Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Moscow has “never opposed Ukraine’s potential membership of the European Union,” but warned that Ukraine joining the NATO military alliance would be unacceptable.

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that U.S. forces had carried out a lethal strike against a Venezuelan drug-smuggling vessel, marking the first acknowledged military action under his expanded authority to target Latin American cartels.

Russia and China advanced long-stalled plans for the massive Power of Siberia-2 natural gas pipeline on Monday, signing a legally binding memorandum to construct the project. But the absence of key commercial terms underscored how Beijing now holds decisive leverage in its energy dealings with Moscow.

Chinese President Xi Jinping used the opening of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit on Monday to call for a new global security and economic order that elevates the “Global South” and directly challenges U.S. influence. Joined by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Xi framed the SCO as a model for “a new type of international relations” capable of reshaping global governance.

Indonesia faces tragedy abroad and turmoil at home after one of its diplomats was shot dead in Peru’s capital, Lima, while days of protests over parliamentary perks and inequality killed at least 10 people across the Southeast Asian nation.

Chinese President Xi Jinping warmly embraced Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, pledging closer cooperation in defiance of U.S. sanctions over Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro warned Monday that he would “constitutionally declare a republic in arms” if U.S. forces launched an attack, as Washington bolsters its naval presence in the Caribbean to counter Latin American drug cartels.

The Trump administration has approved an $825 million arms sale to Ukraine, delivering long-range strike capabilities to Kyiv as peace negotiations with Moscow remain stalled.

U.S. President Donald Trump escalated his criticism of India on Sept. 1, dismissing New Delhi’s offer to cut tariffs on American products to zero as “too late” and blasting decades of what he called a “one-sided disaster” in trade.

Student-led crowds burned tires at rallies in Medan, a vital trade and commerce hub, and in other Indonesian cities in defiance of a possible military crackdown after protests left at least eight people dead in the worst violence to hit the Southeast Asian nation in more than two decades.

Authorities in Afghanistan say a powerful earthquake has devastated the east of the country near the Pakistan border, killing more than 800 people and injuring over 2,500, as concerns grow about restricted access for international aid and the plight of the country’s tiny Christian minority.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed Saturday that it killed Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi and several members of his Cabinet in a precision airstrike on the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, marking the most significant blow yet to the Iran-backed rebel leadership.

Ukraine says it plans new strikes deep into Russia after relentless drone and missile attacks killed and injured dozens of civilians in Kyiv and other regions over the past week. The announcement came Sunday as Ukrainians mourned their dead.

Christians in Indonesia told Worthy News that the capital Jakarta has effectively been placed under military-style emergency conditions after protests over corruption and lavish perks for lawmakers killed at least four people.

Authorities say a Ukrainian politician who previously served as the parliament speaker has been shot dead in the western city of Lviv. Saturday’s killing came on the day that officials said Moscow launched more than 500 drones and 45 missiles against 14 regions, killing at least one person and wounding some 24 others, including children.