Reuters/AP

MELBOURNE: Australia has signed a new defence agreement with Papua New Guinea, its first in more than 70 years, as Canberra seeks to block China from expanding its security presence in the Pacific. Under the Pukpuk defence treaty, which is the first signed by Papua New Guinea, Australia, and its northern neighbour, they are obliged to come to each other&rsquo;s aid if attacked. &quot;This is a historic agreement,&quot; Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the press in Canberra. &ldquo;By continuing to build our security relationships in the region, we safeguard our own security.&rdquo; The treaty allows as many as 10,000 Papua New Guineans to serve with the Australian Defence Force, under dual arrangements. Australia was Papua New Guinea&#39;s colonial master until the developing island nation became independent in 1975. Australia, with its population of 28 million, and Papua New Guinea, with an estimated population of roughly 10 million, are the most populous nations in the South Pacific. The United States and Australia have both strengthened their military ties with Papua New Guinea in recent years, which is viewed as a strategically important partner in countering China&rsquo;s growing influence in the Pacific. Albanese said both nations have agreed &quot;not to undertake any activities or enter into any agreements that would compromise the implementation of this Treaty.&quot; &quot;This Treaty was not conceived out of geopolitics or any other reason. But out of geography, history, and the enduring reality of our shared neighbourhood,&quot; Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape told the press. The Papua New Guinea cabinet approved the Pukpuk treaty, which translates to &quot;crocodile,&quot; last week. &quot;We still retain our relationship with China and other nations,&quot; Marape added.

 Anthony Albanese, left, and James Marape

Australasia

Australia and Papua New Guinea signed the historic Pukpuk defence treaty, pledging mutual defence support and closer military cooperation, allowing 10,000 PNG troops to serve with Australia, while reaffirming Papua New Guinea’s ties with China.

Australia, Papua New Guinea sign historic defence treaty

COPENHAGEN: European leaders meeting in Copenhagen warned that Russia is escalating a hybrid war across the continent and moved to bolster air defenses, including a proposed &ldquo;drone wall,&rdquo; while weighing a loan for Ukraine backed by frozen Russian assets. Europe &ldquo;is in the middle of a hybrid war waged by Russia,&rdquo; Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said as she hosted the summit. &ldquo;I hope that everybody recognizes now that there is a hybrid war and one day it&rsquo;s Poland, the other day it&rsquo;s Denmark, and next week it will probably be somewhere else that we see sabotage or we see drones flying,&rdquo; AP reported. &nbsp; Drone incursions prompt defense pushThe meeting followed a string of drone incidents at Danish airports and military sites. A special radar system was set up at Copenhagen airport after unidentified drones forced a closure last week. France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom sent aircraft, ships, and air defenses to Denmark. At the same time, Ukraine dispatched a mission to share expertise on combating drones, according to the AP.&nbsp; Reuters reported Frederiksen calling for a European network of anti-drone measures to &ldquo;protect and, of course, also neutralize intrusion from outside.&rdquo; He went on to add, &ldquo;Europe must be able to defend itself.&rdquo; EU considers frozen assets planLeaders discussed preparing Europe to deter Russian aggression by 2030 amid concerns about the United States&rsquo; focus elsewhere. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the gathering by video as leaders considered ways to sustain military and financial support.&nbsp; A European Commission proposal for a &ldquo;reparation loan&rdquo; to Ukraine, backed by frozen Russian assets, was a central topic. &ldquo;We are not confiscating the assets, but we are taking the cash balances for a loan to Ukraine,&rdquo; Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.&nbsp; Rising security concernsRecent airspace incidents sharpened urgency. Several Russian drones breached Poland&rsquo;s airspace on Sept. 10, prompting North Atlantic Treaty Organization aircraft to intercept some devices in what officials described as the first direct encounter with Moscow&rsquo;s hardware since 2022. Days later, NATO jets escorted three Russian warplanes out of Estonia&rsquo;s airspace.&nbsp; Call to rearmAP reported Frederiksen urged Europe to &ldquo;rearm,&rdquo; buy capabilities, and innovate on drones. &ldquo;When I look at Europe today, I think we are in the most difficult and dangerous situation since the end of the Second World War,&rdquo; she said.

Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz and France's President Emmanuel Macron prior to an informal summit in the Danish parliament at Christiansborg Castle in Copenhagen, on Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025.

Europe

European leaders meeting in Copenhagen warned that Russia is escalating a hybrid war across the continent and moved to bolster air defenses, including a proposed “drone wall,” while weighing a loan for Ukraine backed by frozen Russian assets.

EU leaders in Denmark call for drone defense, Ukraine funding

MADRID/ROME: Spain&#39;s Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, announced on Wednesday that he will send a military warship to protect the Sumud flotilla to Gaza after it was attacked by drones off Greece.His announcement follows Italy&rsquo;s Defense Minister Guido Crosetto&#39;s statement, who told parliament that Rome would send its second navy ship to escort the aid flotilla, according to Reuters.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Spanish Prime Minister Pedro S&aacute;nchez said in New York, where he has been attending the UN General Assembly, that Spain would dispatch a naval vessel from Cartagena &ldquo;with all necessary resources in case it was necessary to assist the flotilla and carry out a rescue operation,&rdquo; Reuters reported.&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 697px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1970920065533898892&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fmedia-library%2F&sessionId=a8772acc9d5df009006a83b6df210ef92ba42eb9&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">S&aacute;nchez stressed that &ldquo;international law must be respected&rdquo; and that Spanish citizens had the right to sail safely through the Mediterranean.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Italy&rsquo;s sending rescue reinforcements&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Italy&rsquo;s Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said Rome had activated the navy frigate&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fasan<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, which was heading to the area from north of Crete &ldquo;for possible rescue operations.&rdquo;&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He added: &ldquo;In a democracy, demonstrations and forms of protest must also be protected when they are carried out in accordance with international law and without resorting to violence,&rdquo; AP reported.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Italy&rsquo;s Foreign Ministry meanwhile reported its computer systems were hit by a &ldquo;mail bombing&rdquo; campaign after the flotilla urged supporters to pressure Rome into condemning the attack, saying the flood of emails hindered its crisis unit&rsquo;s work. Italian officials said 58 citizens, including lawmakers, were aboard the flotilla, AP reported.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The European Commission said freedom of navigation under international law &ldquo;must be upheld,&rdquo; while the UN Human Rights Office called for an investigation.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thunberg on the move&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Global Sumud Flotilla, involving about 50 civilian boats carrying lawyers, activists, and aid &mdash; including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg &mdash; is seeking to break Israel&rsquo;s naval blockade of Gaza.&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A spokesperson for March to Gaza Greece told Reuters the vessels were attacked by 12 drones in international waters 30 nautical miles (56 km) off the Greek island of Gavdos.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thunberg told Reuters earlier that drones had flown over them nightly: &ldquo;This mission is about Gaza, it isn&rsquo;t about us. And no risks that we could take could even come close to the risks the Palestinians are facing every day.&rdquo;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Attacks on Flotilla&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The flotilla has reported several attacks since it set sail from Spain on Sept. 1, including two while some of its boats were in Tunisian waters.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Activists have launched several flotillas aimed at breaking the blockade over the years, nearly all of them intercepted by Israel. Another vessel said it was attacked by drones in May in international waters off Malta. An overland convoy traveling across North Africa also attempted to reach the border but was blocked by security forces aligned with Egypt in eastern Libya.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In 2010, Israeli commandos raided the Mavi Marmara, a boat participating in an aid flotilla attempting to breach the maritime blockade of Gaza, killing 10 Turkish activists in clashes on board.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Israel has criticized the flotilla as tacitly supportive of Hamas but did not comment on the drone attack on Tuesday as reported by Reuters.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Since the war in Gaza began, more than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza health authorities, with famine, mass displacement, and destruction continuing.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez arrives for a press conference in New York

Middle East

Spain and Italy will each deploy naval vessels to assist an international flotilla delivering aid to Gaza after it was attacked by drones off Greece.

