Naval forces of the United States target and eliminate a suspected drug-trafficking boat near Venezuelan waters, resulting in the death of 11 individuals.
In a tragic turn of events, a landslide in western Sudan has claimed at least 1,000 lives, adding to the hardship in a country already grappling with years of civil war. Humanitarian agencies have been prevented from providing aid, exacerbating the situation. Famine was declared in Sudan last year, with the UN warning that more than 25 million people face extreme hunger.
Meanwhile, the future of Brazil's politics and economy hangs in the balance as the Supreme Court prepares to hear closing arguments in the trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro, accused of orchestrating a coup to stay in power. If convicted, Bolsonaro faces decades in prison and a ban against running in next year's presidential election, which could also further strain ties with Washington, which imposed a 50% tariff rate on Brazil over what US President Donald Trump has labelled a Bolsonaro "witch hunt."
In Europe, several governments are considering reviving peat bogs, which are strategically concentrated around NATO's borders with Russia and Belarus. These wetlands, covering just 3% of the planet, hold a third of its carbon. Besides acting as a carbon sink, peat bogs can also serve as a deterrent against potential invaders, similar to minefields and walls. Finland and Poland are among the countries considering this strategy as a defense against possible invasion.
The ongoing conflict in Sudan, with both warring parties accused of mass human rights abuses, has likely surpassed 400,000 deaths. The rate of drone and missile strikes has nearly doubled since Russian President Vladimir Putin's inconclusive meeting with US President Donald Trump last month, with Russia hammering Ukraine with 526 drones overnight, escalating Moscow's aerial assault. There is no sign of a meeting between Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart by Friday, flouting Trump's deadlines for peace.
Elsewhere, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting in Tianjin, China, in 2025 will be attended by leaders from the 10 member states, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, among others.
In the realm of science, anti-aging research is gaining momentum. A major review of the literature is looking at genetic markers in different tissue types and developing an "epigenetic atlas" of aging. Interestingly, a cheap generic drug linked to increasing lifespans may work by protecting against DNA damage.
Lastly, the US military has been increasing pressure on Venezuela, including by putting a $50 million bounty on its leader last month. The White House's expansion of its war on drugs has sparked concerns among some experts, who fear it could set off a wave of violence. Eastern European states have bolstered security since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In other news, Chinese leader Xi Jinping declared his country's rise to be "unstoppable" during a military parade at which Beijing showcased its latest weaponry. The event, marking 80 years since the end of World War II and attended by dozens of other mostly autocratic leaders, capped a week in which Xi hosted a major summit of largely Beijing-aligned nations.
The prospect of governments being ousted in Tokyo and Paris fueled further uncertainty. Some experts fear the Trump administration's expansion of its war on drugs could set off a wave of violence, while long-dated government bonds worldwide tumbled on growing fears of excessive government spending, rising inflation, and political instability. Yields on 30-year US Treasurys neared 5%, Japan saw 20-year and 30-year yields jump, and long-maturity British, French, and German bonds all slumped.
