White House defends Caribbean drug strike as 'self defense'

Monday, December 1, 2025

Good evening and welcome to your daily news briefing from The Independent.

The White House is providing more details on its Caribbean kill strikes, a major payments platform went down on Cyber Monday, and holiday travel is driving Americans wild.

Top stories

1 | White House says admiral directed second strike that killed alleged drug boat survivors in 'self defense'

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2 | Trump underwent MRI scan for cardiovascular and abdomen checks, White House reveals

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3 | Shopify down as outage reports pour in from around the world on Cyber Monday

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4 | United passenger melts down after being delayed: 'This woman went absolutely nuts'

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5 | Starbucks reveals 2026 winter drinks lineup — including new Dubai chocolate options

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The Big Question 

What is the Republican plan to avert massive monthly premium cost increases for millions of Americans who buy health insurance plans off the Obamacare public markets? Unclear, at best.

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Editors' picks

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WATCH 

Trump defends pardoning drug-trafficking Honduran ex-president 

STAT OF THE DAY

$7.2 million

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is spending more than $7 million on a fleet of Canadian-made armored vehicles designed to protect occupants against bomb blasts.

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"At The Independent, we've always believed journalism should do more than describe the world – it should try to improve it.

This Christmas, we're asking for your help again as we launch our new campaign with the charity Missing People – the SafeCall appeal.

Every year, more than 70,000 children in the UK are reported missing. The misery that follows – for the child, for the family, for the community – is often hidden. Too many of these young people have nowhere to turn when they need help most. SafeCall will change that. Our goal is to raise £165,000 to help Missing People launch this new, free service – designed with the input of young people themselves – offering round-the-clock support, advice and a route to safety."

QUOTE OF THE DAY

 "I'm not a great singer, though, so I'm in the ensemble for those!"

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt will make her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in Chicago next year.

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