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  • Widower who lost wife and 6 children in attack remarries in Nigerian mass wedding for 1,500 couples

    Widower who lost wife and 6 children in attack remarries in Nigerian mass wedding for 1,500 couples

    In the heart of Kano, Nigeria’s most populous northern state, a weekend of collective celebration has opened the door to fresh beginnings for 1,500 couples, many of whom have carried grief, economic hardship, and social vulnerability for years. For Haruna Bashir, one groom participating in the state-organized event, the mass wedding was far more than a traditional ceremonial gathering—it was a long-awaited turning point after unfathomable tragedy earlier this year, when a brutal attack claimed the lives of his first wife and all six of his children.

    Organized by Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, the two-day event unfolded across all 44 of the state’s local government areas simultaneously, marking the second mass wedding initiative launched under Yusuf’s administration, which took office in 2023. The program was crafted to target vulnerable groups: widows seeking to remarry, young women from low-income backgrounds, and people like Bashir who lost their families and needed support to rebuild their lives. Unlike traditional weddings in the region that often impose crippling financial burdens on couples and their families, this state-led effort covers most core costs and provides direct financial support to help new households get started.

    Sheikh Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, commander-general of the Kano State Hisbah Board, which coordinated the logistics of the ceremony, shared that Bashir had isolated himself from community life after his tragic loss, but the wedding has pulled him back toward connection and normalcy. Daurawa added that every participating couple completed mandatory pre-wedding screening, counseling, and fulfilled all religious and legal requirements before the event to ensure long-term compatibility and compliance with local norms.

    Each bride received 200,000 naira, equal to approximately $145, which serves both as a formal dowry and startup capital for a small independent business. Couples also went home with essential household goods, including beds, mattresses, blankets, linens, and rugs—foundational items many would have been unable to afford on their own.

    Governor Yusuf framed the initiative as a deliberate, bold social intervention designed to restore hope and foster dignified family life across the state. “This program is not just about helping people who cannot afford to marry on their own,” he explained. “It is about strengthening family units and advancing social stability across Kano.” The mass wedding forms part of a broader slate of social welfare policies that Yusuf has prioritized since taking office in 2023, all aimed at reducing economic hardship for vulnerable residents.

    The ceremony concluded with prayers from Kano Chief Imam Prof. Sani Zahraddeen, who asked for divine guidance, blessings, and lasting peace for every new household. Many beneficiaries have already spoken publicly about their gratitude for the opportunity to start over with dignity. For Malama Ainau Mudi, a 38-year-old widow who had been unmarried for four years after her first husband’s passing, the day marks an unforgettable new chapter. “Today’s date will never be forgotten in my life,” Mudi said. “My husband died four years ago, and today I wed my new husband whose love and caring will ease my years of being a widow.”

    Mass wedding programs have a long history in Kano, a major center of Islamic culture in West Africa, where successive state administrations have embraced the practice as a tool to support widows, divorcees, and low-income young women. The initiative arrives at a critical moment, as northern Nigeria grapples with soaring inflation and rising costs of living that have made marriage unobtainable for thousands of vulnerable households.

    Social welfare experts have praised the program for addressing a pressing social need, while noting that long-term impact will require complementary support. Dr. Musa Abdullahi, a university lecturer specializing in social welfare, explained that removing economic barriers to marriage can meaningfully boost family stability for marginalized groups, but lasting change depends on pairing wedding support with broader economic and social development programs. Even with that caveat, for the 1,500 couples who crossed this threshold this weekend, the program has already delivered life-changing change: for people who thought they would never get a second chance at happiness, the mass wedding has turned that hope into reality.

  • ‘Used as human bait’: Leaked image shows elderly Palestinian men before execution by Israeli forces

    ‘Used as human bait’: Leaked image shows elderly Palestinian men before execution by Israeli forces

    A newly leaked photograph has reignited international scrutiny of Israeli military conduct in northern Gaza, offering fresh visual evidence of alleged human rights abuses against Palestinian civilians. The image, published by Palestinian journalist Younis Tirawi on the social platform X, depicts two blindfolded elderly Palestinian men from Beit Lahia, identified as Nadi Marouf and Ali Marouf, standing among Israeli military personnel. Tirawi confirms the photo was captured just hours before the pair were killed by Israeli forces in November 2024.

