Zelenskiy appoints new ambassador to US
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has appointed Olga Stefanishyna, the former Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, as Ukraine’s new ambassador to the United States, Xinhua reported.
Announcing the decision on Wednesday, Zelenskiy said the embassy’s work would be revitalized, with a top priority on implementing defense agreements reached with US President Donald Trump. Stefanishyna succeeds Oksana Markarova, who had held the post since 2021.
Extreme rain in China caused $2.2 billion in road damage, further straining public purse
Heavy rainfall across China has caused over 16bn yuan ($2.24bn) in road damage, affecting 23 provinces and regions, the transport ministry said.
Since the flood season began on July 1, authorities have allocated 540m yuan for emergency repairs. Floods, landslides, earthquakes, and droughts led to 52.2bn yuan in economic losses in July alone, Reuters reported.
Struggling with high debt, local governments face mounting pressure to fund public services, support businesses, and create jobs amid growing climate risks.
Italy's Meloni condemns killing of journalists in Gaza by Israeli fire
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the killing of journalists in Gaza, calling the attack “unjustifiable” and a threat to press freedom. According to Reuters, the statement followed Israel’s strike on Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza on Monday, which killed at least 20 people, including five journalists from Reuters, the Associated Press, and Al Jazeera.
Speaking at a political conference in Rimini, Meloni urged Israel to halt its military operations in Gaza, allow humanitarian aid, and stop expanding settlements in the West Bank. She described the hospital strike as disproportionate, stressing the need to protect innocent civilians and preserve the two-state solution, Reuters reported.
Russia hits Ukrainian energy facilities across six regions, officials say
Russia launched overnight drone attacks on energy and gas facilities across six Ukrainian regions, leaving over 100,000 people without power. Key infrastructure in Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Chernihiv was hit, with hospitals and water services relying on backup power. Poltava’s electricity has since been restored, according to Reuters.
Ukraine’s Air Force shot down 74 of 95 drones, but 21 struck targets. The energy ministry called the strikes a deliberate effort to disrupt civilian infrastructure ahead of winter, while Russia maintains it targets systems supporting Ukraine’s war effort.
