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Russian President Vladimir Putin, alongside his “dear friend” Chinese President Xi Jinping, championed the duo’s “unprecedentedly high” ties as the U.S. and Europe remain strained over Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

The Beijing-based meeting once again cemented the increased unity the adversarial nations have pursued following Putin’s 2022 invasion and comes one day ahead of a major military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

But it is not only the Kremlin and the Chinese Communist Party looking to unite in a show of opposition to the West.

INDIA’S MODI COZIES UP WITH PUTIN, XI IN STATEMENT AGAINST TRUMP ‘BULLYING’

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who first traveled to China on Sunday for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), met with Xi on Tuesday and called the looming UN sanctions targeting its nuclear program a “double standard.”

“The same countries that violated the [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] JCPOA are now claiming that Iran is not fulfilling its commitments,” he said in an interview with Chinese media, according to Iran International.

Pezeshkian’s comments were in direct reference to the U.S.’s withdrawal from the JCPOA in 2018 during the first Trump administration – a move which was further criticized by Russian and Chinese officials last week after the UK, France and Germany announced their intent to employ snapback sanctions.

China, Iran and Russia sent a letter to the UN Secretary General on Monday condemning the move and claiming the West was united in a “politically destructive” course. 

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un also arrived in China on Tuesday after his armored train was seen arriving in Bejing where he was then met by Chinese officials, like Foreign Minister Wang Yi, reported Reuters.

CHINA EYES TRUMP-PUTIN MEETING, GAUGES WEST’S RESOLVE ON UKRAINE

While North Korea is not a member of the SCO – a nine-member intercontinental group increasingly viewed as anti-Western and which includes China, Iran and Russia – Kim’s increased ties with Putin have prompted questions over whether there could be a trilateral agreement to include China on the horizon. 

Xi highlighted the increasing concern when it comes to international groups like SCO or BRICS – a separate group that again includes Russia and China – in his comments on Monday when he said, “We must continue to take a clear stand against hegemonism and power politics.” 

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U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent dismissed the summit as “performative” and again called out China and India – which also sits in both SCO and BRICS – as “bad actors” over their continued status as top purchasers of Russian fossil fuels.

But a new natural gas agreement reached by Putin and Xi on Tuesday suggests that China has no plans to reduce trade with Russia despite Trump’s immense tariff threats, which could come into effect if a trade deal is not reached between Washington and Beijing come November. 

A devastating landslide struck Tarasin Village in Sudan’s Central Darfur on Sunday, Aug. 31, killing at least 1,000 people, according to a rebel group controlling the area.

The Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM-A) said the horrific incident was triggered by days of torrential rainfall in late August and has “completely leveled the village to the ground.”

“Initial information indicates the death of all village residents, estimated to be more than one thousand people. Only one person survived,” the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army said in a statement. 

FLOODS KILL AT LEAST 111 AS NORTHERN NIGERIA BATTLES CLIMATE CHANGE, DRY SPELLS AND HEAVY RAINFALL

The figures cannot be independently verified at this time due to restricted access to the conflict-hit region, but if confirmed it would rank among Sudan’s deadliest natural disasters in recent history.

SUDANESE ARMY SURROUNDS KHARTOUM AIRPORT IN BATTLE FOR CAPITAL, MILITARY SOURCES SAY

Darfur’s governor, Minni Minnawi, called the landslide a “humanitarian tragedy.”

The group is calling for help from the U.N. and international aid agencies for assistance in recovering bodies and responding to the disaster.

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According to earlier reports from the BBC, many residents from North Darfur state sought refuge in the area after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces forced them out of their homes.

This is a developing report.

St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital estimates around 400,000 kids around the world will be diagnosed with cancer this year. In the U.S., research and treatments have helped increase survival rates. 80% of kids live five years or more with treatment, but a lot of work is being done to improve that statistic and find cures for more rare forms of cancer.

“Kids with brain tumors were left behind. Because the treatments are very old, they are from the 80s, believe it or not,” Fernando Goldsztein said.

