Trump Gag Order Reimposed After Flood Of Online Abuse

An appeals court on Thursday reimposed a limited gag order on former president Donald Trump intended to protect court staff at his New York civil fraud trial after a flood of online abuse.

Judge Arthur Engoron had slapped the gag order on Trump on October 3 after he insulted the judge's principal law clerk in a post on his Truth Social platform.

Trump's attorneys appealed the order claiming it violated his right to free speech and it had been suspended pending a hearing.

The appeals court panel on Thursday rejected Trump's appeal and reimposed the speech restrictions.

"On a daily basis, the judge and his staff are being inundated with hundreds of harassing and threatening phone calls, voicemail messages, and emails," some of them anti-Semitic, according to a document in the decision.

It said personal details of the clerk who has faced Trump's ire, including her phone number, had been revealed, and that she was receiving 20 to 30 calls a day.

Engoron has fined the 77-year-old Trump a total of $15,000 for two violations of the restriction.

Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, and his two eldest sons are accused of inflating the value of their real estate assets to receive more favorable bank loans and insurance terms.

Trump testified on November 6 and is expected to again take the witness stand on December 11.

He has called Engoron "crazy" and "unhinged," and denounced New York state prosecutor Letitia James, who is Black, as "corrupt" and "racist."

Trump lawyer Christopher Kise in a statement to US media called Thursday's decision to reinstate the gag order "tragic day for the rule of law."

- Other trials -

Trump's freedom of speech is also an issue in the federal trial due to open on March 4 in Washington, where he is accused of seeking to upend the results of the 2020 election in a concerted effort that led to the violent January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol by his supporters.

Trump additionally faces federal charges for alleged mishandling top-secret documents after he left the White House, and has been indicted for racketeering in Georgia on accusations that he tried to overturn the 2020 election results in the southern state.

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Six More Hostages Released By Hamas, Confirms Israel

Six Israeli hostages released in the Gaza Strip returned to Israel late Thursday, the Israeli prime minister's office said, hours before a truce extension was due to expire.

The release of the six -- who mediator Qatar said included Uruguayan, Mexican and Russian dual nationals -- came after two women, including a French-Israeli dual national, were released earlier in the day.

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Blinken Urges Israel To Create "Safe" Zones For Gaza Civilians

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday urged Israel to create safe zones for Palestinian civilians in Gaza before it resumes "major military operations" in the Hamas-ruled territory.

Israel "must put in place humanitarian civilian protection plans that minimise further casualties of innocent Palestinians", he told reporters in Tel Aviv, "including by clearly and precisely designating areas and places in southern and central Gaza, where they can be safe and out of the line of fire".

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Brazil Set To Join OPEC From Next Year

Major producer Brazil will join OPEC+ from next year, the oil cartel announced on Thursday.

Brazil is among the world's top 10 producers and has been the largest oil producer in Latin America since 2016.

Its crude production hit a record 3.7 million barrels per day in September, a near 17 percent increase from the same month last year and a 6.1 percent hike from August, according to pricing agency Argus Media.

Ministers of the 13-member Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) headed by Saudi Arabia and its 10 partners led by Russia were meeting to discuss further output cuts to boost prices.

"The meeting welcomed Alexandre Silveira de Oliveira, Minister of Mines and Energy of the Federative Republic of Brazil, which will join the OPEC+... starting January 2024," OPEC said in a press release.

OPEC+ was born in late 2016 when Russia and nine others joined forces with the Saudi-led OPEC to prop up falling prices.

"Considering that Brazil is a large oil producer and is driving oil production growth it is important to have them on board, but it seems that they are not cutting production like Mexico, so would conclude with: good for OPEC+, less relevant for oil market balances," UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo said.

The 23-member OPEC+ is a motley crew of countries: Saudi Arabia and Iran are bitter rivals, South Sudan and Libya have been wracked by civil wars and others such as Venezuela are mired in economic crises.

The cartel faced its biggest crisis in 2020 as countries locked down due to the Covid pandemic, sending oil demand plunging.

The group agreed in April 2020 to slash output by 9.7 million barrels per day in order to boost sagging prices.

It began to raise production again in 2021 as the market improved.

In the most recent meetings amid plunging prices, OPEC+ members have announced voluntary cuts to boost prices.

Since the end of 2022, the alliance has implemented supply cuts of about five million barrels per day (bpd) with Saudi Arabia taking the lead.

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In A First, Newborn Star's Spinning Disk Seen In Another Galaxy

Our sun and other stars form when a dense clump of interstellar gas and dust collapses under its own gravitational pull. Once a star is born at the centre of such a cloud, leftover material forms a swirling disk around it that feeds stellar growth and often gives rise to planets.

Newborn stars with these circumstellar disks had been observed by astronomers only in our Milky Way galaxy - until now. Researchers said on Wednesday they have spotted such a disk around a star larger and more luminous than the sun residing in one of our nearest neighbouring galaxies, the Large Magellanic Cloud.

The star, growing and accreting material from the surrounding disk, is about 10 to 20 times more massive than the sun and perhaps 10,000 times more luminous.

As material is drawn by gravity toward a forming star, it flattens into a spinning disk. The newly observed disk has a diameter of about 12,000 times the distance of the Earth to the sun, or roughly 10 times larger than the one that encircled the sun when it formed approximately 4.5 billion years ago.

The star, which also is unleashing a large jet of material into space, is around 160,000 light years from Earth. A light year is the distance light travels in a year, 5.9 trillion miles (9.5 trillion km).

"This is very exciting," said astronomer Anna McLeod of Durham University in England, lead author of the study published in the journal Nature.

"While we know of many stars like this one being formed in the Large Magellanic Cloud and other galaxies, we have never before observed a circumstellar accretions disk outside of the Milky Way, mainly due to lacking technology. Observing these disks in other galaxies is very important because it tells us about how stars form in environments different from that of the Milky Way," McLeod added.

The detection was made using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope in Chile's Atacama Desert. Until now, circumstellar disks had been detected only within about 6,500 light years of Earth.

The Large Magellanic Cloud is considered a satellite galaxy of the sprawling Milky Way, as is another galaxy called the Small Magellanic Cloud. Both are smaller than our galaxy and offer different galactic conditions. The Large Magellanic Cloud has less dust than the Milky Way and a smaller content of what astronomers call metallic elements - those other than hydrogen and helium.

The researchers enjoyed an unobstructed view of the star.

"The star is visible at optical wavelengths, whereas all of the known stars in the Milky Way that are like this one - in terms of stellar mass and having an accretion disk - are hidden from optical telescopes because they are still very enshrouded by the gas and dust they are forming from," McLeod said.

"We suggest that the star being visible in the optical is due to the different properties of the galactic environment the star is in when compared to the Milky Way."

Massive stars form more rapidly and have shorter lives than less massive stars like the sun.

"The formation of high-mass stars has been puzzling astronomers for decades, and so building a picture of how this happens under different physical conditions is both an important step and super exciting," said astronomer and study co-author Jonathan Henshaw of Liverpool John Moores University.

The disk appears to be quite stable, not fragmenting as could happen with such structures.

"We do not know if the disk will ever form planets, but it is unlikely given that these would have to form in the hostile environment of a star with strong radiation," McLeod said.

McLeod expressed hope for detecting other circumstellar disks in the Large Magellanic Cloud and perhaps the further Small Magellanic Cloud.

"With each one, we will be able to learn more about star formation in different galaxies and conditions," McLeod said.

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"Matter Of National Security": Finland To Shut Border With Russia

Finland's prime minister said Tuesday the country will shut its last border crossing with Russia, following an influx of migrants which Helsinki claims is a hybrid attack orchestrated by Moscow. Interior Minister Mari Rantanen said the closure would come into effect overnight between Wednesday and Thursday and last until December 13.

The Nordic country, which shares a 1,340-kilometre (830-mile) border with Russia, has seen a surge in undocumented migrants from third countries seek asylum on its border with Russia in November.

From the start of August, nearly 1,000 migrants have entered Finland without a visa through the eastern border crossing points.

"Finland is the target of a Russian hybrid operation. This is a matter of national security," Rantanen said.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko on Tuesday said Finland's decision to close its border was "simply irrational", according to Russian media outlets. 

Last week, Finland's northernmost eastern border station, Raja-Jooseppi in the Arctic, became the sole crossing point with Russia, following the closure of the other seven by the Nordic country.

The Finnish border with Russia is both the European Union's and NATO's external border.

Asylum seekers will only be able to apply for protection at "open border crossing points for air and maritime traffic", meaning ports and airports, according to a government statement. 

"This is an organised activity, not a genuine emergency," Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said of the surge.

He added that the "ease with which the migrants found their way to the remote border crossing point at Raja-Jooseppi is also evidence of this".

"It is not just the number of arrivals that is at issue, but the phenomenon itself," Orpo said.

Finland's relations with its eastern neighbour soured after the invasion of Ukraine.

After Finland acceded to the US-led military alliance NATO in April, reversing its decades-long policy of military non-alignment, Russia warned of "countermeasures".

The influx of migrants on its border has pushed Finland to balance its national security with its international obligations.

Last week, the government sought to completely shut the border but the proposal was blocked as disproportionate by Finland's Chancellor of Justice.

While the border can be closed in exceptional circumstances it has to be proportionate and some access points for asylum seekers have to be ensured.

