While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Nov 17, 2025

US military says aircraft carrier now in the Caribbean

A US aircraft carrier is now in the Caribbean Sea to bolster an anti-narcotics campaign, the military announced on Nov 16 – a move sure to anger Venezuela – as US forces struck another alleged drug boat in the eastern Pacific.

US President Donald Trump has ordered a troop buildup in the Caribbean as part of an anti-trafficking initiative, but speculation has abounded that Washington may be contemplating military intervention against Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro.

The US Southern Command (SouthCom), which oversees American forces in Latin America and the Caribbean, had previously said that the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group had entered its area of responsibility.

On Nov 16, it announced in a statement that the strike group had entered the Caribbean Sea, saying the move follows Mr Trump’s “directive to dismantle Transnational Criminal Organisations and counter narco-terrorism in defence of the Homeland.”

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India arrests Kashmir resident over Delhi car blast

India’s federal anti-terror agency said on Nov 16 that it had arrested a resident of Kashmir who it accused of conspiring with the driver of a car that exploded in Delhi last week, killing eight people and wounding at least 20 others.

The National Investigation Agency said it had arrested Amir Rashid Ali in Delhi, adding the car used in the attack was registered in his name. It accused Ali of conspiring with the alleged suicide bomber, who it identified as Umar Un Nabi, a resident of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

It said Ali came to Delhi to facilitate the purchase of the car which was used as a “vehicle-borne improvised explosive device to trigger the blast.”

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Iran says US is not ready for ‘equal and fair’ nuclear talks

Washington’s current approach toward Tehran does not indicate any readiness for “equal and fair negotiations”, Iran’s foreign minister said on Nov 16, after US President Donald Trump hinted last week at potential discussions.

Following Israel’s attack on Iran in June, which was joined by US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, attempts at renewing dialogue on Tehran’s nuclear programme have failed.

The US, its European allies and Israel accuse Tehran of using its nuclear programme as a veil for efforts to develop the capability to produce weapons. Iran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only.

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Chilean right wing eyes return to power as crime, migration dominate election

Chileans are voting in a presidential election on Nov 16 that's pitting the governing leftist coalition against an array of right-wing candidates and will also redefine the country's legislature. 

There are eight candidates in the race and none are expected to get the 50 per cent plus one vote needed to win the election outright, likely triggering a run-off between the top two candidates on Dec 14. 

Chilean law bans opinion polls 15 days before elections but the last numbers showed Ms Jeannette Jara, the governing coalition candidate from the Communist Party, in the lead, with far-right Jose Antonio Kast, from the Republican Party, in second. 

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Sinner caps eventful year with ATP Finals triumph over great rival Alcaraz

Jannik Sinner ended a turbulent season in the best possible fashion on Nov 16 after seeing off Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets, 7-6 (7/4), 7-5, to retain his ATP Finals title in front of delighted fans in Turin.

Italian Sinner brought the house down by winning the championship match tennis fans wanted to see, adding the prestigious year-ending tournament to the Australian Open and a landmark triumph at Wimbledon this season.

The 24-year-old also bounced back from a three-month ban which chopped out a large chunk of his season despite the World Anti-Doping Agency accepting that the Italian was accidentally contaminated with banned substance clostebol in 2024.

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