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Thousands rally against Netanyahu ahead of vote, demand inquiry into October 7 failures

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Thousands of Israelis protested in Tel Aviv on Saturday against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet, three days ahead of a general election seen by many as a referendum on his leadership.

The demonstration was sponsored by the October Council, a group set up by families of those killed or held hostage in the Hamas-led onslaught on Israel on October 7, 2023 The group is calling for accountability for the security flaws that allowed the attack to happen.

Israeli media claimed the event included representatives from the four main opposition parties, including former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, who is opposing Netanyahu and received a rousing reception from the crowd.

“Three days before the election we will hold the culminating event marking three years of struggle to uncover the truth, demand accountability and establish a state commission of inquiry,” the October Council announced on X prior of the demonstration.

Neither bloc was expected to win a majority in Israel’s 120-seat Knesset according to the latest opinion polls released before a blackout on political polling took effect late Friday.

A poll published by public broadcaster KAN forecast 52 seats for Eisenkot’s bloc and 50 for Netanyahu’s, with the remaining seats going to parties outside the two blocs, including Arab parties.

An AFP correspondent saw thousands of protesters march from Rabin Square to Hostages Square, where previous protests had been held to demand the release of hostages held in Gaza.

“The job done by whoever has been leading us for the past four years is so terrible,” Hadas Feuershtein, 68, told AFP moments before the rally began, referring to Netanyahu’s government which took office in late 2022.

“Israel has never been in a situation like this,” she added.

The October Council had warned law enforcement in advance of the protest that pro-government agitators would be planning “provocations.”

Israeli police announced Saturday evening they detained a suspect in the assault of the security team of a public figure in Tel Aviv. Israeli media said the target was opposition leader and former prime minister Naftali Bennett.

The gathering came after years of demand by Israeli civil society groups and opposition parties for an independent commission of investigation into security failings around the Oct. 7 attack.

Netanyahu’s government has refused to establish a commission, the kind that Israel typically has formed to review grave national failures. Instead, it has suggested a political commission with its members to be equally nominated by the governing coalition and opposition parliamentarians.

Opposition leaders have promised to boycott a commission constituted by politicians.

As the campaign winds down, Eisenkot and Bennett are to conduct separate talks with voters in Tel Aviv Sunday evening.

‘bbCoin’ problem

“I’m sure that the bloc that I’m voting for and that is anti-Netanyahu will win,” said 18-year-old first-time voter Naama Bitterman, who attended Saturday’s event. “I think it will make Israel look better in the world.

She added that years of war in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, as well as escalating violence in the occupied West Bank, have eroded standing.

“I think if we win — and we are going to win — we can change how other people in the whole world see us,” she told AFP.

Britain and other countries have sanctioned goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank amid worries over settler violence against Palestinians and settlement expansion sanctioned by Netanyahu’s right-wing administration.

Israel may need to build an alternative digital economy to fight its rising international isolation, Netanyahu said Friday.

Prime leader has repeatedly urged for more military self-sufficiency. Multibillion-dollar arms deals from important partner the United States “won’t keep coming”, the prime minister said.

Opposition leaders denounced the ideas Saturday.

Eisenkot had cynically labelled the proposed competing digital currency “bbCoin” – a frequent nickname for Netanyahu, Bibi.

“If Netanyahu is re-elected, Israel will disconnect from the global economy, he says. No online commerce. No high-tech investments. No security. “bbCoin must not be allowed to destroy Israel,” he wrote on X.

Former prime minister and current opposition leader Yair Lapid accused Netanyahu of warning Israelis they could suffer tremendous economic hardship if he won another term.

Lapid told Israel’s Channel 12 in an interview, “That’s what will happen if he wins the elections: there will be sanctions, there will be no security agreement with the United States… and there will be no Israeli economy.”

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WhatsApp rolls out new ‘Mentions and Replies’ chat filter

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WhatsApp has began rolling out a new “Mentions and Replies” filter that will enable users to easily identify chats where they have been mentioned or their message has been replied to.

WABetaInfo says the feature is now being implemented for select users on WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.26.42.12.

The new filter will be available in the Chats page, allowing users to see conversations where they have been tagged or their messages addressed. It is said to help you keep track of key communications more easily in huge group conversations and groups.

The feature could be particularly useful for people who get a lot of messages and sometimes miss critical queries, answers or comments in crowded chats.

