10 Things Global News - 19th November 2025
Interesting and important news from around the world
Congress Backs Release Of Epstein Files
Sheinbaum Rejects Threat Of US Strikes In Mexico
Trump Defends MBS Over Khashoggi Killing
Israeli Strike On Lebanon Refugee Camp Kills 13
AI Boom Drives Surge In Carbon Credit Demand
China Travel Warning Triggers Flight Cancellations To Japan
WHO Plans Major Workforce Cuts After US Withdrawal
Russia Accused Of Sabotage Across Europe
Gunmen Seize 25 Schoolgirls in Northwestern Nigeria
Record Klimt Sale Revives a Hidden Wartime History
On this day …..
On this day in 1863 Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address, recasting the Civil War as a struggle to uphold a nation “conceived in liberty” and committed to the principle that “all men are created equal.”
The speech strengthened the Union’s moral framing of the conflict and became one of the most cited texts in American political life. Yet the ideal it articulated — equality as a national foundation — remains unevenly interpreted and contested today.
Is the Address still a unifying reference point, or merely an aspirational one?
Congress moved quickly on Tuesday to approve a bill compelling the Justice Department to release a wide range of unclassified records tied to Jeffrey Epstein. The House passed the measure 427–1, and the Senate advanced it hours later by unanimous consent after President Donald Trump reversed his previous opposition and urged lawmakers to disclose the files. Survivors in the House gallery cheered as the vote closed, reflecting long-running frustration over limited transparency.
However, the shift followed months of Republican infighting. Some GOP leaders had aligned with the White House to resist disclosure, arguing for added privacy protections, while Democrats pressed to highlight what they viewed as an attempt to shield information. Trump’s reversal changed the dynamic, as his allies acknowledged the issue had become politically damaging.
The bill now goes to the president’s desk. It directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to release the materials within 30 days, although she may withhold information that would jeopardise investigations or identify victims.
Sources: Politico, BBC
Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, has again dismissed Donald Trump’s suggestion that the United States could authorise military strikes against drug cartels on Mexican soil. She said such action was “not going to happen”, stressing that Mexico would not accept intervention from any foreign government.
Her response followed Trump’s remarks that he would be willing to take forceful steps to stop drug flows and was “not happy with Mexico”, although US officials later indicated that any strike would require Mexico’s consent.
However, Sheinbaum said Mexico would accept collaboration and intelligence-sharing, but not the presence of foreign troops. She pointed to the Mexican-American war as a reminder of the consequences of allowing US forces into the country, explaining that her position had been conveyed repeatedly in conversations with Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
As a result, scrutiny has grown over whether the expanding US campaign against trafficking networks in surrounding waters could shift towards land-based targets in Mexico.
Sources: The Guardian, Al Jazeera
Donald Trump has defended Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during the leader’s first US visit since the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Trump said the crown prince “knew nothing” about the murder, contradicting a 2021 US intelligence assessment that found he had approved the operation.
Mohammed, who has denied wrongdoing, called the killing “painful” and said Saudi Arabia had taken “all the right steps” to investigate it. In response to a reporter’s question about the killing, Trump said “A lot of people didn’t like that gentleman that you’re talking about. Whether you like him or didn’t like him, things happen.”
However, Trump’s remarks pointed to a broader reset in US-Saudi relations. The crown prince received a ceremonial welcome at the White House and discussed potential agreements on nuclear power, artificial intelligence and increased Saudi investment in the United States.
He also said the two countries may advance talks on a major F-35 aircraft sale. As a result, the visit highlighted how political and commercial priorities are again shaping Washington’s approach to Riyadh despite continuing criticism over the killing.
Sources: BBC, Washington Post
An Israeli strike on the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon killed 13 people on Tuesday, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. Several others were wounded, and ambulances continued transporting casualties to nearby hospitals.
Lebanese media reported that a drone first targeted a car near the Khalid bin Al-Walid Mosque before three missiles hit the mosque and a nearby centre. However, Israel said it had struck a Hamas training compound used to plan attacks, and vowed to continue targeting Hamas operatives in Lebanon.
Local Palestinian factions condemned the strike, which occurred in a camp disarmed after the Israel–Hezbollah ceasefire of November 2024. Israel has carried out repeated strikes in Lebanon for more than two years, targeting Hezbollah and Palestinian militant groups. As a result, tension has persisted despite last year’s ceasefire, with the escalation traced back to Hezbollah’s attacks following Hamas’s 7 October 2023 assault on Israel.
Sources: CNN, Le Monde
Demand for high-quality carbon removal credits has surged as major technology companies buy increasing volumes to offset the emissions associated with expanding AI infrastructure.
Experts said this rapid rise has helped create a shortage, with credits linked to long-term removals such as biochar and direct air capture becoming far more sought after than cheaper forest-preservation projects. Microsoft and Google are among the largest buyers, contributing to a combined $10 billion spent on durable removals since 2019.
