Trump's energy-ceasefire claim, Lebanon's explosives haul, and a Pope's tumor

Trump says Russia and Ukraine agreed to halt strikes on energy facilities; Ukraine says it has no knowledge of the deal.

Trump's energy-ceasefire claim, Lebanon's explosives haul, and a Pope's tumor — Donald Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to immediately halt strikes on energy facilities. But a Ukrainian official close to Zelensky told the Financial Times that Ukraine at this stage has no information about the ceasefire Trump announced.[^1] The gap between Trump's declaration and Kyiv's denial leaves the status of the agreement uncertain. Lebanese forces seized 500 kg of explosives from a vehicle at a checkpoint in Dahr al-Baidar in the Bekaa Valley late last week. The military confiscated 250 kilograms of TNT-type explosives and 250 kilograms of C4.[^2] Justice Minister Adel Nasser said on X that disarmament of illegal weapons and pursuit of lawbreakers is "an irreversible path." The seizure comes amid renewed calls to disarm Hezbollah, which has refused to comply with Beirut's March decision to ban the group from military activities. Pope Leo XIV announced today to his followers in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican that he is expected to undergo surgery to remove a lung tumor.[^3] The Council for a Secure America released a report on October 8 ranking Kuwait, Lebanon, and Syria as the top candidates for expanding the Abraham Accords.[^4] Kuwait ranked first despite its longstanding opposition to normalization and laws barring trade with Israel, a tension the report does not resolve. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on the "The Rest Is Politics" podcast that after taking office he asked to receive a clear answer on Moscow's involvement in the Brexit referendum. The answer he received was unequivocal: "It is clear that Russia interfered."[^5] His statement departs from the line of previous Conservative governments, which avoided determining that Russia succeeded in influencing the referendum. The question now is whether Burnham's government will act on that determination. US general faults Netanyahu government as Israel clears weapons-mapping team for Gaza — US Security Coordinator Lt.-Gen. Sean M. Salene, speaking at Reichman University's Institute for Counterterrorism, went after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government for stalling parts of