Spain to send warship to protect Gaza aid flotilla

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday strongly condemned Afghanistan&rsquo;s recent acts of aggression and reaffirmed Pakistan&rsquo;s resolve to safeguard its national interests, regional sovereignty, and security.&nbsp;In a statement, President Zardari said Pakistan would never accept any &ldquo;controversial or misleading stance&rdquo; on Jammu and Kashmir, adding that India&rsquo;s claims regarding the disputed territory were illegal and contrary to international law and UN resolutions.&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed instagram-embed" style="width: 50%; display: block; max-width: 600px;"><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPspi-oDdV1/embed/captioned/?cr=1&v=14&wp=485&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com&rp=%2Farticles%2F1265%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A53789.39999997616%2C%22ls%22%3A637.3999999761581%2C%22le%22%3A648.8999999761581%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="1040" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background: white; max-width: 540px; width: calc(100% - 2px); border-radius: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219); box-shadow: none; display: block; margin: 0px 0px 12px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px;"></iframe></div>He expressed regret that the Afghan leadership had &ldquo;turned away from the oppressed people of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir,&rdquo; calling it an injustice to both history and the Muslim Ummah.&nbsp;Zardari noted that the use of Afghan soil for attacks by the so-called &ldquo;Fitna-al-Khawarij&rdquo; &mdash; a reference to militant groups &mdash; was a documented fact acknowledged even in UN reports. He warned that the nexus between &ldquo;the Khawarij and India&rdquo; was targeting Pakistani civilians and security personnel.&nbsp;The president urged the Afghan leadership to take concrete steps against anti-Pakistan terrorist groups operating from its soil, stressing that terrorism was a shared regional challenge that could not be borne by one country alone.&nbsp;He reiterated that Pakistan would make no compromise on its sovereignty and had consistently extended all possible facilitation to Afghanistan in trade, economy, and connectivity.&nbsp;&ldquo;Mutual cooperation and economic partnership form the foundation for lasting peace and prosperity in the region,&rdquo; he said, adding that Pakistan desired a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Afghanistan.&nbsp;Separately, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the cross-border aggression, saying Pakistan&rsquo;s armed forces were fully capable of defending every inch of the motherland.&nbsp;He said Islamabad had always acted with restraint and responsibility but would respond firmly to any violation of its sovereignty.&nbsp;&ldquo;The government will take all necessary measures to protect Pakistan&rsquo;s territorial integrity and ensure peace in the region,&rdquo; the prime minister added.&nbsp;The prime minister also lauded the Pakistan Army&rsquo;s swift and professional response under the leadership of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, saying the forces not only repelled the aggression but also neutralized several enemy positions, forcing a retreat.&nbsp;He emphasized that Pakistan&rsquo;s defense was in strong hands and that the nation stood united with its security forces against any provocation.

Security

President Zardari says Pakistan would never accept any 'controversial or misleading stance' on Jammu and Kashmir. PM Shehbaz says armed forces are fully capable of defending every inch of the motherland.

President, PM condemn Afghan aggression, vow to defend national sovereignty

ISLAMABAD: Russian and Pakistani military forces concluded their joint &ldquo;Druzhba 2025&rdquo; exercises in southern Russia, the Embassy of Russia in Pakistan said in a post on the social media platform X. The annual drills brought together about 200 servicemen from both countries, including Russia&rsquo;s Southern Military District Special Operations Forces and special forces units of the Pakistan Army, to work on actions to counter international terrorism. According to the statement, the exercises focused on joint tactical operations to counter international terrorism, enhance coordination, and strengthen operational readiness between the two forces. The training concluded with an awards ceremony recognizing distinguished participants, followed by an exchange of souvenirs featuring the Druzhba 2025 insignia &mdash; a tradition marking the enduring defense cooperation between Russia and Pakistan. Launched in 2016, the Druzhba (meaning &ldquo;friendship&rdquo; in Russian) exercises alternate between Russia and Pakistan each year. The 2025 edition continues efforts to expand bilateral defense collaboration, military understanding, and partnership between the two nations.

Pakistan Army and Russian Special Forces personnel pose for a group photo during the Druzhba 2025 joint military exercises in southern Russia (Embassy of Russia in Pakistan/ X).

Both military forces concluded their joint 'Druzhba 2025' exercises in southern Russia, the Embassy of Russia in Pakistan said in a post on the social media platform X.

