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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.

A federal judge has ruled that President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy National Guard troops to Los Angeles this summer violated the 19th-century Posse Comitatus Act, siding with California Gov. Gavin Newsom in a constitutional showdown over states’ rights and presidential authority.

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.

Iran has detained dozens of Christians on charges of espionage and “anti-security activities” for Israel, drawing condemnation from rights groups who call the move part of a broader crackdown on the country’s tiny Christian minority.

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.

The U.S. Coast Guard has announced the largest drug seizure in American history, confiscating more than 76,000 pounds of illegal narcotics valued at $473 million during operations in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.

The U.S. economy grew faster than previously estimated in the second quarter, expanding at a 3.3 percent annualized rate, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. The stronger reading points to resilient consumer and business spending despite the drag from high borrowing costs and trade frictions.