Early Edition: November 20, 2025

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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the last 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR – CEASEFIRE 

The Israeli military yesterday killed at least 25 Palestinians in Gaza in a series of airstrikes, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The Israeli military said in a statement that several militants had opened fire on its forces near Khan Younis without causing injuries, to which they responded by “striking Hamas terrorist targets across the Gaza Strip.” Israel has killed more than 280 Palestinians since the ceasefire went into effect in October, the Gaza Health Ministry says. Aaron Boxerman reports for the New York Times.

Heavy rain and flooding in Gaza over recent days have resulted in around $4.5 million worth of damage, including 22,0000 tents, spoiled food and medicines, and damage to infrastructure, according to the Hamas-run Gaza government. Haseeb Alwazeer and Nidal Al-Mughrabi report for Reuters.

Israel yesterday asked the International Criminal Court to throw out an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and to disqualify Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan from pursuing the case. In the filing, Israel said Khan’s decision to seek the warrant for Netanyahu in May 2024 may have been an attempt to discourage Khan’s aide from pursuing sexual assault allegations against him or to defend himself later by portraying her allegations as an attempt to derail the investigation of Israel.  Matthew Dalton reports for the Wall Street Journal.

WEST BANK VIOLENCE

Israel’s expulsion of around 32,000 Palestinians from three refugee camps in the occupied West Bank in early 2025 amounts to war crimes and crimes against humanity, according to a report published by Human Rights Watch today. Howard Holler, Pesha Magid, Ammar Awad, Sinan Abu Mayzer, and Mohammad Torokman report for Reuters.

ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH – CEASEFIRE

The Israeli military yesterday carried out a series of airstrikes in southern Lebanon on what it said were Hezbollah infrastructure, including a weapons storage facility. Israel said that Hezbollah is working to reestablish itself and rebuild its capacity in southern Lebanon, without providing any evidence. Earlier yesterday, an Israeli airstrike on a car in the village of Tiri killed one person and wounded 11, the Lebanese Health Ministry said. Hussein Malla, Bassem Mroue, and Wafaa Shurafa report for AP News.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR – INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE  

A U.S.-drafted 28-point plan to end the war in Ukraine, negotiated with Russian but not Ukrainian involvement, would require Kyiv to surrender territory, significantly reduce the size of its army, and relinquish some types of weaponry, according to officials. The proposal reflects the Kremlin’s maximalist demands made throughout the war which Ukraine has long stated would amount to capitulation. Andrew E. Kramer and Maria Varenikova report for the New York Times.

EU foreign ministers said today that any plan to end the war in Ukraine must include Ukrainians and Europeans, following the announcement of a U.S. peace proposal. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said, “Ukrainians want peace – a just peace that respects everyone’s sovereignty, a durable peace… but peace cannot be a capitulation.” EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said, “What we as Europeans have always supported is a long-lasting and just peace, and we welcome efforts to achieve that. Of course, for any plan to work, it needs Ukrainians and Europeans on board.” Andrew Gray, Lili Bayer, Inti Landauro, and Charlotte Van Campenhout report for Reuters.

U.S. CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC OPERATIONS

A military lawyer for the U.S. Southern Command, who serves as the senior judge advocate general (JAG), disagreed with the Trump administration’s position that the strikes on alleged drug-trafficking vessels are lawful, according to six sources. The JAG raised his concerns in August before the strikes began, arguing that the strikes against so-called “narco-terrorists” could amount to extrajudicial killings and therefore legally expose service members involved in the operations. His opinion was ultimately overruled by more senior government officials at the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel, the sources said. Gordon Lubold, Courtney Kube, and Dan De Luce report for NBC News.

SUDANESE CIVIL WAR 

President Trump yesterday signalled his intention to focus on the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, following his meetings with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Speaking at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum, Trump said, “It was not on my charts to be involved in [Sudan]. I thought it was just something that was crazy and out of control. But I just see how important that is to you and to a lot of your friends in the room.” Trump later posted on social media, “Arab leaders from all over the World… have asked me to use the power and influence of the Presidency to bring an immediate halt to what is taking place in Sudan.” Gregory Svirnovskiy reports for POLITICO.

The EU is expected to impose sanctions on Deputy Commander of the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces paramilitary Abdelrahim Dagalo, three European diplomats said yesterday. EU foreign ministers are set to approve the sanctions today in Brussels. The sanctions consist of a ban on travel to the EU and the seizure of any assets held there. John Irish, Julia Payne, and Andrew Gray report for Reuters.

OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS

Myanmar’s military raided an online scam compound on Tuesday in the town of Shwe Kokko near the Thai border, detaining around 346 foreigners and confiscating nearly 10,000 mobile phones, according to a military spokesperson. AP News reports.

At COP30, a group of nations, including Sierra Leone, Sudan and Malawi, are urging a U.N. agreement to triple annual climate adaptation funding to $120 billion. Sara Schonhardt reports for POLITICO.

