Troops Out, Aid In, Yet Silent.

Hi Global Recap readers,

It’s been two years since October 7, and the surviving hostages have finally returned home, with Israeli troops pulling back to the agreed-upon lines and releasing thousands of prisoners.

• According to reports, there is still gunfire in the region—but it’s not between Israel and Hamas; rather, it’s between Hamas and local tribes vying for control of the area’s future.

• For now, the ceasefire is holding, and across Israel, there’s a rare sense of relief and hope for peace.

Back in the US, there’s an unusual sense of unity in praising Trump (even on CNN and MSNBC). But not from everyone. 👇🏼

🌐 WORLD
Fast Scroll News

🇺🇸 Trump Chairs Gaza Summit

Hamas just released the last 20 living Israeli hostages as part of a ceasefire deal, while Israel freed nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

• Exchange: The International Committee of the Red Cross oversaw the transfer of 20 hostages to Israel and 1,969 Palestinians to Gaza, the West Bank, and Egypt.

• Summit: US President Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi co-chaired a gathering in Sharm el-Sheikh with more than 20 world leaders to discuss Gaza’s future.

• Recognition: El-Sissi awarded Trump Egypt’s highest civilian honor, the Order of the Nile, and called the ceasefire the “last chance” for peace.

• Return: Among those freed were long-term Palestinian detainees, including 250 convicted of terrorist attacks, with 154 exiled to Egypt for resettlement in third countries.

• Aftermath: Aid groups prepared hundreds of trucks of food and medical supplies for Gaza, where hundreds of thousands remain displaced after two years of war.

Here are Trump’s remarks at the Israeli Knesset, which drew multiple standing ovations and interruptions from Arab party members who were subsequently evicted.

🇺🇸 Obama Snubs Trump

Before today’s release, former President Barack Obama publicly praised the Gaza peace deal but deliberately avoided mentioning Donald Trump, the president who brokered it—prompting even CNN to call him out.

• Statement: Obama wrote he was "relieved that an end to the conflict is within sight," but avoided crediting Trump directly.

• Mockery: Donald Trump Jr. responded online, finishing Obama's words with "Thank you, Donald Trump."

• Reaction: When the deal was announced, Democratic senators Chris Coons, Tim Kaine, and Dick Durbin praised it.

• Silence: However, figures like Greta Thunberg, who have been vocal critics of Israel and the Gaza conflict, remain notably silent, prompting questions about why she is quiet just as the prospect of peace seems closer (subject to change, of course).

• Bipartisan: Both parties, for overlapping and differing reasons, wanted this war to be concluded.

🇷🇺 NATO Mocks Russian Sub

NATO chief Mark Rutte openly mocked Russia after its submarine Novorossiysk surfaced off France, with Moscow insisting it was routine and not a breakdown.

• Incident: The diesel-powered Novorossiysk, part of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, surfaced near the coast of France on October 9, 2025. Russia claimed it was following navigation rules, not suffering a malfunction.

• Contradiction: Dutch authorities reported the vessel was under tow in the North Sea, directly challenging Moscow’s denial.

• Leak: A Telegram channel known for Russian security leaks alleged on September 27 that fuel had seeped into the hold, raising fears of an explosion.

• Capability: The Novorossiysk, commissioned in 2014, carries Kalibr cruise missiles and was returning from a Mediterranean patrol.

🇨🇳 China Defends, Trump "TACOs"

As expected, after the stock market plunged on Friday following President Trump’s announcement of a 100% tariff increase, he softened his tone over the weekend, prompting a strong market rebound today.

• Measure: The rules, announced October 12, 2025, require licenses for companies seeking to ship rare earths and related technologies abroad.

• Defense: However, on Sunday, China’s Ministry of Commerce defended its new export controls on rare earths, arguing that they comply with international obligations on non-proliferation and serve to protect global supply chain stability, insisting that they are lawful measures rather than outright bans.

• Accusation: Beijing accused Washington of abusing the concept of national security, pointing to the increased US tariffs of 100% on Chinese goods and new restrictions on semiconductor equipment.

• Question: The term “TACO” (Trump Always Chickens Out) carries a negative connotation. Yet in this case, had he not acted, his meeting with President Xi later this month might have been canceled, potentially escalating hostility and creating economic tensions that could hurt both sides.

  • The real question, then, is whether the US should continue taking a hard line against China or ease off in the interest of stability.

  • Both approaches carry consequences, but as long as one acknowledges them, the debate is valid. It ultimately comes down to priorities rather than simply picking sides.

🇲🇬 Madagascar Leader Flees

Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina just fled the country on a French military plane after losing support from parts of the armed forces and facing weeks of youth-led protests.

• Trigger: Rajoelina, 51, vanished from public view after Wednesday, and by Sunday, he had boarded a French aircraft reportedly arranged under an agreement with President Emmanuel Macron.

• Accusation: He claimed a faction of the military was plotting a coup, while opposition leader Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko confirmed his exit after speaking with the presidency staff.

• Reaction: Protesters and some army units celebrated news of his departure, seeing it as a victory for the youth-led demonstrations demanding his resignation.

• Delay: His office announced a national address for Monday evening but postponed it twice after armed forces threatened to seize state media.

• Status: Macron, speaking in Egypt, refused to confirm France’s role, saying only that “constitutional order must be preserved in Madagascar.”

🇬🇧 UNITED KINGDOM
China Spy
Trial Collapses

British prosecutors abruptly collapsed a high-profile espionage case against two men accused of spying for China, just weeks before trial.

But why? 👇️ 

The Case That Vanished

So what exactly happened here? The trial was supposed to start in weeks, but prosecutors suddenly pulled the plug.

• Christopher Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry were charged in April 2024 under the Official Secrets Act.

• They were accused of collecting and passing information harmful to UK interests between December 2021 and February 2023.

• Both men denied the charges from the start, and in September 2025, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) dropped the case, saying the evidence no longer met the legal threshold.

Why It Fell Apart

The CPS says the problem wasn’t the men, but the government’s own paperwork.

• Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson explained that prosecutors needed proof the UK had officially labeled China a "threat to national security" at the time of the alleged offenses.

• That designation did not exist in 2021–2023, so the CPS argued the case could not proceed.

• Legal experts have pushed back, saying the CPS may not have needed that specific designation to prosecute.

Political Blame Game

Once the trial collapsed, the political knives came out.

• Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the charges were tied to the Conservative government’s position at the time, when China was not officially listed as a threat.

• Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch rejected that, pointing out that security officials had already documented hundreds of Chinese activities that could have been used as evidence.

• Tories accused Starmer’s national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, of withholding evidence because of his push for closer ties with Beijing. Ministers denied Powell had any role in the case.

China Policy in the Crosshairs

• Since Labour’s election win in 2024, senior ministers, including Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Chancellor Rachel Reeves, have visited Beijing to strengthen trade ties.

• Badenoch accused Starmer of being "too weak to stand up to Beijing," framing the trial collapse as proof of political softness.

• The government insists its China policy is pragmatic, balancing economic growth with national security.

What Comes Next

The fallout is far from over, and the opposition smells blood.

• Badenoch has demanded that Starmer answer "unanswered questions" about why the CPS lacked evidence.

• The government is trying to shift focus back to economic policy, but the spy case has become a symbol of whether Labour can be trusted on security.

• With China relations already under scrutiny in Europe and the US, this collapse could ripple far beyond Westminster.