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President Xi Jinping oversaw China’s largest military parade in Tiananmen Square, marking the 80th anniversary of Japan’s defeat in World War II. Before a crowd of more than 50,000, Xi warned the world stands at a crossroads of “peace or war,” urging dialogue over confrontation.

The parade showcased China’s expanding military power, featuring hypersonic missiles, advanced drones, fighter jets and other cutting-edge weapons. The event underscored Beijing’s drive to project strength on the global stage, according to Reuters.

Xi was joined by Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un, highlighting closer ties among leaders who share growing tensions with the West. Analysts said the gathering was as much a geopolitical statement as a display of force.

President Donald Trump has downplayed fears of closer ties between China, Russia and North Korea, saying Beijing “needs us more than we need them” and stressing his strong rapport with President Xi Jinping. He rejected claims the bloc is forming an alliance against the US, adding that America’s military power remains unmatched, BBC reported.

Trump voiced disappointment with Vladimir Putin after their Alaska meeting failed to secure a peace deal for Ukraine, hinting at new US steps to support Ukrainians but offering no specifics.

Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned of fresh Russian troop buildups along the frontline, accusing Putin of resisting peace efforts. China has faced Western criticism for buying Russian oil and supplying dual-use goods, though it denies aiding Moscow’s war.

US House Committee has released over 33,000 pages of documents from the federal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, including flight logs, court records, emails, audio, and jail surveillance footage, BBC reported.

Chairman James Comer, who subpoenaed the Justice Department for the files, admitted they offer little new information. Democrats said nearly all the material was already public, with no evidence of a “client list.” The only fresh detail was customs records of Epstein’s flights to and from his private island.

The files include extended jail video from the night of Epstein’s 2019 death, but the unexplained “missing minute” remains unresolved. Other records feature blurred victim interviews and police searches of his Florida home.

Lawmakers from both parties continue to press for full transparency. A bipartisan bill seeks to force the Justice Department to release all Epstein files within 30 days. Survivors, who met privately with congressional leaders, will join lawmakers at a press conference on Capitol Hill this week, according to BBC.

The UK’s National Audit Office (NAO) says the Ministry of Defence (MoD) cannot accurately calculate the cost of a secret Afghan relocation scheme set up after a major data breach, BBC reported.

The MoD estimates the bill at £850m, but the NAO found no clear evidence to support this, noting costs were mixed in with wider resettlement spending. Legal fees and compensation are also excluded.

The 2022 leak exposed details of nearly 19,000 Afghans who aided British forces, leading to the creation of the Afghanistan Response Route in 2024 to resettle 7,000 more people. Overall costs are forecast to exceed £2bn.

The MoD said it remains committed to transparency and to honouring its obligations to Afghans who stood with the UK, according to BBC.

Russian President Vladimir Putin met Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Beijing on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, emphasizing the importance of Pakistan as a “traditional partner” in Asia, Firstpost reported.

The leaders discussed strengthening cooperation in trade, energy, agriculture, and infrastructure. Sharif highlighted a proposed trade corridor linking Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, aimed at boosting regional prosperity.

Both sides stressed continued dialogue to foster mutual growth and stability. Putin invited Sharif to the next SCO summit in Russia this November, an invitation the Pakistani Prime Minister welcomed.

The meeting marks a key step toward a more robust and multifaceted partnership between Pakistan and Russia, according to Firstpost.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Beijing on Tuesday, accompanied by his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, to attend China’s “Victory Day” military parade marking the 80th anniversary of Japan’s World War Two surrender. This is the first time a North Korean leader has attended a Chinese parade since 1959, BBC reported.

Kim traveled by his heavily guarded armored train, a tradition started by his grandfather, with South Korean intelligence suggesting his daughter is his “most likely” successor. He was greeted by senior Chinese officials, including Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in what North Korean media described as a “warm atmosphere.”

The visit highlights Kim’s rare diplomatic engagement abroad, following limited recent contacts with world leaders, mainly Russia’s Vladimir Putin, and underscores Pyongyang’s strategic ties with Beijing amid regional and global tensions, according to BBC.

US financial regulators are scaling back bank examinations and enforcement, prioritizing core financial metrics like capital, liquidity, and risk management over non-core areas such as climate, diversity, and reputational risk. Agencies including the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Federal Reserve, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) are postponing or reducing some exams and moving away from formal disciplinary notices toward informal guidance.

According to Reuters, the shift aims to align oversight with banks’ risk profiles and support economic growth, but critics warn it may overlook systemic risks highlighted by the 2023 bank collapses. Industry leaders welcome the move, calling previous processes overly complex, while some banks have pursued legal action over fairness and transparency.

The Trump administration is set to relocate US Space Command from Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Huntsville, Alabama, reversing a 2023 Biden-era decision. The command, which oversees US military space operations and employs around 1,700 personnel, will take several years to move at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars, Reuters reported.

Huntsville, a hub for aerospace and defense with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and major contractors, has long sought the command. Analysts say the move may also carry political motivations, as Alabama strongly supports Trump while Colorado leans Democratic.