While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Oct 7, 2025
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Portraits of hostages and victims of Hamas attached to a fence in Berlin ahead of the second anniversary of the militant group's Oct 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
PHOTO: AFP
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Talks begin in Egypt on Trump plan to end Gaza war
Delegations from Israel and Hamas began indirect negotiations in Egypt on Oct 6 that the US hopes will bring a halt to the war in Gaza, facing contentious issues such as demands that Israel pull out of the enclave and Hamas disarm.
Israel and Hamas have both endorsed the overall principles behind President Donald Trump’s plan, under which fighting would cease, hostages go free and aid pour into Gaza, the closest they have come to an end to fighting.
The plan also has the backing of Arab and Western states. Mr Trump has called for negotiations to take place swiftly towards a final deal, in what Washington hails as the closest the sides have yet come to ending the two-year-old conflict.
Mr Trump, who has cast himself as the only world leader capable of achieving peace in Gaza, has invested significant political capital in efforts to end the war that has killed tens of thousands and left US ally Israel increasingly isolated on the world stage.
US Supreme Court starts new term, with major Trump cases in store
PHOTO: REUTERS
The US Supreme Court began its new nine-month term on Oct 6 with major cases in store concerning presidential powers as President Donald Trump probes the limits of his authority under the US Constitution and federal law, while turning away a high-profile appeal by Jeffrey Epstein’s former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.
Before hearing arguments in its first two cases of the term, the court rebuffed appeals in multiple cases.
One of them was a bid by British socialite Maxwell to overturn her conviction for helping Epstein, the late financier and convicted sex offender, sexually abuse teenage girls, as the justices steered clear of a case that continues to hound Mr Trump and his administration.
France’s Macron tasks his outgoing PM with holding last-ditch talks to end crisis
PHOTO: AFP
French President Emmanuel Macron on Oct 6 tasked his outgoing prime minister, who had resigned earlier in the day, to hold last-ditch talks with other political parties to try to chart a path out of the crisis.
Mr Sebastien Lecornu had tendered his government’s resignation only hours after announcing his Cabinet line-up, making it the shortest-lived administration in modern French history and deepening the country’s political crisis.
It was not immediately clear what Mr Lecornu’s task would entail. France’s constitution allows Mr Macron to reappoint Mr Lecornu as prime minister, should he wish. Mr Macron gave Mr Lecornu - who will hold meetings with political parties on Oct 7 morning - 48 hours.
Pakistan militant-linked violence soars in third quarter
PHOTO: AFP
Violence in Pakistan has surged over the past three months due to a spike in militant attacks and intensified counter-terrorism operations, an Islamabad-based think tank said on Oct 6.
The Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) reported a 46 per cent rise in fatalities, including civilians, security personnel and militants, compared to the previous quarter.
2025 is on track to be deadlier than 2024 – already the most violent year in a decade.
‘Terrible’ Zverev dumped out of Shanghai by France’s Rinderknech
PHOTO: EPA
World number three Alexander Zverev said he was playing “terrible tennis” after he was knocked out of the Shanghai Masters by France’s Arthur Rinderknech 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 on Oct 6.
His exit leaves Novak Djokovic as the tournament’s top-ranked player, increasing the 38-year-old Serb’s chances of winning a record-extending fifth title in the Chinese financial hub.
In stifling conditions, the 54th-ranked Rinderknech came back from a set down to stun an increasingly rattled Zverev into submission.