Pakistan, Russia hold joint counterterrorism drills in southern Russia

McEWEN: A blast in rural Tennessee that leveled an explosives plant and was felt for miles around killed 16 people and left no survivors, authorities said. The explosion left a smoldering wreck of twisted and charred metal and burned-out vehicles at the Accurate Energetic Systems plant, which supplies and researches explosives for the military. The cause of the blast is not known. Investigators are combing the incinerated property foot by foot, searching for possible evidence. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a gauntlet of emotions there,&rdquo; Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said during a news conference, pausing to clear his throat before he asked for prayers for the families of the victims in a shaky voice. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve recovered no survivors,&rdquo; he added. During a vigil at Hurricane Chapel in McEwen, senior pastor Tim Farris noted that many in attendance knew each other, as well as the victims and their families. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a lot of people hurting. A lot of people who are crying a lot of tears,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We are sad that our community is going through this, but it&rsquo;s a tremendous opportunity for the church to minister to a lot of those people today.&rdquo; Farris said he spoke with some families of victims on Friday who were in shock and numb, and they did not show much emotion. That had changed by Saturday, he said. &ldquo;Speaking with some of the families today, they were very emotional,&rdquo; Farris said. &ldquo;They can hardly speak or anything, they are so emotional. I think as this goes on, it&rsquo;s going to hit more people. The depth of this, the reality of it. That&rsquo;s when they&rsquo;re going to need people the most.&rdquo; Pamela Jane Brown was among those who came out to pray for friends missing in the blast and their families. She said an acquaintance of her family was driving by the plant when it exploded, and he was &ldquo;hurt pretty good ... all cut up and bruised,&rdquo; but is now recovering at home. &ldquo;I was heartbroken,&rdquo; she said, after learning of the explosion on social media. Meeting others for prayer &ldquo;was a coming together of the community &ndash; a good feeling.&rdquo; State officials brought in a &ldquo;rapid DNA&rdquo; team to help identify the remains of people recovered at the site. Davis said about 300 responders are working in a &ldquo;slow, methodical method&rdquo; as they deal with explosive material that has been damaged and remains volatile. An ambulance and a helicopter used for air evacuations were brought in for the safety of first responders. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not like working an accident. It&rsquo;s not like working a tornado. We&rsquo;re dealing with explosions. And I would say at this time, we&rsquo;re dealing with remains,&rdquo; he said. Guy McCormick, a supervisory special agent with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said explosive specialists and bomb technicians are trying to make the area safe for national ATF investigators. He said the nature of the scene can change because of the heat and pressure caused by the explosion. Davis said it could be days, weeks, or even months before foul play is ruled out. The site is located in a heavily wooded area of middle Tennessee, between the economically vital Tennessee River to the west and the bustling metropolis of Nashville to the east. Modest homes dot the wooded landscape, residences belonging to &ldquo;good old country people,&rdquo; as local man Terry Bagsby put it. &lsquo;A lot of grief&rsquo;Bagsby, 68, is retired, but he helps out working the register at a gas station near the site. He said people in the close-knit community are &ldquo;very, very sad.&rdquo; He said he knows people who worked at the site. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know how to explain it. &hellip; Just a lot of grief.&rdquo; Officials at an evening news conference said counselors would be available for grieving students on Monday. Earlier Saturday afternoon at the church in McEwen, about 30 people gathered to pray for victims of the explosion and their families. Music played, and mourners bowed their heads and closed their eyes. Some knelt at an altar, placing their hands on each other&rsquo;s backs and shoulders. Some wept softly, among the whispered prayers. After the vigil, Farris, the pastor, told the media that the area has seen its share of tragedy and loss of life, including a deadly flood a few years ago. He asked for prayers for first responders. &ldquo;This is tiresome physically. This kind of thing weighs on you mentally. They carry that home. They need prayer and encouragement as well,&rdquo; he said. The company&rsquo;s website says it processes explosives and ammunition at an eight-building facility that sprawls across wooded hills in the Bucksnort area, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southwest of Nashville. It is not immediately known how many people work at the plant or how many were there when the explosion happened. Accurate Energetic Systems, based in nearby McEwen, said in a post on social media on Friday that the company&#39;s &ldquo;thoughts and prayers&quot; are with the families and community impacted. &ldquo;We extend our gratitude to all first responders who continue to work tirelessly under difficult conditions,&rdquo; the post said. Explosion jolts residents from sleepThe company has been awarded numerous military contracts, largely by the U.S. Army and Navy, to supply different types of munitions and explosives, according to public records. The products range from bulk explosives to landmines and small breaching charges, including C4. When the explosion occurred, residents in Lobelville, a 20-minute drive from the scene, said they felt their homes shake, and some people captured the loud boom of the explosion on their home cameras. The blast rattled Gentry Stover from his sleep. &ldquo;I thought the house had collapsed with me inside of it,&rdquo; he told The Associated Press. &ldquo;I live very close to Accurate, and I realized about 30 seconds after I woke up that it had to have been that.&rdquo; Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee posted on the social platform X that he is monitoring the situation and asked &ldquo;Tennesseans to join us in prayer for the families impacted by this tragic incident.&rdquo; A small group gathered for a vigil Friday night at a nearby park, clutching candles as they prayed for the missing and their families and sang &ldquo;Amazing Grace.&quot; The US has a long history of deadly accidents at workplaces, including the Monongah coal mine explosion that killed 362 men and boys in West Virginia in 1907. Several high-profile industrial accidents in the 1960s helped lead President Richard Nixon to sign a law creating the Occupational Safety and Health Administration the next year. In 2019, Accurate Energetic Systems faced several small fines from the US Department of Labor for violations of policies meant to protect workers from exposure to hazardous chemicals, radiation, and other irritants, according to citations from OSHA. In 2014, an explosion occurred at another ammunition facility in the same small community, killing one person and injuring at least three others.