Another important feature is that even after you have cleared the notifications, the relevant chats will still be available through the filter, enabling you get back to conversations that need your attention.

Users will also be able to tweak the feature as per their tastes with choices to disable it through settings or relocate it to the “More” section.

The “Mentions and Replies” filter is now being handed out to a small number of beta users. WhatsApp has not yet announced when it will be sent out to all users.

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Eight countries, including Pakistan, urge diplomacy to resolve regional conflicts

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Foreign ministers of eight nations including Pakistan agreed to the urgent need to resolve regional crises through conversation, diplomacy and de-escalation.

The foreign ministers of Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia (R4) and the FMs of France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, met in Istanbul on 23 October 2026, the Foreign Office stated in a statement on Saturday.

Ministers discussed issues of regional and international importance, namely US/Israel-Iran conflict, Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the need for a negotiated two-state solution, appalling Houthi militia attacks against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Government of Yemen, safety and freedom of navigation, escalated tension in Straits of Hormuz and Bab El Mandeb and the Black Sea.

They pledged their ongoing commitment to contribute to diplomatic efforts to promote peace and stability in the area and beyond and address the security, economic and trade ramifications of these concerns.

They stressed the importance of finding durable negotiated solutions to all ongoing issues in conformity with the applicable UN Resolutions. The Ministers resolved to continue the engagement in this format with a view to averting disputes and promoting peace and stability in the area.

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Pakistan warns Taliban regime to stop supporting terror outfits

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Pakistan reiterated its worries about militant activity emanating from Afghan territory and called on the Afghan Taliban leadership to stop all kinds of support, facilitation and tolerance for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and their affiliated groups.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting claimed that the claims against Pakistan’s security institutions could not take away from Islamabad’s long-standing security worries. It underlined that Afghan authorities must ensure that their land is not utilised to plan, prepare or carry out terrorist operations against Pakistan.

The ministry, reacting to the latest statements by the Afghan Taliban regime, said Pakistan’s concerns were not conjectural but were based on international reporting and documented proof. It stated that Afghan authorities were responsible for preventing the use of Afghan land for terrorist actions against Pakistan and that the blame on Pakistani security agencies would not clear them of their obligation.

The ministry said it was referring to a report by the United Nations Security Council’s Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, investigating the presence and actions of terrorist groups in Afghanistan, known as document S/2025/796.

It also cited a report presented to the US Congress by the US Lead Inspector General covering Operation Enduring Sentinel from January to March 2026.

The Pakistani ministry’s version of the US report said the Afghan Taliban had continued to allow the TTP to operate from Afghan territory. The report attributed the spike in attacks against Pakistan to growing Taliban backing and greater operational independence for the group.

The statement cited numbers that approximated the size of the TTP at between 4,000 and 6,000 combatants.

The ministry said the foreign evaluations illustrate the seriousness of Pakistan’s worries about terrorist safe havens and support networks in Afghanistan. It said that dismissing the capacity or desire of extremist groups to destabilise Pakistan did not take care of the issues expressed via solid evidence.

The statement also mentioned continuous efforts by armed extremists to get into Pakistan from across the Afghan border. It alluded to the killings of Afghan nationals and members of terrorist groups in Pakistani counter-terrorism operations, and the capture of foreign-made weaponry from militant elements.

“Such issues need to be taken seriously. The concerns raised about Afghan Taliban officials, including in Kandahar, allegedly facilitating terrorist groups need credible explanations and verifiable action, not outright denials,” the ministry said.

Pakistan said its security measures were aimed at terrorist threats, not at the Afghan people. The ministry said peace and stability of the two nations were interlinked and a terrorism-free region would benefit the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

It encouraged the Afghan Taliban administration to take concrete measures to remove the support mechanisms accessible to the TTP, BLA and allied organisations. It added these steps must ensure that Afghan land is not utilised for planning, preparing or executing strikes against Pakistan.

The ministry stated that characterising Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns and steps for defence as enmity toward Afghanistan would neither address the root cause of the crisis, nor would it divert attention from it.

The statement stated that Pakistan would continue to take all necessary actions to preserve its citizens, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

At the same time, Islamabad was ready for a responsible engagement based on mutual respect, verifiable assurances and concrete action against terrorist safe havens, support networks and cross-border infiltration.

The ministry said that sustainable peace in the region would depend on the Afghan Taliban government taking real steps to address Pakistan’s core security concerns in a way that could be independently confirmed.

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