AP News Summary at 2:03 a.m. EST

Past talks involving Russia and Ukraine have yielded little progress toward peace

Negotiators from Moscow, Kyiv and Washington are scheduled to meet in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Tuesday and Wednesday for talks aimed at trying to end Russia’s 4 1/2-year-old full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Since Russian President Vladimir Putin poured troops into Ukraine in February 2022, talks have been held in various countries to seek an end to Europe’s most devastating conflict since World War II. President Donald Trump also has met separately with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Little progress has emerged from the series of negotiations.

AT SEA IN THE GULF OF ADEN (AP) — Piracy is rising in the Gulf of Aden, threatening vital shipping lanes. Spanish special forces are conducting exercises to combat this threat. The European Union’s Operation Atalanta leads maritime security efforts in the region. Vice Adm. Ignacio Villanueva says instability in nearby areas like Yemen and Iran fuels piracy. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is crucial for global trade, with 12% of the world’s trade passing through. Since November 2023, there have been 79 pirate attacks. Pirates exploit regional turmoil, capturing vessels and demanding ransoms. Shipping companies are increasing security and rerouting vessels to avoid capture.

HONG KONG (AP) — China says its trade surplus exceeded $1 trillion for a 2nd straight year. Customs figures released Tuesday showed exports in October surged 35% from a year earlier, driven by strong demand for high-tech goods like computer chips and autos. Imports also rose year-on-year. Between January and October, China logged a $1.04 trillion trade surplus. For the month of October, the trade surplus was $105.3 billion, narrowing from $133.5 billion in September. Experts say Chinese exports are expected to remain strong, but growth may slow next year. Strong exports have helped to offset weak consumer demand in China’s own huge market, but they have led some countries to raise tariffs or impose other protective measures.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky has filed a resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The swift action came as the House opened Monday, following the midterm elections, and sets the stage for a dramatic vote on whether to remove one of the Trump administration’s most prominent figures. The resolution largely focuses on the war in Iran but also includes references to Hegseth’s role in carrying out military actions in Yemen and Venezuela. Massie said Hegseth’s actions amount to “high crimes and misdemeanors.” A vote in the House could come by mid-week, putting pressure on Republicans — many of whom blamed their election wipeout on the Iran war.

Trump says FBI is looking at Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s affair with alleged Chinese agent

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says the FBI is investigating Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s affair with an alleged Chinese government agent. But Trump says he doesn’t think the executive who has helped to develop artificial intelligence has a reason to worry. “I know the FBI is looking into it in terms of something else, and I think that he’ll be in good shape,” Trump said Monday at a White House briefing. The president called Huang a “very honorable man.” He said Huang told him “he had absolutely no idea that the person in question was a spy,” Trump said.

Trump after meeting with Qatari PM says he believes war with Iran is militarily ‘effectively over’

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he believes the war in Iran “militarily is effectively over.” He’s suggesting that — at least for now — he’s not prepared to resume the bombardment that has devastated the Islamic Republic and caused reverberations across the global economy. The president made a surprise visit to the White House briefing room after meeting with Qatar’s prime minister earlier Monday. “Iran militarily is effectively over,” Trump said. “We’re just keeping it the status quo.” Trump added that Iran has been “decapitated” but said he is still looking to make sure there’s a long-term solution to ensuring that Iran’s nuclear program is defanged.

US stocks rally and recover most of last week’s losses as oil prices swing lower

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rallied and recovered most of their big loss from last week as oil prices swung lower. The S&P 500 jumped 2.3% Monday for a second straight gain following a wipeout on worries that Democratic victories in the U.S. midterm elections could lead to a slowdown in the construction of AI data centers. The best day for the index since April has it sitting just 3.4% below its record set last month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average leaped 1,104 points, and the Nasdaq composite rose 2.7%. Stocks broadly got a lift from a 5.8% drop for Brent oil’s price.

Thune and Schumer face questions about Senate leadership in aftermath of elections

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senators from both parties have returned to Washington with questions about the future of their leadership after last week’s election decisively gave Democrats a significant new majority. Republicans who are losing around a quarter of their current conference to election losses and retirements are debating whether to immediately reelect South Dakota Sen. John Thune as leader in votes scheduled for Tuesday. Across the aisle, Democrats who could hold as many as 56 seats next year are having private discussions about whether New York Sen. Chuck Schumer is still the right person to lead them, even as he carried the party to historic wins.

Supreme Court clears the way for border wall construction in Texas’s Big Bend to resume

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is allowing the Trump administration to resume border wall construction in the Big Bend region of Texas. The border wall is a key project for President Donald Trump, who has promised to build it from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. Republicans in Congress funded the project with $46 billion last summer. Customs and Border Protection have been building 12 miles of border barriers a week. In the Big Bend region, bipartisan opposition argues the project wastes money in an area with historically low illegal immigration. They suggest using surveillance technology instead.

FBI is investigating a possible killing aboard a cruise ship out of Texas

HOUSTON (AP) — The FBI is investigating what it called a “suspected homicide” aboard a cruise ship that returned to port after departing from Galveston, Texas. The agency said Monday that a suspect is in custody. It did not say whether any charges had been filed. The company that operates the MSC Seascape said it has resumed its voyage and left Galveston as of Monday afternoon. A spokesperson for MSC Cruises said the company is cooperating with authorities and providing support to those impacted. The towering white vessel can host nearly 5,900 guests and has more than 1,600 crew.…Read more by AP