Pakistan government said Prime Minister Sharif met ECB executive board member Costa and European Commission President Von der Leyen on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Pakistan said it repelled attacks launched from Afghanistan, detecting, tracking and intercepting inbound unmanned aerial vehicles before they reached intended targets, then carried out air and drone strikes on 10 locations inside Afghanistan. Islamabad said it does not seek escalation but will respond immediately to any violation of its sovereignty. An Afghan government spokesman said the strikes hit desert areas near Kandahar with no reported casualties or damage.

Glencore said on Wednesday it has received a $500m commitment from the U.S. Export-Import Bank to establish a strategic critical-minerals reserve to bolster U.S. supply-chain resilience. The company said VaultCo — a public-private partnership with U.S. government agencies — will allow Glencore to source, procure and deliver critical minerals to the U.S., reducing the risk of future supply disruptions.