Russian forces struck multiple cultural institutions in Kyiv, with the National Chernobyl Museum suffering the most severe damage. The museum, which preserves the history and artifacts from the 1986 nuclear disaster, was among several cultural sites targeted in the Ukrainian capital. The strike represents part of Russia's ongoing military campaign against Ukraine that has frequently targeted civilian and cultural infrastructure.
Rescue teams in a devastated Ukrainian city are conducting evacuations of civilians who have finally agreed to leave areas destroyed by Russian bombardment. The city has been left without electricity, gas, heating, or running water, with minimal food supplies and few intact buildings remaining. Rescue workers are going door-to-door, looking into windows and shouting "evacuation" from balconies to convince remaining residents to leave. According to reporting by The New York Times, the situation has become so dire that survivors are forced to scavenge through garbage to survive, while Russian forces continue to target civilians in what witnesses describe as hunting behavior. The evacuation efforts represent a desperate attempt to save those who have endured months of bombardment in a city where normal life has become impossible.
The United States economy expanded at a slower pace in the first quarter than previously estimated, according to revised data. The gross domestic product of the world's largest economy still posted year-over-year growth during the January-March period. The revision suggests economic momentum was more modest than initial calculations indicated, though the economy continued its overall expansion trajectory.
A federal judge in the United States has declined to halt Donald Trump's executive order that limits mail-in voting procedures and allows the preparation of a federal voter registry. The ruling permits the former president and current Republican nominee to proceed with implementing stricter voting regulations that could significantly impact future elections across the country. The decision comes amid ongoing national debates over voting access and election integrity, with Democrats typically favoring expanded mail-in voting options while Republicans have pushed for tighter controls on postal ballots.
The head of the World Health Organization is traveling to the Democratic Republic of Congo to support medical teams fighting a resurgence of Ebola virus. The WHO director-general expressed confidence that health workers can halt the spread of the deadly disease. The visit comes as the Central African nation faces another outbreak of the hemorrhagic fever that has repeatedly struck the region in recent years, killing thousands in previous epidemics.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused the United States and Israel of attempting to destabilize the country following their alleged military failures in the region. The Iranian leader's comments reflect escalating tensions between Iran and its regional adversaries, particularly amid ongoing conflicts in the Middle East where Iran supports various proxy groups while the US and Israel have sought to counter Iranian influence. Khamenei's statements come as Iran faces both external pressure from Western sanctions and internal challenges, with the Supreme Leader positioning recent destabilization efforts as responses to military setbacks suffered by Iran's opponents.
Iran fired a ballistic missile and deployed drones against Kuwait in an attack that was successfully intercepted. The United States condemned the assault as a gross violation of ceasefire agreements and warned against further escalation of regional conflict. The incident represents a significant breach of existing peace arrangements in the volatile Middle East region.
A 31-year-old man stabbed three people at a railway station in the Swiss city of Winterthur on Thursday morning. The attack occurred shortly after 8:30 a.m., with emergency services immediately transporting the injured victims to hospitals. Police arrested the attacker at the scene. The motive for the assault remains unknown.
Italian authorities seized luxury assets, companies and bank accounts worth over €200 million belonging to deceased Sicilian mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro. The financial police announced the confiscation on Thursday as part of a continued crackdown on Cosa Nostra, the Sicilian organized crime syndicate. Three people were also arrested during the investigation. The seizure represents another major blow to Cosa Nostra's financial operations, targeting the wealth accumulated by Messina Denaro, who was one of Italy's most wanted fugitives before his capture and death. The confiscated assets were discovered in various locations including tax havens, demonstrating the international scope of the mafia's financial networks.
Polish authorities have launched a bear capture operation in southern Poland following a deadly attack on a woman. Several bears have been fitted with GPS tracking collars as part of the response, while two problematic female bears have been relocated from the area. The operation represents an escalation in wildlife management efforts after the fatal incident involving the large predators that inhabit the mountainous border regions of southern Poland.
A Slovak analysis describes the logic behind Donald Trump's trade tariff policies as 'gangster-like,' arguing that the United States has abandoned free market principles. The commentary suggests that America's approach to international trade has shifted away from traditional free trade policies that previously guided U.S. economic relations with other countries.
Syrian authorities have discovered extensive stockpiles of chemical weapons left behind by the Assad regime in areas around the cities of Hama, Homs, and Latakia. The weapons found include the same types used in chemical attacks during 2013 and 2017, when the Assad government was accused of deploying such weapons against opposition areas and civilians. Syrian authorities have arrested 18 people in connection with the discoveries. The finds represent significant evidence of the Assad regime's chemical weapons program, which was a major source of international condemnation throughout Syria's civil war that began in 2011 and led to Assad's recent overthrow by rebel forces.
US President Donald Trump expressed "full and absolute" support for Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on his Truth Social platform ahead of key parliamentary elections scheduled for June 7, 2026. Trump wrote that "Nikol fully shares my vision of peace and prosperity for Armenia." The political endorsement came one day after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Armenia during his return from a multi-day tour of India. Armenia, a former Soviet republic in the South Caucasus, has been navigating complex geopolitical relationships between Russia, the West, and regional neighbors including Azerbaijan and Turkey.
The United States conducted a fresh series of airstrikes targeting Iranian military positions, according to the Pentagon, which said the sites posed immediate threats to commercial shipping and American forces in the region. Three explosions were heard overnight near the city of Bandar Abbas by the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's Fars news agency reported on Telegram. Iran announced it would retaliate for the attacks, while Kuwait reported shooting down drones in its airspace. The strikes occurred despite ongoing ceasefire negotiations in the region, highlighting continued tensions between Washington and Tehran over Iran's military activities near critical shipping lanes in the Persian Gulf.
Rescue teams have abandoned hope of finding survivors following the implosion of a chemical tank at a paper and pulp processing facility in Washington state. Two deaths have been confirmed, while nine people remain missing after the industrial accident at a Nippon Dynawave Packaging plant. The facility produces materials used to manufacture tissues, cups, plates, cardboard containers and other consumer products.
US President Donald Trump accused demonstrators protesting against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of being paid participants, though he provided no evidence to support his claim. The protests against the federal immigration enforcement agency have been ongoing for several days. Trump suggested the protesters were paid based on their banners, which he claimed were all produced by the same printing company.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced new counterattacks targeting locations inside Russian territory. The announcement represents a continuation of Ukraine's strategy to strike military targets within Russia as the conflict enters its third year. Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian military infrastructure, ammunition depots, and strategic facilities on Russian soil as part of its defensive operations against the ongoing Russian invasion that began in February 2022.
A Syrian man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for a knife attack that took place last year in the Austrian city of Villach. The attack resulted in the death of a 14-year-old boy and left several other people injured. The case represents one of Austria's recent high-profile violent crimes involving asylum seekers and refugees, which have sparked ongoing debates about immigration and security policies across Europe.
The health condition of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit has significantly deteriorated, according to an announcement by Crown Prince Haakon, the Norwegian heir to the throne. Crown Princess Mette-Marit, who is married to Crown Prince Haakon and is in line to become queen consort when he ascends to the throne, has been dealing with ongoing health issues. The announcement comes from the Norwegian royal family, though specific details about her medical condition or prognosis were not provided in the initial statement.
Kenneth Iwamasa, the personal assistant to Matthew Perry, was sentenced to three years and five months in prison for administering the fatal ketamine dose that killed the Friends actor. The sentencing represents the final conviction in a series of five court cases related to Perry's death. Perry, who played Chandler Bing in the popular television series Friends, died from what authorities determined was a ketamine overdose administered by his assistant.