Early Edition: October 27, 2025

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A curated guide to major news and developments over the weekend. Here’s today’s news:

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR – CEASEFIRE

Egypt sent a team of experts to Gaza this weekend to help locate the bodies of deceased Israeli hostages, according to a spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. The spokesperson added that Netanyahu had approved a purely “technical team” and that its members were not connected to the Egyptian army. Egyptian state media reported that logistical support and earth-moving equipment had been sent to Gaza. Senior Hamas Official Khalil al-Hayya said on Sunday that Hamas has started searching in new areas of Gaza for the remaining 13 hostages. Isabel Kershner reports for the New York Times; Samy Magdy and Melanie Lidman report for AP News.

The U.S. military is operating surveillance drones over the Gaza Strip to ensure that both Israel and Hamas adhere to the ceasefire agreement, Israeli and American officials said on Friday. The sources added that the surveillance missions are operating to support the new Civil-Military Coordination Centre in southern Israel. Natan Odenheimer and Eric Schmitt report for the New York Times.

“We have […] made it clear regarding international forces that Israel will determine which forces are acceptable to us,” Netanyahu said yesterday. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that the international force would be made up of “countries that Israel’s comfortable with.” Steven Scheer reports for Reuters.

Israel’s military said on Saturday that Israeli forces carried out a “targeted strike” on a member of Islamic Jihad in central Gaza, who was allegedly planning an attack on Israeli troops. Islamic Jihad said in a statement that the Israeli military’s claim of a planned attack was a “mere fallacious allegation.” Local medics said that four people were wounded in a drone strike, but there were no immediate reports of deaths. Witnesses separately reported that Israeli tanks had shelled eastern areas of Gaza City. The Israeli military did not respond to requests for comment. Reuters reports.

An Israeli drone attack today has killed at least one person in Abasan al-Kabira, near Khan Younis in Gaza, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa. Al Jazeera reports.

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR – HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE

UNRWA said yesterday that Israel continues to block its international staff and humanitarian aid from entering Gaza. Around 12,000 of its local staff are pushing ahead with providing “health-care, psychosocial support, and education to the people,” UNRWA added in a post on social media. Tim Hume and Stephen Quillen report for Al Jazeera.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

Russian drones killed three people and injured 31 others, including six children, in an air attack on Kyiv on Saturday night. A separate drone attack on Friday night killed two people and injured 13 others, also in Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Moscow had used nearly 1,200 attack drones, more than 1,360 guided aerial bombs, and over 50 missiles against Ukraine in the last seven days. Lidia Kelly and Pavel Polityuk report for Reuters; Anastasiia Malenko reports for Reuters.

Russia successfully tested its nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile, a weapon that Moscow says is capable of piercing any defence shield, Russian President Vladimir Putin said yesterday. Russia’s Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, told Putin that the missile travelled 14,000 km and was in the air for around 15 hours. Guy Faulconbridge and Lidia Kelly report for Reuters

OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS

Argentinian President Javier Milei’s Freedom Advances party secured nearly 41% of the national vote in Argentina’s legislative elections yesterday, nearly doubling its representation in Congress. Trump congratulated Milei on his “landslide victory” on social media, later adding “BIG WIN […] for Javier Milei, a wonderful Trump Endorsed Candidate!” Ali Walker reports for POLITICO.

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas announced yesterday that Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh would temporarily assume the leadership of the Palestinian Authority if Abbas were to step down or die. Sheikh would hold those powers for 90 days before elections would take place to pick a new leader. Aaron Boxerman and Adam Rasgon report for the New York Times.

Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) announced yesterday that it is withdrawing its fighters from Turkey to northern Iraq “to avoid clashes or provocations.” The PKK had announced earlier this year that it would disband and renounce armed conflict in Turkey, ending four decades of fighting. Stella Martany and Cinar Kiper AP News.

The Pakistani military said yesterday that 5 Pakistani soldiers and 25 fighters from Afghanistan died in clashes near the border. Officials from both countries arrived in Istanbul on Saturday for talks aimed at preventing a full-scale conflict. Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja said that failure to reach an agreement in Istanbul would mean “open war.” Ariba Shahid reports for Reuters.

Sudanese Rapid Support Forces paramilitary yesterday claimed that it had captured the Sudanese army’s headquarters in El-Fasher. Two videos shared by the RSF show its soldiers cheering outside the army base; Reuters was not able to verify the date of this video. The army has yet to give a statement on its current position. Khalid Abdelaziz and Nafisa Eltahir report.

Israeli strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon yesterday killed three people, the Lebanese Ministry of Health said. The Israeli military said it had targeted Hezbollah members, adding that it had killed Ali Hussein al-Mousawi, who “played a significant role in the re-establishment and strengthening of Hezbollah.” Hezbollah has not confirmed any information about the deaths. The United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon said that an Israeli drone had dropped a grenade close to one of its patrols on Sunday afternoon. Al Jazeera reports.

TECH DEVELOPMENTS

Sixty-five nations this weekend signed the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime in Hanoi. The treaty establishes the first universal framework for investigating and prosecuting offences committed online and facilitates the sharing of electronic evidence across borders. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, “It is a vow that no country, no matter their level of deployment, will be left defenceless against cybercrime.” Vibhu Mishra reports for UN News.

U.S. IMMIGRATION DEVELOPMENTS

The Trump administration is planning to reorganize ICE by replacing several senior leaders in field offices across the country, according to sources. The sources said that the proposals stem from frustration in the Homeland Security Department and the White House that Trump’s goal of deporting over 1 million people in his first year in office is not being met. Hamed Aleaziz and Tyler Pager report for the New York Times.

