Firefighters work at the site of a Russian drone attack, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 6, 2025. REUTERS
KIEV, June 6 – Russian forces launched a barrage of drones and missiles on Ukraine overnight Friday, killing at least four people and injuring dozens, Ukrainian authorities said.
All four fatalities occurred in Kiev, where 20 other people were injured, said Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
The State Service for Emergencies confirmed that three of the victims were emergency service workers.
Separately, the National Police reported that about 40 people were injured nationwide, with most of them in Kiev, the northwestern city of Lutsk and the western city of Ternopil.
According to the police, 38 facilities were damaged in the attacks, including five apartment buildings and five private houses.
Ukraine’s Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said that Russia launched 407 drones, along with 38 cruise and six ballistic missiles on Ukraine overnight. About 200 drones and some 30 missiles were shot down.
THE HAGUE, June 6 – The Netherlands will hold early parliamentary elections on Oct. 29, Dutch news agency ANP reported on Friday. The governing coalition, which took office on July 2, 2024, collapsed on Tuesday.
Rescue workers extinguish a fire of a house destroyed by a Russian drone strike in Pryluky village, Ukraine, Jun. 5, 2025. AP
PRYLUKY, Ukraine – At least five people, including a 1-year-old child, his mother and grandmother, were killed Thursday in a nighttime Russian drone attack on the northern Ukrainian city of Pryluky, officials said.
Six drones hit a residential area in the city shortly before dawn, injuring nine others, according to authorities. The child killed was the grandson of the local fire chief, Ukraine’s Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said.
The fire chief, identified by local officials as 50-year-old Oleksandr Lebid, “arrived to respond to the aftermath right at his own home,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on Telegram. “It turned out that a Shahed drone hit his house.”
The attack came just hours after US President Donald Trump spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Trump, Putin said “very strongly” that Russia will retaliate for Ukraine’s stunning drone attacks on Russian military airfields on Sunday.
US-led diplomatic efforts to stop the more than 3-year-long war have delivered no significant progress, and the grinding war of attrition has continued unabated.
CHILD’S MOTHER FEARED DRONE ATTACKS
The mother of the 1-year-old killed in Pryluky was a police officer called Daryna Shyhyda, Ukraine’s National Police said.
“Today our hearts are scorched by pain,” the police force wrote on Telegram. “This is not just a loss — it is three generations of life uprooted.”
Liudmyla Horbunova, 55, who lives across the street from where the Shahed drone hit, said Shyhyda had moved with her son last weekend to her parents’ house from her home in Kyiv because she was scared of potential Russian attacks on the capital.
“She ran away from Shaheds in Kyiv, but they found her here, in Pryluky,” Horbunova told The Associated Press.
Firefighters worked through charred debris and extinguished the remains of a fire that engulfed the home of Shyhyda’s parents, leaving only a brick carcass and scattered toys, clothes and a family photo book.
DRONES STRUCK ACROSS REGIONS
Pryluky, which had a prewar population of around 50,000 people, lies about 100 kilometers (60 miles) east of Kyiv, the capital. The city is far from the front line and does not contain any known military assets.
The last time Pryluky was struck was in November last year, when a Russian missile hit an administrative building and injured one person.
Zelensky said a total of 103 drones and one ballistic missile targeted multiple Ukrainian regions overnight, including Donetsk, Kharkiv, Odesa, Sumy, Chernihiv, Dnipro and Kherson.
“This is another massive strike,” Zelensky said. “It is yet another reason to impose the strongest possible sanctions and apply pressure collectively.”
US PEACE EFFORT REMAINS STALLED
Zelensky, who has accepted a US ceasefire proposal and offered to meet with Putin in an attempt to break the stalemate in negotiations, wants more international sanctions on Russia to force it to accept a settlement. Putin has shown no willingness to meet with Zelensky, however, and has indicated no readiness to compromise.
Germany’s new leader Friedrich Merz was due to meet with President Donald Trump in Washington on Thursday as he works to keep the US on board with Western diplomatic and military support for Ukraine.
Ukraine’s top presidential aide, Andriy Yermak, met with senior American officials in Washington on Wednesday and called for greater US pressure on Russia, accusing the Kremlin of deliberately stalling ceasefire talks and blocking progress toward peace, according to a statement on the presidential website.
