In a small room in a nondescript building near Colombia’s mountainous border with Venezuela, Pastor Juan Martinez leans his slight frame over a bulky Bible and describes Christian ministry in his rural Colombian village: “I am currently under threat of death for preaching the gospel.”

Martinez isn’t alone.

In the same room, three other Colombian pastors tell similar stories about the dangers of leading evangelical churches in rural regions where armed militants still roam the hills and demand control.

The South China Sea is more than 7,000 miles from San Diego, yet it became the sight of a showdown between China and the United States on Sept. 30, as the USS Decatur nearly collided with a Chinese destroyer bent on blocking its path. The Chinese ship came within 45 yards of the U.S. vessel and its 356 crew members in a breathtaking—and deliberate—close call.

For weeks reports suggested Syria’s 7-year-old civil war could come to a conclusive—and potentially apocalyptic—closing act in the western province of Idlib. “Russia softens up west for bloodbath,” “Drones crowd Idlib skies,” and “War in Idlib,” went the headlines. Residents sought ways to sell their property and furniture to fund desperate escapes. Some prepared underground hideouts, away from the Syrian regime’s dreaded barrel bombs. 

North and South Korean troops on Monday began removing landmines from their heavily fortified border following agreements the two nations reached last month, according to South Korean officials. The South Korean defense ministry released a statement saying the countries would remove the landmines from the Demilitiarized Zone within the next 20 days. South Korea deployed army engineers to the border village of Panmunjom and Arrow Head Hill, where the two nations plan to launch their first joint searches for soldiers killed in the Korean War.

Russia said it is sending advanced missile defense systems to the Syrian government, a move the United States warns would be a “major mistake.” The Russian Defense Ministry said it would deliver sophisticated S-300 air defense systems to Syria within the next two weeks. Earlier in the Syrian civil war, Russia suspended a supply of S-300s after Israel expressed concern. But Moscow will now go ahead with the shipment, saying, “The situation has changed, and it’s not our fault.” Last week, Syria accidentally shot down a Russian military plane during an Israeli airstrike.

The Russian Defense Ministry said a Syrian missile shot down a Russian military aircraft with 15 people on board late Monday. Russia blamed Israel for the “intentional provocation.” The ministry said a Syrian surface-to-air missile accidentally struck the Russian Il-20 aircraft while engaging four Israeli fighter jets in the Syrian coastal province of Latakia late Monday. All 15 Russians on board the aircraft died in the strike.

About 90 elderly South Koreans on Monday crossed into North Korea to reunite briefly with family members separated from them during the Korean War. Buses carrying the South Koreans arrived at the North’s Diamond Mountain resort, as agreed upon by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in during a summit in April. South Korea has repeatedly requested more frequent reunions between separated family members as those affected age into their 80s and 90s. The North has only agreed to brief, one-time reunions.