Fernando’s son, Frederico, was diagnosed with a brain tumor when he was nine years old.  Medulloblastoma is the most common brain tumor in children, but it is still rare. Just five out of one million kids are diagnosed with the disease each year, which has made finding funding for new research difficult.

“Unfortunately, he relapsed,” Fernando said. “I was told by the doctors back then that there was nothing to do to save my son, that I should go back to home and spend time with him.”

WOMAN BEATS DEADLY BRAIN CANCER WITH INVESTIGATIONAL CELL THERAPY: ‘TRULY AMAZING’

The five-year survival rate for medulloblastoma patients is more than 80%. But if the disease comes back, the five-year survival rate drops to less than 40%.

“When I received that devastating news five years ago, after two weeks, I kind of recovered, you never recover, right? But I kind of recovered and I said, ‘I’ve got to do something, I will do something,’” Fernando said.

CANCER DEATHS HIT ‘ALARMING’ SURGE DUE TO COMMON HEALTH CONDITION, EXPERTS SAY

Fernando has made it his mission to find a cure for Frederico, who is still dealing with recurrent medulloblastoma at the age of 18. Two years after Frederico’s cancer returned, Fernando launched the Medulloblastoma Initiative, or MBI, alongside Dr. Roger Packer, one of the world’s leading Medulloblastoma researchers at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C.

“We are trying to find a cure for this disease as soon as possible. So, it’s a model that brings together the best minds in the field,” Fernando said. “MBI is all about collaboration and synergy. The scientists, to be funded by us, they have to work as a group.”

The initiative has brought together more than a dozen labs from around the world.

“By each one having each piece of the puzzle, we were able to move very fast and are achieving very interesting results,” Fernando said.

Since Fox last spoke with MBI, the group has helped fast-track at least two clinical trials at the University of Florida for medulloblastoma and several other studies are in the works.

“We have much more in our pipeline,” Fernando said. “We are excited with these results.”

INTERNATIONAL EFFORT SEEKS NEW TREATMENTS FOR PEDIATRIC HEART DISEASE

In a clinical trial funded by MBI, scientists are programming patients’ white blood cells to seek and destroy tumor cells. The results have been promising, and one participant’s cancer was nearly eliminated.

In a separate study still being tested on mice, scientists at the University of Florida are researching an experimental mRNA-based cancer vaccine. The study could lead to a universal shot that helps jump-start a patient’s immune system when fighting cancer.

100% of the donations given to MBI go to supporting research and clinical trials to help kids like Frederico. Fernando says his son is doing well thanks to much of the new research being done.

“He is an outlier, but we know that this type of tumor comes back, so it’s running against time. And that’s why we are moving fast to save him and to save thousands of other kids out there,” Fernando said.

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You can learn more or donate to the Medulloblastoma Initiative at https://mbinitiative.org/.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Monday accused the United States of seeking a regime change in his country amid a naval buildup in the Caribbean.

The military deployment was authorized by President Donald Trump in an effort to disrupt drug cartel activity, as part of his broader border policy. However, Maduro said the buildup is an intervention in his country’s affairs.

“They are seeking a regime change through military threat,” Maduro told journalists, officials, and uniformed military brass in Caracas, echoing comments last week by his government’s representative at the United Nations.

CHINA CONDEMNS US MILITARY BUILDUP OFF VENEZUELA COAST AS FOREIGN INTERFERENCE IN REGIONAL AFFAIRS

“Venezuela is confronting the biggest threat that has been seen on our continent in the last 100 years,” Maduro added. “A situation like this has never been seen.”

Maduro said Venezuela won’t bow to threats and that it was “super-prepared.”

The Trump administration has accused Maduro of engaging in drug trafficking, going so far as to announce a $50 million reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction.

U.S. WARSHIPS TO PATROL INTERNATIONAL WATERS AROUND VENEZUELA AS TRUMP VOWS TO STOP CARTELS

“These cartels have engaged in historic violence and terror throughout our hemisphere—and around the globe—that has destabilized the economies and internal security of countries, while also flooding the United States with deadly drugs, violent criminals, and vicious gangs,” Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said during an Aug. 19 news conference.