Yermak, who traveled to the US as part of a Ukrainian delegation, met with senior American officials to bolster support for Ukraine’s defense and humanitarian priorities. He said Ukraine urgently needs stronger air defense capabilities.
MORE PEOPLE WOUNDED IN KHARKIV
Hours later, 19 people were injured in a Russian drone strike on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. Those hurt included children, a pregnant woman, and a 93-year-old woman, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov wrote on Telegram.
At around 1:05 a.m., Shahed-type drones struck two apartment buildings in the city’s Slobidskyi district, causing fires and destroying several private vehicles.
“By launching attacks while people sleep in their homes, the enemy once again confirms its tactic of insidious terror,” Syniehubov wrote on Telegram.
Russian aircraft also dropped four powerful glide bombs on the southern city of Kherson, injuring at least three people, regional authorities said.
GAZA, June 5 – Three Palestinian journalists were killed and two others seriously wounded in an Israeli airstrike on the courtyard of the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City, Palestinian sources said on Thursday, while the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the strike targeted an Islamic Jihad operative at the site.
Local sources and eyewitnesses said that an Israeli drone launched at least one missile in a surprise attack on a group of journalists gathered in the hospital’s courtyard.
Fadel Naeem, director of the Al-Ahli Hospital, told Xinhua that the airstrike killed three journalists instantly. Two others were critically injured and taken into surgery.
In a statement, the IDF said it had “precisely struck an Islamic Jihad terrorist who was operating in a command and control center in the yard of the Al-Ahli Hospital.”
“The command and control center was used by the terrorists to plan and execute attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops,” the statement added.
The Hamas-run Gaza government identified the journalists killed as Samir al-Rifai, a reporter for the local Shams news website, and Suleiman Hajjaj and Ismail Badah, both working for the Palestine Today television channel.
According to local authorities, the total number of journalists killed in Gaza since the start of the war has now reached 225.
Gaza-based health authorities said that since Israel intensified its military campaign on March 18, at least 4,402 Palestinians have been killed and 13,489 wounded. The overall death toll in Gaza since the war began in October 2023 has climbed to 54,677, with 125,530 people injured.
A Palestinian man rushes a girl who was injured in Israeli strikes on displacement tents in Khan Yunis, at the Nasser hospital in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday. AN-AFP
LONDON – The situation in Gaza has become “worse than hell on earth,” the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross has said.
“Humanity is failing in Gaza,” Mirjana Spoljaric told the BBC in an interview broadcast on Wednesday. “We cannot continue to watch what is happening.”
The ICRC, a global organization assisting people affected by conflict, has about 300 staff in Gaza.
It runs a field hospital in Rafah that was swamped with casualties in recent days after witnesses described Israeli troops opening fire on crowds trying to access food aid.
Spoljaric said that the situation in the territory was “surpassing any acceptable legal, moral and humane standard.”
“The fact that we are watching a people being entirely stripped of its human dignity should really shock our collective conscience.”
She called on world leaders to do more to bring the conflict to an end because the consequences would haunt them and “reach their doorsteps.”
Israel’s devastating military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 54,000 people since October 2023, mostly women and children.
The offensive was launched after a Hamas-led attack on Israel killed 1,200 people and seized dozens of hostages.
Spoljaric said that while every state had a right to defend itself, there could be “no excuse for depriving children from their access to food, health and security.”
She added: “There are rules in the conduct of hostilities that every party to every conflict has to respect.”
International condemnation of Israel has increased in recent weeks after its military pushed to take full control of Gaza after severing all food and aid supplies to the territory’s population.
Late last month, some aid deliveries resumed after Israel set up a new aid system that bypassed the UN and is now run by a newly formed US organization.
Operations at the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s three aid delivery sites were paused on Wednesday after dozens of Palestinians were killed by gunfire near one of the sites.
This year’s pilgrims have arrived in Mina for the Day of Tarwiyah, preparing for the most important day of Hajj — the Day of Arafat — on June 5. AN
MINA – With the number of worshippers approaching two million, pilgrims on Wednesday arrived in Mina for the Day of Tarwiyah, preparing for the most important day of Hajj — the Day of Arafat — on June 5.
These pilgrims are following the steps of Prophet Mohammed by spending Tarwiyah Day in Mina on Wednesday this year, making their final preparations for the Standing at Arafat, the pinnacle of the annual pilgrimage, tomorrow.
