More countries to reach NATO's 2% defense spending goal (www.dw.com)
Rishi Sunak’s California escape hatch: His $7.2 million beach home (www.politico.com)
A Russian court has sentenced a U.S. soldier to nearly 4 years in prison (www.npr.org)
China’s energy use per person surpasses Europe’s for first time (www.straitstimes.com)
‘Brazen aggression’: China used tear gas, sirens, weapons vs Filipino troops (www.rappler.com)
Videos show the China Coast Guard (CCG) brandishing knives, ramming ships, and using tear gas against Filipino soldiers. China says the CCG was 'professional and restrained.'
France’s far-right leader says he will not be PM without absolute majority (www.theguardian.com)
South China Sea: Filipino soldiers fought off Chinese 'with bare hands' (www.bbc.com)
Philippines soldiers used their “bare hands” to fight off Chinese coast guard personnel armed with swords, spears and knives in the disputed South China Sea, the country’s top military commander has said....
China is the true power in Putin and Kim’s budding friendship (www.bbc.com)
Mr Putin’s first visit to Pyongyang since 2000 was a chance for Russia and North Korea to flaunt their friendship. And flaunt it they did, with Mr Kim declaring his “full support” for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine....
UN officials accuse Israel of attempting 'extermination' of Palestinians in Gaza (www.usatoday.com)
Stonehenge sprayed with paint by environmental protesters (www.dw.com)
The prehistoric megalithic structure in England has been targeted by activists spraying orange powder paint, social media footage showed....
US temporarily halts avocado and mango inspections in Mexico due to security concerns (www.salon.com)
A new, Cold War-like agenda? Kim Jong Un gives Putin 'full support' for Ukraine war (www.usatoday.com)
Ecuador struck by power outage leaving 18 million in the dark (www.theguardian.com)
A nationwide electricity outage has struck Ecuador, leaving the nation of about 18 million in the dark, including the capital’s subway system, as authorities worked to repair faulty power lines, a senior official said....
N.Y. couple finds safe filled with over $130K while magnet fishing in lake. (globalnews.ca)
The 2 Billion Year Old Nuclear Reactors In Africa Baffle Researchers! (n24hr.com)
Putin says Russia and North Korea will help each other if attacked, taking ties to a ‘new level’ (www.cnn.com)
Vladimir Putin said Russia and North Korea have ramped up ties to a “new level,” pledging to help each other if either nation is attacked in a “breakthrough” new partnership announced during the Russian president’s rare visit to the reclusive state....
Scientists enlist AI to interpret meaning of barks (www.bbc.com)
Philippines accuses Chinese Coast Guard of boarding boats (www.dw.com)
Chinese Coast Guard rammed and boarded Philippine naval boats and confiscated their weapons in the South China Sea, injuring a Filipino soldier, the Philippine military said on Wednesday....
US lawmakers meet with Dalai Lama in India's Dharamshala, sparking anger from China (apnews.com)
A bipartisan United States congressional delegation met with the Dalai Lama Wednesday at his residence in India’s Dharamshala, sparking anger from China which views the exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism as a dangerous separatist....
Europe gives China a taste of its own trade medicine: Europe is using the threat of tariffs to press Chinese electric car makers to set up in the EU and share know-how. (www.politico.eu)
The EU is having a radical rethink of how to cope with the trade threat from Beijing — and its response has a very Chinese flavor to it....
Israeli army knew of Hamas plot to take hostages before 7 Oct (www.newarab.com)
The Israeli military had advanced notice about a plan by Hamas to raid southern Israel including accurate predictions about the number of hostages the group would seize, a new report has found....