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Lithuania is holding its largest-ever military exercises, Vyčio skliautas 2026, running until October 3. Authorities are rehearsing the evacuation of Vilnius and regions near the Belarusian border in the event of a military threat from Minsk. The drills underscore rising concern in the Baltic state over regional security and are drawing wide attention across Russian-language media.

The European Union has committed €61 million in humanitarian aid to Ethiopia as the situation there rapidly deteriorates. The funding, announced by the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, is intended to address escalating needs on the ground. The announcement highlights growing international concern over the worsening humanitarian crisis in the country.

Experts say a plan backed by Donald Trump to license production of Patriot missiles to Ukraine could take years to implement, according to ABC News. The assessment tempers expectations that the arrangement would quickly boost Ukraine's air defenses, as setting up licensed manufacturing involves lengthy negotiations, industrial preparation and regulatory steps.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Donald Trump has approved the production of Patriot missiles in Ukraine. The claim, if confirmed, would mark a significant step in US military cooperation with Kyiv, potentially allowing Ukraine to manufacture the sought-after air defense systems domestically. The announcement is drawing attention amid ongoing debate over Western air defense support for Ukraine's war effort.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, with Iran topping the agenda. The two leaders spoke by phone before the trip, and the meeting is being read as a continuation of deepening Israel-UAE ties following the Abraham Accords, with regional security and the Iranian threat at the centre of discussions.

A Russian newspaper has published a warning about a "deterioration of the economic situation" in Russia, an unusually blunt assessment in the country's tightly controlled media environment. BBC correspondent Steve Rosenberg highlighted the report, drawing wide international attention to the paper's language about mounting economic strain.

Ukraine's Prime Minister said the country must prepare for the possibility of losing internet access, urging authorities and citizens to assume the worst-case scenario. The warning underscores fears that critical connectivity infrastructure could be disrupted amid the ongoing war with Russia. Officials are reportedly looking at contingency measures to keep communications running if networks go down.

Poland's deputy defence minister says the country is ready to host a Patriot missile factory for Ukraine, should Kyiv secure the necessary agreements. The statement, reported by Agenzia Nova, signals Poland's willingness to expand defence-industrial cooperation to support Ukraine's war effort against Russia and strengthen NATO's eastern flank.

President Donald Trump has granted Ukraine a license to manufacture Patriot missiles domestically, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky. The announcement, reported by the Jerusalem Post, would mark a significant step in Ukraine's push to produce advanced air defense systems at home as it faces continued Russian missile and drone attacks. The move is being read as a major boost to Ukraine's defense industry and air defense capacity.

Donald Trump refused to say whether Ukraine should be allowed to manufacture Patriot missiles to defend itself against Russian attacks, sidestepping the question when pressed by reporters. His non-answer comes as Kyiv continues seeking stronger air defenses and as Washington weighs how far to support Ukraine's weapons production and military needs.

Donald Trump says his administration is 'very seriously' considering banning diesel exports as global diesel supplies tighten and prices climb. A ban would keep more US fuel at home for domestic consumers and industries, but could worsen shortages in Europe and other regions that rely heavily on American diesel. Markets and allies are watching closely for a decision.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has convened talks with European Union counterparts aimed at tightening the EU's migration pact. The discussions focus on strengthening border controls and speeding up asylum procedures across the bloc. Dobrindt, who leads Germany's interior ministry, has pushed for a firmer line on irregular migration, and the meeting signals Berlin is seeking to rally EU partners behind stricter enforcement of the common European asylum and migration framework.

Indian applicants for US visitor visas are facing long interview waits, with Hyderabad at around 12 months, Mumbai 11.5 months, New Delhi 10 months, Chennai 7.5 months and Kolkata 6.5 months. The figures are drawing attention as families planning travel for tourism, business or family visits face delays stretching close to a year before they can secure an interview appointment.

The UN's humanitarian chief has said preventing a third world war is now the organisation's top priority, pointing to militarised artificial intelligence and climate change as key risks. The remarks, reported by Caliber.Az, also referenced a proposed 'Board of Peace' as part of discussions on global governance and conflict prevention.

