Briefly

MIDDLE EAST

Israel says it will block access to north Gaza

The Israeli military said it will close on Wednesday the last remaining route for residents of southern Gaza to access the north, as it presses its offensive on Gaza City. Meanwhile, the international flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza said on Wednesday that several of its boats were approached by unidentified vessels, some navigating without lights. The Global Sumud Flotilla stated in a post on Telegram that the vessels have departed, and participants have implemented security protocols in anticipation of a possible interception.

INDONESIA

91 people feared trapped under rubble

Indonesia's disaster management agency said on Wednesday that at least 91 people were trapped after a school building collapsed on Monday in the Sidoarjo Regency of East Java Province. Abdul Muhari, spokesman for the National Disaster Management Agency, said that as of Tuesday evening, the accident had left three people dead and more than 90 injured, with 26 still hospitalized. Hundreds of rescuers from various agencies have been deployed to the site. Due to concerns that the use of heavy machinery could trigger further collapse, rescue workers have focused on manual excavation.

GERMANY

Beer festival grounds closed after fire, blasts

The Munich Oktoberfest grounds will remain temporarily closed on Wednesday, German police said, hours after a fire and explosions rocked a building elsewhere in the southern city. The organizers of the beer festival said on their website that a "bomb threat" had been received. Police said explosive devices had been found in a residential building in northern Munich and that they were investigating any possible link to the Oktoberfest, held annually near the center of the Bavarian capital on the Theresienwiese grounds.

Agencies - Xinhua