Monday, October 20, 2025

BIG Wrap

Israel expects to receive all living captives from Gaza on Monday

(Al Jazeera Media Network) Israel says it expects to receive all its remaining living captives from Gaza early on Monday, a key step in the ceasefire now in effect. Speaking on Sunday, government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian said Israel anticipates all 20 living captives will be returned together in the early hours of Monday. As in previous exchanges during the two-year war, the captives will first be handed over to the Red Cross, which will transport them...

White House criticizes Nobel Committee for not awarding Peace Prize to Trump

(BBC News) The White House has accused the Nobel Committee of placing "politics over peace" for awarding its most coveted prize to a Venezuelan pro-democracy activist over President Donald Trump. On Friday, the Committee announced María Coria Machado would receive the Peace Prize for her "tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela." Trump has been outspoken about his desire for the award, taking credit for ending several global conflicts. He regularly brought it up, including during his...

Russia’s Putin says ‘no big deal’ if U.S. won’t extend nuclear warhead limits

(Al Jazeera Media Network) President Vladimir Putin has said Russia is developing new strategic weapons, while noting that an arms race is already in progress. Speaking to reporters at a summit in Tajikistan on Friday, the Russian leader said it would not be critical for Moscow if the United States declined to extend the warhead limits set out in a nuclear arms treaty that expires next year. Putin said it would, however, be a shame if...

Trump threatens to pull out of planned Xi meeting

(BBC News) President Donald Trump has threatened to pull out of an expected meeting with President Xi Jinping of China after Beijing tightened its rules for exports of rare earths. In a post on social media, Trump said he now saw "no reason" to meet with President Xi later this month, accusing China of "becoming very hostile" and trying to hold the world "captive". He also threatened a "massive" increase in tariffs on Chinese goods, indicating...

What we know about the Gaza ceasefire deal

(BBC News) After three days of intense indirect negotiations in Egypt, US President Donald Trump says Israel and Hamas have "signed off on the first phase" of the 20-point peace plan he unveiled last week. "This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace," he posted on social media, without...

At least 24 killed as army paraglider bombs peaceful protest in Myanmar

(BBC News) At least 24 people were killed and 47 wounded while protesting against Myanmar's military government after an army motorized paraglider dropped two bombs on the crowd, a spokesperson for the government-in-exile told BBC Burmese. The military attacked on Monday evening as around 100 people gathered in Chaung U township in central Myanmar for a national holiday. Thousands have died and millions have been displaced since a military coup in 2021, which triggered a civil...

Canadian marine park threatens to euthanize 30 beluga whales

(BBC News) A Canadian amusement park is threatening to euthanize 30 beluga whales after the federal government blocked its request to send them to China. Marineland in Ontario had hoped to offload the cetaceans on a theme park in Zhuhai, after suffering years of animal welfare concerns and financial woes. But their transfer was denied by the Canadian government last week over concerns they would face similarly substandard treatment as "public entertainment". The park then asked for...

North Darfur displacement worsens as Sudan paramilitary tightens siege

(Al Jazeera Media Network) Displacement has surged in el-Fasher as paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) intensified attacks on North Darfur’s capital, according to a United Nations report. More than one million people have fled el-Fasher since the start of Sudan’s civil war, with the exodus dramatically accelerating as the RSF has increased attacks following its loss of control of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, earlier this year, according to data published by the International Organization for...

Russia expresses full support of Venezuela after U.S. strikes boat near coast

(Al Jazeera Media Network) Russia has condemned a US strike on a boat allegedly carrying illegal drugs off the coast of Venezuela that killed four people on Friday and warned of potential escalation in the entire Caribbean region. In a phone call to his Venezuelan counterpart, Yvan Gil, on Sunday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov condemned the attack, which took place in international waters. “The ministers expressed serious concern about Washington’s escalating actions in the Caribbean Sea that...

Billionaire Babis’s party set to win Czech election

(Al Jazeera Media Network) Billionaire Andrej Babis’s populist ANO party has taken a commanding lead in the Czech Republic’s parliamentary election, but is on track to fall short of a majority. With ballots from more than 97 percent of polling stations counted on Saturday, ANO had 35 percent of the vote, according to the Czech Statistical Office. Prime Minister Petr Fiala’s centre-right Spolu (Together) alliance trailed with 23 percent. Shortly after the preliminary results were announced,...