Israel War Anger Grows, Rubio Won't Call Putin War Criminal, Aussie NDIS Probe, Egypt Gas Cuts, Kneecap Rapper Charged, Finland Preps for Russia, Pak Blames India and Other News

Global affairs on May 21, 2025, were dominated by escalating diplomatic tensions, ongoing conflicts with significant humanitarian fallout, and notable domestic policy shifts across several nations.In the Middle East, Israeli military actions continued to draw international condemnation. Israeli troops fired "warning shots" near a delegation of 25 diplomats, including Canadian and UK representatives, visiting Jenin in the occupied West Bank, forcing them to take cover and sparking outrage; Canada's Prime Minister called the incident "totally unacceptable"1. This occurred as talks were set to begin among Western nations regarding the potential recognition of a Palestinian state, a move gaining traction after the UK Foreign Secretary suspended trade talks with Israel over its Gaza aid policies1. An EU Vice President described the Gaza situation as looking "a lot like genocide". Within Israel, dissent over the war's conduct grew, with prominent figures, including a former defense minister, criticizing government policy and its impact on civilians.Relations between the West and Russia remained fraught. The EU adopted its 17th sanctions package against Russia, targeting its "shadow fleet" of oil tankers to curtail energy revenues and restrict access to battlefield technology. Poland's military intervened after a Russian "shadow fleet" ship made suspicious maneuvers near a vital Poland-Sweden power cable Finland announced it was "preparing for the worst" as Russia reportedly expanded its military presence near their shared border, and Germany deployed its new Armored Brigade 45 to Lithuania, marking its first permanent foreign troop deployment since WWII to bolster NATO's eastern flank1. The UK and allies accused Russia's GRU of hacking border security cameras to disrupt Western aid to Ukraine1. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio notably avoided labeling Vladimir Putin a war criminal during a congressional hearing, emphasizing the need to end the war through dialogueUS foreign and domestic policy under President Trump also made headlines. Trump publicly accused South Africa of "white genocide," cut aid, and initiated a refugee program for Afrikaners, ambushing South African President Ramaphosa with a video presentation during a White House meeting1. A federal judge ruled the Trump administration violated a court order by deporting migrants, including non-South Sudanese nationals, to volatile South Sudan1. The administration also controversially accepted a Boeing 747 jet from Qatar for potential use as Air Force One1. In tech policy, Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang termed US chip export controls aimed at China a "failure," arguing they spurred Chinese innovation.Significant developments occurred in Asia. China pledged $500 million to the World Health Organization, poised to become its top state donor as the US withdrew  Taiwan's Foreign Minister expressed a willingness to engage with his Chinese counterpart, suggesting a handshake would be a "good start" despite ongoing tensions1. Pakistan blamed India for a deadly suspected suicide attack on a school bus in Balochistan, an accusation India denied1. Japan's agriculture minister resigned over insensitive remarks about rice prices amid a cost-of-living crisis1. In India, a professor jailed for comments about women army officers was released on bail1. Armenia continued to diversify its defense partnerships, signing significant contracts with India and France, moving away from its traditional reliance on Russia.