The World

EDMONTON — New: Alberta voters have rejected separation in the province's first referendum on the question. Preliminary results with about 1.8 million ballots counted showed roughly 76 percent for staying in Canada. About 24 percent backed starting a process that could lead to a binding vote on leaving. Premier Danielle Smith said she would honour the mandate and would not hold another separation referendum. Prime Minister Mark Carney said Albertans chose Canada. Calgary's ridings mostly backed remaining by wide margins. Only the northern Central Peace-Notley riding showed a majority for a second vote, at about 51 percent. Smith's other referendum questions were closer. The four immigration questions drew about 54 to 57 percent support, according to CTV's tally. Official counts are expected Wednesday.

VILNIUS — Lithuania says a Ukrainian drone exploded on its territory on Sunday and hit a moving car. Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius said there was no doubt it came in from Poland. Warsaw says it has no confirmation that any object crossed the border. Ukraine apologized and said Russian electronic warfare probably diverted the drone during an operation against targets in Russia. NATO jets from Šiauliai scrambled but could not visually identify the object. Similar strays entered Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland in March and May. The incident adds to a wider pattern. German authorities have logged more than 1,000 suspicious drone incidents since January 2025, CBC reported. Analysts and European leaders blame much of it on a Russian hybrid campaign, which Moscow denies. A Congressional Research Service report describes the alleged tactics, including airspace violations and sabotage.

TIRANA — Albania's capital has seen several days of antigovernment demonstrations, with clashes between security forces and young protesters. Police fired tear gas at thousands of people trying to scale barricades. The protests escalated last week when school and university students joined, citing rising tuition fees and crumbling infrastructure. Al Jazeera describes a leaderless movement that includes students, environmentalists and other aggrieved citizens. Demonstrators want Prime Minister Edi Rama to resign after a decade in power and want a technical government formed. They have rejected official offers of dialogue, saying they no longer trust state institutions. Some online narratives say Rama serves private or foreign interests, including Israeli ones. A TV editor quoted by Al Jazeera said those claims have not been proven. With no one to negotiate for the protesters, the deadlock could last unless the EU or the United States intervene.

RABAT — The mandate of the UN mission in Western Sahara, MINURSO, expires on October 31. Crisis Group says talks between Morocco and the Polisario Front have hit a wall as U.S. and UN mediators press Rabat's autonomy plan as the basis for negotiations. It argues the mediators will have to slow down to broker a compromise. Security Council Resolution 2797, adopted a year ago by 11 votes with three abstentions, cites Morocco's 2007 autonomy plan. Algeria severed relations with the United Arab Emirates on September 10. It expelled the Emirati ambassador and closed its airspace to UAE aircraft. Morocco World News, which favors Rabat's position, links the break to the UAE's support for Morocco on the Sahara. Spain's Senate is also expected to vote this month on a bill granting citizenship to some Sahrawis.

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department and FBI announced court-authorized seizures on Oct. 8 of domains tied to two hacking tools, Microscan and FishHub. Court papers unsealed in the Western District of Pennsylvania say Integrity Technology Group, a Chinese company with government contracts, operated them. Microscan scanned networks for vulnerabilities, using a botnet of devices infected with a Mirai variant. Its targets included a South Carolina power company, airports in Japan and Poland, and Taiwanese gas and power firms. FishHub used spear phishing and hit about 20 Taiwanese universities. A joint advisory from agencies in the United States, Britain, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and Spain says Microscan has been active since at least 2017 and is mainly linked to the Flax Typhoon group. The FBI's cyber chief said Beijing relies on contractors to scale its operations.

TAIPEI — Joseph Wu, secretary-general of Taiwan's National Security Council, told an international gathering that China has steadily widened its regional footprint over 15 years and is willing to do so at the expense of democracies along the first island chain. He said Beijing also writes domestic laws meant to govern other countries and exploits pretexts to act, a practice he called lawfare. Taiwan Plus reported that Taiwan, the Philippines and Japan are on the front line of the tension. It also noted growing doubts among some U.S. allies about how dependable American commitments are. The report cited media accounts that President Trump may meet Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin again, which has alarmed U.S. allies including Taiwan. A reported $14 billion U.S. arms package for Taipei is still on hold. Washington has not publicly set a timetable.

WASHINGTON — The Defense Department announced a framework agreement with BAE Systems on Oct. 19 to expand production of the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System, a laser-guidance kit now used as a low-cost drone interceptor. The Pentagon would buy up to 25,000 kits a year for up to seven years while a multi-year contract is negotiated. Output could rise to as many as 35,000 units a year, with the extra units available for sale to allies. Production is at BAE sites in Austin, Texas, and Hudson, New Hampshire. Neither side disclosed the cost, according to the Epoch Times. The announcement follows a September memo from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that told officials to treat delays in counter-drone capabilities as an operational risk. In July, the State Department approved a possible $1.96 billion sale to Saudi Arabia that includes up to 20,000 of the kits.