DAMASCUS, Oct 17 (NNN-SANA) – Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, held a phone conversation yesterday, to discuss the pressing situation in the Gaza Strip.

The two leaders highlighted the urgency in the immediate delivery of humanitarian aid to the besieged, densely-populated enclave, and discussed ways to stop Israeli shelling and the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza, it reported.

At least 2,750 Palestinians, including women and children, were killed by the Israeli army in Gaza.

16 October 2023; MEMO: US President Joe Biden is expected to visit Israel on Wednesday, according to Israel’s Channel 12, Anadolu Agency reports.

There has been no official confirmation from the White House or the Israeli government regarding Biden’s visit.

On Sunday, the Israeli broadcaster reported that Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, extended an invitation to the US President to visit Israel in a show of solidarity amid the ongoing Israel-Palestine war.

PARIS, Oct 17 (Reuters) - France's Palace of Versailles re-opened to visitors on Tuesday afternoon after closing for a few hours for security reasons, the Chateau de Versailles said on social media network X.

BFM TV, citing police sources, had said earlier that a bomb squad had been dispatched to the site.

The local police body for Versailles said later that the police operation had finished and an earlier security cordon that had been put in place had now been lifted.

BERLIN, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Jordan's King Abdullah on Tuesday warned against trying to push Palestinian refugees into Egypt or Jordan, adding that the humanitarian situation must to be dealt with inside Gaza and the West Bank.

"That is a red line, because I think that is the plan by certain of the usual suspects to try and create de facto issues on the ground. No refugees in Jordan, no refugees in Egypt," King Abdullah said at a news conference following a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin.

MOSCOW, October 17. /TASS/: The resolution by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) urging the international community to recognize Vladimir Putin's presidency as illegitimate after his current term ends in 2024 is part of the West’s information war against Russia and has no legal standing, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Monday called for a cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinians for the protection of civilians, at a meeting of the United Nations Security Council.

The latest round of conflict has resulted in massive civilian casualties and a humanitarian crisis. Its spillover effects have impacted regional peace and stability. China is deeply concerned about this, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations.

BEIJING, October 17. /TASS/: The historical trend toward peace and mutually beneficial cooperation among countries cannot be stopped, Chinese President Xi Jinping said at a reception for the heads of delegations participating in the Belt and Road forum at the Great Hall of the People.

"The historical trend toward peace, development and mutually beneficial cooperation cannot be stopped. People's striving for a better life and the aspiration of all countries for common development and prosperity are irresistible," the Xinhua news agency quotes him as saying.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Three members of a California family pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy for their role in a ring that shipped $600 million worth of stolen catalytic converters from California to New Jersey, federal prosecutors said.

Brothers Tou Sue Vang, 32, and Andrew Vang, 28, along with their mother, Monica Moua, 58, were part of “a national network of thieves, dealers, and processors” who provided the stolen auto anti-smog devices to a metal refinery for more than $600 million, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney’s office.

BEIJING, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin and his closest ally among European Union leaders, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, on Tuesday reaffirmed their commitment to bilateral ties amid international tensions over the war in Ukraine.

16 October 2023; MEMO: Dubai Police has denied claims four Israelis were targeted in a stabbing account in the Emirate.

Reports circulating on Telegram groups claim four Israelis were stabbed in the city earlier in the day, however police denied this, taking to X – formerly Twitter – to say: “@DubaiPoliceHQ  denied reports about stabbing 4 Israelis in Dubai. Safety and security are of paramount importance in the UAE.”

LONDON, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Climate activist Greta Thunberg was detained by police in London on Tuesday, a Reuters witness reported, after she and others protested outside an oil and gas conference, preventing some delegates from attending.

Thunberg, who became the face of young climate activists worldwide after staging weekly protests in front of the Swedish parliament in 2018, has this year been detained by police or removed from protests in Sweden, Norway and Germany.

BEIJING (AP) — China’s Belt and Road Initiative looks to become smaller and greener after a decade of big projects that boosted trade but left big debts and raised environmental concerns.

The shift comes as leaders from across the developing world descend on Beijing this week for a government-organized forum on what is known as BRI for short.