ISTANBUL 

Here is a rundown of all the news you need to start your Saturday, including Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan's meeting with his Estonian counterpart; Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's speech at the TRT World Forum in Istanbul; US President Donald Trump denying media reports that strikes on military installations inside Venezuela could be imminent; and China's sixth crewed flight mission into space with three astronauts, including its youngest-ever astronaut, and four mice onboard.

​​​​​TOP STORIES

• Estonian foreign minister says Gaza situation ‘truly catastrophic,’ urges pressure on Israel

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said that“the humanitarian situation in Gaza is truly catastrophic,” and “significant pressure must be applied on Israel.”

Speaking at a joint news conference following his meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Ankara, Tsahkna thanked Türkiye again for its efforts on the Gaza Strip.

Referring to the ceasefire and the process of releasing the bodies of detainees in Gaza, Tsahkna said Estonia has consistently supported a two-state solution, noting that Tallinn backs United Nations resolutions related to Palestine and is a party to the New York Declaration.

• Israel seeks excuses to resume massacres in Gaza despite ceasefire deal: Turkish president

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that while the Palestinian resistance group Hamas acts diligently in complying with the ceasefire agreement, Israel is seeking excuses to violate the deal and resume massacres.

“Everyone knows Israel’s terrible record when it comes to keeping its promises,” Erdogan told the TRT World Forum in Istanbul.

He stressed that the continuation of the ceasefire, delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza and the transition to Gaza’s reconstruction phase will only be possible “if Israel is compelled on all these matters.”

• Trump says he is not considering strikes inside Venezuela

US President Donald Trump denied reports that strikes on military installations inside Venezuela could be imminent, telling reporters he has not made a decision.

"Not, it's not true," Trump said aboard Air Force One when asked if he was considering strikes within Venezuela.

• China launches mice, youngest astronaut into space

China launched its sixth crewed flight mission into space with three astronauts, including its youngest-ever astronaut, and four mice onboard.

Shenzhou-21 was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.

The three astronauts, also known locally as taikonauts, are the pilot/mission commander Zhang Lu, flight engineer Wu Fei and payload specialist Zhang Hongzhang.

The taikonauts are also carrying four mice -- two males and two females -- to China’s Tiangong space station for the first time to conduct experiments, according to the state-run Global Times.

The in-orbit scientific experiments will include examining the effects of space conditions, such as microgravity and enclosed space, on the behavior of the creatures.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• The White House said it restricted access for media pass holders to a key workspace known as the “Upper Press” without an appointment, citing the need to protect “sensitive material.”
• US President Donald Trump instructed lawyers to seek guidance from the courts on how to legally fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the government shutdown.
• US President Donald Trump urged Republicans to get rid of the Senate filibuster to end the government shutdown.
• The US and India signed a 10-year defense framework.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a Russian strike on the Slovyansk Thermal Power Plant in northern Donetsk Oblast killed two people and injured several, adding that the international community should respond to such actions.
• The Trump administration said it supports repealing the Caesar Act sanctions on Syria, urging US lawmakers to include it in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
• Chinese President Xi Jinping urged Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies to make collective efforts to safeguard the multilateral trading system and promote inclusive globalization.
• Two people were killed and another was injured when Israeli drone strikes targeted two motorcycles in a southern Lebanese town.
• China’s President Xi Jinping held his first summit with Japan’s first female Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
• The Lithuanian president has vowed to take “all possible measures” after flights at Vilnius Airport were again suspended for security concerns caused by suspected smuggler balloons launched from neighboring Belarus.
• French lawmakers rejected the government’s draft social security budget bill in committee.
• Nasser Hospital in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis said it received the bodies of 30 Palestinians released by Israel through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
• Russia claimed its forces took control of seven Ukrainian villages in the past week.
• The UN human rights chief indicted that recent US airstrikes on boats in the Caribbean and the Pacific, said to be linked to drug trafficking, "violate international human rights law."
• Pakistan expressed hope for a “positive outcome” from the next round of talks with Afghanistan, set for Nov. 6 in Istanbul, following deadly border clashes earlier this month.
• The European Union urged an end to the conflict in Sudan, warning that the fighting continues to exacerbate the dire humanitarian situation.
• Hurricane Melissa has killed at least 50 people across the Caribbean after striking Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba.
• Germany said it was “concerned” about China’s rare earth export restrictions, imposing limits on processing and manufacturing technologies, and prohibiting cooperation with foreign companies without prior government authorization.
• Israeli authorities have received from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) the remains of three Israeli captives from the Gaza Strip.
• Russia will conduct nuclear tests if other countries do so, Security Council chief Sergey Shoygu said.
• Comoros has filed a declaration that it will join South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
• US President Donald Trump said he would eliminate all fentanyl-related tariffs on Chinese goods if Beijing acts to curb exports of the drug and precursor chemicals used in its production, one day after he cut the levy in half to 10%.
• Illegal Israeli settlers set fire to five Palestinian vehicles and assaulted towns in the occupied West Bank.
• Montenegro’s Higher Court in the capital city of Podgorica announced that two individuals detained on allegations of involvement in a knife attack in the city have been released after it was determined they were not connected to the incident.
• The UN Security Council approved a US-backed resolution declaring Morocco’s plan for Western Sahara is the "most feasible solution" toward resolving the long-standing dispute.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• Samsung partners with Nvidia to build 'AI Mega Factory,' deploying 50,000 Nvidia GPUs

Samsung announced it plans to deploy 50,000 Nvidia graphics processing units (GPUs) to establish an "AI Mega Factory" to enhance its production of chips for robots and mobile devices.

"By deploying more than 50,000 NVIDIA GPUs, AI will be embedded throughout Samsung’s entire manufacturing flow, accelerating development and production of next-generation semiconductors, mobile devices and robotics," the Korean company said in a statement.

• Nvidia to supply over 260,000 AI chips to South Korea in extended partnership

US chip manufacturer Nvidia announced it will partner with the South Korean government and major Korean companies to expand the nation’s artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure with over 260,000 Nvidia graphics processing units (GPUs) across its cloud services and AI facilities.

The plan was jointly announced by the Seoul government and South Korea's leading companies, including Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, Naver Cloud and Hyundai Motor, after a meeting with Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.