ISRAELI AIRSTRIKE CLAIMS KEY HAMAS LEADER, GAZA DEATH TOLL SOARS TO 7,000

A recent Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip has resulted in the death of Shadi Barud, the Deputy Head of Hamas's Intelligence Directorate. The strike was carried out by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and was confirmed via social media. The IDF expressed that Shadi Barud was involved in planning various deadly attacks, including the October 7 massacre. The IDF has pledged to continue targeting and eliminating Hamas leaders and operatives responsible for such acts.

Notably, the Israeli fighter jets conducted overnight airstrikes on more than 250 Hamas sites in the Gaza Strip. Among the targets was a rocket launch site hidden in close proximity to a mosque and a kindergarten, as reported by the Times of Israel. The IDF has emphasized this as further evidence that Hamas employs civilian locations for militant purposes.

The Israeli strikes specifically targeted Hamas infrastructure, command centers, tunnels, and rocket launchers. The IDF noted that these rocket launchers were deliberately placed in civilian areas and had been utilized to fire upon Israeli territory during the conflict.

IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari revealed that the military has been in contact with the families of 224 individuals held as hostages in the Gaza Strip. This number is subject to change as new information emerges and the military's investigations progress.

The health ministry of Hamas has reported that the death toll in Gaza has now surpassed 7,000 due to the ongoing conflict.

BIDEN LINKS RECENT HAMAS ATTACK TO INDIA-MIDDLE EAST-EUROPE ECONOMIC CORRIDOR

US President Joe Biden has expressed his belief that the recent attack by Hamas on Israel may have been partly motivated by the announcement of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor during the G20 Summit in New Delhi. This ambitious economic corridor aims to create a network of railroads connecting the entire region, and it was jointly announced by leaders from various countries, including the US, India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, France, Germany, Italy, and the European Union. It consists of both an eastern corridor linking India to the Gulf region and a northern corridor connecting the Gulf region to Europe.

During a joint news conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, President Biden shared his perspective: "I m convinced one of the reasons Hamas attacked when they did, and I have no proof of this, just my instinct tells me, is because of the progress we were making towards regional integration for Israel, and regional integration overall. We can t leave that work behind." In recent weeks, President Biden has engaged with leaders in the region, including King Abdullah of Jordan, President Sisi of Egypt, President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. These discussions emphasized the importance of fostering hope and working toward greater regional integration for Israel while also addressing the aspirations of the Palestinian people in the pursuit of a better future.

DELEGATION FROM HAMAS VISITS MOSCOW TO TALK HOSTAGE RELEASE

Moscow : A delegation from Hamas visited Moscow on Thursday for talks on the release of foreign hostages including Russian citizens that the militant group is currently holding in Gaza, Russian news agencies reported, citing the foreign ministry. Hamas member Abu Marzouk was among those attending the talks, TASS reported.  Contacts were held with him in continuation of the Russian line on the release of foreign hostages in the Gaza Strip... ,  TASS said. Moscow has blamed the crisis on the failure of US diplomacy, and called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the resumption of talks aimed at finding a peace settlement.

Israel on Thursday called on Russia to expel a visiting Hamas delegation, saying their invitation to Moscow was  deplorable.

ARAB COUNTRIES CONDEMN TARGETING OF CIVILIANS IN GAZA

Dubai : The United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt and Morocco on Thursday condemned the targeting of civilians and  flagrant violations of international law  in Gaza which has been under heavy Israeli bombardment. The foreign ministers of the Arab countries said that Israel s right to self defence after a devastating October 7 attack by Hamas militants did not justify neglecting Palestinians  rights.

We emphasise that the right to self-defence ... does not justify flagrant violations of international law and international humanitarian law, or the deliberate neglect of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people,  the foreign ministers said.

They also condemned forced displacement and collective punishment in Gaza and emphasised that  the absence of a political solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has led to repeated acts of violence and suffering for the Palestinian and Israeli peoples and the peoples of the region .

AMID XI MEET TALKS, BIDEN WARNS CHINA OVER SCS ROW

President Joe Biden warned China that the US would be forced to intervene if Beijing attacks Philippine vessels in the South China Sea, after two separate collisions in the disputed waterway over the weekend.

I want to be very clear: The US  defence commitment to the Philippines is ironclad,  Biden said.  Any attack on the Filipino aircraft, vessels, or armed forces will invoke our Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines.  The US and the Philippines recently agreed on new guidelines for their 1951 Mutual Defence Treaty.

