Putin Speaks On Moscow Attack; Iran vows revenge | Top Stories | April 2, 2024

Catch up on the Top Stories of the day.

0:00 Putin vows to find masterminds of Moscow concert hall attack
- President Vladimir Putin has vowed to track down the masterminds of the Moscow concert hall attack that left 144 people dead in the worst assault on Russian soil in two decades and urged its law enforcement agencies to tighten security at mass gatherings. Putin also said that the tragedy at the Crocus City Hall must not be allowed to lead to xenophobia and Islamophobia in Russia. Putin has repeatedly sought to link the attack to Ukraine and the West despite the Islamic State group's claim of responsibility and Kyiv's vehement denial.

0:37 Iran vows to revenge for Israeli airstrike in Syria
- Iran has vowed to respond to what it said was an Israeli strike that destroyed an Iranian consulate building in Syria's capital, Damascus. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel would "regret this crime", while President Ebrahim Raisi insisted that it would "not go unanswered". Iranian state TV reported that seven Revolutionary Guards, including two generals, and six Syrians were killed. The Israeli military said it did not comment on foreign media reports. The New York Times cited four Israeli officials as confirming that Israel had carried out the strike but denying the building had diplomatic status.

1:13 World Central Kitchen halts operations in Gaza after strike kills staff
- International food charity World Central Kitchen (WCK) is suspending its operations in Gaza following the death of seven of its workers in an Israeli air strike. The charity said those killed were part of an aid convoy that was leaving a warehouse in central. The convoy was made up of three vehicles, including two that were armoured. WCK is one of the main suppliers of desperately needed aid to Gaza. It said that it would "be making decisions about the future of its work soon".