On Tuesday, Indian PM Narendra Modi received a phone call from Israel’s PM, Benjamin Netanyahu. PM Modi offered sincere condolences and sympathy for those killed and injured in Israel due to terrorist attacks and emphasised that the people of India stand in solidarity with Israel. Modi reiterated that India denounces terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. The PM also addressed the subject of Indian citizens’ safety and security in Israel. PM Netanyahu has stated that he will provide full cooperation and support.
India and Italy signed a defence cooperation agreement on Tuesday following Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's visit to Italy. The two sides will cooperate in “security and defence policy, R&D, education in the military field, maritime domain awareness, sharing of defence information and industrial cooperation, including co-development, co-production and setting up of joint ventures.” During the visit, Singh met his Italian counterpart Guido Crosetto in Rome and discussed several defence cooperation issues like "training, sharing of information, maritime ex ercises and maritime security and the complementary capacities of India and Italy in defence and the possibilities of joint development."
Another 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck Afghanistan on Wednesday morning after a deadly earthquake of the same magnitude on Saturday killed over 2,000 people in the country. The epicentre of Wednesday's earthquake was about 28 kilometres outside the capital of Herat province while the epicentre for the Saturday earthquake, which impacted around 12,000 people, was about 40 kilometres northwest of the provincial capital.
Col. Naw Bu, a spokesperson for Myanmar’s Kachin Independence Army, said on Tuesday that 29 people, including 11 children, were killed and 57 others were injured in the airstrike carried out by the Myanmar military late Monday.
China is set to host its third Belt and Road Forum on 17-18 October, which will also mark the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative championed by President Xi Jinping. Russian President Vladimir Putin is also expected to attend the event.
US President Joe Biden on Tuesday condemned Hamas' attack on Israel as “sheer evil” and said he would ask Congress to authorise emergency funding for Israeli military support. Shortly after talking to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden made public remarks. It was their third phone conversation since Saturday’s Hamas attack.
Finland has launched an inquiry into the weekend damage to an undersea gas and communication link between it and Estonia. Finnish President Sauli Niinistö said Tuesday that, while the country’s investigation has begun, it’s “likely that the damage to both the gas pipe and the communication cable is the result of external activity,” but he did not attribute the alleged sabotage to another country.