Norway Says Exploring How to Revive Israel-Palestinian Diplomatic Channel

Palestinians gather at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas, in Deir Al-Balah, in central Gaza Strip, November 6, 2023. (Reuters)

10:51-6 November 2023 AD ـ 23 Rabi’ Al-Thani 1445 AH

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said on Monday Oslo was exploring ways to revive a diplomatic channel between Israel and the Palestinians to find a political solution to the decades-long conflict.

Norway served as a facilitator in the 1992-1993 talks between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) that led to the Oslo Accords in 1993. Those talks were conducted in complete secrecy.

Since then, it has remained involved as chair of the donor group coordinating international assistance to the Palestinian territories, the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC).

There is now interest in trying to revive the AHLC as a possible channel for diplomacy, Barth Eide said, as Israel stepped up strikes on Gaza in its war against the militant group Hamas that broke out last month.

"We hear now from very many sides - the American, the European and the Arab (sides), and from many among the parties (in the conflict), who want to see whether it can be relevant as a channel again," Espen Barth Eide told public broadcaster NRK.

"This war has reminded everyone that there is no other lasting solution to this than having a two-state solution, which one had hoped to see after the Oslo Accords 30 years ago."

Barth Eide said it was possible that out of this "terrible dramatic situation" happening in Gaza today, "we could see a political process back on track", on the condition that the war in Gaza does not spread to other countries in the Middle East.

"That is what we hope for, and if those involved want it, Norway will naturally be ready to support this with what we can," he said.

Highlighting Norway's efforts, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere talked on Saturday with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi about Gaza, the PM's office said in a statement on Sunday, including "how a two-state solution must be discussed again and indicating Norway's engagement on this over many years".

"We must already think now about what comes after. Diplomatic initiatives and solutions are necessary," Stoere said in the statement.

The Nordic country, which is not part of the European Union and is a close US ally, is involved in several peace processes, including in Colombia and Venezuela.

EU and Canada to ‘Withstand Shocks Together’ with New Alliance

Prime Minister Mark Carney, center, flanked by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, right, and European Council President Antonio Costa arrive for their closing news conference during the EU-Canada summit in Montreal on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

17:43-30 October 2026 AD ـ 19 Jumada Al-Ula 1448 AH

EU and Canada to ‘Withstand Shocks Together’ with New Alliance

EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa held talks with Canada's Mark Carney in Montreal Friday to finalize a new partnership in a world dominated by the United States and China.

The two parties are set to unveil a series of deals -- from critical minerals to artificial intelligence -- and lay the groundwork for a broader alliance open to other democracies seeking to better navigate global trade tensions.

"It means affordability, more competition, more choice, easier access. It means opportunity," Carney, the Canadian Prime Minister, said of closer cooperation with the European Union, as he arrived at the talks.

"And it means, at its base, sovereignty, greater resilience, ability to withstand shocks together."

Already sharing a free trade agreement, Canada and the EU have sought to move closer together since President Donald Trump's return to the White House upended relations with Washington's traditional allies.

Both Canada and the EU have been hit with US tariffs and territorial threats.

Von der Leyen, the European Commission president, said Canada could not become a "full-fledged" EU member due to its geographical location, but said the bloc wanted to bring it "as close as possible".

A senior EU official explained the new relationship would be unique to Canada.

It entails aligning policies, such as on climate and artificial intelligence, Canada joining some EU programs, and creating a stable governance framework, the official said.

The partners are expected to kick off with a series of deals on Friday.

Critical minerals are a key focus of the two-day summit which officially began Thursday evening.

They are needed for green technologies such as batteries and wind turbines that Europe sources mostly from China but are also in plentiful stock in Canada.

But Canada needs massive infrastructure investment to jump-start its mining industry.

An agreement allowing the European Investment Bank to back Canadian critical mineral projects is expected to be unveiled at the summit.

- 'Alliance for the Future' -

Brussels and Ottawa also want to collaborate on AI, a field where they are playing catch-up with the United States and China.

Europe is ready to open its supercomputing infrastructure to Canadian researchers, industry and start-ups, von der Leyen said.

On Thursday, Ottawa announced a CAN$1.6 billion ($1.1 billion) investment in the Canadian AI firm Cohere. The company has recently partnered with Germany's Aleph Alpha in a move that Carney said was an example of what Europe and Canada could do together.

"We are not waiting for the future of AI to be decided somewhere else by those we don't know or by those we don't trust," Carney said.

A digital trade deal allowing faster and cheaper online transactions is also in the offering.

The two parties should also work towards Canada's participation in EU initiatives like the Erasmus program, which allows university students to spend a semester abroad, and the Galileo satellite program -- an alternative to the American Global Positioning System (GPS).

The summit will additionally establish the basis for a larger "Alliance for the Future" open to other "trusted partners" such as Japan, South Korea or Australia, the senior EU official said.

This idea is to form a "common space for economic prosperity" and better coordinate trade policies such as tariffs to avoid mutual harm, the official said.

"There is always a risk that inadvertently you hit one of your partners with your economic measures," the official noted.

