Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dissolved the six-member war cabinet, an Israeli official said on Monday, in a widely expected move that came after the departure from government of the centrist former general Benny Gantz.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

The U.S brokered ceasefire deal in Gaza is holding, after Hamas agreed to release all remaining Israeli hostages.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dissolved the six-member war cabinet. This action was anticipated following the departure of centrist former General Benny Gantz from the emergency government. In response, Netanyahu is expected to conduct consultations about the Gaza war with a select group of ministers, including Defense Minister Yoav Galant and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer.

The war cabinet was initially formed when Gantz joined Netanyahu in a national unity government at the onset of the war in October. However, Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, another member of the war cabinet, left the government over concerns about Netanyahu's strategy for the Gaza war.

The dissolution of the war cabinet coincides with the visit of U.S. Special Envoy Amos Hochstein to Jerusalem. Hochstein's visit aims to de-escalate the situation on the contentious northern border with Lebanon. Israeli officials have warned that ongoing tensions with the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia could escalate into a broader conflict. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an Israeli Army Spokesperson, remarked that Hezbollah's aggressive actions could have severe consequences for Lebanon and the entire region. The visits and warnings come amidst continuous exchanges of fire along the Israel-Lebanon border, which have persisted alongside the conflict in Gaza.



Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu disbands war cabinet

An Israeli official said on Monday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dissolved his six-member war cabinet. The widely expected move comes after centrist former General Benny Gantz left the emergency government. Netanyahu is now expected to hold consultations about the Gaza war with a small group of ministers, including Defense Minister Yoav Galant and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, who had been in the war cabinet. The forum was formed after Gantz joined Netanyahu in a national unity government at the start of the war in October. Gantz and another member of the war cabinet, Gadi Eisenkot, both left the government last week, over what they said was Netanyahu's failure to form a strategy for the Gaza war. The announcement comes as U.S. Special Envoy Amos Hochstein visited Jerusalem, seeking to calm the situation on the disputed northern border with Lebanon. Israel said tensions with the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia could lead to a larger conflict. Here's Israeli Army Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari. Hezbollah's increasing aggression is bringing us to the brink of what could be a wider escalation, one that could have devastating consequences for Lebanon and the entire region. Hezbollah is jeopardizing the future of Lebanon so that it can be a shield for Hamas. Hochstein's visit follows weeks of increasing exchanges of fire along the line between Israel and Lebanon, where Israeli forces have for months been engaged in a simmering conflict with Hezbollah that has continued alongside the war in Gaza.

Colombia’s top court overturned former President Alvaro Uribe’s convictions for fraud and bribery, citing “structural deficiencies” and insufficient evidence. The decision opens the door for further appeals in the high-profile case.

Bogotá

Colombia court quashes former president Uribe’s conviction

AccuWeather forecasters are warning that the western Caribbean could face extreme impacts from Tropical Storm Melissa as the storm will barely move for nearly a week.

Santo Domingo

Tropical Storm Melissa expected to stall, potentially deadly

A French government minister insisted the security system at the Louvre was working as it was supposed to when burglars easily made off with $102 million worth of jewels. The Paris prosecutor says 100 investigators are on the case.

Paris

Fallout grows in France over Louvre crown jewels heist

Vice President JD Vance visited Israel, calling for patience as the fragile ceasefire, in place for 11 days, continues to hold amid ongoing tensions between Israel and Hamas.

In visit to Israel, Vance urges patience as fragile ceasefire holds

A planned summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin was put on hold on Tuesday, as Moscow's rejection of an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine cast a cloud over attempts at negotiation.

Moscow

Ukraine Invasion

Russian demands on Ukraine jeopardize Putin-Trump summit

A posthumous memoir by Virginia Giuffre, who accused Britain's Prince Andrew of sexually abusing her as a teenager, went on sale in London on Tuesday (October 21, 2025), days after the disgraced prince gave up his Duke of York title.

London

More scrutiny piles on Prince Andrew as new Giuffre book released

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy began his five-year prison sentence in Paris on Tuesday (October 21) for conspiring to raise campaign funds from Libya, in a stunning downfall for a man who led the country between 2007 and 2012.