In compliance with directives from King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, various service sectors mobilized their capabilities to help the pilgrims perform Hajj rituals in tranquility and peace.
With more than 1.5 million pilgrims confirmed to have arrived from outside the Kingdom, the pilgrims’ movements into Mina proceeded smoothly in accordance with a comprehensive traffic plan. The plan covered all main routes and was supported by aerial security surveillance to ensure the orderly progression of this critical phase of the pilgrimage.
In weather conditions of about 41°C, the ministry urged all pilgrims to familiarize themselves with its hospitals and medical centers should they require health assistance, wherever they are in the holy sites, emphasizing that everything is available to ensure their health and safety.
On the first day in Mina, known as the Day of Tarwiyah, pilgrims typically spend the night there in preparation for their journey to Arafat the next day. With their prayers shortened, they devote their time to supplicating Allah and chanting the Talbiyah — a proclamation of their intention to perform the pilgrimage solely for the sake of the Almighty. This is traditionally recited aloud and in groups upon entering the state of ihram.
The relevant security and health authorities, alongside other government and private organisations, had earlier intensified their plans and preparations to ensure the smooth performance of Hajj rituals, all under the direct supervision and close monitoring of the Saudi leadership.
Khalid Al-Tala, the spokesperson for the Saudi Ministry of Health, provided key updates during a press conference on June 3, highlighting several pioneering health initiatives launched for the current Hajj season.
Among the most notable is the use of drone technology to accelerate the delivery of medical aid to remote areas — an innovative approach the ministry says is the first of its kind globally.
Al-Tala said that the current health status of pilgrims was reassuring, with no recorded cases of epidemics or major health concerns reported to date.
As of the seventh day of Dhu Al-Hijjah, the ministry has delivered more than 98,000 health services, including emergency care, surgical procedures, and intensive treatments.
He further announced the establishment of three additional field hospitals, providing a combined capacity of 1,200 beds. The ministry has also set up 71 emergency response points, deployed 900 ambulances, and added 11 medical evacuation aircraft to support healthcare operations during the pilgrimage.
Advanced medical services have also been activated, including the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation technology and virtual health consultations. The ministry’s 937 call center operates round the clock in numerous languages to assist pilgrims.
Since the beginning of the Hajj season, Al-Tala said, more than 1.4 million pilgrims have benefited from preventive health services at entry points, provided in coordination with various medical mission clinics.
The spokesman said that their medical teams have successfully performed 16 open-heart surgeries, 148 cardiac catheterizations, and handled 62 cases of heat exhaustion.
He added that, with the participation of more than 50,000 medical and technical personnel, bed capacity has been increased by 60 percent compared with last year.
Speaking to Arab News, Fatima Al-Sayed, an Egyptian pilgrim, said that the organization and services provided by the Saudi authorities in Mina are truly commendable.
“From the moment we arrived, we have felt a strong sense of care and preparedness. The tents are well equipped, clean and air-conditioned, ensuring our comfort in the heat,” she said.
Al-Sayed added that medical services are readily available, security personnel are visible and helpful, and food and water are distributed efficiently.
“The crowd management and transportation arrangements are smooth, especially given the large number of pilgrims. We are deeply grateful for the efforts made to ensure our safety and to help us perform our rituals with ease and peace of mind.” she said.
Situated between Makkah and Muzdalifah, Mina lies about seven kilometers northeast of the Grand Mosque. It is part of the Haram, or sacred boundary, and is encircled by mountains to the north and south. It is uninhabited throughout the year, except during the Hajj season, when it becomes a focal point of the pilgrimage.
On the Makkah side, Mina is bordered by the Jamarat area, while on the opposite side it adjoins the Valley of Muhassir.
Muhassir gets its name from a significant historical incident — it is believed to be where the elephant of Abraha the Abyssinian halted during his failed attempt to destroy the Kaaba around the year 570 — an event known in Islamic tradition as the Year of the Elephant, which coincides with the birth year of the Prophet Muhammad.
ANKARA, June 3 – The United States will scale down its military presence in Syria to one base from eight and U.S. policies will shift in the country “because none of them worked” over the last century, the new U.S. special envoy has said.
Thomas Barrack, who President Donald Trump named special envoy last month shortly after he unexpectedly lifted U.S. sanctions on Syria, made the comments in an interview with Turkish broadcaster NTV late on Monday.