The remarks from the US president come as Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi visits Washington this week for high-level meetings, including one with Biden on Friday. Wang s trip is seen as part of an effort that could lay the groundwork for a Biden-Xi meeting next month.

Beijing said the US is not a party concerned in the South China Sea issue, and hence not in a position to interfere in issues between China and the Philippines.  The US defence commitment to the Philippines should not undermine China s sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea,  a Chinese spokeswoman said.

CHINA, US APPEAR TO RESTART MILITARY TALKS

China and the US appear to be restarting dialogue between their militaries, despite continuing disputes over Beijing s claims to Taiwan and the South China Sea. Chinese reports, as yet not confirmed by Washington, say the US will send a department of defence official to attend a Chinese Defence ministry international gathering that aims to discuss international security cooperation and raise China s status as a global power. China froze military exchanges after then-speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi last August visited self-governing Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory. China's annual Xiangshan Forum is scheduled for October 29-31.

WHITE HOUSE ACCUSES RUSSIA OF EXECUTING SOLDIERS TRYING TO RETREAT IN UKRAINE

The White House has claimed that Russia is executing soldiers who attempt to retreat from a fierce offensive in eastern Ukraine. Some Russian casualties near Avdiivka are believed to be the result of orders from their own leaders. Russian and Ukrainian forces have been engaged in intense combat for the town since mid-October. Ukraine estimates that Russia has suffered approximately 5,000 casualties in Avdiivka, while the US reports that Russia has lost at least 125 armored vehicles and a battalion's worth of equipment. The Russian military appears to use "human wave" tactics with poorly trained soldiers, leading to low morale among their forces, according to the National Security Council spokesman. Capturing Avdiivka would enable Russian troops to push the front line back, impeding Ukrainian advances in the Donetsk region.

MANHUNT UNDERWAY FOR SUSPECTED MAINE MASS SHOOTER

A manhunt is in progress for Robert Card, a US Army reservist suspected of carrying out a mass shooting in Maine, resulting in at least 18 deaths and 13 injuries. Authorities consider Card to be armed and dangerous, urging people to seek shelter. Police executed search warrants at a residence in Bowdoin, about 20 minutes from the shooting site in Lewiston. FBI agents and law enforcement called on the suspect to surrender using a megaphone, but the purpose of the search remains unclear. The shooting occurred at a bowling alley and a nearby restaurant, leaving several dead and injured. Lewiston and surrounding areas remain under a shelter-in-place advisory, with schools and most businesses closed. Police presence is heightened.

PAK. SETS UP DEPORTATION CENTRES TO HOLD MIGRANTS

Pakistan is setting up deportation centres for migrants who are in the country illegally, including an estimated 1.7 million Afghans, officials said on Thursday. Anyone found staying in the country without authorisation from next Wednesday will be arrested and sent to one of centres.

The move is the latest development in a Pakistani government crackdown to expel foreigners without registration or documents.

Jan Achakzai, a spokesperson for the government in southwestern Pakistan s Baluchistan province, said three deportation centres were being set up there. One will be in Quetta, the provincial capital.

Pakistan s caretaker Interior Minister, Sarfraz Bugti, says the deadline will not be extended.

Mr. Bugti said during a news conference on Thursday that no migrants living in Pakistan without authorization illegally would be mistreated after their arrests.  They will not be manhandled,  he said.

LI KEQIANG: FORMER CHINESE PREMIER DIES FROM HEART ATTACK AT 68

Former Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, who served as the country's second most powerful figure in the Chinese Communist Party, has passed away at the age of 68. He suffered a sudden heart attack while "resting" in Shanghai. Li's career included roles as an economist and leader of China's economy, but he became increasingly sidelined in his later years as President Xi Jinping consolidated power. Li was associated with former leader Hu Jintao, and his passing has been met with mourning and expressions of loss on Chinese social media.

AFGHAN GIRLS  EDUCATION ACTIVIST RELEASED FROM DETENTION: FAMILY

KABUL: An Afghan activist who campaigned for girls  access to education was released from detention on Thursday, more than seven months after he was arrested by Taliban authorities, his family said. Matiullah Wesa, the founder of the non-profit organisation PenPath,  has been released , his brother Attaullah Wesa said.

SLOVAKIA ANNOUNCES HALT OF AID TO UKRAINE, POINTING TO CRACK IN UNITY

BRATISLAVA: Slovakia s new populist Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Thursday that his government was stopping military aid to Ukraine, in the first Western reversal of the kind. Slovak political scientist Branislav Kovacik said that Ukraine  will not miss the volume [of aid]  but added that  any loss in unity has symbolic meaning .