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Russian Invasion • International Response
Pope Negotiates with Putin and Zelenskyy on Evacuation of City

Pope Leo XIV has urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to cooperate with Russia’s Vladimir Putin to evacuate the city of Oleshky. This request was made during a phone call on Monday, the Vatican stated, according to the AP. The Pope spoke with Putin on Friday, while he was hospitalized following surgery for lung cancer.

The Pope is calling for a humanitarian ceasefire to allow food and medicine to reach the Russian-occupied city. Civilians who wish to leave should also be assisted in evacuating, reports Bloomberg.

According to Reuters, the city—which has been isolated by Russia for months and under occupation since 2022—has experienced periodic bouts of starvation.

Brazil’s Presidential Election
Court Gives Meta 24 Hours to Prove Fair Treatment of Candidates

Brazil’s electoral court has given the American tech company Meta 24 hours to prove that the campaigns of both presidential candidates are being treated equally across the company’s social media platforms, reports G1 Globo.

According to several media outlets, Meta is accused of favoring right-wing candidate Flávio Bolsonaro, who is challenging the incumbent leftist president, Lula da Silva, ahead of Sunday’s decisive round of voting.

In a statement, the electoral court noted that the company’s refusal to comply with previous directives indicated that the existing daily fine—equivalent to one million Swedish kronor—was too low. The fine has now been increased to the equivalent of two million kronor, according to Al Jazeera.

Meta denies taking a political stance, stating that some of Lula da Silva’s advertisements were temporarily removed due to technical errors. 

Houthi Rebels
At least 50 dead in Houthi attack on military base in Yemen

At least 53 people have been killed after the Iranian-backed Houthi militia attacked a military base in southern Yemen, local authorities stated, according to the AP.

Another 200 people are reported to be injured.

A spokesperson for the Yemeni military confirmed that the Houthis fired three ballistic missiles at a training center for police and security forces. 

Fire at military base
Grass fire caused incident at military base in Alberta

A grass fire was the cause of the fatal incident at a military base in Alberta, Canada, according to Major General Wade Rutland, as reported by The Washington Post.

Rutland stated that the grass fire was spread by "unusually strong winds." He added that the incident remains under investigation, but that the Canadian military does not suspect the fire was caused by oil or gas infrastructure or external actors.

In addition to the four people who died in the fire, 39 others were injured, at least 19 of whom sustained life-threatening injuries.

The cult in Kenya
Cult leader guilty of 191 murders: "A lesson"

Kenyan cult leader Paul Mackenzie, who urged his followers to starve themselves to death, has been found guilty of the murders of 190 children and one adult by a court in Mombasa, according to several news agencies.

The crimes were reportedly committed over the course of several years, and 429 bodies have been discovered buried near the cult's base. According to the investigation, Mackenzie urged his followers to die in order to meet Jesus—adding that children and young people should die first.

In addition to Mackenzie, 28 other members have been convicted of murder.

Francis Wanje, who lost eight family members, attended the proceedings in person.

"We expect this verdict to serve as a lesson to the public, so that this can never happen again," he said, according to AFP.

Australian politician struck by vehicle in "attack" – man arrested

Australian politician Helen Haines has been struck by a driver outside her office in southeastern Australia, according to multiple media reports. Police state that her condition is "critical."

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has described the incident as an attack and confirmed that a suspect has been arrested.

The motive remains unclear, but according to Albanese, authorities have activated their joint counter-terrorism task force following the incident.

Police state that there is no danger to the public. 

160 Northern Irish schools receive hoax bomb threats

On Monday, 160 schools in Northern Ireland were targeted by hoax bomb threats, according to several media outlets.

"At this stage, our advice to schools is that we do not consider these to be credible threats, but they have clearly caused significant concern," says Education Minister Paul Givan.

According to the minister, the threats contained Islamist-related elements and claims that explosive devices had been planted. Although the threats are not considered to pose an actual danger, several schools have closed.