October 22, 2025

MIDDLE EAST | Updates from regional conflicts:

• Ahead of a meeting today with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance said yesterday that Turkey and Indonesia are among countries expected to contribute troops to an eventual international security force in Gaza. [more]
• The International Court of Justice is expected to issue an advisory opinion today on Israel's legal obligations to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. The opinion was requested by the U.N. General Assembly last year. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 1,336 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Amidst apparent Russian reluctance to declare an immediate cease-fire to kickstart negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, a planned in-person meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest, Hungary, has been put on hold, with Trump stating that he did not want it to be a "waste of time." [more]
• Ukrainian officials say at least six people were killed, and 18 others were injured, in large-scale overnight Russian drone and missile attacks targeting energy infrastructure across Ukraine. [more]

U.S. PRESIDENCY | The New York Times reports that attorneys for President Donald Trump have filed legal claims seeking some $230 million from the Justice Department in compensation for Trump for previous federal investigations into his actions. Asked about the claims yesterday, Trump said he was "damaged very greatly," and that a "decision would have to go across my desk and it’s awfully strange to make a decision where I’m paying myself." Trump also said he would give any proceeds from the claims to charity. [more]

U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT | Reports say a recent memo issued by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth significantly changes how the department interacts with Congress. The October 15 memo orders Pentagon officials to obtain permission prior to any communication with Capitol Hill. Previously, individual agencies and military branches within the Pentagon were able to manage their own communications with Congress. [more]

U.S. IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT | Protesters clashed with immigration agents and other federal officers yesterday during what Department of Homeland Security officials described as an enforcement operation against sellers of “counterfeit goods" in New York City's Chinatown district. Reports say dozens of people surrounded federal agents and attempted to prevent them from driving off and that at least one person was arrested during the incident. [more]

U.S. CONGRESS | Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes filed a federal lawsuit yesterday over House Speaker Mike Johnson's refusal to swear-in and seat Adelita Grijalva, who was elected in a September special election. Johnson has suggested he won't swear Grijalva in until the House resumes regular sessions, while Mayes argues in the lawsuit that “the Constitution does not give that authority to the Speaker—or anyone else” to delay Grijalva’s appointment. [more]

U.S. GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN | Day 22. President Donald Trump said yesterday that he will not agree to meet with top Democratic lawmakers House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to discuss extending health care premium subsidies until the federal government shutdown ends. [more]

TROPICAL STORM MELISSA | Forecasters say several areas of the Caribbean Sea region could receive as much as 10 inches of rain through Friday from Tropical Storm Melissa, which is currently centered about 325 miles south-southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The storm is expected to strengthen gradually, with its future track still uncertain. [more]

RUSSIA | Kremlin officials say Russia carried out major training exercises involving its nuclear weapons capabilities today, including practice launches of nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. [more]

PERU | President José Jerí declared a 30-day state of emergency in Peru's capital, Lima, yesterday amidst what he says is a surge in violence that has sparked protests. Jerí said his government is considering additional steps during the emergency, including deploying soldiers to help police and restricting some rights, such as the freedoms of assembly and movement. [more]

UGANDA | Authorities say two buses traveling in opposite directions collided early this morning near the northern Ugandan town of Kiryandongo, killing at least 63 people. Reports say the buses crashed as both were trying to overtake other vehicles. [more]

BALKANS | The leaders of six western Balkan nations – Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia – are scheduled to meet with British and European leaders today as part of the Berlin Process, which was launched in 2014 to facilitate countries' work toward European Union membership. Migration, security, and economic growth are expected to be among the main topics of discussion at the summit. [more]

NORTH KOREA | In its first such tests in about five months, North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles today, just days before regional leaders gather in South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation annual summit. [more]

NIGERIA | Authorities in Nigeria's north-central Niger State say at least 31 people were killed yesterday following the crash and subsequent explosion of a fuel truck from which local residents were attempting to collect gasoline. [more]

JAPAN | Newly installed Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said today that his country plans to rapidly build up its defense capabilities amidst changing warfare realities and regional tensions and that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who took office yesterday, will discuss the plans with U.S. President Donald Trump during meetings in Tokyo next week. [more]

OLYMPICS | The International Ski and Snowboard Federation has announced that it will not allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete in qualifying events for next year's Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, effectively blocking athletes from the countries from dozens of events at the February Games. [more]

PRECIOUS METALS | Gold, silver, and platinum fell significantly on global markets yesterday, declining 5%, 7.4%, and 5%, respectively, in what many economists say was a long-overdue correction. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1797, André-Jacques Garnerin, an inspector in the French army who encouraged the use of balloons for military purposes, made a balloon ascent in order to give his first exhibition of parachuting, when he jumped from a height of about 3,200 feet (1,000 meters). [more history]