Necva Tastan Sevinc
November 09, 2025•Update: November 09, 2025
ISTANBUL
Here is a rundown of all the news you need to start your Sunday, including the UN saying Sudan’s El-Fasher has become a city of grief; more than 2,000 flights canceled nationwide in the US amid a government shutdown; and Gaza receives remains of 15 more Palestinians from Israel.
TOP STORIES
- Sudan’s El-Fasher has become city of grief, civilians enduring atrocities of unimaginable scale: UN
The UN Human Rights Office in Sudan warned that El-Fasher has become a city engulfed in grief as brutal attacks escalate, leaving civilians trapped and suffering atrocities on an unimaginable scale.
“Over the past ten days, El-Fasher has witnessed an escalation of brutal attacks. It has become a city of grief,” Li Fung, UN human rights representative in Sudan, said in a video on US social media company X.
“Civilians who survived 18 months of siege and hostilities are now enduring atrocities of an unimaginable scale,” she added.
- Over 2,000 flights canceled nationwide in US amid government shutdown
Staff shortages at US air traffic control centers, coupled with a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-mandated 4% flight reduction at 40 major airports, led to more than 2,000 flight cancellations from Friday through Sunday.
The cancellations mark the latest and possibly largest disruption to US air travel since the government shutdown began more than a month ago.
The FAA-mandated flight cuts start at 4% this weekend and are set to rise to 6% by Nov. 11, 8% by Nov. 13 and 10% by Nov. 14.
SkyWest, Southwest and Envoy Air saw the highest cancellations, while United, Delta and American Airlines also experienced major delays, FlightAware reported.
- Gaza receives remains of 15 more Palestinians from Israel under ceasefire deal
Gaza’s Health Ministry said it received the remains of 15 Palestinians released by Israel via the International Committee of the Red Cross under a ceasefire agreement.
A statement said the new transfers brought the number of Palestinian bodies returned by Israel to 300 since the ceasefire took effect Oct. 10.
Forensic teams have identified 89 bodies and are continuing examinations “in accordance with approved medical procedures and protocols” before the remains are documented and released to families, said the ministry.
NEWS IN BRIEF
- The Israeli army launched a new cross-border raid into southern Syria’s Quneitra province, in the latest violation of the country’s sovereignty.
- Cambodia said its border with Thailand sees a drawdown of heavy weapons following the signing of a peace pact by Phnom Penh and Bangkok in the wake of a deadly border conflict.
- Yemen’s Houthi group announced the arrest of a spy network working for the US and Israel.
- Syria said it dismantled cells belonging to the ISIS (Daesh) terror group as part of a wide-scale security operation in several provinces.
- Egypt announced a new natural gas discovery in the Western Desert.
- People took to the streets in Kano in northern Nigeria to protest US President Donald Trump's threats to attack the country, rejecting his claim about "Christian genocide," according to multiple media reports.
- England could face its most severe drought in decades next year, prompting the government and water companies to prepare emergency measures that go beyond hosepipe bans, according to a report by The Guardian newspaper.
- Iraq entered an electoral silence period, one day before voters head to the ballot box in parliamentary elections, while Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani urged citizens to participate widely in the polls.
- The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) condemned Norway’s decision to lift a more than 65-year-old arms embargo on the Greek Cypriot Administration (GCA), warning it threatens the fragile balance in the Eastern Mediterranean.
- Illegal Israeli settlers set fire to a Palestinian home in the village of Abu Falah, northeast of Ramallah, and assaulted farmers, journalists and foreign activists near Nablus in the occupied West Bank, said local media.
- Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov discussed developments related to the Gaza ceasefire and rejected the establishment of “parallel entities” in Sudan.
- Turkish intelligence and gendarmerie forces detained two suspects in coordinated raids in Istanbul and Adana targeting a cyberespionage network, according to security sources.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
- US to expand Medicare access, cut obesity drug prices under new Trump administration deals
The Trump administration has announced two agreements that will expand Medicare coverage and lower the monthly cost of popular obesity drugs to as little as $149.
The administration reached new agreements with pharmaceutical companies Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk as part of its efforts to reduce drug prices, according to an announcement Thursday.
The companies will align Medicaid drug prices with the lowest rates in peer nations, set fair initial list prices and provide discounted primary care medicines directly to consumers.
In return, the drugmakers will receive tariff relief on imported pharmaceutical products and significantly faster regulatory approval for select medicines.
- China launches AI tool for deep-sea research
A deep-sea exploration artificial intelligence (AI) model, developed by a team led by Chinese scientists, was launched this week to enhance the understanding of the deep ocean, the Xinhua news agency reported.
The model, named DePTH-GPT, combines AI technologies such as deep learning, large language models, computer vision and knowledge reasoning to analyze various types of data, including video footage, topography, hydrodynamics, sediment and bioacoustics.
The model is set to transform deep-sea research, moving from traditional qualitative methods to a more intelligent, interpretable and predictive approach.
