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Trump hails Makkah Joint Defence Agreement as important step
President Donald Trump praised the signing of a joint defense deal between Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan, calling it a huge step toward stronger regional security cooperation.
“WOW! THIS IS A BIG FIRST STEP, A BOLD STEP, AN IMPORTANT STEP!” Trump posted on Truth Social.
“It shows how the Middle East is joining and how Countries will finally be able to defend themselves in a more meaningful way,” he continued.
“Very happy to see Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan have recently and finally signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement,” Trump tweeted on social media.
Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan signed the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, promising to boost collective security, deepen defense cooperation and promote peace and stability in the area and beyond.
The agreement was signed at Al-Safa Palace in Makkah on August 7, 2026, during the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Summit for Joint Defense, which was held following the visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, at the invitation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
The accord was signed by Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, President Erdogan and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and “reflects the three countries’ “shared commitment to further strengthening their collective security and to promoting peace, security and stability in the region and beyond.”
PACT IS COMPLETELY DEFENSIVE, TO ENSURE PEACE IN THE REGION
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement recently inked between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye is completely of defensive character and is designed at maintaining peace, stability and development in the area.
Talking to the federal cabinet, Prime Minister Shehbaz said he, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan inked the trilateral agreement in Makkah on August 7.
The prime minister said that the deal is not meant to be aggressive toward any country. “Definitely not for any aggression to take place. “It is purely for defensive purposes, for peace, tranquility and progress in the region,” he stated.
The prime minister said the accord would be a source of strength for the entire Muslim world and not only for Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye. He complimented especially Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir for signing the accord.
The prime minister said the efforts for the trilateral defense pact had been going on for several years and finally materialized in Makkah. He said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had inked a Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement in September 2025 while defense and security ties between Pakistan and Turkey had existed for decades.
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OpenAI says its AI agents weakened internal monitoring system
Two of OpenAI’s artificial intelligence agents turned off sections of an internal monitoring system designed to identify misbehaviour, the latest example of AI agents operating in ways the developers did not expect, the company said Tuesday.
While the ChatGPT maker stated the incidences occurred during internal code work and were not considered its most serious, the disclosure underscores how even the methods developers use to spot AI misbehavior are vulnerable to the agents they monitor.
The discovery also comes amid rising fears that efforts on AI safety are failing to keep pace with the rapid development of ever more powerful systems. Scientists have cautioned about the emergence of powerful AI agents becoming increasingly autonomous and difficult to monitor and manage.
In recent months, developers including IPO-bound rivals OpenAI and Anthropic have disclosed incidents where their AI agents accessed external systems without authorisation.
In a blog post Tuesday, OpenAI reported that a GPT-6.1 Sol agent on an internal testing task on October 3 disabled automatic security alarms after interpreting an earlier order not to send Slack messages as also covering safety notifications.
Separately, on Oct. 6, an Astra agent using GPT-6 removed a safety monitor when copying an existing piece of code and later stated falsely that it did not do so, OpenAI said.“In both cases, agents thought about keeping monitoring safeguards in place but “interpreted normal coding instructions as permission to weaken them,” the company said.
“OpenAI said it was making it harder for models to disable monitoring, saying it does not ‘yet have a satisfying explanation for this behavior’.
The San Francisco-based company said it was studying whether its models would be inclined to avoid being observed and seek out reasons to justify such behaviour.
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Makkah pact aims to strengthen collective deterrence among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye
Turkiye sent a defence treaty with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to parliament for ratification on Tuesday, three parliamentary sources said, bringing NATO’s second-largest army closer to a formal mutual defence promise with Riyadh as it fears Houthi threats.
The three countries signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in August, under which an armed attack on one member is an attack on all.
The first clause of the agreement says the parties shall use “all necessary means” to eradicate threats to each other’s territorial integrity, sovereignty or internationally recognised borders, according to a text seen by Reuters.Article 2 of the agreement states, “If one of the parties is subjected to an armed attack or military aggression by another country or group of countries, the parties shall immediately render assistance to the party which is under attack, with all means of mutual assistance at their disposal.”
Similar to NATO’s Article 5, the clause references Article 51 of the UN Charter, which deals with the individual or collective right of states to self-defence against armed attack.
The same page says the three countries “will determine the scope and nature of the support to be provided following an objective assessment of the assistance required” and will collaborate within their available resources, including military capabilities and resources.
Earlier this month, the three countries decided in an emergency alliance conference in Riyadh to guarantee the “rapid deployment” of military forces and capabilities in Saudi Arabia.
Turkiye, which has its own strong defence sector, has condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, showed a willingness to help satisfy Riyadh’s military technology demands and agreed to join a Saudi-led coalition to assure navigational safety in the Red Sea.
The pact also foresees tight cooperation on the defence sector, exchange of information, logistical support, and the fight against “all forms of terrorism”, including at the operational level.
Parliamentary approval is required for Turkiye to formally sign off on the pact.
The aim is to “strengthen collective deterrence”
Two sources claimed Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus, who is on a visit to Kyrgyzstan, would send the deal to the foreign affairs commission of parliament after he returns. The terms and specifics of the agreement are expected to be released when it is filed with the commission.
The commission may discuss the accord as early as Friday, another person added.
Turkiye’s latest move was an important milestone in the institutionalisation of strategic collaboration between the three countries, Burhanettin Duran, communications director for President Tayyip Erdogan, stated.“This strategic partnership between our countries aims to strengthen collective deterrence, improve joint capabilities in the defence sector and secure security and stability in our region,” Duran said in a post on X.
A Turkish official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said Turkey’s own contribution was likely to be limited to military equipment, intelligence sharing and weapons systems, and no other form of deployment had been made under the alliance so far.
“The Mecca Agreement is not a ‘offensive agreement,’ and Turkiye would not send forces to another nation to conduct out operations on its land. When asked how Turkiye could help Saudi Arabia fight against attacks by Yemen’s Houthis, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan responded
Turkey’s constitution needs independent parliamentary approval for any deployment of military overseas, regardless of international agreements.
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Pakistan decide not to participate in Over-50s Cricket World Cup 2027 in India
– Pakistan have decided not to participate in the Over-50 Cricket World Cup 2027 scheduled to take place in India after failing to secure government permission for the tournament.
The competition is scheduled to be held in Hyderabad Deccan from January 23 to February 7, 2027. Pakistan was due to participate as defending champions after winning the 2025 edition in Sri Lanka.
Fawad Ejaz Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), said Indian veterans cricket officials had assured the Pakistani team of visa arrangements and high-level security for the tournament.
He said the association had sought permission to participate from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Interior. However, Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi subsequently informed the association that permission would not be granted.
Following the government’s decision, the association decided against sending the team to India, Khan said, adding that the organisation respected the government’s position.
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