RELIANCE

ISTANBUL — Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are set to hold the first committee meeting under their newly signed Mecca Joint Defense Pact , bringing senior diplomatic and military officials from the three countries together in Istanbul on Monday. The meeting comes after the three countries signed the defense agreement on August 7, establishing a new framework for closer military and security cooperation amid growing tensions across the Middle East. Focus on Collective Defense A central objective of the agreement is to strengthen the three countries’ collective deterrence and defense capabilities against potential external aggression. Under the pact, an armed attack against any one of the three member states is to be treated as an attack against all three. The principle has drawn comparisons with NATO’s collective-defense framework , although the precise mechanisms for military coordination and response remain to be developed. The Istanbul meeting is expected to provide an initial op...

WASHINGTON: Barron Trump, the youngest son of US President Donald Trump, has largely withdrawn from public view as security concerns surrounding his family intensify amid a broader climate of political violence in the United States. Now 20, Barron is reportedly living a highly private life under enhanced security, with his movements kept to a minimum. A person close to the Trump family told The Post that he rarely goes out. Barron recently completed his second year at New York University. Much of his summer was reportedly spent with his mother, First Lady Melania Trump, at the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey. People familiar with him describe him as a private and reserved young man who generally avoids the spotlight. Growing security concerns The security environment surrounding the Trump family has become increasingly tense following several serious threats against the president. Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt in July 2024 when he was wounded by gun...

DHAKA: Bangladesh could gain opportunities to strengthen its defence capabilities, expand military technology cooperation and deepen strategic ties with countries such as Turkey and Pakistan if it eventually joins the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, analysts say. The agreement between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan has attracted international attention because of its military dimension. Although some have informally described the grouping as a “Muslim NATO”, Turkish geopolitics professor Murat Aslam says that comparison is misleading. Aslam, a professor at Hasan Kalyoncu University and an international geopolitics analyst, said the agreement should primarily be viewed as a defensive arrangement rather than an offensive military alliance. He said the grouping was not established against any specific country. Its initial objectives include preventing conflicts among member states and strengthening their collective defence capabilities. The agreement could also carry wider commercia...

KATHMANDU: The death toll from devastating flash floods in Nepal has risen to 579, according to the latest figures released by the country’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority on Friday. Authorities said nearly 4,000 people have been rescued so far as emergency teams continue search and rescue operations in affected areas. The number of casualties remains subject to change as rescue workers search for people who may still be missing and recover additional bodies. Official figures released at different times on Friday varied considerably. Nepal Police reported earlier in the morning that 469 bodies had been recovered. The disaster management authority’s latest figure of 579 deaths represents a significant increase, underscoring the scale of the flooding and the continuing challenges facing rescue teams. Officials have cautioned that the number of dead, injured and missing could rise or change further as search and recovery efforts continue.

NEW DELHI: India has said it is closely monitoring regional developments that could have implications for its national security, responding to questions over Bangladesh’s possible participation in a proposed defence alliance centred on Mecca. Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal made the remarks during a press briefing on Friday, in response to a question about Bangladesh’s position on joining the alliance. A journalist from The Hindu , Kulachi, referred to comments by Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, who had said that the decision on whether Bangladesh would join the alliance was entirely a sovereign matter for Dhaka and should not make any other country uncomfortable. Asked about those comments, Jaiswal said India was keeping a close watch on any regional developments that could affect the country’s security. “We are closely monitoring any developments in the region that have a bearing on our security,” Jaiswal said, adding that India was taki...

WASHINGTON : U.S. President Donald Trump has warned Canada that Washington may take a tougher approach after trade negotiations between the two countries broke down, saying Ottawa had rejected what he described as a favorable deal. Speaking to broadcaster Glenn Beck on Wednesday, Trump said he had reached what he called a “pretty good” agreement with Canada but that Ottawa had failed to accept it. He suggested the United States could now pursue alternative measures. “They don’t have anything that we absolutely need,” Trump said, adding that the United States could manage without Canadian goods, although replacing some products could cause temporary difficulties. “It’s time to teach them a lesson — you can’t do this anymore,” he said. The remarks came days after the United States imposed a new 50% tariff on about $20 billion worth of Canadian goods following the collapse of the trade talks. Canada responded on Tuesday by announcing retaliatory 50% tariffs on roughly $20 ...

