Global Conflicts Escalate: Ukraine, Gaza, and Syria

Russian forces launched a massive aerial attack on Ukraine, firing 367 drones and missiles at various cities, including the capital Kyiv, killing at least 12 people and injuring 60 others. The attack, the largest of the war so far, included strikes on regional centers such as Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Ternopil, causing widespread damage. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the US to speak out against the attack, saying "The silence of America... only encourages Putin." The assault comes as Ukraine and Russia prepare to conduct a prisoner swap, with US Special Envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg condemning the attack as a "clear violation" of international protocols.

US President Donald Trump has criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling him "absolutely crazy" after Russia launched its largest aerial attack on Ukraine, killing at least 12 people. Trump said he was "not happy" with Putin, stating "What the hell happened to him? He's killing a lot of people." He also considered increasing US sanctions on Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had urged "strong pressure" on Moscow, citing Washington's "silence" as encouraging Putin. The attack involved 367 drones and missiles, the highest number in a single night since Putin's 2022 invasion.

Russia and Ukraine have completed a massive prisoner swap, exchanging 1,000 prisoners of war and civilian detainees each, after agreeing to the terms in Istanbul earlier this month. The swap was the largest exchange of prisoners since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. However, just hours before the exchange, Ukraine came under a massive Russian drone-and-missile attack that killed at least 12 people and injured dozens, with a total of 367 drones and missiles launched. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Western partners to ramp up sanctions on Russia, while U.S. President Trump expressed frustration with both Putin and Zelenskyy, warning that Putin's actions could "lead to the downfall of Russia." The conflict continues, with battles ongoing along the 620-mile front line and tens of thousands of soldiers killed.

Russia and Ukraine exchanged 307 prisoners each on Saturday, a day after releasing 390 combatants and civilians, as part of a major swap that is expected to be the largest in over three years of war. The exchange occurred hours after Kyiv was hit with a large-scale Russian drone and missile attack that injured at least 15 people. The Ukrainian capital came under another attack early Sunday, injuring at least 10 people. The prisoner swap is part of a deal to exchange 1,000 prisoners from each side, agreed upon in talks held in Istanbul earlier this month. Despite the exchange, battles continued along the front line, and neither country has relented in its deep strikes.

At least 12 people, including three children, have been killed and dozens injured in a "massive" Russian drone and missile attack on Ukraine. The attack, which involved 298 drones and 69 missiles, hit several regions, including the capital Kyiv, where a student dormitory and a private house were damaged. Ukraine's air force said it downed 266 drones and 45 missiles. The attack came just hours before Russia and Ukraine completed a prisoner exchange, swapping 303 prisoners each. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the US and other leaders to increase pressure on Vladimir Putin, saying "America's silence... only encourages Putin."

US President Donald Trump has criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin after a series of deadly strikes across Ukraine, saying "I'm not happy with Putin" and that he is "killing a lot of people". The strikes, which included 367 drones and missiles, left 12 people dead and dozens injured, with three children among the victims. Trump, who had previously spoken positively about a potential peace deal, said he would consider more sanctions against Moscow and described Putin's actions as "shameful". Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged allies to increase pressure on Putin, saying silence "only encourages" him.

US President Donald Trump criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling him "absolutely crazy" after Russia launched a massive drone attack on Ukraine, killing at least 13 people, and said Putin's actions could lead to Russia's downfall.

A 28-year-old U.S.-German citizen, Joseph Neumayer, was arrested at JFK Airport in New York for allegedly attempting to firebomb the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel, earlier this month. Neumayer was found with a backpack containing three Molotov cocktails outside the embassy after he spat at an embassy guard and fled. He had previously posted threatening messages on social media, including one that read "join me as I burn down the embassy in Tel Aviv. Death to America, death to Americans, and f***k the west," and made threats against President Trump. Neumayer faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

An American man, 28-year-old Joseph Neumayer, was arrested at John F. Kennedy airport in New York after being deported from Israel for allegedly plotting to throw Molotov cocktails at a US embassy office in Tel Aviv. Neumayer, who is also a German citizen, had arrived at the embassy on May 19, spat on a guard, and left behind a backpack containing three Molotov cocktails. His social media allegedly included posts threatening to "burn down the embassy" and harm Americans and US President Donald Trump. If convicted, Neumayer faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The US Justice Department has charged 28-year-old Joseph Neumeyer, a US citizen with German citizenship, with attempting to firebomb a US Embassy branch office in Tel Aviv, Israel. Neumeyer was found outside the embassy with a backpack containing several Molotov cocktails and was arrested after fleeing the scene. He had made social media posts announcing his intent to target the embassy, including calling for the death of Americans and President Donald Trump. Neumeyer was deported from Israel to the US and appeared in a New York federal court, where he was ordered held pending trial. He faces up to 20 years in prison.

