On Sunday, June 29, 2018, this is how things are going.
Fighting
According to Ukrainian authorities, a teacher and her husband were killed in an attack by a Russian drone in Odesa, Ukraine, and 14 others were hurt. A child was one of the three victims who were in critical condition.
According to Governor Vadym Filashkin, at least two others were killed in a separate, broad-based Russian assault on Friday in the eastern Donetsk villages of Kostiantynivka and Ivanopillia.
According to the official Ukrinform news agency, explosions were audible on Saturday night in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, with Mayor Vitali Klitschko advising residents to leave their homes in case of Russian drones “heading for the city.”
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, Chervona Zirka in Donetsk has been under Russian control. The area between the Vovcha and Mokri Yaly rivers was later claimed by the ministry as well.
Top Ukrainian commander Oleksandr Syrskii added on Telegram that the Russian military was “surging towards” the important city of Kostiantynivka in Donetsk, but that it had “nothing to accomplish” despite suffering “multiple losses.”
A 43-year-old man in the Kursk region was injured by a Ukrainian drone attack in Russia, including a traumatic brain injury, according to a local official citing a local official.
Three attack helicopters and an anti-aircraft missile system were destroyed, according to Ukraine’s SBU security service, which used special drones to attack the Russian-occupied Crimean military airfield.
Overnight and into Saturday, the Russian military claimed to have detained 64 Ukrainian drones over western Russia and Crimea.
diplomacy and politics
Andrzej Duda, the incoming president of Poland, addressed Ukraine to “please be patient” during the transition to Karol Nawrocki, his nationalist successor. After taking office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy promised to “of course” invite Nawrocki to Ukraine.
According to Ukrinform, Ruslan Stefanchuk, the speaker and chairperson of the Ukrainian Parliament, a bill is being developed to hold elections following the war.
Authorities in the Palestinian-occupied Gaza said that in Gaza, at least 66 children have died from malnutrition as a result of Israel’s war, praising the more stringent Israeli siege that has hampered the entry of milk, nutritional supplements, and other food aid.
At least 60 Palestinians were killed, 20 of whom were killed in the Tuffah neighborhood of Gaza City, according to the statement released by the government media office in the Gaza area on Saturday.
Israel’s deadly blockade, according to the media office, is a “war crime” and highlights its “deliberate use of starvation as a weapon to kill civilians.”
The office criticized “the shameful international silence regarding the suffering of children who are left to fall prey to hunger, disease, and slow death” as well as “this ongoing crime against children in the Gaza Strip.”
Additionally, it alleged that “this catastrophe” involved Israel, as well as its allies, including the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, and called on the UN to immediately intervene and reopen the crossings into Gaza.
The UNICEF agency issued a warning days later that the number of malnourished children in the Gaza Strip was “alarmingly rising”. According to the report, at least 5, 119 children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years old were all admitted for acute malnutrition in May alone.
The figure, according to UNICEF, is nearly 50% higher than the 3,444 children who were admitted in April, and 150 percent higher than the ceasefire’s effect in February, when significant aid was arriving in Gaza.
According to Edouard Beigbeder, the organization’s regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, “16, 736 children – an average of 112 children per day – have been admitted for treatment for malnutrition in the Gaza Strip in just 150 days,” according to the agency’s regional director for the Middle East and North Africa.
“Everyone of these situations can be avoided. They are being prevented from getting the food, water, and nutrition treatments they so desperately need, he continued. “Man-made choices that are killing lives,” Israel must urgently permit the extensive movement of life-saving aid across all border crossings.
North Gaza is being increased by Israel’s attacks.
Palestinians were decrying the 60 people who were killed in Saturday’s Israeli attacks. After two consecutive Israeli strikes flatten several residential buildings, leaving at least 20 people dead, rescuers in Gaza City’s Tuffah neighborhood continued searching for survivors.
The victims included nine children, roughly.
A private number called the family’s residential area, forcing us to evacuate the entire block, and we were sitting in peace. The block is almost completely destroyed, according to one resident, Mahmoud al-Nakhala, according to Al Jazeera.
It’s heartbreaking that people watch what’s happening in Gaza, the suffering and the massacres, and remain silent, “but we still don’t know why two three-story homes were targeted.” We are unable to even comprehend what is happening right now,” he said.
Following a second airstrike on tents containing displaced people in Gaza City, the bombings in Tuffah came after.
At least 13 people were killed, many of whom were children.
A person was shot and killed close to a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) distribution point in southern Rafah, among others.
Since the contentious organization started conducting operations on May 19th, Israeli forces have killed more than 550 people at and near the GHF sites, according to officials in Gaza.