Despite being a drastic measure, the government's proposal to restrict asylum seekers to ports and airports passed scrutiny, and was backed by officials citing intelligence on increasing migration.

Asked whether Finland would let migrants endure freezing conditions without granting them entry across the border, Orpo said that "without the changed policy of the Russian authorities, this phenomenon would not exist".

"We trust the Border Guard's judgement and ability to respond to different situations," Orpo said.

Rantanen said the migrants have "a responsibility in deciding whether they come to the border or not".

"Our message is clear. Do not come. The border is closed," she added.

The Border Guard said that so far the pressure had been focused on the crossing points and not Finland's long wilderness border, most of which has only a light wildlife fence.

Anticipating that Moscow could use migrants as political pressure, Finland in February began building a 200-kilometre fence along its Russian border.

But only three kilometres of the fence is finished.

Even with the border fully closed, it remains uncertain how Finland would deal with those crossing illegally.

From a legal standpoint, a migrant is entitled to submit an asylum application even if they enter illegally.

Orpo said Finland's aim was to normalise the situation on the border "as quickly as possible".

"It is in everyone's interest, including Russia's," he added.

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Hospital Emergency Rooms Shut Down In Three US States Due To Cyberattack

A recent cyberattack on US hospitals has caused significant disruption across various departments within medical facilities, posing numerous challenges for both medical professionals and patients. Emergency rooms in a minimum of three states have been paralyzed by the cyberattack, forcing the organisation to redirect patients to alternative facilities.

According to CNN, all of the affected hospitals are in New Jersey, New Mexico, and Oklahoma and are owned, or partly owned, by Ardent Health Services, a Tennessee-based company that owns more than two dozen hospitals in at least five states.

The attack had shut down a significant number of its computerized services, the company said in a news release. 

The organisation said that a ransomware attack caused the disruption and that its facilities were "diverting some emergency room patients to other area hospitals until systems are back online." Hospital facilities were also forced to reschedule some non-emergency surgeries.

Patient care "continues to be delivered safely and effectively in its hospitals, emergency rooms, and clinics," Ardent Health said on Monday.

"In an abundance of caution, our facilities are rescheduling some non-emergent elective procedures and diverting some emergency room patients to other area hospitals until systems are back online," Ardent Health's release said.

"In the interim, while this incident results in temporary disruption to certain aspects of Ardent's clinical and financial operations, patient care continues to be delivered safely and effectively in its hospitals, emergency rooms, and clinics. In an abundance of caution, our facilities are rescheduling some non-emergent elective procedures and diverting some emergency room patients to other area hospitals until systems are back online," the company said.

"The investigation and restoration of access to electronic medical records and other clinical systems are ongoing. Ardent is still determining the full impact of this event, and it is too soon to know how long this will take or what data may be involved in this incident."

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Lahore Court Orders Businesses To Shut By 10 pm Amid Pollution: Report

The Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered officials on Tuesday to shut down all businesses by 10 p.m. every day in an attempt to combat the city's rising pollution levels, ARY News reported.

In a thorough series of environmental petitions, Justice Shahid Karim of the Lahore High Court instructed authorities to compel the closing of all marketplaces, eateries, and other enterprises by 10 p.m.

The Punjab Chief Secretary and the CCPO Lahore have been instructed by the court to see to it that the court's directives are carried out. The Punjab government has also been instructed by the LHC to notify banks and workplaces about the two-day work-from-home policy, according to ARY News.

Lahore, the second-biggest city in Pakistan, was once again named the most polluted city in the world on Tuesday, despite government attempts to lessen the city's harmful pollution.

According to Swiss company IQAir, Lahore topped a real-time ranking of the most polluted cities in the world at roughly 1 p.m., with an air quality index (AQI) of 353.

An AQI value of 150-200 is deemed unhealthy, 201-300 is more detrimental, and any number beyond 300 is seen as exceedingly dangerous. Wintertime air density is higher than summertime air density, which leads to the downward movement of airborne pollutants and other harmful particles.

The caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab, Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday announced that schools, colleges and all other educational institutes will remain closed in 10 districts of Punjab for an additional two days, as the smog situation continues to worsen in the city, ARY News reported.

The chief minister stated that the decision will be applicable to the divisions of Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, Sargodha, and Sahiwal during a news conference in Lahore.

He also announced that 10,000 students would receive electric motorcycles on a subsidised basis and that air-purifying towers would be erected in Lahore.

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Myanmar Military Junta Faces Biggest Threat To Its Power Since Coup: Report

The ruling Junta in Myanmar has been losing vital military locations and border towns to well-armed ethnic militias that have collaborated with resistance forces to launch massive new offensives in recent weeks, CNN reported. This is a development that has not been seen in decades when it comes to Junta in Myanmar.

"The junta is actively collapsing right now and that's only become possible because there is this wider effort across the country," an independent Myanmar analyst, Matthew Arnold said, according to CNN.

Arnold described the situation as a "military existential moment" and stated that the opposition is "now focused on taking major towns to fundamentally defeat the junta."

It appears well-armed ethnic militias are attempting to overthrow the military government that has controlled the country since a 2021 coup ousted the democratically elected National League for Democracy (NLD).

For decades, there has been a civil war raging in Myanmar between the ethnic armies and the various military regimes.

However, the nation's opposition to army leader Min Aung Hlaing's February 2021 coup, which toppled Aung San Suu Kyi's democratically elected government, is what led to the most recent uptick in hostilities.

In Myanmar's rural and urban centres, people took up guns to protect their towns and villages when the military used force against peaceful protestors following the coup, and documented crimes against civilians further incited anger.

Ever since, daily skirmishes have broken out between the military and resistance organisations supporting the National Unity Government in exile, which opposed the junta.

Though it hasn't yet reached large towns like Mandalay, Naypyidaw, or Yangon, the most recent conflict escalation after October 27 is a turning point in that resistance.

The UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported that since the coup, armed conflicts have reached their largest and most widespread levels to date.

Up to now, hundreds of civilians, including children, have died as a result of Junta bombings and ground assaults on locations that the Myanmar military designates as "terrorists," and almost two million people have been displaced, CNN reported.

The Three Brotherhood Alliance, comprising the Arakan Army (AA), Kokang's Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), and allied peoples defence forces, announced its October offensive and said it was "dedicated to eradicating the oppressive military dictatorship."

Additionally, the alliance pledged to fight "the widespread online gambling fraud that has plagued Myanmar, particularly along the border between China and Myanmar."

According to CNN, Chinese-run compounds have proliferated in several of the villages dotting the boundaries between China and Thailand in recent years. They are said to be hubs for widespread internet fraud and illicit gambling, run by junta militias, and they have ensnared and trafficked thousands of individuals to become online scammers.

In November, Myanmar's military government lost control of Chinshwehaw, an important town on the border with China, following days of fighting with armed groups. In a significant setback for the military leaders who seized power from Myanmar's elected government in February 2021, they have struggled to quell opposition to their rule.

Chinshwehaw, a town bordering China's Yunnan province, holds vital importance in facilitating trade between Myanmar and China. State media reported that more than 25 percent of Myanmar's USD 1.8 billion border trade with China passed through Chinshwehaw from April to September, citing the Ministry of Commerce.

This development was followed by days of conflict in Myanmar's northern Shan state, where the army has been engaged in battles with a coalition of three ethnic rebel groups known as the Brotherhood Alliance, Al Jazeera reported.

The United Nations has expressed deep concern over the displacement of thousands of individuals due to the ongoing conflict, with some seeking refuge across the border in China. In response, the UN has issued a call for an immediate ceasefire.

Following the military's takeover, Myanmar descended into a state of crisis, as the generals responded to widespread protests against their power grab with severe measures. In response, opposition groups aligned themselves with fighters from well-established ethnic armed organizations in an effort to restore civilian rule, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Ethnic groups in Myanmar's jungles and mountains have endured years of struggle, during which they have observed and experienced crimes such as killings, rape and other sexual abuse, torture, forced labour, and forced relocation by the military forces, in addition to state-sanctioned discrimination.

A 10-year phase of transition that momentarily brought in more extensive democratic and economic changes was abruptly terminated by a coup. However, the military continued to have a significant impact, according to CNN.

According to some analysts, Myanmar is now more likely than ever to succeed in overthrowing the regime.

"The important thing to be clear about is that a genocidal military can be defeated outright... That there's not a need to have another 10 years of a so-called transition that is fundamentally premised or corrupted by the idea that you have to negotiate and accommodate a genocidal military," said Arnold.

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Justin Trudeau Greets Sikhs On Guru Nanak Dev's Birth Anniversary

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday greeted Sikhs in Canada and around the world on the occasion of Guru Nanak Dev's birth anniversary, saying his teachings of equality, and the values of unity, selflessness, and compassion can serve as an inspiration for all Canadians to build a better future for all.

"On behalf of all Canadians, I offer my warmest wishes to everyone celebrating the anniversary of the birth of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Happy Gurpurab!" Prime Minister Trudeau said in a statement.

A large number of devotees thronged gurdwaras across the country to mark the 554th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism.

"On this important occasion, families and friends will gather to reflect on Guru Nanak Dev Ji's teachings of equality, and the values of unity, selflessness, and compassion that he upheld. These important values continue to guide Sikh Canadians today, and can serve as an inspiration for all Canadians as we strive to build a better future for all," he said.

