Top headlines 18 October: Biden pledges solidarity with Israelis, suggests 'other team' to blame for Gaza hospital blast

US President Joe Biden embarked on a high-stakes mission Wednesday to West Asia with the aim of addressing the Palestinian humanitarian crisis but his attempts to de-escalate tensions encountered a massive setback as the scheduled meetings with key Arab leaders were cancelled following an explosion at a Gaza Strip hospital.

In another development, Beijing will inject over $100 billion of new funding into its Belt and Road initiative and IDF released a video for proof showing it wasn’t behind the blast at Gaza hospital strike.

Here’s a quick look at the top 10 news that made headlines on 18 October, 2023…

Iran calls for Islamic countries to sanction Israel, expel its envoys

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian called for Members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to impose an oil embargo and other sanctions on Israel and expel all Israeli ambassadors.

Biden pledges solidarity with Israelis and suggests ‘other team’ to blame for Gaza hospital blast

President Joe Biden vowed to show the world that the U.S. stands in solidarity with Israelis during his visit there Wednesday, and offered an assessment that the deadly explosion at a Gaza Strip hospital apparently was not carried out by the Israeli military.

WATCH: IDF releases video for proof showing it wasn’t behind blast at Gaza hospital

Amid the blame game of who bombed a hospital in Gaza that claimed the lives of 500 people, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has released drone footage that it said proves the blast was not caused by its ordinance.

Israel in discussion with SpaceX to roll out Starlink in conflict zones, use it to fight Hamas

Israeli officials are in a discussion with SpaceX, to bring Starlink internet services to the region, with a particular focus on communities located near conflict zones. This was announced by a high-ranking Israeli official on Tuesday. The main objective of the move is to help IDF troops in fighting Hamas.

China’s Xi announces over $100 billion in new Belt and Road funding

Beijing will inject over $100 billion of new funding into its Belt and Road initiative, President Xi Jinping said Wednesday at a summit marking the vast infrastructure project’s tenth anniversary. The Belt and Road is a central pillar of Xi’s bid to expand China’s clout overseas, with Beijing saying it has now inked over two trillion dollars in contracts around the world.

Azam Khan, his wife and son given 7-year jail term in 2019 fake birth certificate case

A court here on Wednesday convicted Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, his wife Tazeen Fatima and son Abdullah Azam in a 2019 fake birth certificate case, and awarded them a seven-year jail term.

Non-gazetted railway employees to get bonus equivalent to 78 days’ wages

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved a Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) equivalent to 78 days’ wages for the financial year 2022-23 to all eligible non-gazetted Railway employees.

India-Vietnam strategic partnership a ‘source of security, stability and progress in the region’: EAM Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said the comprehensive strategic partnership between India and Vietnam was emerging as a “source of security, stability and progress in the region.” Jaishankar was speaking when he visited the Indian sail training ship INS Sudarshini, which was on a port call coinciding with his four-day official visit to Vietnam.

Cabinet approves 4% hike in dearness allowance for Central government employees

The Union Cabinet Wednesday raised the dearness allowance (DA) and dearness relief by 4 percentage points to 46 per cent to benefit 48.67 lakh central government employees along with 67.95 lakh pensioners ahead of the festive season and key Assembly polls.

Centre hikes wheat MSP by Rs 150 to Rs 2,275 per quintal for 2024-25

Ahead of the assembly polls in key wheat-growing states, the government on Wednesday announced an increase in the minimum support price of wheat by Rs 150 to Rs 2,275 per quintal for the 2024-25 marketing season. This is the highest quantum of increase in MSP for any marketing season since the Modi government came to power in 2014.