Russia struck cities across Ukraine on Monday with a missile barrage that killed 31 people and heavily damaged a Kyiv children’s hospital in an assault condemned as a ruthless attack on civilians.
Dozens of volunteers, doctors and rescue workers were digging through debris of a part of Okhmatdyt paediatric hospital in a desperate search for survivors after the rare day-time bombardment, AFP journalists on the scene saw.
The first responders ran for cover when sirens and a explosion sounded after the initial strikes — a repeat attack that left four dead at a maternity hospital in a separate district of Kyiv, emergency services said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces fired more than 40 missiles toward at least five major civilian hub, mainly in the south and east of the country, as well as the capital.
Zelensky arrived in Poland as news of the strikes broke to sign a security deal with Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw, where the leaders held of minute of silence for the victims.
The Ukrainian leader in Warsaw called on allies to deliver “a stronger response to the blow that Russia has once again delivered on our population, on our land and on our children.”
The UN condemned the wave of strikes saying it was “unconscionable that children are killed and injured in this war,” while the EU’s Josep Borrell slammed Russia for “ruthlessly” targeting civilians.
France condemned the attacks, with the foreign ministry calling the bombardment of a children’s hospital in Kyiv “barbaric”.
Kyiv said the children’s hospital had been struck by a Russian cruise missile and claimed that it contained components produced in NATO member countries.
Russia however claimed the extensive missile damage in Kyiv was in fact caused by a Ukrainian air defence missile.
Moscow said its forces had struck their “intended targets”, which it added were only defence industry and military installations.
Natalia Svidler, 40, was in the hospital at the time of the strike with her two-year-old son, who was due to have surgery this week, when the air raid sirens sounded.
“The nurses told us to go down to the basement. After a while we heard a loud rumble and then the ceiling in the basement collapsed a little,” she said at the scene.
“Everyone got very scared, of course. Everyone started screaming and running,” she told AFP.
Officials in Kyiv said the attack had also damaged several residential buildings and an office block in Kyiv where AFP reporters saw cars on fire and shredded trees in charred courtyards.
DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy company, said three electrical substations had been destroyed or damaged in Kyiv in the attack — the latest in series of strikes that have halved the country’s energy generation capacity in recent months, compared to one year ago.
Zelensky said that there were an unknown number of people trapped under the rubble of the children’s hospital. An AFP reporter saw one body at the scene, covered with a blanket.
Emergency officials said 20 people had been killed in the barrage that hit Kyiv and another 38 were wounded.
Russian forces have repeatedly targeted the capital with massive barrages since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and the last major attack on Kyiv with drones and missiles was last month.
In Zelensky’s hometown Kryvyi Rig, which has been repeatedly targed by Russian bombardment, the strikes killed at least 10 and wounded over 41, officials there said.
In Dnipro, a city of around one million people in the same region, one person was killed and six more were wounded, the region’s governor said, when a high rise residential building and petrol station were hit.
And in the eastern Donetsk region, where Russian forces have taken a string of villages in recent weeks, the regional governor said three people were killed in Pokrovsk — a town that had a pre-war population of around 60,000 people.
“This shelling targeted civilians, hit infrastructure, and the whole world should see today the consequences of terror, which can only be responded to by force,” the head of Ukraine’s presidential administration, Andriy Yermak, wrote on social media.
Zelensky and other officials in Kyiv have been urging Ukraine’s allies to send more air defence systems, including Patriots, to the war-battered country to help fend off deadly Russian aerial bombardment.
“Russia cannot claim ignorance of where its missiles are flying and must be held fully accountable for all its crimes,” Zelensky said in another post on social media.
AFP
The Egyptian Football Association has reportedly filed a formal complaint with FIFA and demanded that the officiating team be removed from the World Cup following their controversial quarter-final defeat to Argentina.
Egypt’s hopes of a historic upset were dashed as the reigning world champions, led by Lionel Messi, staged a dramatic comeback.
Argentina scored three goals in the final 15 minutes to overturn a two-goal deficit and secure a place in the semi-finals.
Enzo Fernandez’s late header sealed the victory for Argentina, but the Egyptian camp believes referee Francois Letexier heavily influenced the result.
According to reports from Diario AS, Egyptian FA president Hany Abo Rida has submitted a formal protest over two key decisions that went against his team.
The Pharaohs had a second goal disallowed by VAR due to a foul committed in the build-up. However, they allege that a similar infraction was overlooked by the officials just before Argentina scored their winning goal.
