Defense chiefs from the Group of Seven (G7) developed economies vowed to support Ukraine's "irreversible path" to eventual NATO membership and pledged continued military support in the "short and long term" as Kyiv battles against Russia's full-scale invasion.

The leaders on October 19 also condemned Moscow for its military aggression along with its deployment of "hybrid warfare" and the "irresponsible use of nuclear rhetoric."

"We underscore our intent to continue to provide assistance to Ukraine, including military assistance in the short and long term," the G7 said in a joint statement following its summit in Naples.

“We support Ukraine on its irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership,” it added.

Italy, which holds the 2024 rotating chair of the group, hosted the event that also included the United States, Canada, France, Britain, Germany, and Japan and representatives of the European Union and NATO.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umero, who attended the event, "expressed gratitude for the constant support in the fight against Russian aggression," his office said.

The G7 defense chiefs said in their statement that they "consider it imperative to continue supporting the education and training needs of the Ukrainian defense and security forces...given the need for force regeneration and reconstitution."

It noted the G7 decision to make available an estimated $50 billion by using revenue derived from frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine, including military, budgetary, and reconstruction assistance.

"We consider it a priority to work now to find solutions to create a Ukrainian military interoperable with supporting member states and NATO, capable of defending Ukraine now, and deterring further attacks in the future," it said.

"This process must be based on coordinated and sustained actions across relevant state and international actors."

It said that Ukraine had "for nearly three years defended itself against Russia's brutal and full-scale illegal war of aggression."

"We condemn Russia, which has put in place a posture of confrontation and destabilization on a global scale, also resorting to hybrid warfare and the irresponsible use of nuclear rhetoric."

Since February 2022, when he sent tens of thousands of troops across the border to invade Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly hinted and threatened that Russia was ready to tap into its nuclear arsenal -- the world's largest -- to defend itself.

Washington is "highly concerned" about reports that North Korean soldiers have been deployed alongside Russian troops in Ukraine, although it has so far been unable to verify the claims made by South Korea and Ukraine, a U.S. spokesman said.

"We are highly concerned by reports of [North Korean] soldiers fighting on behalf of Russia," National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said on October 19.

"We are unable to confirm whether these reports are accurate, but if true, this would mark a dangerous development in Russia’s war against Ukraine," he added.

Savett said that such a move would "indicate Russia's growing desperation" as it suffers "extraordinary casualties on the battlefield in its brutal war against Ukraine."

"If Russia is indeed forced to turn to [North Korea] for manpower, this would be a sign of desperation, not strength, on the part of the Kremlin," Savett said.

Russia has suffered massive losses since its February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine -- which many in the Kremlin reportedly expected to last just a few days. U.S. government sources say that Russia has been suffering more than 1,200 casualties a day in recent months.

South Korea on October 18 claimed that Pyongyang began moving special forces to Russia earlier this month, days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy made a similar accusation that North Korea had sent soldiers and weapons to help support the Kremlin in its war against Ukraine.

"The North Korean soldiers dispatched to Russia are currently stationed at Russian military bases in the Far East, including Vladivostok, Ussuriisk, Khabarovsk, and Blagoveshchensk, and are expected to be deployed to the front lines as soon as they complete their adaptation training," South Korea's National Intelligence Service said.

Ukraine's Center For Strategic Communications on October 18 posted a video of what it said were North Korean troops being outfitted at Russia's Sergiyevsky training ground in preparation for deployment to Ukraine.

The video could not immediately be independently verified.

The Kremlin has previously dismissed claims by South Korea that Pyongyang has supplied artillery shells and short-range missiles to Moscow.

But it has not commented on the latest assertions by either Seoul or Zelenskiy, who on October 14 said that "this is no longer just about transferring weapons. It is actually about transferring people from North Korea to the occupying military forces."

NATO chief Mark Rutte, speaking in Brussels on October 18, said the military alliance could not confirm the reports that North Korean troops were "actively engaged" in the conflict in Ukraine.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Russian Service

GORNJE NEDELJICE, Serbia – A few hundred Serbian environmental activists and local residents blocked roads near the western city of Gornje Nedeljice and a major highway near Cacak in central Serbia, part of continuing protests against the proposed opening of a lithium mine.

The October 19 protests, organized by the Alliance of Environmental Organizations of Serbia (SEOS), concluded without incident after about an hour.

The SEOS said similar actions are set to take place across the Balkan country.

"This is just the prelude to the blockades that will happen throughout Serbia," Zlatko Kokanovic, one of the organizers of the protest, told RFE/RL.

Kokanovic said residents of Gornje Nedeljice and surrounding villages would not give up their fight to prevent lithium mining in Serbia.

Locals told RFE/RL that the issue they are facing is "a problem for all of Serbia," not just their region.

"There will be no mine, and I am certain there won’t be," said Svetlana Milutinovic of the village of Korenita, site of a planned tailings dam, where byproducts of mining operations are stored.

She added that the support from citizens across Serbia means a lot to them.

"They are all in the same position. It all starts here, but everyone will eventually be affected," she said.

Protests across Serbia erupted after the Constitutional Court nullified a previous government's rejection of some initial permits, clearing the path for fulfillment of Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic's pledge to ensure the mine complex's completion in western Serbia's Jadar Valley.

British-Australian mining company Rio Tinto plans to create Europe's biggest lithium mine in the region.

Rio Tinto has said the project could provide nearly 60,000 tons of lithium annually and meet about one-fifth of the needs for Europe's electric-vehicle production.

In a statement to RFE/RL, Rio Tinto said that "domestic and international experts have confirmed that the Jadar project can be implemented safely and following the highest environmental protection standards."

Vucic and the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS)-led government previously stated that the lithium mine could open by 2028, provided that environmental regulations are met and necessary permits are obtained.

Rio Tinto discovered the mineral jadarite, a combination of lithium and boron, in the Loznica region in 2004, and officials have estimated that the Jadar Valley contains 158 million tons of the ore.

However, many domestic and international experts say that lithium extraction inevitably leads to environmental consequences, particularly the pollution of water basins and soil.

A U.S. diplomat said on October 11 that a decision on lithium mining is up to Serbia's people, but he said the proposed project is expected to bring economic benefits.

Jose Fernandez, undersecretary for economic growth, energy, and environment, told a news conference in Belgrade that he supports the debate over the project but added he believes the mine project will create jobs and bring Serbia closer to the European Union.

