Ten more European countries join NATO's military aid scheme for Ukraine
Ten European NATO allies have joined the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) scheme during a meeting of defence ministers in Brussels on Wednesday, in an attempt to make up for recent shortfalls in military supplies to Ukraine.
Under this new financial agreement, European countries purchase weapons manufactured in the US, which are then shipped to Ukraine.
According to Germany's Kiel Institute, which tracks military and financial aid to Ukraine, Western support has suffered a 43% drop in July and August, compared to the first half of the year.
Trump confirms he has authorized CIA for covert operations in Venezuela
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he had authorized the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to conduct covert operations inside Venezuelan territory, a rare confirmation by a sitting president of the agency's secret activities.
This statement comes after the US military has recently carried out several deadly attacks on suspected drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean, destroying at least five vessels since the beginning of September, resulting in the deaths of 27 people.
Four of these vessels were said to have set off from Venezuela.
Israel retrieves bodies of two more hostages from Gaza Strip
Israeli authorities announced on Wednesday that they had received the bodies of two more hostages, just hours after the military confirmed that one of the bodies previously handed over did not belong to a hostage, adding to the confusion in the fragile peace deal.
The coffins with the bodies were handed over by Hamas through the Red Cross and immediately sent to a forensic laboratory in Tel Aviv for identification, the army announced, stressing that the identities of the victims have not yet been officially verified.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed the receipt of the bodies, stating that coffins containing the bodies of the hostages, who are now awaiting final identification, have been delivered through the Red Cross.
European Commission: Spain protected from any punitive US tariffs
Spain is protected against any attempt by US President Donald Trump to impose punitive tariffs on it for failing to meet the 5% defense spending target set by NATO, the European Commission said on Wednesday, amid growing tensions between defense and trade issues.
All EU countries, including Spain, are part of a common trade policy, which means their products face the same tariffs when exported outside the bloc.
However, for Brussels, which fanatically maintains its exclusive powers over trade policy, such a discriminatory action would be unacceptable.