    According to Tirawi’s previous reporting from October 2025, troops from the 92nd Battalion of Israel’s Kfir Brigade abducted the two elderly men from their hometown, holding them as human shields for multiple days before executing them. This account aligns with an earlier October 2025 report from *The Palestine Chronicle*, which detailed that the men were detained, stripped to their underwear, and shot after being released near al-Tawam roundabout. The report added that the pair were forced to enter buildings ahead of Israeli soldiers, a practice that independent investigations have repeatedly documented across Gaza. Ramy Abdu, chairman of the Geneva-based Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor, confirmed that relatives found the men’s bodies three days after their killing, confirming they were executed following their use as human shields.

    This leaked photograph is the latest addition to a growing body of testimonies and visual evidence documenting the systematic use of Palestinian civilians as human shields during Israeli military operations in Gaza. Multiple independent probes have already confirmed the widespread nature of this practice: an Associated Press investigation published in 2025 gathered testimony from both Palestinian civilians and Israeli soldiers confirming the tactic was common, with Palestinians forced to enter potentially booby-trapped buildings and tunnels ahead of Israeli troops to clear for explosives or fighters. Al Jazeera later corroborated these findings, interviews with seven Palestinians and two Israeli military officers who described the routine use of this tactic. A United Nations investigation has previously ruled that forcing civilians to enter structures ahead of soldiers constitutes the use of human shields, a clear violation of international humanitarian law. In May 2025, the Israeli military acknowledged that the practice is “strictly prohibited” under its standing orders and announced it had opened investigations into multiple reported cases.

    Alongside these latest allegations of extrajudicial killing and human shielding, reports continue to emerge of abusive conditions for Palestinian detainees held by Israel. On June 21, 71-year-old Dr. Mazen Rantisi — a prominent Palestinian physician widely known as the “doctor of the poor” and chairman of the Health Work Committees, a leading Palestinian medical services organization — was arrested during a pre-dawn Israeli raid on his Ramallah home. In statements relayed through his lawyer, Rantisi confirmed that prison authorities at Ofer Prison withheld his essential daily medication for the first 10 days of his detention, and continue to deny him access to one critical drug. He also reported repeated cell raids by prison security that have included beatings of detainees, and that he has suffered rapid weight loss due to inadequate, unfit food rations consisting of mouldy bread, near-rotten tomatoes, uncooked hummus and foul-smelling rice. Belgian human rights organization Viva Salud has issued a statement expressing grave concern over the health and access to care for Rantisi and a second Health Work Committees official arrested alongside him.

    These developments unfold against the backdrop of a rapidly worsening humanitarian catastrophe across the Gaza Strip. Gaza’s Ministry of Health has confirmed that more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed since the outbreak of war in October 2023, a figure that is widely understood to be an undercount: thousands of bodies remain trapped beneath the rubble of thousands of destroyed buildings, making a full accounting of casualties impossible. On August 4, Gaza held a mass funeral for 112 people killed in an Israeli air strike in 2023, whose remains were only recovered in recent excavation efforts. Gaza authorities estimate thousands more people remain buried under collapsed infrastructure.

    The crisis of food insecurity and malnutrition has reached catastrophic levels, according to United Nations data. The UN has already recorded 193 deaths from malnutrition in Gaza, 96 of which are children. In July 2025 alone, screening found 11,877 children between the ages of six and 59 months suffering from acute malnutrition, including 2,562 cases of severe acute malnutrition, the most life-threatening form of the condition. Projections cited by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimate that by October 2026, more than 100,000 children in the same age group will suffer from acute malnutrition, with over 31,000 facing severe, life-threatening cases. UN humanitarian agencies have repeatedly warned that critical levels of food insecurity and malnutrition will persist as long as severe restrictions on the entry of food, medicine and other essential supplies remain in place.

    The growing accumulation of allegations of abuse against Palestinian civilians, detainees and the dead has intensified global scrutiny of Israel’s military conduct in Gaza, as humanitarian organizations continue to document crippling restrictions on access to life-saving aid.

