World News: EU and Canada deepen ties, announce new security and defense pact

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Canada and the European Union have signed a new security and defense pact, amid growing geopolitical threats and regional instability.

On Monday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Antonio Costa formalized the EU-Canada Security and Defense Partnership.

The agreement, which is the first of its kind for the EU with a country from the Americas, aims to deepen collaboration in areas such as crisis management, cybersecurity, arms control, and support for Ukraine.

A key component of the pact is Canada's potential participation in the EU's 172-billion-U.S.-dollar joint procurement program, SAFE, facilitating joint defense acquisitions and industrial cooperation.

The Canadian Prime Minister emphasized that the partnership would enable Canada to deliver on "new capabilities more rapidly and more effectively."

This reflects a strategic shift to diversify defense partnerships beyond traditional reliance on the United States.

The summit also led to negotiations for a digital agreement to align standards on issues, including consumer protection, to make online platforms safer and more inclusive.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer have announced a new defense co-production agreement aimed at bolstering Ukraine's military capabilities amid ongoing Russian aggression.

Zelenskyy met with Starmer in London on Monday after he visited King Charles III at Windsor Castle, and unveiled a new industrial military co-production initiative, aimed at enhancing Ukraine's defense infrastructure.

The UK Prime Minister emphasized the significance of the collaboration, which he said builds on their 100-year partnership and represents a substantial advancement in the UK's support for Ukraine.

Zelenskyy said it was "a historic moment," highlighting that the partnership would strengthen both nations, and expressed gratitude for the UK's continued assistance.

The announcement follows a recent escalation in hostilities, with Russia launching a massive aerial attack on Kyiv involving drones and missiles, and comes a day before a NATO summit in The Hague.

Ahead of Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos' wedding festivities in Venice, activists are protesting to highlight concerns over overtourism and wealth inequality.

Activists from groups like "No Space for Bezos" and Greenpeace staged demonstrations across Venice on Monday, displaying banners with messages such as "No Space for Bezos" and "If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax."

Concerns have been raised about the strain on Venice's infrastructure, and activists argue that the lavish event exacerbates issues of overtourism and neglects the needs of residents.

Local civic groups have been staging protests against the wedding since last week.

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, the largest digital camera ever built, unveiled its first cosmic images on Monday.

One of the images showcases detailed views of the lagoon nebulae, composed of gas and the stars within.

In just over 10 hours, the observatory identified over 2,000 previously undiscovered asteroids, including seven near-Earth objects.

Equipped with a 3,200-megapixel camera, it is set to conduct the Legacy Survey of Space and Time, capturing a high-resolution time-lapse of the night sky every three nights for the next ten years.

The project aims to catalog approximately 20 billion galaxies,

providing insights into mysteries of the cosmic world, such as dark matter.

Choi Chi-hee, Arirang News.