On the 25th August 2025, the Israeli army carried out a devastating double attack on Nasser Hospital in Gaza, killing 22 people including 5 journalists: Hossam Al-Masri, Mariam Abu Daqqa, Mohammed Salama, Ahmad Abu Aziz, and Moaz Abu Taha. The number of journalists killed in Gaza has now reached 246. In a powerful act of global solidarity, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the campaign network Avaaz have mobilized more than 250 media outlets across over 70 countries to go dark, blacking out front pages, website homepages, and even broadcasts to denounce the Israeli army’s killing of journalists in Gaza. The General Director of the RSF warns, “At the rate journalists are being killed in Gaza by the Israeli army, there will soon be no one left to keep you informed.” 70% of all journalists killed globally since October 2023 have been killed in Gaza, making this the most deadly period for journalists in contemporary history. The blackout is a reminder that journalism itself is under siege in Gaza. Each life taken is not only a personal loss but an assault on the very possibility of bearing witness. This crisis is compounded by Israel’s deliberate ban on international journalists, leaving local reporters to face the danger alone. That ban must be lifted. To allow this silence to continue is to abandon the defence of truth itself.

Overnight on August 28th Russia carried out its latest and most deadly drone strike bombardment of Kyiv, leaving 23 dead. Including four children. Ukrainian forces have said Russia fired around 600 drones and 30 ballistic and cruise missiles against the capital in the early hours of the morning. Among key locations hit include the EU's diplomatic mission and nearby British Council. Ursula Von Der Leyen has since made a statement that there had been a “massive strike on Kyiv which also hit our EU offices.” She added that Vladimir Putin “must come to the negotiating table.” When a residential block targeted in the south-eastern Darnytskyi district on Kyiv's left bank left children aged two, 14 and 17 dead, it is now more apparent than ever that any progress towards peace made at Trump’s Alaska meeting with Putin was superficial at best. Whilst the Kremlin has said it is ‘still interested’ in negotiations, this grim and brutal attack that has left so many innocent civilians dead must now emphasise to Trump and other world leaders that Putin’s ‘word’ cannot be trusted. This has been evident since well before the beginning of the invasion and is becoming increasingly impossible for the West to ignore. Any peace negotiations going forward will be laced with cynicism and uncertainty, as Russia once again shows the undeniable and continued aggressiveness of their war machine. This cannot be so easily controlled by flattery and false promises, as President Trump continues to assume.