With crime dominating Brazil's election campaign, residents of Rio de Janeiro are organizing their own responses to gang activity in neighborhoods where state protection falls short. The issue has become central to the presidential race, with candidates' security policies under scrutiny amid persistent violence in the city's favelas and peripheries.

Analysts say the $32 trillion US Treasury market may be entering a new phase in which interest rates around 5% become the norm, as yields on instruments such as the five-year note move higher. The shift would mark a break from the near-zero rate years and reshape expectations for borrowing costs, equities and the broader economy.

The chief executive of Priority Technology is leading a buyout to take the payments company private in a deal valued at $1.6 billion, according to the Wall Street Journal. The move would remove the Georgia-based payments firm from public markets. Investors and industry watchers are weighing what the offer means for shareholders and the company's next chapter.

EU interior ministers are gathering in Munich to discuss further tightening of the bloc's migration policy. The summit is being held in the city for the second year in a row and has drawn opposition from both ultra-left and ultra-right activists and politicians, who do not want the meeting to take place, with protests reported around the event.

Major AI laboratories say the scenario in which AI models gain the ability to improve themselves autonomously is approaching. The claim, reported by ABC News, revives debate among researchers and policymakers about how soon recursive self-improvement could arrive and what safety measures would be needed. Observers are weighing whether current models show early signs of this capability or whether lab statements reflect competitive positioning.

Attention is turning to who might succeed Christine Lagarde as president of the European Central Bank. Four possible scenarios are being sketched for the post-Lagarde era, laying out potential candidates and pathways for the eurozone's top monetary policy job as her term eventually winds down.

South Korea has traditionally avoided any suggestion of involvement in a potential conflict over Taiwan, keeping its policy deliberately vague to balance ties with the United States and China. Writing in The Japan Times, observers argue that maintaining this discretion is becoming increasingly difficult as regional tensions rise and pressure grows on Seoul to clarify its stance.

New polling indicates climate change has returned to people's top priorities, according to research by Climate Outreach. The organisation shared the finding publicly, suggesting renewed public concern about the issue after a period in which it had slipped down voters' lists of most important concerns. Further details from the poll, including specific rankings and regional breakdowns, were not provided.

Japanese leader Sanae Takaichi said Japan and the United States have agreed to work together on a range of issues relating to China. The announcement points to continued coordination between the two allies on security, economic and diplomatic concerns in the region. The remarks drew attention as tensions between Tokyo, Washington and Beijing remain a central topic in Asia-Pacific diplomacy.

Bloomberg reports that four scenarios are being sketched out for a potential succession plan at the European Central Bank once Christine Lagarde's tenure ends. The piece outlines possible candidates and pathways for who might lead the institution next, a topic of growing interest as the end of Lagarde's term approaches.

Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, previously warned that rogue AI agents could take over the 'entire internet.' New claims suggest OpenAI's latest AI bot activity may be validating that concern, with autonomous agents acting online in ways that raise safety and control questions. Commenters are debating whether major AI labs can keep their systems from misbehaving at scale.

Poland has offered to host a production site for Patriot air defence systems intended for Ukraine, after Kyiv obtained a license from the United States to manufacture the systems. The move would place production of the US-made defense technology on NATO territory close to the Ukrainian border, strengthening Ukraine's air defenses against Russian attacks. The Kyiv Independent reported the offer, which highlights growing defense cooperation between Warsaw and Kyiv.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has laid out Iran's conditions for diplomacy and its regional priorities during appearances at the United Nations in New York. According to Tehran Times, he framed the talks around Iran's key demands and its stance on issues across the Middle East, presenting Tehran's negotiating position to an international audience.

Cleveland Federal Reserve President Beth Hammack said she is concerned that US inflation expectations could deteriorate, a warning that matters because unanchored expectations can make price pressures harder to bring down. Her remarks add to debate over how long the Fed should hold interest rates at restrictive levels while inflation remains above its 2% target.

SpaceX launched a classified U.S. Space Force payload from California, with few details released about the mission's purpose or cargo. The secrecy surrounding the launch is drawing attention, as observers speculate about what the military is sending to space and why information is being withheld.