Hani Mahmoud, a journalist for Al Jazeera from Gaza City, reported from Gaza City that Israel continues to impose severe restrictions on the movement of supplies between the Gaza Strip and the GHF as the only source of food.
Because of the deliberate and ongoing shootings of aid seekers there, “a lot of people here are trying to stay away from the GHF’s centers,” Mahmoud said. Staying away is not a solution, because going to bed hungry means that children will not have food packages.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated on Friday that the US-backed operation in Gaza was “inherently unsafe” and “killing people” while aid organizations have condemned the GHF’s “militarized” operations.
According to one soldier, one of the soldiers described the scenes as “killing field,” according to Israel’s Haaretz newspaper.
The claim was refuted by the Israeli military.
The GHF’s aid distribution system in Gaza is “abomination and utter disgrace,” according to Chris Doyle, director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding.
He told Al Jazeera, “It is an inversion of all the fundamental principles of global humanitarian law: neutrality, impartiality, and independence.”
According to Doyle, “around 550 Palestinians have died trying to get food there, to travel by foot, to travel for a long distance, and then the families worry whether they’ll ever return again,” she said.
He continued, citing the situation as another illustration of how “Israel is completely and unafraid of any international law or rule of war.”
Following a 4-1 victory over Benfica in North Carolina following extra time, Chelsea became the first English team to advance to the quarterfinals of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
Reece James hit the game’s opening goal in the 64th minute on Saturday with a stunning free kick from a tight angle on the left.
After making a soft handball save against Malo Gusto, Angel Di Maria scored from the penalty spot in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
In extra time, Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall gave Chelsea a 2-0 lead before a quarterfinal meeting with Palmeiras.
After dominating the game from beginning to end, the Blues finally got what they deserved.
The referee at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte caused the players’ exit from the field of play due to a nearby lightning storm, which significantly delayed the game.
Despite having only four minutes left before the players left the field, the delay lasted nearly two hours. With victory in sight, the decision to halt the game so close to the full-time whistle stung with the players’ apparent resentment.
[Agustin Marcarian/Reuters] A general view of players leaving the field after referee Slavko Vincic indicates a weather delay.
The inclement weather was caused by unusually high temperatures for the time of year. The United States hosting the FIFA 2026 World Cup, which will also take place in the United States in the summer, raises both the issue and the cause.
A Club World Cup game has been postponed six times because of bad weather.
When thunder or lightning strikes, outdoor sports events are required to be postponed for at least 30 minutes according to accepted public safety guidelines in the US.
The Blues had the best of the possession and chances in the first half, which came from Benfica’s Antonio Silva’s curling effort from just inside the box, well off the line.
When Cole Palmer was slipped into the box and fired a shot at the near post, it was Anatoliy Trubin’s Ukrainian goalkeeper, who made the best save possible.
The wide player’s effort was met with a moment of magic from James, who won the match at the near post, with the goalkeeper seemingly being more concerned with a potential cross.
Reece James scores Chelsea’s opening goal for Benfica [Mike Segar/Reuters]
Gusto left his arms flailing in the air, and the Video Assistant Referee had no choice but to call the referee to have the decision reviewed after the lightning delay. Despite the stormy conditions that surrounded the stadium, Di Maria coolly slotted home the kick.
After the lengthy delay in the match, Benfica’s comeback was merely another annoyance for Chelsea, whose job was made easier by Gianluca Prestianni’s second yellow yellow.
After just two minutes of extra time, the Benfica forward received a second yellow for a late tackle after being booked during the celebrations for his side’s equaliser.
First to reach the CWC quarterfinals, Palmeiras
With a 1-0 victory over Brazilian league rival Botafogo, Paulinho fought his way between two defenders before heading home in extra time on Saturday to place Palmeiras in the quarterfinals.
In the 100th minute, Paulinho made an inside cut from the right wing and dribbled through the defense. He has made one appearance for Brazil’s national team. The lower left corner of John’s net was then slashed with left-footed effort.
In the final minutes, Botafogo had numerous chances to equalize, but he was unable to do so.
Paulinho scores the first goal for Palmeiras [Lee Smith/Reuters]
A total of 35 shot attempts were made during the game at Lincoln Financial Field. However, Palmeiras’ substitution for defender Gustavo Gomez resulted in the match being ended with 10 men.
In the 116th minute, Gomez tackled Igor Jesus in midfield to stop Botafogo from starting a counterattack, but he was shown a second yellow card.
The 33, 657 fans who were present helped to create the atmosphere for the game by continuously cheering and bringing the South American feel to the game.
Bruno Fuchs, the defender for Palmeiras, said: “Coach has been saying since the beginning of the season that we have a dream and dreaming costs nothing.”
