President Donald Trump surrounded himself with some of the most influential and wealthy AI executives at the White House on Tuesday amid mounting fears about the technology.Due to concerns about AI’s potential impact on the labour market, the environmental impacts of data centres and multiple AI-induced cybersecurity incidents, US voters have grown increasingly uneasy with unregulated AI. Yet for several weeks now, Mr Trump has dismissed those fears as “a hoax.” On Tuesday, while unveiling a new AI-driven government website, he again dismissed calls for more regulations related to AI development. Several hours after introducing the new site, Mr Trump hosted a lunch with dozens of technology and AI executives. Mr Trump later told reporters that he is thinking about creating a 10-person committee to oversee the AI sector. He said the tech executives signed an agreement that is "morally binding," without providing details.He also signed an executive order in line with his recent theme of insisting that AI should be rebranded to “super intelligence.”Under the executive order, all US government documents would refer to “super intelligence” instead of AI.A seating chart showed that Palantir's Alex Karp, AMD's Lisa Su, Microsoft's Satya Nadella, Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, Anthropic's Dario Amodei, Nvidia's Jensen Huang and Google's Sundar Pichai were among those i...
Read briefing The UAE has strongly condemned the storming of Al Aqsa mosque compound by Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel's Minister of National Security, alongside hundreds of settlers and warned against "provocative escalation" and "unacceptable" acts of extremism. The UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the Israeli government to assume full responsibility for the incident, condemn hostile acts and hold all those involved accountable.MoFA's statement, which was published on Tuesday evening, said that "the continued attacks and incitement to hatred and violence constitute a systematic extremist campaign that not only targets the brotherly Palestinian people but also threatens social peace and risks further escalation".It also emphasised the need to respect the historical and legal status quo of the site.The statement went on to say Jordan's custodial role of the site needed to be respected, as well as the authority of the Jerusalem endowment that manages the affairs of Al Aqsa Mosque.
Read briefing The US on Tuesday said it would release more oil from the country's emergency stockpile in an effort to contain rising fuel prices due to energy supply disruptions from the Iran war.The Energy Department said it was offering to loan energy companies up to 40 million barrels of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The offer represents the last of the drawdown of 172 million barrels from the reserve ordered in March. Bids are due by October 6, the department said.“With today’s actions, the United States continues to lead the co-ordinated efforts to stabilise oil markets for the benefit of Americans and people around the world,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a statement.The SPR is projected to fall to its lowest levels since 1982 once the drawdown is completed. Most recent government data recorded the reserve inventories at 284.5 million barrels for the week ending September 19. The generally accepted minimum level for safe operations is 250 million barrels.The US agreed to withdraw 172 million barrels of crude from its stockpile alongside other members of the International Energy Agency in March, to contain rising energy prices due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and strikes on key energy sites across the Gulf. The 32-member IEA agreed to a co-ordinated release of 400 million barrels from their reserves.However, the US claimed on Tuesday that “several Eu...
Read briefing UK prime minister Andy Burnham is looking at "different options" to Brexit as he seeks to rebuild the UK's relationship with its largest trading partner, the EU. In a shift towards Britain reversing Brexit Mr Burnham used his speech at the Labour Party conference to declare the exit from the EU had “done more harm than good”. In a significant indication that the UK may seek to row back on the 2016 referendum, the new Prime Minister said that at an upcoming EU summit he will set out long-term options with Britain’s biggest trading partner. In his first speech as party leader, he said that in UK politics “something very different is needed”, because “more of the same is not good enough”. “I’m going to break the mould today. I’m going to give you a real speech,” Burnham said. Those in the conference hall held their breath, then rose in applause for announcement after announcement on his plans for government. He promised to “put the country on a new path”. At the very end of his hour-long speech, which he gave without a lectern, he made the most significant shift yet in Labour’s position on Brexit. The summit, expected in November, will examine a range of options that will signal much closer economic integration. “We will not give Britain the clear path we need into the rest of this century until we decide on a long-term relationship with what is still our largest market,” he said....
