Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar killed, Israel says

In at the moment’s e-newsletter:

• Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar killed in Gaza

• Huge Chinese language army drills gasoline alarm in Taiwan

• Playing hub Macau’s new Beijing-backed chief

Good morning. Israel mentioned yesterday it had killed Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, the architect of final yr’s October 7 assault which triggered the deadliest warfare within the historical past of the Israeli-Palestinian battle.

Sinwar’s demise is a pivotal second within the yr of combating, delivering a extreme blow to the Palestinian militant group and a symbolic victory to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Israel Protection Forces mentioned Sinwar had been killed on Wednesday by troopers from its southern command within the south of the Gaza Strip, with out giving additional particulars. Hamas didn’t instantly verify Sinwar’s demise.

Netanyahu hailed Sinwar’s demise as a “victory of good over evil” and “the beginning of the day after Hamas” rule in Gaza, including these militants nonetheless holding Israeli hostages within the enclave now had a possibility to launch them and be allowed to reside.

The IDF, outlining how Sinwar was positioned and killed, mentioned he was noticed by probability on Wednesday by its forces. Right here’s what occurred in the course of the pursuit of the Hamas chief.

• ‘Dead man walking’: After greater than a yr, the relentless seek for Yahya Sinwar, Israel’s most needed man, lastly resulted in a bombed-out constructing within the south of the Gaza Strip.

Right here’s what else I’m preserving tabs on at the moment:

• Financial information: China publicizes third-quarter GDP together with the September home worth index and retail gross sales. Japan releases its September inflation information.

• UK-China relations: UK overseas secretary David Lammy meets his Chinese language counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing. Lammy will elevate issues over human rights and China’s assist for Russia, based on folks accustomed to his plans.

How effectively did you retain up with the information this week? Take our quiz.

5 extra prime tales

1. China’s present of drive round Taiwan in a day of huge army workouts has fuelled alarm in Taipei. A senior Taiwanese nationwide safety official referred to as for different democracies to push again tougher towards Beijing after China deployed a file variety of warplanes round Taiwan on Monday.

2. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has mentioned that he has intelligence reviews that 10,000 North Korean troopers are making ready to enter the warfare on the facet of Russia. The White Home mentioned yesterday it couldn’t independently verify the reviews, however Nationwide Safety Council spokesperson John Kirby described them as “concerning”.

3. Alimentation Couche-Tard’s proposed $47bn buyout of Seven & i is a greater deal and fewer dangerous than its goal’s break-up plan, the Canadian retailer’s chief mentioned in Tokyo as he urged the Japanese group to start out talks. Couche-Tard executives are in Japan to attempt to transfer their supply ahead, and mentioned they needed the prospect to debate their bid with authorities officers who must evaluate any deal.

4. China plans to virtually double credit score assist for a specific group of housing initiatives to Rmb4tn ($562bn) as a part of official efforts to reinvigorate its property sector and switch across the economic system. China’s housing minister mentioned the brand new funds needs to be deployed by the top of the yr. Study extra concerning the so-called whitelist of initiatives which can be eligible to obtain financing.

5. Meta has fired about two dozen employees in Los Angeles for utilizing their $25 meal credit to purchase home goods together with zits pads, wine glasses and laundry detergent. The terminations passed off final week, simply days earlier than the social media firm individually started restructuring sure groups throughout WhatsApp, Instagram and Actuality Labs, its augmented and digital actuality arm.

Information in-depth

The following chief of playing hub Macau is a Beijing-backed former prime choose who has beforehand warned towards the “wild” growth of the gaming sector. Sam Hou Fai was elected unopposed on Sunday by a range committee stacked with pro-Beijing politicians and businesspeople. Analysts mentioned the territory’s playing sector is about to return underneath additional strain from China when Sam takes workplace in December.

We’re additionally studying . . . 

Chart of the day

Synthetic intelligence is being marshalled in a number of fields to alleviate issues in among the world’s poorest nations — in Zambia to assist enhance medical diagnostics, in Kenya to allow farmers to establish crop illness and in Ethiopia to tailor schooling supplies to pupils’ wants. However some worry the technological rush will deepen a digital divide.

Take a break from the information

Italian trend group Prada and the US aerospace start-up Axiom Area yesterday unveiled the spacesuits that may take astronauts to the Moon on Nasa’s upcoming Artemis III mission. Right here’s extra on the not-very-fashionable however extremely engineered 200kg-plus gender-neutral white extravehicular mobility unit spacesuit.

Further contributions from Gordon Smith and Irwin Cruz