The Department for Homeland Security said on Friday that it plans to deport Kilmar Abrego Gracia to the “thriving democracy” of Liberia within a week, according to a court filing. The Justice Department has previously attempted to deport Abrego Garcia to Uganda, Eswatini, and Ghana, but none of these countries agreed to take him. Julianna Bragg reports for Axios.

Immigration authorities yesterday detained British commentator Sami Hamdi and revoked his visa, a Homeland Security Department official said. Hamdi spoke at a gala for the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) in California on Saturday and was due to speak in Florida on Sunday but he was detained at San Francisco International Airport. Conservative activist Laura Loomer took credit for Hamdi’s arrest on social media. Stephen Coates reports for Reuters.

U.S. CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC OPERATIONS

A U.S. military strike against an alleged drug vessel on Friday killed six people in the Caribbean Sea, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on social media. Hegseth said it was the first strike carried out at night and claimed that the vessel was operated by the Tren de Aragua gang. Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart report for Reuters.

Hegseth has ordered the deployment of the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford, along with its accompanying warships and attack planes, to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility, the Pentagon said on Friday. The enhanced U.S. military presence “will bolster U.S. capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors and activities that compromise the safety and prosperity of the United States,” a Pentagon spokesperson said. It is unclear when Ford will be moving to the region or where exactly it will be positioned. Charlie Savage and Eric Schmitt report for the New York Times.

USS Graveley, a U.S. guided missile destroyer, yesterday docked in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago’s capital. U.S. officials and officials from Trinidad and Tobago said the warship will remain in Trinidad until Thursday so that both countries can carry out training exercises. Venezuela said the “dangerous conduct of military exercises” in the waters of a neighboring country constitutes a “serious threat” to the Caribbean region, according to a statement from the Venezuelan foreign ministry. AP News

U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Trump cosigned a ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia yesterday on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Malaysia. The first phase of the agreement involves Thailand’s release of 18 Cambodian soldiers and the removal of heavy weapons and landmines from the border region. Malaysian troops are being deployed to ensure the fighting does not restart. Erin Hale and Tim Hume report for Al Jazeera.

A Navy helicopter and a fighter jet based on the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier yesterday crashed into the South China Sea within 30 minutes of each other, the U.S. Pacific Fleet said in a statement. The causes of the two crashes are under investigation. Trump said today that the incidents could have been caused by “bad fuel,” ruling out foul play. Konstantin Toropin reports for AP News.

U.S. intelligence, obtained in 2022, shows that the United Arab Emirates gave technology to China to upgrade its long-range missiles fired from fighter jets, according to six sources. Two sources said that the technology was passed to Huawei by G42, the UAE’s AI group. G42 disputed the U.S. intelligence, saying it categorically rejected the “false and defamatory allegations.” Demetri Sevastopulo reports for the Financial Times.

Chinese and U.S. negotiators said yesterday that they had agreed to a framework deal on tariffs and other issues ahead of Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s meeting this week. The issues discussed include bilateral trade, export controls, reciprocal tariff extensions, fentanyl-related tariffs, and cooperation on combating fentanyl trafficking, according to the Chinese negotiators. Jamieson Greer, the U.S. representative, said, “We talked about extending the truce, we talked about rare earths, of course, we talked about all kinds of topics.” Keith Bradsher and Zunaira Saieed report for the New York Times.

Trump announced on Saturday that he would increase tariffs on Canadian goods by 10% following the Canadian television ad that used clips from an address by Ronald Reagan. Matina Stevis Gridneff reports for the New York Times.

The Treasury Department announced on Friday that it was sanctioning Colombian President Gustavo Petro because he provided “benefits” to “narco-terrorist organizations” since taking office in 2022. The department has also sanctioned Petro’s wife, his son, and Colombia’s interior minister. Julie Turkewitz reports for the New York Times.

U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS

New York Attorney General Letitia James pleaded not guilty on Friday morning to felony charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution. James’s trial is set to go ahead in late January 2026. Devan Cole, Lauren del Valle, and Kara Scannell report for CNN.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS

A Pentagon spokesperson said on Friday that the Defense Department had accepted an anonymous gift of $130 million from a wealthy donor to pay military salaries during the government shutdown. Two sources named Timothy Mellon, a billionaire and major financial backer of Trump, as the anonymous donor. Mellon has not confirmed this. White House officials said that covering the cost of military pay for the first half of October totalled about $6.5 billion. Leo Shane III, Paul McLeary, and Jack Detsch report for POLITICO; Tyler Page reports for the New York Times.

The Justice Department said on Friday that it will monitor polling sites in California and New Jersey ahead of the November 4 election “to ensure transparency, ballot security, and compliance with federal law.” Shawn Hubler and Laurel Rosenhall report for the New York Times.

The Trump administration will not use emergency funds to cover the cost of the Supplemental Nutrition Food Assistance Program during the government shutdown, according to a memo obtained by POLITICO. SNAP is set to run out of federal funds at the end of the month, which would leave around 42 million people without the necessary food benefits from November. Administration officials believe that Democratic governors and anti-hunger groups will sue the administration for not tapping into the contingency fund for SNAP, two sources said. Grace Yarrow and Meredith Lee Hill report.

Trump last week nominated Hegseth’s senior military aide Lt. Gen. Chrisopher LaNeve to replace Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Mingus. The Senate still needs to approve LaNeve. Hegseth did not announce LaNeve’s nomination, nor did Mingus announce his departure, even though he is less than halfway through a four-year role. “Hegseth wants [LaNeve] in,” a defense official said. “Who he replaces doesn’t matter.” Paul McLeary reports for POLITICO.

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