KYIV -- U.S. Undersecretary of State Uzra Zeya, during a visit to Kyiv, underscored "unwavering U.S. solidarity" with Ukraine against Moscow's aggression and vowed continued support for Kyiv's efforts to battle corruption at home.

"Our message, building on the visit of Administrator Power, and Secretary Blinken in recent weeks is a straightforward one: U.S. support is steadfast in the face of Russia's illegal war against Ukraine," she said in an interview with RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service on October 18, referring to USAID chief Samantha Power and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Zeya, the U.S. a secretary of state for public security, democracy, and human rights, said that "providing Ukraine with the support that it needs to prevail is a top priority for the United States."

She said that among the key points she stressed during her meetings with leaders in Kyiv was U.S. backing to help "Ukraine win the war, win the peace, and win the future by strengthening its democratic resilience. "

Prior to her visit, the State Department said Zeya would emphasize "continued partnership on anti-corruption and rule-of-law reforms, a strong civil society and independent media, and advancing victim- and survivor-centered justice and accountability for Ukrainians."

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and other leaders have pressed Ukraine's allies for additional military aid and also permission to use Western-supplied weapons to attack bases deep inside Russia, something Washington and other countries have been reluctant to grant over fears of igniting a wider conflict.

While providing aid to Ukraine, Western partners have also pressed Kyiv to make gains against widespread corruption in the country to -- as Zeya said during the visit -- help "secure a fully integrated Ukraine with Europe."

"The United States is proudly supporting Ukraine's tremendous anti-corruption gains, from reforming oversight of financial crimes and increasing the number of anti-corruption judges to doubling the number of indictments and convictions in the last 16 months," she said.

Zeya said the United States "will do its utmost to rally its partners to help Ukraine, hold Russia accountable for its atrocities, and advance comprehensive justice for its people."

During her visit Zeya, announced a $5 million partnership with the Institute for War and Peace Reporting to "enhance collaboration between civil society and Ukrainian anti-corruption institutions toward even greater government transparency and accountability."

"I think the fact that Ukraine is consistently rising in Transparency International's annual rankings over recent years as it is repelling this brutal full-scale invasion really speaks to the tenacity, resourcefulness, and determination of Ukraine's anti-corruption efforts," she said.

Transparency International has ranked Ukraine 104th out of 180 countries in its most recent index.

The watchdog said in its report for 2023 that "across the region, many governments control the judiciary and law enforcement institutions to maintain impunity for corruption for those in their privileged circles."

For "countries in the Western Balkans, these persistent practices stand in the way of European Union membership. This is also the case for Moldova and Ukraine, although these countries are making substantial reforms to their justice systems," Transparency International said.

Zeya also vowed that Washington would continue its support for "millions of displaced Ukrainians, including those in Ukraine and around the region" who have had their lives thrown into turmoil by the Russian invasion.

The U.S. diplomat is scheduled to travel to Poland and Britain following her visit to Ukraine.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on October 19 announced his country's support for Ukraine's "victory plan" for ending the war with Russia.

Unveiled by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on October 16, the ambitious plan hopes to compel Russia to end its invasion of Ukraine through negotiations no later than next year.

Barrot, who began a two-day trip to Kyiv on October 19, said a Russian victory in this war would be a "consecration for the law of the strongest and would push the international order toward chaos."

"That is why our exchanges should allow us to make progress on President Zelenskiy's victory plan and rally the greatest number possible of countries around it," Barrot said at a joint press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart, Andriy Sybiha.

Barrot said that Ukrainians were not only fighting for their country's territorial integrity, but "also holding a front line that separates Europe from Vladimir Putin's Russia, that separates freedom from oppression."

Barrot announced that France plans to deliver the first batch of Mirage 2000 combat jets to Ukraine in the first quarter of 2025, with Ukrainian pilots and mechanics also trained to fly and maintain the aircraft.

France has been one of Ukraine's staunchest supporters in Europe since Russia's brutal full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.

A full new brigade of Ukrainian soldiers for frontline deployment is currently being trained and equipped by France.

Barrot's visit to Kyiv comes hours after Russia launched a new drone strike on the Ukrainian capital overnight, the city's military administration said in a statement on October 19.

A woman sustained a "serious injury" in the strike, the statement said, adding that the attack also damaged a house and several vehicles.

Moscow, meanwhile, said its air defenses shot down 16 Ukrainian drones over Russia’s Bryansk, Rostov, and Belgorod regions in the early hours of October 19.

Russia's Defense Ministry also claimed that its forces had taken the village of Zoryane, enabling them to approach the industrial hub of Kurakhove in eastern Ukraine.

Kurakhove, home to about 20,000 people before the invasion, lies south of Pokrovsk, a key target of Moscow's forces advancing westward through the Donetsk region.

The head of Pokrovsk's military administration, Serhiy Dobrak, on October 18 urged residents to evacuate.

"Do not delay, pack up and leave. It will be dangerous," Dobrak was quoted by Urkainian media as saying.

With reporting by AP and Reuters

An Italian coast-guard ship took back to Italy the first 12 migrants from newly opened immigration centers in Albania on October 19 after a court ruling in Rome.

The Italian court on October 18 ruled against the right-wing government's move to detain migrants at asylum-processing facilities outside the European Union under an agreement between Italy and Albania.

The court said the migrants had to return to Italy because their countries of origin -- Egypt and Bangladesh -- could not be considered safe.

The migrants were transferred to the Albanian facility of Gjader on October 16 to undergo what the bilateral agreement describes as expedited border procedures.

They originally numbered 16, but four of them had already been brought back to Italy -- two for health reasons and two for being minors.

A cabinet meeting is expected to be held on October 21 to decide on the government's response.

The court ruling represents a stumbling block to the arrangement between Italy and Albania that the government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hailed as a new "model" for dealing with illegal migration.

The agreement states that while in the centers, an Italian judge would consider the migrants' asylum claims and decide whether to grant them or send them back to their home countries.

Speaking to reporters during a trip to Lebanon, Meloni called the decision "prejudiced" and said it was up to her government to determine which countries are safe and which are not, suggesting she would draft new rules to address the issue.

"Perhaps the government needs to clarify better what is meant by 'safe country'," she said.

Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi told a news conference he was confident the decision would be overturned, adding that the government would take its appeal up to the Supreme Court if necessary.
For now, the court ruling means they will all have to be transferred to Italy.