  • US offers $1bn to Colombia on new right-wing president’s first day of office

    US offers $1bn to Colombia on new right-wing president’s first day of office

    Just hours after Abelardo de la Espriella, Colombia’s new right-wing populist president, took the oath of office, the United States announced a landmark $1 billion security package to support his administration’s core policy priorities. A self-described political outsider and avowed admirer of second-term US President Donald Trump, de la Espriella used his highly anticipated inaugural address to declare an all-out war on the drug cartels and organized criminal networks that have long destabilized Colombian society.

    The US State Department framed the security assistance as a collaborative effort to advance shared bilateral goals, including countering transnational organized crime and curbing irregular migration flows. For years, Trump harshly criticized de la Espriella’s left-wing predecessor Gustavo Petro for his approach to both issues, setting the stage for a reset in bilateral relations following de la Espriella’s June election victory. Ahead of the vote, Trump publicly pledged the “total support and strength of the United States” to the Colombian candidate, predicting a far more productive working relationship between the two nations.

    De la Espriella, a lawyer and millionaire businessman by trade, took an unorthodox approach to his inauguration, opting to deliver his oath not in the national capital Bogotá, but in the violence-plagued western city of Cali. The choice was widely interpreted as a deliberate signal of his commitment to reassert state control over regions grappling with chronic gang activity. Speaking to assembled troops at a nearby military base, the new president laid out a hardline agenda: he pledged to crush armed insurgent groups, rebuild national institutions, and defend Colombian democracy “by reason or by force.” Adopting his self-styled nickname “El Tigre” (The Tiger) as a branding for his administration, de la Espriella emphasized that the Colombian state would act with unflinching decisiveness against criminal actors, declaring: “There will not be a single place in our territory where criminals can feel safe.”

    Political analysts have drawn clear parallels between de la Espriella’s proposed crackdown and the harsh anti-gang policies implemented by high-profile right-wing populist leaders Nayib Bukele of El Salvador and Daniel Noboa of Ecuador. This approach marks a complete break from the “total peace” strategy pursued by former president Petro, which prioritized negotiated settlements with armed groups and economic incentives for coca farmers to transition away from illicit crop cultivation. Critics of Petro’s framework argue it failed to curb growing criminal influence: armed group membership has expanded across Colombia in recent years, and a brutal clash between rival rebel factions along the Colombia-Venezuela border displaced more than 30,000 people in 2025.

    In one of his first official acts as head of state, de la Espriella confirmed that Colombia will join the Shield of the Americas, a US-led regional security partnership launched by the Trump administration. The move aligns Colombia with a growing bloc of right-leaning Latin American governments that have pursued closer ties with Washington, including Argentina under libertarian President Javier Milei, whom de la Espriella has publicly praised. The US State Department welcomed the accession, noting that de la Espriella’s pro-growth policy agenda creates new opportunities to expand bilateral trade and deepen economic integration.

    De la Espriella’s election is the latest milestone in a broader regional shift toward right-wing politics across Latin America, driven by widespread public frustration over economic stagnation and surging gang violence. With de la Espriella in office and Keiko Fujimori recently taking power in Peru, Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva remains the only prominent left-wing head of state in the region, though he will face a challenge from Flávio Bolsonaro, son of pro-Trump former president Jair Bolsonaro, in October’s general election.

    On foreign policy, de la Espriella has also broken sharply with Petro’s approach, promising to forge close military alliances with both the United States and Israel. Petro cut diplomatic ties with the Israeli government over its military offensive in Gaza and was a prominent vocal advocate for Palestinian statehood, a stark reversal of the new administration’s stance.

    Notably, de la Espriella has held US citizenship since 2023, after decades of living and working in Miami, Florida. Before entering politics, he built a high-profile career as a defense attorney representing drug-trafficking paramilitaries — the very criminal groups he now pledges to lock up. He launched his presidential candidacy just one month after a rival conservative candidate was assassinated during the campaign, and often appeared at public rallies behind bulletproof glass, wearing a bulletproof vest alongside his signature Colombian football jersey.

