The Attack On July 16, 2025, Russia launched a massive drone and missile strike on Ukraine, deploying 400 Shahed‑style drones and one ballistic missile, according to Ukraine’s Air Force. Cities across the country—including Kharkiv, Kryvyi Rih, and Vinnytsia—were targeted, with the primary aim of damaging energy infrastructure and disrupting civilian utilities Ukraine’s air defences successfully … Read more
ICC Decision & Context On July 16, 2025, the International Criminal Court (ICC) formally rejected Israel’s request to withdraw the arrest warrants issued in November 2024 against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The warrants accuse them of alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, including starvation as a … Read more
Strategic Security Alignment The treaty includes a mutual assistance clause, primarily intended to reinforce collective defence in light of Russia’s war in Ukraine. It builds on previous defence deals—including Franco-British cooperation—and extends them through joint development of long-range strike capabilities and other military technologies (e.g., Typhoon jets, armored vehicles, and next-gen long-range missiles). Notably, German … Read more
Background: A Wrongful Deportation Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national in the U.S. since 2012, was illegally deported in March 2025 despite a 2019 federal order shielding him from removal to El Salvador due to credible threats of gang violence . U.S. courts—including the Supreme Court—later ruled his removal was wrongful, prompting his return in … Read more
Context: The Itaewon Crowd Crush Tragedy On October 29, 2022, during Halloween celebrations in Seoul’s Itaewon district, more than 150,000 people flooded narrow alleys. Around 10:20 pm, a crowd surge in a cramped, sloped passage near Hamilton Hotel created a deadly bottleneck—resulting in the loss of approximately 159 lives and injuring nearly 200 people. Most were … Read more
Political Context In March 2025, Ahmed al‑Sharaa—former leader of Hayʾat Tahrir al‑Sham (HTS)—assumed the role of interim President after overthrowing the Assad regime. His declared mission: build an “inclusive” transitional government with representation for Syria’s minorities—including the Druze, Kurds, Christians, and Alawites—amid substantial international scrutiny However, Druze leaders have expressed deep mistrust. Spiritual leader Sheikh … Read more
Context & Trigger Starting around July 15–16, 2025, escalating sectarian violence erupted in southern Syria’s Druze-majority region of Sweida, as Druze militias clashed with Syrian government forces and allied Bedouin tribes. Observers report widespread civilian suffering—homes burned, civilians killed—and estimates of the death toll vary between roughly 169 to over 300 casualties In response, Israel launched … Read more
The Incident The blaze erupted overnight, engulfing the hypermarket in flames that were captured in dramatic videos circulating on social media. These clips depicted thick smoke plumes and intense fire, while firefighters struggled to bring it under control . Though Reuters could not independently verify these videos, their authenticity was widely assumed given the consistent … Read more
Deployment Context In early June 2025, President Trump ordered the deployment of 4,000 California National Guard troops and 700 U.S. Marines to Los Angeles. This move, executed under Title 10 federal control, was intended to protect federal property and personnel during large-scale protests triggered by ICE workplace raids targeting undocumented immigrants Governors Gavin Newsom of … Read more
Incident Overview In the early morning hours of July 6, 2025, a violent incident occurred at a “girls’ bar” in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture. The suspect, Ichiro Yamashita, 41—a local unemployed man from nearby Fukuroi—entered the establishment around 1 a.m., armed with two curved knives approximately 20 cm in length . He attacked two women: Tomoka Takeuchi (27), … Read more