Read briefing The Arabian Sea humpback whale’s unique song has long led scientists to believe that the animal was a subspecies of its own. Now, genetic research shows that the endangered mammal is distinct from other whale populations.The study led by the US's Wildlife Conservation Society and the Environment Society of Oman (ESO) compared genetic samples from Arabian Sea humpback whales with populations from across the world’s oceans.It found “compelling evidence” that the whale had its own evolutionary lineage, supporting its potential recognition as a fourth subspecies of humpback whale.Researchers analysed mitochondrial DNA from 2,285 humpback whales. The results, published on Tuesday in Frontiers in Marine Science, revealed high levels of genetic differences between the Arabian Sea population and the three currently recognised humpback whale subspecies of the North Atlantic, North Pacific and Southern Hemisphere. This indicates that the gene flow between them had been limited. The Arabian Sea population also showed the lowest genetic diversity among the ocean regions examined. The Arabian Sea whale is now believed to have evolved tens of thousands of years ago, with different groups showing estimated divergence times ranging from about 43,000 to 113,000 years ago.The next step will be to have the subspecies recognised formally by the Society for Marine Mammalogy’s Taxonomy Committee. Th...
Read briefing US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in Washington on Monday as the US tries to advance a peace deal between Beirut and Israel. Negotiations on the US-brokered Israel-Lebanon framework that was initially agreed to in June have slowed amid continuing Israeli bombing of southern Lebanon, despite a supposed ceasefire. Meanwhile, Lebanon has failed to disarm Hezbollah, which was a key part of the deal.After the meeting, Mr Salam said in a statement that he looked forward to a “renewed partnership” with the US, which "aligns with the project of rebuilding the state and strengthening its legitimate institutions".He said he also urged the US to activate the trilateral framework through a reciprocal, gradual process, with a clear timetable and credible verification. Implementing the deal should proceed along with Israeli withdrawal and the extension of Lebanese state authority, he added. The US State Department did not immediately provide a report of the meeting.A central dispute over implementing the Israel-Lebanon framework is the order in which things should happen. Lebanon first wants to see an Israeli withdrawal, while Israel wants Hezbollah disarmed first, leading to a stalemate in talks. Hanin Ghaddar, the Friedmann senior fellow in The Washington Institute's Linda and Tony Rubin Programme on Arab Politics, said the agreement is clear on w...
Read briefing President Sheikh Mohamed received Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Abu Dhabi on Monday, underscoring the close ties between the two nations.Mr Fidan conveyed greetings from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the UAE President, along with his best wishes for the country's continued prosperity and progress. Sheikh Mohamed reciprocated, asking Mr Fidan to pass on his regards to Mr Erdogan and his hopes for continued prosperity and development for Turkey and its people.During the meeting, Sheikh Mohamed and Mr Fidan discussed areas of bilateral co-operation and explored ways to strengthen the ties between their countries. The discussions reflected the growing momentum in relations between the UAE and Turkey. The meeting also addressed regional and international issues, with particular focus on developments in the Middle East. Sheikh Mohamed and Mr Fidan emphasised the importance of continuing efforts to promote security, stability and lasting peace across the region.In May, Sheikh Mohamed and Mr Erdogan explored ways to deepen relations within the framework of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership that came into effect in March 2023, during a phone call.Those discussions came one day after Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, met the Turkish President.The meeting, during a working visit to Turkey by She...
Read briefing The US on Monday said it opposed any Israeli annexation of the occupied West Bank, warning that destabilising moves in the territory could undermine efforts to advance President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan.“As President Trump stated, the United States opposes Israeli annexation of the West Bank,” US representative Jennifer Locetta told the UN Security Council in New York.“Stability in the West Bank is vital for Israel's security and aligns with our goal of achieving peace in the region." She added that Washington wanted to ensure the well-being of Israelis and Palestinians.Israel captured the territory during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War and has occupied it ever since. Settlements built there are illegal under international law.Ms Locetta said the US shared concerns raised by other Security Council members over economic instability in the West Bank and the need to expand economic opportunities for Palestinians.She also criticised measures adopted or proposed by “some UN member states” targeting businesses operating in parts of Jerusalem, the Golan Heights and the West Bank.“As Secretary [of State Marco] Rubio said, we do not want to see any destabilising activity in the West Bank at this moment, as it could have implications on our ability to make progress with regards to President Trump's Gaza peace plan,” Ms Locetta said.Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Sunday tha...