    High-profile guests in attendance at his inauguration included US Attorney General Todd Blanche and FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who attended alongside the head of CONMEBOL, South America’s governing football body, amid ongoing scrutiny of Infantino’s leadership of global football. For his part, Petro, who was constitutionally barred from seeking a second consecutive term, had been a fierce critic of Trump’s influence in Latin America, particularly condemning the Trump administration’s arrest of Venezuelan socialist President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores on US drug charges, a move that opened the door for US energy firms to access Venezuela’s vast untapped oil reserves. Petro and his left-wing ally Iván Cepeda had repeatedly warned that Colombia must not become a US “vassal” under a de la Espriella administration.

  • Watch: Moment opposition MP throws eggs at Kosovo’s acting PM

    Watch: Moment opposition MP throws eggs at Kosovo’s acting PM

    A dramatic incident has sent shockwaves through Kosovo’s legislative body, as a confrontational opposition lawmaker resorted to unusual and chaotic tactics against the country’s top executive. Time Kadrijaj, a member of parliament from Kosovo’s Alliance opposition party, launched at least four eggs directly toward acting prime minister Albin Kurti during a parliamentary session, triggering immediate disruption to the proceedings.

    Witness footage captured the chaotic moment immediately after the eggs were thrown, with sitting lawmakers and on-site security police rushing in to intervene and de-escalate the tense situation. The unexpected act of political protest has drawn immediate attention to the rising tensions between Kosovo’s ruling coalition and opposition blocs, highlighting the deepening partisan divides that have shaped the country’s recent political landscape.

    While no injuries have been reported in the immediate aftermath of the incident, the confrontation underscores how fractious political discourse has become in Kosovo, as opposition groups increasingly turn to unconventional, public acts of protest to challenge the acting prime minister’s agenda. Parliamentary procedures were temporarily suspended following the incident to restore order to the chamber.

  • ‘My Ray of Light’: Madonna remembers acclaimed producer William Orbit

    ‘My Ray of Light’: Madonna remembers acclaimed producer William Orbit

    The global pop icon Madonna has opened up about her grief and gratitude following the passing of her legendary creative partner, Grammy Award-winning producer William Orbit, who died at his home last month at 69. Orbit’s family shared the news of his death in an official statement released Friday, expressing profound sorrow, though no cause of death has been disclosed to the public. On Saturday, Madonna took to her official Instagram to share an emotional, personal tribute to the British producer, who reshaped her artistic trajectory and helped deliver one of the most celebrated albums of her decades-long career.

    Born William Wainwright in London, Orbit built a reputation as a boundary-pushing producer with a gift for blending electronic, ambient, and pop sounds. His most iconic collaboration came in 1998, when he stepped into the studio with Madonna to create *Ray of Light* — an album that upended the pop superstar’s established sound, merging electronic dance music and ambient techno with mainstream pop and trip-hop influences. At a point when many wondered if Madonna had reached the peak of her cultural impact, the project reinvigorated her career and cemented her status as a enduring innovator in pop music. The genre-bending record would go on to claim three Grammy Awards, and decades later, it remains widely regarded as the finest work of Madonna’s catalog, often referred to as the Queen of Pop’s masterpiece.

    In her Instagram tribute, Madonna paired heartfelt written reflections with a touching multimedia montage: the compilation includes footage of the pair accepting a Grammy Award together alongside clips of the iconic music videos and unreleased behind-the-scenes content they created during their years of collaboration. In her post, Madonna described Orbit as a creative force who unlocked parts of her artistry she never knew existed. “You pressed a magic button inside of me and I fell into a galaxy of unrealised dreams,” she wrote. “Your music gave me a magic carpet to fly on and I visited many places.”

    Madonna explained that collaborating with Orbit encouraged her to experiment with new approaches to songwriting and vocals, freeing her from the pressure to adhere to conventional expectations. She recalled that Orbit inspired her to create without overthinking whether her lyrics “made sense or not”, opening a new era of creative authenticity for the artist. The singer also linked Orbit’s influence to one of the most pivotal personal periods of her life, noting: “In many ways you were my Ray of Light – as was my daughter Lola who was born around this time.”

