Morning Briefing: Nov. 3, 2025

ISTANBUL

Here is a rundown of all the news you need to start your Monday, including a 6.3-magnitude earthquake that struck Afghanistan, killing at least five and injuring 143, the Palestinian group Hamas handing over the remains of three more Israeli hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross under a ceasefire agreement with Israel, and the Syrian foreign minister's announcement that President Ahmad al-Sharaa will pay an official visit to the White House in a historic first.

​​​​​TOP STORIES

• At least 5 dead, 143 injured after 6.3-magnitude earthquake strikes Afghanistan

At least five people died and 143 were injured after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan.

The earthquake also caused financial losses, TOLO News reported, citing the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority.

The quake occurred at approximately 1 am local time (2030GMT Sunday) at a depth of 28 kilometers (17.4 miles) near Mazar-e-Sharif, one of the country's largest cities, said the US Geological Survey (USGS).

• Hamas transfers remains of 3 more Israeli hostages

The Palestinian group Hamas handed over the remains of three more Israeli hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) under a ceasefire agreement with Israel, the Israeli army confirmed.

Hamas earlier said that it would hand over the bodies of three captives it had recovered from under the rubble.

Later, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that the army has received the remains of three Israelis who had been held in the Gaza Strip.

• Sharaa to visit White House in 1st-ever official visit by Syrian president: Foreign minister

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa will pay an official visit to the White House, in a historic first, to help open a “new chapter” in relations between Damascus and Washington, said the nation’s foreign minister.

“President Ahmad al-Sharaa will be at the White House at the start of November,” Asaad al-Shaibani said in a speech in the Gulf state of Bahrain.

“Of course, this is a historic visit. It is the first visit by a Syrian president to the White House in more than 80 years,” Shaibani said.

US Special Envoy Tom Barrack, who also serves as US ambassador to Türkiye, told Axios that the visit will take place on Nov. 10.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• US President Donald Trump ruled out seeking a third term in the 2028 presidential election as he spoke during an interview with CBS News' 60 Minutes.
• The Netherlands will return a 3,500-year-old stone head sculpture to Egypt, Prime Minister Dick Schoof told President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi
• US President Donald Trump said Washington will "be involved" in helping Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with the legal charges he is facing.
• The International Organization for Migration (IOM) announced that 1,205 people were displaced from the cities of Bara and Umm Ruwaba in North Kordofan state while another 360 fled from Al-Abbasiya and Delami in South Kordofan due to worsening insecurity.
• The Lebanese army mobilized its forces in the border town of Meiss El-Jabal in southern Lebanon following Israeli military movements near the border.
• US President Donald Trump said North Korea is not the only country testing nuclear weapons, claiming that Russia and China are also testing.
• The Israeli army committed 194 violations of the Gaza ceasefire agreement that came into effect on Oct. 10, said the Government Media Office.
• Israeli police said that outgoing Military Advocate General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi was found alive hours after she went missing.
• Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly called on Israel to withdraw from five border posts it occupies in southern Lebanon.
• Donald Trump told reporters that he is not considering providing Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles at the moment.
• US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said there will be no "mushroom cloud" from President Donald Trump's order to resume nuclear weapons testing, clarifying that the planned activities involve system checks.
• New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo said he will try to cooperate with US President Donald Trump if elected, emphasizing their previous working relationship when he served as governor.
• The death toll from a landslide in Kenya’s Rift Valley has risen to 26 as rescue teams continue searching for dozens of people still reported missing following heavy rains, the country's interior minister said.
• Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein vowed support for Türkiye in its ongoing dialogue with the PKK/YPG terror group to reach a comprehensive solution in the region.
• Cessation of the PKK terror group's activities not just in Türkiye but also in Iraq, Syria and Iran is "quite important" for regional stability, security and preventing foreign intervention, the Turkish foreign minister said.
• The death toll from floods in central Vietnam rose to 36, with at least four others still missing.
• Türkiye and Iraq signed a “mechanism document” for the financing of cooperation projects in the field of water as part of a broader framework agreement between the two countries.
• India launched what it called its heaviest communications satellite yet, according to the country's space agency.
• The UK is taking steps to remove the final honorary military rank from Andrew Mountbatten Windsor – the former Prince Andrew – under the direction of King Charles, Defense Secretary John Healey confirmed.
• SpaceX successfully launched South Korea's fifth homegrown military spy satellite from a US space base in Florida on a Falcon 9 rocket, Seoul’s Defense Ministry said.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY​​​​​​​

• Poland’s obesity costs to reach 5% of GDP by 2060, report warns

Poland is set to spend nearly 5% of its GDP on obesity-related health problems by 2060, almost double the 2019 level, according to a report by the Polish Economic Institute (PIE).

The state-owned think tank projects Warsaw’s spending will rise to 4.86% of GDP, placing Poland second in the EU behind Bulgaria, where costs could hit 7.08%.

Based on data from the Polish National Health Fund (NFZ), 64.5% of adult Poles are overweight, including 26.8% classified as obese.

• Saudi Arabia ramps up AI ambitions with Humain at the helm

Saudi Arabia is channeling its vast oil revenues into advancing its sweeping artificial intelligence (AI) goals, with its primary push led by Humain, a domestic tech firm developing a comprehensive AI ecosystem.

From data centers and cloud infrastructure to large language models and applications, the company is backed by the kingdom's sovereign wealth fund, which oversees nearly $1 trillion in assets.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman introduced Humain in May, shortly before US President Donald Trump visited Riyadh. During this week’s Future Investment Initiative in the capital, Saudi officials provided further details, underscoring the vast scope, bold vision and substantial funding behind the initiative.