However, supply has not kept pace. Data from climate-tech firm Patch showed strong buyer interest in biochar and reforestation credits, but limited availability meant far fewer were ultimately sold. Market analysts said demand for durable removals rose from 8 million tons in 2024 to 25 million tons so far this year. As a result, prices have risen sharply, which experts argue is necessary to stimulate new investment and long-term supply growth.
Sources: Reuters, Asia Financial
Nearly half a million flight tickets to Japan have been cancelled by Chinese travellers in recent days after Beijing warned citizens to avoid the country amid rising tensions. Data from aviation analysts showed cancellations reaching more than 491,000 since Saturday, representing about one-third of Chinese airlines’ bookings to Japan.
Rates peaked at over 80 per cent on Sunday, with cancellations far outpacing new reservations. Airlines responded by offering full refunds and free itinerary changes for flights booked until the end of December.
The disruption follows comments from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggesting Tokyo could deploy its military in a Taiwan Strait conflict, prompting fierce criticism from Beijing. As a result, travel has fallen sharply, cultural exchanges have been suspended and some airlines have cancelled routes through early 2026.
Analysts said Chinese carriers are likely to bear the greatest losses because they dominate the market, although some capacity could adjust if relations stabilise.
Sources: The Guardian, South China Morning Post
The World Health Organization will shrink its workforce by nearly a quarter by mid-2026 after the United States withdrew from the agency, removing its largest source of funding. Documents prepared for member states show the Geneva-based body expects to lose 2,371 posts from January 2025 levels through job cuts, retirements and other departures. A spokesperson said the final reduction could reach 22%, depending on which vacant posts are filled.
The agency has already scaled back its work and halved its management team since Washington, which previously supplied about 18% of its funding, ended its membership at the start of the year. However, the reform process is now nearing completion, according to a message to staff from Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. As a result, the organisation is preparing to “move forward” with a smaller but restructured workforce.
Budget pressures remain significant. The WHO faces a $1.06bn hole in its 2026–27 plan, although this is narrower than earlier projections and excludes expected funding currently under negotiation.
Sources: Reuters, The Guardian
Russia is accused of carrying out sabotage operations across Europe, including an explosion on Poland’s Warsaw–Lublin railway line and damage to power lines along the same route. Polish authorities said the incidents were organised by “secret services from the East”, and prosecutors have opened an investigation into acts described as terrorist-nature sabotage. Two Ukrainian citizens suspected of collaborating with Russia are believed to have fled to Belarus. The line is a key route for transporting aid to Ukraine.
The incidents follow earlier reports of Russian drones entering European airspace and strikes on a gas-laden tanker near the Romanian border. Former UK security minister Tom Tugendhat said the tanker strike was tantamount to “attacking Nato”. However, alliance officials have so far taken a cautious public stance.
European officials have warned that the pattern of sabotage poses risks to critical infrastructure, as well as to transport links relied upon for Ukraine-related logistics.
Sources: The Independent, National Security News
Gunmen abducted 25 schoolgirls from a boarding school in Kebbi state before dawn on Monday, in one of the latest mass kidnappings to hit Nigeria’s northwestern region. Police said the attackers entered the school at around 4 a.m., exchanged fire with guards, and took the girls from their dormitories. At least one staff member was killed, while another was injured; local residents believe the death toll may be higher.
The authorities describe the assailants as armed bandits who specialise in kidnap-for-ransom operations rather than ideological militants. However, the scale of the attack echoes earlier abductions, and state forces are now combing suspected escape routes and surrounding forests to locate the students.
The raid forms part of a wider pattern. Since Boko Haram abducted 276 students from Chibok in 2014, more than 1,500 schoolchildren have been kidnapped across northern Nigeria. Meanwhile, such attacks had declined recently as state governments introduced stronger security measures, suggesting this incident may test those gains.
Sources: Africa News, Associated Press
Gustav Klimt’s Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer has sold for $236.4 million at a Sotheby's auction, setting a new record for modern art after a 20-minute bidding battle in New York. The full-length portrait, completed between 1914 and 1916, remained in private hands and survived the wartime fire that destroyed many of Klimt’s works. Its sale, part of the late Leonard Lauder’s collection, exceeded previous auction records and helped lift overall demand for major pieces across the evening.
The painting’s history, however, offers a deeper context. It depicts a member of one of Vienna’s wealthiest families before Nazi Germany annexed Austria. Looters dismissed the Lederer portraits as “too Jewish” to steal, and Lederer later claimed Klimt was her father to convince officials to let her remain in Vienna. Meanwhile, the auction also featured an 18-karat gold toilet by Maurizio Cattelan, sold for $12.1 million, as the wider sale signalled renewed momentum in the high-end art market.