October 14, 2021

*) Israel and UAE ministers meet in US We begin in the US where Secretary of State Antony Blinken held three-way talks with his Israeli and the United Arab Emirates counterparts. The trio discussed the progress made since the signing of last year's Abraham Accords and relations with Iran. Blinken says Iran's responses to US willingness to return to nuclear talks have not been “encouraging” despite "time running short" for Tehran. *) Turkish intelligence thwarts attempt to abduct Iranian soldier Turkey's National Intelligence Organization and police have busted an Iranian espionage network in eastern Turkey. An Iranian and a Turk were detained on charges of spying ​​and are accused of plotting to kidnap and forcibly repatriate a former Iranian military official. The eight-member network that included two Iranian agents were caught in a joint operation on September 24, security sources said. *) Five killed in Norway bow-and-arrow attack In Norway, at least five people were killed in a bow-and-arrow attack in the town of Kongsberg. The Kongsberg police chief said there was "a confrontation" between officers and the assailant, a 37-year-old Danish suspect, but he did not elaborate. The motive for the attack is not yet known but police say they haven't ruled out terrorism. *) Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel begin hunger strike At least 250 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel have begun a hunger strike to protest their relocation to isolation, officials said. The hunger strike, led by the Islamic Jihad group, comes amid heightened tensions in Israeli detention facilities following the escape of six prisoners from a high-security prison. All six were recaptured within a couple of weeks, but the escape embarrassed Israeli authorities and was hailed as a stroke of defiance by Palestinians. And finally… *) Star Trek's Shatner becomes world's oldest space traveler Beam me up Bezos! 90-year-old actor William Shatner has officially become the oldest person ever to fly to space