    Looking back on their studio sessions, Madonna painted a picture of quiet, electric creativity: “The studio was often church-like and I would sit in silence, waiting for your ideas to explode out of your keyboard or your guitar and then I would run with them. I miss those days.” Beyond *Ray of Light*, the pair continued their creative partnership across multiple eras of Madonna’s career: Orbit contributed to her 2000 album *Music* and produced multiple tracks for her 2012 record *MDNA*. Beyond his work with Madonna, Orbit left an indelible mark on modern music through collaborations with other prominent acts, including British rock band Blur, American pop-rocker Pink, and British girl group All Saints.

    Madonna closed her tribute by honoring Orbit’s one-of-a-kind artistic vision, writing: “You were so otherworldly. So singular.” The pop star emphasized that even across decades of working with other producers, she never forgot the magical creative bond they shared. “I was so lucky to have known you and fallen down the rabbit hole with you,” she added. The tribute comes as fans and fellow artists around the world continue to mourn the loss of one of the most innovative producers in modern pop and electronic music. Separately, the news also notes that Madonna recently staged a surprise pop-up performance for fans in New York City ahead of the tribute.

  • Messi’s father Jorge dies aged 68 after illness

    Messi’s father Jorge dies aged 68 after illness

    The global football community is in mourning following the passing of Jorge Messi, the father, foundational mentor and long-time agent of eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, at 68 after a prolonged battle with illness. He died in the early hours of Saturday at a hospital in his native Rosario, Argentina, the city where the Messi story first began.

    Speculation over Jorge’s health had circulated widely during this summer’s World Cup, prompting the Messi family to release a statement confirming he was managing an undisclosed private health issue, without sharing further details of his condition at the time. This was not the first time unfounded rumors of his death spread: earlier this year, an Argentine television presenter falsely announced Jorge’s passing during Argentina’s opening World Cup match, leading to the presenter’s resignation and a sharp rebuke from the family, who condemned the irresponsible violation of their privacy.

    Jorge Messi’s legacy is inextricably tied to the rise of Lionel Messi, widely regarded as the greatest men’s footballer to ever step onto the pitch. He began serving as his son’s agent when Lionel was just 14 years old, guiding every major step of his career from a prodigious child prospect to a global icon. He was present in Qatar in 2022 to witness the crowning achievement of Lionel’s career, as Argentina lifted their third World Cup trophy, fulfilling a decades-long dream for both father and son.

    Jorge, a lifelong supporter of Argentine club Newell’s Old Boys, first brought 7-year-old Lionel into the club’s youth academy, laying the groundwork for his extraordinary career. When Lionel was scouted and signed by FC Barcelona at age 13, the family relocated to Spain in 2001. While Messi’s mother and three siblings later returned to Rosario, Jorge remained in Barcelona to support his son through the early, formative years of his professional career.

    Tributes have poured in from across the global football community following the announcement of his passing. Newell’s Old Boys, the club that Jorge supported his entire life, honored his foundational role in a post on X, writing: “Jorge was the pillar and the person who supported with vision, rigor and affection the career of the greatest player of all time alongside his wife, Celia Cuccittini. His constant companionship and behind-the-scenes leadership were essential in backing every step of Lionel, from his beginnings at Malvinas [youth academy] to the pinnacle of world football glory. Thank you for teaching him to love these colours.” The club also extended its condolences to the entire Messi family during their period of grief.

    FC Barcelona, the club where Lionel spent the first 21 years of his professional career winning four Champions League titles and 10 La Liga crowns, thanked Jorge for his trust and contribution to the club’s most successful era: “for his commitment to our club, for entrusting us with the beginnings and the most glorious years of his son Leo’s football career.”

    The Argentine Football Association also released a statement mourning his loss, saying it “deeply mourns with sadness and sorrow the passing of Jorge Messi, father of our captain and emblem, Lionel Messi. From here, we stand in solidarity with the entire family during this difficult time and send the most heartfelt, warm and affectionate embrace.”

    Lionel Messi, currently 39, plays professionally for Major League Soccer side Inter Miami. He has not yet released a public statement following his father’s passing as of the publication of this report.