Noting that Canada is home to one of the largest Sikh communities across the world, he said: "Guru Nanak's birth anniversary is an opportunity for all of us to recognise the many contributions of Sikh Canadians to Canada's culture, community, and economy, making our country stronger and more vibrant."

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6 Remanded In Custody Over Killing Of French Teen

Six people have been remanded in custody over the killing of a French teenager whose death at a village dance party sparked political controversy in France, prosecutors said Sunday.

Last weekend a 16-year-old pupil, identified only as Thomas, was stabbed when a group of outsiders descended on a festive crowd gathered in Crepol, in the southeastern region of Drome, for a dance party in the village hall.

He died on his way to hospital. Eight others were injured, three of them seriously.

On Tuesday, nine suspects were detained in connection with the teenager's murder.

Three are minors, the others are aged between 19 and 22.

Even before the arrests, far-right politicians had been quick to blame the attack on youths from immigrant backgrounds from public housing.

On Wednesday, more than 6,000 people marched in the southeastern town of Romans-sur-Isere, where Thomas's high school is located, in memory of the pupil.

On Sunday, some 40 ultra-right activists gathered in the centre of the town but were dispersed by police, while around a hundred marched through the town on Saturday evening.

The protesters clashed with police on Saturday, and several people were injured, said a police source, with 24 arrested over the weekend.

'Unacceptable violence'

Local public prosecutor Laurent de Caigny denounced the "unacceptable violence" over the weekend and called for "calm and respect for everyone" during a press briefing on Sunday.

"No one can take justice into their own hands outside the law", he added, calling on investigators to be allowed to work given the "extreme seriousness" of the case.

Thierry Devimeux, the prefect of the Drome region, also condemned the violence during a briefing on Sunday.

He said one activist had been removed from his car by unknown assailants and "beaten up" and his vehicle "burnt".

After 96 hours in police custody, the suspects in Thomas's killing were transferred to the Valence courthouse on Saturday.

The public prosecutor's office had requested the opening of an investigation into charges including attempted murder and "murder in an organised gang."

Nine people have been placed under investigation, de Caigny said in a statement, without providing further details.

"Six people, including two minors, were remanded in custody," he added. "Three people, including one minor, were placed under judicial supervision."

More than a hundred witnesses have been questioned but the prosecutor said on Saturday that the motive and the details of the crime had not yet been established in full.

According to the preliminary investigation, an altercation that began inside the dance hall, possibly linked to a remark about the hairstyle of one of the suspects, continued outside. More young people arrived in one or two cars.

Nine witnesses reported hearing remarks aimed against "white people", said the public prosecutor.

However, de Caigny said that the investigation cannot at this stage state with certainty that the victims have been targeted on the basis of their race, ethnicity, or religion.

Most of the suspects admit to having been in Crepol, but deny having stabbed anyone.

Around 2,000 people attended the teenager's funeral in the village of Saint-Donat-sur-l'Herbasse on Friday.

The far-right branded the assault as anti-white racism.

"Now anti-white racism is hitting our countryside," Marion Marechal, the leading candidate for the far-right Reconquete party of ex-presidential hopeful Eric Zemmour in next year's European elections, claimed on X, formerly Twitter.

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84-Year-Old Artist, 4-Year-Old Girl Among 14 Hostages Released By Hamas

Nine children, four women and a Russian-Israeli were released Sunday by Gaza rulers Hamas, according to accounts given to AFP by their relatives, Israeli media and the Hostage Families Forum.

The releases bring to 63 the total number of freed hostages from around 240 taken to Gaza after the unprecedented October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.

The releases came following a Friday agreement between Israel and Hamas, which is supposed to last for four days and allow for 50 Israelis and 150 Palestinians to be freed.

Thirteen Israeli hostages were released on Friday and the same number on Saturday, and in exchange Israel freed 39 Palestinian prisoners on Friday and a further 39 the following day.

The Russian-Israeli freed on Sunday was not part of the truce deal, with Hamas saying it freed him "in response to the efforts of Russian President Vladimir Putin".

The Palestinian Hamas group also freed three Thai nationals on Sunday. Fourteen Thais and one Filipino had already been released by Hamas outside the deal.

The Israeli hostages freed on Sunday are:

Elma Avraham

The 84-year-old artist was on the phone with a neighbour on October 7 when armed men burst into her home in Nahal Oz kibbutz at around 11 am.

"There's a terrorist in my house!" she told the neighbour.

Her son Uri Rawitz, with whom she had also spoken earlier, said Elma had not managed to lock the door to the safe room in her house.

Uri later received a photo of his mother being taken away on a motorcycle by armed fighters with another hostage.

Avraham's second son, who also lives in Nahal Oz, escaped the attack.

Aviva Siegel

The 62-year-old was taken from her home in the Kfar Aza kibbutz along with her American husband Keith, 64, who is still being held.

At the time of the early morning attack, the couple grabbed their phone and took refuge in the safe room of their home, still in their pyjamas, according to their son-in-law Yuval Baron.

He told The Guardian newspaper they had thought it was just another rocket attack, but soon afterwards Siegel and her husband were seen being taken away with other hostages by armed men.

Schoolteacher Aviva was born in South Africa but moved to Israel when she was eight.

The couple have four children and five grandchildren.

Hagar Brodetz and her three children

Avihai Brodetz said he was trying to defend Kfar Aza kibbutz when his wife Hagar, 40, and their three children were kidnapped.

Several days later he found out they had survived the attack but had been abducted along with Abigail, a neighbour's child who had taken refuge in their home.

Ofri, the eldest child, marked her 10th birthday in captivity in Gaza. Her younger brothers Yuval and Oria are aged 8 and 4.

Abigail

After seeing her parents killed at Kfar Aza, Abigail, who holds US citizenship, took refuge with the Brodetz family, and was kidnapped with them.

Michael and Amalya, her brother and sister, escaped the attack by hiding in a closet.

Abigail had her 4th birthday in Gaza on Friday.

Chen Almog-Goldstein and her three children

A 48-year-old social worker, Chen Almog-Goldstein was kidnapped from Kfar Aza kibbutz with three of her four children: Agam, 17, Gal, 11, and nine-year-old Tal.

The children's father Nadav Goldstein and Yam, the eldest daughter, were killed in the attack.

They are members of the family of Doron Almog, a former high-ranking army officer and current chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel, a non-profit organisation that encourages Jews to immigrate to Israel.

Five members of the Almog family were killed in an October 2003 suicide attack on the Maxim restaurant in Haifa which was claimed by Hamas ally Islamic Jihad.

Sisters Ela and Dafna

Ela, 8, and her sister Dafna, 15, were abducted from their father Noam Elyakim's home in Nahal Oz kibbutz.

The day after the attack, their mother Maayan Zin saw a photo on WhatsApp of Dafna "sitting in pyjamas on a mattress in Gaza with the comment 'In prayer clothes it would be better'".

The bodies of the girls' father, his partner Dikla and her son Tomer were found riddled with bullets in an empty lot.

Before he was shot, 17-year-old Tomer had been told by militants to go door-to-door and speak in Hebrew to convince his neighbours to leave their shelters.

Ela and Dafna also hold Hungarian nationality, according to media reports.

Ron Krivoy

The 25-year-old Russian-Israeli worked as a sound technician at the Tribe of Nova music festival attacked by the militants.

Initially he managed to escape and hide in a ditch, his sister Julia told Israeli media, but by noon an Arab-speaking person was answering his phone.

The youngest of three siblings, Krivoy was born in Israel, and, according to his father, had survived two car accidents and a fall into a sewer.

Hamas said he was being released outside the truce deal with Israel, and "in response to the efforts of Russian President Vladimir Putin and in appreciation of the Russian position in support of the Palestinian cause".

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Elon Musk To Meet Israeli PM Netanyahu Today: Report

Elon Musk, the tech entrepreneur accused by civil rights groups of amplifying anti-Jewish hatred on his X social media platform, will meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog in Israel on Monday, Channel 12 TV said on Sunday.

An Israeli source confirmed the visit by Elon Musk, a billionaire who also runs Tesla and SpaceX. Spokespeople for Tesla and X, formerly known as Twitter, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Elon Musk's visit coincides with a four-day truce in an Israeli war with Palestinian Hamas militants in Gaza.

Netanyahu met Elon Musk in California on September 18 and urged him to strike a balance between protecting free expression and fighting hate speech after weeks of controversy over antisemitic content on X.

Elon Musk responded by saying he was against antisemitism and against anything that "promotes hate and conflict," repeating his previous statements that X would not promote hate speech.

During that visit, before the war, about 200 people protested efforts by Netanyahu's right-wing government to curb the powers of Israeli courts. They gathered outside Tesla's California factory, where the meeting took place.

Then on November 15 Elon Musk agreed with a post on X that falsely claimed Jewish people were stoking hatred against white people, saying the user who referenced the "Great Replacement" conspiracy theory was speaking "the actual truth."

The White House condemned what it called an "abhorrent promotion of antisemitic and racist hate" that "runs against our core values as Americans."

Major US companies including Walt Disney, Warner Bros Discovery and NBCUniversal parent Comcast paused their advertisements on his social media site.

The "Great Replacement" conspiracy theory holds that Jewish people and leftists are engineering the ethnic and cultural replacement of white populations with non-white immigrants that will lead to a "white genocide."