Americas

A powerful explosion at a Tennessee explosives factory killed 16 people, leaving no survivors. Authorities continue investigating the cause, while the community mourns the loss and supports grieving families through vigils and prayer.

16 dead in Tennessee factory blast as community mourns loss

Web Desk/AP

<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">GAZA:&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Egypt will host an international summit in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday to finalize an agreement aimed at ending the war in Gaza, Egyptian presidential spokesperson Ahmed Fahmy said on Saturday. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">More than 20 world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, are expected to attend the meeting. The summit seeks to build consensus on a plan that would halt hostilities and lay the groundwork for Gaza&rsquo;s postwar governance. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trump&rsquo;s 20-point proposal envisions Israel maintaining a long-term security presence along its border with Gaza, while an international force, primarily composed of troops from Arab and Muslim countries, would oversee security within the enclave.&nbsp; <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has called for the force to be authorized by the UN Security Council. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">According to the Israeli military, its troops will continue operating defensively in the roughly 50 percent of Gaza still under its control after recent withdrawals to designated lines.&nbsp; <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The United States, meanwhile, plans to set up a coordination center in Israel to manage Gaza-related issues until a permanent administration is established, an official familiar with the discussions said. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" id="isPasted">More than <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">67,000 Palestinian casualties&nbsp; <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Israel&rsquo;s military campaign after <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" id="isPasted">Oct. 7, 2023 has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza&rsquo;s Health Ministry, which reports that roughly half of the dead are women and children.&nbsp; <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The ministry&rsquo;s figures are widely regarded by the United Nations and independent experts as the most reliable available. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The conflict has fueled broader instability across the Middle East, triggered global protests and prompted international calls for accountability over alleged human rights violations. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Sharm el-Sheikh summit is expected to focus on securing a lasting cease-fire, coordinating humanitarian aid delivery, and outlining a framework for Gaza&rsquo;s reconstruction and governance once the fighting stops.

Egypt will host an international summit in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday to finalize an agreement aimed at ending the war in Gaza, Egyptian presidential spokesperson Ahmed Fahmy said on Saturday.

