Senior US military leaders have arrived in Kyiv to discuss ways to end the war with Russia. The team is led by US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who will meet President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday. Ukrainian officials say the talks will cover the battlefield situation and a possible ceasefire. Reports claim the US and Russia have drafted a peace plan with major concessions from Ukraine, though neither side has confirmed it. The visit comes after a Russian strike killed at least 26 people in Ternopil. Ukraine says it will not give up territory, even as pressure for peace grows. (PC: BBC)

At least 25 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza, the Hamas-run health ministry said. Ten people, including a woman and a young girl, died when a ministry building in Gaza City’s Zeitoun area was hit. The Israeli military said it struck “Hamas terrorist targets” after gunmen fired at its soldiers in Khan Younis, which it said violated the five-week ceasefire. Hamas has not commented. Gaza’s Civil Defence reported attacks in Gaza City and Khan Younis, causing heavy damage and several injuries. The rise in violence comes days after the UN approved a US-backed plan to support the fragile truce.

The US Justice Department will release files from its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein within 30 days, Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Wednesday. The move follows a near-unanimous vote in Congress requiring the Trump administration to make the documents public. The files may reveal more about Epstein’s activities and his links with powerful figures, including Donald Trump. Bondi said the department will follow the law but may withhold parts that could affect ongoing investigations ordered by Trump. Identities of sex-trafficking victims will also be protected. Epstein died in 2019 in jail, where his death was ruled a suicide. (PC: NDTV)

The UK has accused a Russian spy ship of using lasers to disrupt RAF pilots tracking it near British waters. Defence Secretary John Healey called the move “deeply dangerous” and said the incident happened within the last two weeks while the Yantar was being followed by a Royal Navy frigate and RAF P-8 planes. The ship has entered UK waters twice this year and is known for undersea surveillance. Healey warned that the UK is ready with military options if the vessel changes course. Russia denied any threat, but UK officials say the incident shows a serious security risk. (PC: BBC)

UK Defence Secretary John Healey has warned that Russian spy ship Yantar is currently on the edge of UK waters north of Scotland. The vessel, designed to gather intelligence and map undersea cables, directed lasers at RAF pilots while being tracked by a Royal Navy frigate and aircraft. Healey stressed this is the second deployment of Yantar this year, calling the action “deeply dangerous.” He confirmed military options are ready if the ship moves south. A Commons Defence Committee report highlighted the UK’s lack of a homeland defence plan, despite new arms factories planned. Healey described the situation as a “new era of threat” requiring stronger defence readiness.

At least 25 people, including three children, were killed in a major Russian attack on western Ukraine. Two apartment buildings in Ternopil were hit by missiles and drones, causing heavy damage and trapping people under rubble. Another 73 people were injured. The strikes also hit Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Kharkiv, damaging homes, cars and energy sites. Ukraine said it shot down most missiles and drones, but its air defences are stretched. Power cuts were announced after new attacks on the energy grid. The strikes came a day after Ukraine used US-supplied long-range missiles inside Russia. Tension remains high across the region. ( PC: BBC)

At least 20 people, including two children, were killed in a major Russian drone and missile strike on the western Ukrainian city of Ternopil. Officials said 66 others were injured, with 16 children among them. Two apartment blocks were hit, and one collapsed from the third to the ninth floor. Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk regions were also attacked, and more than 30 people were wounded in Kharkiv. Ukraine said Russia launched over 470 drones and 47 missiles. President Volodymyr Zelensky warned many may still be trapped under debris. The strikes caused power cuts and damaged energy and transport sites across the region. (PC: BBC)

The Bangladesh government is preparing to seek Interpol’s help to extradite former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal from India. Both leaders were sentenced to death in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal for alleged crimes during the student protests in July 2024. The interim government led by Muhammad Yunus has already asked India to send them back. Bangladesh’s Chief Prosecutor’s Office is drafting the formal request, which will be sent to New Delhi soon. Hasina has been living in India since she fled Bangladesh on August 5, 2024 after mass protests. (PC: HT)

Congress has approved a bill ordering the US Justice Department to release files on Jeffrey Epstein. The House passed it 427-1, and the Senate cleared it without debate. The move follows President Donald Trump’s sudden call to make the records public after backlash from his supporters. The bill requires Attorney General Pam Bondi to release all unclassified documents within 30 days, though sensitive details can be withheld. Lawmakers from both parties pushed for transparency. Survivors of Epstein’s abuse said the release is vital for justice. Trump denies any wrongdoing and says he cut ties with Epstein years ago. (PC: BBC)

Bangladesh’s interim government has urged India to hand over ex-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, both sentenced to death in absentia by Dhaka’s International Crimes Tribunal for “crimes against humanity” during last year’s student uprising. Dhaka says the request is mandatory under the India–Bangladesh extradition treaty and warns that protecting them would be “an unfriendly act.” India, however, responded cautiously: while noting the verdict, it said it will “engage constructively” with all parties for stability and democracy in Bangladesh. Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus hailed the ruling, declaring that “no one … is above the law” and calling the sentence “vital, if insufficient, justice.” (PC: India Today)