Who: Inter Miami vs. Paris Saint-Germain What: FIFA Club World Cup round of 16 Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, United States When: Sunday, June 30 at 12pm (16:00 GMT)
Follow us for the live stream of our live commentary stream on Al Jazeera Sport starting at 9am local (13:00 GMT).
Lionel Messi leads Inter Miami in the group of 16 matches against his former club, Paris Saint-Germain, in the FIFA Club World Cup.
The Argentinian international forward has represented Barcelona since he was a youngster and has now become the champion of France.
Messi left PSG for a better place with his 2023 switch to Major League Soccer, where the coveted European success was not forthcoming.
A PSG side that many of the Galacticos were hired to win European glory are now Messi’s, full of youthful exuberance and riding the Champions League wave.
Al Jazeera Sport examines the game more closely.
Why does Messi’s Miami vs. PSG weigh so heavily?
A rare reunion of European football legends with old ties, recent regrets, and the chance for Lionel Messi to settle a score will be witnessed when PSG and Inter Miami square off.
A compelling contrast of eras is present in Sunday’s game between an Inter Miami team based on former Barcelona stars who are aging but still influential, and a PSG side driven by youth and energy who are just about to win their first Champions League title.
Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, and Luis Enrique square off against four PSG players that he once led at Barcelona.
They have all now been reunited under Miami coach Javier Mascherano, a former player from Luis Enrique’s Camp Nou’s triple-winning era.
This week, Alba stated that “Luis Enrique is a phenomenon.” When the ref blows the opening whistle, we’ll try to beat him, but I’m excited to see him and will give him a hug.
Suarez, 38, reflected on the influence of his former boss: “He injected even more into me than he already had a competitive DNA.”
[Hannah Mckay/Reuters] Lionel Messi training before the game against PSG
Has PSG a history with the Barcelona squad?
Ex-Barcelona players from Miami were a part of the 2017 “Remontada” against PSG, adding yet another layer of intrigue.
When Barca defeated PSG 6-1 in Spain after falling 4-0 to them in Paris in their final-16 Champions League game, that night was PSG’s darkest night.
At that time, Miami’s veterans were at their best.
They now rely on memory and rhythm, while a rising generation has transformed PSG’s core, with victories in the Champions League and victories in recent weeks.
What was PSG’s performance in the group stage?
Following a 1–0 defeat to Brazil’s Botafogo in the group stage that posed questions about fatigue following a long European season, the Parisian side arrive in Atlanta.
Even though PSG are still widely considered to be the best team in the world, their defeat revealed weaknesses in their roster. They have played more high-stakes matches than most of their rivals.
In their opening games against Seattle Sounders and Atletico Madrid, PSG won all three of their matches.
What was Inter Miami’s performance in the group stage?
Inter Miami had one win and two draws to go with second place overall, behind Palmeiras.
Their 2-1 victory over Porto, led by Messi, was crucial for their progress.
Can PSG be defeated by Miami’s Argentina axis?
“It will be a great honor for me to face a great coach, one of the best I’ve had in my career,” Mascherano of Luis Enrique said.
Mascherano, who is playing for the first time in his major club coaching position, gives a Miami side an emotional edge and tactical acumen that are physically unavoidable, especially with Messi in top form.
After leaving Barcelona in 2021, the great from Argentina endured a turbulent two-year spell with PSG. Although he won domestic silverware, Messi failed to find peace in Paris, and some fans turned against him after his 2022 World Cup triumph.
Messi earlier this year admitted to not enjoying myself at PSG. It was a difficult time, they said.
Mascherano thinks that memory still motivates him.
Messi said this week, “When something gets in his head, he gives a little extra.”
After winning the 2023 Ligue 1 title in France, Messi is pictured with his PSG teammates Neymar, Marquinhos, Marco Verratti, Kylian Mbappe, Achraf Hakimi, and Sergio Ramos.
What exactly did Messi do wrong at PSG?
He appeared to be the puzzle’s piece because PSG had reached the Champions League final and then the semifinals two years prior to Messi’s arrival.
Instead, they turned around and left with him in the side, leaving the last 16 years of elite club competition in Europe.
With Neymar and Mbappe, Messi’s estimated annual salary of 30 million euros ($35,2 million) after tax, and his expected annual salary also weakened them as a team.
In the end, some PSG supporters who felt Messi’s support for the cause was lacking were even making fun of the Barcelona legend.
When Messi led Argentina to the World Cup in Qatar in late 2022, he was a PSG player, but his genius was only apparent at club level in France.
With 32 goals and 35 assists in 75 appearances, he did win two Ligue 1 titles while contributing to PSG’s brand value.
Meanwhile, Miami coach Javier Mascherano believes Messi may continue if he is upset about his time in Paris.
