ISRAEL - PALESTINE
After three days of fighting, Israel claims to have "sealed" the borders with Gaza again, while the "total" siege of the Strip continues with cuts to food, electricity, fuel and air raids, in preparation for the land invasion. The updated toll is over 900 Israelis, after 108 bodies were found in the Be'eri kibbutz; 687 Palestinian victims. In the event of an attack, Hamas militiamen threaten to execute the hostages and say they are ready for a "long war".
INDONESIA - MALAYSIA
Muslims in Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur, in government circles and in civil society, are appealing for an end to the violence between Israel and Hamas. Among these is the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the most important Islamic group in Indonesia, which is calling to avoid further civilian victims. Leaders and activists address the UN Security Council, confirming at the same time their support for the Palestinian people and condemning the occupation at the origin of the conflict.
CHINA
Former member of the communist leadership and president of China Everbright Group Li Xiaopeng has been expelled from the Party and the company for corruption, the latest in a long line of leading figures in Chinese politics and finance to end up the victim of Xi Jinping's purges. According to the investigation, he accepted bribes, illegally held shares in unlisted companies and abused his power to grant loans and commercial contracts in exchange for money.
TURKEY
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended the inauguration over the weekend of the Syriac Orthodox Church of St. Ephrem in Istanbul, in the European sector of the city, the first and only place of Christian worship to be built in the republican era. A day of celebration, in which the Turkish leader shared the ribbon cutting and the first official celebrations for a structure built in the commercial district of Bakirkoy and which can accommodate more than 700 faithful.
INDIA
In November, five states will vote to choose new government leaders, starting a tour of the electoral force that will end in 2024 with national politics. The citizens of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram go to the polls; analysts and commentators are watching with interest, especially in the centers of power of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
PHILIPPINES
Catholic environmentalists and members of civil society are launching a human chain on October 18 to protest against the controversial Manila Bay reclamation projects. In the front row Eco-Convergence, formed in 2019 and inspired by Pope Francis' Laudato Sì, which by presenting the "Save Our Sunset, Save Manila Bay" initiative intends to obtain a "total ban" on works in the area, with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. who blocked over twenty of them.
RUSSIA - CENTRAL ASIA
Russia has promoted a new campaign to recruit Central Asian citizens for the war. This time it is aimed at women, who are offered to participate as cooks or nurses, promising handsome compensation, although so far it is getting very few positive responses, mostly coming from Asian inmates in Russian prisons.
KAZAKHSTAN
Great disappointment was caused in Kazakhstan by the final outcome of the "Asiades", the Asian Sports Games held in Huanzhou in China, where the Kazakhs only finished in eleventh place, having to settle for ten gold medals and finishing behind India and Uzbekistan, despite large government funding for sports activities.
