More than 20 people were hurt when a vehicle was driven into a crowd of people in East Hollywood, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department in California, United States.
According to the department’s report from Saturday, up to five people are in critical condition, eight to ten are said to be in serious condition, and 10 to 10 are described as fair.
Santa Monica Boulevard was the location of the incident.
LAFD Alert #EastHollywood Traffic with Multiple Patients 4661 W. Santa Monica Blvd. MAP: https://t.co/Ph0XwN5 FS35, DETAILS: https://t.co/jwSEQFLOnw
Nadiya, a child of the murderers and rapists, was able to escape in Kyiv, Ukraine, only to find herself hidden in a haystack amid the bloodshed, shouting, and shooting that occurred 82 years ago.
The 94-year-old woman told Al Jazeera, and asked to keep her last name and personal information, and said, “He covered me with hay and told me not to get out no matter what.”
On July 11, 1943, members of the nationalist paramilitary group UiA stormed Nadiya’s village near the Polish-Ukrainian border, killing ethnic Polish men and raping women.
Anyone who attempted to defend the Poles was also killed, according to Nadiya.
Although the nonagenarian is frail and rarely goes out, her face sparkles when she recalls her grand- and great-grandchildren’s names and birthdays.
Even though her parents never discussed the now-dubbed Volyn massacre, she also recalls the names of her neighbors who were murdered or forced to flee to Poland.
Nadiya criticized the UIA, which continued to fight the Soviets until the early 1950s, by saying, “The Soviets forbade it.”
Nadiya claimed that her account may rile Ukrainian nationalists who criticize UIA fighters for supporting Russian independence in World War II.
The UIA leaders made their decision after communist purges, violent atheism, forced collectivism, and a famine that claimed the lives of millions of Ukrainians. They backed Nazi Germany, which occupied the USSR in 1941.
However, the Nazis ultimately refused to annex Ukraine and toppled Stepan Bandera, one of the UIA’s leaders, into a concentration camp.
Roman Shukhevych, a top UIA leader, was charged with involvement in the Holocaust and the massive ethnic Pole massacres in 1943’s western Ukrainian region of Volyn and adjacent areas.
On the 82nd anniversary of the Volyn massacre, which took place in Krakow, Poland, on July 11, 2025.
Genocide?
According to survivors, Polish historians, and officials who consider the Volyn massacre to be a “genocide,” up to 100 000 civilian Poles, including women and children, were stabbed, axed, beaten, or burned to death.
The Polish Institute of National Memory’s Robert Derevenda stated to Polskie Radio on July 11 that “what’s horrifying isn’t the numbers but the way the murders were carried out.”
In honor of the 1943 murders, the Polish parliament designated July 11 as “The Volyn Massacre Day.”
The bill stated that “a martyr’s death for being Polish deserves to be commemorated.”
Poland is fully entitled to commemorate this tragedy, according to Kyiv-based analyst Igar Tyshkevych, according to Al Jazeera. “From Poland’s point of view, yes, this is a tragedy of the Polish people,” Tyshkevych said.
However, he said, right-wing Polish politicians may use the day to promote anti-Ukrainian narratives, and Kyiv’s harsh response could increase tensions.
He continued, “Ideally, historians and not politicians should be the subject of discussion during all of these processes.”
The Volyn massacre is referred to as a “tragedy” by Ukrainian politicians and historians. They accuse the Polish army of killing tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians in response to a lower death toll.
Bandera and Shukhevych, UIA leaders, have frequently been hailed as national heroes in post-Soviet Ukraine, and hundreds of streets, squares, and other landmarks have been given their names.
On November 11, 2024, in Warsaw, Poland, a banner containing text referring to the Polish victims of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army was displayed.
changing political and viewpoints
Vyacheslav Likhachyov, a Kyiv-based human rights advocate, called “banderite” any proponent of Ukraine’s independence or even any ordinary person who fought for the legitimacy of the public’s representation of Ukrainian culture.
When many supporters of Ukraine’s independence started to understand Bandera and the UIA, he claimed, “turning a blind eye to their radicalism, xenophobia, and political violence.”
Despite objections from many Ukrainians, particularly in the eastern and southern regions, anti-Russian Ukrainian leaders began to celebrate the UIA in the 2000s.