The U.S. military has about 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria, mostly in the northeast. They are working with local forces to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State, which in 2014 seized large swathes of Iraq and Syria but was later pushed back.
Since rebels ousted Syria’s former President Bashar al-Assad in December, the United States and other countries are re-engaging with Damascus under new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Barrack, also U.S. ambassador to Turkey, raised the American flag over the ambassador’s residence in Damascus last week for the first time since 2012.
THE HAGUE, June 3 – The Dutch government collapsed on Tuesday, most likely ushering in a snap election, after anti-Muslim politician Geert Wilders quit the right-wing coalition, accusing other parties of failing to back his tougher immigration policies.
But Prime Minister Dick Schoof, an independent, accused the political maverick of irresponsibility, and the other coalition parties denied failing to support Wilders, saying they had been awaiting proposals from his PVV party’s own migration minister.
PVV ministers will quit the cabinet, leaving the others to continue as a caretaker administration until an election unlikely to be held before October.
Mourners react during the funeral of Palestinians killed, in what the Gaza health ministry say was Israeli fire near a distribution site in Rafah, at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, June 3, 2025. REUTERS
CAIRO/JERUSALEM, June 3 – At least 27 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded by Israeli fire near a food distribution site in southern Gaza on Tuesday, health officials said, in a third day running of chaos and bloodshed to blight the aid operation.
The Israeli military said its forces had opened fire on a group of people they viewed as a threat after they left a designated access route near the distribution centre in Rafah and approached their positions.
It added it was still investigating what had happened.
The deaths came hours after Israel said three of its soldiers had been killed in fighting in northern Gaza, as its forces pushed ahead with a months-long offensive against Hamas militants that has laid much of the enclave to waste.
Reuters could not independently verify the reports in northern and southern Gaza.
An International Committee of the Red Cross spokesperson said its field hospital in Rafah had received 184 casualties, adding that 19 of those were dead upon arrival, and eight died of their wounds shortly after.
Video showed injured people, including at least one woman, being rushed to a medical centre on carts drawn by donkeys.
Health officials said at least 18 more Palestinians were killed in other military strikes in the territory on Tuesday.
The United Nations human rights office in Geneva said on Tuesday the impediment of access to food relief for civilians in Gaza might constitute a war crime and described attacks on people trying to access food aid as “unconscionable”.
The head of the U.N. agency, Volker Turk, urged a prompt and impartial investigation into the killings.
Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer denied that civilians had been targeted.
“The IDF is doing everything in its power to allow Gazans to get to the humanitarian aid. The IDF is not preventing the arrival of Gazans at humanitarian aid sites. Indeed, we are encouraging it,” Mencer said.
ABUJA, June 3 – With close to 200 confirmed fatalities, authorities in Nigeria’s north-central Niger State are still searching for more than 1,000 people believed to have been swept away by devastating floods triggered by heavy rains over the past week.
The torrential downpours on Wednesday night wreaked havoc across Mokwa, a bustling market and farming town in Niger, submerging and washing away dozens of residential homes, some with occupants still inside, local officials said earlier.
Yakubu Garba, deputy governor of Niger, told reporters late Monday that nearly a week after the disaster, hundreds remained unaccounted for despite ongoing rescue efforts.
“For now, we do not know where they are. Those people have been swept away by water. We have reviewed house-to-house and based on that, the number of people yet to be seen is more than 1,000,” Garba said, adding that the flooding has displaced over 3,000 residents, affected at least 2,000 properties, washed away roads, and caused the collapse of three bridges.
One of the most urgent challenges, Garba noted, is the uncertainty surrounding the fate of the missing, whose families are desperately searching for them.
Ibrahim Hussaini, spokesperson for the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, told Xinhua over the weekend that over 503 households were impacted. The search for more bodies is ongoing, with local divers and volunteers assisting in the operation.
Some residents believe the flooding may have been worsened by the release of water from a nearby dam, though officials have yet to confirm this.
“The situation is very tragic, with many families wiped out and survivors recounting harrowing losses,” Amina Yahaya, a resident from a neighboring town, told Xinhua.
Flooding in central Nigeria, including the Mokwa disaster, is the result of a complex mix of factors. The country regularly faces severe floods during the rainy season, which typically lasts six months, beginning in March and intensifying by mid-May, especially in the northern regions.