The centers are set to cost Italy $730 million over five years. The facilities are managed by Italy and under Italian jurisdiction, while Albanian guards provide external security.

Italy has agreed to accept those migrants who have been granted asylum, while those whose claims are rejected face deportation directly from Albania.

With reporting by Reuters and AP

The world’s leading industrial nations warned Iran to stop supporting the Hamas and Hezbollah militant groups and other nonstate actors in the Middle East and to cease actions that are helping to destabilize the region, while Washington also urged Israel to scale back its attacks near Beirut amid ongoing fears of a potential all-out war.

The Group of Seven (G7) developed economies, in a joint statement on October 19, said they "call on Iran to refrain from providing support to Hamas, Hezbollah, Huthis, and other nonstate actors, and taking further actions that could destabilize the region and trigger an uncontrolled process of escalation."

Gaza-based Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and European Union. Hezbollah has also been designated terror group by the United States, while the EU blacklists its armed wing but not its political unit, which has members in the Lebanese parliament.

Hamas, Lebanon-based Hezbollah, and the Huthi rebels in Yemen -- also deemed a terrorist organization by the United States -- are considered Iranian proxy organizations in the Middle East.

Following its summit in Italy, the G7 -- the United States, Italy, Canada, Britain, France, and Japan -- said it remains "united in supporting the need for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza," the release of all hostages, and a "significant and sustained increase" in the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The statement also said the G7 is troubled by the latest events in Lebanon and "the risk of further escalation."

It expressed concerns over "all threats" to the security of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which has complained of dangers to its staff amid the Israeli military's air and ground operations in southern Lebanon near the Israeli border.

Separately, U.S. defense chief Lloyd Austin said Washington would "like to see" Israel scale back some of its attacks in and around Beirut.

"The number of civilian causalities have been far to high. We would like to see Israel scale back some of the strikes in and around Beirut and we would like to see a transition to negotiations that would allow civilians on both sides to return to their homes," he said following the G7 summit in Naples.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on October 19 said the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar presented an opportunity for a cease-fire in the Middle East.

"This creates an opening that I believe we must take full advantage of to dedicate ourselves to ending this war and bringing the hostages home," Harris told reporters.

"As it relates to the issues in the Middle East and in particular in that region, it has never been easy. But that doesn't mean we give up. It's always going to be difficult."

The statements come after Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Hamas "will remain alive" despite the death of Sinwar.

Khamenei said in a statement on October 19 that Sinwar's "loss is undoubtedly painful for the Axis of Resistance," referring to a self-described network of several Iran-backed groups in the Middle East, including Hamas.

"But this front did not cease advancing with the martyrdom of prominent figures," Khamenei added.

Sinwar -- the architect of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza -- was killed by Israeli forces on October 16. His death was confirmed by a top Hamas political official the following day.

The situation remains tense in Gaza, where at least 50 people including children were killed in Israeli air strikes on October 19, Palestinian health officials said.

At least 10 of them were killed in central Gaza when a house was hit in the town of Zawayda, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, where the casualties were taken.

Another attack killed 11 people, all from the same family, in the Maghazi refugee camp, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah.

The Israeli government said that a drone was launched toward the house of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the coastal town of Caesarea on October 19, with no casualties. Neither Netanyahu nor his wife were home, his office said in a statement.

Netanyahu later said that the "agents of Iran who attempted to assassinate" him and his wife "made a bitter mistake."

The drone strike came in the morning as sirens wailed in Israel, warning of incoming fire from Lebanon.

In Lebanon, authorities said two people were killed in an Israeli strike on October 19 in Jounieh, north of Beirut.

Jounieh, a Christian-majority town, had not been hit since Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah started exchanging cross-border fire over the Gaza war last year.

Israel intensified its bombardment of Lebanon on September 23 and later in the month sent ground troops across the Lebanese border.

The strikes have reached areas outside of traditional strongholds of Hezbollah, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the European Union blacklists its armed wing but not its political party.

Hezbollah's political wing has seats in the Lebanese parliament and the militants control the southern part of the country that borders Israel.

Elsewhere, pro-Iranian groups in Iraq overran offices of Saudi broadcaster MBC after it aired a report referring to commanders of Tehran-linked militant groups as "terrorists."

More than 400 people "wrecked the electronic equipment, the computers, and set fire to a part of the building," an Iraqi Interior Ministry source told AFP.

The source said the fire had been put out and that police had dispersed the crowd.

With reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters

Romania dispatched four of its fighter jets early on October 19 after an unidentified object breached its airspace in the southeast near the Black Sea, the Defense Ministry said.

According to the ministry, the military radar systems detected a small flying object -- likely a drone -- headed for Tulcea County before losing the signal at around 2.30 a.m. local time, a second drone this week breaching Romania's national airspace.

The army dispatched two F-16 fighter jets and two Spanish F-18s to monitor the object, the ministry said, adding that the pilots did not see the drone.

The previous incident was reported on October 17, when a small flying object was detected by army radars above the southeastern county of Constanta at around 5 p.m. local time.

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on October 18 that his country was analyzing the possibility of a "cyber-challenge, because pilots did not have visual contact with the drone."

In the past, Russian drones had entered Romania's airspace as Moscow attacked Ukrainian targets along the Black Sea and Danube River.

Romania, a member of the European Union and NATO, shares a 650-kilometer border with Ukraine.

The board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on October 18 approved a $1.1 billion payout for Ukraine to be used to provide budget support to the war-torn country.

The loan disbursal is the latest tranche of funding the IMF has released to Ukraine as part of an ongoing four-year, $15.5 billion program approved in March 2023.

The approval of the fifth review of the expanded agreement under the Enhanced Financing Program (EFF) for Ukraine brings the total amount disbursed to Ukraine since then to $8.7 billion.

"Russia's war in Ukraine continues to bring a devastating social and economic toll on Ukraine," IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said in a statement.

"Despite the war, macroeconomic and financial stability is being preserved through skillful policymaking by the Ukrainian authorities, as well as substantial support,” Georgieva said. “"The economy has remained resilient, despite significant damage to the energy infrastructure, reflecting the continued adaptability of households and firms."

The IMF statement said that Ukraine had met all of the relevant targets, including on structural reforms relating to tax privileges, public companies, and customs reform.

Ukraine's economy had been "more resilient than expected" in the first half of the year, with good domestic data "bolstered by continued sizable external support," the IMF said.