France's Sarkozy begins five-year prison sentence in Paris

US Vice-President JD Vance visits Israel amid concerns that the US-brokered peace deal between the country and Hamas will not hold. The Trump administration has redoubled its efforts to cement the fragile Gaza peace agreement after Israel accused Hamas of stalling the hand-over of hostages' bodies and deadly violence flared up in the territory days before.

Jerusalem

U.S. Vice-President Vance visits Israel as Gaza ceasefire falters

Amazon.com cloud service returned to normal operations on Monday (October 20) afternoon, the company said, after an internet outage that caused global turmoil among thousands of sites.

Amazon says AWS cloud service back to normal after outage

Japan's parliament has elected the country's first female leader. Sanae Takaichi, 64, of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), is seen as a hardline conservative who supports traditional gender roles and hawkish foreign policy.

Tokyo

Sanae Takaichi elected Japan's first female prime minister

Three days after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump said Ukraine “could still win” its war with Russia, but added, “I don’t think they will,” raising new questions about Washington’s support for Kyiv.

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Trump doubts Ukraine will win war against Russia

Former FBI Director James Comey is asking a judge to dismiss the criminal charges against him, claiming the prosecution is vindictive and unlawful.

Ex-FBI director James Comey seeks to toss indictment

An appeals court panel is allowing the White House to federalize and deploy National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon.

Portland

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U.S. President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed a rare earths and critical minerals agreement aimed at ensuring a steady supply of the materials at a time when China is trying to tighten control over global supply.

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U.S. and Australia boost rare earths supply with new agreement

A global outage hit Amazon Web Services (AWS), disrupting platforms like Amazon Prime, Fortnite, Alexa, Snapchat, and Duolingo. The issue, caused by increased error rates, took about three hours to mostly resolve.

AWS outage mostly resolved after hours-long global disruption

Centrist Rodrigo Paz won Bolivia's presidential runoff, defeating conservative rival Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga, as the country's worst economic crisis in a generation helped propel the end of nearly two decades of leftist rule.

La Paz

Centrist Rodrigo Paz wins Bolivian presidency

After 10 years in prison without charge, a Lebanese judge has ordered the release of Hannibal Gadhafi, son of the late Libyan leader, Moammar Gadhafi. But it’s on condition that he pays $11 million bail, something his lawyers say they will contest.

Beirut

Lebanon orders Hannibal Gadhafi’s release after 10 years

A cargo aircraft skidded off a Hong Kong runway and collided with a security patrol car before both fell into the sea early Monday, killing the two people in the car, authorities said.

Kowloon

Two killed after cargo plane veers off runway in Hong Kong

Thieves wielding power tools have struck at the famed Louvre Museum in Paris, stealing priceless jewels in a brazen heist that took just four minutes, according to the government. The thieves struck after the museum had already opened its doors to the public, with a major investigation now underway.

‘Priceless’ jewels stolen from France’s Louvre Museum in four-minute heist

U.S. President Donald Trump says he is ending aid to Colombia after the country’s president, Gustavo Petro, accused the U.S. of ‘murder’ when it struck a small boat within Colombian territorial waters in September.

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The Israel-Hamas ceasefire is under pressure, as the Israeli military carries out strikes on southern Gaza and accuses Hamas of opening fire on its forces. Meanwhile, Israel alleges Hamas is stalling on returning the remains of deceased hostages.

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The National Guard could soon be on Chicago’s streets after US President Donald Trump took his case to the country’s highest court - the conservative-leaning Supreme Court.  The President says the city is a war zone - and is in the midst of a rebellion, as residents protest his migrant deportation policy.

Chicago

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China's second-highest ranking general and eight other senior officials have been expelled from the ruling Communist Party and the military on suspicion of serious misconduct linked to corruption.

Beijing

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The United States is sending the two survivors of a Thursday (October 18) strike in the Caribbean to their home countries of Colombia and Ecuador to be detained and prosecuted, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday.

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Doha

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France's world-famous Louvre museum in Paris was forced to close on Sunday after thieves broke into Apollo Gallery and stole valuable crown jewels.

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U.S. President Donald Trump's critics took to the streets Saturday, with millions nationwide participating in "No Kings" rallies, protesting Trump's demonstrations of power.

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The U.S. State Department issued a warning that Hamas appeared to be planning an attack 'against Palestinian civilians,' warning that such an attack would 'constitute a direct and grave violation of the ceasefire agreement'.

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