According to Likhachyov, the UIA is seen today through a somewhat myopic lens of Ukraine’s ongoing conflict with Russia.
According to Nikolay Mitrokhin, a researcher at Bremen University in Germany, the political elite of Ukraine views the Volyn massacre and armed fighting between Ukrainians and Poles as only “a war related to the Ukrainians’ fight for their land.”
A village, where the majority of the population is on the enemy’s side, is regarded as a “legitimate target” according to the sayings of war, which any village can experience.
On January 1, 2025, in Lviv, Ukraine, people gather to pay tribute to Stepan Bandera at his 116th birthday.
Many Ukrainian young people with right-leaning backgrounds “fully accepted” Bandera’s radicalism and the militant nationalism, he claimed.
Before Russia’s massive invasion in 2022, thousands of far-right nationalists gathered in every Ukrainian town to honor Bandera’s birth anniversary on January 1.
They chanted, “Bandera is our father, Ukraine is our mother,” in response.
The Polish and Israeli embassies issued protest declarations in response, reminding them of the UIA’s involvement in the Volyn massacre and the Holocaust.
In 2014, far-right activists enlisted in large numbers in 2022 to fight separatists opposed to Moscow-backed separatists in southeast Ukraine.
There is no room for reflection and self-analysis in Ukraine’s “social threat” to its very existence, according to rights advocate Likhachyov.
Meanwhile, he said Warsaw will continue to call for concessions after the Volyn massacre and threaten to oppose Ukraine’s annexation of the European Union.
According to analyst Tyshkevych, Moscow “traditionally plays” the conflict to bring about division between Kyiv and Warsaw and accuse Ukrainian leaders of “neo-Nazi” tendencies.
During the Ukrainian defenders’ commemoration ceremony on October 1, 2023 in Lviv, Ukraine, veterans of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) display flags near the grave of the unidentified soldier in the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) [Les Kasyanov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images]
Can there be reconciliation?
The Volyn massacre’s memory is still rife with controversy today. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has helped the UIA’s reputation as a freedom fighters, somewhat putting aside any discussion of its involvement in the atrocities of World War II.
The commemoration of the massacre has become a symbol of national trauma and, occasionally, a tool of influence in political disagreements with Ukraine.
After Kyiv lifted a seven-year moratorium on such exhumations, Polish experts began exhuming the remains of the Volyn massacre victims in the western Ukrainian village of Puzhniky in April. Some think this may be the first step in aversing the Volyn massacre’s repercussions.
According to historians, reconciliation won’t happen quickly.
Ivar Dale, a senior policy adviser with the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, a human rights watchdog, told Al Jazeera, “The way to reconciliation is frequently painful and requires people to accept historical realities they’re uncomfortable with.”
A Ministry of Interior spokesperson reported that Israeli military forces have begun to deploy in the troubled southern province of Suwayda, where hundreds have been killed in bloody battles between Druze and Bedouin armed groups and government forces, adding to Israeli military support.
The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Syria, an uncertain truce, was announced shortly after the United States announced the deployment on Saturday despite overnight fighting.
The Syrian government made the announcement early on Saturday, saying in a statement that it is being carried out “to spare Syrian blood, preserve the unity of Syrian territory, and ensure the safety of its people.”
In a televised address, the nation’s president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, stated that he “received international calls to intervene in what is happening in Suwayda and restore security to the country.”
He said Israeli action “rekindled tensions” in the city, calling the city’s conflict “a dangerous turning point,” while also thanking the US for its assistance.
In a statement released on Telegram earlier, Interior Ministry spokesman Noureddine al-Baba had stated that “internal security forces have started deploying in Suwayda province… with the intention of protecting civilians and putting an end to the chaos.”
In recent days, allegedly hundreds of people have died in clashes between Druze and Bedouin armed groups and government forces due to ethnic tensions.
Israel attacked Syria’s Ministry of Defense in the heart of Damascus on Wednesday, claiming it had done so to protect the Druze, who it calls its “brothers,” and also attacked Syrian government forces in the Suwayda region.
Suwayda’s communities are ” noble people “.
Al-Sharaa stated in his speech that the government’s goal was to achieve national unity and that a neutral arbitrator was a role in all political negotiations, according to Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Vall, who is based in Damascus.
