Tuesday morning news: October 14, 2025

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SOUND: [Israel music]

Israel hostages latest, next steps » Singing and tears of joy in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv on Monday … as the 20 surviving Israeli hostages were set free … after two agonizing years in captivity.

Officials were well prepared to receive them. Dr. Lena Koren Feldman with Beilinson Hospital:

FELDMAN:  For each of them, we have assembled a dedicated and personalized medical team, including a physician, mental health professionals, physiotherapist, and dieticians.

The Hamas terror group took around 250 hostages during its October 7th attack.

Israeli authorities were able to bring more than 150 of them home, either by military rescue or by way of numerous exchanges. But sadly, many died in captivity. And officials received the bodies of several deceased hostages Monday.

In return for Hamas releasing the surviving hostages, Israel agreed to release some 2000 Palestinian security detainees and prisoners … including some known terrorists.

Egypt peace summit » Meantime, in Egypt …

President Trump called for a new era of harmony in the Middle East.

TRUMP:  The momentous breakthrough that we're here to celebrate tonight is more than the end of the war in Gaza. It's with God's help. It'll be the new beginning for an entire beautiful Middle East.

The president heard there during a global summit in Egypt on Gaza’s future.

He urged world leaders to put "the old feuds” to rest and seize momentum. He called it a once-in-a-lifetime chance "to declare that our future will not be ruled by the fights of generations past.”

Egypt’s government says it has awarded Trump the country’s top civilian honor … for brokering the Gaza peace deal.

The president also visited Israel … where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remarked …

NETANYAHU:  Mr. President, you are committed to this peace. I am committed to this peace , and together, Mr. President, we will achieve this peace.

The prime minister also thanked Trump for his efforts in uniting the region behind the peace deal that halted the war.

China trade » The Trump administration is working to defuse the latest spike in trade tensions between the United States and China.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent:

BESSENT:  I am optimistic that this can be deescalated, but you know, we're, we're willing to, uh, do whatever it takes and, you know, to adopt whatever posture it takes. And again, this is a global problem and I think our global allies will follow us on this.

It started last week when Beijing announced new export restrictions on rare earth minerals … which are critical for high-tech manufacturing, both commercial and military.

President Trump in response threatened 100% tariffs on all Chinese goods starting next month.

BESSENT:  They announced these export controls, uh, that are going to go into effect next month, and we have aggressively pushed back against them.

China is demanding that the White House withdraw that threat.

Meanwhile, new Chinese trade data shows exports to the US down for the sixth straight month, dropping 27-percent in September from the year before.

Ukraine / Zelenskyy to visit » Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he will travel to Washington this week … for meetings with President Trump and other leaders. That news came a day after Trump said he would consider supplying long-range tomahawk missiles to Ukraine if Russia does not end the war soon.

ZELESNKYY: The main topics are air defence and our possibilities with long range (strikes) to pressure on Russia.

Tomahawk missiles would allow Ukraine to strike deeper into Russian territory. Zelenskyy is also looking for more protection … as Moscow continues its assault on Ukraine’s energy grid.

A meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump could happen as early as Friday.

The Ukrainian president said he also plans to meet with defense and energy companies and members of Congress.

Alaska typhoon » In Alaska, the remnants of Typhoon Halong slammed coastal areas with hurricane-force winds and flooding … strong enough to sweep away entire homes.

Carson Jones with the National Weather Service:

JONES:  We had wind gust of a hundred miles an hour. Um, 75 to a hundred miles an hour. Were measured at multiple sites, um, including communities of T Bay, um, St. Paul, uh, chive, um, and some others along the coast that.

More than 30 people were rescued, but three people remain unaccounted for in western Alaska.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy said Monday that “Every effort will be made to help those hit by this storm. Help is on the way.”

Mexico heavy rains death toll » The death toll from last week’s torrential rains in east-central Mexico has risen. WORLD’s Benjamin Eicher has more.

BENJAMIN EICHER: Mexican authorities now say at least 64 people have been killed … and another 65 are missing.

The scale of destruction across five states is becoming clearer, but …

Many communities are still cut off by landslides.

In northern Veracruz, 80 communities remain inaccessible by road.

And President Claudia Sheinbaum says it could still be days before rescue and relief workers are able to drive into hard-hit areas. So for now, she added … “A lot of flights are required to take sufficient food and water” to those places.

Early official estimates note 100,000 affected homes, and in some cases, houses near rivers have “practically disappeared.”

For WORLD, I’m Benjamin Eicher.

I’m Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: celebrations continue in Israel as hostages are reunited with their families. Plus, an update on religious persecution in China.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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