Madagascar president hiding in 'safe place' as he warns of coup attempt

Madagascar's embattled President Andry Rajoelina has said he is sheltering in a "safe place" after an attempt on his life, following weeks of protests calling for him to quit, BBC reported.

In a live broadcast to the nation on Facebook, Rajoelina, 51, said "a group of military personnel and politicians planned to assassinate me".

He did not reveal his location, but unconfirmed reports earlier suggested that he had fled the country on a French military aircraft.

It follows a fortnight of nationwide protests, mainly led by young demonstrators, aimed at kicking him out of power, according to BBC.

Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees freed as Trump hails 'historic dawn' in Middle East

There have been celebrations across Israel and the Palestinian territories as a major hostage and prisoner exchange on Monday marked a significant step towards ending two years of war in Gaza, BBC reported.

In a crucial first phase of the US-brokered plan to end the war, Hamas returned all living Israeli hostages, while Israel freed almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

There were emotional scenes as families of the Israeli hostages screamed and cried with happiness as they embraced their freed loved ones.

And for the Palestinians who were freed from Israeli jails, huge crowds waving flags and playing patriotic music greeted them as they arrived on buses in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, according to BBC.

Gold, silver hit record highs as Trump threatens fresh China tariffs

Gold prices scaled to another record high on Monday as investors revved up their safe-haven bets after U.S. President Donald Trumprenewed tariff threats against China, while expectations of U.S. interest rate cuts added to the metal's allure, Reuters reported.

Silver also jumped to an all-time peak, tracking gold's rally.

Spot gold was up 1.4% to $4,074.02 per ounce, as of 0825 GMT, after hitting a record $4,078.05/oz, according to Reuters.

Climate tipping points are being crossed, scientists warn ahead of COP30

Global warming is crossing dangerous thresholds sooner than expected with the world’s coral reefs now in an almost irreversible die-off, marking what scientists on Monday described as the first “tipping point” in climate-driven ecosystem collapse, Reuters reported.

The warning in the Global Tipping Points report by 160 researchers worldwide, which synthesizes groundbreaking science to estimate points of no return, comes just weeks ahead of this year's COP30 climate summit being held at the edge of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil.

That same rainforest system is now at risk of collapsing once the average global temperature warms beyond just 1.5 degrees Celsius based on deforestation rates, the report said, revising down the estimated threshold for the Amazon, according to Reuters.