He praised the city’s residents, claiming that both the Druze and Arab communities were honorable people, aside from the few elements that wanted to cause trouble.
According to Vall, it was unclear whether Syrian troops had reached Suwayda city as of Saturday morning or whether they were still on the city’s fringes.
Druze leaders have a range of opinions on the ceasefire, with some pleading for it while others promising to keep fighting, he added. Bedouin tribal fighters had been anticipating more from the government about it.
Many in the city were “welcome news” about the deployment of Syria’s internal security forces, Vall said. Fighting has “been going on throughout the night.”
An Israeli official who declined to be identified told reporters on Friday that Israel had agreed to allow the “limited entry of the]Syrian internal security forces into Suwayda district for the next 48 hours” in light of the “ongoing instability in southwest Syria.”
The city’s Druze-majority city’s death toll has increased to at least 260, according to Syria’s health ministry. According to the International Organization for Migration, 80 000 people reportedly have fled the area.
Vall noted that “a lot of extrajudicial killings] are being reported. Because the majority of those services have been severely impacted by the fighting, people are suffering, even those who have been killed or forced to flee.
“Territorial expansion and concurrent wars: a zero-sum formula”
Syria’s government misinterpreted how Israel would respond to its troops stationed in the country’s south this week, which was encouraged by US propaganda that Syria should be run as a centralised state, according to the Reuters news agency on Saturday.
Despite months of Israeli and Syrian military warnings not to do so, Damascus believed it had a green light from both the US and Israel, according to Reuters, citing several sources, including two diplomats and regional security figures, including Syrian political and military officials.
According to the sources, that understanding was based on discussions with Israel and the US special envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack in public and private.
According to Nour Odeh of Al Jazeera, Israel’s attacks have less to do with the minority Druze community and more with a strategic Israeli goal to bring about a new reality.
“Part of Israel is attempting to establish its position as the hegemonic power in the Middle East,” said one analyst.
It’s a zero-sum formula for territorial expansion and conflicting wars, she continued. Endless war against Gaza, unrelenting attacks on Lebanon, strikes on Yemen, threats of resumption of hostilities against Iran and Syria, territorial expansion, [and] direct military intervention.
In order to enroll in university studies, hundreds of Palestinian students in Gaza are taking a crucial end-of-secondary exam that the besieged enclave’s Ministry of Education organized.
The ministry made the announcement earlier this month about the Saturday exam, which will be the first since Israel launched its genocidal war against Gaza following the Hamas-led attack in southern Israel in October 2023.
The ministry confirmed that approximately 1,500 students had registered for the exam, which will be administered electronically using specialized software, and that all necessary technical training had been carried out to ensure smooth administration.
Given the daily bombardment by Israelis, some students take the online exam at home, while others do it at locations, keeping safety in mind.
According to Tareq Abu Azzoum of Al Jazeera, the exam offers a crucial window into higher education, scholarships, and a future beyond the Israeli blockade for Palestinian students.
He continued, “Gaza’s students are showing up, logging in, and sitting their final exam, refusing to let war erase their future,” adding that even in a war zone, there are no classrooms, books, and hardly any internet.
Many students in Gaza have been put on hold in their education since the start of the war, and the results of Saturday’s exam will allow them to continue their academic endeavors.
Many of the population should have been in college by this point, but the conflict caused many to continue to attend high school because Israeli attacks have destroyed Gaza’s educational system, as well as the civilian infrastructure in the area.
The education ministry of Gaza has created an online platform, the first of its kind, to allow seniors in high school to take their final exam.
The Central Gaza Governorate’s exams director, Morad al-Agha, told Al Jazeera, “Students have downloaded the app, but they face many challenges.”
“We have contacted the ministry to resolve these issues so that students can take their exams without disruption.”
It’s very challenging, they say.
Wherever they can find a charged device and a functioning internet connection, students log in from cafes, tents, and shelters.
They have completed a mock test that was intended to evaluate both their knowledge and the stability of the system before the final exam.
However, students in Gaza claim that it hasn’t been simple to switch to digital.
Doha Khatab, a student, said, “We are taking exams online, but it’s really challenging.” There is no safe place to take the test, according to , “The internet is weak, many of us do not have devices.” In the bombardment, we also lost our books.