“This requires a whole-of-government effort, and through coordination with regional partners, the Department of Defense will undoubtedly play an important role in meeting the President’s objective to eliminate the ability of these cartels to threaten the territory, safety, and security of the United States and its people,” Parnell added. “As a matter of security and policy, we do not speculate on future operations.”

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is en route to China aboard one of his heavily armored, fortress-style trains, state media reported Monday. 

The 41-year-old dictator is expected to arrive in Beijing on Tuesday to attend a military parade with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Kim’s visit marks his first trip to Beijing since 2019 and comes as Pyongyang seeks to bolster ties with both China and Russia. 

The event commemorates the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II, highlighting Beijing’s efforts to showcase military power and deepen alliances at a time of heightened global tensions.

TRUMP REMAINS ‘RECEPTIVE’ TO DIALOGUE WITH KIM JONG UN DESPITE REPORTED LETTER SNUB

According to Chinese news agency Yonhap News, Kim’s train, dubbed Taeyangho, which means “moving fortress”, will make sure the dictator is fully protected in transit.

The North Korean train is bulletproof and travels at a slow speed of around 60 kilometers per hour. 

The journey to Beijing is expected to take about 20 hours to cover the 1,300-kilometer route, slowed by the train’s heavy armor and rail conditions in North Korea.

Yonhap also reported that the train typically carries between 10 and 15 carriages, some reserved exclusively for Kim, such as a private bedroom. 

Other carriages house security guards and medical staff, per the Associated Press.

NORTH KOREA BREAKS SILENCE ON TRUMP’S RETURN, SENDS MESSAGE FROM ‘ROCKET MAN’

The armored train may also have conference rooms, audience chambers and bedrooms.

On Monday, Kim Chon-il, director of the North Korean foreign ministry’s press and information department, confirmed the leader’s departure on a private train. 

“Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, left here for Beijing by his private train on Sept. 1 to participate in celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War,” Korean Central News Agency reported, citing the ministry official.

Kim is accompanied by senior party and government officials, including Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, KCNA added. 

RUSSIA’S LAVROV WARNS US AGAINST ‘EXPLOITING’ ALLIANCES AS HE MEETS WITH KIM JONG UN IN NORTH KOREA

The military parade in Beijing will see thousands of troops march through Tiananmen Square in a 70-minute display featuring China’s latest weaponry.

The visit comes shortly after South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s high-profile trip to the United States and meeting Donald Trump last month, where he emphasized trilateral cooperation to counter North Korea’s advancing nuclear and missile programs.

Traveling by armored train to high-profile events is a family tradition for North Korea’s ruling dynasty. 

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Kim’s father, Kim Jong Il, also relied on rail travel, reportedly due to a fear of flying. 

Kim has continued the practice, including on his last trip to Beijing in 2019 and two meetings with Putin since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held warm meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday, sending Washington a clear message after President Donald Trump’s heavy tariffs against India went into effect last week.

Xi hosted Modi, Putin and other members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) at the port city of Tianjin. China has long sought to build up the group in a challenge to U.S. and NATO dominance. Modi was pictured having friendly exchanges and holding hands with both leaders, and he emphasized that India sees itself as a “partner” of China’s rather than a “rival.”

Modi’s trip was his first time visiting China in seven years. He also took a ride in Putin’s presidential limo, echoing Putin’s own visit with Trump in Alaska last month. The two leaders held a separate bilateral meeting after the summit.

“Conversations with him are always insightful,” Modi wrote on X, posting a picture of himself with Putin.

TRUMP’S DEADLINE ON SECONDARY TARIFFS ARRIVES; US-RUSSIAN RELATIONS HANG IN THE BALANCE

Putin in turn called Modi his “dear friend” and expressed gratitude that India and Russia share “friendly and trusting” relations.

While Modi never criticized Trump or the U.S. outright, his warming up to U.S. adversaries is a clear rebuke amid India’s tariff strife with Trump. The U.S. imposed a 50% tariff on Indian goods beginning last week. Xi also stopped short of naming Washington, but condemned “bullying behavior” by countries during his summit address.