But it warned that the economic outlook through the end of next year remained subject to "exceptionally high uncertainty," largely due to sustained Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure and uncertainty about the war.

Russia and Ukraine swapped 190 prisoners of war on October 18 under an agreement completed with the help of the United Arab Emirates.

The U.A.E. mediated the exchange, the country’s state news agency said, in a report that referred to a total of 190 soldiers.

The Russian Defense Ministry said on Telegram that the 95 returning Russian servicemen were undergoing medical checks in Belarus.

There was no immediate word of the exchange from Ukrainian authorities.

Russia and Ukraine earlier on October 18 exchanged the bodies of fallen servicemen. Russian State Duma Deputy Shamsail Saraliev, who is the legislative body’s representative of the parliamentary coordination group on military operations, said the exchange involved the bodies of 501 servicemen returned to Ukraine and 89 to Russia.

The Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported that the bodies of soldiers killed in battles near Avdiyivka, Maryinka, Bakhmut, and Zaporizhzhya as well as one body from a morgue in Russia have been returned to their homeland.

The bodies will be taken to Ukrainian morgues for identification, after which they will be handed over to relatives for burial.

The Russian Defense Ministry has not yet commented on the exchange of bodies, which the two sides have regularly done since 2022. The International Committee of the Red Cross acts as an intermediary in the exchanges.

With reporting by Reuters

A court in Italy on October 18 ruled against the right-wing government's move to detain 12 migrants in newly opened immigration centers, or reception camps, in Albania.

Sixteen migrants -- 10 Bangladeshis and six Egyptians -- were transferred on October 16 by an Italian Navy ship to Albania to undergo what are called expedited border procedures under an agreement between Italy and Albania.

The staff of the immigration center, where migrants are to be housed, had decided prior to the court ruling to return four other migrants after medical and other examinations.

The decisions represent a stumbling block to the arrangement between Italy and Albania that the government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hailed as a new "model" for dealing with illegal migration.

The agreement states that while in the centers, an Italian judge would consider the migrants’ asylum claims and decide whether to grant them or send them back to their home countries.

A court in Rome rejected the detention of 12 migrants with the explanation that they cannot be returned to their countries of origin because the court does not consider these countries to be safe enough.

Speaking to reporters during a trip to Lebanon, Meloni called the decision "prejudiced" and said it was up to her government to determine which countries are safe and which are not, suggesting she would draft new rules to address the issue.

"Perhaps the government needs to clarify better what is meant by 'safe country'," she said.

Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi told a news conference he was confident the decision would be overturned, adding that the government would take its appeal up to the Supreme Court if necessary.

For now, the court ruling means they will all have to be transferred to Italy.

The centers are set to cost Italy 670 million euros ($730 million) over five years. The facilities are managed by Italy and under Italian jurisdiction, while Albanian guards provide external security.

Italy has agreed to accept those migrants who have been granted asylum, while those whose claims are rejected face deportation directly from Albania.

With reporting by Reuters

Jailed activist Ramilya Saitova (aka Galim) of Russia’s Republic of Bashkortostan has been placed under strict conditions in a Russian prison in the Perm region, where she is serving a five-year sentence for an online post she made protesting Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The change in Saitova’s status came after a skirmish with two other women who took turns beating her, according to activists from Bashkortostan who spoke to RFE/RL on October 18 on the condition of anonymity.

A court in Samara on October 16 rejected Saitova’s complaint against the decision to place her under harsher conditions.

The activists, who monitor Saitova’s case, said they found out about the fight with the two other women at the same time they heard that her complaint had been rejected. They don’t know why the fight occurred.

“As far as we know, she had quite normal relations with everyone in the colony. Ramilya complained to the duty officer, but in the end the disciplinary commission recognized her as a malicious violator of the order and expelled Ramilya to a punishment cell for 15 days,” one of the sources told RFE/RL.

After leaving the punishment cell, she was assigned to a barracks with stricter conditions, including a prohibition on calls to relatives.

The activists said they consider this "a provocation by the administration and, possibly, the special services."

The two women involved in the fight are considered inmates of "exemplary behavior" in the colony and have now been recognized as alleged victims of Saitova's actions, the activists told RFE/RL.

Saitova plans to appeal the decisions of the colony administration and the refusal of the Court of Cassation in Samara to the Supreme Court of Russia.

Saitova, who has been recognized by the Memorial human rights group as a political prisoner, was arrested in May 2023 and charged with "public calls for actions aimed against the country's security." She rejected the charge, which stemmed from her online video address to men mobilized in Bashkortostan, calling on them "to be brave and openly say, 'I do not want to kill.'"

The Kirovsky District Court of Ufa, which sentenced her in December 2023, also banned the activist from engaging in activities related to the administration of websites for a period of four years.

In April 2024, the Supreme Court of Bashkortostan upheld Saitova's sentence, which she began serving the following month at the women's penal colony No. 18 in the Perm region.

Her lawyer, Garifulla Yaparov, said earlier that she had been well received there. The attitude of the colony’s management toward her was normal, and she didn’t complain about the food, Yaparov said at the time.

Apple has informed RFE/RL that it has removed Current Time's app from the Russian version of its App Store at the request of Roskomnadzor, Russia’s media regulatory agency.

Apple told RFE/RL in a letter that the reason it removed the app is that it contained content that is illegal in Russia and materials from an organization deemed "undesirable" by the Russian authorities.

Current Time is the Russian-language TV and digital network run by RFE/RL.

RFE/RL, an independent media organization funded by a grant from the U.S. Congress through the United States Agency for Global Media, broadcasts in 27 languages across 23 countries, mainly targeting regions with limited media freedom. Its Russian-language projects have been the focus of increasing governmental pressure, particularly since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

RFE/RL had no immediate comment on Apple's decision.

After Moscow launched its full-scale war against Ukraine in February 2022, Roskomnadzor blocked RFE/RL websites, including those of the company's Russian Service, known locally as Radio Svoboda, and Current Time.

On March 6, 2022, RFE/RL suspended operations in Russia, following escalating government actions, including a petition by the Russian Federal Tax Service to bankrupt the organization’s Russian division.

These measures, according to RFE/RL, were the culmination of years of government efforts to hinder its work.

The Russian Justice Ministry officially declared RFE/RL’s activities “undesirable” in February 2024.

Apple’s compliance with the Russian authorities is part of a broader trend. The U.S. tech giant removed 25 VPN services from its App Store in July and another 98 in September.