For us, it’s obvious that he should play angry because he’s one of those players who puts in extra effort when he’s at work, Mascherano said, according to Mascherano.
Last season’s performance for PSG?
Under Luis Enrique’s direction, PSG’s stunning 5-0 victory over Inter Milan at the end of last month in Munich, which gave them the opportunity to win the UEFA Champions League for the first time, marked the conclusion of an incredible treble-winning season for the Qatar-backed side.
What was Inter Miami’s performance last season?
Miami won the MLS Cup, which is regarded as the highest prize in the MLS, beating LA Galaxy, who won the league’s highest prize, earning them a spot at the Club World Cup.
Miami broke MLS’s regular-season points record with a 6-2 victory over the New England Revolution to reach 74 points, which is higher than New England’s previous record set in 2021, making FIFA announce Miami’s inclusion in the Club World Cup in October.
PSG team news
After recovering from a hamstring injury, Ousmane Dembele is currently training, but he might not even be fit enough to play on the bench.
With Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in, Goncalo Ramos and Bradley Barcola are competing for the top spot. Dembele’s role was filled by youngster Senny Mayulu, who was chosen for the match against Seattle.
news from the Miami Inter-Team
Noah Allen will take Noah Allen’s place at left-back while Junior Jordi Alba recovers from injury.
The injured include Yannick Bright, Gonzalo Lujan, and Drake Callender. Oscar Ustari, a former defender for Venezuela, will continue to serve as his replacement.
On the third day of a multimillion-dollar celebration, hundreds of protesters marched through Venice to say “no” to the wedding of Amazon founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos.
On the secluded island of San Giorgio, the fourth-richest man in the world, Bezos, and his bride, Lauren Sanchez Bezos, were married in a private ceremony on Friday.
Protesters threw banners at Venice’s central streets before the final party on Saturday night as part of a three-day wedding celebration that read “Kisses Yes, Bezos No” and “No Bezos, no War” and filled the streets with people before the ceremony, which took place on Saturday night.
The list of Lauren Sanchez’s 27 dresses read, “The planet is burning, but don’t worry, here’s the list,” according to another poster.
Residents of Venice have been protesting for the past few days over what they have described as anger because Venice is plagued by overtourism, high housing costs, and the ongoing threat of climate-induced flooding.
Venice, Italy’s Rialto Bridge protests are carried out by activists [Luca Bruno/AP]
One of the demonstrators, Martina Vergnano, claimed that they were present to “continue ruining the plans of these wealthy people, who accumulate money by exploiting many other people, while the conditions of this city remain precarious.”
Bezos gave one million euros ($1.11 million) each to three environmental research organizations working to preserve Venice, according to the Venetian Environmental Research Association.
Residents of Venice, who also signed up for the protest on Saturday, have a “free Venice that is ultimately dedicated to its citizens.”
According to Cogo, “Those donations are just a misery and are only intended to purge Bezos’ conscience.”
Venetian politicians and business leaders welcomed the wedding despite the protests and praised it as a significant economic boost.
The protesters “in contravention with the history of Venice, which is one of relations, contacts, and business,” according to Mayor Luigi Brugnaro.
“Bezos embodies the Venetian mentality,” he says. The center-right mayor claimed that he was hoping Bezos would make a city-wide business trip. “He is more Venetian than the protesters.
On the third day of Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sanchez Bezos’ wedding celebrations in Venice, Italy [Manuel Silvestri/Reuters] take part in a protest against the founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos.
Three people have been killed in Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon, which continue despite a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah in November.
One person was killed in a drone attack by the “Israeli enemy” on a car in Kunin, Lebanon’s ministry of public health reported on Saturday, and two others were killed by an Israeli attack on a motorcycle in Mahrouna, near Tyre.
Hassan Muhammad Hammoudi, a terrorist, was blamed for Israeli-style antitank missile attacks on Israeli territory during the recent war, according to the Israeli army.
The most recent Israeli attacks occurred one day after a woman was killed and 25 others were hurt in southern Lebanon.
The woman was killed in an Israeli drone attack on an apartment in Nabatieh, according to the Lebanon’s National News Agency.
A Hezbollah rocket was used in the woman’s death, according to a spokesperson for the Israeli army’s social media posts that claimed the army “did not target any civilian buildings.”
Despite a ceasefire that ended more than a year of firefights and nearly two months of an all-out war, Israel, which maintains troops in five locations in south Lebanon, has repeatedly bombed its neighbor.
President of Lebanon Joseph Aoun blasted Israel on Friday for repeatedly breaking the US-brokered agreement, which required the country to formally withdraw its troops.
The Lebanese army and United Nations peacekeepers would remain in charge under the terms of the agreement, which would allow Hezbollah to withdraw its fighters from the Litani River, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Israeli border.