WASHINGTON: Forty-five of the 47 Democratic members of the U.S. Senate have signed a letter urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take immediate steps to curb settler violence and what they described as widespread arrests of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. The joint letter, sent to Netanyahu on Wednesday, expressed deep concern over what the senators called a recent rise in “lethal violence” by Israeli settlers in the West Bank. Reuters reviewed the letter. The senators called on Netanyahu to give clear instructions to Israeli police and military forces to prevent violence and protect civilians, regardless of who is responsible. They also urged Israeli security forces to intervene promptly when violent incidents occur and take measures to prevent further attacks. Concern over escalating violence The Democratic senators said violence in the West Bank had increased significantly in recent weeks. They linked the escalation to extensive operations by Israeli sec...

ANKARA/MECCA The newly signed defence agreement between Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan could soon expand, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan indicating that Egypt may eventually join the emerging security framework . The prospect of Egypt becoming a member adds a significant new dimension to a regional defence arrangement that has already drawn international attention because of its collective-security provision. The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement , signed in the holy city of Mecca on August 7 by the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan, commits the three countries to treating an armed attack against one member as an attack against all three and to responding collectively. Speaking in a special interview for Al Jazeera Arabic's programme Al Muqabala , Erdogan said the agreement was designed to remain open to additional countries. He highlighted Egypt as a particularly important potential participant. “This agreement has sent an important message to the world,” ...

TAIPEI: Taiwan has detected a series of unusual cyberattacks targeting government agencies that allegedly used artificial intelligence to automate parts of the hacking process, according to the island's Ministry of Digital Affairs. The attacks, which originated from overseas and were first detected on July 20, targeted government systems and later expanded to include Taiwan's nuclear safety authority and at least seven energy companies, the ministry said. Israeli artificial intelligence security company Dream told the Financial Times that the attackers used open-source AI agents to develop an automated hacking tool capable of operating like a coordinated cyber team. Dream described the incident as unprecedented in its experience. 85 Government Accounts Compromised According to Dream, the attackers gained access to at least 85 government user accounts and collected information relating to more than 2,500 employees . Taiwan's cybersecurity monitoring authorities detected ...

An Iranian semi-official news agency has reported that seven U.S. Navy personnel were killed and several others injured in an internal clash aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, but the claim has not been independently verified.  The report, published Wednesday by Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency, attributed the alleged violence to growing tensions among sailors aboard the carrier, which has been deployed in the Middle East for several months as part of U.S. military operations against Iran. According to Mehr, prolonged deployment in the region and continued participation in military operations had contributed to mounting frustration among members of the crew. The report said the tensions eventually escalated into a violent confrontation aboard the carrier. Mehr reported that at least seven U.S. Navy personnel were killed and several others wounded in the incident. It did not provide independently verifiable details about when the alleged clash occurred, what trigg...

NEW DELHI, Aug. 10, 2026 India’s government is prepared to hold a detailed parliamentary debate on recent student protests and allegations of police action against demonstrators, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Monday, signalling a possible easing of a dispute with opposition parties over the issue. Rijiju said Home Minister Amit Shah was ready to address Parliament on the matter, while urging opposition lawmakers not to disrupt proceedings when the government responds. “The government is ready for a full and detailed discussion on the student protests and all related issues,” Rijiju told reporters. He said his only request was that opposition lawmakers allow the Home Minister and the government to present their response without creating a situation that would prevent them from speaking. The government’s position comes amid mounting criticism from opposition leaders over the police response to student demonstrations, including allegations of excessive use of force....

BERLIN: China remains Germany’s largest trading partner, but the balance of economic ties between the two countries is shifting sharply. German exports to China fell significantly in the first half of 2026, while imports from the Asian economic powerhouse increased, pushing Germany’s trade deficit with China to a new high. Preliminary data from Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI), cited by Reuters, showed that German goods exports to China declined by more than 12% between January and June, falling to below €37 billion. The decline has pushed China down to ninth place among destinations for German exports, highlighting the changing nature of one of Europe’s most important economic relationships. From Germany’s No. 2 export market to ninth The scale of the shift becomes clearer when compared with the situation just a few years ago. China was Germany’s second-largest export market around 2021, when German companies sold goods worth about €104 billion there despite the economic disruption ...

International Desk: Pakistan appears to be seeking a broader strategic role for the newly signed defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, with officials in Islamabad calling for greater unity among Muslim-majority countries over the conflict involving Israel and the Palestinians. The development has sparked debate over whether the three-way security arrangement could eventually evolve into something resembling an “Islamic NATO” a broader collective defence framework involving Muslim countries. The issue gained prominence after Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif called for greater unity among Muslim nations against Israel. His remarks came only hours after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye signed a joint defence agreement in Mecca. According to an analysis published by The Times of Israel , Italian political adviser and geopolitical analyst Sergio Restelli argued that Asif’s comments may have highlighted an objective that was not explicitly stated in the formal agre...