Read briefing The UAE on Monday urged countries in the Middle East and beyond to "build rather than destroy" as it addressed the UN General Assembly in New York. Khalifa Al Marar, Minister of State, took the UN podium on the last day of speeches at a meeting overshadowed by Middle East conflicts. He said the UAE's foreign policy was rooted in de-escalation, diplomacy and dialogue at a time of regional tensions, while rejecting threats and coercion. Amid growing threats to commercial shipping, the minister also stressed the importance of freedom of navigation and passage through international waters.“We extend our hands to our partners in the region and the world to build rather than destroy and to unite rather than divide,” he said. Mr Al Marar renewed the UAE's call for a peaceful settlement of its decades-old dispute with Iran over three occupied Arabian Gulf islands, stating that the issue should be resolved through direct negotiations or by referring it to the International Court of Justice.On Sudan, Mr Al Marar called for a ceasefire to end the civil war and a political process to exclude both the warring parties, and extremist groups, from a future government.He called on the international community to press both the Port Sudan authorities and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces to engage seriously with international peace initiatives.Turning to Gaza, Mr Al Marar reiterated the UAE’s...
Read briefing Syria could delay some of its much-heralded investment projects as it prepares spending cuts to plug a $1 billion hole in the budget. Finance Minister Yisr Barnieh plans to take an axe to “unnecessary expenditure” after the Middle East conflict pushed up costs, official Syrian media reported on Monday. Mr Barnieh has vowed not to cut wages, health care or schools. However, approved investment projects will be “reassessed” according to their necessity and how much progress has been made to date. Attracting investment has been a cornerstone of the Syrian government's policies since it took power from Bashar Al Assad's regime in 2024. Tens of billions of dollars have been pledged to rebuild the country from 13 years of civil war. Gulf countries are among the major backers. UAE companies are to invest in property developments and the port of Tartus. There are Qatari-backed plans for a new Damascus airport, and Saudi Arabia has helped to settle Syria's debts with the World Bank. Under Syria's spending review, plans linked to security, basic services or vital infrastructure will be given priority, official Syrian media said. Others that “could be postponed without substantially affecting services or economic activity” may be deferred. The budget cuts “aim to limit unnecessary expenditure, improve the use of available resources and preserve the state budget’s ability to respond” to th...
Read briefing Plans for the long-awaited trial of alleged Lockerbie bomb maker Abu Agila Mohammad Masud Al Marimi have taken Ramadan, forecast to start on February 7, into account. All 259 people on board Pan Am Flight 103 died in the 1988 terrorist attack for which Mr Al Marimi is accused. Eleven were killed on the ground in Lockerbie, Scotland, by falling debris from the explosion, which occurred shortly after the flight took off from London on December 21.Of the 270 victims, 190 were US citizens. The US government filed charges against Mr Al Marimi in 2020 and arrested him in 2022. He pleaded not guilty in 2023.The suspect's health problems, defence team changes, long pre-trial deliberations and the introduction of several pieces of new evidence have delayed the trial.Washington District Judge Dabney Friedrich recently set a goal of starting jury selection for the trial in January 2027. According to a recently filed joint status update for the trial, the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan could affect the start of it. "The parties have noted that Ramadan is likely to begin February 7, 2027," the status update reads in part. "Several of the government witnesses observe Ramadan. If witness testimony begins on or about January 19, that will allow three weeks for the government to present any witnesses where Ramadan might affect their availability. "If jury selection is shifted until January 19,...