Antisemitism and Islamophobia have risen in the United States and worldwide, including during the now seven-week-old war between Israel and Hamas.

Following the outbreak of war, antisemitic incidents in the United States rose by nearly 400% from the year-earlier period, according to the Anti-Defamation League, a nonprofit organization that fights antisemitism.

Elon Musk has said X should be a platform for people to post diverse viewpoints, but the company will limit the distribution of certain posts that may violate its policies, calling the approach "freedom of speech, not reach."

Elon Musk is developing an artificial intelligence startup xAI, and Israel is considered a world leader in the field, thanks to burgeoning computing and robotics industries.

Israel's almost $500 billion economy, previously on track for growth to top 3% this year with low unemployment, is now estimated at around 2% with slow growth expected in 2024 as long as the war continues. After an initial 6% tumble the outset of the war, the shekel has gained 8% against the dollar and is now at pre-war levels. Helped mainly by local investors, stock prices have also recovered from a steep drop last month.

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Pandas And Partnership: Was Xi Jinping's US Trip A Success?

In a whirlwind US trip this week, Chinese President Xi Jinping held long talks with President Joe Biden, got a standing ovation from top business leaders, and even hinted there could be more pandas on the way to the United States.

The high-profile welcome for Xi in San Francisco, coupled with the summit where he and Biden agreed to restore suspended US-Chinese military communications, add up to a successful visit, analysts say.

But in the face of heightened business risks and enduring national security concerns, experts say the rhetoric needs now to be backed up by action if it is to produce meaningful long-term results for the Chinese leader, whose slowing economy needs to reverse the flight of foreign capital.

"For China, Xi's ability to gain a prominent platform in San Francisco (and) to speak with US business leaders was a success in and of itself," said Nathaniel Sher, senior research analyst at Carnegie China.

At a dinner Wednesday attended by executives like Apple CEO Tim Cook and BlackRock's Larry Fink, Xi said China was ready to be a "partner and friend" of the United States. He hinted Beijing could send more panda bears -- always a huge hit at US zoos -- as "envoys of friendship."

The world's richest person, Tesla and SpaceX tycoon Elon Musk, also met Xi before the dinner with other representatives, said Tesla in a Chinese social media post.

Chilling effect

Xi's appearance at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco marked a rare chance for him to interact with foreign business leaders, noted Trivium China in a newsletter, offering the opportunity to challenge the idea that China is inhospitable to foreign firms.

He did not show up in person to the APEC CEO summit -- and China did not offer an explanation for the no-show -- offering instead a written speech inviting firms to invest and deepen their footprint, promising "heart-warming" measures "to make it easier for foreign companies to invest and operate in China."

But beyond the warm words, US investors will be watching Xi's actions, as the world's number two economy slows and business confidence weakens.

China's anti-espionage law, cybersecurity investigations, raids on multinationals, wrongful detentions, and non-market practices "all have chilling effects on foreign investment," Sher told AFP.

"Above all, multinationals want more legal and regulatory predictability in China, not more hollow statements about China's commitment to win-win development," he added.

'First step'

On the political front, the sit-down with Biden could be said to have been a qualified success, observers said.

The United States and China have a common goal of stabilization of their relations after a rough few years, said Australian ambassador to the United States Kevin Rudd.

"It means reopening former lines -- political, diplomatic and now military communication," he told reporters on the sidelines of the APEC summit.

"This is not just a term, it actually has machinery of government around it," said the former Australian prime minister.

"The bottom line with all the above is the proof of the pudding will lie in the eating. The framework is there, they're measurable. What will now happen in practice?"

For now, the restoration of military-to-military communications is "just the first step," he said.

It remains unclear if China has changed its own strategic timetable surrounding Taiwan -- the self-ruled island Beijing claims as its own -- or if the latest talks will change its military's behavior.

Strategic needs

To Seton Hall University professor Zheng Wang, Xi's first US visit in six years and the Biden-Xi summit symbolize "a potential turning point" in bilateral ties after the hostility of recent years.

"We've witnessed a trade war, technology conflicts, and the far-reaching impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic," he said.

And now Biden will be managing his reelection campaign while monitoring war in Ukraine and tensions in the Middle East, while Xi navigates China's economic challenges and the perpetual intrigue of politics at the top of the Communist Party. A former foreign minister has gone missing and the whereabouts of the defense minister remain unclear.

"Stable and constructive US-China relations are therefore needed for both sides," Wang said.

Yet, Xi could have gone "much further" to reassure the United States and the global community of China's benign intentions, Sher said.

"If the 'rejuvenation' of China entails a rejection of the existing international order, nothing that Chinese leaders say in international fora will prevent the US and its partners from seeking to impede Beijing's rise," he said.

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39 Palestinian Prisoners Freed From Israeli Prisons In Gaza Hostage Deal

West Bank - For the families of Palestinian detainees freed by Israel under a hostage deal agreed with the Islamist group Hamas, Friday brought relief tinged with sadness at the fighting that is set to continue in Gaza after the expiry of a four-day truce.

Thirty nine Palestinian women and minors detained on various charges were freed under an accord brokered by Qatar that also saw the release of 13 Israeli hostages seized by Hamas gunmen during their assault on Israel last month.

"There is no real joy, even this little joy we feel as we wait," said Sawsan Bkeer, the mother of 24-year-old Palestinian prisoner Marah Bkeer, jailed for eight years on knife and assault charges in 2015. Israeli police were seen raiding her Jerusalem home before her daughter was released.

"We are still afraid to feel happy and at the same time, we do not have it in us to be happy due to what is happening in Gaza," she said.

More than 100 more Palestinian prisoners are due to be released over the coming four days and more may be freed if the truce is extended.

In Beitunia, a city near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, a large crowd, mostly of young men, greeted freed prisoners by cheering, honking car horns and marching in the street carrying Palestinian flags.

Some in the crowd also carried the flag of the Hamas militant group that rules blockaded Gaza and chanted in support of Abu Ubaida, the spokesperson of the group's armed wing.

"I can't express how I feel. Thank God," said 17-year-old Laith Othman, who was detained earlier this year on suspicion of throwing an incendiary device and released on Friday. "The situation inside (prison) is very difficult," he said as he was carried along the street on someone's shoulders.

Israeli commanders have vowed to free all the hostages as they prepare to pursue the campaign in Gaza launched in the wake of the Hamas attack, in which 1,200 Israelis and foreigners were killed, according to Israeli tallies.

Around 14,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli bombardment of Gaza and the ground operation launched last month and the military says it is preparing for the next stage of the operation once the truce ends.

Ismail Shaheen, speaking from the Dheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem, said he was waiting to see his daughter Fatima, who was arrested earlier this year, accused of an attempted stabbing.

The 32-year-old computer scientist, who has a 5-year-old daughter, was shot during her arrest. Shaheen said he was surprised to see his daughter in a wheelchair when he was first allowed to visit her in prison, months after she was detained.

"Thank God she was released in this exchange deal," he said. "We were happy that she was going to be released but only slightly so, because we cannot ignore the dire conditions of our brothers in Gaza, where thousands have been killed."

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UK Football Official Quits Over Controversial Remark On Benjamin Netanyahu

Football Association (FA) council member Wasim Haq resigned after equating Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a deleted social media post. Previously removed from the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) council, Haq faced consequences for his controversial comparison, leading to his departure from both sports organizations.

Mr Haq tweeted: "Netanyahu has sacrificed his own people to maintain power... whilst #Palestinians are trying to maintain their sanity.Adolf Hitler would be proud of Benjamin Netanyahu."

On Thursday, he tweeted to say, "This morning, I have resigned from the FA. I have also reiterated my apology to the Jewish community. This war has left thousands dead; many of us are in despair and deeply troubled. I hope football can play a future role in easing tensions between communities."

This morning I have resigned from The FA. I have also reiterated my apology to the Jewish community.

This war has left thousands dead, many of us are in despair and deeply troubled.

I hope football can play a future role in easing tensions between communities.

Pls read ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/lqXUU5lDdQ

— Wasim Haq ??????????? (@wasim_haq) November 23, 2023

In a detailed statement, he expressed that resigning was the "best course of action."

"As someone who has worked closely with many Jewish people over the years and created meaningful and valued friendships, the most painful part of this process is knowing that some of those friends and colleagues may not forgive me for the misunderstanding and hurt I have unintentionally caused," he wrote.

"I take full responsibility and reiterate my apology to them and all those affected."

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Nearly 4,00,000 In Europe Died Due To Air Pollution In 2021: Report

Almost 400,000 deaths in Europe in 2021 were related to three main air pollutants and some could have been avoided if pollutants had been reduced to World Health Organisation-recommended levels, an EU report said on Friday.

The European Environment Agency (EEA) said that within the European Union, pollution caused by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which affects people with heart diseases in particular, led to 253,000 deaths in 2021. Pollution from nitrogen dioxide (NO2), most harmful to people with diabetes, resulted in 52,000 deaths and short-term ozone (O3) exposure led to 22,000 deaths.

Including a larger set of European countries outside the EU, there were 389,000 pollutant-related deaths in Europe, the EEA said in its report for 2021, released on Friday.

"Air pollutant concentrations in 2021 remained well above the levels recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) in its air quality guidelines," the EEA said in the report.

"Reducing air pollution to these guideline levels would prevent a significant number of attributable deaths in EU member states."