These removals sparked concerns from independent media, NGOs, and civil society activists, who have accused the company of aiding in the suppression of free speech in Russia. They have urged Apple to resist actions that undermine international human rights standards and to reinstate the blocked VPN apps.

A court in Astana on October 18 sentenced Kazakh journalist Daniyar Adilbekov to 4 1/2 years in prison on charges of making and disseminating false information through a Telegram post that accused an energy official of corruption. Co-defendant Erlan Saudegerov received a three-year suspended sentence and probation on related charges. Both men rejected the charges. Their lawyers cited procedural violations and a lack of evidence. In May, over a dozen journalists appealed to President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev for Adilbekov’s release and a fair investigation. Adilbekov also reported being tortured by National Security Committee officials, a claim denied by authorities. His case and the imprisonment of other Kazakh journalists in recent months have sparked concerns about press freedom and the treatment of journalists in Kazakhstan. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, click here.

U.S. Undersecretary of State Uzra Zeya has arrived in Kyiv for talks with Ukrainian officials, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv said on October 18 on X, adding that the visit is meant "to reaffirm the commitment of the U.S. to support Ukraine against a full-scale invasion of Russia," the embassy said on X. Separately, the U.S. State Department said in a statement that Zeya will emphasize continued partnership on anti-corruption and rule of law reforms, a strong civil society and independent media, and advancing victim- and survivor-centered justice and accountability for Ukrainians." From Ukraine, Zeya will depart for Poland and the United Kingdom, the statement added. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, click here.

South Korea claims Pyongyang began moving special forces to Russia earlier this month, days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy made a similar accusation that North Korea had sent soldiers and weapons to help support the Kremlin in its war against Ukraine.

South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) said in a statement on October 18 that it had tracked the movements of the North's military from October 8 to October 13 and had captured images of North Korea transporting special forces to Russian territory via a Russian transport ship, the first time a Russian Navy vessel had been detected entering North Korean waters since 1990, "confirming the start of the North Korean military's participation in the war."

"The North Korean soldiers dispatched to Russia are currently stationed at Russian military bases in the Far East, including Vladivostok, Ussuriisk, Khabarovsk, and Blagoveshchensk, and are expected to be deployed to the front lines as soon as they complete their adaptation training," the NIS statement said.

"The North Korean soldiers were issued Russian military uniforms and Russian-made weapons, and were also issued fake ID cards of residents of the Yakutia and Buryatia regions of Siberia who looked similar to North Koreans. It appears that they disguised themselves as Russian soldiers to hide the fact that they were deployed to the battlefield," it added.

The statement included maps and photos purportedly backing up the claims, which have not been independently verified.

Speculation over North Korea's role in the conflict has grown amid signs of tightening relations between Moscow and countries such as North Korea and Iran almost 32 months after Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine was launched.

The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based U.S. military think tank, also recently reported that several thousand North Korean troops had arrived in Russia and were being prepared for deployment in Ukraine.

The Kremlin has previously dismissed claims by South Korea that Pyongyang has supplied artillery shells and short-range missiles to Moscow, but has not commented on the latest assertions by either Seoul or Zelenskiy, who on October 14 said that "this is no longer just about transferring weapons. It is actually about transferring people from North Korea to the occupying military forces."

The NIS statement said Ukrainian intelligence services had analyzed North Korean weapons it says Russia has used in the war and found they have "a high defect rate and low accuracy, so they are being used for mass offensives to maintain the front line rather than for precision strikes."

NATO chief Mark Rutte, speaking in Brussels on October 18, said the military alliance could not confirm the reports that North Korean troops were "actively engaged" in the conflict in Ukraine.

Defense ministers from NATO's 32 members are meeting to discuss developments in Ukraine, as well as other issues.

In Washington, the chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives' Intelligence Committee cited the South Korean report in a letter to President Joe Biden calling for an immediate classified briefing on the issue.

"These [North Korean] troops movements, if true, are alarming and are an extreme escalation of the conflict in Ukraine," said Representative Mike Turner (Republican-Ohio). "They require an immediate response from the United States and our NATO allies to avoid a widening conflict."

De facto authorities in Moldova's Transdniester have pledged not to obstruct the access of voters from the Russian-backed separatist region to polling stations amid concerns that Moscow will attempt to interfere with the two key votes scheduled for October 20.

Moldovans are going to the polls to have their say in a referendum on their impoverished country of 2.5 million people pursuing further integration into the European Union and at the same time decide whether to give Pro-Western President Maia Sandu a second term in office.

Mostly Russian-speaking Transdniester, a narrow stretch of land on the left bank on the Dniester River that borders Ukraine, declared independence in 1990 when Moldova was still a Soviet republic. Following Chisinau's proclaiming its own independence in 1991, the two sides fought a short but bloody war in 1992 that claimed the lives of some 1,000 people.

The war was quelled by the intervention of Russian troops stationed in the region on the separatists' side. The conflict has remained frozen for the past three decades and Russia still maintains some 1,500 troops in the region despite pledging as far back as 1999 to withdraw them.

Although it does not officially recognize Transdniester's independence, Moscow has been the separatist entity's main political and economic backer.

Central authorities in Chisinau said that separatists responded positively to their call not to "impede the smooth conduct of the elections."

Moldovans from Transdniester who want to vote will have to cross the Dniester River into Moldova proper, where authorities have reserved 30 polling stations only for them.

Separatist authorities initially reacted with fury to Chisinau's refusal to open any polling stations in Transdniester, saying it was proof the Moldovan government was "ignoring" its citizens from the left bank of the Dniester.

The Unified Control Commission -- a trilateral peacekeeping force and joint military command structure from Moldova, Transdniester, and Russia that monitors a demilitarized zone on the border between Moldova and Ukraine, told Chisinau on October 17 that it would ensure the free movement of Moldovan citizens between the two banks of the Dniester on the day of the vote.

The commission statement came after Vadim Krasnoselsky, the de facto leader of Transdniester, said on October 14 that separatist authorities would not obstruct the October 20 election process.

"I assure you that we will allow the free passage of citizens," Krasnoselsky told local journalists.

Under Sandu's government, Moldova secured EU candidate status in 2022 and opened accession talks with the bloc earlier this year after siding with Ukraine following Russia's unprovoked invasion, in a radical U-turn toward the West and away from Moscow's decades-long influence.