World

China Says Stealth Attack Drone Makes First Takeoff, Landing on Amphibious Ship

Chinese national flag flies in front of skyscrapers of the Central Business District (CBD) as China’s Communist Party leaders open the fifth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee behind closed doors, in Beijing, China, October 26, 2026. (Reuters)

17:36-30 October 2026 AD ـ 19 Jumada Al-Ula 1448 AH

China Says Stealth Attack Drone Makes First Takeoff, Landing on Amphibious Ship

China's first carrier-based stealth ‌reconnaissance and strike drone, the GJ-21, recently completed its first takeoff and landing on the Sichuan, the country's first Type 076 amphibious assault ship, state news agency Xinhua reported on Friday.

The trial underscores Beijing's push to integrate drone technology into its military modernization drive, a decades-long effort in which China has developed advanced warships, fighter jets, missiles and increasingly capable unmanned systems.

Xinhua hailed the test as "a breakthrough in China's amphibious assault ship program" and said it signifies ‌the navy's ability ‌to operate fixed-wing stealth drones from ‌large naval ⁠platforms.

GJ-21 first appeared ⁠at a military parade Beijing held last year to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two, where it displayed different types of weapons.

State tabloid the Global Times reported on Friday that GJ-21 has a substantial combat radius despite having a smaller airframe than ⁠the stealthy J-35 and J-20 fighters, citing military ‌expert Zhang Xuefeng.

"GJ-21 is ‌also low cost and reusable. Unlike hypersonic missiles, it can be ‌recovered and redeployed multiple times. It can also deploy ‌small, low-cost glide-guided bombs. Under high-tempo operations, it offers greater fire delivery efficiency with better cost control," Zhang was quoted as saying.

The Sichuan, the lead vessel of China's Type 076 amphibious assault ship ‌class, was launched in December 2024 and features electromagnetic catapult and arresting technology. It ⁠can carry fixed-wing ⁠drones, helicopters and amphibious equipment.

The vessel has a full-load displacement of more than 40,000 metric tons and features a full-length flight deck and twin-island superstructure.

China's state television CCTV said on Friday that the indigenously developed vessel conducted consecutive sea trials in late October. It did not disclose locations of the trials.

China's navy said in April that the Sichuan sailed to waters in the South China Sea for scientific testing and training missions. It said at the time the deployment was a routine test and did not aim at any specific target.

World

Dockworkers Worldwide Strike Against Arms Shipments and to Demand Better Working Conditions

Demonstrators take part in a protest and strike called by dockworkers and seafarers' unions, in the port city of Piraeus, Greece, 30 October 2026. (EPA)

17:23-30 October 2026 AD ـ 19 Jumada Al-Ula 1448 AH

Dockworkers Worldwide Strike Against Arms Shipments and to Demand Better Working Conditions

Demonstrators take part in a protest and strike called by dockworkers and seafarers' unions, in the port city of Piraeus, Greece, 30 October 2026. (EPA)

Dockworkers in Europe and beyond were striking on Friday as part of an international campaign against arms shipments and for better working conditions, unions said.

Unions in France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Türkiye and Morocco issued a joint call for an end to wars in the Middle East, including the war in Gaza, and “an end to the militarization of ports.”

“Ports must not be used for the transport of weapons, ammunition, military equipment and troops,” the statement said. “Dockworkers do not work for war!”

Organizers said more than 100 ports across several countries had joined the protests, which could disrupt operations in Europe, the Mediterranean region and North America.

In Greece, dockworkers’ unions called a strike at Piraeus, the country’s largest port. A separate seafarers’ strike over pay, working conditions and safety kept ships docked at several ports, disrupting ferry services.

Giorgos Gogos, president of the Dockworkers Union of Piraeus Port Authority, said: “We don’t want to participate in any war, all around the world. We don’t want our ports to be hubs of military material, transferred so as to kill people.”

In Türkiye, protesters gathered outside Istanbul's Haydarpasa port beneath a banner reading: “No to war, no to armament!”

In Italy, demonstrations were planned in key ports, including Genoa, Trieste and Gioia Tauro, to coincide with a nationwide general strike, according to the Unione Sindacale di Base (USB).

Tens of thousands of people demonstrated across Italy on Friday over high prices and other issues. But the general strike caused less transport disruption than anticipated after the government ordered transport workers back to work.

France’s CGT ports and docks federation called a one-day strike at major ports, including Le Havre, Marseille, Dunkirk and Rouen. The federation opposes what it calls “the militarization of port facilities” under European policies and the French government’s budget proposals, which it says threaten social protections.

The scale of disruption remained unclear. Organizers said participation would range from full-day strikes to shorter walkouts and demonstrations.

Supply chain management company C.H. Robinson warned clients of possible operational disruptions and shipment delays, with the impact varying by port, terminal and level of participation.

Experts expected the impact on global supply chains to be limited.

Marcus Baker, global head of marine, cargo and logistics at insurance broker and risk adviser Marsh, said a 24-hour strike was unlikely to significantly disrupt global trade, though it could affect perishable goods and time-sensitive shipments.

He said the action would further complicate supply chains already strained by Middle East tensions, climate-related events including El Niño, restrictions affecting the Rhine and Panama Canal, and shifting tariffs.

Judah Levine, head of research at online shipping marketplace Freightos, said the strike could worsen congestion at ports such as Genoa, where vessels already face waits of one to two days for a berth.

Ed Anderson, a professor of supply chain and operations management at the University of Texas’ McCombs School of Business, said the protests were unlikely to cause outright shortages.

“Just one day is not that much in terms of disruption,” he said.

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