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A magnitude 5.6 earthquake hit southeastern Afghanistan Thursday night, the third quake in a week, adding to a mounting humanitarian crisis, BBC reported.

Seventeen people were reported injured in Kunar province, while Sunday’s stronger quake has already killed 1,368 and wounded over 2,100. Rescue efforts are slowed by landslides and rugged terrain, with helicopters conducting most operations amid continuing aftershocks.

The Taliban government said emergency tents and aid are being distributed and appealed for international help. The UN has released relief funds, and the UK pledged £1m in aid.

Afghanistan’s location on major fault lines makes it prone to deadly quakes; previous disasters killed thousands in 2022 and 2023, according to BBC.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned the US is ready to “blow up” foreign crime groups, saying Washington will act with or without allied support. Speaking in Ecuador, he confirmed plans to designate the country’s largest gangs, Los Lobos and Los Choneros, as terrorist organisations, BBC reported.

The move follows a US strike in the Caribbean that killed 11 suspected traffickers linked to Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua. Rubio also announced $19.5m in aid and drones to help Ecuador fight soaring cartel violence.

He said friendly governments would assist in targeting smugglers, while stressing President Trump’s commitment to waging war on cartels that “have been waging war on us for 30 years.”

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told Chinese President Xi Jinping that Pyongyang will firmly support China’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national development, according to Reuters.

Kim said the friendship between the two countries would remain unchanged despite global shifts. Xi echoed this, calling China and North Korea “good neighbours, good friends and good comrades” with a shared future.

Both leaders agreed to deepen strategic cooperation, step up high-level exchanges, and strengthen coordination on regional and international issues. KCNA, the state media described the visit as a historic boost to political trust and bilateral ties.

Kim concluded his Beijing trip on Thursday, escorted to the border by senior Chinese officials. Separately, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent Kim a message marking North Korea’s foundation day, praising its military support for Russia and vowing stronger ties, Reuters reported.

US appeals court has rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to reinstate a rule that would have barred transgender and nonbinary people from having passports reflecting their gender identity, Reuters reported.

The 1st Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a nationwide order blocking the policy, which required listing “sex at birth” on passports and eliminated options like the “X” marker. A lower court had earlier ruled the policy unconstitutional under the Fifth Amendment.

According to Reuters, civil rights advocates hailed the decision as a major step for equality. The ACLU, representing affected applicants, said the ruling affirms the right of transgender and nonbinary people to travel with documents that reflect who they are.

An 18-year-old woman has been killed and seven others injured in a mass stabbing at Hollow Water First Nation, a remote Indigenous community in Manitoba, police said.

The attacker, identified as 26-year-old Tyrone Simard, died shortly after the incident when he crashed a stolen vehicle into an RCMP cruiser while fleeing. The policewoman involved was critically injured but is expected to recover, according to BBC.

RCMP confirmed the woman killed was the suspect’s sister. Victims were found at two different homes, and all were known to each other within the community. One victim, Michael Raven, was stabbed in the lung while sleeping at home.

Community leaders and officials expressed grief, calling the violence devastating for the small Anishinaabe community. The attack came on the third anniversary of the James Smith Cree Nation mass stabbing in Saskatchewan, which left 11 people dead, BBC reported.

Twenty-six Western nations have agreed to send forces to Ukraine once a ceasefire is reached, French President Emmanuel Macron announced after a Paris summit. The security guarantees would take effect the moment fighting stops, BBC reported.

Peace prospects remain fragile. A recent Trump-Putin meeting failed to break the deadlock, and a direct encounter between Putin and Zelenskiy appears unlikely. Trump has hinted US support could come through air power, while Zelenskiy has called for maximum protection of Ukraine’s skies.

Macron voiced confidence in US backing, though Washington has ruled out sending ground troops. European leaders stressed that securing a ceasefire must come first, with stronger guarantees to follow.

Russia continues to reject Western involvement and is reinforcing its positions in Ukraine. Putin has warned the war will go on unless a full peace deal is struck, while Kyiv and its allies argue a truce should precede broader talks, according to BBC.

NATO chief Mark Rutte said Russia has no veto over Western deployments, insisting Ukraine alone decides. Despite renewed attacks, allies believe a ceasefire could open the door to lasting security arrangements.

 The District of Columbia has initiated a federal lawsuit against President Trump’s administration, challenging the recent deployment of National Guard troops in the capital. D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues the troop presence amounts to an unconstitutional “military occupation” that infringes on local self-rule and basic citizen freedoms. He is seeking a court order to end the deployment immediately, according to Reuters.

This litigation follows a recent judicial decision in California declaring a similar National Guard deployment unlawful, raising concerns over federal overreach and the expanded use of military force domestically.

Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, has warned of severe reprisals, referencing the “10 biblical plagues,” after Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched missile attacks on Israeli targets. The threats follow the Houthis’ retaliation for the assassination of Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed Ghaleb al-Rahawi and other officials, Al Jazeera reported.

The Houthis recently targeted the Israeli-owned tanker Scarlet Ray in the Red Sea. In response, Israel has conducted airstrikes on Houthi-held areas, including Sanaa. Despite a US-brokered ceasefire in May, the Houthis have continued attacks, citing support for Palestinians as justification.

The situation remains tense, with both sides escalating military actions in the region, according to Al Jazeera.