The two polls are seen as crucial for the future of the former Soviet republic and come amid a hybrid campaign of disinformation employed by Russia to scare Moldovans away from the European Union and keep them in Moscow's orbit.

On October 17, Moldovan authorities said they uncovered a network of more than 100 people trained in Russia and the Balkans to provoke post-election unrest in the country and made several arrests.

According to a poll by CBS Research published on October 17, Sandu would get nearly 36 percent of the vote.

Out of the other 10 candidates, pro-Moscow Socialist candidate Alexandr Stoianoglo is credited in the poll with some 9 percent of the vote, followed by businessman Renato Usatii, the ex-mayor of Balti, Moldova's second-largest city, with 6.4 percent.

Some 28 percent of those polled said they have not yet made up their mind on who to vote for.

The presidential election will take place simultaneously with a constitutional referendum on Moldova's accession to the EU.

Voters will have to answer with "yes" or "no" to the question, "Do you support amending the constitution in order for the Republic of Moldova to join the European Union?"

Kyrgyzstan's Emergencies Ministry announced on October 18 the recovery of the bodies of three victims from an avalanche site in the southwestern district of Chatkal, while the search continues for others still missing in the district's Ak-Sai mountains. On October 9, a group of 14 people, including a foreign national, went missing while searching for medicinal plants. Eight members of the group were found safely on October 16. Rescuers continue to search the area. Rescuers suspended search operations in the area late on October 18 for one day due to weather conditions, including rain and snow, after the region experienced heavy snowfall on October 13-16. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, click here.

The caretaker prime minister of Lebanon, Najib Mikati, has rejected any move by Iran to hold talks on implementing a UN resolution concerning southern Lebanon, calling it "blatant interference" in his country's internal affairs.Responding to comments a day earlier by Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Qalibaf that Tehran was ready to negotiate on the UN resolution that calls for the border area of southern Lebanon to be free of international weapons or troops, Mikati said on October 18 that the Lebanese government was "surprised by this position."

This "constitutes a blatant interference in Lebanese affairs and an attempt to establish a rejected guardianship over Lebanon," he said in a statement.

Qalibaf made the comments in an interview with the French newspaper Le Figaro.

"The issue of negotiating the implementation of Resolution 1701 is the responsibility of the Lebanese state, and everyone is required to support it in this direction, rather than seeking to impose new guardianships that are rejected on all national and sovereign grounds."

The UN resolution authorizes a peacekeeping mission, called UNIFIL, to help Lebanon keep the border area secure.

The Israeli army launched a ground incursion into the southern border area earlier this month, saying it was pushing out militants from Iran-backed Hezbollah, a militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon, and that UNIFIL has failed in its mission.

Several UN peacekeeping positions in southern Lebanon have since come under fire, but a UNIFIL spokesperson on October 18 said the mission would remain in Lebanon despite the attacks.

"We need to stay, they asked us to move," said UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti by video link from Beirut.

"The devastation and destruction of many villages along the Blue Line, and even beyond, is shocking," he said.

The Blue Line refers to a demarcation created by the UN to separate Lebanon from Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the European Union blacklists its armed wing but not its political party. Hezbollah’s political party has seats in the Lebanese parliament.

U.S. President Joe Biden met with Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin ahead of joint talks on Ukraine with the leaders of Germany, France, and Britain as Russia continued its daily strikes on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, launching on October 18 "one of the most massive" drone attacks on the country.

Biden's visit to Germany comes a day after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy presented EU leaders and NATO top officials with a set of measures that he said would help his embattled country put an end to Russia's 31-month invasion.

Biden called on Ukraine's allies to maintain their determination and back the embattled country as it heads into a difficult third winter of war

He praised Scholz for backing Kyiv and saying Berlin "rose to meet the moment" in the wake of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, welcoming Germany's raising its defense spending to a NATO target of 2 percent of its gross domestic product.

"You showed the wisdom to recognize that this war marked a turning point in history," Biden told Scholz before the two headed into their meeting, adding that "America and Germany are the two largest supporters of Ukraine in its fight for survival as a free and independent nation."

Biden started his visit with a meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who presented him with the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit, Germany's highest award.

"When you were elected president, you restored Europe's hope in the transatlantic alliance literally overnight," Steinmeier told Biden -- in reference to the cooling of relations between Washington and Berlin during President Donald Trump's time in office.

After separate talks, Biden and Scholz will hold a joint meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer during the U.S. leader's compressed 24-hour visit as he nears the final months of his presidential term.

Biden, who arrived in Germany late on October 17, was originally due to visit the country last week on four-day visit that would have included him attending a meeting of the Ramstein group of some 50 allies of Ukraine to discuss and coordinate further military aid for the Ukraine as it faces a difficult winter ahead.

However, Biden canceled the trip in order to coordinate the U.S. response to Hurricane Milton.

National-security adviser Jake Sullivan has said Biden was seeking "to make our commitment to Ukraine sustainable and institutionalized for the long term."

Zelenskiy on October 17 outlined details of his "victory plan" to Ukraine's EU and NATO allies as he sought to convince them to give Ukraine an invitation to joint the military alliance -- a move that he argued would tamper down Moscow's will to continue the war and force it to negotiate in good faith.

However, while declaring that Ukraine will eventually become a member, NATO has so far not given a clear deadline, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Kyiv's intention to join the alliance was one of the reasons for Russia's invasion.

NATO chief Mark Rutte, while reaffirming that NATO is working to get Ukraine ever closer to the alliance, stopped short of endorsing Zelenskiy's call for an invitation to join the alliance.

"Ukraine will be member of NATO, there is no doubt about it, and until that happens we will make sure that Ukraine has everything it needs to prevail," Rutte said, adding it was essential NATO continued to provide the country with military aid.

Earlier, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith told reporters that while Kyiv's path toward eventual NATO membership was irreversible, "we are not at the point right now where the alliance is talking about issuing an invitation in the short term."

Kyiv has been hard-pressed to rally its Western allies as its outmanned and outgunned forces have faced a slow but continuous advance of Russian troops in the east.

Furthermore, the upcoming U.S. presidential election raises concerns about how the two candidates, Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, would deal with the war in Ukraine.

Trump, who has repeatedly criticized Zelenskiy during his presidential campaign, on October 17 blamed the Ukrainian leader for allegedly helping start the conflict, even though the war began with Russia's unprovoked invasion.

