WASHINGTON (Dispatches) - The U.S. State Department said it had approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine for an estimated $2.1 billion, in what would be one of the most significant steps to supply defensive weapons to Kyiv. The announcement follows a report by CNN earlier this month that Kyiv had completely exhausted its stockpile of U.S.-made interceptors used to defend against Russian missile and drone strikes at military-related targets. The State Department said in a statement on Friday that the Ukrainian government had requested that Washington sell it 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles and spare parts for launchers. Kyiv will pay for the interceptors with funds donated by Canada, Germany, and Norway, the State Department said. “No U.S. funds are involved in this sale,” it added.

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SEOUL (AFP) - North Korea has said that sanctions and pressure “may work on the weak but never on us,” after several countries called for its denuclearization and urged action to counter Pyongyang’s attempts to evade UN sanctions. Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea, the UK, the US and the European Union called for the “complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization” of North Korea, urging it to abandon its “unlawful” weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs. “We continue to strongly support the implementation of all DPRK-related UN Security Council resolutions,” they said in a joint statement. In a statement, a North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson denounced the countries’ position, describing it as a “wanton violation” of the country’s sovereignty.

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CALIFORNIA (AP) - A shooting in California at a store selling costumes and decor on the eve of Halloween has left one person dead and six injured, police said. Gunfire rang out inside Spirit Halloween, a store at the Solano Town Center in Fairfield late Friday, the Fairfield Police Department said in a statement posted to social media. All seven victims had gunshot wounds, including the person who died, the statement said. The remaining victims were taken to hospitals for treatment, and at least three people were in critical condition.

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RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ’s government summoned Argentina’s representative in the country after Flávio Bolsonaro fled to the U.S. via Argentina, marking the latest episode in tense relations between South America’s two powerhouses. Brazil’s foreign ministry asked for explanations on Thursday afternoon after the defeated presidential candidate passed through Argentina on his way to Miami, according to a diplomatic source who requested anonymity as they were not allowed to discuss the matter publicly.

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WARSAW (AP) — Hundreds of anti-government protesters rallied overnight outside Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal to denounce the suspension of its president, a move they blame on the country’s pro-European government. Police said they detained three protesters after some threw objects at officers and tried to break through the security fence around the court. Polish President Karol Nawrocki — who opposes the pro-European government — turned back his plane during a flight to Senegal on Friday evening and returned home. On Saturday, he made his way to the Constitutional Tribunal despite the chaos and said he helped the suspended court president enter the building.