October 17, Tuesday, 2023

1. Senior US officials say President Joe Biden will visit Israel on Wednesday to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Blinken said Biden will be visiting at a crucial moment for Israel, the region and the world. He said the president will reaffirm US solidarity with Israel and discuss strategies to minimize civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.
2. China is hosting an international forum on its Belt and Road Initiative beginning on Tuesday in Beijing. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to talk on the sidelines. The Chinese government has said the two-day event is expected to draw delegates from more than 140 countries.
3. Asian pop music legend and Japanese singer-songwriter Tanimura Shinji died earlier this month. He was 74 years old. Tanimura was born in Osaka Prefecture, western Japan and made his musical album debut as a member of a three-man band, Alice, in 1972. Tanimura also enjoyed an active solo vocalist career. The song “Subaru”, or Star became synonymous with the singer-songwriter.