GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinian militants ceased rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel and relative calm prevailed Saturday afternoon after a night-long exchange of fire that prompted Israeli threats against Iranian forces in Syria.

The Islamic Jihad group, a militant faction operating in the Hamas-ruled Gaza but that has close ties to Iran and Syria, said they agreed to Egyptian mediation efforts and halted the rocket fire, the heaviest to emanate from Gaza in months.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Cesar Sayoc is an amateur body builder and former stripper, a loner with a long arrest record who showed little interest in politics until Donald Trump came along.

On Friday, he was identified by authorities as the Florida man who put pipe bombs in small manila envelopes, affixed six stamps and sent them to some of Trump’s most prominent critics.

26 Oct 2018; DW: A Turkish court on Friday sentenced a German man to six years and three months in prison for membership of a terrorist organization. In addition, he received a suspended sentence of one year and eight months in jail for entering a military exclusion zone.

Since last year, a number of German citizens have been detained in Turkey, putting serious strain on relations between Berlin and Ankara.

Washington, Oct 27; PTI: The European Union joined the US and the UK on Saturday to urge the political parties in Sri Lanka to abide by the Constitution and refrain from violence, as the island nation plunged into a political crisis after the sacking of prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

President Maithripala Sirisena sacked his former ally Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister and replaced him with controversial strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday, a move seen as an effort to allow Rajapaksa to buy more time to seek majority in the parliament.

Raipur, Oct 27;PTI:  Four personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were killed and two injured after Naxals blew up a mine-protected-vehicle (MPV) in poll-bound Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district Saturday, police said.

The incident occurred around 4 pm near Murdanda camp of the CRPF under Awapalli police station, when its 168th battalion was out on "area domination" operation, Bijapur Superintendent of Police Mohit Garg told PTI.

When the MPV carrying six personnel was around one km away from the camp, ultras triggered a powerful land mine blast, he said.

Muzaffarnagar (UP) Oct 27 (PTI) A cattle trader was shot dead and robbed of Rs 1,50,000 near Sikheda village here Saturday, police said.

The deceased was identified as Akhlak. He was returning to his home in Mansurpur village from a cattle mela in Bihari village when the incident took place, police said.

According to City SP Ombir Singh, two armed men intercepted Akhlak's e-rickshaw, shot him and robbed Rs 1,50,000 cash from a case in the vehicle.

Agartala, Oct 27 (PTI) At least 20 CPI(M) supporters were injured when a mob attacked a rally taken out by the party in South Tripura district Saturday, police said.

The CPI(M) activists took out a rally demanding a probe into the Rafale deal when a mob attacked them, the police said.

Superintendent of Police, Jai Singh Meena said that a rally was organized by CPI(M) supporters at Belonia town, about 110 km from here this morning, which came under attack from about 25 people.

Hardik Patel asks the regional parties to unite if they want any election after 2019. Patel was speaking to The Indian Express ahead of the 9th State Convention of the Sambhaji Brigade Maharashtra in Alibaugh.

Patel stressed that forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2019 will be a contest between Modi and the farmers.

New Delhi, Oct 27 :  Delhi's air quality remained very poor for the fourth day Saturday with five areas of the national capital recording severe pollution levels, as authorities warned the situation may deteriorate further next week due to localised emissions during festival and stubble burning.

The Central Pollution Control Board recorded the overall  Air Quality Index of Delhi at 341. The highest AQI of this season was recorded on Friday at 361.

Colombo, Oct 27; PTI: Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena on Saturday suspended the parliament till November 16 after sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe sought an emergency session to prove his majority, deepening the political crisis in the island nation.

Sirisena's move is seen as an effort to allow former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa to buy more time to seek majority in the parliament.

KANPUR: The National Green Tribunal has slapped a penalty on as many as 21 tanneries in violation of its defined standards.

Earlier, Indian Institute of Technology & Banaras Hindu University team inspected the tanneries on May 31 this year. There was noticed more than enough chromium in outlet flow of the common treatment effluent plant at that time. The notice remained ineffectual as the tannery owners did not respond.  

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on pipe bombs sent to prominent critics of President Donald Trump (all times local):

According to court and other public records, Cesar Alteri Sayoc Jr., 56, has a lengthy criminal and court record in Florida. He has been convicted on theft, stolen property and traffic charges and in 2002 on a threat to “throw, place, project or discharge any destructive device.”

Sayoc is in custody in Florida in the mail bombs sent to prominent Democrats. He was born in New York.