Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour is urging the Security Council to deploy an international force to protect Palestinians in Gaza, accusing Israel of genocide and ethnic cleansing. Mansour's letter comes after French President Emmanuel Macron asked for a coalition to be deployed in Gaza, amid reports of famine and destruction. Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that Gaza city could be destroyed unless Hamas yields to his country's terms, while Netanyahu authorized a major operation to seize the city. The Palestinian envoy condemned Israel's actions as "obliteration of Palestinian existence" and "crimes against humanity".
North Korean soldiers and South Korean troops have exchanged warning shots along the peninsula's border, according to a statement by Army Lieutenant General Ko Jong Chol. The incident occurred on Tuesday as North Korean forces attempted to permanently seal the frontier. Seoul's military used machine guns to fire over 10 warning shots towards the North's troops, prompting a response from Pyongyang, which described it as a
Pakistan's National Assembly speaker condemned Israeli forces' aggression in Gaza, stating that thousands of children have been orphaned and left destitute due to the violence. The speaker urged the United Nations to enforce a ceasefire and ensure a just solution for Palestine, reaffirming Pakistan's support for Palestinian self-determination and an independent state with Al-Quds as its capital.
Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson, Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan, has denied reports of a planned meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Indian Premier Narendra Modi at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit. The spokesperson also confirmed that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not visit Pakistan in October. Khan emphasized Pakistan's historic, robust, and sustainable relationship with China, citing counterterrorism cooperation as a key factor. He condemned India's increasing arms buildup and Islamophobia, while maintaining Pakistan's capability to deter aggression from India.
The Philippines and Australia plan to sign a new defence pact aimed at developing the Philippines' military infrastructure to counter China's "unilateral activities" in the region. The agreement was announced during joint military exercises involving around 3,600 personnel in the western and northern Philippines, where Beijing and Manila have had several confrontations over the disputed South China Sea.
The EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, has warned that Russia is trying to set a "trap" by demanding concessions from Ukraine in exchange for ending the war. Russian President Putin is seeking territorial concessions from Ukraine as part of a peace deal, but Kallas believes this would be rewarding the country that started the conflict. She claims Russia has made no concessions and is only trying to gain time, stating that Putin does not want peace. US President Trump has also expressed support for stopping the violence, but Putin allegedly laughs at his efforts, instead increasing the bloodshed.
South Korean President Lee arrived in Tokyo for summit talks with Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba, scheduled to meet Japanese lawmakers the next day before departing for Washington to discuss 'alliance modernisation' with US President Trump. The talks come as part of a trade deal that lowered tariffs on South Korean goods to 15% from 25%, in exchange for massive investments and market opening. National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac stated that modernising the alliance aims to bolster joint defence posture between Seoul and Washington, amid increased focus on deterring China's assertiveness. South Korean and US diplomats, led by Cho and Rubio respectively, are set to discuss alliance advancement ahead of a summit between Lee and Trump. The talks will cover areas such as security and technology, with the two sides agreeing to cooperate on North Korea policies. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was also separately met with South Korean officials at the White House, where they called for swift completion of tariff consultations.
US President Donald Trump has renewed his threat to impose further sanctions on Russia if there is no progress towards a peaceful settlement in Ukraine within two weeks. The threat comes after a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, where no agreement was reached. Trump warned that he will make a significant decision, potentially including massive sanctions or tariffs, or take no action, leaving the conflict to be resolved by Russia and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose massive sanctions or tariffs on Russia in response to its strike on a US factory in Ukraine, which caused a fire and injured employees.