U.S. Appeals Court Rules Trump Can Remove Members of Key Federal Labor Boards 
U.S. Expected to Expand Travel Ban to More Than 30 Countries 
Taiwan Opposition Criticizes Plan to Block Chinese App Rednote Over Security Concerns 
Putin and U.S. Envoy Witkoff Hold “Truly Friendly” Talks as Ukraine Peace Efforts Intensify 
Honduras Election Turmoil Deepens as Nasralla Alleges Fraud in Tight Presidential Race 
Honduras Election Turmoil Intensifies as Nasralla Blames Trump for Shift in Results 
U.S. Justice Department Orders Intensified Probe Into Antifa and Domestic Extremist Groups 
IMF Deputy Dan Katz Visits China as Key Economic Review Nears 
Cuba Quietly Signals Openness to Post-Maduro Venezuela as U.S. Pressure Intensifies 
Trump Backs Review of U.S. Childhood Vaccine Schedule After Hepatitis B Policy Change 
China’s Expanding Maritime Military Presence Alarms Taiwan and Japan 
UN General Assembly Demands Russia Return Ukrainian Children Amid Ongoing Conflict 
Maduro Confirms “Respectful” Call With Trump, Signals Openness to Diplomatic Dialogue 
Trump Administration Tightens H-1B Visa Vetting With New Focus on Free Speech and Censorship 
Pentagon Probe Finds Hegseth’s Use of Signal Risked Exposing Sensitive Yemen Strike Details 
Australia and Japan Strengthen Defence Cooperation Amid Rising Regional Tensions 
Drones Spotted Near Zelenskiy’s Flight Path in Ireland Trigger Security Alert 
Honduras’ presidential race tightened further on Friday as conservative candidate Nasry Asfura maintained a razor-thin lead while vote counting stretched into a sixth day. With 87.84% of ballots counted, the National Party contender held 40.20% of the vote, placing him roughly 20,000 ballots ahead of centrist rival Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party, who stood at 39.48%. Rixi Moncada of the ruling LIBRE Party trailed with 19.31%.
Election officials reported that around 14% of ballots showed inconsistencies and will undergo a detailed review before final certification. The slow, tense process has drawn international attention, including from Washington. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau emphasized the global scrutiny on the election, noting that Hondurans "deserve to have their will respected and voices heard."
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has inserted himself into the race, strongly endorsing Asfura and alleging fraud without offering evidence. Nasralla, a three-time candidate who describes himself as center-right, told Reuters that Trump’s unexpected endorsement swung momentum toward Asfura. He rejected Trump’s characterization of him as a “borderline communist” and accused his opponents of planning to manipulate the results, though he admitted he has no proof.
Analysts say Trump’s support for Asfura aligns with his broader effort to bolster a conservative political network across Latin America, linking leaders such as El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele and Argentina’s Javier Milei. Trump also issued a controversial pardon to former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández, previously sentenced in the U.S. on drug trafficking charges. Hernández thanked Trump publicly on TikTok, calling the pardon an acknowledgement of “injustice” in his case.
Despite the nation’s history of unrest during disputed elections, including deadly protests in 2017, Tegucigalpa remained calm as citizens awaited final results. Honduras determines its president in a single-round system, meaning the candidate with the most votes wins, regardless of margin. The electoral authority, the CNE, urged patience and pledged to deliver the final count by the December 30 legal deadline.
