Blinken lands in Israel with eye toward balancing support for IDF, civilians in Gaza

Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel Friday to press the Israeli government on its ongoing offensive in Gaza amid growing international condemnation and a steadily mounting civilian death toll, CNN reports.

WHO slams Gaza aid delivery problems

The World Health Organization on Thursday slammed the lack of safety guarantees for bringing humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, saying it was near impossible to get medical supplies to hospitals, AFP reports.

Germany’s Baerbock pitches radical EU reform as bloc eyes expansion

The European Union needs to embark on bold reforms as it prepares to expand, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Thursday, writes Politico.

Energy companies turn to Ukraine to store gas as EU nears capacity

The EU’s stores of natural gas are nearing full capacity, leading the bloc’s energy companies to park excess reserves in Ukraine ahead of the peak demand of the winter months, writes Financial Times.

Media: S. N. Korea might have provided Russia with short-range ballistic missiles

North Korea might have provided Russia with short-range ballistic missiles and portable anti-aircraft missiles in addition to artillery rounds for its war in Ukraine, a senior South Korean military official said Thursday, writes the news agency Yna.co .

Kiev demands explanations from Ankara over Yalta delegation taking part in forum in Turkey

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry demanded explanations from Turkey over the participation of Yalta’s delegation in the United Cities and Local Governments meeting, which took place in Turkey earlier, TASS reports.

Israel Gaza: Joe Biden calls for 'pause' in conflict

US President Joe Biden has called for a "pause" in the Israel-Hamas conflict in a campaign speech in Minneapolis, BBC reports.

Iran's Khamenei urges Muslim countries to boycott Israel

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called on Muslim states to cease oil and food exports to Israel, demanding an end to its bombardment of the Gaza Strip, Reuters reports.

Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt opens for limited evacuation

The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt has opened for the first time in more than three weeks of brutal conflict to allow the evacuation of dozens of injured Palestinians requiring hospital treatment and hundreds of foreign passport holders, The Guardian reports.

Biden will meet Xi Jinping in coming weeks, White House says

President Joe Biden will meet with President Xi Jinping of China next month during an economic summit in San Francisco, the White House said on Tuesday afternoon, marking a significant diplomatic moment between two great world powers whose relationship has grown increasingly hostile, Politico reports.

Jabalia: Israel air strike reportedly kills dozens at Gaza refugee camp

An Israeli air strike is reported to have killed dozens of people at Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, BBC reports.

The Kyiv Independent: Ukraine's counter-offensive is getting slower

As fall weather arrives, observers are looking at the status of Ukraine's three-pronged counteroffensive, which continues to move very slowly, reports The Kyiv Independent.