The Iranian regime's state-controlled newspaper, Kayhan, praised Elias Rodriguez, a 31-year-old man who allegedly shot and killed two Israeli Embassy staffers, including an American citizen, in Washington D.C., calling him "our dear brother" and "the founder of the Washington Basij," a para-military organization. The victims, Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, were shot outside a Jewish museum event, with Rodriguez allegedly stating he did it "for Palestine... for Gaza." The Iranian media's glorification of the murders has been condemned by Israel's Foreign Ministry and experts, who warn that it highlights the regime's true intentions and antisemitic views, and that the Trump administration should be cautious in its nuclear talks with Iran.

The UK government is facing calls to resume processing Syrian asylum claims after a five-month pause, with over 7,000 Syrians still awaiting a decision. Charities say the pause has left people in "indefinite limbo." The pause was implemented after President Bashar al-Assad's fall, but the situation in Syria remains uncertain. Syrians who fled Assad's rule may still feel unsafe to return, with some fearing persecution for calling for democratic change or due to their ethnicity. The pause has also affected those who have already been granted refugee status and are waiting for permanent settlement, causing uncertainty and difficulties in their daily lives. The Refugee Council is calling for claims to be processed on a case-by-case basis, suggesting that those seeking protection for reasons unrelated to the previous regime could be prioritized.

The Syrian government has agreed to help the US locate and return Americans who went missing in the country during the civil war, according to US special envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack. The announcement comes after Barrack met with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani in Turkey, marking a sign of improving bilateral ties between the two nations. The US is seeking information on several missing Americans, including Austin Tice, Majd Kamalmaz, and others, with the Syrian source indicating 11 other Syrian Americans on Washington's list. The development follows the Trump administration's decision to grant Syria exemptions from sanctions, a step towards fulfilling Trump's pledge to lift penalties on the country.

Nearly 80 people have been killed in recent Israeli strikes in Gaza, with 9 of a doctor's 10 children among the dead. The doctor, a pediatrician at Nasser Hospital, found her family's house on fire after a strike in Khan Younis, and her husband was severely wounded. The dead children ranged in age from 7 months to 12 years old. Israel's military said it struck suspects operating from a structure next to its forces and described the area as a "dangerous war zone." The death toll in Gaza since October 7, 2023, has risen to 53,901, with aid slowly trickling in after a blockade. Israel's military has also been accused of using Palestinians as human shields, a practice prohibited by international law, with several Palestinians and Israeli soldiers coming forward with allegations.

At least 24 Palestinians were killed in two Israeli air strikes in Gaza, including a strike on a school sheltering displaced families, where 20 bodies were recovered, many severely burned. The strikes are part of a broader Israeli offensive that has escalated in northern Gaza. The school strike followed another air strike that killed four people in central Gaza City. The violence has continued amid a total Israeli blockade on Gaza, with international calls for a ceasefire and an arms embargo on Israel. Since the conflict began, at least 53,939 people have been killed in Gaza.

Dr. Alaa al-Najjar, working in the emergency room at the Nasser Medical Complex in southern Gaza, left her ten children at home. An Israeli strike on her home killed seven of her children, whose bodies, mostly badly burned, were later brought to the hospital. Two more of her children, a 7-month-old and a 12-year-old, are presumed dead but remain missing.

The humanitarian chief of Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Chris Lockyear, has described the situation in Gaza as a "catastrophe" after an Israeli airstrike killed nine children of a Palestinian paediatrician, Alaa al Najjar. The children, aged between seven months and 12 years, were killed in the strike on Friday, and their mother, who was on shift at the Nasser Medical Complex, received their bodies while working. The attack also left her husband severely wounded and their only surviving son, 11-year-old Adam, in a critical condition. Lockyear said the hospital where Dr Najjar works has been subject to three airstrikes in two months, highlighting the "complexity, almost impossibility, of providing humanitarian services in Gaza". The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that almost all of Gaza's 36 hospitals are damaged or destroyed, and only 19 remain operational. The Israeli military claimed it targeted "suspects operating from a structure" near Khan Younis, where the strike occurred, and said it was investigating the claim of harm to uninvolved civilians.

At least 20 people were killed and dozens injured in an Israeli airstrike on a school in Gaza City that was sheltering displaced people. The Israeli military claimed it targeted a "command and control center used by terrorists". The strike has drawn international condemnation, with a British doctor working in Gaza accusing politicians of being "complicit" in the "ongoing slaughter and starvation". The head of a US-backed aid group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, has resigned, citing concerns over the organization's ability to adhere to humanitarian principles. The Israeli military campaign in Gaza has killed over 53,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and has faced mounting criticism from Western allies.

Nine of a Gazan doctor's 10 children were killed in an Israeli missile strike on their home in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. The doctor, Alaa Al Najjar, a paediatrician, was at work during the attack, while her husband, Hamdi Al Najjar, also a doctor, was left in a critical condition. The couple's surviving son was badly injured. The strike has been described as "horrific" and "unimaginable" by British doctors working at Nasser Hospital, where the injured son was treated. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said they struck a structure adjacent to their troops in the area, but claimed the harm to uninvolved civilians is under review.