U.S. military kills 6 on alleged drug boat in Caribbean

The U.S. military sank a drug-smuggling vessel overnight in international waters of the Caribbean, killing all six people aboard, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said early Friday.

It was the first nighttime strike against a suspected narcotics ship, and the tenth since September, increasing the total death toll from these U.S. operations to more than 40.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has repeatedly condemned Washington's actions as attempts to overthrow his government and expand the U.S. military influence in Latin America. Earlier this month, Colombian President Gustavo Petro accused the U.S. government of "murder" for killing drug suspects at sea.

U.S. sanctions Colombian president amid worsening bilateral relations

The Trump administration on Friday imposed sanctions on Colombian President Gustavo Petro amid deteriorating bilateral relations, accusing Petro of allowing drug cartels to "flourish," according to a statement from the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

"President Petro has allowed drug cartels to flourish and refused to stop this activity," U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in the statement.

Israeli strike kills Hezbollah commander in S. Lebanon

The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that it struck and killed a senior Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon on Friday.

Abbas Hassan Karky, the logistics commander of Hezbollah's Southern Front headquarters, was killed in the Nabatieh area of southern Lebanon, the statement said.

8 terrorists killed in counterterrorism operation in NW Pakistan

Pakistan's security forces killed eight terrorists during an intelligence-based operation in the country's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said on Friday.

During the operation, security forces effectively engaged the terrorists' hideouts, resulting in an intense exchange of fire that left eight militants dead, the statement said.

China ratifies Commemoration Day of Taiwan's Restoration

China's national legislature on Friday voted to designate Oct. 25 as the Commemoration Day of Taiwan's Restoration.

The state will hold commemorative activities in various forms on this day, according to the decision adopted at the five-day session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), which opened on Friday.■