
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has postponed legislative elections originally scheduled for next month to September 11, 2027, citing Israeli measures and security concerns as the primary reasons for the delay.
AI-generated summary
The Palestinian Authority has faced significant challenges in holding elections due to internal divisions and external security constraints.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday postponed legislative elections due next month until September 11, 2027, and called a presidential poll for the same date, blaming Israel and the security situation in the Palestinian territories for the delay.
Abbas’ decree cited “obstacles posed by Israeli measures” and the need to establish suitable political, security and on-the-ground conditions for “free, fair and inclusive elections”, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
The decree called on Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza to vote.

Japan's Kyodo News Agency reported that the United States had suspended the recruitment of participants for government-sponsored professional exchange programs in China, Hong Kong and Macau at the end of July due to harassment and threats by Chinese authorities. This move contrasts with statements by Chinese and American leaders to improve relations, but Taiwan's exchange plans will not be affected.

The U.S. State Department convened an emergency meeting of ambassadors to the Asia-Pacific region in Tokyo on the 7th, and Indo-Pacific Commander Paparo attended. The purpose of the meeting was to take stock of China's strategy, North Korea's trends and alliance relations on the eve of Trump's visit to China, especially to strengthen alliance cooperation with Japan in the context of tense relations between the United States and South Korea.

The Bangkok Southern Criminal Court rejected Chinese journalist Bai Zhaodong’s detention objection and determined that the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ review of the extradition request constituted grounds for continued detention. Bai Zhaodong has exposed corruption in the Chinese government and has been granted refugee status by the United Nations. An extradition hearing is expected to be held on January 25 next year.

Emergency services rushed to Riyadh's international airport following a loud blast on Saturday. Flights were diverted or cancelled amid a recent surge in missile attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels targeting the kingdom.

On October 10, Israel launched two air strikes in the Gaza Strip, killing five Palestinians and injuring many others. The targets of the attacks were the Panda Mall near Gaza City and the Al-Tufah community. The Israeli army said the targets were militants, but Hamas denied this and accused Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement.

The Turkish Presidential Palace issued new regulations that will prohibit minors under the age of 15 from opening social media accounts starting from November 1. The regulations require service providers to enforce age verification and implement parental control and content filtering for users aged 15 to 18, aiming to strengthen the online protection of young people.