The highest number of deaths from PM2.5 in 2021 occurred in Poland, Italy and Germany, while countries in northern Europe such as Iceland, Scandinavia and Estonia saw the lowest impact.

NO2 and short-term O3 exposure had the biggest impact on deaths in Turkey, Italy and Germany, according to the report.

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India-European Union Sign Pact On Semiconductors Ahead Of Key Trade Meet

An India-EU Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on semiconductors was signed on Friday, ahead of the Trade and Technology Council meeting in New Delhi, according to the Ministry of External Affairs press release.

The MoU was signed by Minister of Electronics, IT and Communications Ashwini Vaishnaw and the European Commissioner for Internal Markets Thierry Breton.

The MoU aims at increasing the resilience of the semiconductor value chain in India and the EU and covers cooperation in wide areas covering research and innovation, talent development, partnerships and exchange of market information, as per the release.

The MoU symbolizes the strong commitment between India and the EU to work towards building robust semiconductor supply chains and work together on innovation.

Meanwhile, a virtual meeting of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) was held in New Delhi on Friday.

The Indian side was led by External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar, Minister of Commerce and Industry (CIM) Piyush Goyal and Minister of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) Ashwini Vaishnaw.

The EU delegation was led by Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis and Vice-President Vera Jourova.

The TTC was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen during the latter's visit to India in April 2022.

The inaugural ministerial meeting of TTC was held in Brussels on May 16, 2023, where all three working groups under TTC set out their cooperation on a wide range of issues including semiconductors, high-performance computing, digital public infrastructures, clean energy technologies, supply chain resilience and trade issues.

During the virtual meeting, the co-chairs reviewed the progress achieved in the working groups since the first ministerial meeting and also discussed the future action plans of these working groups, as per the release.

The co-chairs provided strategic guidance to the working groups on strategic technologies and digital connectivity; clean and green energy technologies; and trade, Investment and resilient supply chains towards achieving the objectives set out for TTC during its establishment at the highest levels.

They expressed satisfaction at the progress achieved in the working groups till date, particularly in the areas of semiconductors, high-performance computing, digital public infrastructure, EV batteries and its recycling, waste to energy, resilient supply chains and FDI screening.

They also stressed taking the collaboration through research and innovation to the next phase of implementation in terms of practical outcomes/projects, through more intensive stakeholder consultations before the next TTC meeting and India-EU Summit.

Both sides agreed to hold the next meeting of the TTC in India back-to-back with the India-EU Summit at a mutually convenient date early next year.

EAM Jaishankar wrote on X: "Co-chaired the India-EU Trade & Technology Council (TTC) virtually along with my colleagues @PiyushGoyal & @AshwiniVaishnaw. Thank our EU counterparts @VDombrovskis & @VeraJourova for their partnership."

Co-chaired the India-EU Trade & Technology Council (TTC) virtually along with my colleagues @PiyushGoyal & @AshwiniVaishnaw .

Thank our EU counterparts @VDombrovskis & @VeraJourova for their partnership.

Noted the progress since our first meeting in May 2023 in digital and… pic.twitter.com/XFV2Fq8etN

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) November 24, 2023

"Noted the progress since our first meeting in May 2023 in digital and strategic technologies; clean energy and green technologies; and trade and investment and resilient value chains. Committed to promoting more engagements, bringing in practical initiatives and ensuring economic security," the EAM wrote.

EU Ambassador to India Herve Delphin said: "The #EU- #India MoU on Semiconductors signed !! Paving the way for closer cooperation in this strategic sector. An important deliverable of the EU-India Trade and Technology Council #TTC."

Meanwhile, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday discussed progress in India-EU Free Trade Agreement negotiations with European Commission's Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis.

"Discussed progress of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement negotiations with my friend @VDombrovskis, Executive Vice President of the European Commission," the Union Commerce Minister wrote on 'X'.

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Over 80 Members Of A Family "Wiped Out" In War In Gaza

Sahar Awwad is seated between her two nephews. Together, they are among the few survivors of an extended Gaza family of which at least 80 members have been killed in nearly seven weeks of Israeli bombardment. The entire family had fled first to a hospital in Khan Yunis, then to a school, which was initially transformed into a camp for the displaced then a clinic, in Rafah near the border with Egypt, the southernmost point of the besieged enclave.

Only 35 kilometres (20 miles) separated them from their former home in Gaza City, but the journey took them a week.

Last Friday, a strike hit their home in Gaza City's Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood. "More than 80 family members died. The Awwad family was wiped out," Awwad told AFP.

"The survivors rushed to extract the dead and wounded from the debris and Israel struck a second time," she said.

"We could only bury those whose bodies had been sent flying all the way to the neighbours' homes" by the force of the explosion, she said.

They were unable to reach those under the rubble.

Her nephew Mossaab, 14, has had his leg amputated and his face is still covered in scars. His cousin Abboud, 12, has an IV drip protruding from his abdomen.

Abboud "doesn't know yet that his mother, two of his brothers, his sister and his grandmother are dead", Awwad said in tears.

Only his father survived. When their home was struck, they were both already being treated in hospital.

"That the only reason why they weren't injured," Awwad said.

"My older brother and his entire family are dead. My sister fled the north and is dead along with her husband and their children" even though they were in the south, she added.

Mossaab's extended family has "completely disappeared". Some of Awwad's other relatives have survived, only because they had already fled.

Theirs is just one among many families devastated by the 47 days of bombardment and siege on the tiny Palestinian territory, in which more than 14,100 people have been killed, according to the Hamas government.

The Israeli military campaign comes in response to Hamas's shock raids into Israel on October 7 which Israel says killed around 1,200 people, most of them civilians.

On the road south, Awwad's son Mohammed, who was pushing his grandmother's wheelchair, was detained by the Israeli military.

"They released him yesterday, but he's in a terrible condition. He was tortured and stripped of his clothing.

"He couldn't speak and tell us what happened."

A few members of the family remain in Gaza City, refusing to flee until they find their loved ones and bury them.

"May God have mercy on those who were lost, but I am in terror over the rest. No one is left but them."

Fida Zayed was only 13 when she had her first son Udai. Today, he is 20, and they "grew up together", she said, along with her second son Qussai, 19, and her daughter Shahad, 17.

Zayed was with Udai just a few days ago.

"The last thing he said to me was that he was waiting for the truce on Friday, and he asked me to prepare him a feast of rice and chicken," she said.

"Dozens died in a heavy air strike. I walked over 50 bodies of dead and injured people, looking for Udai.

"Everything was covered in dust and smoke. I could only identify him by his belt," she said.

"We were all standing together, but God chose him as a martyr."

The family had to bury Udai themselves, she recalled.

"We were displaced to a school in Rafah the next day. I didn't feel like I was injured in my back," she said.

"The pain in my heart and chest made me forget about my body. My heart bleeds, not my back."

When she arrived at the hospital in Rafah, doctors found her wound was infected. It was cleaned and she received 17 stitches.

Before he died, Udai had received a rare Israeli permit to travel to the occupied West Bank to attend the Palestinian Authority's military academy in Jericho.

He had been due to start on October 12, but he "travelled to another place with no return", she said.

"Gaza is dark as a grave. I hope me and my children die here so we don't have to mourn each other," the mother said.

"The living here are the ones who are dead."

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New York Mayor Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Coworker, He Denies Claim

New York City mayor Eric Adams has been accused of sexually assaulting a female coworker 30 years ago, US media reported Thursday, as the northern state sees a flurry of such suits filed ahead of a statute of limitations deadline.

The Democratic mayor "vigorously" denies the claim, his office said, arguing he does not know the complainant and would never cause anyone physical harm.

The civil suit, first reported by The Messenger news site, alleges the complainant "was sexually assaulted by Defendant Eric Adams in New York, New York in 1993 while they both worked for the City of New York."

In the filing, the woman whose name has not been revealed, is seeking a trial and at least $5 million in relief, according to The Messenger.

"The mayor does not know who this person is. If they ever met, he doesn't recall it," a City hall spokesperson said in a statement.

"But he would never do anything to physically harm another person and vigorously denies any such claim."

The suit was submitted under the New York Adult Survivors Act, a law passed last year that opened a one-year window for sexual assault claims to be filed that otherwise happened too far in the past to litigate. That window expires Friday.

Sexual assault lawsuits were also filed Wednesday against US actor Jamie Foxx and Guns N' Roses front man Axl Rose.

Wednesday's suits follow a rape complaint against rapper Sean Combs, filed last week by R&B singer Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura.

A day after that filing, the parties said they had agreed to resolve the case, but did not disclose the settlement terms.

Former US president Donald Trump was also sued under the law by former magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll, whom a jury awarded $2 million in May.

Adams, a former police officer who took office in January 2022 as New York's second Black mayor in history, also faces a corruption investigation into campaign financing. Federal investigators are probing whether Adams's 2021 campaign conspired with Turkey's government and other actors.

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Justin Trudeau Says Canada-US Bridge Explosion "Very Serious Situation"

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said a vehicle explosion at a Canada-US border crossing near Niagara Falls on Wednesday represents "a very serious situation."

"This is obviously a very serious situation at Niagara Falls. There was a vehicle explosion at the Rainbow Bridge crossing," he told the House of Commons.