"That doesn't mean I don't want to help him [Zelenskiy] because I feel very badly for those people. But he should never have let that war start. The war's a loser," Trump said on the podcast of Patrick Bet-David.

In Ukraine, meanwhile, Russia launched one of its largest waves of drone strikes early on October 18 , the head on Kyiv's military administration, Serhiy Popko, reported.

"Russian troops carried out one of the most massive drone attacks on the civilian population and infrastructure of Ukraine. Enemy drones also threatened Kyiv. But thanks to the coordinated work of the defense forces, all drones moving toward the capital were neutralized," Popko wrote on Telegram.

There were no immediate reports of casualties during the attack on Kyiv, which lasted for more than 4 1/2 hours, Popko said.

Ukraine's air force said attacks targeted the Kyiv, Cherkasy, Zhytomyr, Vinnytsya, Chernihiv, Sumy, and Poltava regions and air-raid alerts were still active in some regions. Ukrainian air defenses downed 80 out of the 135 drones launched by Russia, it said on Telegram.

Iran-backed Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, has confirmed the death of leader Yahya Sinwar, considered to be the mastermind of the October 7, 2023, attack that killed some 1,200 people in Israel and triggered the war in Gaza between Israel and the militant group.

Deputy Gaza Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya, who is also the group's chief negotiator, confirmed on October 18 Israeli reports that Sinwar was killed in Gaza in a televised address where he called on Israel to end its war in the coastal strip of land and withdraw its forces.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) first confirmed Sinwar's death on October 17, saying soldiers of the 828th Brigade (Bislach) identified and eliminated three "terrorists," and "after completing the process of identifying the body, it can be confirmed that Yahya Sinwar was eliminated."

"People are shocked and saddened. A Palestinian leader has been killed," 37-year-old Ramzi Sahlout, a former teacher who now helps as a volunteer at a local hospital, told Radio Farda via WhatsApp from northern Gaza. "The situation remains unchanged, and nothing new has happened. The war continues, and the only important issue for people now is the end of the war."

Sinwar's death leaves Iran-backed Hamas without a leader for the second time in less than three months and, according to senior officials from the United States and other Israeli allies, creates the possibility of a new scenario for the region.

"We believe, continue to believe, that finding an end to the war is critical, and we also believe that Mr. Sinwar's death...can provide an inflection point to getting there," said White House spokesperson John Kirby, who is in Berlin with U.S. President Joe Biden as he meets European officials on a variety of topics.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin noted the removal of Sinwar from the scene opens a path for "a change of direction."

"We'll see how things evolve," Austin said on October 18 during a visit to Brussels for a meeting of NATO defense ministers. "But clearly there are opportunities for a change in direction, and we would hope that, you know, parties would would take advantage of that, both in Lebanon, in Gaza and in Lebanon."

SEE ALSO:

Palestinians Count The Toll Of Israel's Devastating War In Gaza

Added NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte: "I personally will not miss him."

Sinwar's death represents a major victory for the Israeli military and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been under pressure from many allies, including the United States, for the rising number of civilian casualties in Gaza as a result of the war, and accusations that Israel has been hindering aid supplies to the territory, where hundreds of thousands are living in a growing humanitarian crisis.

But neither side appears prepared, at least publicly, to seize on the opportunity Austin and other diplomats around the world have spoken about in the wake of Sinwar's death.

Hamas said on October 18 it would launch a new phase of fighting in the conflict, while Netanyahu said in a speech late the previous evening that "our war has not ended."

The current war between the two sides broke out after Hamas's October 7 attack, that also saw the militants take some 240 people back to Gaza as hostages.

Israel has since launched a withering offensive that, according to the Hamas-led Heath Ministry in Gaza, has seen more than 42,000 people killed while displacing virtually all of Gaza's 2.3 million people.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sinwar had rebuffed efforts by the United States and its partners to bring the war to a close through an agreement that would free the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people.

The fighting has also spilled over into Lebanon, where Iran-backed Hezbollah, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S., while the EU blacklists its armed wing but not its political party, has fired rockets and missiles into Israel on almost a daily basis in support of Hamas.

Hezbollah’s political party has seats in the Lebanese parliament and the militants control the southern part of the country that borders Israel.

The IDF launched a ground incursion into the southern border area earlier this month, saying it was pushing out Hezbollah militants.

Russia's State Duma on October 17 passed a bill in its first reading that would ban "childfree propaganda," marking the latest expansion of the government's efforts to regulate social discourse.

The bill introduces penalties for promoting the voluntary refusal to have children, with fines reaching up to 5 million rubles ($51,440) for organizations and 400,000 rubles ($4,115) for individuals.

This move builds on existing legislation that targets "LGBT propaganda" and is part of a broader campaign by Russian authorities to defend what they view as traditional values.

The push to ban the so-called childfree movement has gained momentum in recent months, with Russian officials, including Valentina Matviyenko, chairwoman of the parliament's upper chamber, the Federation Council, linking the trend to the "radicalization of feminism in the West."

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Matviyenko and other officials argue that this movement, which encourages voluntary childlessness, undermines family values and contributes to Russia's deepening demographic crisis.

Russia is facing a significant population decline, which President Vladimir Putin has frequently described as one of the country's most pressing issues. In response, the government has implemented various measures, including financial incentives for families, efforts to curb abortions, and increasing restrictions on content deemed contrary to family values, such as LGBT-related materials.

Putin has framed these policies as necessary to boost Russia's birth rate and secure its future.

Critics of the childfree ban argue it is part of a broader state agenda to ensure a supply of "future soldiers for the Kremlin," reflecting concerns that the government is using demographic policies to fuel its long-term military needs.

Meanwhile, a recent study by Russia's Higher School of Economics highlights the complexities surrounding the demographic crisis. And according to recent polls, many Russians are postponing or abandoning plans to have children due to the war in Ukraine, political instability, financial difficulties, and rising social anxiety.

These challenges have complicated the government's efforts to reverse the declining birth rate, as the economic and emotional toll of ongoing situation caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine weighs heavily on Russian society.

The United States on October 17 imposed sanctions on two Chinese companies and an affiliated Russian company involved in making and shipping drones that Russia has used in its full-scale war in Ukraine.

The two Chinese companies designated by the U.S. Treasury Department are Xiamen Limbach Aircraft Engine Company and the Redlepus Vector Industry Shenzhen.

