Overview

• Israeli media reported that seven hostages held in Gaza were handed to the International Committee of the Red Cross, with the remaining reported survivors potentially to follow later today.
• Coverage cited a total of 48 people previously held, with about 13 reported survivors before the handovers, as negotiations continue to shape the pace and scope of releases.
• In Japan, the Constitutional Democratic Party, Nippon Ishin, and the Democratic Party for the People arranged an Oct. 14 meeting of party secretaries to explore unifying a single prime ministerial candidate.
• Japan’s judiciary designated roughly 3,115 court records for special preservation after a review prompted by earlier revelations of improper disposal in major cases.
• Rights reporting from Weiquanwang stated that about 30 pastors and affiliates of the unregistered Zion Church in China were detained or disappeared this month during police crackdowns, and a rare rally of about 400 people was held in Vladivostok opposing a tax hike that would raise prices for imported used cars.