Morning Briefing: May 25, 2025

ISTANBUL

Here’s a rundown of all the news that you need to start your Sunday, including 47 more Palestinians killed in the latest Israeli strikes across Gaza amid a genocide; Russia and Ukraine hold the second round of a war prisoners exchange, with 307 returning from each side; and a suspected neo-Nazi cult leader extradited to the US to face charges of involvement in violent incidents globally, including a deadly school shooting at Antioch High School in Tennessee earlier this year that left a student dead and another injured.

TOP STORIES

• 47 more Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza amid ongoing genocide

Israel killed at least 47 more Palestinians in deadly strikes across the Gaza Strip, prolonging its genocide that has continued for more than 19 months.

In one of the fresh attacks, three Palestinians were killed in a drone strike on civilians in the Al-Heker area, south of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, medical sources told Anadolu.

Two more Palestinians were killed in an airstrike on the Al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Younis, sources said.

• Russia, Ukraine hold 2nd round of war prisoners exchange; 307 returned from each side

The Russian Defense Ministry announced that Moscow and Kyiv exchanged more than 300 servicemen each in the second round of a large-scale swap under the terms of an agreement reached in Istanbul last week.

"On May 24, in accordance with the Russian-Ukrainian agreements reached on May 16 in Istanbul, another 307 Russian servicemen were returned from the territory controlled by the Kyiv regime," the ministry said in a statement.

In exchange, 307 Ukrainian military personnel were returned to Kyiv.

• Alleged neo-Nazi cult leader extradited to US over links to deadly school shooting in state of Tennessee

A suspected neo-Nazi cult leader has been extradited to the US to face charges of involvement in numerous violent incidents globally, including a deadly school shooting at Antioch High School in Nashville, Tennessee earlier this year that left one student dead and another injured.

Michail Chkhikvishvili, a Georgia national who was apprehended in Moldova last year, appeared in federal court in Brooklyn, ABC News cited the US Justice Department.

The agency said during the hearing, his lawyer entered a not-guilty plea, and the judge ordered he remain in custody. A follow-up hearing is set for June 11.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Simon Harris, Ireland's tanaiste (deputy prime minister) and minister of foreign affairs, trade and defense, announced the country will move forward with legislation suspending trade with Israeli firms based in the occupied Palestinian territories.
• At least 13 people were killed and 92 injured in incidents caused by heavy rain and strong winds in Pakistan's central-eastern Punjab province.
• Vietnam ordered messaging app Telegram blocked by telecom and internet service providers, local media reported, citing the Vietnam Telecommunications Authority.
• Sudan's Ministry of Health announced that hundreds of cholera cases had been registered in Khartoum State in the last four weeks.
• A woman and two children were killed in flash floods that hit the southern Philippines.
• Australia's ruling Labor Party lawmaker and former Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic has criticized his government's stance on Israel's aid blockade in Gaza, saying Canberra should have joined three Western countries in warning Tel Aviv to allow humanitarian assistance.
• Sixty-two Myanmar junta soldiers fled to Thailand after rebels attacked checkpoints near the Myanmar-Thailand border.
• Three people were killed when a police helicopter crashed in western Thailand.
• The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that its forces had taken control of the settlement of Odradne in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region.
• Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived in Jakarta for a three-day visit to Indonesia, according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency.
• Australian authorities said 10,000 properties were damaged by record flooding in New South Wales (NSW) while 50,000 people were affected.
• Japan's top tariff negotiator Ryosei Akazawa said he again "strongly" urged the US to remove additional tariffs on his country during talks with American officials.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• Boeing, US Justice Department reach $1.1B deal to avoid prosecution for deadly 737 Max jetliner crashes that killed 346

Boeing reached a deal with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) to pay a $1.1 billion settlement for two deadly 737 Max jetliner crashes that will allow the airline manufacturer to avoid criminal prosecution, according to media reports.

The agreement stems from the crashes of Lion Air Flight 610 in 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in 2019 where a total of 346 people died.

A majority of the settlement will go toward improving Boeing's compliance, safety and quality program and $445 million will be set aside to provide compensation to the families of the victims, according to the Justice Department.