Read briefing Floodwaters have receded in many parts of Bangkok after torrential rain eased on Sunday, but residents in some flooded neighbourhoods remain stranded in their homes.The Thai capital was declared a disaster-affected zone after torrential rain over 48 hours led to widespread flooding on Saturday. The rain eased on Sunday, allowing authorities to accelerate efforts to drain canals and lower water levels. But the weather agency is forecasting widespread thunderstorms and isolated heavy rain for Monday.Major roads were flooded and cars submerged over the weekend, with people forced to wade through waist-high water, after nearly 300mm of rain fell in only 48 hours.Arita Sanpoka, 33, a resident of a flooded community, said two neighbours in their 80s remained stranded in their home because they could not get downstairs."Right now the water in my house is up to waist height," Arita said. "Everything in the house is ruined."She said daily life had become difficult, with power cut off on the ground floor and the bathroom unusable as the water level continued to rise.Authorities said 233 temporary shelters had been prepared and about 4,200 people were using the facilities.The flooding affected neighbourhoods across the capital, with water entering homes and disrupting transport. Some areas became difficult to access, while residents were forced to wade through the water.Authoritie...
Read briefing Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that Iran will remain steadfast "in the face of any aggression, even if it comes to an apocalyptic war", in a social media postEarlier in the day, Mr Araghchi said Tehran was still awaiting an official US response through mediators to its proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days.Iran remained ready for diplomacy despite repeated attacks during previous negotiations, he said.Mr Araghchi said Iran was prepared to reopen the strait if the US met conditions including ending what he called the “war of aggression”, releasing Iranian assets he said had been illegally frozen and allowing Tehran to sell its oil.“Our proposal is very clear. We are ready to open the strait if certain things are done by the US, and these certain things are not new,” Mr Araghchi told NBC. “These are our rights that we want to be respected.”He questioned why Washington was unwilling to release Iranian funds before the reopening of the strait, saying the money belonged to Iran. Mr Araghchi said diplomacy had not failed but Iran had little reason to return to negotiations with the current US administration, blaming what he described as repeated attacks during previous rounds of talks."Iran nonetheless remains steadfast in the face of any aggression, even if it comes to an apocalyptic war. At the same time, we are ready for real diplomacy," he sa...
Read briefing Amid a string of cyber security related incidents reinforcing public concerns about AI, Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei was parodied on Saturday Night Live. Mr Amodei, who has become one of the most recognisable executive figures of the AI boom, was portrayed by comedian and actress Jane Wickline during the Weekend Update segment. “I may have been alarming in my recent interviews but I want to assure you that if we can pressure lawmakers to create guardrails, we will be able to stop me,” the actor said during the skit. Michael Che then asked how the general public could be reassured that AI “isn't going to kill us”.Dario Amodei is at the desk to assure that the future of humanity is safe from AI pic.twitter.com/HIem3WP5DX— Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) September 27, 2026“Sam Altman and myself, as well as all the major players, we've talked about this extensively and we are all on the same page here, we do not condone what we are doing,” Wickline answered. The parody shows how the concerns about AI have spilt over into everyday discourse. Most of the concerns in the US about AI revolve around fears of what it might do the labour market as well as the potential environmental impact due to the proliferation of data centres. In recent months, Anthropic, OpenAI, Meta and Alphabet-owned Google have all acknowledged that their various AI models have somehow escaped their digita...
Read briefing Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called for Israel to “go to war” in the occupied West Bank, dismantle the Palestinian Authority and carry out military operations there similar to those in Gaza.Speaking on Ynet's podcast on Sunday, Mr Smotrich, who heads the Religious Zionism party, said Israel should dismantle what he called the Palestinian Authority's “terror infrastructure” and prevent armed groups from operating in the territory.He said the Israeli needed to go to war in the West Bank, “to do there what we did in Gaza, to dismantle the Palestinian Authority, which is a terror authority”.He called for such action until there was “no terror infrastructure” in the West Bank: “No terrorists, no weapons, no tunnels.”The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned Mr Smotrich's remarks as “dangerous calls for war” and an explicit call for escalation, annexation and displacement.The ministry said Mr Smotrich was aiming to undermine prospects for an independent Palestinian state.It described his remarks as a reflection of policies pursued by the Israeli government through what the ministry called killing, displacement, settlement expansion, land seizure and attempts to impose a new reality by force in the occupied Palestinian territory.'International silence'“The Palestinian Authority and the institutions of the State of Palestine are integral to the Palestinian n...
