Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made an unannounced visit to Israel on Monday, meeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel's defense minister at Ovda Air Base, where U.S. refueling planes and fighter jets are stationed, officials said. He also visited U.S. troops there. The visit comes about a week before Israel's election and amid U.S.-Israeli discussions about potentially resuming major combat operations against Iran. The Pentagon and Israeli Embassy declined to comment.

Vice President JD Vance said Monday he would not endorse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's reelection bid, telling 2WAY Tonight, "I'm not anti-endorsing him. I'm not pro-endorsing him." He said he was "not getting involved," endorses American candidates, and is focusing on the U.S. midterms. His comments followed President Trump's Sunday Truth Social post backing Netanyahu ahead of Israel's October 27 election.

The Justice Department charged 28 people in California with election-related offenses, including allegations that some illegally registered and voted as noncitizens. Federal agents arrested 11 noncitizens Monday morning in an operation called "Protect the Vote." The action follows a DOJ lawsuit against California and an emergency court request to stop the state from processing ballots from voters flagged as likely noncitizens. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the number shows "there is no widespread voter fraud."

President Trump and Vice President JD Vance announced a $25 million Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program on Tuesday, offering tipsters up to $30,000 for information leading to fraud convictions or significant federal enforcement actions. Trump said successful whistleblowers could receive a 1% commission on recovered funds and that he would personally arbitrate disputes over awards. Trump presented a $10,000 check to independent journalist Nick Shirley for exposing alleged fraud in Minnesota.

President Trump and the USDA announced an $8 billion relief program, called Harvest Fuel Relief, to help farmers offset high diesel costs during this harvest season through one-time payments. Farmers do not need crop insurance to qualify and can prepare by creating a Login.gov account. The program likely won't have an immediate impact.

Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University student, asked the Supreme Court on Monday to take up his case and let federal courts quickly review the legality of immigration detentions. He seeks to block the Trump administration from rearresting him and to sue over alleged First Amendment violations, saying his earlier months-long detention was retaliation for pro-Palestinian speech.

The Federal Aviation Administration certified the Boeing 737 Max 10, the largest version of Boeing's 737 Max family, after years of delays. The certification clears the jet for passenger service. Ryanair had earlier said it was optimistic the certification would be completed in October.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said Russia, the US and China have all acknowledged the possibility of a trilateral summit, which Putin raised with Trump in a phone call, the Wall Street Journal reported. Such a meeting would exclude Ukraine and its European allies. Peskov said there is no agreement yet on the meeting or its agenda. Trump said Monday he would be open to a trilateral summit with Putin and Xi, possibly alongside November's APEC meeting in Shenzhen, to discuss denuclearization rather than Ukraine, and that no deal has been reached. China has not expressed willingness to participate.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held talks with Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar in Mumbai on Tuesday as both countries work to finalize a long-pending trade deal. Rubio's visit also touched on India's purchases of Russian oil. President Trump separately said the trade deal was "pretty close" after more than a year of negotiations.

The Department of Homeland Security ordered removal of Chinese AI startup DeepSeek's products from U.S. federal civilian government systems, citing what it called "multiple threat vectors." The order was dated July but published in the Federal Register on Monday, Oct. 19. China pushed back against the ban, warning of potential retaliation.

Britain's Ministry of Defense said it will deploy RAF Typhoon fighter jets to fly defensive air missions protecting Saudi infrastructure, following intensified Houthi attacks on Saudi airports and oil facilities. Turkey is separately seeking parliamentary approval for a defense pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan that could enable military assistance, while Egypt is weighing sending troops to Saudi Arabia.

Albertans voted in the province's first-ever referendum on separation, rejecting a move toward independence and backing remaining in Canada, with results confirmed Tuesday. The vote did not itself decide independence but would have begun a process toward a future separation vote. Prime Minister Mark Carney called the outcome "a clear choice" for national unity and "a great day for Canada." The campaign exposed divisions in the oil-rich province.

A Kenyan court convicted Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, leader of a Christian doomsday cult, of 191 murders, including 190 children, many killed by starvation. Mackenzie had told followers in a remote forest to fast in order to meet Jesus. He faced trial after hundreds of bodies were exhumed; more than 400 followers of the cult died in total.

Independent lawmaker Helen Haines was critically injured Monday when a vehicle deliberately struck her, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said. She lost one leg, and doctors are working to save the other, according to family of the suspect, who was arrested. Reuters reported anti-terror police are investigating. She remained in critical but stable condition Tuesday.

The death toll from a landslide that struck an unauthorized gold mine in southwestern Colombia on Monday rose to 14, including 12 women, authorities said Tuesday. Seven people were injured, according to Reuters. The mine is among a growing number of small-scale, unlicensed operations in Colombia fueled by rising global gold prices, the New York Times reported.

French authorities extended overnight curfews in Paris and other major cities, saying the measures would remain in place for as long as necessary after a calm night, the prime minister said. The curfews follow the country's largest riots in years. More than 2,500 people remain in custody, and those arrested face expedited trials. Student unions and yellow vest groups plan new protests for Saturday.

British police re-arrested a 24-year-old British national and a 25-year-old dual U.K.-Iranian national under the National Security Act, on suspicion of assisting Iran's intelligence service. The two had previously been arrested and released during an investigation into a suspected plot near RAF Fairford, an air base in England used by U.S. bombers.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met US envoys, including Steve Witkoff, in Oslo on Tuesday amid tensions with President Trump. Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said Witkoff would travel to St. Petersburg on Wednesday to meet Russian leadership to try to restart peace talks on ending the war in Ukraine. The meetings followed a reported US pressure campaign on Kyiv alongside outreach to Moscow.

Nigerian health authorities confirmed the country's first Ebola case, in a patient who had traveled from Uganda. The confirmation comes amid an Ebola outbreak spreading in Africa. Authorities did not provide further details on the patient's condition or location.

A Google Cloud disruption in its London region began around 7 a.m. local time on Tuesday, affecting services at UK banks including Revolut and Lloyds. The cause was not immediately clear. Revolut later said some services were back online, and Google Cloud said by evening that services were mostly recovered.