A few teachers have reopened damaged classrooms and provided in-person assistance in order to support them.
Enam Abu Slisa, a teacher for Al Jazeera, explained to Al Jazeera, “This is the first time the ministry has done this online, and students are confused.”
More than 660, 000 children are out of school, nearly all of Gaza’s population, according to the United Nations, because of the war in Gaza and the destruction of 95 percent of the country’s educational infrastructure.
Numerous former UN-run schools are now home to internally displaced people, and Israeli attacks are frequently deadly.
To put an end to fighting in eastern Congo, the DRC and the M23 rebel group have signed a declaration of principles in Qatar.
Representatives from both sides in Doha signed the declaration on Saturday.
Heavy fighting has been waged between Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in the DRC, which was fueled by M23’s bloody assault and capture of the country’s two largest cities in January.
The 1994 Rwandan genocide, where M23 consisted primarily of ethnic Tutsi fighters, is the root of the decades-long conflict.
This year, the fighting has left hundreds of thousands of people dead and displaced hundreds more, increasing the threat of a regional war.
In the troubled region, troops are already stationed in several of the neighboring DRCs.
A surprise meeting between DRC President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame in March was organized by Qatar, where they demanded an “immediate and unconditional” ceasefire.
That resulted in direct discussions between the DRC and M23, both of whom were present in Doha.
M23 was previously criticized as a “terrorist group” by the DRC, but both sides pledged to work toward a ceasefire in April.
US conversations
In June, Washington hosted discussions between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The two nations’ foreign ministers met at the White House on June 27 to sign a peace agreement and discuss the situation. Trump warned of “very severe penalties, both financial and otherwise,” if the agreement is broken.
Additionally, Trump invited Kagame and Tshisekedi to sign a number of agreements, which Massad Boulos, Trump’s senior adviser for Africa, dubbed the “Washington Accord.”
Boulos stated to reporters on July 2 that the Trump administration would “love” holding that meeting at the end of July.
He added that US officials hope to have the deal in Doha finalized by that time.
Rwanda, according to the DRC, the UN, and Western powers claim that it sends troops and weapons to support M23.
As gang violence continues to afflict the Caribbean nation, Colombian President Gustavo Petro has made a significant show of support for Haiti by making a second trip there this year.
The Colombian government said Petro’s visit focused on discussions involving security, commerce, education, agriculture, and the fight against drug trafficking.
Petro announced the opening of a Colombian consulate in Port-au-Prince, the nation’s capital.
He has also offered to train Haitian officers and pledged to assist in strengthening its security. A state-owned arms manufacturer in Colombia has been visited by Haitian delegations to learn more about its defense capabilities.
Petro’s brief speech at the new embassy was shared by the Colombian government as “the time has come to truly unite.”
Por fin, Hait’s embajada.
What are the impediments in the cancillera that cause a national embajada in the country after our independence was slain?
Seriously, because we received a negotiable message from our libertad, what happened? pic. https://tpdpmBptCz.twitter.com
Finally, Haiti now has an embassy. What elements in the Foreign Ministry were preventing the establishment of an embassy in the nation that gave rise to our independence? Could it be that the Black slaves who gave themselves for us were the ones who gave us our freedom?
Petro arrived in Port-au-Prince, where gangs control 90 percent of the city. Colombian Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez was one of the officials who came with him.
Petro met with Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council, which is under pressure to hold general elections before February 2026, and Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime during his visit.
Less than a week prior, Haitian authorities killed four suspected drug traffickers and sequestered more than 1, 000 kg (2, 300 lb) of cocaine off the nation’s north coast.
Haiti’s National Police, which is working with Kenyan police and UN-backed teams to combat gang violence, is still understaffed and underfunded.
While Port-au-Prince is the main location for the violence, gangs are razing and enraging a growing number of towns in Haiti’s central region.
According to a recent UN report, at least 4, 864 people have been killed in Haiti between October and June, with hundreds of others being abducted, raped, and trafficked.
In recent years, 1.3 million people have been displaced by gang violence.
Petro had previously spent much of January in Haiti. Haitian officials spent about $3.8 million on projects that would have more than double the runway at the airport in Jacmel, renovate the town, and bring back electricity for a population that has been living in the dark for at least three years prior.
