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Ceasefire between Israel, Palestinian militants comes into force

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An Egypt-brokered ceasefire between Israel and the Gaza-based Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) militant organisation has come into force after three days of fighting.

The ceasefire, which both sides had confirmed, came into force at 11:30 p.m. on Sunday, and followed a targeted Israeli military operation that killed several high-ranking PIJ members in the Gaza Strip, including military chief Taisir al-Jabari and Islamic Jihad’s southern commander, Khaled Mansour, reports dpa news agency.

The PIJ said it was insisting on its right “to respond to any Israeli aggression”, while the Jewish state also stressed that it “maintains the right to respond strongly” if the ceasefire is violated.

The Times of Israel reported that the country’s Iron Dome defence system intercepted a projectile launched from Gaza minutes after the ceasefire came into force.

The newspaper also cited the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) as announcing shortly after 11.30 p.m. a raid on a Palestinian village to destroy the homes of two suspected terrorists accused of carrying out a deadly terror attack earlier this year.

The ceasefire, however, initially appeared to hold after a shaky start, the paper reported.

A high-ranking delegation from Egypt arrived in Gaza on Sunday evening to negotiate the deal, dpa has learned from security sources.

Both sides said they were welcoming Egyptian efforts to mediate.

Last year, Cairo successfully brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, ending 11 days of fighting.

UN Middle East envoy Tor Wennesland welcomed the truce and thanked Egypt “for its crucial role in establishing the ceasefire” on Twitter.

“The situation is still very fragile, and I urge all parties to observe the ceasefire,” he added.

Wennesland also said that the UN “has been intensively engaged and closely working with Egypt on mediating a restoration of calm”, pledging to “continue to work with all relevant parties to de-escalate the situation urgently”.

The Israeli military had launched a large-scale operation dubbed “Breaking Dawn” against the PIJ on August 5. Al-Jabari, Mansour and other PIJ members were killed.

The group, which is closely linked to Iran, is classified as a terrorist organization by the EU and the US.

On August 6, the army attacked several targets in the Gaza Strip. Israeli border towns on the edge of the besieged enclave were again on rocket alert on Sunday morning.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, 44 people were killed and 360 injured in the attacks, including 15 children and four women.

Israel blames Islamic Jihad for the deaths of five children and one adult in the Jabalia refugee camp. According to the military, they were killed by a misguided jihadi rocket.

For the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip, rocket alarm was also sounded in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv on Sunday.

Residents reported explosions. In Tel Aviv, people rushed to shelters.

Since August 5, more than 900 rockets have been fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip, according to the IDF.

The Palestinian Health Ministry warned that medical supplies in the Gaza Strip would be cut off within 48 hours due to the shutdown of the only power plant in the enclave.

The emergency generators of the hospitals were already almost empty in view of the continuing blockade of the crossings between Israel and the Gaza Strip.

Israel halted the import of fuel into the territory on August 1, citing fears of attacks following the arrest of the Islamic Jihad leader.

Israel tightened a blockade of the Gaza Strip in 2007, which has since been joined by Egypt.

Both countries justify the measure with security considerations.

International News

US intelligence blackout hurt Ukraine: Zelensky

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the United States temporarily suspended crucial intelligence sharing with Ukraine for three days, leaving its forces without American warnings of Russian ballistic missile attacks during that period.

In an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press, Zelensky also said restrictions on satellite communications used by Ukrainian forces had not been fully lifted, raising fresh questions about Washington’s military and intelligence support for Kyiv.

The Ukrainian leader said the intelligence interruption affected information that only the United States could provide, particularly advance warnings of ballistic missile strikes.

“We didn’t see attacks of Russia using ballistic missiles,” Zelensky said.

He said Ukraine continued receiving intelligence from European governments and other international partners, but their capabilities could not fully replace American systems.

“We have dozens of countries who help. But only United States has this unique intelligence to say, to tell us, to tell our side when Russia uses ballistic missiles,” he said.

“And we didn’t get it during ballistic attacks during three days.”

Zelensky said the intelligence-sharing arrangement had since been restored.

“It was blocked for some period of time. And then it was deblocked by American side. We are very thankful for this. Now it works,” he said.

The disclosure came amid growing tensions between Washington and Kyiv over President Donald Trump’s handling of the war with Russia.

Zelensky also raised concerns about restrictions affecting Starlink, the satellite internet network operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, and its military-related services.

Asked whether the interruption had been deliberate, Zelensky said Ukrainian military officials believed the restrictions originated with the American government.

“Of course the message came from government. I don’t know from whom, what cabinet, and etc,” he said.

