China has become the world's largest debt collector as over 150 nations that signed up for its Belt and Road Initiative now owe Beijing more than $1 trillion. Nearly 80% of the BRI loans have gone to financially distressed countries. China is now trying to mitigate risks by bringing lending practices in line with international standards and introducing safeguards to ensure repayment. This includes unilaterally sweeping borrowers' currency reserves held in escrow. The BRI was launched in 2013 to fund infrastructure globally but over half the loans are now entering repayment. Experts say three-quarters will be due by 2030. The findings highlight China's growing influence as a major creditor to developing nations.

According to a news report, U.S. President Joe Biden suggested a 3-day ceasefire to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a call on Monday. Biden indicated the pause in fighting could help secure the release of hostages held by Hamas militants in Gaza. Under a proposed plan between the U.S., Israel and Qatar, Hamas would release 10-15 hostages during the 3-day truce and provide a list of all hostages. Israel and Hamas have been engaged in over a week of deadly cross-border fighting. The White House confirmed Biden and Netanyahu discussed tactical pauses to allow civilians to evacuate safely and potentially enable hostage releases. But officials did not confirm specifics of the ceasefire proposal.

A 20-year-old Israeli police officer, Sgt. Elisheva Rose Ida Lubin, was stabbed to death by a 16-year-old Palestinian in Jerusalem's Old City on Monday. Sgt. Lubin was an American immigrant from Georgia who had moved to Israel last year to join the border police. She was critically injured in the stabbing attack while on patrol and later died of her wounds. The teenage Palestinian assailant, a resident of East Jerusalem, was shot dead at the scene. The fatal attack comes amid ongoing clashes between Israeli forces and Hamas militants in Gaza. Sgt. Lubin was dubbed a "lone soldier" in Israel without family there.

An extensive telecommunications outage in Australia left over 10 million Optus customers without internet and phone services for much of Wednesday. The cause of the outage remains unknown, though Optus has ruled out a cyberattack. Critical infrastructure like hospitals experienced disruption. Melbourne public transit was briefly affected. The outage originated early Wednesday deep within Optus's network. Services were gradually restored by evening. Officials criticized Optus for the major failure. Union leaders suggested recent job cuts contributed. (Image Courtesy: Optus on X)

The Israeli military has released details on the massive cache of weapons recovered from Hamas militants following rocket attacks on Israel last month. The arsenal included over 1,400 hand grenades, 750 rocket-propelled grenades, 400 explosive belts, 375 firearms, and 100 rockets. The military stated these weapons were used by Hamas to kill over 1,400 Israeli civilians. Earlier, Israel said its ground forces were fighting deep within Gaza City to target Hamas's headquarters. Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu claimed thousands of Hamas fighters have been killed and Israel will maintain security control over Gaza long-term after the conflict. The fighting has left over 10,300 Palestinians dead, including more than 4,200 children, according to health officials in Gaza.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant confirmed that Israeli troops have entered "the heart of Gaza City," supported by armored vehicles, tanks, and engineers, intensifying the military operation against Hamas. The conflict escalated with air strikes killing over 10,000 people, including thousands of children, according to Gaza's health agency. Despite warnings, half a million people remain in northern Gaza, facing dire conditions with closed bakeries and limited resources. Civilians flee as Hamas continues rocket attacks on Israeli cities. The situation remains critical with ongoing violence and civilian displacement.

The White House cautioned Israel against reoccupying Gaza, opposing Prime Minister Netanyahu's suggestion of long-term Israeli security responsibility in the region. White House spokesman John Kirby emphasized President Biden's stance that reoccupation is detrimental to both Israel and its people. The divergence in views emerged as Netanyahu hinted at a post-war Gaza without Hamas control, contrasting Biden's vision. Despite tensions, Israel clarified its intention for a security presence, not ongoing governance. The conflict's toll surpassed 10,000 deaths and 25,000 injuries in Gaza, prompting international humanitarian concerns.          

Israel's Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, declared Israel's intention to maintain "complete freedom of action" in Gaza after the ongoing conflict with Hamas ends. He emphasized that Hamas, both as a military organization and a governing body, would cease to exist. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed the sentiment, stressing Israel's need for long-term security responsibility in Gaza. However, US President Joe Biden cautioned against reoccupation, emphasizing the importance of the Palestinian Authority and a path to a Palestinian state, urging for a comprehensive solution beyond eliminating Hamas. The conflict has resulted in over 1,400 deaths in Israel and more than 10,000 in Gaza.  

Israel this week shot down an incoming missile from Yemen outside Earth's atmosphere using its Arrow defense system, the first known combat in space. The missile fired by Iran-backed Houthis flew nearly 1,000 miles toward Israel's Eilat before the aerial interception. Israel released a video showing the missile's destruction, saying it was intercepted optimally. The joint Israeli-US Arrow system was specifically designed 25 years ago to intercept long-range ballistic missiles at high altitudes, unlike other adapted systems. Previously used in 2017 against a Syrian missile, this week marked Arrow's first use for its intended purpose of stopping an attack in space. The successful interception underscores missile defenses against threats from Iran's allies like the Yemeni Houthis.

On Tuesday, November 7, Israel granted Gaza City civilians a 4-hour window from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm local time to evacuate the now-encircled city before a possible ground assault. Gaza residents say Israeli tanks have been moving mostly at night, with Israeli forces largely relying on air and artillery strikes to clear a path for their ground advance. The city is home to a third of the enclave's 2.3 million people. Israel says its forces have surrounded Gaza City in the month-long campaign against Hamas after the group's October 7 multi-front attack killed over 1,400 Israelis. Since Israel began strikes, over 10,000 Palestinians have died, about 40 percent of them children according to health officials in Gaza. Israel told residents to flee south through Wadi Gaza wetlands during the limited opening. Over 20 more Palestinians died in overnight strikes on southern Gaza cities.