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Romania destroyed a naval drone loaded with explosives near its Neptun Deep gas platform in the Black Sea, prompting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to warn of an "escalating campaign of threats" against the EU.

This comes as Taiwan proposes a record $35 billion defense budget to deter China, and as North Korea fired 10 missiles a day after President Trump scaled back drills with South Korea.

This and more below ⤵️

Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇹🇼🇨🇳 Taiwan proposes record $35B defense budget: Taiwan's government proposed a record $35 billion defense budget for 2027, an 18% increase meant to deter China's growing military pressure. Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te has pledged to raise defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2030, after China's President Xi Jinping warned US President Donald Trump in May that the two countries could clash over Taiwan.

2️⃣ 🇰🇵🇰🇷 North Korea fires 10 missiles after Trump curtails drills: North Korea launched about 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea, a day after Pyongyang dismissed President Trump's order to scale back joint military drills with South Korea. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister, Kim Yo-jong, said the drills remained "provocative" despite their reduced size, while President Trump said he will meet Kim Jong-un later this year.

3️⃣ 🇸🇾🇹🇷🇮🇱 Syria denies plans for Turkish base at bombed airfield: Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said there were no plans for a Turkish military presence at the Abu al-Duhur airbase that Israel struck with eight air strikes on Tuesday, the first Israeli attack on Syrian government assets since March. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had warned Syria in advance not to allow a Turkish presence there, while Turkey's defence ministry rejected Israel's allegations and called for international measures against it.

4️⃣ 🇺🇸 New carrier arrives to relieve troubled USS Lincoln: The USS George Washington aircraft carrier has arrived in the Middle East to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has spent more than 250 days at sea amid reports of food shortages, plumbing problems and low morale among its 5,000 sailors. The reports prompted Democratic lawmakers to demand answers from the Pentagon, though a US Central Command admiral who visited the Lincoln said it has among the lowest numbers of mental-health cases of the navy's 11 active carriers.

5️⃣ 🇮🇱🇬🇧 Allies condemn Israel's West Bank settlement plan: The UK, France, Germany, Italy and Canada called Israel's plan for about 1,200 new settlement homes in the West Bank's E1 area "unacceptable" and urged Israel to retract it immediately, according to a joint statement. Israel's housing ministry issued a tender for 1,234 of the units on Wednesday despite the objection, with bids due just days before Israel's general election on October 27.

Major Story

🇷🇴🇪🇺 Romania Destroys Drone as EU Warns of 'Hybrid Warfare'

Romania's air force destroyed a naval drone spotted a few hundred metres from its Neptun Deep gas platform in the Black Sea, defence minister Radu Miruță said.

Miruță said the drone was destroyed to protect the several hundred people working on the platform and secure the infrastructure, after Romanian officials confirmed with Kyiv that the vessel was "not of Ukrainian origin."

It was the second such incident this month, after Romanian army divers destroyed two drones drifting near the same gas project on August 11.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the incident was part of "an escalating campaign of threats" against the EU, calling it hybrid warfare without naming the aggressor.

Von der Leyen said the EU's Readiness 2030 agenda, mobilising up to €800 billion, was scaling up production of capabilities such as the European Drone Defence Initiative to respond to emerging threats.

Other News

1️⃣ 🇮🇱🇵🇸 Mediators warn Israeli strikes threaten Gaza truce: Turkey, Egypt and Qatar condemned recent Israeli strikes in Gaza that have killed at least 16 Palestinians since Tuesday, warning the attacks undermine international efforts to end the conflict. Prime Minister Netanyahu has rejected a proposed sequencing in which Hamas would disarm as Israeli forces withdraw, insisting Hamas fully disarm before any withdrawal.

2️⃣ 🇵🇦 Panama Canal to limit shipping ahead of El Niño: The Panama Canal Authority will cap daily transits at 34 vessels starting September 4, dropping to 32 from September 15, as it prepares for lower water levels driven by the El Niño weather pattern. The canal normally handles about 40 vessels a day, and scientists expect this El Niño to be among the strongest on record, raising the risk of shipping delays and higher costs.

3️⃣ 🇨🇲 Cameroon's Biya returns after two-month absence: Cameroon's 93-year-old President Paul Biya returned home on Thursday after more than 10 weeks abroad, an absence that had fueled concerns about his health and a possible power vacuum. Biya, the world's oldest head of state, did not appear descending from the plane or hold any briefings, and was only seen waving to supporters from his vehicle.

4️⃣ 🇰🇵🇺🇸 Kim Yo-jong denies talks with 'hostile' US: Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, denied any ongoing communication between Trump and her brother, saying the United States continues a "hostile" policy toward North Korea. President Trump had said Kim Jong-un responded "very positively" to his request for talks and that Kim "has always treated me with great respect."

5️⃣ 🇾🇪🇸🇴 Tanker hijacked by six gunmen off Yemen's coast: A tanker was boarded by six armed gunmen off the coast of Yemen, who took control of the vessel and diverted it toward Somalia, the UK Maritime Trade Operations centre said. The condition of the crew was not immediately known, and Sky News military analyst Sean Bell said the wider area was becoming increasingly volatile.

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