A grim international backdrop shaped the day’s headlines, with Russia’s sweeping overnight assault on Kyiv leaving at least eight dead and dozens injured after drones and missiles struck homes and other civilian sites across the capital, while in Damascus, a bomb ripped through a crowded cafe near the Palace of Justice, killing at least five and wounding many more. In Britain, Keir Starmer offered a formal state apology for the forced adoption of thousands of babies in England and Wales, calling the practice a stain on the nation’s history as campaigners pressed for justice beyond words. Another UK story turned to accountability of a different kind, as a former Married at First Sight UK cast member was arrested on suspicion of rape following allegations aired in a BBC Panorama investigation. In Indonesia’s Papua region, separatists claimed they killed an American pilot and burned his aircraft, underscoring a conflict that continues to simmer violently.