BBCWorld365

#Russia #Ukraine #VladimirPutin Vladimir Putin has given his annual state of the nation address, two weeks before Russia's 2024 presidential election. Putin warned that any deployment of Western troops in Ukraine would have "tragic" consequences, claiming that Western rhetoric threatened a "conflict with the use of nuclear arms and consequently the destruction of civilisation". He also said the Russian military has the "initiative" in the two-year, full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and is advancing in a number of areas.

The Hamas-run health ministry says more than 100 Palestinians have been killed on while waiting for aid in northern Gaza on Thursday. The ministry blamed Israeli forces, while Palestinian media cited medical sources who said that Israeli forces fired at the crowd. An Israeli military source said that Israeli troops did open fire as some in the crowd moved towards them in a way that was "endangering the troops". An Israel Defense Forces spokesperson added that Israeli soldiers opened fire on some civilians approaching a checkpoint in a "limited response".