The US Central Command, led by Adm. Brad Cooper, and the Royal Saudi Armed Forces, headed by Gen. Fayyadh bin Hamed Raqed Al-Ruwalli, conducted joint exercises at the Red Sands Integrated Experimentation Center in northeastern Saudi Arabia. Cooper emphasized the pressing challenge posed by advanced drones, stating that working with regional partners to innovate and adapt is more critical than ever.
The US State Department views Japan as a "capable participant" in the evolving US-Australia defense pact due to its investments in advanced defense systems, industrial-base improvements and cybersecurity protocols. Japan expressed interest in a range of projects underway as part of the second leg of the Aukus agreement, which focuses on technology sharing including long-range anti-submarine warfare and autonomous air platforms.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the first deliveries of American weapons under the PURL mechanism will include Patriot missiles. The initial two packages worth $500 million will also feature HIMARS missiles, according to Zelensky. The funds for these deliveries come from NATO countries, with over $2 billion received so far and an additional $3.5-3.6 billion expected in October.
Donald Trump's birthday headlines today are overshadowed by other news. US negotiator Brendan Lynch is tasked with reviving India-US trade talks, which will set up over 1 lakh health camps nationwide. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun meets Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, where they discuss the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. The deadline for ByteDance to sell or shut down its US arm of TikTok has been extended, with reports suggesting the Trump administration will give more time. Meta is expected to focus on AI-based augmented reality products and launch new smart glasses at its annual Connect event. Pakistan faces UAE in a Group A match of the Asia Cup 2025, with one win and one loss from two matches.
Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese failed to lock in a defence treaty with Papua New Guinea (PNG) during his visit, marking the second Pacific security agreement to founder under his government in eight days. The two nations instead signed a communique vowing to advance the treaty, requiring Albanese or PNG Prime Minister James Marape to travel "in coming weeks" to ink the pact. The delay occurred due to difficulties in organising a quorum of PNG cabinet ministers during the nation's 50th anniversary of independence celebrations. Marape confirmed that a security treaty for PNG would be the highest in terms of security relations given to any country, but refused to say if the pact had total support from his ministers.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese failed to secure a key defence deal with Papua New Guinea during his recent trip. The proposed Pukpuk Treaty, which includes a mutual defence alliance, aims to protect both countries from armed attacks. The treaty also ensures that agreements with third parties, such as China, will not compromise the implementation of the pact. However, Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister Marape plans to send his defence minister to China to discuss the treaty with Australia, potentially undermining the deal.
Australia and Papua New Guinea failed to sign a long-awaited mutual defense treaty, marking the second time this month that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese left a Pacific island nation without clinching a key deal. The treaty, which aims to ensure that any activities with third parties won't compromise the ability of either country to implement it, was a nod to China's growing influence in the Pacific. Papua New Guinea's foreign minister, Justin Tkatchenko, described it as a "work in progress". The agreement also enables citizens of both nations to serve in each other's militaries, 50 years after Papua New Guinea gained independence from Australia.
Australia and Papua New Guinea (PNG) have signed a defence agreement, with PNG Prime Minister James Marape stating that Australia is the country's security partner of choice. Marape described Australia as "head and shoulders" above other international partners, highlighting the significance of the agreement. The communique to be signed today marks a new era in their security partnership, with Marape expressing optimism about the future of their relationship.
ByteDance has reached a deal with the US allowing it to continue operating TikTok in the US for 90 more days, during which time it must finalize the transfer of its American assets to US owners. The agreement includes an American-dominated board and allows ByteDance to retain its 19.9% ownership stake, just under the 20% threshold required by a US law passed in 2024. The deal is related to security concerns over data sharing between the two countries and comes amid growing tensions over data security and intellectual property rights in the US-China trade relationship.