  • Typhoon Dolphin batters Japan’s Okinawa before bearing down on China

    Typhoon Dolphin batters Japan’s Okinawa before bearing down on China

    One of the most intense tropical cyclones of the 2026 Pacific typhoon season, Typhoon Dolphin, has swept through Japan’s southwestern island chain, leaving widespread disruption and minor injuries in its wake before turning toward China’s eastern seaboard, where emergency authorities have activated full preemptive safety measures.

    The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has classified Dolphin as a “very strong” typhoon, recording maximum sustained wind speeds of 162 kilometers per hour (101 miles per hour) when the storm made its closest approach to Okinawa prefecture on Saturday. The hardest-hit regions across Japan are the remote southern islands of Amami Oshima and the main Okinawa archipelago, which bore the full brunt of the storm’s high winds and dangerous storm surge.

    As of the latest official updates from the Okinawa prefectural government, approximately 44,000 residential and commercial buildings across the affected islands have been left without electrical power, and five elderly residents have sustained non-fatal injuries from the storm. Three of the five injuries occurred when victims were knocked off their feet by powerful gusts, authorities confirmed. Local reporting from Japan’s public broadcaster NHK documents extensive storm damage across the region: countless mature trees have been uprooted across Nago City in northern Okinawa, and one passenger vehicle was found flipped onto its roof in a public parking lot, leaking motor oil onto the pavement.

    Days before the storm’s arrival, regional transportation networks already began shutting down to avoid risk. Naha International Airport, Okinawa’s primary international and domestic air hub, suspended all operations and closed its runways on Friday, leading to the full cancellation of all incoming and outgoing flights for the duration of the storm’s passage.

    JMA issued urgent public warnings throughout the event, cautioning residents to stay away from coastal areas due to extreme risks of life-threatening high waves, coastal flooding from storm surge, and dangerous embedded lightning strikes across the affected region.

    After moving past Japan’s southwestern islands, Dolphin is projected to continue on its northwest track and make landfall along China’s eastern Zhejiang province coast sometime between late Sunday and early Monday local time. Chinese emergency management officials have moved quickly to prepare for the storm’s arrival, upgrading the provincial coastal typhoon alert to the highest possible level and halting all port operations, ferry services, and in-person schooling across at-risk coastal districts.

    In line with this precautionary shutdown, Zhejiang’s Ningbo Lishe International Airport announced it would suspend all flight operations starting at 23:30 local time Saturday (15:30 GMT), with all air traffic canceled for the full day of Sunday.

    This year’s Pacific typhoon activity has been shaped by a strong El Niño event, which climate researchers note creates more favorable ocean conditions for the development of unusually intense tropical cyclones. The western Pacific typhoon season typically runs from May through October, when warm sea surface temperatures fuel storm formation. On average, the JMA records 25 tropical cyclones that reach tropical storm strength in the region each year, with approximately three of those systems making landfall in Japan, a small number of which typically reach “very strong” typhoon classification matching Dolphin’s intensity.

    For context, the term “typhoon” is the regional classification for mature tropical cyclones that form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, while equivalent storms in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific oceans are referred to as hurricanes.

  • Ukraine warns of tough winter as Russia strikes kill 4 in Kyiv region

    Ukraine warns of tough winter as Russia strikes kill 4 in Kyiv region

    On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made his first official visit to Belgrade as head of state, where he delivered a stark warning about the coming winter amid a fresh wave of deadly Russian long-range strikes that claimed multiple civilian lives, including a young child, in the Kyiv region.

    During a press conference alongside Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Zelensky confirmed that Russian overnight missile and drone barrages, paired with intensified shelling across frontline communities, had killed 13 civilians across Ukraine in the 24-hour period. Among the fatalities was a three-year-old boy killed in a strike on a village outside Kyiv; four additional people, including the child’s parents, his 15-year-old brother, and a neighbor who rushed to provide aid, were hospitalized after a follow-up double-tap strike on the residential site. Local reports and on-the-ground accounts from AFP correspondents in Kyiv documented roughly a dozen explosions across the capital region, as Ukrainian air defense units issued urgent alerts for incoming ballistic attacks from the north.