He added that Ukrainian officials believed SpaceX had technically implemented the restrictions following instructions from Washington.

Zelensky acknowledged that he did not know which American official might have authorised the move.

Asked whether satellite services had been fully restored, he replied: “No, not of course. We have limitation.”

The Ukrainian President’s account was challenged by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who appeared separately on the same programme.

Bessent said Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio had denied that anyone in the administration ordered restrictions on Starlink.

“President Trump and Secretary Rubio have categorically said that no one in the Trump administration did that,” Bessent said.

He called Zelensky’s allegation reckless and said he had no information about the reported intelligence interruption.

“Again, I don’t know anything about that, but we’ve been very clear,” Bessent said.

The conflicting accounts left unresolved who was responsible for the communications disruption and why American intelligence sharing had been temporarily interrupted.

Zelensky said Ukraine remained dependent on American military assistance despite its growing network of European partners.

“If it’s without United States’ support, it’s very difficult,” he said.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Since then, American intelligence, weapons and satellite communications have played an important role in Ukraine’s defence against Russian military operations, including missile and drone attacks.

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Business

India-EFTA trade pact opens new opportunities for Norwegian investment across key sectors

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India’s strong economic growth trajectory and the implementation of the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) are creating significant opportunities for Norwegian investors, particularly in manufacturing, renewable energy, infrastructure, financial services and the digital economy, according to industry insights.

With GDP growth projected to remain around 6.5 per cent annually through 2030, India is widely expected to become the world’s third-largest economy by the end of the decade, according to EY India report.

Analysts attribute this outlook to strong domestic consumption, rising investments, ongoing infrastructure development and reforms aimed at improving the ease of doing business.

The India-EFTA TEPA, which came into effect in October 2025, is being viewed as a major milestone in India-Norway economic relations.

The agreement seeks to promote trade liberalisation, facilitate investment flows and deepen cooperation in areas such as innovation, sustainability and advanced technologies.

The pact includes investment commitments of $100 billion over 15 years and is expected to support the creation of one million direct jobs in India, aligning with the country’s broader goals of expanding manufacturing capacity and strengthening its position in global value chains.

Industry experts believe the agreement creates a strong framework for Norwegian companies to expand their presence in India by combining Norway’s expertise in technology, sustainability and capital-intensive industries with India’s large market and growth ambitions.

Several sectors have been identified as priority areas for collaboration, including manufacturing, renewable energy, oil and gas, maritime services, seafood processing, information and communication technology (ICT), fintech and financial services. These industries are expected to benefit from increasing bilateral cooperation under the TEPA framework.

The rapid expansion of India’s digital economy and digital payments ecosystem is also creating opportunities for Norwegian companies seeking exposure to one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing consumer markets.

At the same time, India’s policy measures aimed at attracting foreign investment are expected to provide a supportive environment for long-term investors, as per the report.

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International News

Tanker attacked northeast of Saudi Arabia: UKMTO

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London, Oct 17: A tanker has reportedly been attacked 78 nautical miles northeast of Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Saturday.

The master of the tanker reported being attacked by a rocket-propelled grenade from a small boat, resulting in damage to the aft port quarter, according to the UKMTO.

Crew are accounted for and reported safe, and a complete damage assessment and environmental impact are unknown, said the UKMTO.

Earlier this week, Yemen’s Houthi group said that it had launched a large-scale missile and drone attack targeting an airport and oil facilities in Saudi Arabia. It also vowed to continue strikes against Saudi targets in the coming days.

In a statement broadcast by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said the group targeted Saudi energy giant Aramco in Dhahran in the Eastern Province, as well as King Khalid International Airport and an Aramco refinery in Riyadh.

According to Sarea, the operation involved “a large number of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones,” which accurately hit their targets, causing damage and fires.

The Houthi spokesperson said the operation was carried out in retaliation for Saudi Arabia-led strikes on the Houthi-held capital of Sanaa and other areas under the group’s control. He said Saudi-led forces had carried out 2,281 air and missile strikes since the latest escalation began, Xinhua news agency reported.

Sarea vowed that the group’s attacks “deep inside Saudi Arabia” would continue in the coming days, targeting airports and oil facilities. He also renewed a warning to international airlines, civilians and employees to stay away from airports and oil facilities in Saudi Arabia that the group had designated as targets.

The Houthi claim came after the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said it intercepted six Houthi missiles and three drones heading towards Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. An Aramco administrative building in Dhahran was targeted Tuesday evening, sparking a limited fire, while debris from two cruise missiles intercepted over Riyadh injured four people and damaged 15 homes, Saudi authorities said Wednesday.

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