ISTANBUL

Here is a rundown of all the news that you need to start your Sunday, including at least 25 people injured in Madrid blast; Gaza doctors finding disturbing pattern of gunshot wounds in head and chest in children; and the US saying Russian drones' incursion into Polish airspace unacceptable.

TOP STORIES​​​​​​​

• At least 25 people injured in Madrid blast

At least 25 people have been injured, three seriously and two in potentially serious condition, following a gas explosion in the Puente de Vallecas district of Madrid, the El Pais newspaper reported.

The blast occurred around 3 pm local time (1300GMT) and affected a commercial space that had been converted into a residence, the building above it, and a neighboring bar.

Carlos Marín de la Bárcena, chief of the Madrid City Fire Department, confirmed it was a gas explosion, though the exact type of gas, its cause or the precise location where it originated has not yet been determined.

• Gaza doctors find disturbing pattern of gunshot wounds in head, chest among children

International doctors working in the Gaza Strip have reported a disturbing pattern of gunshot wounds among children, raising concerns of deliberate targeting, according to an investigation by the Dutch daily de Volkskrant.

The newspaper spoke with 17 doctors and a nurse from the US, UK, Australia, Canada and the Netherlands who worked in six hospitals and four clinics in Gaza since October 2023. Many had experience in crisis zones, including Sudan, Afghanistan and Ukraine.

Fifteen of the medical professionals told de Volkskrant they treated at least 114 children aged 15 or younger for a single gunshot wound to the head or chest. Most of the children died of their injuries. The cases were documented between late 2023 and mid-2025 in 10 different medical facilities.

• US says Russian drones' incursion into Polish airspace unacceptable

The Russian drone incursion into Poland's airspace earlier this week was unacceptable, according to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, adding that even though the drones were "intentionally launched" by Moscow, it is still unknown whether they targeted Poland specifically.

“We think it’s an unacceptable and unfortunate and dangerous development,” Rubio told reporters before departing on a trip to Israel and Britain.

“No doubt about it: the drones were intentionally launched. The question is whether the drones were targeted to go into Poland specifically," he added.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani met in Doha the head of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), Adm. Brad Cooper.
• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received Theophilos Giannopoulos, the Greek Orthodox patriarch of Jerusalem, and his delegation.
• The first boats of the Global Sumud Flotilla departed Tunisia’s Bizerte Port and Sicily’s Augusta Port toward the Israel-blockaded Gaza Strip, organizers said.
• Sudan welcomed efforts to end the war in the country and attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), stressing a rejection of foreign interference in its domestic affairs.
• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Israel's attack on Qatar targeting Hamas members will not cause a change in relations between Tel Aviv and Washington
• South Korea confirmed its first case of the highly pathogenic avian influenza this year, Yonhap News Agency reported
• At least nine people were arrested after far-right protesters in an anti-immigrant rally clashed with police in London.
• More than 20,000 people rallied in Berlin to voice outrage about the Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• Trump urges NATO members to halt Russian oil purchases

US President Donald Trump said he is prepared to impose major sanctions on Russia if all NATO members agree to stop buying Russian oil and take similar steps.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote: “A LETTER SENT BY PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP TO ALL NATO NATIONS AND, THE WORLD: ‘I am ready to do major Sanctions on Russia when all NATO Nations have agreed, and started, to do the same thing, and when all NATO Nations STOP BUYING OIL FROM RUSSIA.’”​​​​​​​

He added that NATO’s commitment to confronting Moscow has been “far less than 100%,” and described continued purchases of Russian oil by “some” as “shocking.”