Jim presented news items from many parts of the world with initial emphasis on Middle East peace, China and the government shutdown. Here's a sample of stories that were highlighted: --After more than six hours of debate, the Israeli government voted to approve the first stage of a U.S. brokered plan to end the war in Gaza and return the hostages. --Yesterday, the Trump administration announced that the U.S. is sending approximately 200 troops to Israel in order to monitor the peace deal in Gaza. --Yesterday President Trump confirmed that he will visit Israel to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and deliver a major address to Israel's parliament. --President Trump said that he would try to attend an official signing ceremony for the agreement in Egypt but said the exact timing for the meeting still needed to be determined. --In New York City, on October 7th, on the second anniversary of the terror attack on Israel, Muslims yelled out in protest. Jim provided audio. --The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Venezuela's opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado. --Russian strikes in recent days have wiped out more than half of Ukraine's domestic natural gas production, likely forcing the war-battered nation to spend about 2.2 billion dollars on fuel imports in order to survive the upcoming winter. --The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned more than 50 individuals, entities and vessels involved in the export of Iranian energy. --China has unveiled sweeping new export restrictions on rare earth minerals and related technology. --The U.S. State Department has fired a diplomat over his relationship with a woman alleged to have ties to the Chinese Communist Party