🪖 Russia and Ukraine Trade Heavy Strikes — 10+ Killed
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged heavy attacks, killing more than 10 people, as the war — now in its fifth year — shows no signs of abating.
No further breakdown of casualties or specific strike locations was provided in available reporting, but the exchange marks a continued intensification of hostilities with no ceasefire in sight.
🌍 Suicide Bombing Kills 17 Outside Pakistan Police Station
At least 17 people were killed in a suspected suicide bombing outside a police station in Pakistan's northwestern Swat district on Sunday, according to a rescue group and a regional police official.
The blast struck the Kabal area of Swat, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. A pro-police rally of local residents was underway nearby at the time; it was not immediately clear whether the rally was the intended target.
The attack comes as Pakistan faces widening insurgencies across its northwestern regions.
🌍 Five Years of Taliban Rule: Afghanistan's Rights Crisis Deepens
Five years after the Taliban seized Kabul on August 15, 2021, Human Rights Watch describes Afghanistan as one of the world's worst human rights crises, with women and girls subjected to a systematic dismantling of their rights and over 17 million people facing acute food insecurity.
Afghanistan remains the only country where girls are barred from education beyond sixth grade. A criminal procedure code issued January 4, 2026 embeds religious discrimination into law, labels Shia Muslims as heretics, and narrows domestic violence protections. A separate decree removes minimum-age protections for girls' marriage. Journalists, activists and critics face arbitrary arrest and torture.
"The fifth anniversary of the Taliban takeover is a grim marker of the devastating costs of impunity," said HRW's Fereshta Abbasi, urging governments to "press for justice for serious crimes in Afghanistan, including the crime against humanity of gender persecution." The UN Humanitarian Response Plan remains severely underfunded as the US, UK and other donors have cut aid.
An explosive device detonated outside an upscale restaurant on Kudrinskaya Square in Moscow on Saturday, wounding at least 21 people, Russia's National Anti-Terrorism Committee confirmed.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin called the attack a "brutal terrorist act" and vowed the perpetrators would be punished. No group has claimed responsibility and the investigation is ongoing.
Israeli airstrikes continued in Gaza for a second consecutive day Sunday, killing at least nine Palestinians, despite President Trump's claim of a ceasefire breakthrough.
Energy Minister Eli Cohen stated flatly there is "no deal to halt attacks on Gaza," adding that Israel — which already controls 70% of the Strip — should take full control of the territory.
The statement directly contradicts Trump's announcement of progress in implementing last year's ceasefire agreement, deepening uncertainty over any path to halting the conflict.
🪖 Ukraine Drones Kill 2, Hit Wildberries Hub and Saratov Refinery
Ukrainian drone strikes killed at least two people in Russian regions along the Volga River overnight, also hitting a Wildberries warehouse in Samara and an oil refinery in Saratov, regional officials said Sunday.
Russia's Defence Ministry claimed it downed 635 Ukrainian drones during the night. The Samara Wildberries hub targeted covers 178,600 square metres; the Saratov refinery strike sparked a large fire — the 15th attack on that facility. Ukrainian strikes have reportedly destroyed around 38% of Wildberries' major warehouse capacity over the past two weeks, causing supply disruptions and price increases.
The strikes hit targets roughly 800km from Ukraine's most advanced military positions inside Russian-held territory.