Washington dc: US President Donald Trump confirmed that he held a phone call with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro but declined to provide details about the conversation. "I don't want to comment on it. The answer is yes," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One while returning to Washington, DC from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, where he spent Thanksgiving. "I can't do that," he said when asked to describe the call, adding: "I wouldn't say it went well or badly."

According to Anadolu Agency, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu submitted an official request for a presidential pardon from his corruption charges. The office of President Isaac Herzog said in a statement that the request will be referred to the Justice Ministry's Pardons Department for opinions, which will be followed by the president's legal counsel before Herzog issues a final decision. 'The President's Office recognizes that this is an exceptional request with significant implications, and the President will consider it after receiving all opinions,' the statement said.

Polling stations closed in Honduras' general election for choosing the nation's next president and other officials, with preliminary results expected in the coming hours. Voting ended at 5 pm local time (2300GMT), with ballot counting commencing in an election in which more than 6.5 million voters were eligible to choose 298 municipal mayors, 128 members of the National Congress and 20 representatives to the Central American Parliament. The National Electoral Council (CNE) said preliminary results would be released Sunday night.