Turkish troops will have no role in Gaza force: Israeli diplomat
BUDAPEST, Oct 27: Israel will not allow Turkish troops to take part in an international force the United States has proposed to oversee the ceasefire agreement in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, Israel’s top diplomat said Monday. The 20-point deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this month calls for a force to monitor the ceasefire but does not mention which countries would provide troops. Countries that are considering taking part also want more clarity on the force’s mandate. Officials from some Arab and Muslim nations have said the focus must be on peacekeeping in Gaza, not acting as an enforcer of peace between Israel and Hamas. Speaking to journalists during a visit to Hungary, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel opposes the participation of Turkish troops in Gaza because of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s longstanding hostility to Israel. (AP)
Hurricane Melissa, at Category 5, set to hit Jamaica
Kingston, Oct 27: Hurricane Melissa intensified to Category 5 strength Monday as it neared Jamaica, where forecasters said it would unleash catastrophic flooding, multiple landslides and extensive infrastructure damage. It would be the strongest hurricane to hit the island since record keeping began in 1851. Melissa, blamed for six deaths in the northern Caribbean as it headed toward the island, was forecast to make landfall on Jamaica on Tuesday and then Cuba later in the day before heading toward the Bahamas, but it was not expected to affect the United States. (AP)
Malaysian PM calls for dialogue over coercion at East Asia summit
Kuala Lumpur, Oct 27: Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told the East Asia summit on Monday that Asia-Pacific leaders must choose dialogue over coercion and cooperation over confrontation, stressing the need for engagement in light of global conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, North Korea and the sharpened US-China rivalry. The East Asia summit is a regional forum between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and its key regional partners – China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the United States – to discuss political, security and economic challenges. The summit convened after US President Donald Trump left Malaysia earlier Monday for Japan, following his participation at ASEAN’s summit meetings. (AP)
US Navy loses two aircraft from aircraft carrier within 30 minutes
Washington, Oct 27: A fighter jet and a helicopter based off the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz both crashed into the South China Sea within 30 minutes of each other, the Navy’s Pacific Fleet said. The three crew members of the MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter were rescued on Sunday afternoon, and the two aviators in the F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet ejected and were recovered safely, and all five “are safe and in stable condition,” the fleet said in a statement. The causes of the two crashes were under investigation, the statement said. (AP)