Xiamen Limbach Aircraft Engine Company makes an engine that powers Russia's Garpiya series long-range unmanned aerial vehicles, the U.S. Treasury Department said. Redlepus Vector Industry Shenzhen is involved in shipping the attack drones, the department said in a statement.

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Ukraine Pushes The West To Make Its Move On 'Victory Plan'

A Russian national and a Russian company affiliated with the two Chinese companies also were designated in the sanctions announced on October 17. They are Artem Yamshchikov, general director and beneficial owner of TSK Vektor, which serves as an intermediary between a previously designated Russian company and the China-based suppliers for Russia's Garpiya project.

Yamshikov also directs and owns Limited Liability Company Trading House Vector, the Russian affiliate that was designated for sanctions in the October 17 announcement.

The Treasury Department said the new sanctions are the first U.S. sanctions imposed on Chinese entities that produce complete weapons systems in partnership with Russian firms. Previously imposed sanctions on Chinese entities have targeted those that provided components critical to Russia's military-industrial base.

"Russia increasingly relies on the expertise of foreign professionals and the import of sophisticated technologies to sustain its weapons program and advance its military campaign against Ukraine," said Acting Undersecretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley T. Smith. "We will continue to disrupt the networks that enable Russia's acquisition and use of these advanced weapons."

The Garpiya has been deployed by Russia in its brutal war against Ukraine, destroying critical infrastructure and causing mass casualties, the Treasury Department said.

The drone was designed and developed by China-based experts and is produced at factories within China in collaboration with Russian defense firms before they are transferred to Russia for use against Ukraine, according to the department.

The sanctions freeze any assets held by the individuals and companies in U.S. jurisdiction and bar U.S. persons from conducting business with them.

Yahya Sinwar, considered to be the mastermind of the October 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war in Gaza between Israel and the militant group Hamas, has been killed in southern Gaza in a major victory for the Israeli military.

Sinwar's death also prompted calls for the return of the hostages still held by Hamas, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States and European Union, and an end to the war in Gaza.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) initially confirmed Sinwar's death in a post on X on October 17 that said simply, "Eliminated: Yahya Sinwar." It released a longer statement later in the evening saying soldiers of the 828th Brigade (Bislach) identified and eliminated three terrorists, and "after completing the process of identifying the body, it can be confirmed that Yahya Sinwar was eliminated."

Sinwar's death leaves Iran-backed Hamas without a leader for the second time in less than three months.

It also represents a major boost to the Israeli military and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been under pressure from many allies, including the United States, for the rising number of civilian casualties in Gaza as a result of the war, and accusations that Israel has been hindering aid supplies to the territory, where hundreds of thousands are living in a growing humanitarian crisis.

"Eliminated: Yahya Sinwar," the IDF said in its post, giving no further details.

SEE ALSO:

Who Was Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar?

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz also confirmed Sinwar had been killed, calling it a "victory for the entire free world" and "an opportunity for the immediate release of the hostages and paves the way for a change that will lead to a new reality in Gaza."

Hamas has not officially commented on the reports.

U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters after landing in Germany following a phone conversation with Netanyahu that it is time to move toward a cease-fire in Gaza and "make sure that we are moving in a direction that we're going to be able to make things better for the whole world," he said. "It's time for this war to end and bring these hostages home. So that's what we're ready to do."

Biden added that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to the Middle East in the coming days to discuss ways to push for a Gaza hostage and cease-fire deal.

Netanyahu said earlier in a televised address that Israel will keep control over Gaza long enough to ensure Hamas does not rearm.

"Hamas will no longer rule Gaza. This is the start of the day after Hamas," he said, adding that Israel will keep fighting until all the hostages are free.

“Our war is not yet ended," he said.

Biden said earlier in a statement said it was on Sinwar's orders that Hamas militants invaded Israel on October 7, 2023, and committed "massacres, rapes, and kidnappings."

Vice President Kamala Harris also commented on the death of Sinwar, saying Hamas is no longer capable of carrying out another October 7 and "gives us an opportunity to finally end the war in Gaza."

SEE ALSO:

Hamas Leader's Death Makes Israeli 'Hit List' Shorter But Might Not Alter Gaza War

Blinken recalled the victims of "Sinwar’s unspeakable crimes" in a statement and said the "world is a better place with him gone."

He said Sinwar had rebuffed efforts by the United States and its partners to bring the war to a close through an agreement that would free the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people.

"In the days ahead, the United States will redouble its efforts with partners to end this conflict, secure the release all hostages, and chart a new path forward that will enable the people of Gaza to rebuild their lives and realize their aspirations free from war and free from the brutal grip of Hamas," Blinken said in a statement.

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Foreign Minister Baerbock issued statement calling on Hamas to release all hostages.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said he hoped Sinwar's death will lead to a cease-fire in Gaza.

The speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Mike Johnson (Republican-Louisiana), said Sinwar's death should bring "relief" to Israel.

A violent confrontation broke out between believers of rival Orthodox churches after the handover of a cathedral in the central Ukrainian city of Cherkasy.

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St. Michael's Cathedral, which has been designated a garrison church for Ukraine's armed forces, was the site of a night liturgy when about 100 people in camouflage and balaclavas forcefully broke into the grounds early on October 17.

The tensions surrounding St. Michael's Cathedral follow Ukraine's broader efforts to curb the influence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), which has historically been linked to the Russian Orthodox Church.

Despite declaring independence from Moscow in 2022, the UOC is still viewed with suspicion by Ukrainian authorities due to its alleged pro-Russian stance.

Video from the incident escalating into a physical clash between believers of the rival churches.

Several people were injured in the clashes and were being treated by doctors, according to Zoya Vovk, a spokeswoman for the National Police in the Cherkasy region.

UOC representatives reportedly broke through the entrance gates and lobbed tear gas into a crowd of Orthodox Church of Ukraine believers.

Witnesses said the church's UOC priests and parishioners barricaded themselves inside the cathedral and refused entry to others.

An RFE/RL correspondent reported from the site that the confrontation ended only after police and activists arrived.

The senior military chaplain of the Cherkasy region, Father Nazariy, told RFE/RL that local worshipers had initially occupied the church at night, but were later ejected by what he described as "Russian activists" loyal to the Moscow Patriarchate.

"Prayers for our soldiers should be heard here," Father Nazariy said, adding that UOC members shunned Ukrainian soldiers, viewing them as enemies.

A service in Ukrainian was eventually held in the church.

Vovk confirmed that an investigation for "hooliganism" had been opened.