Early Edition: October 28, 2025

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR – CEASEFIRE

Hamas said yesterday that it would hand over the body of a deceased Israeli hostage to Israel. The Israeli Broadcasting Authority says that the remains that were returned overnight were not those of another Israeli hostage. Forensic tests showed that the remains belong to Ofir Tzarfati, whose body was recovered by Israeli forces in late 2023, and not to any of the 13 deceased hostages still in Gaza, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. Netanyahu’s office accused Hamas of a “clear violation” of the ceasefire and said Netanyahu would discuss “steps in response.” Nour Odeh reports for Al Jazeera; David Gritten reports for BBC News.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said yesterday that the United States does not view Israel’s strike on an alleged member of Islamic Jihad in Gaza as a violation of the ceasefire. Rubio said that Israel has not surrendered its right to self defense, adding “they have the right if there is an imminent threat.” Trevor Hunnicutt reports for Reuters.

WEST BANK VIOLENCE 

Israeli forces killed three alleged Palestinian militants in the West Bank today, an Israeli police spokesperson said. Hamas said that two of the men were its members and confirmed that all three had died in a clash with Israeli forces. Israeli authorities said that the soldiers shot at militants who were planning attacks in the area of Jenin refugee camp and then also struck by air. Maayan Lubell, Nidal al-Mughrabi, and Raneen Sawafta report for Reuters.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR           

The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine has concluded that the Russian practice of routinely flying drones into Kherson, Ukraine, and dropping hand grenades on civilians amounts to crimes against humanity and war crimes, according to a report published yesterday. The report says that what could appear to be random acts of cruelty were actually an intentional pattern of attacks meant to create “a permanent climate of terror.” Andrew E. Kramer reports for the New York Times.

Russian oil producer Lukoil said yesterday that it would sell its international assets following the imposition of Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine. Lukoil did not identify specific assets to be sold. Reuters reports.

OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS

Governments across the world are falling short of promises made under the 2015 Paris Agreement, a U.N. report published today shows. Only 64 out of 195 parties to the international climate treaty submitted updated plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “It is not possible to draw wide-ranging global-level conclusions or inferences from this limited data set,” the report said. Zack Colman reports for POLITICO.

Maritime Mutual, an insurance company based in New Zealand, has facilitated the supply of billions of dollars of Iranian and Russian oil by providing shadow fleet vessels with the insurance needed to enter ports, according to a Reuters review of thousands of records and multiple sources. The company has insured, at some point, one in six of the shadow fleet tankers sanctioned by Western governments. Paul Casten, Lucy Craymer, Gleb Stolyarov, and Anna Hirtenstein report.

Lebanon’s army is experiencing an explosives shortage after using up its resources to blow up Hezbollah arms caches as per the ceasefire deal agreed with Israel, two sources told Reuters. One source said that the army is now sealing off sites instead of destroying them, as they await U.S. deliveries of explosive charges and other military equipment. 10 sources, including Lebanese officials, security sources, and a Hezbollah official, told Reuters that the army expects to complete its sweep of Hezbollah’s weaponry in southern Lebanon by the end of the year. Maya Gebeily and Laila Bassam report.

Pakistani and Afghan state media today report that the countries have failed to reach a deal at the peace talks in Istanbul, blaming each other for the lack of progress. Turkish officials and several other countries are working to preserve the ceasefire agreed in Doha on October 19. Delegations remain in Turkey, but it is unclear whether a fourth day of talks will go ahead today. Suzan Fraser and Munir Ahmed report for AP News.

Sudan’s Chairman of the Transitional Military Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan yesterday announced the withdrawal of his soldiers from el-Fasher. Al-Burhan described “systemic destruction, and the systemic killing of civilians” by the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces Paramilitary, adding that the army hoped to spare the civilian population from further violence by leaving. The U.N. Human Rights Office said that RSF fighters reportedly carried out “summary executions” of civilians trying to flee their attacks in el-Fasher, adding that there were “indications of ethnic motivations for killings.” Al Jazeera reports.

China today signed an expanded free trade agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Chinese Premier Li Qiang told an ASEAN-China summit meeting that closer ties could help overcome global economic uncertainties, adding that “pursuing confrontation instead of solidarity brings no benefit” in the face of economic coercion and bullying. Eileen NG and David Rising report for AP News.

