Turkey and Qatar have signed a defense agreement that provides for coordination between the two countries if an external attack occurs. According to Newsmax Balkans, the agreement aims to strengthen military cooperation and guarantee a joint response to external threats. The report does not mention officials’ names, the signing date or other details about the contents of the Turkey-Qatar defense agreement.
It comes on a day when international and domestic agendas have been busy, from unstable weather in Albania to attacks in Gaza and flight suspensions in the US. The Institute of Geosciences (IGJEO) and the Military Meteorological Service warn of moderate to locally very intense rainfall in several counties of Albania over the next two days, accompanied by thunderstorms.
In southern Gaza, at least six Palestinians, including a surgeon and a child, were killed by an Israeli attack on Nasser Hospital. Israel says the target was a Hamas commander, while Palestinian authorities report extensive damage in the surgery department. The US Federal Aviation Administration has ordered the suspension of all departing flights at US airports, citing extraordinary circumstances and concerns for safety.
The decision comes after problems with air traffic control communications in Chicago. More than 4,700 flights were canceled and 10,000 were delayed after the unprecedented grounding of aircraft across the US. In Europe, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that a US proposal to reorganize European security could serve Russia’s aim of weakening NATO.
He opposed ceding Ukrainian territories and called for Europe and Ukraine to be included in any decision about their security. Zelensky has stated that the United States has proposed that Ukraine cede the Donbas region to Russia in exchange for its NATO membership. The statement comes after the latest round of peace talks, held this week in Abu Dhabi.
In Dublin, an improvised but functional explosive device was discovered and defused in the city center, at a time when the Irish capital was expecting European leaders for the summit on Ukraine. The suspicious object was found near the French embassy. In Hungary, a wide-ranging anti-corruption operation led to the discovery of about $19.5 million buried in forests and farms.
The money was seized as part of investigations into Miklós Seszták, a former minister in Viktor Orban’s government. In Albania, only two of the 15 defendants in the tender for the design of several State Police facilities have been finally sentenced to prison by the Special Court. Meanwhile, Pope Leo XIV’s visit to South America is accompanied by concerns about the spread of measles.
The Pan American Health Organization reports 57,666 cases and 81 deaths during the first ten months of the year, while mass gatherings of believers could increase the risk of infections. Donald Trump is expected to hold a historic trilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, in the framework of the APEC summit in China.
Focus will be on the reduction of nuclear weapons, at a time when the last arms control treaty between the US and Russia is expiring. An extraordinary gold treasure, discovered more than 60 years ago in Spain, hid a secret that scientists managed to uncover only after detailed analyses.