Donald Trump and El-Sisi to co-chair Gaza peace summit on Monday

Reuters

BRUSSELS: European Union member countries began rolling out a new entry and exit system on Sunday at the bloc&rsquo;s external borders, electronically registering non-EU nationals&#39; data. The Entry/Exit System (EES), an automated system that requires travellers to register at the border by scanning their passport and having their fingerprints and photograph taken, will be introduced over six months. The move is aimed at detecting overstayers, tackling identity fraud, and preventing illegal migration amid political pressure in some EU countries to take a tougher stance. &quot;The Entry/Exit System is the digital backbone of our new common European migration and asylum framework,&rdquo; European Internal Affairs and Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner said in a statement. SIX MONTHS TO ADJUSTNon-EU citizens will have to register their personal details when they first enter the Schengen area - all EU member countries apart from Ireland and Cyprus, but including Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. Subsequent journeys will only require facial biometric verification. The system should be fully operational, with passport stamping replaced with electronic records, on April 10, 2026. &quot;Every third country national who arrives at an external border will undergo identity verification, security screening, and registration in the EU databases,&quot; Brunner said, adding that &quot;the six-month rollout gives member states, travellers, and businesses time to transition smoothly to the new procedures&quot;. For British travellers using the Port of Dover, the Eurotunnel terminal at Folkestone, orthe&nbsp; Eurostar terminal at London&#39;s St Pancras International, the process will take place at the border before they leave the UK. At Dover and the Eurotunnel terminal, only freight and coach traffic will be subject to EES checks from Sunday. Passenger vehicle checks will follow in November at Dover and by the end of the year at Eurotunnel, while the Eurostar at St Pancras will gradually introduce the new process, starting with some business travellers from Sunday. &quot;We recognise that EES checks will be a significant change for British travellers, which is why we have worked closely with our European partners to ensure the rollout goes as smoothly as possible,&quot; British Minister for Border Security and Asylum Alex Norris said. &quot;The UK and EU have a shared objective of securing our borders, and these modernisation measures will help us protect our citizens and prevent illegal migration,&quot; Norris said.

 European Union's Entry/Exit System (EES)

The EU has begun a six-month rollout of its new Entry/Exit System, replacing passport stamping with biometric registration to enhance border control, detect overstayers, and combat illegal migration across the Schengen area. 

EU Entry/Exit System to be rolled out over six months

Ayesha Mir

Pakistan&rsquo;s climate emergency isn&rsquo;t just a national crisis &mdash; it&rsquo;s a regional reckoning. From floods that drown villages to smog that knows no borders, the forces reshaping Pakistan are the same ones choking Delhi, burning forests in Nepal, and melting glaciers in the Himalayas. But here&rsquo;s the truth: No country in South Asia can survive this alone, and the demand for climate justice has never been more important.&nbsp; In this episode of the Dossier, we explore what a real solution looks like &mdash; one built not on blame, but on cooperation, data, and shared responsibility.

Dossier with Ayesha

A real solution needs to be built on cooperation, data, and shared responsibility.

Pollution from neighboring countries damaging Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat in the first of the two-match Test series against South Africa at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on Sunday. Speaking at the toss, skipper Shan Masood said his first-choice spinner Sajid Khan was fit again and will feature in the first Test.&nbsp; Pakistan are going in with two spinners, Noman Ali and Sajid Khan, while South Africa have fielded three.&nbsp; Playing XIsPakistan: &nbsp;Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (C), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Agha, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan&nbsp;South Africa: Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Aiden Markram (C), Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Sen Muthusamy, Prenelan Subrayen, Kagiso Rabada, Simon Harmer

Cricket

The match, being played at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium, begins at 10 a.m.

