud of the food it makes and apologized for Bally's comments.

• Taiwan's leader pledged $40 billion in additional defense spending on Tuesday to deter Beijing, marking what he called "the largest sustained military investment in Taiwan's modern history." In an op-ed in The Washington Post, President Lai Ching-te said "Beijing's willingness to alter the status quo by force has become increasingly evident." The announcement comes amid rising tensions after Japan's leader suggested Tokyo could intervene militarily if China invaded Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory. China has increasingly sought to punish countries that publicly support Taiwan's independence.

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Recorded phone conversations show a White House envoy advising Russian officials on how to approach President Trump with a Ukraine peace plan, sparking questions about the administration's relationship with Moscow.

Bloomberg published the calls on Tuesday as negotiations continue over a peace proposal that would require Ukraine to give up territory and abandon its hopes of joining NATO. Here's what you need to know.

Witkoff and Ushakov

In an October 14 phone call, White House envoy Steve Witkoff told Russian policy advisor Yuri Ushakov how Putin should pitch the peace plan to Trump.

"Reiterate that you congratulate the president on this achievement... that you respect that he is a man of peace," Witkoff said in the leaked recording.

Witkoff told Ushakov to "talk more hopeful" despite knowing "what it's going to take to get a peace deal done: Donetsk and maybe a land swap somewhere."

He said if Putin follows this advice, Trump will give him "a lot of space and discretion to get to the deal."

Dimitriv and Ushakov

Bloomberg also published an October 29 call between Russian sovereign wealth fund head Kirill Dmitriev and Ushakov.

In the recording, they discuss sending a peace deal advocating for "the maximum" Russian position to U.S. officials.

"They might not take exactly our version, but at least it'll be as close to it as possible," one says in the call.

They conclude by saying they can "talk later with Steve [Witkoff] about this paper."

The peace deal

The Trump administration unveiled a 28-point peace plan on Sunday aimed at ending the three-year war. The proposal would require Ukraine to cede territory to Russia and drop NATO membership aspirations.

U.S. and Ukrainian officials met in Geneva days later to revise the plan. It now includes 19 points with some controversial elements removed.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied that Russia wrote the original 28-point plan at the meeting's start.

Reactions

The White House defended Witkoff on Wednesday, saying he did the "standard thing" and that's "what a dealmaker does."

Russian officials criticized the leaks. Dmitriev called it a "well-funded, well-organised malicious media machine built to spread fake narratives." Ushakov called the leaks "unacceptable."

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Two U.S. National Guard soldiers were shot near the White House on Wednesday afternoon, leaving them in critical condition. The alleged shooter, an Afghan national who entered the U.S. in 2021, was also critically injured after being shot by nearby Guard personnel.

President Trump has ordered 500 additional troops to Washington D.C. and called for a review of all Afghan nationals admitted under a Biden-era program. Here's what you need to know.

National Guard

The U.S. National Guard is a reserve military force with 430,000 civilian troops. It is generally deployed to address national emergencies, such as during COVID-19 and natural disasters.

Since coming to office, Trump has ordered the National Guard to deploy to cities around the country, particularly in response to protests against immigration deportations.

After a former Government employee was allegedly assaulted earlier this year, Trump deployed troops to D.C.

Shooting

Two National Guard soldiers were shot Wednesday afternoon near the White House while Trump was in Florida. Both were taken to hospital in critical condition.

The suspect was shot by nearby National Guard personnel and remains in critical condition under police custody.

The shooter

Authorities identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who lives in Washington state. He entered the U.S. in September 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden-era program that brought Afghan nationals who helped the U.S. during the Afghan war to America.

Lakanwal is expected to survive his injuries. Authorities said they are still investigating his background.

Response

Trump has now requested 500 additional troops for Washington D.C.

In a speech broadcast live from Florida, Trump said: "This heinous assault was an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror." Trump called for a review of all Afghan nationals admitted under Operation Allies Welcome, saying, "If they can't love our country, we don't want them."

On Truth Social, Trump wrote: "The animal that shot the two National Guardsmen... will pay a very steep price."

Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser called the "targeted" incident "horrific and unconscionable" in a post to X.

FBI Director Kash Patel called it "a horrendous act of violence" and labeled the officers as "brave warriors" and "heroes of this day."

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