    Zelensky emphasized that Russian forces are deliberately targeting Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure to break civilian morale, leaving the country with virtually no undamaged thermal power plants as it prepares for the winter heating season. Thermal power facilities serve as a critical backup to Ukraine’s nuclear energy fleet, which forms the backbone of the country’s national power grid. With more than three years having passed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion, both sides have sharply escalated long-range strike operations, leading to a steady rise in civilian casualties. Moscow has ramped up attacks on Kyiv in recent months, primarily using salvos of ballistic missiles that are notoriously difficult for existing air defense systems to intercept, prompting repeated Ukrainian appeals for additional U.S.-manufactured Patriot interceptor missiles and other advanced Western air defense systems. In response to the intensified strikes, Kyiv has launched a growing number of drone attacks against targets inside Russian territory.

    During his meetings with Serbian leadership, Zelensky renewed his call for tougher international sanctions on Russia, aiming to cut off the flow of missile components that he says are reaching Moscow from nearly every continent, including from some of Ukraine’s closest international partners. “These components arrive, and then missiles strike people, killing children, civilians and soldiers,” he told reporters, reiterating that expanded access to interceptor missiles is a non-negotiable priority to counter the growing wave of long-range attacks.

    Serbia, which maintains long-standing close ties to Moscow, remains one of the only European countries that has refused to implement formal sanctions against Russia. While Vucic’s government has provided non-military humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, it has not altered its long-held neutral policy on the conflict. Vucic confirmed that no military cooperation agreements were discussed during Saturday’s meeting, noting that any future arrangements would be addressed only after the war concludes. He reaffirmed that Serbia’s policy of recognizing Ukraine’s territorial integrity remains unchanged, and has repeatedly denied Kremlin accusations that Serbian firms have supplied munitions to Kyiv. Vucic previously traveled to Ukraine for a regional summit in 2025 and visited Kyiv earlier this year, but has declined to sign any formal declaration of support for Ukraine in the ongoing conflict.

    Zelensky’s visit to Belgrade comes as part of his years-long global diplomatic tour to rally international support for Ukraine, a campaign he has led consistently since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

  • 2 drones spotted flying over German military base after drone with explosives found at cargo airport

    2 drones spotted flying over German military base after drone with explosives found at cargo airport

    BERLIN — Germany’s armed forces, the Bundeswehr, announced Saturday that two unidentified unmanned aerial vehicles were detected over a western German military installation earlier this week, an incident that comes only 48 hours after an explosive-carrying drone was recovered at one of the country’s most critical freight airports.

    Per an official statement from Germany’s Joint Force Command, base security surveillance at the Mechernich Bundeswehr facility first registered the two drones at approximately 10 p.m. local time Thursday. After the sighting was independently confirmed, military police were immediately dispatched to the area to conduct on-site checks.

    The national military confirmed that the Euskirchen state police department has launched a formal criminal investigation into the incursion. As of Saturday evening, local law enforcement had not issued any public response to requests for comment on the case, and the Bundeswehr declined to share further details about the scope of the investigation or any potential leads regarding the drones’ operators.

    This latest drone sighting comes amid a growing pattern of unauthorized drone incursions across critical European infrastructure sites. Over the past year, repeated mysterious drone flights over civilian and cargo airport airspace across EU member states triggered widespread public alarm and forced major disruptions to air travel, leading to the cancellation of dozens of commercial flights that left thousands of passengers stranded across the continent.

    Thursday’s incursion follows the discovery of an explosive-laden drone at Germany’s Leipzig/Halle Airport, a major international logistics hub that plays a key strategic role in military and humanitarian support operations for Ukraine. The drone was found shortly before midnight Tuesday and successfully defused by bomb disposal experts before it could cause harm. After the incident, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt warned that the episode marked a “new quality of danger” for German security.