Trump appeared to receive the message on Monday, reacting to the trio’s meeting in a post on social media. He argued India had much more to lose in an economic standoff with the U.S.

TRUMP AND PUTIN’S RELATIONSHIP TURNS SOUR AS PRESIDENT PUSHES FOR RESOLUTION WITH UKRAINE

“What few people understand is that we do very little business with India, but they do a tremendous amount of business with us,” Trump wrote, adding that the U.S. is India’s “biggest client.”

“They have offered to cut their tariffs to nothing, but it’s getting late. They should have done so years ago. Just some simple facts for people to ponder!” he continued.

INDIAN PRIME MINISTER MODI TAKES PAGE FROM TRUMP, SAYS ‘MAKE INDIA GREAT AGAIN,’ OR ‘MIGA’

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Modi’s visits with Putin and Xi are only the latest sign of cooling relations between Washington and New Delhi, however. India’s national security adviser traveled to Moscow last month, its foreign minister visited last week and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi concluded talks in Delhi in mid-August. Putin is also expected to host Modi in Moscow before the end of the year.

Fox News’ Morgan Phillips contributed to this report

A European Commission spokeswoman accused the Russian government of jamming the GPS systems of a plane carrying President Ursula von der Leyen while flying over Bulgaria on Monday.

European Commission spokeswoman Arianna Podestà confirmed that von der Leyen’s plane landed safely in Plovdiv airport. The European leader is currently on a tour of the European Union’s nations bordering Russia and Belarus.

“We can indeed confirm that there was GPS jamming,” Podestà said. “We have received information from the Bulgarian authority that they suspect that this was due to blatant interference by Russia.”

“This incident actually underlines the urgency of the mission that the president is carrying out in the front-line member states,” she added.

RUSSIA LAUNCHES LARGEST ATTACK ON UKRAINE THIS MONTH FOLLOWING TRUMP’S MEETINGS WITH PUTIN, ZELENSKYY

“And, of course, the EU will continue to invest into defense spending and in Europe’s readiness even more after this incident,” she said.

Von der Leyen and other European leaders have been skeptical of President Donald Trump’s efforts to work with Russian President Vladimir Putin toward peace in Ukraine. She visited the White House alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in August, announcing at the time a new wave of sanctions against Moscow.

RUSSIA BOMBARDS UKRAINE HOURS BEFORE KEY MEETING ON TRUMP NATO WEAPONS DEAL

The incident comes just days after White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff met with Ukrainian officials in New York City on Friday as they continue to push for a peace agreement.

Witkoff met with Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine’s office of the president and chief of staff, and Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukraine’s ambassador extraordinary.

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The meeting, according to Trump administration officials, was a status update and a reaffirmation of the goal of getting both Ukraine and Russia to meet to ultimately reach an agreement to end the war.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A new study says the United Nations and other aid groups have repeatedly looked the other way as aid intended for civilians is stolen by terror groups and dictators, from Hamas in Gaza to the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Last month, researchers Dr. Netta Barak-Corren of Jerusalem’s Hebrew University and Dr. Jonathan Boxman outlined the harmful impact of aid diversion in war zones, including Somalia, Ethiopia, Syria, Yemen, Sudan and Afghanistan, before presenting the likely case of diversion in Gaza.

EXCLUSIVE: WHISTLEBLOWER ALLEGES MISCONDUCT BY UNITED NATIONS IN GAZA

Somalia (1995-present)

In Somalia, researchers found diversion “at every stage of the supply chain,” with nearly half of the World Food Programme (WFP) budget taken up by cartel transportation payments, “ghost camps” siphoning off aid, combatants’ family members signing up for assistance, and local “gatekeepers” taking aid.

In the end, the study assessed that only about 12.5% to 17.5% of aid reached Somalis in need.

A July 2023 internal report commissioned by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres flagged as “strictly confidential,” contained claims from Somalian internally displaced persons (IDPs) who said “they were coerced into paying up to half of the cash assistance they received to people in positions of power in the face of threats of eviction, arrest or de-registration from beneficiary lists,” Reuters reported.

