Pakistan & the Taliban: From Allies to Adversaries

Since 2021, ties have unraveled over militancy, border clashes, and refugee expulsions.

Now the Taliban is courting India, China, and Russia; drifting from Islamabad’s orbit.

DR Congo: The Interior Ministry accused Rwanda-backed M23-AFC of mass killings, rapes, and forced conscriptions.

It warned the group is building parallel administrations to dismantle traditional rule in Kivu.

🇵🇸 Gaza, today.

Berlin to Athens: Drop the Block on Türkiye

German FM Johann Wadephul will visit Greece to urge Athens to drop its veto on Türkiye’s participation in the EU’s €150 billion SAFE defense program.

Only France and Greek Cyprus back Greece’s position.

Most EU members — especially Eastern and Nordic states — support Türkiye’s inclusion, citing its large defense industry and military value for Europe.

Source: Kathimerini

Rheinmetall will supply Ukraine with new Skyranger 35 air-defense systems mounted on Leopard 1 tanks, under a hundreds-of-millions-euro deal funded by an EU member state using profits from frozen Russian assets — a first-of-its-kind move.

The mobile, cannon-based system can shoot down drones and cruise missiles up to 4 km away, using advanced airburst ammo.

Satellite images confirm China has deployed GJ-11 “Sharp Sword” stealth combat drones to Shigatse Air Base in Tibet, near the India border — marking their first known operational use.

The flying-wing UCAVs, capable of stealth strikes, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare, were stationed there from August to September 2025 for operational testing.

This signals that the GJ-11 has reached near-combat readiness and highlights China’s growing high-altitude airpower presence in the Himalayas, alongside J-20 fighters and WZ-7 drones.

Source: TWZ

The Gaza Municipality has begun clearing the main streets of rubble.

Cities Under Trump’s Troop Orders — A breakdown of where National Guard and federal troops have been deployed (or attempted deployments) in 2025, and the next cities reportedly under consideration.

Legal challenges have already blocked or overturned several deployments.

UPDATE: Death toll from RSF El-Fasher drone strike rises to 60.

Madagascar: Army contingent urges security forces to “refuse orders to open fire.”

NOW: Trump is on a phone call with Zelensky.

Germany’s AfD expelled Hamburg councillor Robert Risch after it emerged he attended a far-right conference in St. Petersburg organized by Russian ultranationalist Konstantin Malofeyev and ideologue Alexander Dugin.

AfD leaders said Risch’s participation was “incompatible with democratic values.”

Risch claimed it was a personal trip.

Belgium says it will begin transferring F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine after Oct 13, 2025, as it receives its first F-35s from the U.S.

The U.S. confirmed no troops will enter Gaza.

Around 200 U.S. personnel—mainly planners and engineers—are deploying to Israel, not Gaza, to monitor the truce, coordinate aid, and support the new Civil-Military Coordination Center with partners from Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye, and the UAE.

Admiral Brad Cooper (CENTCOM) leads the mission from Israel.

Meanwhile, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Adm. Brad Cooper visited Israeli troops at a base inside Gaza to verify completion of the agreed withdrawal.

Both officials have since returned to Israel.

Qatar will build an Air Force facility at Mountain Home Air Base in Idaho to host its F-15 jets and train pilots, under an agreement announced with the U.S.

Qatar’s 10-year commitment will fund construction and maintenance, creating hundreds of U.S. jobs.

Source: Axios

🇨🇳 China is the only major world economy where food prices are declining.

Source: FT

NEW: Turkish foreign and defense ministers, along with the director of Turkish Intelligence, will meet their Syrian counterparts in Ankara tomorrow to discuss security cooperation and current developments.

Turkish President Erdogan:

First, I will go to Gaza, then you will.

Turkish President Erdogan:

Israel must stand by the agreement it has signed.

It should end its aggressive policies toward the region, which also pose a threat to the security of its own citizens.

Joe Biden is undergoing five weeks of radiation and hormone therapy for an aggressive prostate cancer that has spread to his bones.

Source: NBC News

Trump and Zelensky spoke about possibly giving Ukraine Tomahawk long-range missiles.

No final decision has been made. Zelensky called the 30-minute call “positive and productive,” thanking Trump for support on air defense.

Source: Axios