Ukraine faces intensified Russian strikes ahead of NATO summit while geopolitical tensions escalate across the Middle East, with Turkey strengthening NATO ties and Iran mourning its assassinated supreme leader.

Russia launched ballistic missile strikes on Ukraine's capital Kyiv on the eve of a NATO summit, killing at least 11-12 people as Moscow escalates its offensive amid reports of fuel shortages from Ukrainian drone strikes.

Sudan's El Obeid city endures relentless drone attacks as it becomes a key battleground between the armed forces and the paramilitary RSF, with aid workers describing the humanitarian situation as 'terrible' amid ongoing conflict.

Canada selected a German consortium to build 12 advanced submarines in a multibillion-dollar defense contract, deepening NATO ties and beating out South Korean competition in a major military procurement deal.

Turkey hosts a NATO summit while simultaneously cracking down on critics, blocking websites and detaining scores of people on terrorism allegations, even as Turkish officials emphasize Erdogan-Trump ties could ease NATO tensions.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was assassinated in an airstrike in February, with massive funeral processions now underway and his family mourning, while his absence fuels public insecurity about the country's leadership.

China test-fired a submarine-launched long-range ballistic missile in the Pacific, prompting international concern as Australia simultaneously secured additional defense deals with Pacific Island nations amid regional security tensions.

Former Syrian intelligence officials were convicted in Austria for torture of pro-democracy protesters in one of the first cases brought under universal jurisdiction principles, signaling accountability for regime crimes.

Hamas announced dissolution of Gaza's governing body after nearly two decades, clearing the way for a technocratic committee to assume control as the humanitarian crisis continues in the territory.

Pakistan's military leadership vowed to take 'all necessary measures' to ensure the country's water share as tensions escalate with India over Indus Waters Treaty violations and competing water resources.

West Africa faces a deadly flood crisis with 59 deaths in Côte d'Ivoire and 13 in Ghana as the rainy season intensifies across the region, hitting multiple countries including Benin, Togo, and Nigeria.