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"Leaving For Short While": BTS' Jung Kook Announces Military Service Date

Jung Kook, a member of K-Pop supergroup BTS, said on Wednesday he would begin military service in December, after the group's management agency said that all seven BTS members were on track to carry out their service.

BTS is on temporary break as a group with three of its seven members currently doing South Korea's mandatory military service.

On Wednesday, BTS's management agency said the remaining four - RM, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook - have begun the process of military enlistment.

"This coming December... I'm leaving you for a short while to serve in the military," Jung Kook said in a separate message to fans on Wednesday.

"After I return, I promise that I will be where I always am, on stage - having grown."

With this, all seven members are expected to complete their service by mid-2025, analysts said.

Hybe, parent of BTS' management agency, benefits by BTS members' staggering enlistments and solo activities, allowing members who have served earlier to be active while others are away.

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Pak Officials Can No Longer Use 'Sahib' As Title As Chief Justice Bans It

Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa has barred the addition of the word "sahib" to the title of public servants, saying it unnecessarily elevates their status and makes them feel not accountable to the people.

In a two-page order, Chief Justice Isa said that adding the word sahib with one's job title is not favourable as it may instill in them delusions of grandeur and a perception of unaccountability, which is unacceptable since it is against the interests of the public whom they are meant to serve, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.

"It is about time that the practice of adding the word sahib with one's job title is discontinued, as it unnecessarily elevates the status of public servants, discontinued, as it unnecessarily elevates the status of public servants, which may instill in them delusions of grandeur and a perception of unaccountability, which is unacceptable since it is against the interests of the public whom they are meant to serve," the order said.

Chief Justice Isa's order came as he was hearing a bail plea in the case of a child's murder in Peshawar last year.

He observed in the order that the Additional Advocate General of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province had referred to a local deputy superintendent of police as “DSP sahib”.

"You have spoiled everyone by calling them sahib. He is a DSP or rather an incompetent DSP,…..and not a sahib…,” Pakistan Today reported Chief Justice Isa as saying as he reprimanded the Additional Advocate General.

Justice Isa observed that the case challan had only relied on two statements and there was a lack of proper investigation.

He added that this was a "classic example of an incompetently handled investigation".

The suspect in the case was granted bail by the Supreme Court, and it was said that the police did not conduct any investigation to determine those responsible for the child's death. This is the best case to quote as an example of a poor investigation, another report on the matter by SAMAA TV said.

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"Feel Alive Again": Mother Reunites With Baby Rescued From Gaza Hospital

At first, the young mother couldn't find her newborn son, Anas, among the 31 tiny babies who had just arrived in southern Gaza after being evacuated from Gaza City's devastated Al Shifa Hospital. She hadn't seen him for 45 days.

"I was losing hope to see my baby alive," said Warda Sbeta in an interview with Reuters TV on Tuesday.

She and her husband frantically checked the list of names provided by the head of the neonatal unit where the babies were being cared for, at a hospital in Rafah, and there it was, Anas's name in black and white.

"I felt alive again, grateful to God that we now have our baby safely in our care," said Sbeta, speaking at the hospital as she watched over her sleeping son, whom she had dressed in a light blue sleepsuit and matching hat.

Sbeta smiled as she held him in her hands and her husband helped her to wrap him in a white swaddling blanket with pink ribbons and a hood. Once he was bundled up, she cradled him against her chest.

Sbeta, 32, has seven older children and the family, whose home was in Gaza City before the war, are now living in a school in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, that has become a shelter for hundreds of people displaced from the north of the strip.

Sbeta was offered the option of being evacuated to Egypt with Anas so he could receive further medical care, but she did not want to leave her husband and her other children.

"I can't leave them with only their father. He won't be able to look after them. So I was obliged to refuse this offer," she said.

Anas was one of only three out of the 31 premature babies rescued from Al Shifa who stayed behind in Gaza. Of the other two, one was unidentified, according to doctors at the Rafah hospital. They did not give information about the third baby.

When doctors at Al Shifa first raised the alarm nine days ago about the premature babies in their care, 39 of the infants were alive, but eight died because of the dire conditions before the evacuation to Rafah and Egypt could be organised.

A World Health Organization official said on Tuesday that two of the eight had died the night before the evacuation.

'IS HE ALIVE?'

Out of the 31 who were transported to Rafah on Sunday, 28 were evacuated to Egypt on Monday. UNICEF spokesman James Elder said on Tuesday that 20 of them were unaccompanied and eight were with their mothers. There were seven mothers as two of the infants were twins.

Elder said some of the 20 unaccompanied babies were orphans, while for others there was no information about their families. "It all underlines the horrific situation for families in Gaza," he said.

For Anas, the safety of Egypt was out of reach, but the separation from his family was over.

Sbeta said that Anas was being treated at Al Shifa when war broke out on Oct. 7, the day when Hamas militants rampaged through southern Israel, killing 1,200 Israelis and kidnapping 240, according to Israeli figures.

Israel responded with a military assault on Gaza that has killed some 13,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in the Hamas-controlled enclave, and has made three quarters of the population homeless, according to U.N. data.

Like hundreds of thousands of others in the northern Gaza Strip, Sbeta and the rest of the family fled their home for southern Gaza, while Anas stayed behind at Al Shifa as the hospital gradually ran out of power, water, food and medicines.

"They called us from Al Shifa to come and take the baby but it was hard for us to return. The route out of Gaza City was open, but the way back was closed," she said.

The anguish of separation worsened when Israeli forces last week entered Al Shifa, which Israel says has been used by Hamas as a base for its operations - an assertion denied by Hamas - and the family lost communication with the hospital.

"We completely lost any news about the baby. We were not able to know anything about him. Is he alive? Is he dead? Is someone giving him milk?" said Sbeta.

With communications patchy at the shelter in Khan Younis, the parents were struggling to get any solid information, until other displaced people living in the school told them they had heard the babies were being moved south.

The parents rushed to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, but were told they had to go to the maternity hospital in Rafah, where they were finally reunited with Anas.

On Tuesday, he was well enough to leave the hospital. His parents were taking him to the school in Khan Younis, their wartime refuge, to start a new life with his seven brothers and sisters.

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2 Ships Divert Routes Away From Red Sea After Vessel Seized By Houthis

Two commercial ships that diverted their course in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden were connected to the same maritime group whose vessel was seized by Yemen's Houthis, according to shipping data and British maritime security company Ambrey.

Israel on Sunday said the Houthis had seized a British-owned, Japanese-operated cargo ship in the southern Red Sea, describing the incident as an "Iranian act of terrorism" with consequences for international maritime security.

The Houthis, an ally of Tehran, confirmed that they had seized a ship in that area but described it as Israeli.

Japan's top government spokesperson on Monday confirmed the capture of the Nippon Yusen-operated ship Galaxy Leader, adding that Japan was appealing to the Houthis while seeking the help of Saudi, Omani and Iranian authorities to work toward the swift release of the vessel and its crew.

Two other ships also listed as commercially managed by Ray Car Carriers, Glovis Star and Hermes Leader, diverted their sailing routes on Sunday, Ambrey said on Monday.

The Hermes Leader had set a course to sail south of Nishtun in Yemen when it diverted its journey.

"The vessel continued to sail back to where it had come from, providing a new AIS destination as Hambantota, Sri Lanka," Ambrey said. "The vessel incurred a minimum four-day business disruption and sailed an additional 1,876 nautical miles."

The Glovis Star drifted for a number of hours in the Red Sea before continuing its journey, AIS ship tracking data showed on Monday.

Galaxy Maritime Ltd, which is listed in shipping records as the beneficial owner of the Galaxy Leader, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Houthi leadership last week said their forces would make further attacks on Israel and they could target Israeli ships in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

U.S. maritime administration MARAD in an advisory said the Galaxy Leader had been hijacked approximately 50 miles west of the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeidah, adding that ships should "exercise caution when transiting this area."

"We saw yesterday a new record - for the first time we saw (an) official announcement of pirates taking over a ship on the high seas, which I think is a major threat to international law and order," Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in comments on Monday, referring to the Galaxy Leader.

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Joe Biden Says He Believes Gaza Hostage Release Deal Is Close

President Joe Biden said on Monday he believes a deal is near to secure the release of some of the hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza, telling reporters "I believe so" when asked at the White House about a possible agreement.

Reuters reported last week that Qatari mediators had been seeking a deal between Israel and Hamas to exchange 50 hostages in return for a three-day ceasefire that would help boost emergency aid shipments to Gaza civilians, citing an official briefed on the talks.

About 240 hostages were taken during Hamas's deadly cross-border rampage into Israel on Oct. 7, which prompted Israel to invade the tiny Palestinian territory to wipe out the Islamist militant group.

About 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the Hamas assault, according to Israeli tallies, the deadliest day in Israel's 75-year-old history.

Since then, Gaza's Hamas-run government said at least 13,000 Palestinians have been killed, including at least 5,500 children, by unrelenting Israeli bombardment.

Despite ongoing fighting, Israel's ambassador to the United States, Michael Herzog, told ABC News on Sunday that Israel was hopeful a significant number of hostages could be released by Hamas "in coming days."

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UN Chief Calls For "Multi-Stakeholder Approach" To Solve Gaza Conflict

A UN protectorate in Gaza would not solve the conflict there, the body's Secretary-General said Monday, calling instead for a "transition period" involving Arab nations and the United States and leading to a two-state solution.

