The Chicago Cubs season is over and the team must now focus on free agency and building next year’s roster.
Day: October 13, 2025
Ceasefire Agreement Signed at Middle East Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh
During a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, co-chaired by Presidents Abdel Fatah El-Sisi and Donald Trump, a ceasefire was signed on Monday to end the conflict in the Gaza Strip, reports 24brussels.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas attended the meeting, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was absent, citing a religious festivity. Leaders of the pro-Palestine group Hamas stated they were negotiating through Qatari and Egyptian mediators.
Saudi Arabia was represented by a delegation led by Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan. Other notable leaders included King Abdullah II of Jordan, Presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Türkiye, Emmanuel Macron of France, Prime Ministers Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom, Pedro Sánchez of Spain, Giorgia Meloni of Italy, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and President of the European Council Antonio Costa, as well as Government Chiefs from Iraq and Pakistan and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The summit aimed to end the hostilities in the Gaza Strip, bolster peace efforts, and enhance regional security. This gathering followed a ceasefire that came into effect after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. However, the implementation of the ceasefire has been marred by complications. Reports indicate that while Hamas has returned some bodies of deceased individuals, it has not fulfilled its commitment to return all 28. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire agreement, warning that any delays would be treated as a serious breach.
The Association of Families of Hostages previously echoed these sentiments, stating, “We expect the Israeli government and the mediators to take immediate action to remedy this grave injustice.” On Monday, Hamas released the final 20 Israeli hostages who were still alive, a move that some see as an effort to restore goodwill amidst ongoing tensions.
In a reciprocal action, Israel reportedly released 1,968 Palestinian prisoners. Following his visit to Tel Aviv earlier on Monday and participation in a Knesset session, Netanyahu expressed gratitude to Trump for his contributions toward achieving peace.
Nobel Prize in Economics 2025 Awarded to Innovators in Economic Growth
The 2025 Nobel Prize in Economics has been awarded to three researchers for their contributions to innovation-driven growth: Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion, and Peter Howitt, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced in Stockholm on Monday, marking the conclusion of this year’s Nobel Prize season, reports 24brussels.
Joel Mokyr, a Professor at Northwestern University and the Eitan Berglas School of Economics at Tel Aviv University, received half the prize for his research into the prerequisites for sustained growth through technological advancement. His historical analysis illustrates the reasons behind the prevalence of economic growth in recent centuries, emphasizing the role of scientific knowledge and society’s receptiveness to innovation and change.
Philippe Aghion, based at the Collège de France in Paris, and Peter Howitt, a professor at Brown University in the US, were jointly awarded the other half of the prize for their development of the theory of sustained growth through “creative destruction.” Their influential work, which includes a 1992 mathematical model, outlines how the introduction of new, superior products can lead to losses for older businesses. They emphasize the importance of managing this process to ensure that established companies do not hinder innovation to protect their interests.
John Hassler, chairman of the committee awarding the Nobel Prize in Economics, stated, “The laureates’ work shows that economic growth cannot be taken for granted. We must support the mechanisms underlying creative destruction so that we do not fall back into stagnation.”
The prize is endowed with 11 million Swedish kronor (approximately €1 million) and is sponsored by the Swedish Central Bank, unlike the original Nobel Prizes. The award ceremony is scheduled for December 10. Last week, winners in categories including medicine, physics, chemistry, literature, and peace were also announced.