| |OCTOBER 20268NEWSPOPE LEO NEEDS NO FURTHER CANCER TREATMENT AFTER LUNG SURGERYISRAEL JOINS PACIFIC ISLANDS FORUM AS PARTNER TO EXPAND REGIONAL TIESPUTIN BACKS RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT RESHUFFLE PROPOSED BY MISHUSTINREBECA GRYNSPAN SAYS UN MUST TAKE MORE RISKS TO RESOLVE CONFLICTSMUSK'S STARLINK RESTRICTIONS RAISE TENSIONS BETWEEN US AND UKRAINEPope Leo will not need further cancer treatment after undergoing lung surgery, his doctors announced on Wednesday. Tests on the tissue removed during the operation showed that the cancer had not spread beyond the affected area. The findings offer encouraging news about the 71-year-old pope's health as he continues to recover.The pope left hospital on October 17 and has started returning to his public duties. However, his planned visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17 remains uncertain. Pope Leo underwent surgery on October 13 to remove the lower part of his right lung after doctors found a tumour. Further tests confirmed that he had lung adenocarcinoma, a common type of lung cancer. GLiIsrael has been accepted as a partner of the Pacific Islands Forum, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said on October 21. The move is expected to strengthen Israel's ties with Pacific island nations and open up opportunities for cooperation in areas such as agriculture, water management and climate change. Sa'ar said the forum's Secretary-General, Baron Divavesi Waqa, informed him that Pacific leaders had approved Israel's application at a meeting in Palau.Israel submitted its application during Sa'ar's visit to Fiji in June. The partnership gives Israel another opportunity to build relationships with countries across the Pacific and work with them on regional development. Israel plans to work with Pacific island countries on water management, desalination, agri-culture, climate change and sustainable development. Sa'ar said both sides would prepare a joint action plan and set up a system to monitor progress. GLiRussian President Vladimir Putin has backed a proposed Russian government reshuffle recommended by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, according to reports on October 19. The planned changes could affect the country's government leadership, although details about the positions involved and the officials who may be replaced have not yet been made clear.The proposed reshuffle comes as Russia continues to face economic challenges, Western sanctions and the ongoing war in Ukraine. The proposed changes are expected to move forward through the parliamentary approval process. However, the full list of candidates and the government positions affected have not yet been confirmed in the available reports. GLiRebeca Grynspan, a leading candidate to become the next United Nations secretary-general, has called for changes to make the organisation more effective. She said the UN has become too cautious when dealing with international conflicts and needs to be more willing to take risks to find solutions. In an interview with Reuters on October 15, Grynspan also called for fewer administrative layers, job cuts and better coordination between UN agencies.Grynspan said the UN should not avoid difficult diplomatic efforts simply because they might fail. She believes the organisation must continue trying to re-solve conflicts, even when negotiations do not produce immediate results. She also argued that UN reform should involve more than reducing costs. The organisa-tion needs to review its priorities, remove unnecessary work and make better use of its resources. GLiElon Musk's SpaceX is facing questions after reported restrictions on its Starlink satellite internet service affected some Ukrainian military operations. The development comes at a time when relations between Ukraine and the United States are under pressure over military support, intelligence sharing and efforts to stop attacks on energy facilities.
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