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Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia will keep fighting in Ukraine if no peace deal is reached, stressing he will not give up the Donbas region. Speaking in China, he hinted at a possible settlement “if common sense prevails” but dismissed calls for a ceasefire, according to BBC.

Putin praised US President Donald Trump’s efforts to bring him to the table, including a summit in Alaska, yet refused to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy under current terms. Kyiv has urged Trump to impose tougher sanctions and boost defence aid, highlighting Moscow’s refusal to negotiate.

In Kyiv, UK Defence Secretary John Healey vowed more economic pressure on Moscow and pledged £1bn from seized Russian assets for military aid. France is also gathering Ukraine’s allies to push for US-backed security guarantees. Meanwhile, Russian forces have stepped up attacks, launching hundreds of drones and missiles on Ukrainian cities, BBC reported.

A hot mic at a World War II anniversary parade caught Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussing organ transplants and the possibility of extending human life. Putin’s translator was overheard speaking about biotechnology enabling continuous organ replacement and even immortality, while Xi noted predictions that people could live up to 150 years this century, according to Reuters.

The exchange came as the leaders walked alongside North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. Neither Moscow nor Beijing has commented. The parade coincided with a summit where Putin and Xi signed over 20 agreements spanning energy, artificial intelligence, and a new gas pipeline. Xi used the occasion to warn that the world faces a choice between “peace or war.”

China showcased its military strength with a massive parade in Beijing, where President Xi Jinping hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un in a rare joint appearance. The event, marking 80 years since the end of World War II, displayed nuclear-capable missiles, drones, laser weapons and other advanced systems, underscoring China’s modernization drive, BBC reported.

In his address, Xi said the world faced a choice between “peace and war,” urging nations to value peace and work for shared prosperity. Putin and Kim later held private talks, discussing North Korea’s support in Ukraine, where Pyongyang has reportedly sent troops and ammunition in exchange for financial aid and weapons assistance.

According to BBC, most Western leaders skipped the parade, though dignitaries from Iran, Pakistan, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Slovakia and Serbia attended. President Donald Trump criticized the gathering, accusing Xi, Putin and Kim of conspiring against the US, a claim Moscow dismissed as “ironic.”

Afghanistan has deployed commando units by airdrop to remote mountain villages devastated by powerful earthquakes this week, as rescue teams struggle to reach survivors in areas cut off by landslides, Reuters reported.

The quakes, including a magnitude 6 tremor on Sunday and a 5.5 aftershock on Tuesday, struck Kunar and Nangarhar provinces, flattening homes and triggering fresh blockages. Authorities report at least 1,411 dead, more than 3,100 injured, and over 5,400 houses destroyed, with the toll expected to rise as people remain trapped. Emergency camps and coordination centers have been set up for evacuations, burials, and aid delivery.

 The UN has appealed for urgent shelter, food, clean water, and medical aid, stressing that fragile housing and recent heavy rains worsened the destruction. Afghanistan’s location on a major fault line makes it highly vulnerable to such disasters, according to Reuters.