NATO's chief announced that the alliance would move forward with next week's planned nuclear exercises,North Korea said its recent missile launches were nuclear attack simulations,after which it tested more missiles and flew warplanes near the border with South Korea,a military bus blast in Syria killed 18 soldiers,and mourners marked the 20th anniversary of the 2002 Bali bombing.

This week started with a wave of Russian strikes accross Ukraine - including on Kyiv - in what was widely suspected to be retaliation to last week's Crimean bridge blast.Russia alleged the blast was masterminded by Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate and arrested eight people allegedly connected to the attack on Wednesday.In response to Russia's strikes, the US and Germany vowed to deliver advanced missile defense systems to Ukraine on Monday.This was followed by a Nuclear Planning Group meeting on Thursday that saw defense ministers from NATO countries discuss Ukraine's missile defense capabilities.Shelling was also reported from Ukrainian forces within the Russian-controlled region of Kherson, which saw residents relocated.Kherson is one of four areas recently annexed by Russia - a move that the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to condemn as illegal.Meanwhile, on Friday, Russian Pres. Putin defended his actions in Ukraine as "correct and timely," saying he "did not set out to destroy Ukraine..

Iraq's parliament elected Abdul Latif Rashid as the new president,a court acquitted Pakistan's prime minister and his son of money laundering,and Israel and Lebanon reached a historic agreement on their shared maritime border.Meanwhile, Putin met with the UAE presidentand offered to resume gas supplies to Europe,Hong Kong said it wouldn't act on a sanctioned Russian superyacht,the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe called on the EU to recognize Russia as a terrorist regime,and Moscow labeled Meta an "extremist and terrorist" organization.In other news, the Biden administration offered Venezuelan migrants a path into the US,Musk asked the Pentagon to fund Ukraine's Starlink internet,the US waived export curbs for some non-Chinese chipmakers,and Biden vowed there would be "consequences" for Saudi Arabia over its oil cuts.Elsewhere, protests in Iran saw oil workers strike,anti-government protests erupted across Haiti,the EU declared its Nicaragua envoy a "persona non grata,"and the UN's refugee chief warned of "severe cuts" without funding.In the UK, PM Truss confirmed a new tax U-turn,Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng was sacked,and the Archbishop said he's concerned over talks of moving the UK embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

In the run-up to the midterms, the Jan. 6 Committee conducted its last hearing before voting begins,Biden's approval rating remains low,bank PACs were revealed to have cut their overall donations to federal candidates but boosted Democrats' share,and J.D. Vance and Tim Ryan clashed in the Ohio senate debate.Meanwhile, the Biden administration released its new national security strategy,a source in the Steele Dossier that alleged ties between Trump and Russia headed to trial,LA councilwoman Nury Martinez resigned following apparent racist remarks,former Hawaiian Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard left the Democratic party,and a judge ruled that Trump must sit for a deposition in a defamation suit.

Thousands marched in US abortion rallies,SCOTUS heard a pork industry challenge to a Californian animal-rights law,a report alleged that TikTok profits from exploitive live streams,Israel said it would pay the family of a Palestinian-American who died in detention,and Switzerland proposed $1k fines for Burqa ban violations.

Two people were shot outside of the home of a New York governor candidate,a suspect was arrested for a mass shooting in North Carolina,a jury recommended life in prison for the Parkland, FL school shooter,and a manhunt for a suspected shooter in Israel continued.Meanwhile, two Australians were arrested on charges of bribing Sri Lankan officials,Infowars founder Alex Jones was ordered to pay $965M in the Sandy Hook school shooting defamation suit,and SCOTUS weighed arguments on a copyright dispute involving the late artist Andy Warhol's estate and photographer Lynn Goldsmith.

Contaminated medicine killed at least 10 children in Yemen,a Pfizer executive said that COVID vaccines weren't tested on transmission before their rollout,the UK's first preliminary hearing into its COVID response began,and the US extended its COVID public health emergency.

The International Monetary Fund slashed its global economic forecast,US mortgage rates rose to their highest level since 2006,and France ordered striking oil workers back to workas it started gas deliveries to Germany.

A report by the UN and the Red Cross said that better preparation is needed for future heat waves,Hurricane Julia triggered deadly floods and a landslide in Venezuela,and Greece's power grid ran on 100% renewable energy for the first time.

The NFL agreed to revise its concussion protocols,and Hockey Canada's CEO and board of directors resigned over their alleged mishandling of sexual assault complaints.

Meta debuted its Quest Pro VR,and a Twitter filing revealed that Musk is under federal investigation.

A brain study successfully implanted human cells into rats,NASA's asteroid deflection mission was found to have been successful,and a report revealed that microbial life possibly lived on ancient Mars..