International News
Russia Attack Ukraine’s Grain After Breaking Sea Deal
According to officials, Russian missile attacks on Ukraine’s Black Sea shore have destroyed 60,000 tonnes of grain and harmed storage facilities.
According to Mykola Solskyi, minister of agriculture, a “considerable amount” of export infrastructure was inoperative.
An international grain agreement that had been in place since last summer and ensured the safe passage of exports across the Black Sea has been terminated by Russia.
The Kremlin said that its export-related requests had not been met.
Within hours of its withdrawal from the grain deal on Monday, Russia had struck the southern port cities of Odesa and Mykolaiv in the early hours of Tuesday.
It followed that up with more strikes overnight into Wednesday, targeting grain terminals and port infrastructure in Odesa and further down the Black Sea coast in Chornomorsk, two of the three ports that were included in the export deal.
Odesa military spokesman Serhiy Bratchuk called it a “truly massive attack”. The agriculture minister said the 60,000 tonnes destroyed in the strike were “supposed to be loaded on a large-tonnage ship and sent through the grain corridor 60 days ago”.
Russia’s defence ministry later declared that from midnight on Wednesday night (21:00 GMT), any ships heading to Ukrainian ports would be viewed as potential carriers of military cargo and party to the conflict. Some north-western and south-eastern areas of the Black Sea would be temporarily dangerous for shipping, it added.
At least 12 civilians, including a nine-year-old boy, were wounded during the attacks, which also caused damage to blocks of flats, military officials said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said each missile strike was a blow not just to Ukraine, but to “everyone in the world striving for a normal and safe life”.
France and Germany also condemned the attack. Germany Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that by covering Odesa with a hail of bombs, Russian President Vladimir Putin was robbing the world of any hope of Ukrainian grain and “hitting the world’s poorest”.
Private traders suffered the most from the missile strikes, Ukrainian officials said
The infrastructure ministry published a series of photos showing damage to silos and other grain facilities. Officials said there had been damage to wharves and reservoirs, but it was international and Ukrainian traders that had suffered the most.
Russian war commentators said the damage proved that Kyiv was unable to shoot down the majority of Russian missiles and drones.
Officials said the co-ordinated attack involved Kalibr cruise missiles, Onyx supersonic and Kh-22 anti-ship missiles as well as kamikaze drones, fired from the Black Sea, Crimea and southern Russia. Although 37 Russian missiles and drones were shot down, a number did penetrate Ukrainian defences, they said.
“I saw a red flash in the window and reacted immediately,” one resident told the Reuters news agency.
“I went downstairs, it was noisy and filled with smoke outside, people were in panic, some were crying, glass shards were scattered all over. It was impossible to remain in the area.”
Russia had called its initial attack on Odesa a “mass revenge strike” for an attack on the Russian-built bridge over the Kerch strait linking occupied Crimea to Russia. Seaborne drones were blamed for Monday’s bridge strike that knocked out a section of bridge and killed a Russian couple.
Explosions were reported for several hours from the ammunition depot in Crimea
Crimea saw further disruption on Wednesday. Some 2,200 residents were evacuated from four villages near a military training range after a fire triggered hours of explosions at a nearby ammunition depot.
Russian-installed officials also shut a 12-km (7.5-mile) section of the Tavrida motorway that links the cities of Simferopol and Sevastopol in southern Crimea to the bridge over the Kerch strait. Construction of the road by Russia’s occupation authorities began in 2017.
The region on Wednesday heard several explosions starting about 4:30 (01:30 GMT).
The reason of the fire at Staryi Krim was not given by officials. On social media, however, there were unsubstantiated reports of three Ukrainian strikes.
According to the Kremlin, Mr. Putin was informed of the situation.
Sergei Aksyonov, the Crimean leader appointed by Russia, said no one was harmed but that the reason of the incident at the military range was under investigation.
International News
Miracle in Venezuela: Toddler Rescued Alive Six Days After Deadly Earthquakes
A three-year-old child has been rescued alive from beneath the rubble in Venezuela, six days after two powerful earthquakes devastated parts of the South American nation, offering a glimmer of hope amid a worsening humanitarian crisis.
The remarkable rescue took place in La Guaira, one of the areas hardest hit by the twin earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitudes, which struck less than a minute apart on June 24.
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Rescue workers have continued round-the-clock search operations despite the challenges posed by repeated aftershocks.
The United Nations described the rescue as a powerful reminder that every life matters as emergency teams continue combing collapsed buildings for survivors.
According to Venezuelan authorities, the earthquakes have claimed nearly 2,000 lives, while more than 6,400 people have been rescued since the disaster struck.
