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The United States has deployed a large naval force to the Southern Caribbean, saying the move targets Latin American drug cartels. President Donald Trump has made cartel crackdowns central to his security agenda, Reuters reported.

Seven US warships, a nuclear submarine, and thousands of Marines are part of the buildup, supported by surveillance flights. The White House said the mission aims to stop narcotics flows, claiming support from regional governments.

According to Reuters, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro condemned the deployment as a threat to his country’s sovereignty and filed a complaint with the UN. He has ordered 15,000 troops to Colombia’s border and urged citizens to prepare for civil defense, portraying US pressure as part of an “economic war.”

The director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) remains in a heated standoff with the Trump administration after the White House announced she had been fired.

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) chief Susan Monarez has been fired just a month into the job after clashing with the Trump administration over vaccine policy, BBC reported.

Monarez, nominated by President Trump and confirmed in July, refused to endorse what she called “reckless, unscientific directives” from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The White House said she was removed for not aligning with the president’s agenda.

Her dismissal sparked a string of senior resignations at the CDC, including top vaccine and infectious disease officials, who accused Kennedy of politicising public health, according to BBC.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has dismissed Prime Minister Nadir Larbaoui and appointed Industry Minister Sifi Ghrieb as acting head of government, Reuters reported.

Larbaoui, a former diplomat, had been in office since 2023. No reason was given for his departure.

Algeria, a key gas supplier to Europe, has remained politically stable in recent years.

Pakistani drone strikes in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar and Khost provinces killed three civilians, including children, and wounded seven others, Afghan officials said.

The Taliban condemned the attacks as a breach of sovereignty and summoned Pakistan’s ambassador in Kabul to lodge a protest, according to Reuters.

Islamabad has yet to respond. The strikes come amid strained ties, despite recent pledges by Pakistan, Afghanistan and China to boost counter-terrorism cooperation.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins a tour of China, Japan and Russia on Thursday, aiming to deepen partnerships as India faces steep US tariffs under President Donald Trump, Reuters reported.

His Japan visit will be the highlight, with talks alongside Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on trade, security and investment under the Quad framework. Japan plans to invest up to 10trn yen ($68bn) in India over the next decade, including $8bn from Suzuki Motor.

Discussions are also expected on critical minerals and rare earths, where India has resources but needs technology support. Modi called India and Japan “partners made for each other,” as he pushes to expand “Make in India” and reduce reliance on strained US ties, according to Reuters.

India will increase Russian oil imports by 10–20 percent in September as Moscow offers steeper discounts after refinery outages caused by Ukrainian drone attacks, traders said.

The US has condemned India’s purchases, with President Donald Trump raising tariffs on Indian imports to 50 percent this week. New Delhi rejected the criticism, pointing to continued Western trade with Russia.

India currently buys about 1.5m barrels per day of Russian crude, meeting 40 percent of its oil needs and making it Russia’s largest customer, Reuters reported.

Over 500 staff at the UN human rights office have urged Chief Volker Turk to declare Israel’s war in Gaza a genocide, according to Reuters.

In a letter, they argued the scale of killings and destruction meets the legal definition and warned that silence would damage the UN’s credibility, recalling its failure during the 1994 Rwanda genocide.

Israel rejects the accusation, citing self-defense after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack that killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. Since then, nearly 63,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s health ministry, with parts of the enclave facing famine.

Rights groups and some UN experts already call it genocide, though the UN itself says such judgments rest with international courts. South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice is still pending, Reuters reported.

Mexico has halted small package shipments to the United States as Washington prepares to end a tariff exemption for goods worth under $800. The “de minimis” rule, in place since 2016, allowed duty-free entry but will expire Friday under President Donald Trump’s trade agenda, Al Jazeera reported.

Mexico said it is awaiting clarity on how the new tariffs will be applied, joining several European countries that have taken similar steps. The White House plans to impose tariffs of 10 to 40 percent, either based on package value or a flat rate of $80–$200 per item. Mexico is negotiating its rate while pledging tougher action against drug cartels and higher tariffs on Chinese imports to secure a deal.