Antonio Guterres said it was "important to be able to transform this tragedy into an opportunity" -- which, for him, meant moving "in a determined and irreversible way to a two-state solution."

This means, after the current war between Israel and Hamas fighters in Gaza ends, "a strengthened Palestinian Authority, assuming responsibilities in Gaza," he said.

But the Palestinian Authority cannot go into Gaza backed by Israeli tanks, he added -- meaning the "international community needs to look into a transition period."

"I do not think that a UN protectorate in Gaza is a solution," however, Guterres said.

Instead, he called for a "multi-stakeholder approach" that would see the US act as the "main guarantor" of Israel's security, while Arab nations are "essential" to support Palestinians.

"Everybody needs to come together to create the conditions for the transition, allowing for a strengthened Palestinian Authority to assume responsibilities in Gaza," and from there to a two-state solution, he said.

Guterres also again denounced the killing of civilians -- especially children -- in Gaza as Israel wages a relentless air and ground campaign in retaliation for the October 7 attacks by Hamas.

For seven years now he has published a "list of shame" of parties to armed conflict who commit grave violations against children. Israel's absence from the list has previously been criticized by human rights organizations.

Without saying whether that may change this year, Guterres put the number of children killed in Gaza into stark context. 

In the "shame" reports, the highest number of children killed in one year by one actor was the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2017-2018, followed by the Syrian government and its allies before 2020. Both times the tally was in the hundreds. 

"Without entering into discussing the accuracy of the numbers that were published by de facto authorities in Gaza, what is clear is that we have had in a few weeks thousands of children killed," Guterres told reporters. 

"We are witnessing a killing of civilians that is unparalleled and unprecedented in any conflict since I am Secretary-General."

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Sam Altman Invited To OpenAI Headquarters On Sunday By Executives: Report

Ousted OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and former President Greg Brockman joined executives at the company's San Francisco headquarters on Sunday after interim CEO Mira Murati told staff she invited Altman, The Information reported on Sunday.

Altman is discussing a possible return to the company behind the ChatGPT bot even as he considers launching a new artificial intelligence (AI) venture, Reuters reported on Sunday. The board of the company on Friday fired Altman, who to many was the human face of generative AI, sending shock waves across the tech industry.

OpenAI declined to comment to Reuters on the details of the report from The Information.

Altman posted on Sunday on messaging platform X an image of himself wearing an OpenAI guest badge with the caption: "first and last time i ever wear one of these."

Altman's sacking angered current and former employees and worried them over how an upcoming $86 billion share sale could be affected by the sudden management upheaval.

OpenAI's former president and co-founder, Brockman also arrived at the office on Sunday, The Information reported. Brockman had stepped down from the board as chairman as part of the management shuffle, and announced on Friday he quit the company.

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3 More Journalists Killed In Gaza In Israeli Offensive: Report

The head of a prominent media institution in Gaza and two other journalists were killed during the weekend in Israel's offensive in the territory, their relatives said on Sunday, adding to the dozens of reporters who have died in the six-week conflict.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said the weekend deaths raised to 48 the number of journalists and media workers it had confirmed killed in the region since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent Israeli offensive.

The CPJ, whose list covers journalists killed on both sides of the conflict although most have been in Gaza, said it seeks at least two sources to verify each death. It said its list of those killed comprised 43 Palestinians, four Israelis and one Lebanese.

"Journalists across the region are making great sacrifices to cover this heart-breaking conflict. Those in Gaza, in particular, have paid, and continue to pay, an unprecedented toll and face exponential threats," Sherif Mansour, CPJ's Middle East and North Africa program coordinator, said in an email to Reuters.

On Sunday, Belal Jadallah, a journalist and head of the board of the Press House-Palestine, a non-governmental organisation, was killed and his pharmacist brother-in-law was seriously wounded, his sister and other relatives told Reuters.

Jadallah told his sister earlier on Sunday he was heading out of Gaza City towards the south. He was killed in the Zeitoun area of Gaza City, said his sister, who added that people who found him and took him to a medical centre where he was declared dead said he had been killed by an Israeli tank shell.

Reuters could not independently verify this report or the report of the other two journalists killed this weekend.

Four of Jadallah's relatives work for Reuters in Gaza or abroad. One of the journalists on CPJ's list of those killed is Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah who was killed in Lebanon near the border with Israel on Oct. 13.

In addition to Jadallah, two freelance journalists - Hassouna Sleem and Sary Mansour - were killed on Saturday in an Israeli assault on Bureij refugee camp, in the centre of the Gaza Strip, their relatives and Palestinian health officials said. The health officials said 17 people died in the incident.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the deaths of Jadallah or the others.

In the past, the Israeli military has said it was pursuing its offensive to dismantle Hamas after the Oct. 7 attack and it would look into individual cases at a later date. It has also said it makes every feasible effort to mitigate civilian harm.

The Press House-Palestine says on its website that its overall objective is to contribute to developing an "independent Palestinian media, that reflects the values of democracy and freedom of expression and its principles."

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Israeli Army Releases Footage It Says Shows "Hostages At Gaza Hospital"

Israel's military released security camera footage Sunday it said showed hostages being brought into Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City after being kidnapped in the October 7 Hamas attacks on southern Israel.

In one of the clips a man is brought in on a gurney by several individuals, at least four of them armed, while in another someone struggles to resist while being forcibly dragged into a building resembing a hospital.

AFP was not immediately able to verify the footage.

"Here you can see Hamas taking a hostage inside ... they're taking him inside the hospital," military spokesman Daniel Hagari told a briefing, adding the male hostages were from Nepal and Thailand.

"We have not yet located both of these hostages," he added. "We do not know where they are."

The footage appears to be time-stamped October 7, 2023, the day Hamas fighters stormed into southern Israel killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping some 240 others, according to Israeli authorities.

"These findings prove that the Hamas terrorist organisation used the Shifa hospital complex on the day of the massacre as terrorist infrastructure," the military and intelligence services said in a statement.

Since October 7 Israel has pounded Gaza relentlessly from the air, land and sea with officials in the Hamas-run territory saying at least 13,000 people have been killed, also mostly civilians.

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Ex-Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif, Others Acquitted In Mega Corruption Scam

Pakistan's former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif and two members of the incumbent federal caretaker cabinet were acquitted in a mega housing corruption scam on Saturday.

Accountability Court Lahore Judge Ali Zulqarnain Awan acquitted Shehbaz, federal cabinet members -- Fawad Hassan Fawad and Ahad Khan Cheema -- and others in the mega Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme corruption case on the report of the national anti-graft body.

Shehbaz Sharif, 72, is the younger brother of three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Prosecutor Waris Ali Janjua submitted a report on the interpretation of a recent order by the Supreme Court wherein the trial courts had been restrained from announcing final orders till a decision on appeals against a judgment on the amendments in the law.

"The stay order of the top court does not apply to acquittal applications in hand as the trial court heard them on merits and the defunct amendments in the law had nothing to do with the proceedings," he told the court.

After going through the NAB's report, the judge allowed the applications of the accused persons and acquitted them in the reference. The judge observed: "There is no probability of the conviction in the case." 

Since the ouster of former premier Imran Khan in April 2022, the Sharif brothers - Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif - and other members of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party have been getting relief from courts in one corruption case or another.

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"My 'Hindu' Faith Led Me To This Presidential Campaign": Vivek Ramaswamy

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy opened up about his 'Hindu' faith, emphasizing that it provides him with freedom and has motivated him to undertake this presidential campaign as a moral obligation.

Speaking at 'The Family Leader' forum organized by The Daily Signal platform on Saturday, the Indian-American entrepreneur drew parallels between the teachings of Hinduism and Christianity, expressing his intention to promote shared values for the benefit of the next generation.

Mr Ramaswamy said, "My faith is what gives me my freedom. My faith is what led me to this presidential campaign...I am a Hindu. I believe there is one true God. I believe god put each of us here for a purpose. My faith teaches us that we have a duty, a moral duty to realise that purpose. Those are God's instruments that work through us in different ways, but we are still equal because God resides in each of us. That's the core of my faith".

Speaking about his upbringing, he said that he was instilled with values surrounding family, marriage, and respect for parents.

"I grew up in a traditional household. My parents taught me family is the foundation. Respect your parents. Marriage is sacred. Abstinence before marriage is the way to go. Adultery is wrong. Marriage is between a man and a woman. Divorce is not just some preference you opt for...you get married before God and you make an oath to God and your family," Mr Ramaswamy said.

The Ohio-based bio-tech entrepreneur also drew parallels between Hindu and Christian faiths and said that these are the 'shared values' of God, and he will stand for those shared values.

"I went to Christian High School. What do we learn? We learned the 10 commandments. We read the Bible. Scriptures class. God is real. There is one true God. Don't take his name in vain. Respect your parents. Don't lie. Don't steal. Don't commit adultery. What I learned at that time, is that these values are familiar to me. They don't belong to Hindus. But, they don't belong to Christians either. They belong to God actually. And I think these are the values that undergird this country," Mr Ramaswamy said.

He added, "Can I be a President who can promote Christianity across the country? I can't...I don't think that's what we should want a US President to do either...but will I stand for those shared values? Will I promote them in the examples that we set for the next generations? You are damn right, I will! Because that's my duty".

The Republican leader further said that as a president it will be his responsibility to make faith, family, hard work, patriotism, and faith "cool" again in the US.