TECH DEVELOPMENTS

OpenAI’s internal analysis finds that the first $1 trillion invested in AI infrastructure could add more than 5% to GDP growth over a 3-year period and drive a major reindustrialization effort, according to a regulatory filing shared with Axios. The filing proposes that the Office of Science and Technology should prioritize “closing the ‘electron gap’ between” the U.S. and China by “setting an ambitious national target of building 100 GW a year of new energy capacity.” Ashley Gold reports.

U.S. IMMIGRATION DEVELOPMENTS

The Trump administration is planning to replace at least six ICE field office directors with Border Patrol officials in order to intensify mass deportation efforts, according to two Homeland Security Officials and two other sources. Trump’s top aides have signalled their preference for Border Patrol’s more aggressive tactics to secure arrests, the officials said. “The mentality is CBP does what they’re told, and the administration thinks ICE isn’t getting the job done,” one DHS official said. Julia Ainsley and Laura Strickler report for NBC News.

U.S. CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC OPERATIONS 

Venezuela yesterday suspended a major gas deal with Trinidad and Tobago, with Venezuelan officials citing “hostile” actions from the island nation. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro last night accused Trinidad of acting as the “aircraft carrier of the U.S. empire,” ordering the “immediate suspension” of a deal providing natural gas to Trinidad and Tobago. Jorge Rueda reports for AP News; Lyndal Rowlands reports for Al Jazeera.

U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS

“Mission accomplished,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford said yesterday regarding his anti-tariff ad featuring Ronald Reagan. “They’re talking about it in the U.S., and they weren’t talking about it before I put the ad on.” Ford told reporters that he decided to remove the ad after speaking to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, in an attempt to resume trade talks with the United States. Carney was aware of the ad before it aired. Julianna Bragg reports for Axios.

Trump today signed a trade agreement with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, setting out that the United States will charge 15% tariffs on imported Japanese goods, rather than 25% as Trump initially threatened, and Japan will invest $550 billion in U.S. industry. It remains unclear how Japan intends to spend the investment. Trump and Takaichi also signed a framework deal that calls for cooperation on supplying critical minerals and rare earth materials to each other. Kathryn Watson and Joe Walsh report for CBS News.

U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS 

Trump yesterday asked a New York appeals court to overturn his criminal conviction for approving a scheme to falsify business records to conceal a hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. Erica Orden reports for POLITICO.

The American Federation of Government Employees yesterday called on Congress to pass a “clean and continuing resolution” to end the government shutdown. “Both political parties have made their point, and still there is no clear end in sight,” AFGE President Everett Kelly said yesterday in a statement. Monica Alba reports for NBC News.

FEDERALIZATION OF POLICING

Two Illinois National Guard members told CBS News that they would refuse to obey federal orders to deploy in Chicago. “It’s disheartening to be forced to go against your community and your neighbours,” Staff Sgt. Demi Palecek said. “It feels illegal. This is not what we signed up to do.” Capt. Dyland Baha said, “When we have somebody in power who’s actively dismantling our rights – free speech, due process, freedom of the press – it’s really hard to be a soldier right now.” Nicole Sganga reports.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS

The White House has withdrawn Joel Rayburn’s nomination to be Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern affairs, according to three sources. Rayburn was first nominated by Trump in February; no reason was provided for the withdrawal yesterday. His nomination was opposed by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who questioned Rayburn in his confirmation hearing in May over ties to James Jeffrey, Rayburn’s former boss who admitted to misleading administration officials about the number of U.S. troops on the ground in Syria in 2020. Robert Jimison reports for the New York Times.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION

The Justice Department yesterday asked the Supreme Court to stay a lower court injunction that prevents the Trump administration from removing Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter from her post. Ann E. Marimow reports for the New York Times.

A federal judge yesterday ordered prosecutors in Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s criminal trial to notify every employee in the Justice Department and Homeland Security Department about the existing rule restricting public statements about ongoing cases. The judge said, “Government employees have made extrajudicial statements that are troubling, especially where many of them are exaggerated if not simply inaccurate,” adding that Attorney General Pam Bondie and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem in particular had violated the rule. Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney report for POLITICO.

Democratic attorneys general and governors plan to file a lawsuit today against the Trump administration over its decision not to use emergency funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Food Assistance Program during the government shutdown, according to three sources speaking ahead of the public announcement. Meredith Lee Hill reports for POLITICO.

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