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Read briefing A Sudanese investigation committee has failed to adequately address abuses committed by the country’s armed forces, creating concerns over its transparency and impartiality, the UN expert on human rights in Sudan said.Radhouane Nouicer, the designated expert on Sudan by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said authorities had established a committee to investigate breaches but that the cases documented appeared heavily weighted towards abuses committed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).“As far as we know, [the committee] documented tens of thousands of cases, and what we have noticed is that all these cases belong to the Rapid Support Forces,” Mr Nouicer told Sky News Arabia. “We have seen only a few hundred documented cases involving members of the Sudanese Armed Forces [SAF].”He said the imbalance raised questions over the “transparency and fairness” of the committee investigating human rights violations during Sudan’s war.The comments come as the conflict between the SAF, led by Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, and the RSF, led by Gen Mohamed Dagalo, continues to generate widespread abuses against civilians.The war in Sudan erupted in April 2023 after a power struggle between Gen Al Burhan and Gen Dagalo. Fighting began in Khartoum before spreading across the country, including Darfur, where UN investigators have documented abuses by the RSF that they said amo...
Read briefing Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has insisted he remains confident that the club will prove their innocence despite reports that they have been found guilty of breaking Premier League financial rules.In an open letter to the club's supporters on the club's website, Al Mubarak stated the process was far from over and City's confidence in proving the club's innocence “is just as strong as when this began”.On Friday, The Athletic reported that the club were guilty of 114 breaches of financial rules in the long-running case. Sanctions have yet to be announced but these could include a points deduction, expulsion from the Premier League or a fine.“Following Friday's media reporting, many of you will have spent your evening answering questions and responding to messages from friends, family and colleagues. So have I,” Al Mubarak said.“Here's what I said to my family: The Premier League process still has a long way to run, and our confidence and intent in proving the club's innocence is just as strong as when this began.A letter from the Chairman.🔗 https://t.co/JcwCQpzBOk pic.twitter.com/PBNVCdjue8— Manchester City (@ManCity) September 26, 2026“There are so many things that I would like to be able to share with you to help you understand why we feel so confident in our position.“But the strict confidentiality of the legal process and our determination to respect it mean...
Read briefing Ireland have confirmed that their Uefa Nations League game against Israel being held in Hungary will go ahead as planned on Sunday.The match looked in serious danger of not taking place after a pre-match news conference with manager Heimir Hallgrimsson – who said his squad were “playing against genocide” when announcing his squad for the upcoming fixture – and a player was postponed 15 minutes before it was due to start.Reporters covering the game were told the conference would take place after the team's morning training session but that also failed to happen with the players still in back in their hotel.Then, five hours after the original news conference was due to start, Football Association of Ireland [FAI] chief executive David Courell – flanked by Hallgrimsson and FAI director of football John Martin – announced that a players' vote passed by a significant majority to play the game at the Nagyerdei Stadion in Debrecen.But one player, Bolton Wanderers goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, has withdrawn from the squad, while public opinion in Ireland remains opposed to the game taking place.“The squad were in Pristina yesterday. An extensive conversation took place where ultimately the consensus from the group was to travel to Hungary,” Courrell told reporters at the rescheduled press conference.FAI CEO David Courell says a vote took place among the Republic of Ireland squad on whether...
Read briefing The US is hardening its position towards Sudan’s warring parties to end the war, using a growing pressure toolkit that includes sanctions, efforts to expand the arms embargo and other measures, US envoy Massad Boulos told The National.One of those measures was Washington’s decision not to grant Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) chief Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan a visa to attend the UN General Assembly’s high-level debate week in person."We don't have Gen Al Burhan in New York. That was a clear move to indicate a lack of appreciation for their position," Mr Boulos, US President Donald Trump's senior adviser for Arab and African affairs, said in an interview on the sidelines of the General Assembly.Gen Al Burhan had been due to deliver his country’s address at the UN despite facing accusations of war crimes and US sanctions over his forces' use of chemical weapons during the devastating conflict.Mr Boulos said the US remained in contact with both the SAF and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to find a peaceful solution to the war. But he accused them of "wasting time" in the belief that they could achieve a military victory.He added that the US supports a civilian track building on the outcomes of the Berlin conference, held in April on the third anniversary of the start of the civil war, which for the first time included a structured forum bringing together Sudanese civilian...