Ethiopia (2020-2024)

In Ethiopia, researchers found that the WFP “looked the other way” at diversion, particularly as Ethiopian military personnel forced local mills to grind 30 metric tons of looted grain into flour for their soldiers. 

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) discovered the discrepancy and eventually suspended aid to Ethiopia. 

Reuters also found that the WFP knew about aid diversion in Ethiopia “for several years.” In response to concerns voiced in 2024, Cindy McCain, WFP director, publicly stated that the WFP has “zero tolerance for theft or diversion.”

Syrian Civil War (2011-2024)

During the Syrian Civil War, the report states that Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad “dictated the terms of humanitarian assistance.” This included siphoning off about 51% of aid through currency exchanges, and determining that rebel-controlled areas were too dangerous for aid distribution. 

David Adesnik, vice president of research for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that financing Assad created “a war of annihilation.” It was “not just that you’re losing some aid or wasting it, but that you’re actively making the conflict worse and causing more violence,” he said. 

Yemeni Civil War (2014-present)

While the U.N. has reported the disappearance of about 1% of aid, the authors’ report estimated that around 60% of beneficiaries did not receive aid, which was given to Houthi loyalists or sold on the market by bad actors.

Sudan Civil War (2023-present)

In Sudan, warring factions attempted to deny aid to adversaries. When WFP aid was looted, researchers reported that the organization failed to identify the looter, “afraid of being expelled from Sudan.” 

THE UN WOULD RATHER HELP HAMAS THAN THE US, CHARITY LEADER SAYS

The researchers report that two leading WFP officials faced investigation “over allegations including fraud, and concealing information from donors” in Sudan.

In August 2024, the WFP told Reuters that its Office of the Inspector General was examining “allegations of individual misconduct related to irregularities in pockets of our operation in Sudan.”

Afghanistan (2001-2021)

During the 2001-2021 Afghanistan war, Barak-Corren and Boxman found that about 40% of aid was diverted by the Taliban taxing humanitarian organizations, demanding medical care for fighters, and placing members on humanitarian organizations’ payroll.

The study found that international supervisors who discovered the activities “avoid[ed] reporting to donors.”

Foundation for Defense of Democracies senior fellow and editor of the Long War Journal Bill Roggio said he “suspects [diversion figures] are even higher. The Taliban was and still is adept at infiltrating aid organizations and diverting aid to fill their coffers.”

Gaza (1949-present)

While the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has denied aid diversion in Gaza, Barak-Corren and Boxman note that diversion has been reported by WFP and the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. According to the authors, UNRWA “should be seen as a streamlined aid diversion operation enjoying a unique level of international immunity and freedom from accountability.”

AS ISRAEL FACES BLAME FOR THE HUNGER CRISIS IN GAZA, UN’S OWN DATA SHOWS MOST OF ITS AID IS LOOTED

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) declined to respond to questions about diversion in other conflict zones or whether aid providers are incentivized to hide diversion from donors. 

A UNOCHA spokesperson said that in Gaza, “we do not have evidence of systematic aid diversion from the U.N. to Hamas. The U.N. and our partners have strict monitoring in place, with oversight on deliveries when enabled to do so.”  

The U.N. and humanitarian groups “have a range of measures in place … to mitigate the risk of aid diversion and provide effective oversight,” the spokesperson said.

Barak-Corren told Fox News Digital that UNOCHA’s “answer demonstrates the exact phenomenon we pointed out in our research, which is that the U.N. prefers to avoid and suppress the issue of aid diversion as a general problem rather than confront it.”

The U.N.’s own figures show that an estimated 88% of aid did not reach its intended destination between May 19 and Aug. 12.

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An Israeli military official told Fox News Digital that their issue lies with Hamas “controlling the aid, selling it, getting money out of it, paying salaries, and including [recruiting] other youngsters to fight against us.” 

The official explained that the U.N. is “not paying for it. The world is paying for it, and not being responsible enough in order to avoid Hamas’ hands.” In this way, the official said, “they are assisting Hamas and assisting to make this war longer.”

