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A devastating shooting at a middle school in southeastern Turkey on Wednesday has left at least four people dead and 20 others wounded. The incident, which occurred in the province of Kahramanmaras, marks a harrowing second day of educational violence in the region, an anomaly in a country where school shootings are exceedingly rare.

The local governor, Mukerrem Unluer, confirmed to reporters that the fatalities included three pupils and one teacher. The perpetrator, identified as an eighth-grade student at the school, also died during the attack.

According to Governor Unluer, the assailant, typically aged 13 or 14 arrived at the institution concealing an arsenal within his backpack. The weapons, which authorities believe belonged to his father, a retired police officer, included five firearms and seven ammunition magazines.

“An eighth-grade student entered two classrooms occupied by fifth-grade students and opened fire indiscriminately,” Governor Unluer stated. The victims in the fifth grade are generally between the ages of 10 and 11.

The Governor further disclosed that four of the wounded are currently in critical condition and are undergoing emergency surgery.

Television footage from the site depicted a harrowing scene as police cordoned off the school gates while frantic crowds gathered nearby. Ambulances were seen transporting at least two victims from the premises as emergency services worked to stabilise the survivors.

The Justice Minister, Akin Gurlek, announced via the social media platform X that a formal investigation has been launched into the circumstances surrounding the massacre. Authorities are expected to scrutinise how the minor gained access to his father’s service weapons.

This tragedy follows a similar incident on Tuesday in the neighbouring province of Sanliurfa, where a former student opened fire at a school, wounding 16 individuals including staff and pupils before taking his own life.

The back-to-back attacks have sent shockwaves through the Turkish nation, prompting urgent discussions regarding firearm security and the safety of academic environments.

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Prime Minister of Hungary Péter Magyar on Monday scolded Viktor Orbán for not paying attention to the problems affecting Hungarians while focusing on issues in other countries.

In a speech after the electoral victory, Magyar assured his administration would refrain from interfering in the domestic affairs of other nations, urging foreign governments to do the same.

The prime minister noted that Orbán played a five-dimensional chess game, saying the attitude was probably one of the reasons for his defeat at the polls.

According to Magyar, his predecessor often talked about Ukraine, Russia, Iran, the Iranian Shah, the Iranian Ayatollah, and the United States presidential election.

“If he had been woken from his sleep, he would have said that he won the US presidential election, not Donald Trump,” the PM mocked.

Magyar criticized the Kremlin and advised Europe to prepare to protect itself. “The Russian state is a security risk,” he declared, recalling Hungary “felt the Russian bear before.”

The leader vowed his government will do “everything for diversification” of Hungary and Russia, but clarified that Budapest will not “decouple” relations with Moscow.

The PM, however, expressed opposition to Ukraine’s accelerated accession to the EU: “It is absolutely absurd for a country at war to be admitted to the European Union.”

Magyar also said he will not initiate a phone conversation with President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin but will respond if the leaders or their officials reach out.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday declined a detailed response to Magyar’s comment that he will not engage in negotiations with Russia

“We are ready to build relations with the new government,” the diplomat told reporters. “Much will depend on how it defines and pursues its national interests.”

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U.S. President Donald Trump has removed an artificial intelligence-generated image of himself from social media after it sparked widespread backlash from religious groups and commentators who described it as offensive and inappropriate.

The image, originally shared on his Truth Social account late Sunday, portrayed Trump in flowing robes with a glowing hand placed on a seemingly ill individual, while other figures appeared to look on in reverence. An American flag was also visible in the background of the scene.

The post was deleted on Monday following growing criticism, including strong reactions from Christian leaders who accused the president of crossing a line with religious symbolism.

Responding to questions about the image, Trump denied any intent to portray himself as Jesus Christ. “I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor and had to do Red Cross,” he told reporters. “It’s supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better. And I do make people better. I make people a lot better.”

However, the explanation did little to calm concerns, as several religious commentators and conservative Christian voices within his political base condemned the post as disrespectful.

Among the critics was journalist Megan Basham, who described the image as “OUTRAGEOUS blasphemy” and called for an immediate apology. She further urged the president to retract the post and seek forgiveness.

The controversy also drew a formal response from the Knights Templar, which publicly condemned the image and demanded an apology, arguing that the depiction disrespected core Christian beliefs.

This is not the first time Trump has faced scrutiny over religious-themed imagery. In previous instances, he has shared or been associated with posts placing him alongside biblical figures or in symbolic religious settings, often drawing mixed reactions from supporters and critics alike.

Some of his close allies have also previously used religious comparisons in describing his political role, further intensifying debates about the intersection of politics, personality, and religious symbolism in his public communications.

The latest incident has reignited discussion over the use of AI-generated imagery in political messaging and the boundaries of religious representation in modern digital campaigning.