UNITED NATIONS, Oct 31 (NNN-XINHUA) – The killing of thousands of children in Gaza cannot be “collateral damage,” said Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner-general of the UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), yesterday.

AGUANGA, Calif. (AP) — A wildfire fueled by gusty Santa Ana winds ripped through rural land southeast of Los Angeles on Monday, forcing about 4,000 people from their homes, fire authorities said.

The so-called Highland Fire erupted at about 12:45 p.m. in dry, brushy hills near the unincorporated Riverside County hamlet of Aguanga.

As of late Monday night, it had spread over about 2 square miles (5 square kilometers) of land, fire spokesman Jeff LaRusso said.

About 1,300 homes and 4,000 residents were under evacuation orders, he said.

MOSCOW, October 31. /TASS/: The cargo traffic between Russia and Asian nations surged by almost 50% over seven months of this year in annual terms to 25 trillion rubles ($271.9 bln), Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said in his video address to participants and guests of the International Customs Forum.

"The freight traffic with Asian countries gained almost 50% in seven months of this year, compared to the like period of 2022. It amounted to 25 trillion rubles. This is more than two thirds of our trade turnover," the Prime Minister said.

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli ground forces pushed deeper into Gaza on Monday, advancing in tanks and other armored vehicles on the territory’s main city and freeing a soldier held captive by Hamas militants. The Israeli prime minister rejected calls for a cease-fire as airstrikes landed near hospitals where thousands of Palestinians are sheltering beside the wounded.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Long lines formed at gas stations throughout Argentina on Monday as surging demand outstripped supply, becoming a campaign issue just weeks ahead of the second round of the country’s presidential race.

SYDNEY, Nov 1 (Reuters) - The sons of Australian writer Yang Hengjun, jailed in Beijing for four years on espionage charges, have written to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese asking for a "second miracle" ahead of his China visit, after the release of journalist Cheng Lei.

Albanese travels to China on Saturday, the first visit by an Australian leader since 2016 as the trading partners stabilise ties after a diplomatic dispute. He meets Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday.

BEIJING, Oct 31 (APP): China promoted Belt and Road cooperation through foreign aid over the past 10 years and conducted 2,000 projects across the world, Luo Zhaohui, head of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), said on Tuesday.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees told a U.N. emergency meeting Monday “an immediate humanitarian cease-fire has become a matter of life and death for millions,” accusing Israel of “collective punishment” of Palestinians and the forced displacement of civilians.

MOSCOW, October 31. /TASS/: Russia continues to view the United Nations system as an irreplaceable international mechanism for which there is no viable alternative, despite certain inefficiencies in its work toward resolving a host of issues on the global agenda, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.

BEIJING (AP) — The remains of former Chinese Premier Li Keqiang are to be cremated on Thursday, with flags around the country to be flown at half-staff to mourn the official who helped guide the world’s second-largest economy for a decade.

Li died Friday of a heart attack at 68. Mourners gathered at his childhood home in the city of Hefei in an apparently spontaneous outpouring of grief seen by some as a rebuke of state leader and head of the ruling Communist Party Xi Jinping.

GAZA/JERUSALEM, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Israeli tanks rolled into the southern outskirts of Gaza City on Monday, clashing with Hamas fighters who tried to stop their advance, Palestinian security sources and eyewitnesses said.

The sources said dozens of Israeli army vehicles crossed from the eastern parts of the Gaza Strip and reached the main Salah al-Din road, cutting off Gaza City from the cental part of the territory.

The sources said explosions were heard as the Israeli forces and Palestinian militants exchanged fire near the incursion area.

31 October 2023; MEMO: Muslim Americans and some Democratic Party activists say they will work to mobilise millions of Muslim voters to withhold donations and votes towards President Joe Biden’s 2024 reelection unless he takes immediate steps to secure a Gaza ceasefire, Reuters reports.