European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has backed proposals for Canada to become the European Union’s first “associate member”, calling for closer cooperation between the two sides. Speaking in Strasbourg on Wednesday, von der Leyen said she wanted to “open the door” to Canada and deepen ties in areas including defence, energy, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, cyber security and supply chains. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who attended the speech, has recently called for a “unique alliance” with the EU as trade tensions with the US continue. Von der Leyen said closer EU-Canada ties would strengthen Europe and were not aimed against any country. (PC: BBC)

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday demanded that the government roll back the new UPI merchant charges, calling the move a “UPI tax”. His remarks came after new rules introduced a 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on specified merchant transactions above ₹2,000 from October 15. The government has clarified that the MDR will be paid by merchants, not customers, while person-to-person UPI payments and merchant payments up to ₹2,000 will remain free. Gandhi argued that merchants could eventually pass the additional cost on to customers through higher prices. The government rejects the characterisation of MDR as a tax. (PC: HT)

Kerala travel vlogger Arunima I P, known as Backpacker Arunima, was detained by Taliban members in Afghanistan’s Bamyan province while travelling alone, according to The Indian Express. She was reportedly held for several hours and questioned about travelling without a male companion or guide. Arunima had earlier posted an SOS seeking help and assistance in contacting the Indian Embassy. The Taliban members reportedly threatened to arrest her over alleged violations of local rules. She was later released and continued her journey. Arunima said she was safe and had not been formally arrested or taken to prison. (PC: The Indian Express)

The United States has advised its citizens to reconsider travel to Saudi Arabia, citing the risk of Iranian drone and missile attacks, armed conflict and terrorism. The US State Department said Iran has targeted Saudi cities, airports, military bases, diplomatic sites and energy facilities. It also warned of threats from Iran-backed Houthi forces and advised Americans not to travel to areas near the Yemen border because of terrorism risks. The advisory comes as tensions rise across the region, with Saudi Arabia recently issuing security alerts for Mecca and other areas. The US travel advisory remains at Level 3: Reconsider Travel. (PC: India Today)

India summoned Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires Saad Ahmad Warraich on Wednesday and lodged a strong protest after a Pakistani naval vessel collided with an Indian Navy ship in international waters. The incident occurred on September 15 during a routine Indian surveillance mission in the North Arabian Sea, about 220 km east of Oman, according to Indian sources. The Ministry of External Affairs said there was no major damage but described the Pakistani vessel’s conduct as unacceptable and unprofessional. India said the incident violated provisions of the 1991 India-Pakistan agreement covering advance notice of military exercises, manoeuvres and troop movements. (Representative image)

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said people are justified in being afraid of the risks posed by rapidly advancing artificial intelligence, but urged the public to trust AI companies to act responsibly. Speaking at a Salesforce conference in San Francisco, Altman said OpenAI and other firms should keep safety and alignment ahead of AI capabilities and slow down or stop if they cannot. His comments come as concerns grow over potential AI risks and calls for stronger regulation. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang backed industry-led safety decisions, while Senator Bernie Sanders and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon argued that greater government oversight is needed. (PC: BBC)

Yemen’s Houthi movement on Wednesday rejected Saudi Arabia’s claim that it launched a drone towards Mecca, calling the allegation “fabrications and lies.” Saudi Arabia said its air defences intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca on Tuesday evening before it entered the holy city’s restricted airspace. Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki described the incident as the second alleged Houthi attempt to target Mecca, following a ballistic missile launch in 2017. The Houthis denied targeting Mecca or other Islamic holy sites, saying their operations are directed at Saudi military bases and oil facilities. (PC: X)

Two earthquakes struck Nepal’s northwestern Mugu district early Wednesday, September 16, with the tremors occurring within about three hours. According to Nepal’s National Seismological Centre, the first earthquake measured 4.5 on the Richter scale and was recorded at 1:51 am, with its epicentre in the Kalai area of Mugu. A second quake, measuring 4.2, struck the same area at 4:28 am. Tremors were also felt in neighbouring Dolpa and Jumla districts. There were no immediate reports of deaths, injuries or major damage following the earthquakes. Authorities are continuing to monitor the affected areas for possible aftershocks.

All remaining support acts on Ed Sheeran’s US tour have withdrawn after rapper Macklemore was dropped from the lineup over his pro-Palestinian remarks during concerts in New Jersey. Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Irish folk band Beoga announced their departures. Macklemore had performed his song “Hind’s Hall” at MetLife Stadium on September 4 and told the crowd he wanted to say “Free Palestine”, while footage showing destruction in Gaza played on screen. Sheeran said Macklemore’s removal was the promoter’s decision and not his own. The decision followed pressure from venues and criticism from some Jewish organisations over Macklemore’s comments. (PC: BBC)

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has said it cannot restore access to some cloud facilities in Bahrain and the UAE after they were damaged during Iranian strikes earlier this year. In Bahrain, damage affected multiple availability zones and was beyond what AWS’s regional systems were designed to withstand. In the UAE, AWS said resources and data hosted exclusively in one availability zone cannot be restored, while recovery work continues elsewhere. The company is helping affected customers move workloads and restore backups in other regions. AWS said it is replacing damaged infrastructure in the UAE and will provide another Bahrain update in early 2027. (PC: India Today)