Trump, who landed in Israel minutes after the first hostages reunited with their families, hailed a “historic dawn in a new Middle East” as he gave a speech to the Knesset, the country’s parliament. He then headed to Egypt for the Gaza Peace Summit to meet more than 20 leaders to discuss the next phases of the plan. A declaration was signed by Qatar, Turkey and the US as guarantors of the ceasefire deal.
However, a week on, the truce is on shaky grounds, as Hamas has delayed the release of the bodies of hostages. Amid this tension, Israel has limited the release of aid to Gaza. That’s not all. Hamas is also executing Palestinians, who ‘collaborated’ with Israeli forces during the war, in Gaza, and has been warned by Trump to stop.
Not all is well in the Indian subcontinent as well. Intense border clashes erupted between Afghanistan and Pakistan, with dozens of deaths on both sides. After a 48-hour ceasefire on Wednesday (October 15), the Taliban and Pakistan held critical talks in Doha on Saturday (October 18).
In the US, Ashey Tellis, a prominent Indian-American scholar on India, was arrested for allegedly retaining classified information and meeting US Chinese officials. And the US administration continues to go after Trump’s political enemies.
In India, it’s Diwali time. People are on a purchasing spree, from phones to jewellery and more. The gifting industry is booming.
We talk about all this and more in our weekly wrap.
1. The big story of the week was the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal. However, the pact now seems fragile. While Hamas freed the living hostages, there has been a delay in releasing the bodies of the other captives. Ten out of 28 bodies have been released, but the militant group claims it is unable to access the other remains, causing fury in Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that he is determined to pressure Hamas to find the remaining dead captives.
Friends, families and the wider Israeli public attend the funeral procession of slain hostage Inbar Hayman, who, according to the Israeli army, was killed during the deadly attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023, after attending the Nova festival, and her body was taken to Gaza, in Israel October 17, 2025. Attendees dress in pink in honour of Inbar Hayman, who was a talented graffiti artist. While Hamas has returned some bodies, 19 have not been handed over to Israel. Reuters
2. Among the dead hostages whose bodies were returned was one who wasn’t from Israel. His name was Bipin Joshi, and he hailed from Nepal. The 23-year-old went to the Jewish nation in September 2023 as part of a learning programme and was abducted a month later, on October 7, while working on a farm in southern Israel, which was part of his study. His family had to wait an agonising 738 days to know about Joshi’s fate. This is his tragic story.
Bipin Joshi, a Nepalese man held hostage in Gaza, captured during the deadly October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, is seen in this screen grab taken from a video uncovered by Israel's army, and obtained by Reuters on October 8, 2025. The words in Hebrew say 'from a loot collected by the IDF'. The Hostages Families Forum/Reuters
3. All eyes were on Egypt’s Sharm El Sheikh, where Trump and more than 20 world leaders gathered on Monday (October 13) to discuss the next steps for peace in Gaza. While the US president took centre-stage, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif grabbed headlines for all the wrong reasons.
The Pakistani leader was awkward when Trump praised his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi. It didn’t end there. When Sharif spoke, he heaped praise on the American president and once again reiterated that Trump should be given the Nobel Peace Prize. The Pakistan PM was trolled for the endorsement. However, this is not the first time he has been an embarrassment on the world stage.
India 🇮🇳 is a great country with a very good friend of mine 🇺🇸 at the top. He’s done a fantastic job. I think India and Pakistan will live very nicely together, says Donald Trump looking at Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif at Egypt hosted summit of peace on #Gaza. pic.twitter.com/eCKiwb637E
— سعود حافظ | Saud Hafiz (@saudrahman27) October 13, 2025
4. A new conflict gripped Asia this week – that between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Airstrikes and ground fighting have left many dead and 100 wounded. Afghanistan claimed that its forces killed 58 Pakistani soldiers during overnight border operations, while Pakistan claimed it killed more than 200 Afghan soldiers.
The clashes along the border were the worst between the Islamic neighbours since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021. After tensions erupted over the last weekend and then escalated on Wednesday, a 48-hour ceasefire was announced. The two sides held talks in Doha on Saturday, before which the Taliban government accused Pakistan of violating Afghanistan's sovereignty and initiating a fresh round of violence. But why are the two nations battling?
Afghan Taliban fighters patrol near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in Spin Boldak, Kandahar Province, following exchanges of fire between Pakistani and Afghan forces in Afghanistan, October 15. Reuters
5. Ashley Tellis is a renowned name in geopolitical strategy circles. The Indian-origin foreign policy expert has been an adviser to the US State Department since 2001. However, he is now in America’s bad books. He was arrested for allegedly retaining classified documents and meeting Chinese officials. This
6. Paris is synonymous with the Eiffel Tower. It attracts millions of visitors every year, and in 2023, it generated €117.87 million in revenue. However, there is increased speculation that there are plans to demolish the landmark next year. The rumours started after the temporary closure. We fact-check the viral claim.
A view of the Eiffel Tower and the Paris skyline at sunset from the Montparnasse Tower. The rumours of the demolition of the landmark started after a temporary closure. File photo/Reuters
7. It’s Diwali, and India is gripped in a joyous mood. It is time for celebration and some big spending. Until a few decades ago, the festival was all about visiting homes and exchanging a box of sweets. A lot has changed since. The parties are bigger and so are the gifts. We take a deep dive into $80 billion gifting industry.
That’s all from us this week. Happy Diwali! Let there be light, laughter and more.