Reuters contributed to this report.

Humanitarian aid transported by Greta Thunberg’s second flotilla won’t even reach Gaza because of a lack of docking facilities and Israel’s “lawful” blockade, a maritime expert has said.

As the Swedish activist’s boats left Barcelona Sunday, Thunberg was joined by figures, including Game of Thrones actor Liam Cunningham and former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, consisting of about 70 boats, is carrying aid including food, water and medicine and hoping to bring this to civilians in the Gaza Strip. 

The flotilla is expected to be joined by more boats before they reach Gaza around Sep. 14 or 15.

ISRAEL BLOCKS HUMANITARIAN AID INTO GAZA AFTER HAMAS REJECTS CEASEFIRE EXTENSION PROPOSAL

“The whole world knows that this is coming and the IDF is going to maintain a security perimeter out in the water to protect the beaches of Gaza,” Professor James Kraska, S.J.D., told Fox News Digital.

“There aren’t any port facilities in this area to unload anything and Gaza lacks a port sufficient to receive such a large flotilla. There’s a small fishing port, but that’s inadequate.

“The U.S. built a temporary port at considerable expense, about $200 million, and dismantled it because the weather and meteorology in the area made it unsustainable,” the U.S. Naval War College professor confirmed.

Thunberg’s second attempt at leading a flotilla comes amid the ongoing war in Gaza City that has killed more than 63,000 people. 

GRETA THUNBERG DEPORTED FROM ISRAEL AFTER GAZA-BOUND ‘SELFIE YACHT’ WAS SEIZED

At a press conference in Barcelona before she left, Thunberg framed the mission as an act of survival.

“The story here is about Palestine. The story here is how people are being deliberately deprived of the very basic means to survive,” Thunberg said, alleging that Israel was violating international law by “unlawfully intercepting boats in international waters” and preventing humanitarian aid from reaching civilians.

This is not Thunberg’s first attempt at delivering aid. In June, she was deported after her ship, the Madleen, was stopped by Israeli forces along with 11 others on board.

FOX NEWS ‘ANTISEMITISM EXPOSED’ NEWSLETTER: GRETA’S ANTI-ISRAEL STUNT GOES AWRY

Professor Kraska emphasized that having Israel’s blockade is a lawful operation during an armed conflict to prevent vessels entering, but it must meet certain requirements, including notice, effectiveness, and impartial enforcement.

“Ultimately, there is authority for Israel to defend the blockade,” Kraska said. “But it’s not just the law — politics and practical realities are involved as well. Both sides are weighing those dimensions.

“Israel, however, maintains that its maritime security operations, which look like a blockade, are a lawful measure of war and will act to prevent ships from docking.

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“There is not one controlling narrative: there is international law, the political situation and the tactical dimension,” he added.

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan near its shared border with Pakistan late Sunday, killing at least 250 people and injuring hundreds more. 

The quake was reported at 11:47 p.m. some 17 miles east-northeast of the city of Jalalabad in Nangarhar province, the U.S. Geological Survey said. 

The area is difficult to access, so the extent of the damage and injuries is not entirely known at this time. 

The Kunar Disaster Management Authority said in a statement that at least 250 people were killed and 500 others injured though those figures were expected to rise. 

RUSSIAN VOLCANO ERUPTS FOR FIRST TIME IN CENTURIES AFTER MASSIVE EARTHQUAKE STRIKES KAMCHATKA PENINSULA

The earthquake was just 5 miles deep and shallower quakes tend to cause more damage.

A 4.5 magnitude quake occurred in the same province just after midnight.

Afghanistan is especially vulnerable to earthquakes, particularly in the Hindu Kush Mountain range where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet. 

One of the deadliest natural disasters to strike Afghanistan in recent memory occurred on Oct. 7, 2023, when a 6.3 earthquake struck the South-Central Asian nation, followed by strong aftershocks. 

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The Taliban government estimated that at least 4,000 people perished, though the U.N. gave a far lower death toll of about 1,500.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.