Pakistan opt to bat against South Africa in first Test

WINDHOEK: A burst of late hitting by wicketkeeper Zane Green took Namibia to a shock win over South Africa in a one-off Twenty20 international on Saturday.&nbsp;Green, who finished on 30 not out, hit 23 of the 26 runs scored by Namibia in the last two overs of the first international match between the neighboring African countries.&nbsp;With 11 needed off the last over, Green hooked the first ball from Andile Simelane for six. With the scores level, he hit the last ball of the match to the midwicket boundary for the winning runs.&nbsp;The match was arranged to inaugurate the Namibia Cricket Ground, which will be one of the venues for the 2027 Cricket World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.&nbsp;&quot;You can see what it means, for the team and the crowd,&quot; said Namibian captain Gerhard Erasmus after leading his players on a victory lap in front of a capacity crowd. &quot;The guys did it with good skill.&quot;&nbsp;It was a below-strength South African team, with several leading players, including regular captain Aiden Markram, in Pakistan for a Test series which starts in Lahore on Sunday.&nbsp;All the South African players had international experience, but they struggled from the start against a Namibian team that had qualified for next year&#39;s T20 World Cup in India just a week earlier.&nbsp;&quot;We weren&#39;t good enough,&quot; admitted stand-in South African captain Donovan Ferreira.&nbsp;He said his team&#39;s defense of a below-par total had been hurt by a chest muscle injury, which forced fast bowler Gerald Coetzee off the field after bowling only nine balls.&nbsp;Quinton de Kock, returning to international cricket for the first time since the 2024 T20 World Cup, was out for a single in the first over, and none of the South African batsmen were able to dominate against disciplined bowling on a slow pitch.&nbsp;South Africa labored to 134 for eight after winning the toss.&nbsp;Left-arm fast bowler Ruben Trumpelmann, who started his cricket career in South Africa, took three for 28 and new cap Max Heingo took two wickets in the space of three balls to reduce the visitors to 65 for five in the 11th over.

The match was arranged to inaugurate the Namibia Cricket Ground, which will be one of the venues for the 2027 Cricket World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

Namibia shock South Africa in T20 international

BEIJING: China called President Donald Trump&#39;s latest US tariffs on Chinese goods hypocritical on Sunday and defended its curbs on exports of rare earths, but stopped short of imposing new levies on US products.&nbsp;The commerce ministry said in a statement its export controls on rare-earth elements - which Trump on Friday called &quot;surprising&quot; and &quot;very hostile&quot; - followed a series of US measures since bilateral trade talks in Madrid last month.&nbsp;Beijing cited the addition of Chinese companies to a US trade blacklist and Washington&#39;s imposition of port fees on Chinese vessels as examples.&nbsp;&quot;These actions have severely harmed China&#39;s interests and undermined the atmosphere for bilateral economic and trade talks. China firmly opposes them,&quot; the ministry said.&nbsp;Beijing stopped short of explicitly linking these US actions to its curbs on exports of critical minerals, stating that its curbs were motivated by concerns about the military applications of these metals at a time of &quot;frequent military conflict.&quot; Tensions flare againA few months ago, Beijing and Washington agreed on an uneasy truce in their tit-for-tat trade war that started earlier this year and threw bilateral trade into serious jeopardy.&nbsp;But tensions have boiled up again in recent days.&nbsp;China said on Friday that it would impose &quot;special port fees&quot; on ships operated by and built in the US, calling it a &quot;defensive action.&quot;&nbsp;It aimed at the US&#39;s own port fees charged on Chinese ships, claiming they &quot;severely harmed China&#39;s interests.&quot;&nbsp;Washington announced those fees in April as part of an effort to revive American shipbuilding after a decades-long decline that has seen China and other Asian nations come to dominate the industry.

Business

The commerce ministry says its export controls on rare-earth elements - which Trump on Friday called "surprising" and "very hostile" - follow a series of US measures since bilateral trade talks in Madrid last month.

Beijing blames US for raising trade tensions, defends rare earth curbs

SYDNEY: Australian airline Qantas said Sunday that data from 5.7 million customers stolen in a major cyberattack in July had been leaked online.&nbsp;&quot;Qantas is one of a number of companies globally that has had data released by cyber criminals following the airline&#39;s cyber incident in early July, where customer data was stolen via a third party platform,&quot; the company said in a statement.&nbsp;Qantas said in July that hackers had targeted one of its customer contact centres, breaching a computer system used by a third party.&nbsp;They secured access to sensitive information such as customer names, email addresses, phone numbers and birthdays, the blue-chip Australian company said.&nbsp;On Sunday, Qantas said that data had been leaked and that &quot;with the help of specialist cyber security experts, we are investigating what data was part of the release&quot;.&nbsp;It also said it had obtained a legal injunction with the Supreme Court of New South Wales, where the firm is headquartered, &quot;to prevent the stolen data being accessed, viewed, released, used, transmitted or published by anyone, including third parties&quot;.

Qantas confirmed that data from 5.7 million customers stolen in a July cyberattack has been leaked online. The airline is investigating with cybersecurity experts and has obtained a court injunction to block further data misuse

Articles by Reuters/AP