Furthermore, Egypt felt they were denied a clear penalty moments before the decisive goal when Mohamed Salah was challenged in the box by Julian Alvarez.
In their complaint, the Egyptian federation is seeking an explanation for what they term “controversial decisions” and has called for a full investigation.
They have also officially requested that the French refereeing team be barred from officiating any further matches in the tournament.
Oil prices rose by more than five per cent on Wednesday as President Donald Trump declared that the interim agreement with Iran on peace was over.
Trump said this following U.S. strikes on Iran in reaction to attacks on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
The price of Brent crude oil jumped 5.6% to more than $78 a barrel. U.S. benchmark crude surged 5.8% to $74.55 a barrel.
“For me, I think it’s over,” Trump responded when asked about the status of the ceasefire.
“It’s just a waste of time dealing with them,” he said while describing Iranian leaders as “sick” and “vicious, violent people.”
He spoke ahead of the two-day NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.
Crude prices had declined recently from spikes well above $100 a barrel to around the levels they were at before the war with Iran began in late February.
Iran and the United States agreed as part of their interim deal on ending the war to allow ships to pass through the Strait without paying charges for 60 days.
But Tehran has insisted it must control the vessels’ routes and vowed to later charge fees for passage.
The ships attacked Tuesday all appeared to be using a route close to Oman’s shore, rather than one ordered by Tehran.
The upsets for oil markets have coincided with waves of worries that the craze for artificial intelligence-related shares has pushed prices past the amount of gains in productivity and profits likely to result from massive investments in computer chip production capacity and data centers.
Analysts said the latest developments have significantly increased uncertainty over the future of negotiations and heightened concerns about stability in the global oil market.
The Chief Commodities Analyst at SEB, Bjarne Schieldrop, said the breakdown of talks had cast serious doubt on the planned 60-day negotiation process, adding that oil prices closer to $80 per barrel better reflect current market conditions.
Fresh diplomatic tensions have emerged between Ghana and South Africa after the Ghanaian government declined to host South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for a planned state visit, citing concerns over the reported killing of a Ghanaian citizen and alleged xenophobic attacks against its nationals.
The decision follows the death of 40-year-old Bashiru Isak, whom Ghana says was killed during demonstrations associated with renewed attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa on June 30, 2026.
Officials in Accra said the postponement of the visit reflects Ghana’s growing concern over the security of its citizens residing in South Africa.
They maintained that ensuring the safety of Ghanaians abroad must take precedence over high-level diplomatic engagements.
President Ramaphosa had been expected in Ghana during the first week of August for a state visit aimed at reinforcing the longstanding relationship between both countries.
The visit was also expected to provide an opportunity for discussions on bilateral cooperation and concerns surrounding attacks on foreign nationals.
However, Ghanaian authorities indicated that the prevailing situation made it difficult to proceed with the visit until issues surrounding the reported killing and the welfare of Ghanaian citizens were adequately addressed.
As part of its response, the Ghanaian government has formally protested to South African authorities over Isak’s death and expressed broader concerns about the safety of Ghanaians living in the country.
According to Ghanaian officials, Isak was shot dead during what they described as “anti-immigrant demonstrations linked to ongoing xenophobic attacks” in Cape Town’s Khayelitsha township.
South Africa has rejected that account, insisting that Ghana’s claims are inaccurate.
Authorities in Pretoria said no fatalities were recorded during the June 30 demonstrations, which attracted thousands of protesters in different parts of the country.
South Africa’s Justice Minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi, accused Ghanaian authorities of circulating incorrect information capable of damaging South Africa’s reputation.
“It is concerning that Ghanaian authorities continue to communicate false information about South Africa regarding developments on irregular migration,” she said in a statement.
“The spread of false information to perpetuate the false narrative that South Africa is xenophobic is unacceptable,” she added.
The disagreement has placed renewed attention on the safety of African migrants in South Africa, where previous incidents of violence against foreign nationals have repeatedly drawn concern from governments across the continent.
Although the latest dispute has strained relations, Ghana and South Africa remain two of Africa’s closest diplomatic and economic partners, with cooperation spanning trade, investment, regional integration and continental affairs. Officials from both countries are expected to continue diplomatic engagements as efforts are made to resolve the disagreement and preserve their longstanding bilateral ties.
The Ghanaian government had earlier petitioned the African Union (AU) over the killing of one of its citizens, a 40-year-old fashion designer, Mr. Bashiru Isak, who was allegedly shot dead during anti-immigrant violence in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa.
The Ghanaian government described the incident as a senseless act of xenophobic brutality.
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