    Leipzig/Halle Airport is not only a top freight hub for global trade; it also hosts NATO’s Strategic Airlift International Solution (SALIS), a program that conducts daily operational flights to deliver military equipment to NATO battle groups deployed along the alliance’s eastern flank, stretching from Finland to Romania. The airport regularly accommodates Ukrainian Antonov transport aircraft that move critical supplies to frontline forces amid Russia’s ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

    This is not the first major security incident at the facility: earlier in 2024, an incendiary device ignited at an on-site logistics center, destroying a freight container in a suspected sabotage plot that Western security officials have attributed to Russian intelligence operatives. Since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago, Western officials have repeatedly accused Russia and its proxy actors of carrying out dozens of coordinated sabotage attacks and disruptive security incidents across European soil.

    In response to growing accusations linking Russian intelligence to the Leipzig drone incident, the Russian Embassy in Berlin issued a statement Friday dismissing the incident as part of a “new wave of anti-Russian hysteria in Germany.”

  • Jorge Messi, Lionel Messi’s father and longtime agent, dies at 68

    Jorge Messi, Lionel Messi’s father and longtime agent, dies at 68

    In a sad announcement that has rippled through the global soccer community, Jorge Messi, the father, first mentor, and long-time professional manager of Argentina captain and eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, has passed away at the age of 68 at a hospital in Rosario, Argentina, on Saturday.

    The death was first confirmed via a social media statement from Club Atlético Newell’s Old Boys, the Rosario-based soccer club where Jorge Messi once rose through the youth ranks. The club shared that Jorge had been receiving ongoing treatment for an undisclosed health condition over the past several months, and remembered him as “the pillar and the person who, with vision, rigor and affection, supported the career of the best player of all time, alongside his wife, Celia Cuccittini.”

    Shortly after the confirmation, the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) released an official statement extending its sincere condolences “with respect and affection for Lionel” and the entire Messi family.

    Though the public only learned of Jorge’s passing Saturday, his health struggles first became public knowledge during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, when Lionel Messi gave an uncharacteristically emotional post-match interview after scoring against Algeria in Argentina’s opening group stage match. At the time, the star said his tears were prompted by “a reason unrelated to sports,” adding that he had just navigated “some difficult, complicated days” and thanked his national team teammates for supporting him through the crisis. Unfounded and invasive media speculation about Jorge’s health in the wake of that interview drew sharp condemnation from the Messi family, which released a statement days later confirming Jorge was dealing with a health issue but rejecting intrusive reporting. The statement pushed back against the “lack of sensitivity, respect and scruples with which some people have treated a strictly private and family matter,” noting that “a person’s health and the peace of mind of their loved ones should not be the subject of speculation or irresponsible media interest.”

    Beyond being the father of one of the greatest athletes in history, Jorge Messi built his own working-class background before devoting much of his adult life to nurturing his son’s unprecedented career. A trained chemical technician who worked for years as a steelworker, Jorge was a skilled youth soccer midfielder who earned a spot in Newell’s Old Boys’ youth system, only to be forced to abandon his own playing aspirations to complete mandatory military service in Argentina.

    That unfulfilled soccer dream turned into a legacy of supporting his third son, Lionel. From Lionel’s earliest youth matches in Rosario to his global stardom, Jorge served as his son’s agent and primary advisor, managing all of his professional contracts, business affairs, image rights, and diverse business investments spanning real estate, hospitality, and restaurants. Most famously, Jorge was the one who traveled with a 13-year-old Lionel to Barcelona in the early 2000s for the trial that earned the young prospect a spot at La Masia, FC Barcelona’s legendary youth academy, launching the career that would redefine modern soccer. Lionel would go on to make his professional debut in 2005, claim a record eight Ballon d’Or awards, and lead Argentina to the 2022 FIFA World Cup title.

    In a 2007 interview with Radio del Plata, Lionel Messi opened up about the quiet sacrifice his father made during their earliest, hardest days in Barcelona. “My dad was always by my side,” he recalled. “Sometimes I would lock myself in my room to cry when we arrived in Barcelona, or my dad would do the same without me seeing him, or thinking I didn’t see him. We pretended we were both OK, but we weren’t. My dad even asked me what I wanted to do when we were feeling down, if I wanted to stay or go back, and I wanted to stay, and he stayed with me.”

    The pair also faced professional controversy together: in 2016, both were convicted of tax evasion by a Spanish court. They avoided prison time, as the sentenced term was less than two years, a requirement for suspended sentences under Spanish law at the time.