Ukrainian officials say a port-bound foreign merchant ship and residential buildings were hit in recent assault.

A Ukrainian married couple, both aged 75, were killed in a Russian attack on Odesa, Ukrainian officials said.

Russia launched a series of drone attacks on and near Ukraine’s southern port city. The assault destroyed residential buildings and hit a foreign merchant ship, according to Ukrainian authorities.

Strikes overnight on Thursday injured at least 13 people. A separate attack killed the married couple and wounded another, reported Ukraine’s State Emergency Service.

Serhiy Lysak, head of the local military administration, shared images of a building engulfed in flames and another torn open along one side, as emergency crews worked inside.

“Municipal services have been working at the sites of the hits since night,” he said.

Separately, two ⁠Russian ⁠drones struck a bulk carrier as it headed through a Ukrainian ‌maritime corridor towards a Black Sea port in the greater Odesa area, Ukraine’s seaports authority ⁠said.

The attack triggered a ⁠fire that was ⁠put out by ⁠the crew of the Saint ⁠Kitts and Nevis-flagged vessel; no one ‌was hurt, according to preliminary information.

Russia launched two ballistic missiles and 107 drones at Ukrainian territory overnight, according to Ukraine’s Air Force. It said air defences “destroyed or jammed” 96 of the drones, while 10 drones and the two ballistic missiles recorded “hits”.

Russia said its air defences shot down 10 Ukrainian drones overnight.

The attacks come as a new series of European Union-imposed sanctions target Russia’s energy, banking and trade sectors.

Russia’s mission to the EU criticised the additional sanctions, which further clamp down on the “shadow fleet” of ageing tankers Moscow uses to evade oil export restrictions.

In a statement cited by Russia’s TASS news agency, diplomats at Russia’s mission to the EU said the measures ⁠lacked UN legitimacy and infringed the rights of third countries.

Alongside the sanctions, the EU also formally approved a 90 billion-euro ($106 billion) wartime loan for Ukraine that is expected to cover about two-thirds of its funding needs for 2026 and 2027, as the war continues for its fifth year.

📰 மூல செய்தி (Source): https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/24/russian-drones-kill-two-in-ukraines-odesa-hit-foreign-merchant-ship?traffic_source=rss

Israel has carved out a military zone inside southern Lebanon, raising fears it is entrenching its occupation under the cover of the ceasefire with Hezbollah, replicating the “Yellow Line” model imposed by Israel on Gaza. Al Jazeera’s Caolán Magee reporting from Beirut explains.

📰 மூல செய்தி (Source): https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/4/24/does-israels-yellow-line-violate-the-lebanon-ceasefire-2?traffic_source=rss

Elsewhere, Toronto Raptors beat Cleveland Cavaliers, snapping a 12-game playoff losing streak against the Cavs.

Jaden McDaniels and Minnesota flexed even more of their defensive muscle against flagging Denver, seizing a 2-1 lead in the first-round NBA playoff series with a dominant 113-96 victory in Game 3 on Thursday night.

McDaniels had 20 points and 10 rebounds, Ayo Dosunmu added 25 points and nine assists off the bench, and Donte DiVincenzo had 15 points and four steals for the surging Timberwolves.

Rudy Gobert followed his inspired Game 2 effort against Nikola Jokic by stifling the three-time MVP again on an ugly 7-for-26 shooting night, and the Timberwolves established a postseason franchise record by allowing the Nuggets just 11 points in the tone-setting first quarter.

Jokic finished with a too-little, too-late 27 points and 15 rebounds for the Nuggets, who were missing Aaron Gordon due to a calf injury and all of the energy he provides from his starting power forward spot. Jamal Murray had 16 points on just 5-for-17 shooting.

“The shooting really put us behind the 8-ball to start the game,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said.

“We only gave up 25 points in the first quarter. That’s actually a very good number. We just had a hard time making shots tonight. Our physicality offensively has got to get better.”

CJ McCollum hit a fadeaway jumper with 12.5 seconds left to ruin New York’s night again, leading the Atlanta Hawks to a 109-108 victory and a 2-1 lead over the Knicks in their first-round playoff series on Thursday night.

After starring in a Game 2 stunner at Madison Square Garden, McCollum got the ball with his team trailing by a point. He came through again from 4.5 metres (15 feet), finishing with 23 points.

The Hawks led nearly the entire game, building an 18-point lead in the first half. But New York rallied for a 108-105 edge on Jalen Brunson’s three-point play with 1:03 remaining.

After Jalen Johnson, who led the Hawks with 24 points, rolled in a shot, Josh Hart missed a 3-pointer for the Knicks. New York got the offensive rebound, but could not get off a shot ahead of the 24-second clock.

The Knicks failed to get off a shot at the end, either, as Jonathan Kuminga knocked the ball away from Brunson and the horn sounded.

Kuminga had a huge night for the Hawks off the bench, finishing with 21 points.

OG Anunoby led the Knicks with 29 points, Brunson had 26 and Karl-Anthony Towns chipped in with 21. It was not enough for New York.

Scottie Barnes set career playoff highs with 33 points and 11 assists, RJ Barrett added a career playoff-high 33 points as Toronto beat Cleveland, snapping a 12-game playoff losing streak against the Cavaliers.

Collin Murray-Boyles had 22 points, Jamison Battle scored all of his 14 points in the final quarter and Brandon Ingram added 12 as the Raptors cut Cleveland’s lead in the Eastern Conference first-round series to 2-1.

Game 4 will be on Sunday afternoon in Toronto.

Murray-Boyles is the first Raptors rookie to score 20 or more in a playoff game.

The Cavaliers matched the NBA postseason record for consecutive victories against a single opponent by winning Game 2 on Monday but could not extend that run in Toronto.

James Harden scored 18 points while Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Max Strus all had 15.

📰 மூல செய்தி (Source): https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2026/4/24/timberwolves-take-2-1-nba-playoff-lead-over-nuggets-hawks-down-knicks?traffic_source=rss