Tens of thousands of survivors remain without adequate shelter, with humanitarian agencies warning that urgent needs continue to grow.
The UN refugee agency said the scale of the disaster has left thousands of families in desperate need of emergency assistance, while the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) confirmed that national and international rescue teams remain active in the affected communities.
UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) teams are also assessing the extent of the destruction and identifying communities most in need of humanitarian support.
Officials said about 1,000 buildings, including hospitals, have either been damaged or completely destroyed.
More than 400 schools and water systems have also been severely affected, worsening living conditions for residents.
To support relief efforts, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has delivered an initial 47-tonne shipment of humanitarian supplies, including emergency medical kits, water purification materials, safe birth supplies, wheelchairs, child-friendly tents and educational materials. The shipment follows an earlier consignment that arrived from Panama.
UNICEF said the combined aid will support more than 100,000 children and their families over the next three months.
Speaking from La Guaira, UNICEF representative Gabriel Vockel said the organisation is working around the clock to reach as many children and families as possible, while appealing for more donations to expand its life-saving operations.
UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Roberto Benes, said many affected families are sleeping outdoors for fear of continued aftershocks and remain in urgent need of clean water, healthcare and safe shelter.
The agency estimates that about 680,000 children across six affected states require humanitarian assistance following what has been described as Venezuela’s most significant earthquake disaster in more than a century.
Authorities also reported that more than 600 aftershocks have been recorded since the initial earthquakes, increasing concerns over further damage and risks to survivors.
UNICEF is seeking $52 million to respond to the earthquake emergency as part of its broader 2026 Humanitarian Action for Children appeal for Venezuela, which remains significantly underfunded.
International News
Panic in Europe as France Records First-Ever Ebola Case
France has confirmed its first-ever case of Ebola virus disease, triggering concern across Europe as health authorities move swiftly to contain the deadly infection.
The French Health Ministry announced on Wednesday that a doctor returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which is currently battling a major Ebola outbreak, tested positive for the virus after arriving in France.
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According to officials, the patient was immediately isolated upon arrival, even before laboratory tests confirmed the diagnosis, helping to reduce the risk of transmission.
In a statement, the ministry confirmed the identification of “a first positive case of Ebola virus disease on national territory,” marking the first time the virus has been detected in France.
The development also represents the first confirmed Ebola case recorded outside Africa during the current outbreak, which has affected both the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
French authorities disclosed that the case was detected in mainland France, while Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu is closely monitoring the situation as health agencies intensify surveillance and response measures.
The current outbreak in the DRC was officially declared on May 15 following a series of unexplained deaths in the eastern Ituri Province.
The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment.
Despite growing concerns, public health experts have stressed that the risk of widespread global transmission remains low because Ebola is less contagious than many airborne infectious diseases.
The virus spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids and contaminated materials.
Ebola is a severe and often fatal haemorrhagic fever that can cause symptoms including high fever, weakness, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, and in severe cases, internal and external bleeding.
French health authorities have assured the public that all necessary precautions are being taken to contain the case and prevent any further spread of the disease.
The announcement has nevertheless sparked anxiety across Europe, given the deadly nature of the virus and its emergence outside the African continent during the ongoing outbreak.
International News
“He Failed Badly” — Trump Says Starmer Will Step Down as UK PM
U.S. President Donald Trump has predicted that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will step down from office, accusing the Labour leader of failing on two critical issues — immigration and energy policy.
Trump made the remarks on Sunday in a post on his Truth Social platform, where he claimed Starmer’s leadership had fallen short in addressing challenges facing the United Kingdom.
SEE MORE:New US Strike on Iran Sends Oil Prices Soaring as Middle East Tensions Escalate
“Keir Starmer will resign as Prime Minister of The United Kingdom,” Trump wrote. “He failed badly on two very important subjects — IMMIGRATION AND ENERGY (OPEN NORTH SEA OIL!). I wish him well!”
The U.S. president did not provide any evidence to support his claim, nor did he reveal the basis for his prediction that Starmer would leave office.
Starmer, who leads the Labour Party, became Prime Minister after securing victory in the UK’s general election.
Since taking office, his government has faced criticism over a range of issues, including migration policies, energy security, and the cost-of-living challenges confronting many Britons.
Trump’s comments come as debates over immigration and energy continue to dominate political discussions in the UK.
However, there has been no official statement from Starmer, his office, or the British government suggesting that he plans to resign.
As of the time of filing this report, Starmer remains in office and continues to lead the government despite the claims made by the American president.