Read briefing A severe weather alert in New York has led to the closing down of the media tent at the UN General Assembly.The National Weather Service issued a storm warning on Friday evening, with strong winds expected.The media centre for journalists reporting on the General Assembly as well as the entrance on 47th St closed at 4pm and will be closed on Saturday as well, a media liaison said.The media liaison added that all equipment, as well as outdoor canopies and tents, must be removed from the area as soon as possible.Speeches at the General Assembly are expected to continue as scheduled.The event has brought world leaders from roughly 200 countries and territories to the largest US city. The General Assembly takes place in September, the start of hurricane season on the US East Coast. Storms often affect travel, which causes flight delays at regional airports. The UN has increasingly sounded the alarm on severe weather and natural disasters caused by climate change. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Centre announced in June that there is a greater than 90 per cent chance of a "very strong" El Nino that will affect weather patterns in the Northern Hemisphere in the autumn and winter.
Read briefing Iran has proposed transferring its stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 per cent to a third party as part of its latest plan to break the diplomatic deadlock with the US, sources familiar with Tehran's position told The National.On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that his country conveyed to the US through Qatar a concrete seven-day plan aimed at resolving the stand-off over the Strait of Hormuz, with the waterway expected to reopen on the sixth day if the agreed steps are implemented.The seven-day timetable would begin as soon as Washington accepts the plan, he said at the UN. “If the necessary conditions are met, the strait could be reopened," adding that “the choice now is with the US”.The proposal, one source said, envisages a phased process in which the stockpile would first be diluted before being transferred out of Iran under mechanisms recognised by the International Atomic Energy Agency.The third-party transfer goes beyond Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's public comments this week that Tehran was prepared to dilute its 60 per cent enriched uranium and submit the process to verification.The mechanism revives and expands an idea discussed during earlier negotiations mediated by Oman and, the source said, shortly before the war began on February 28.The offer forms part of a broader Iranian road map presented to Washington in New York that seeks to...
Read briefing The UAE and Lebanon on Friday launched an initiative to train one million Lebanese in AI, as the two countries moved to deepen co-operation in technology and digital skills.The “One Million Lebanese AI Experts” initiative was announced during a meeting between Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.The initiative, launched under the UAE’s Government Experience Exchange Programme in co-operation with the Lebanese government, will provide training in generative artificial intelligence and prompt engineering.عبدالله بن زايد يلتقي دولة الدكتور نواف سلام رئيس الحكومة في الجمهورية اللبنانية الشقيقة في نيويورك .. وتم خلال اللقاء إطلاق مبادرة "مليون خبير لبناني في الذكاء الاصطناعي" ضمن مبادرات برنامج الإمارات للتبادل المعرفي الحكومي. 🇱🇧🇦🇪 pic.twitter.com/U42fR4YBCp— OFM (@OFMUAE) September 24, 2026It also aims to equip one million people in Lebanon with practical skills to use AI tools in their work and daily lives, including how to formulate instructions and guide applications to produce more accurate and effective results.The announcement came the same day Mr Salam addressed the General Assembly, where he said the AI revolution is opening unprecedented horizons for progress across every sphere of life. “Yet it also raises challenges for the fu...
Read briefing Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told the UN General Assembly on Friday that any attack on the holy cities of Makkah or Madinah would represent a “red line”.Saudi Arabia’s air defences destroyed a Houthi drone south of Makkah before it entered prohibited airspace over the city last week.Mr Sharif said any “threat to the safety and sanctity of the Haramain Sharifain”, the two most sacred mosques in Islam, “is a red line that must never be crossed”.“No Muslim can even dare to think of committing such a heinous crime,” he said.Pakistan last month signed a joint defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Turkey. The deal, which has not yet been fully ratified, commits to the collective security of Riyadh, Ankara and Islamabad.Saudi Arabia has similarly declared Makkah off-limits to any aggression.On Thursday, Saudi state media reported that an urgent meeting is being arranged for the chiefs of staff of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey. The meeting will "explore ways to support Saudi Arabia” under the Makkah Defence Agreement, which stipulates that an attack on one party constitutes an attack on all of them.The Houthis have intensified attacks on Saudi Arabia amid a wider escalation involving Iran-aligned armed groups in the Middle East.
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