Iran yesterday released a Marshall-Islands-flagged tanker with all its 21 crew members, several days after Tehran seized the ship without explanation, according to the vessel’s manager. Cyprus-based Colombia Shipmanagement said the crew “are safe and in good spirits,” adding that “no allegations were made against the vessel, her crew and the vessel’s managers and owners.” Jon Gambrell reports for AP News.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has “suspend[ed] his departure” to the G20 summit in South Africa, following the abduction of 24 schoolgirls in Kebbi State and a gunman attack that killed two people in a church. It is unclear when Tinubo plans to travel or if he will attend the summit at all. Tunde Omolehin and Dyepkazak Shibayan report for AP News.

TECH DEVELOPMENTS

The EU Commission yesterday unveiled its proposal for changes to the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and AI Act. The package, known as the Digital Omnibus, would weaken data protection rules by delaying when regulations governing high-risk AI systems take effect and allowing companies to use personal data for AI training without prior consent. If approved, the changes will strip Europeans of data privacy protections that have long been the toughest in the world. Suzanne Smalley reports for The Record.

U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS

The Trump administration may not level long-promised semiconductor tariffs any time soon, according to U.S. officials. Officials relayed this message to stakeholders in government and private industry, three sources said. A fourth source said the administration was taking a more cautious approach to avoid provoking China. The White House insists that the administration “remains committed to using every level of executive power to reshore the manufacturing that’s critical to our national and economic security,” adding that any sources suggesting otherwise “are simply Fake News.” Laurie Chen, Trevor Hunnicutt, and Jeffrey Dastin report for Reuters.

The Commerce Department announced yesterday that it has authorized the sale of up to 70,000 of Nvidia’s advanced AI chips to two companies based in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Robbie Whelan and Amrith Ramkumar report for the Wall Street Journal.

U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS 

A federal judge yesterday questioned prosecutors in a hearing that was held to consider the issue of whether criminal charges brought against former FBI Director James Comey were an act of vindictive retribution by Trump. The Justice Department admitted that acting U.S. Attorney Lindsay Halligan had failed to show the revised indictment in Comey’s case to all of the grand jurors; only the foreperson formally approved the second charging document. Alan Feuer and Devlin Barrett report for the New York Times.

The Justice Department yesterday charged Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) with stealing $5 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, further alleging that she used a substantial portion of the money to support her campaign for Congress in 2021. Aaron Pellish reports for POLITICO.

Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) said on Tuesday that he will ask the Supreme Court to review a lower court’s ruling striking down Texas’s new congressional map. Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney report for  POLITICO.

U.S. Border Patrol is running a predictive-intelligence program that monitors millions of U.S. drivers nationwide in a secretive program to identify and detain people whose travel patterns it deems suspicious, an AP News investigation has found. Byron Tau and Garance Burke report.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS

Trump yesterday announced that he signed legislation calling on the Justice Department to release its files on Jeffrey Epstein within 30 days. The bill contains significant exceptions, including a provision protecting ongoing investigations, which could mean many documents would stay confidential. The DOJ may also withhold records that identify victims or include images of child sexual abuse, or are otherwise classified. Luke Broadwater reports for the New York Times.

The White House is preparing to issue an executive order as soon as Friday that enlists the power of the federal government to block states from regulating artificial intelligence, according to four sources and a leaked draft obtained by POLITICO. The draft document would launch several efforts to challenge state AI laws, including an “AI Litigation Task Force.” Brendan Bordelon and Christine Mui report.

Trump on Tuesday nominated Stuart Levenbach, a top aide to the Office of Management and Budget Director, Russell Vought, to be the permanent head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, according to congressional records. A CFPB spokesperson said the nomination was a technical maneuver intended to extend Vought’s ability to continue serving as the acting director of the agency without needing Senate confirmation. Michael Stratford reports for POLITICO.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION 

A federal appeals court yesterday issued a stay on a lower-court judge’s preliminary injunction limiting how federal immigration agents could use force in Illinois. The panel described the restrictions imposed by the district court as “overbroad” and “too prescriptive.” However, the panel also cautioned against overreading their order, adding “our concerns about the substantial overbreadth of the district court’s injunction lead us to stay it pending appeal, which we will expedite. But we have not concluded that preliminary relief is precluded.” The panel left open the possibility that the findings of the lower court “may support entry of a more tailored and appropriate preliminary injunction that directly addresses the First and Fourth amendment claims raised by the plaintiffs.” Mitch Smith reports for the New York Times.

A federal judge yesterday blocked the Trump administration from ending temporary protected status and work permits for more than 6,100 Syrians while a legal challenge proceeds, ruling that the abrupt termination likely violated legal procedures and was potentially politically influenced. Daniel Wiessner reports for Reuters.

A federal judge said yesterday that he plans to move ahead with criminal contempt proceedings against Trump administration officials who authorized deportation flights to land in El Salvador in March even after the judge ordered them to turn the planes around. The judge said he can now proceed with the contempt proceedings after the appellate court lifted the hold on his case last week. Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein report for POLITICO.

Former FBI agent-in-training David Maltinsky yesterday filed a lawsuit against FBI Director Kash Patel and the FBI, claiming that his firing last month was illegal and asking a federal judge to reinstate him at the academy. Maltinsky received a letter signed by Patel informing him that he was being “summarily dismissed” because of “political signage” he had once displayed in his workplace in Los Angeles. Maltinsky says the only thing this could be was a rainbow pride flag he hung near his desk. Alan Feuer reports for the New York Times.