Harris visits Philippines’ Palawan

• “As an ally, the United States stands with the Philippines in the face of intimidation and coercion in the South China Sea,” U.S. President Kamala Harris said during her visit to Palawan, a Philippine island bordering the disputed South China Sea. “We must stand up for principles such as respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, unimpeded lawful commerce, the peaceful resolution of disputes, and the freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea and throughout the Indo-Pacific,” she said.

• Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian responded to the visit, saying, “We are not against normal interaction between the U.S. and the Philippines, but their interaction should not be damaging to other countries’ interests.”

Western allies discuss price cap on Russian oil

• The 27-member EU will meet today to try to settle a price ceiling for Russian oil at about $60 a barrel. The G7 will likely approve the limit shortly after the European bloc. The EU, G7, and Australia, which also backs the plan, are targeting to impose the cap on December 5. At the core of the sanction on Russia for the Ukraine war, the price cap aims to reduce Russia’s revenue from oil exports while keeping the oil prices within control.

Malaysia holds general election

• King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah said yesterday that he would choose the next Malaysian prime minister. The announcement came after the two leading candidates — Muhyiddin Yassin and Anwar Ibrahim — failed to secure a simple majority in the 222-seat lower house in Saturday's election.

• Before making the announcement, the King proposed to form a “unity government” that involves both contenders. But Muhyiddin, a former premier who heads a Malay Muslim alliance, declined to work with Anwar, the opposition leader whose coalition is multi-ethnic. The King then gave the two more time to create a majority alliance, but neither had managed to do so before the deadline on Tuesday.