"One of the teachings is that we don't choose who God chooses to work through. That's not our choice, that belongs to God...so yes are founded on Judai-Christian values and these are values that I deeply share....as a president, it is my duty to make faith and family and hard work and patriotism, but faith includes, cool again in this country for the next generation.

Notably, 38-year-old Vivek Ramaswamy is a native of southwest Ohio. His mother was a geriatric psychiatrist and his father worked as an engineer at General Electric. His parents migrated to the US from Kerala.

Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign has gained attention, and he has risen in GOP primary polls, although he still trails behind Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in support.

The next US presidential election is scheduled for November 5, 2024.

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Apple To Make Messaging Between iPhones And Android Devices Easier

Apple said it plans to adopt a messaging standard next year that will allow for a smoother texting experience between iPhones and Android devices.

The company had been resisting the Rich Communication Services (RCS) standard for more than a year, with Alphabet's Google and others pushing for the iPhone maker to adopt the technology.

Apple said the new technology would work alongside iMessage and offer better interoperability than SMS or MMS.

RCS, considered an industry standard for messaging, allows users to send and receive high-quality photos and videos, chat over WiFi or cellular data and know when messages were read, among other features.

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White House Condemns Elon Musk's "Abhorrent Promotion" Of Anti-Semitism

The White House on Friday condemned the owner of social media platform X and the world's richest person, Elon Musk, for "abhorrent promotion" of anti-Semitism.

Referring to Elon Musk's post on X, formerly called Twitter, in which he endorsed an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory, White House spokesman Andrew Bates said it was "unacceptable" to repeat such a "hideous lie."

"We condemn this abhorrent promotion of anti-Semitic and racist hate in the strongest terms, which runs against our core values as Americans," Bates said. "We all have a responsibility to bring people together against hate, and an obligation to speak out against anyone who attacks the dignity of their fellow Americans and compromises the safety of our communities."

The White House was reacting to a post by Elon Musk in which the controversial Tesla and SpaceX tycoon replied to an anti-Semitic post on X with the words: "You have said the actual truth."

The original post has been perceived by the White House and the US media as a reference to a longtime conspiracy theory among White supremacists that Jews have a secret plan to bring in illegal immigrants to weaken white majorities.

Most notoriously, the idea was promoted by the man who carried out a mass shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018, killing 11 people.

"It is unacceptable to repeat the hideous lie behind the most fatal act of anti-Semitism in American history at any time, let alone one month after the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust," Bates said, referring to the October 7 assault by Palestinian group Hamas on Israel.

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India Calls On Canada To Respect Vienna Convention On Diplomatic Ties

India on Thursday called on Canada to provide for a conducive environment in line with provisions of the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations so that its officials can discharge their duties without any hindrance or security concerns.

India's fresh call to Ottawa came days after certain pro-Khalistani elements in Vancouver attempted to disturb a camp organised by the Indian consulate in that city.

The ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in September of "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

India strongly rejected the allegations.

"Our High Commission and consulates in Canada regularly organise consular camps. One such camp was organized near Vancouver on November 12 to provide life certificates to pensioners," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said during his weekly media briefing.

"The event was held successfully despite attempts by a few radical elements to cause trouble. Our Consul General was not present at that camp," he said.

"We reiterate the need for nations to respect the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations so that our diplomats can discharge their diplomatic obligations," he added.

Asked about reports of an incident near Brampton during Diwali, Mr Bagchi it was sort of an "unrest' between two groups.

As regards to events that you alluded to near Brampton in Diwali. I think that was more in the nature of unrest between the two groups, he said.

"I don't think there has been any complaint that our consulate has received... I saw some social media reports. We also understand that the authorities there are looking into that incident," he said.

Days after Mr Trudeau's allegations, India temporarily suspended issuance of visas to Canadian citizens and asked Ottawa to downsize its diplomatic presence in the country to ensure parity.

Canada has already withdrawn 41 diplomats and their family members from India. India has resumed some of the visa services. 

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Amazon To Block Employee Promotions Who Don't Return To Office: Report

Amazon has announced that employees who do not show up for work three times a week will be blocked from promotions, as per a report in the Independent. The company told managers that a higher office-to-home ratio is a must for employees who wish to advance in their careers. If they do not adhere to the same, employees would need approval from the Vice President. 

"Managers own the promotion process, which means it is their responsibility to support your growth through regular conversations and stretch assignments, and to complete all required inputs for a promotion. If your role is expected to work from the office 3+ days a week and you are not in compliance, your manager will be made aware and VP approval will be required," the internal memo stated. 

This comes after the e-commerce company implemented a policy in February this year requiring workers to report to work three days a week starting in May. The COVID-19 pandemic altered the workplace, with companies sending employees home to work remotely. Even as lockdowns eased around the world, a large population of employees remained remote or in a hybrid environment. In a message that was posted on Amazon's blog, CEO Andy Jassy wrote the decision was taken at a meeting and that the move would make it easier to learn and collaborate. The company added there would be some exceptions to the rule - customer support roles and salespeople would have the option of working remotely.

Many staff members resisted the policy and around 30,000 employees petitioned Amazon to do away with its office rules in March 2023. At a protest at the company's Seattle headquarters in May, hundreds of Amazon employees voiced their opposition to the new policy. 

Later in August, the CEO told staff, "It's past the time to disagree and commit. If you can't disagree and commit, it's probably not going to work out for you at Amazon because we are going back to the office at least three days a week."

Meanwhile, Amazon.com cut around 180 jobs in its games division, at least the second round of layoffs in under a week by the online retailer and digital streaming provider in a broader restructuring, an email viewed on Monday by Reuters showed. "After our initial restructuring in April, it became clear that we needed to focus our resources even more on the areas that are growing with the highest potential to drive our business forward," said Christoph Hartmann, Vice President of Amazon Games.
 

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Biden Tells Xi Jinping Tensions Must "Not Veer Into Conflict"

US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping shook hands Wednesday and pledged to reduce tensions as they met for the first time in a year at a high-stakes summit in California.

A smiling Biden greeted Xi after the Chinese leader stepped out of a black limousine at the scenic Filoli country estate in the California foothills near San Francisco, before the two leaders shook hands on the front steps.

The two leaders then headed inside for painstakingly choreographed, closed-door talks on issues including Taiwan, sanctions and trade that have roiled relations between the world's largest economies.

Biden opened his remarks by saying that tensions should "not veer into conflict."

Xi responded by saying that "turning their back on each other is not an option" for the superpowers.

Biden was to give a solo press conference at 4:15 pm (0015 GMT Thursday) to discuss the summit, which was being held on the sidelines of the APEC summit in San Francisco, the White House said.

Protesters lined part of the route of Biden's motorcade from San Francisco, many with pro-Xi signs and red and yellow Chinese flags hung up on security fences.

US officials have played down the chance of major breakthroughs although an agreement on restoring a hotline between the Chinese and US militaries on the cards, along with cooperation on stopping supplies of the drug fentanyl.

But the main goal of the talks -- which are taking place at the setting for the famed 1980s US soap opera "Dynasty" -- is to restore predictability to the relationship, US officials say.

The last time Biden and Xi met in person was in Bali in November 2022, and relations nosedived after the United States shot down an alleged Chinese spy balloon in February this year.

- 'Tensions' -
The talks, which come after months of delicate diplomatic negotiations, come against the backdrop of a long struggle for global primacy between the United States and an increasingly assertive China.

One of the most sensitive issues is Taiwan, the self-ruling democracy over which Beijing claims sovereignty and which it has not ruled out seizing by force.

Biden was expected to tell Xi that the United States will stick to its "One China" policy that emphasizes it does not support Taiwanese independence, but that it will continue to give Taiwan military aid.

"We do not want to see the tensions across the Taiwan Strait evolve into any kind of conflict", White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters hours before the meeting.

Biden was also expected to "raise concerns over human rights in China" including the repression of the Uyghur Muslim minority, added Kirby.

The 80-year-old Biden held out an olive branch to Xi, 70, on the eve of the talks, insisting that the United States was "not trying to decouple from China" and wanted to improve the relationship.

But Biden could not resist adding at a fundraising dinner that under communist leader Xi China faced "real problems," while Biden claimed to be "reestablishing American leadership in the world."

China responded with a foreign ministry spokeswoman pointing out all countries had problems, including the United States, while sticking to positive talking points on the summit.

- 'Important for everyone' -
Expectations of major announcements are low but the two countries have trailed a series of possible wins from Xi's first visit to US soil since he was hosted by then-president Donald Trump in 2017.

One is the restoration of the two countries' military hotline, which Beijing severed after then-House speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in 2022.

There were also hopes of "progress" on cooperation to limit Chinese exports of ingredients for fentanyl, the opioid drug sweeping America.

The two leaders were additionally expected to discuss the Israel-Hamas conflict and the Ukraine war.

On the eve of the summit, China and the United States also pledged to work more closely together on global warming.

Russia, a partner of China in what Washington sees as a growing authoritarian alliance, welcomed the San Francisco meeting, with the Kremlin calling the talks "important for everyone."

For his part Xi was expected to push for an end to trade curbs and sanctions, with the Chinese economy struggling to shore up growth after its tough zero-Covid policy.

The Chinese leader was to host a dinner with US executives after the summit.

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